Dexter
I stick a cigarette in my mouth before cupping a hand around it to light it. Things seem to be going according to plan. I’ve taken the first step to ruin Victor Taylor and it’s only a matter of time before he finds out. The envelopes were delivered about an hour ago. As per my calculation, shit’s about to hit the fan pretty soon. I stare at the view before my eyes. Tall trees, yards and yards of freshly cut green grass. Rose bushes. Intricately carved fountains. I have it all. It’s funny how sometimes, your life can change in the blink of an eye. One day, I had nothing, and the next, I had everything I could’ve ever wanted. My phone begins vibrating in my pocket and a small smile tugs at the corners of my lips. Finally. I thought he’d never call. I reach into it with my right hand after transferring the lit cigarette to the left. It’s an unknown number. I know it’s him. I made sure to leave my number for him to call. I couldn’t risk missing his rage. “Son-of-a-bitch,” he says to me. His voice is hoarse and he sounds like he has a hand wrapped around his throat, causing him to choke on all his words. “You fucking bastard!” I take a drag of my cigarette. “I’m glad we’re on the same page now, Victor. Only, the way you now feel about me is only a fraction of what I’ve always felt toward you.” “Lara was innocent!” he argues. “She didn’t have anything to do with this! I told you a million times, you fuck, that your mother’s death was an accident. Things were never meant to go down the way they did!” I continue taking drags of my cigarette. It’s remarkable how I’ve managed to stay calm about this years after it’s happened. I never thought I would’ve been able to. For years, all I felt was pain when I thought about her, so much that I’d choke on it. Now, it was a different kind of pain. Evolved. Easily managed. “What have you done!?” he booms on the other end of the line. “This is only the beginning,” I calmly inform him. “For years, you thought you could chew people up and then shit them out, but guess what? The time of the Lycans is over. It’s coming to a very abrupt end. First, it was your friend Marvin. Now, it’s you.” “Fuck yo—” I hang up the phone, drop it on the ground, and then stomp on it. I don’t stop until it’s completely broken. Then, I stand back and admire my view. I’m interrupted by someone coming up behind me and saying, “Alpha Dexter, they’re ready for you.” “I’ll be there shortly.” This meeting is meant to celebrate my success. Everyone seems to be going crazy about the fact that I’ve finally gotten close to destroying Victor Taylor. If I’m an artist, that man is my muse, because everything I’ve done so far—every ‘artwork’ I’ve done—was inspired by him. I always told myself that I’d become powerful enough to have the power to ruin him, and last night, that dream came true. It was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It’s incredible how some people are born to be fooled. I built a more elaborate trap for her before I ever knew her, but the bond between us was the icing on top of the cake. Even I couldn’t have predicted it. So, what would have been weeks of work ended up being concluded in a single night, all because I somehow got her to trust me. I didn’t even need to put in so much effort. By doing this, I’ve prevented a very important thing: Victor won’t have any association with the Alpha of the Lycans, which is exactly what we were trying to avoid. Despite all the power he thinks he might have, he’s not an Alpha, but his daughter’s mating to the son of the Alpha would’ve changed that. It’s a day to celebrate indeed. I go down to the meeting’s room and am received with applauses. The meeting goes as expected, although there’s a topic that catches my attention but only briefly. “Would you like for us to keep an eye on her? Because now that she’s exiled, she won’t be under the protection of her pack. It’ll be easy to do so.” I shake my head. “I don’t think it’s necessary. She’s ruined and I doubt any Lycan will offer her support. They’re vain and will do anything to preserve their reputations. She’s not a threat to us.” After the meeting, I’m told there’s something else that requires my attention. An underground brothel has been discovered, and whenever this happens, we always tend to find out who the Lycan financing it is. This is my job; I’m devoted to catching the corrupt Lycans who think they’re better than the rest of us one by one. My team and I leave my house and travel to this location. I work closely with the werewolf authorities who are just as determined to set things right as I am. Lycans mostly target rogue wolves who have no pack to protect them and exploit them. It’s been happening for years, and I myself had been a victim along with my mother, who, at the ripe age of 23, when I was seven, did a gruesome death at the hands of Victor Taylor. And I was there, watching it happen, unable to do a thing because she asked me not to get involved and save myself. I was only a helpless child. My story isn’t different from the story of your average rogue. To be a rogue is to suffer endlessly until eventually, you succumb to the forces of nature working against you. It’s the reason why I never changed my status from a rogue. I am a rogue and will always be one. Giving my pack a pretty name won’t change what I am, which is why I prefer to be known as the Rogue Alpha. My thoughts are dark and bleak by the time I reach the brothel. Everything is still—it’s now five in the morning, and everyone has probably gone to sleep. Jenna, the head of the werewolf authorities, is the first to leave the bus. She gestures for us to move forward. We’re all armed and ready. An ambush is the only way to catch them off-guard and stop them from hiding evidence. The werewolf court of law is powerful and nobody can escape it, not even Lycans. Everyone answers to it. It’s the only thing that keeps us from freely killing each other. Technically, I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not a cop; I’m only an Alpha who works closely with the authorities due to my connections in the werewolf world. I’m more of a permanent volunteer, if that makes sense. The bust