Chapter 64

Territory disputes are a funny thing.

Alphas treat their territories like their own little kingdom where they're the kings, but of course that would mean that they would need to forge friendships between themselves and their neighbors and sometimes issues arise. It was a mess that Constantine doesn't concern himself with, it was his father's job to care and that would eventually fall on his younger brother.

Who even cares about pieces of land?

Apparently power came with that, and people were willing to kill for it, but certain reputations needed to be upheld. They can't do it themselves, someone else has to do it so they could seize the opportunity and claim the freed territory themselves. Constantine was perfect for the job.

Unaffiliated, alone, and would not ask for anything in return.

Just as long as he gets to see his claimed partner.

"I do kill people for a living." Constantine told the alpha trio not actually listening to their previous discourse as he sat there suffering. He had been subjected to many horrible things, but there was nothing worse than mind-numbing boredom. "But you get a new territory, what do I get?"

The alphas all looked at him with disdain.

Constantine was never in the habit to learn his victims' names, so he gave them nicknames of his own. The one whose son got his spine crushed was Grump and the other one was Eyesore. They were both fitting since one was always grumbling in distaste at him while the other was just plain ugly, but Grump was proving to be hard to deal with.

Whenever anything was said to them by Constantine, he'd often be the first to answer. In a grumpy way. Kind of ruined some of the fun.

"We've already been through that. If you want to see that omega of yours, you'll be sure to keep your mouth shut."

Always that omega, never by his name.

Alpha Hawthorne placidly placed his hand on Grump's arm to calm him down, but it was clear that not everyone was a fan of Constantine. The hatred was real, but he guessed it was expected after crushing his son's spine. It made him wonder who actually killed that son of his first, him or Ari.

"May I ask what you mean by see him?" He continued not bothered by the glares he was getting as he sat there lazily in his seat. There was nothing between him and the trio, and he could think of a variety of creative ways to brutalize them. It'll take close to a minute, more if one of them knew how to fight. "I am pretty sure you don't just mean I get to bless my eyes with his visage."

And what a visage it is.

Honestly he'd kill for that now. Killing is cheap to him.

"Exactly what is it that you want?" Alpha Hawthorne asked sounding reluctant as if he hadn't considered that he'd actually have to consider giving Constantine something back. It was no mystery to him that Ari is being kept someplace where they could all keep an eye on him, but he is starting to wonder where.

"You tell me, what is it you think I want?"

Nobody said anything at first and it made it clear that he was dealing with rookies by the discomfort they had shown. If they weren't planning on giving him anything, then they shouldn't have used Ari as leverage. And if they were, then they didn't realize that they were sinking so low as to offer him someone who had been through trauma because of him.

Ari was being dangled in front of him, did they think he was going to be content with just that?

At least they should hide their discomfort if they wanted to fool him by giving him false promises, but alpha Hawthorne looked pale as everything dawned on him. Grump and Eyesore, less so. In fact, Eyesore did not seem like he minded all that much.

"I obviously want my conjugal visit. One night for each kill." Constantine pressed on enjoying watching them squirm.

Eyesore looked back at the others and shrugged his shoulder. "Well, the omega is his."

"Nothing we could do about it." Grump agreed turning to alpha Hawthorne who refused to utter a word. He just sat there looking at Constantine as he rolled his tongue inside of his mouth unable to regulate the feelings that were showing on his demeanor.

No, he didn't like this.

Yet he still didn't speak up as the two continued. His silence was taken as an agreement.

"It is arranged then." Eyesore clasped his hands in front of him looking at Constantine as if he was looking at a prized possession. He was eager about the new expansion to his territory that he was getting, but all what Constantine wanted to do was tear his face off his skull to do the world a favor. "You understand who you need to kill, correct? The alpha and his sons."

Constantine didn't appreciate being talked to like an idiot, but he lazily gave a nod.

Grump spoke, too. "Do it first, and then we'll consider."

"Consider?" Constantine let out a laugh, this was truly getting entertaining. "Are you really in a position to consider?"

"Are you really in a position to make any demands?" Grump bit back and it only made Constantine's amusement grow even more.

He laughed kicking himself off of his seat to stand up and approach the trio who were silently watching him. Grump couldn't help but lean back in his seat when it became apparent that he was the one Constantine was approaching. While everyone there was a powerful alpha in their own right, Constantine was tall and menacing with a body count larger than any of their suppositions.

Alpha Hawthorne knew he killed his five men and two other pack members. Grump thought he killed his son, and he had also killed some of his men. Eyesore had around three of his men die because of Constantine, and probably some more that he doesn't remember.

They knew he was capable, dangerous even, they didn't know that those were just regular kills to him. That he could take three alphas were ease.

That he was just playing a game.

"Consider this then," The pleasant way that he spoke was really deceiving, but nobody fell for it. "You have something over me, and that something is stopping this head of yours from rolling on the ground. Are you still considering?"

The spike in Grump's heartbeat didn't escape his notice, but only he heard it. "Are you threatening me?"

"Are you giving me what I asked for?"

For a fleeting moment, it was apparent who was the one actually in control. It was only felt, but the fact remained that the trio had something which Constantine wanted. Something that they could control him with. If they played their cards right, they'd get a powerful wolf to do their bidding. Someone who could rid them of unwanted presences without any consequences.

It was too delicious for Eyesore to bother with anything like feelings. "You'll get what you want."

"Then consider the job done."

If one of the had trusted their feelings, then maybe they would have walked out of the room living men. Gut feelings were not something one should ignore, but Grump and Eyesore weren't so wise as to acknowledge it. However, alpha Hawthorne's gut feeling was present and stronger than ever. He was frozen in fear, petrified, and he didn't dare say a word this whole time.

The two alphas walked out of the room as dead men, and alpha Hawthorne could feel the rage radiating in waves from Constantine regardless of how he watched the retreating figures with a mischievous smirk.

That rage was latent, and it was laten because they were being played with.

And then green shrewd eyes met his own, and he wished he could stand and leave, but he was too afraid to do so.

"As much as he hates me, I do listen to my father." Constantine told him looking down at him in a way that made it seem as if he knew of the panic that was rising inside of alpha Hawthorne. From the last time he had seen him when he was only a boy of ten, Constantine has changed so drastically since then. "He told me not to kill you."

And he knew then that they were never in control of Constantine. "I implore you, please, Aurelius has been through so much."

"Feeling guilt now, are we?" Constantine raised an eyebrow in mild bewilderment, but at least he had his worries laid to rest. Ari was okay. "Should have thought about it before you offered him up."

"I'll offer you anything else. Just please leave the boy."

For one hopeful moment, Constantine said nothing as if he was considering that, but then he leaned down and smiled at alpha Hawthorne.

"A night with him for every kill. That's final."

The anguish was clear on the alpha's face as he sunk back into his seat lamenting the choices he thoughtlessly made. Two against one, and the two alphas had pulled him into this. If he could turn back time, he would have refused to be pulled so easily.

But as always, it was too late whenever it came to Ari.

And Constantine walked away knowing that he was an immoral waste of a person, that was something he had never denied. Taking away a life so easily just wasn't what decent people would do. Yet he still had more decency than many of the people around Ari.

And there he thought he was atrocious, but this place was much worse.

So much so that it baffled Constantine.