10: Bitter Sweet Love

Two wolves looked visibly exhausted as they stared at the other two prowling older wolves starting to circling them, trying to pin them together in a corner. Visible wounds and slashes were evident on both sides as they snapped viciously at each other. The crowd looked expectantly at the combatants as howls and cheers echoed through the arena. But the only eyes that the younger wolf was concerned was the gaze of the man who was sitting on the prominent stage, leaning against his hand with a bored and steely glare at the fight below.

One of the older wolves lunges swiftly at one of the younger wolves causing the attacked wolf to back off in defense. At this time the the silver wolf took its gaze at its opponent to look over at the other wolf. The remaining older wolf took this chance to lunge towards it, pushing it forcefully almost at the edge of the arena but it managed to grip its claws firmly at the last second over the ground with a growl.

A man soon entered the podium as the warrior guards immediately bowed as a sign of respect when the man walked by. He motions them back with a smile and looked at the stoic face of the brooding man over the chair. He gave out a sigh and approached the man.

The scent immediately caught the attention of the sullen man sitting and instantly turned to look at the man with a surprised look. The man raised a brow and sighed.

"What just happened, Lucian?" Rex asked with a tint of disappointment laced in his tone that Lucian knew quite well. "I had to leave Drag as soon as I heard this!?" He points at the snarling and lunging wolves below.

Lucian looked at the corner of his eyes before standing to approach the standing man.

"Mate -" He started.

"Don't you mate me now, Lucian!" Rex growled that made Lucian gulp down a lump on his throat. The guards that were standing at the entrance started to sweat. Even though Rex stood a few inches than Lucian, they knew how intimidating their Alpha's mate would be when he is mad. "I need you to explain to me why is Achilles is fighting one of the Alphas of the Council?"

"H-he contested one of them during the meeti-" The Wolf King stuttered between his gruff tone but he looked quite terrified as human before him crosses his arms. "-ing."

"And you agreed for this to happen?!"

"It was out of my control." Lucian reasons out, pleading with eyes that Rex would understand. "Achilles wanted to reform some of the laws that the council wanted to remain and he dema-..." Lucian irked when a loud yelp was heard and both of them turned to look down at the arena.

A familiar wolf was pinned down by a bigger wolf to the ground with its canines buried over the scruff of its neck, blood visibly staining the silver fur of the younger wolf. Instantly the wolf on top was soon knocked off when another wolf in regal, brown fur lunges and pushed the wolf to the ground as they fought in a somersault in the arena.

"You allowed Arthur to join?!" Rex was furious as he saw Arthur's wolf struggle to stand up. He turned to Lucian and grabbed the necklace of bones around his neck and yanked him towards his face. A feat of strength was impossible for a human to do as Lucian has planted his foot firmly on the ground before he was pushed by the man before him.

"Your son requested him as a partner in combat, mate." Lucian reasons out. "And Arthur agreed..."

"God Damnit, Lucian! You're the fucking King!" Rex yelled as he pushed Lucian away to look at the battle below. "You could've done something to stop them! Their just kids!"

"Mate, I tried." Lucian approached Rex cautiously. "I objected a couple of time but Achilles wanted this! He said he needs to prove a point."

Rex groaned as it seem that both Achilles and Arthur managed to knock off one the wolves down in unconsciousness.

"He's so headstrong as you." Rex sighs as he balls his hands over the edge of the podium. "He sure got that from you Lucian."

Lucian now raised a brow. In his mind, Achilles' stubbornness comes from Rex but he wasn't going to argue with his angry mate right now.

"Yeah..." Lucian wraps his arms gently over his mate's waist. "And I know they would win anyway... His my son after all." He said smugly as they saw the last wolf pushed into a corner by the two young wolves. He grinned with pride as Achilles managed to best an experienced wolf in combat.

"I'm still mad at you, Lucian." Rex scolds as Lucian plants butterfly kisses over his neck. "You still allowed Arthur to go in harms way to help Achilles' crazy ideas."

