Chapter 4 Those Eyes…

Seven years later

A woman walked through the bustling town square, hair covered with a shawl. She squeezed her way to the front to properly see the displays going on.

All the 11 ranked members of the park were seated in order of hierarchy; the alpha, his luna and his six-year-old son sat in the front row.

A tall and lanky man with minimal muscles stood beside the alpha, his hands clasped behind him.

The gamma stood behind the beta and the pack's advisor stood behind the alpha.

The councilmen and elders sat behind the alpha and his family, followed by the shaman and physician who sat beside each other, their apprentices standing beside them.

The pack's midwife, huntsmaster, quarter master also sat beside each other.

Pack warriors patrolled the venue from every corner.

Some people behind the woman began talking amongst themselves.

"Karl sure takes after his father. Look at that high chin. Reminds me of his father when he was a child."

"I doubt. Alpha Axton was way more charismatic and he had very bright eyes."

"Enough of the alpha and his son, luna Carmen is still as radiant as ever. She doesn't seem to age at all."

Her attention diverted from them when she saw the people making a path and moved to a side as well.

The familiar attire of a border guard came into view as he pushed forward a man covered in dirt, his hand bound behind him.

"I found this suspicious person lingering behind our border. But he doesn't seem to be from a neighboring pack." Said the border guard to everyone's hearing.

"Why bring him here? Take him…" The beta was saying when Carmen interrupted him.

"No, leave him."

Then she turned to Axton.

"My lord, our son will be turning 7 in a few months. Don't you think it's time he starts learning the way of the sword?"

The man's dark eyes met her eyes, his husky voice coming up in slight confusion, "He already is."

She smiled deviously.

"He has trained with you ever since he was 4, but has never really held a sword to a man's neck."

"This peasant must be a rogue trying to sneak into our pack. Why don't we let our son make an example of him?"

Axton was about to refuse when a councilman behind them politely butted in, "Pardon my insolence, my lord, but luna Carmen is right."

Some people in the crowd found sense in his words and began chiming in in agreement.

"We need to inculcate these values into him from a young age. Otherwise, how would he be able to follow in his conqueror father's mighty footsteps?"

"That is right! Alpha Axton had his first kill at the age of five. He killed the man who poisoned his mother with a firm face."

"As his father's son, surely our young alpha can do the same."

"I support the luna. Give the boy a sword so we we know what he's made of!"

And just like that, the crowd took the decision out of Aston's hands, leaving him no choice, but to comply.

A sword was handed to the young alpha and although heavy, he dragged it across the ground until he was standing right in front of the kneeling rogue.

But just as he tried to lift it up, the rogue suddenly broke out of his shackles and held the sword to the young alpha'a throat.

The warriors instantly sprang up, quickly surrounding him with their spears and swords while the crowd shrieked in fright and moved backward.

The rogue narrowed his eyes at the warriors, displeased at having so many weapons pointed at him.

"I don't like the look of this. Especially those spears and swords pointing towards me. I assure you that even if you spear me from behind, I'll be alive for a few more seconds to slit his throat."

"You don't want the life of your young alpha to be lost so early, do you?" He paused and turned his attention to Carmen and Axton.

Carmen was already hyperventilating and urging Axton to do something while the man remained seated, a fleeting coldness in his eyes.

"Alpha Axton, I know you're capable and can always have another son, but if you don't hear me out, someone else will still take that son away from you."

"But I assure you my orders were not to take your son's life. Now, aren't you interested in what I have to say?"

"Give the order, my lord and he'll be dead before he can blink again." Growled the beta, unsheathing his sword.

In the crowd, the pair of opal eyes moved to him while the rogue laughed heartily.

"Don't be in such a hurry, beta Ronan. I've committed an entire hour to explain in details what I came for."

Axton suddenly smiled and leaned back on his seat.

Crossing one leg on the other, he waved his hand at the rogue.

"So what is it you want?"

The rogue straightened up, staring him in the eyes.

"My leader has asked that you order your men to stop hunting rogues and taking us as slaves."

"We may not have a pack of our own, but we're contented being a dysfunctional community. So why does it bother your Cinder pack so much that we exist?"

Before Axton could retort, Carmen furiously lashed out at him.

"Because you're a thorn that shouldn't exist in the first place. You're rogues because you couldn't fit in with your pack or you were abandoned outside of one."

"Whichever the case, you're scum no one wanted. So how dare a bastard like you look Alpha Axton in the eyes?"

The rogue's eyes glistened murderously, "Wrong answer."

Then he moved his arm to slit the young alpha'a throat when the opal-eyed woman leapt forward, shoving him aside and holding the boy hostage instead.

"We can give you time to think about it. In the meantime, release to us every rogue you have locked up in your prisons."

"I'm going to hold your son captive as we walk out of your pack. If any of your warriors as little as lifts a muscle…"

She didn't need to complete the sentence to pass her point across.

As her eyes flickered from one face to the other, they met with Axton's and the man instantly sat up, recognizing those rare eyes.