Chapter 3: Ayden.

Jannete Argon stares at me from the window of the Dean's office and I give her a small nod before raising the windows of the car.

She'll do perfectly. 

Jake, my driver sits in his seat and cocks an eyebrow up at me when the tinted glass is fully up. I nod at him and he reverses the vehicle, maneuvering his way out of the parking lot and navigating through the interlocked pathways of the Academy.

It's surprising how many television-worthy things go on in institutions like this.

It would make for a killer show.

Jake interrupts my thoughts by clearing his throat and I raise my eyes slowly to look at his face through the head lens of the car. He looks nervous.

"Xavier has been on the line for a while now, sir. I asked him to hold on until your return. I don't know if he's still on the line."

A flash of distaste crosses my lips and I close my eyes. My hands find their way to my temple and I massage it gently. 

"How long has he been on hold?"

I hear Jake gulp before he answers. I already know I will not like the answer.

"For the past hour sir. I tried to persuade him to cut the call but he refused."

"Where is he?"

I don't even need to wait for Jake's mumbling to make sense. The car's artificial intelligence system comes to life and soon a mini-map of the city is laid in front of me.

Everything is digitalized of course and I don't have to wait for long. A red dot appears on the map, blinking in and out of existence.

I tap on that small dot and the map expands, confirming a suspicion I've had for a while now.

"Since when has Xavier been visiting the battle dungeon?"

Jake gulps again and I let my wolf rise to the surface. Ayden Bravlov does not suffer fools, even if they are driving his car and could crash it at any moment.

"It's been going on for about two months now, Alpha. I don't know if he's there to just..."

Jake hesitates here and a cruel smile crawls up the side of my face. 

He starts sobbing immediately, stuttering and mumbling something along the lines of "p..pp...Please Alpha, it was a mistake."

His words are almost drowned out by the sound of his sobs and it makes me frown.

"Stop the car, Jake."

"Alpha, I beg of you, please. It won't happen again."

"Stop the car."

The force of the Alpha command rolls out and Jake steps on the brake immediately. The car screeches to a halt and with it, so do all the other cars that form my escort. I can't be bothered about any accidents that might occur because of this. 

I clear my throat and let my aura roll out in its full majesty. Jake makes a muffled choking sound and goes stiff the next moment. 

I sigh and look at my watch.

"You will not speak of Xavier's condition to anyone else, Jake. He is my son and the next heir of the Crescent moon pack. He is in peak condition and he grows stronger by the day. When it's time for him to be the Alpha king, he will. If you're asked about this, even under the threat of death, this is the answer you'll give. Am I clear?"

My wolf is growling at the back of my head and I sit back to watch the Alpha command work. Jake's murky green eyes glow, they become laced with gold for a brief moment and the glow fades out a moment later.

The fool releases a sigh and nods his head, relieved.

"I am blinded by your mercy Alpha."

"You soon will be. Get down."

Jake's eyes are wide open with fear but he obeys all the same. I pull back the aura rippling off me and wait for the next driver to come in.

He sits and I give my orders.

"Do not say a word of whatever happens on this ride to anyone. There's a gray building at 5th, near the city park. Take me there."

The driver bows and flashes his eyes in obedience. The car starts again and I close my eyes.

Xavier will never learn and it hurts me to know that he won't until I make him.

The Crescent moon pack is ours. The leadership of the pack has always been in our family. We are monsters, but we wear the same skin as any human. We excel and we thrive right amid these creatures that find us strange. We wrap ourselves in enough money that they cannot get to us unless they are on the same level as us.

When you're on the same level as the filthy rich then a lot of weird things just seem normal. Xavier is trying to deviate from that path and I will not allow it.

Our existence must be kept a secret, and he must be the next Alpha King. 

It's the only way I can keep him safe, and the only way I can keep our secret safe too.

He will be what he was meant to be, nothing more and nothing less.

"We're here sir."

I nod, grab the latch, and open the door. The sun hits me fully on the face and my wolf lets out its satisfaction at the warmth. My nose is filled with the smell of wolf and human alike and I frown.

My men surround me. Wolves mixed with some unsuspecting humans, and we go into the building.

I move and they move with me, descending the only set of stairs at the far back and into the underground fight auditorium known as the battle dungeon.

The crowd is screaming wildly and the voice of the announcer floods my ears.

'"He's down! He's down! The reigning champ is down!!!!!"

The crowd breaks out into a roar again, their voices carrying the strength of a stampede and the frenzied energy almost visible.

A part of me wants to be young again. 

It wants to scream along with them and cheer for more violence.

It's easy to suppress that urge for violence though when it's one of your kin that's in the ring. I walk into the lamplight and a hush falls on the crowd. I'm just as tall as any of the fighters here, just as well built around the arms, and every bit as intimidating as any one of them.

The announcer doesn't fight me when I collect the microphone.

My words carry the usually tired drawl I use when I address my son.

"Xavier, outside, now."

His silver eyes flash in anger and I stare him down blatantly.

“Now.”