"Why are you worried, mate? I'm quite sure Arthur's well trained by his dads in battle even how the pacifists he comes off." Lucian grins as he looked down as Arthur pushed the older wolf off balance as he snapped at its leg making Achilles jumping over the larger wolf, pinning it down.

"Blake's going to blow a fuse when he finds out."

"I'm sure his mate's going to calm him down." Lucian replied smugly.

"What make you think Aries' will be okay with this?" Rex retorted.

"Yeah... Better ask Arthur to keep this between us."

Below Achilles was now shifted back into his human form as his opponent shifted earlier from exhaustion. Pinning him down, Achilles started to sink his claws on the older werewolf's neck.

"Yield, Ernouf!" The young Wolf Prince growled, showing dominance over the much larger man. "Yield!"

The older man gritted his teeth in defiance before he started to choke from the lack of air. He immediately patted the ground furiously but Achilles choked him harder, his nails deeply buried now in the man's skin.

The man's eyes popped out in panic as he was gasping furiously. The choking started to become frequently as Ernouf started to gasp his words.

"I - I .... Yi- Yield.... -ield... ld... yield!!!" Ernouf gasped before losing his consciousness and Achilles standing up with the crowds cheering wildly. The older wolves looked down in rage at the defeat of their most strongest wolf. Their humiliation grew deeper as he was defeated by someone much younger.

Arthur smiled at Achilles raising his fist in the air triumphantly at the crowd with a sense of pride. Achilles turned to look at him with a goofy grin that he returned with same intensity as their feet started to run towards each other.

When their bodies collided in an intense embrace, the two men looked intensely at each other before planting a deep and long kiss in the man in their hold.

A series of whistles and hoots were heard amidst the cheers as the two men continued kissing fervently for a few minutes before parting and looking longingly in each eyes.

"Damn, babe! I could kiss you all day." Achilles grinned as he plants a quick kiss before wrapping his arm over Arthur's neck as he moves to his side. "I couldn't have done this without you, Art." Arthur wrapped his right arm over Achilles' hips as he chuckled at the prominent hard on they are having in front of the crowd.

Arthur looked at the man before him and chuckled as they both raised their free fists together in the air as another loud cheer erupted through out the arena.

An hour later after people cleared the arena and the combatants retreated back to their camps, the two young werewolves were chilling by Achilles' La Voiture Noire with Achilles grinning like a madman as he chowed down on his burger. Arthur tosses him an ice bag that Achilles that the brunette caught with his free hand.

"Thanks, babe." Achilles winked as he placed it over his shoulder with a hiss. The silver haired male sits besides him and grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the burger and dragged it towards him and took a big bite over the curve.

"That was a serious scolding back there." Arthur spoke with his mouth full as Achilles looked at him with love, reaching his thumb over Arthur's lips and wiped a drop of mayo clean.

"You're such a pig, Art." Achilles grinned as he licked his thumb seductively while maintaining eye contact with a surprised Arthur.

Arthur then grinned back and nudged Achilles playfully.

"And you're a whore." Arthur smirked after swallowing and Achilles choked on his throat before pushing Arthur off his seat. Arthur chuckled as he held the door for support.

"Am not." Achilles places the the half eaten burger and ice bag over the hood as he prowled towards Arthur and pinning him against the car, trapping him under his bare chest. He smirks down the smirking Arthur who places his hands over the brunette's waists. "You're the only for me, Art. Right, babe?"

Arthur chuckled before leaning over to plant a kiss over Achilles lips.

"Yours, Kill." Arthur smiled as he pulled out. "You know this is why your partners always breaks up with you..." Arthur motions with his eyes ang Achilles laughed hard before wrapped his arms around Arthur.

"What do you mean?" Achilles leans back on the car as he separated from Arthur while looking at the sky. " I don't see anything wrong with everything we do."

"Kissing your Best Friend?" Arthur pointed out.

"What's wrong with that? You are a great kisser." Achilles looked at the silver haired man as he look at him as well. "Amanda and David would agree with me. At least your previous lovers was alright with what we do."

