CHAPTER 2

MELVIN’S POV

I stared in disgust at the disturbing images on the huge screen in front of me and I resisted the urge to puke. Why had my father chosen to put me through the unnecessary torture of staring at the images of his unlucky victims?

“I like this one best,” he mumbled and took a sip of wine. “The splash of blood on the floor, the texture and contrast, looks like a Michelangelo painting don’t you think son?”

I turned to face the man I was forced to call my father in disgust and he smiled at me. 

“You don’t like this…this work of art?” he frowned.

“You murdered a whole family in cold blood,” I shot back at him. “There’s absolutely nothing artistic about that.”

“But you can’t deny the fact that the knives sticking out of her chest look like…like, eh…paint brushes in a jar, can you?” my father retorted.

That was definitely it. I was not ready for such a conversation with him and so, I stood up from the chair and made for the door.

“Melvin!” his voice resonated through the throne room. “You dare not walk out on your Alpha.”

I was just about to defy him as usual and walk out when the door to the throne room burst open. A burly guard trudged in and walked straight to my father.

“He’s here,” the guard announced. “Should I let him in?”

“No, Syke,” my father smiled. “Don’t let him in. Leave the very person I’ve been waiting to see outside the throne room.”

Syke shrugged and turned around.

“And I know your brain does not function properly,” my father added. “Please let my guest in.” 

Syke grunted and opened the huge doors of the throne room. My father turned to me and smiled.

“This is where it gets interesting son,” he said. “I’m sure you would have a lot of questions for him when he walks in, like why would he kill his own family? You sure you still want to leave?”

I abhorred every second in my father’s presence but my inquisitiveness got the better of me on this occasion. I wanted to see him, whoever he was. I wanted to know why he had chosen to betray his own family. I walked back to my seat beside my father and sat down. 

Syke marched into the throne room as expected and pointed at the door. “Behold, your guest, Aaron Montero.”

“Montero?” I muttered to myself. I’d heard that name somewhere before.

I watched as Aaron walked into the throne room and I quickly assessed him. His dark brown hair curled down his head, half covering his eyes and part of his face and he had quite an alarming number of scars from his jaw down to his neck. Everything about him looked like evil. Definitely the type that could kill his family for the right price.

“Why did you do it?” I started.

“That’s not how it works,” my father shook his head. “Allow me do the talking.”

“Alpha Joharres.” Aaron stared at my father like he was some rare gem that he had just found. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alpha Joharres. I can’t believe I’m actually in the same room with you!”

My father shifted in his seat and smiled. I knew that was exactly what he wanted to hear. He loved feeding his ego with praises from paupers from different packs. He loved it when they adored him, when they worshipped him, when they considered themselves lucky to be in the same enclosed space with him. 

“I can see the excitement on your face boy,” my father said. “Can you push your hair back so I can see your face well?”

Aaron was only too happy to oblige and once he had done that, I stared at his real ugly face. No wonder he preferred to have it covered with his hair. Even my father was not impressed with his looks and he grunted.

“You can drop your hair,” my father smiled. “And welcome to the Blood Moon Pack. I hope you’re enjoying it here.”

“I am,” Aaron nodded quickly. “I love the view, the air here is fresh, your men are full of life. I can’t wait to serve you more and go on more missions for you, Alpha Joharres.”

My father chuckled lightly. “More missions for me?”

“Yes Alpha,” Aaron replied and bowed down before my father. He turned to me and bowed before me too and I frowned.

“Take it slowly boy,” my father laughed. “Don’t you think you should complete one mission before jumping into another?”

Aaron stared at my father, confused and he pointed to the screen. “Was a little shocked when you sent in the pictures. Seemed you had something against the woman?”

“Not…not really, Alpha,” Aaron stammered. “I just needed to make sure she was dead.”

“Sure,” my father smiled. “You needed to make sure your mother was dead for a few pieces of silver and so you stabbed her twenty times with ten different knives. Bravo, boy, bravo.”

The smile that played across Aaron’s face the next minute convinced me that he was very dumb. Couldn’t he hear the sarcasm in my father’s voice? How on earth did he even think he was being praised?

“I’ll do more for you, Alpha Joharres, I swear,” Aaron said. “You promised to make me very rich. I would do whatever you want me to do.”

My father stared at him for some time and nodded. “And what if someone gave you a better offer?”

Aaron was confused. “A better offer?”

“For my head I mean,” my father smiled. “Would you take it?”

Aaron hesitated a little too long before lying. “Of course I wouldn’t take it. Why would I betray you?”

“Of course you would,” I muttered to myself. From the smile on my father’s face, I knew he didn’t believe Aaron. Father was always wary of people like him. They were the most dangerous lot – people that could be bought with money.

“I would learn to trust you,” my father nodded. “But there’s a little issue. I got the picture of your parents. I didn’t see that of the girl.”

“Ariel?” Aaron scoffed. “She’s just a fucking weirdo. She wouldn’t give you any problems.”

“Who said?” my father asked. He pressed a button and a picture appeared on the screen immediately. I stared at the picture. It was a girl, about my age with really long brown hair and the most alluring pair of eyes I had ever seen. 

“We made an agreement, Aaron,” my father said. “I believe your sister, Ariel is a part of your family. Why is she still alive?”

“Uhmm…” Aaron stammered. “I didn’t think she was important. Trust me, she’s not important. She’s just crazy.”

“I’m the one who decides who is important and who’s not!” my father thundered. He turned to face Syke who had been patiently waiting for his order. “Take this thing away from my sight. Lock him up in the dungeons.”

“The dungeons?” Aaron cried. “Give me a day. I would find her. I would bring you her head. I promise.”

My father ignored his cries and still facing Syke, he added. “I want every single one of your wolves out in the woods tonight. Find me the girl and bring her to me, dead or alive!”