Chapter 5 Put A Bounty On Their Heads

"You're nothing, but trash. How dare a lowly animal like you hold the young alpha by the neck!" A voice from the crowd yelled in righteous indignation.

"And in his pack! Wench, you must be tired of living!" Another person scolded.

The woman exhaled calmly, her eyes following the subtle movements of the warriors before she returned them to Axton.

"If your men keep stepping towards me, you won't like what will happen next."

The corners of his lips curled into an amused smile, "You've been surrounded. Do you think we'd just drop our weapons and let you walk out of here with the rest of the slaves?"

She smiled faintly, her eyes glistening.

"Do you know how many rogues there are out there? If you kill me, the young alpha will be coming with me."

"And more rogues will be sent into your pack. We were able to infiltrate a highly secured gathering like this and even hold your son at knife point."

"What do you think the rest of our friends will do if we don't return to them with our heads attached to our body?"

Axton Wolfe narrowed his dark eyes at her, seeming to consider her words.

"If I release the locked up rogues, you'll have a target on your back. This time, I won't just lock up any rogue I see, I'll be putting a spear through their heart."

The woman gulped down, a trace of nervousness flickering through her eyes.

Beside her, the male rogue grimaced.

"That is for us rogues to worry about. You have 60 seconds to do as we say."

"Ordering the alpha around, who do you think you…" Carmen, who was lashing out at him, trailed off when she saw Axton nudge his head at his gamma.

As the gamma left to do as ordered, Axton leaned back again, a cold smile creasing his face.

"Then let it be known, the moment you step out of cinder pack and the young alpha is safe, I will hunt you down."

Smiling mischievously, the male rogue clicked his tongue sarcastically, "Getting a promise from Axton Wolfe himself, our leader will be thrilled at the recognition."

Then the place fell silent.

Almost sixty seconds later, a group of people in tattered clothes were pushed into the space by warriors, the gamma trialing behind them.

The woman held up the young alpha with one hand, the other pressing the knife close to his jugular.

Instantly getting a hunch on who they were, the scared rogues hesitantly walked to their side once their shackles were taken off. And in a few seconds, they began walking towards the border.

While they had their eyes in front of them, the male and female rogue holding the young alpha captive, walked backwards, keeping their eyes on the warriors around them.

Once they were at the border, the released rogues darted into the forest, quickly disappearing.

They had been fed with poison to weaken them. Hence, their wolves were too exhausted to let them transform.

So the male and female rogue held onto the young alpha for more than a minute, giving the released rogues enough time to escape.

The last of the rogues remaining was a little girl being held down by the gamma for insurance.

"Send the young alpha over and your filth goes to you." Said the gamma, pressing down on the little girl's shoulder.

The woman scoffed, her eyes darting to the warriors perched on the trees around, "Do you take me to be a fool? Once I send the young alpha over, a spear up there will split through my head."

Axton clasped his hands behind him, his eyes darkening, "Aren't you clever? But you see, I don't trust that you'll send the young alpha over once I hand over this girl to you."

The woman slightly released her grip on the young alpha, but still held him close as she said, "You have my word."

"Only a fool trusts the word of a rogue. You're so smart, yet you're a rogue. Who knows what you did to be ousted from your previous pack." Carmen snorted from beside Axton.

The woman paid her no heed.

"Why don't we do this, then? I'll take the young alpha to you and your gamma will take our child to her?" The male rogue suddenly suggested.

Before Axton could retort, Carmen hurriedly nodded in agreement. And so the trade happened.

But the moment the little girl reached the woman's hand, the male rogue swiftly leapt forward and backward in a split-second, grabbing the young alpha by the throat as he did.

Axton's eyes completely darkened.

Carmen gasped.

The beta took a step forward and the warriors got ready to throw their spears.

Watching their reactions, the male rogue laughed in contempt, "You think I have any regard for my life? I'll kill the young alpha and lose my life, you prick…"

The words had just rolled off his tongue when something sharp neatly sliced off his head.

As everyone's eyes snapped to the direction it came from, the woman picked up the child and sped into the forest.

The warriors dispatched immediately, but an hour later, they reappeared with sullen faces.

A meeting was called within the hour.

Axton quietly sat in their midst as the councilmen raged.

"The insolence of a filthy rogue to threaten the young alpha right in front the alpha and luna!"

"Who do they think they are? Alpha Axton, it's high time we once and for all wipe off these people from the face of the earth!"

"You've been away from the battle field for a few years now, many of them seems to have forgotten the kind of man you are. Why don't you use this opportunity to remind them?"

"If the six other packs hears of how our warriors were outsmarted, they'd think we've become a joke. What do you suggest we do, my lord?"

A hush fell over the room when they glanced towards Axton to find him looking out the window, deep in thought.

"Is anything troubling you, my lord?" One of the councilmen politely asked.

Axton didn't answer nor did he retract his gaze.

Ten seconds went by in the blink of an eye. But that ten seconds seemed like ten hours to them as many thoughts ran through their minds.

They had never been able to ascertain what was going through his mind and as a father who almost lost his son just an hour ago, they expected him to be hysterical.

However, he was actually so calm.

"Put a bounty on their heads. 1,000 coins for ordinary rogues and 10,000 for those they can prove are core members of the rogue community. 100,000 for whoever brings me this leader of theirs."

The councilmen quickly got to work and in three hours, the news had spread like wildfire.

Deep in the forest, a female in her twenties slammed her palm on the chest of a woman with opal eyes.

"You lost your memories, Aurelia, you're not stupid! So how dare you kill Finn!"