Chapter 5: Treading on Thorns

The House of Mortem; North of the Realm

Kazamir's POV

"I believe, Sire, that if we stage an ambush at this valley," Drustian placed a wooden wolf head at a juncture on the cloth map spread on an oaken table in the meeting room. "Orvyn and his men will fall into our hands. I only need a dozen soldiers, and his head shall be yours before sundown."

"Orvyn should not be under-estimated," I stroked my moustache, studying the large map that contained the geographical location of the five houses in the realm. "To catch a dog, you throw a bone. To catch a fish, hook a worm, and to catch a power-drunk Alpha..." I lifted my head, gazing into the serious faces of the men in the room, "... you give him more power."

"You lost us there, Sire," Franklin, one of my strongest Betas furrowed. "What do you mean give him more power?"

"We all know Orvyn is not a true Vagamor. He cannot forget how I snapped the head of his father to take his throne." I strode to the window, gazing into the sunset. "Although, the men of Vagamor had aided his escape, I saw the brute hatred festered in his eyes that night. They were raw with untold promises of a bloody return."

"You still have us at the edge of a cliff, Sire, may we know what your plan is?" Elean quizzed.

"Pledge your allegiance to him. And when you gain his trust," I turned slowly to look at them. "You rip his heart out!" I gnashed my teeth, flashing my claws mid air."

"We need a spy to penetrate his camp." Drustian spoke. "Send me, Sire." He fell on one knee, bowing his head. "I shall be of service."

I walked over to his side. " Be on your feet, Drustian." I lifted him up, catching the devotion masked over his features. "I know I didn't birth you. You were brought to me as an orphaned cub at the Conquest of Flywater. But, the very day I set my eyes on you, I knew you were the son I never had; the son I'd always wanted." I gripped his shoulder, looking into his boyish face. "I cannot send you, Drustian. I need you here with me. I have great plans for you." I turned to Elean. "You shall go on our behalf. Be our eyes and ears, and tell us what our eyes and ears would love to know."

The order took him by surprise. His eyes popped, and his words choked. "Y_ yes, Sire." He gave an exaggerated bow. "I shall be of service."

While planning with my men, we heard boots clomping through the hallway. From the marching sound of the boots, it exuded the vexation the host was coming with. He threw the mahogany door open roughly, fuming through his nostrils, with a couple of enforcers thronging behind him.

"Cassian!" My lips curled into a fake grin. "What a pleasant surprise! We were just talking about you, isn't that right, gentlemen?" I turned to look at the faces of the three in the room. I need not say much; they knew how to comport themselves.

"It's a week already, Kazamir! This was never our arrangement!"

"Believe me, it hurts me more to see my daughter kidnapped." I took on a gloomy face. "You must be calm, Cassian."

"I'm afraid, I don't have much of that juice in my tank. I'm wearing thin of it already!"

"We're doing all we can to find her." I stood straight. "She's my daughter. You don't expect me to sit idle, do you?"

I knew Olive was sneaky. She had always wanted her own air of freedom outside the castle walls.

She never accepted Cassian. Marrying him was an aberration I had enforced on her without her consent. And the best way she had proved her dislike was by running away on her claiming night.

She must have schemed her escape from the castle with utmost stealth.

Such a brat she was!If I lay my claws on her, heaven knows what I would do to her for shaming me!

If only she knew the damage she had caused. My name. Oh my name!

"I need an answer, Kazamir. Where's my bride?" Cassian's voice was laden with a mixture of hurt and anger. He had always had his pervy eyes one my daughter. I wish I could pluck out his large eyes and feed them to the crows.

But I need his gold and men.

I stood tall, wearing a plain frown. "You must exercise patience, Cassian. I'm afraid my enemies struck at the nick of time."

"Patience?" Alpha Cassian stomped his feet on the floor in a fit. "I do not have all the patience in the world to find my bride. This is a breach of our contract!"

Drustian snarled, flashing his orange eyes at Cassian. "You'll mind your tone with my Alpha." He flared, his eyes narrowed at Cassian. "No one raises his tone at him that way."

"I suggest your Alpha should be weary of my Alpha getting angry, as well. He doesn't like being cornered." One of Cassian's enforcers fired back, tacking a step forward with his claws brandished.

"Enough!" I came between them. "Both of you! The both of you will not disrepect us again." I glared at the hot-blooded men, and watched them water their flames.

Drustian was right. No cub, born of a woman could talk to me in the manner Cassian did. If the circumstances where different, his head would have been severed from his stout round body.

But not now. Not today.

"Cassian, again I apologise for the little inconvenience this might have caused." I gestured to Drustian to stand down. "I assure you that my best men have been sent to search the castle and beyond. In no time, they'll bring her back."

"You had better be true to your words this time." He took a step forward, pulling his lengthy maroon cape behind him. "Because I'm not leaving this castle without my bride."

A forced smile tugged at the end of my lips. "Have some wine, and get some rest." I patted his shoulder, leading him out of the meeting room. "Women? Should I send you a number of them to warm your bed?"

His anger was subdued. "I don't want no woman. Olive is all I want." He muttered.

Liar!

"Nonsense!" I turned to Elean. "You, fetch our guest and his company the best women of Vagamor. Do not delay." He made a quick bow, and went down the stairs out of the courtyard.

I returned my gaze to Cassian. The colour rose to his face.

"You need not go through the trouble. I shall await my bride till her safe return from her captors. I should be faithful to her."

"I shall take no for an answer. Take this as a peace offering from me, pending the return of my daughter, your bride." I cocked my head to a corner, winking at him.

"If you insist, who am I to say no?" He let out a laughter that scratched me in the balls. "Let them come to my chambers. I'll be sure to treat them well enough."

I joined in the laughter, fighting the urge to burst his small brain out of his large skull. "You haven't tasted the women of Vagamor. I assure you, they'll make you forget your name in one bumpy ride."

He laughed again, exposing a set of teeth browned by only God knows what. "Alphonso," he turned to the enforcer who had earlier challenged Drustian. "Let us prepare ourselves. Tonight, we shall forget our names, and sleep on fair breasts and fleshy asses."

The masculine enforcer didn't say a word. He only acknowledge his master with a slight bow and a twitched lip. I had a feeling he was not in support of Cassian's leud lifestyle. But that string was for another day to pull.

He'd make a good soldier by my side.

I bid them good night, as they went round the hall to their chambers. "Send a flagon of wine for the ladies, Kazamir." Cassian called from behind his shoulder, humming a God-forsaken tune.

"He cannot talk to you that way." Drustian tensed beside me. "Give me the order, and I shall serve you his blood in your goblet."

"Patience, Drustian. Patience." I calmed.

I raised my voice a little above normal to respond to Cassian's demand. "Very well friend. The wine and the women shall be brought to your chambers without delay."

He waved a hand full of golden rings before entering his chamber.

"Friend?" Drustian came up to my front, eyes wide open in shock. "You call that fool a friend?"

My eyes were still glued to the closed door leading to Cassians chambers. "For now, we have to play the fool to get what we want." I tore my gaze away from the closed door, resting it on Drustian. "When the deal is done, we shall have his head."