Arthur started to laughed hard.

"That's only because they find it sexy when we are so intimate with each other." Arthur said after wiping a tear from his eyes. "Did you know Amanda took a couple of photos when she found us asleep together naked that one time?"

"Oh." Achilles thought about it for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Ah! That time when we got so drunk that we had to crash at her place? Damn. I should ask her for copies of those." He smirked as he remembered the warmth of Arthur's skin over his own that day.

Arthur punched Achilles' side playfully, his cheeks slightly tinted pink.

"That's creepy..." Achilles jested as he leaned closer over Achilles. "I should call her..."

"What for?" Achilles eyed him curiously.

"To tell her to not give you those photos." Arthur retorted as Achilles chuckled back.

"You just want first dibs on those." He pointed out as Arthur's cheeks flare deep crimson. "Ha! I knew it!" Achilles grinned. "I know you, Art. We think alike, babe." He pecks Arthur's cheek and stood up as he stretched in front of Arthur as he checked his sore shoulder. Feeling a numb sting he concluded that it will be healed in a few minutes.

Arthur sure appreciated as Achilles was giving him a show as he flex his muscles, showing his bare chest. The brunette Wolf Prince grinned as he appreciate the intense stares Arthur was giving him.

"I guess I'm good to go." Achilles grinned as Arthur pulled the young prince' shirt inside the car and tossed it towards him. Achilles effortlessly caught it and winked a thanks at the silver haired man.

Achilles started to get dress when Arthur's phone rang. He saw the caller ID and he started to sweat. He clicked it to answer it and a visibly furious Alpha was yelling over the other end.

"Dad... Calm down. I'm fine." Arthur nervously replied.

"Art, who's that?" Achilles asked with concern. "Is everything alright?"

Arthur covered the receiver quickly and eyed the caller ID and mouthed Dad. Achilles mouth turned into an 'o' before cringing into a fuck.

"No Dad. Achilles didn't -" Arthur answered back as he looked concerned at what Blake, one of Arthur's father was going to do to him... "Dad, I'm fine. Nothing bad happened. The King was the-... No, He didn't..." Arthur fumbled in explaining to his father as he was berated with questions here and there.

Achilles stood there helplessly and looked at Arthur with concern. He reaches out out and grabbed Arthur's free hand and intertwined their fingers together before clenching them together in a loving manner. Arthur looked at him with a smile and mouthed a thank you.

The call lasted a almost an hour and Arthur clicked the call with a sigh.

"That was draining." Arthur groans.

"Are you alright, Art?" Achilles places his free hand over Arthur's shoulder and looked at the smiling Arthur. "Did Alpha Blake wanted me to pass by and explain myself and get a scolding?"

Arthur chuckled as he was directed to the car. Achilles immediately lets go and searched for a bottle of water and quickly opened it and handing it to Arthur at which the young man smiled in return before drinking.

"You really know my Dad well." Arthur chuckled after chugging the entire bottle down. "Pa's going to be there, too."

Achilles' hair immediately stood in fear.

"Fuck. Alpha Aries will be there?" He asked and Arthur just nodded. "Shit. I'm in deep shit, Art."

"Don't worry, I'll be there with you." Arthur cups Achilles' cheek. "I'm also getting a scolding..."

Achilles chuckled and leans his forehead over Arthur's.

"In that case, I'll accept every punishment they throw at me then." Achilles smiles.

"Well, we better be going. We don't want to keep two furious Alphas waiting..." Arthur nervously joked.

"Yeah."

As they entered the car with both of them at the front and Achilles in the driver's seat, Arthur looked at Achilles lovingly and places his hand over the other man.

"I love you, Kill."

Achilles turned his hand and intertwined their hands again and brought them to his lips for a kiss.

"I love you too, Art." Achilles smiled as he turned to start the engine. With a rumble the machine started to exit the parking lot inside a private preserve. "Time to face the fury of two wolves."