16

Chapter 16

King Lucas's POV

I got off the phone with my tracker; he was now on his way home. He told me they have decided to come. I called Corey and Sasha; they said they will bring the best Brandy and Scotch. The others will be here tomorrow. No one will know that they will be coming. I knew I had a spy in this kingdom; I just didn't know who it was. I needed to find out who the spy is before they get here. That way I can handle this all on my own and just send them home. The Blacks will be here in a few days. He had told me that Mercury had stepped down and now retired from the mafia. His son, Isiaha, is now the head boss – great, someone that thinks he has all the power and is full of himself, another that I have to put in their place. Corey walked into my office, all smiles, something was up his sleeve, it made me wonder what he had planned.

"What's up in that head of yours, Corey? You just don’t walk in here any time you want with a huge smile on your face. You have something up your sleeve, don’t you?" I knew I was right; he had something up his sleeve. He sat down propping his feet up on my desk like he always does, and I, in return, shoved them off because it made my brown marble desk dusty with his shoes. Then I leaned back in my chair with my glass of bourbon, drinking it down.

"Yeah, I do have something in mind. You said these guys are the toughest out there, they have ruthless aggression and don't take mercy on anyone who tries to hurt their family. I say let's put our arena to good use. We can invite a few other packs to join. We can call it the best of the best. Whoever wins out of the packs can join our warriors, but they have to beat the strongest of our warriors if they want to join. But you know how some of these guys are, they will want to fight. Anything goes in these fights. I say let's do it."

"Corey, do you realize we haven't done this in years? We will have to have our builders build on and then paint the damn thing in two days. Then we will have to send invites to all the packs. This is not a smart idea. If this was thought of weeks before then, it will be fine. But they will be here in a few days. How is this even possible?" He chuckled then tapped his fingers on the desk. Who says we have to build and paint it? We can invite the packs that are close by. I still thought this was a bad idea; I didn’t like it at all. All I wanted was for them to come, figure out the problem, and get rid of it. That's all I wanted. Corey wanted to show off our toughest guys. Sighing, I declined the fighting games, but it doesn't mean we can’t have it after we get done with everything, so that does sound better.

"How about after they finish the job, we will have the fighting arena. We will send out invites two months from now. That way everything will be ready. They can train and get ready for the fights. I'll send them out; you just go ahead and get the royal workers to get it done. You don’t have to paint it; I want it to look the way it does, just build onto it."

"Alright, I’ll get it done. The winners will join the royal warriors.”

Kerry's POV:

After I got off the phone with that crazy woman, I sent two of my spies to the mafia family. One of them has already contacted me and informed me that they are indeed intimidating people. The other spy mentioned that their daughter is almost 21 and has yet to shift. Knowing Red's disdain for weakness, I hope he doesn't do anything foolish like bullying the girl. I am uncertain about the timeline for this operation or when they will arrive. All I know is that the king has sent them an invitation to the kingdom. Do these individuals even know about the king? I doubt it. They are too far away, lost in their own world to grasp what's happening around them. They relentlessly pursue those who owe them, retaliating fiercely, often burning their targets' homes to the ground with the corpses inside. Sometimes, their victims are still half alive when the flames consume them, but it's their own doing. One shouldn't harm others when all they seek is what's rightfully theirs. Borrowed, time-bound possessions must be returned, and evaders will be relentlessly pursued, even over years. Fortunately, they have yet to track me down. I once borrowed money from Mercury Black when he was just starting out. I doubt he remembers me; it was before he met Cheyenne and endured the loss of his parents. I wonder if he ever discovered who was responsible. Thrust into the mafia world at a young age, he likely had other priorities. I suppose you're curious about how I know all this. To be honest, I've been watching Mercury for a long time, anticipating his pursuit for repayment. Yet, he never came after me. Did he even keep a record of our transaction? Probably not; he was too young to manage such affairs. Now, I must ascertain their arrival in the kingdom and contact Red for any valuable information. It's best to do so at night since he is surrounded by people during the day. Glancing at my watch, it read five in the afternoon. Just then, my phone startled me with an unexpected ring. I checked the caller's identity and answered the call.

"I intended to reach out but thought you might be in a crowded place. What's happening?" I inquired, hoping for a useful update. Any information would be greatly appreciated to stay ahead of our adversaries.

"I'm calling to inform you that the king has invited them. Kayla seeks to learn the truth about his identity. If I manage to persuade her that he isn't the king, she could align with us. Being human and yet to transition into a wolf, she will likely be easily convinced. We are scheduled to depart in a few days. Let's avoid further calls. I assume you'll also be present as a guest. Am I correct?"

"Not sure if I will receive an invitation, Red. Just in case you spot me, let's maintain anonymity until the opportune moment. Disconnect now before you're discovered. We will converse later." With that, the call ended. Seated behind my desk, I surveyed the room. This game of psychological manipulation promises to be enthralling. If Kayla's wolf remains dormant, this will be a fascinating challenge.