is successful. We capture the werewolves involved—they’re just pigs who torture their own kind to please the Lycans they work for—and free the rogues being used for profit. As I look around at the panic, I recall my own childhood. I was protected by my mother, so I never saw anything that happened behind closed doors and mostly stayed in the back, but it didn’t make things easier for me. I’d see her suffering. Felt it deep in my soul. These places are always devoid of life. I feel a tap on my shoulder. It’s Jenna. She’s removing her gloves with a sigh. “A good day’s work, wouldn’t you agree?” “Yes, it is.” She and I have developed a kind of friendship. I don’t mind Jenna. She’s good at what she does and isn’t afraid to show it. “For a man to be mated tomorrow, you don’t seem very excited.” Lately, there’s been too much excitement, and so I’ve focused very little on my upcoming mating to a girl that will benefit me greatly. I’ve only met her a few times, and to me, a mating is strictly business. Nothing more, nothing less. “This is me being excited.” Jenna shakes her head. “Bastard.” We clean up and leave the place. I’m satisfied with the progress I’ve made so far and nobody can take that away from me. Most importantly, I’m eager to see what’s next, especially where Victor Taylor is concerned. As for his daughter, I don’t think of her once. To me, that whole exchange was only useful for one thing. It was strictly business. Nothing more, nothing less.LaraIt's been raining for about an hour and I'm soaked. I'm not allowed entrance to the hotel. I don't think I've ever felt this kind of humiliation before. Everyone who walks past the hotel sees me standing right outside, soaked to the bone. I wonder if they know who I am and whether they're gossiping about it. Who cares, anyway? That's not my biggest concern at the moment. I have to convince my father that last night was a mistake and anyway, things weren't as they seemed. I didn't think he'd judge me for what happened, especially after he understood that Vaughan and I could never be together. I wish I'd explained to him earlier but panic made me shut down. My face is still stinging from his slap, but I try to convince myself that he's just angry. He'll apologize once he understands. I'm putting my faith in that. So, I wait. Some of the guests have already started leaving so soon enough, they'll walk through the doors. All I need is a few minutes to explain my situation and ma
LaraAnd so, my journey to Elwood begins. On the way, I sell my dress. It's designer and worth a good penny. I sell my shoes, too. They won’t help me where I’m going. I buy second-hand clothes and keep the rest of the money for food. Before, I used to have all the food I wanted, and now, I'm struggling to even have a meal a day. I’m still a long way from Elwood and basically hitchhiking until I get there. I have to do a ton of walking every day and wait for a car to stop by. Nobody drives to that area—Elwood is specifically for rogues. The only reason why I know my grandmother is there is because I heard my father mention it once over the phone. ‘Not sure how I can be her son when she chooses to live like a rogue in Elwood and I wouldn’t touch a rogue with a ten-foot pole.’I don’t know what awaits me at the end of my journey. Will I even find her there? Is she still alive? I’ll only find out when I get there. It never crosses my mind to turn back and go home. For some reason, I’
LaraMy grandmother stirs sugar into her wild herb tea as I conclude my story. I can't tell much from the look on her face. She has the kind of face that is impossible to read. Maybe if I knew her better, it would've been easier for me to differentiate between her emotions, but I've not seen her often throughout the course of my life and when I became a teenager, I didn't see her at all."I'm not sure what your father has said about me," she begins, putting the teaspoon down on the saucer. "I'm not sure if he ever talked about me to you."I shake my head. "He never said a thing.""I want you to know the reason why I left," she states. "It wasn't for no reason at all. My mate—your grandfather, whom you never met—was what they called back then a 'typical' Lycan. He was proud, selfish, and arrogant, and although my father was also the same and I grew up surrounded by such men, I never agreed with it. "When I was a little girl, I had a common werewolf friend named Anne. She was the best
LaraI glance over my shoulder and see Ander sitting on the bench outside of the shop, just like I told him to. He appears to be distracted and that's exactly what I want; I don't want him to see what I'm doing here. I'd never recover if he did. I turn back to the shelf in front of me, my grip on the hand basket I'm holding slipping because of how much I'm sweating. Although I've gotten fairly good at this, it never fails to terrify me. Besides, the shop-owner is eyeing me suspiciously and that makes me even more nervous. To make matters worse, the store is practically empty. I'm the only one here. I put a bag of rice in the basket but slip another one in the pocket of my coat. The money I have is limited and won't be enough to buy everything I need. Selling fruits and vegetables isn't that profitable, and there's a lot that we need, like toothpaste, rice, and lately, protein. Finding animals is getting harder and harder, even when I shift and prowl around the forest for hours on
LaraI keep staring at this man who claims to have a proposition for me. He removes his beanie, revealing platinum blonde hair that is neatly brushed. He extends a hand, which I hesitantly grasp. "First, I believe I have to introduce myself. My name is Ambrose. Ambrose Logan. For the record, I would like to add that I am a Lycan. I feel the need to say this because many people don't trust Lycans."My hand stiffens in his and I pull it away. He raises his hands as if in surrender. "I want you to know that I'm not like them, which is why I have revealed the truth to you. I don't work with or for other Lycans. I am self-employed, but I have been approached with an offer that could change things. Do something good for the world.""I'm not interested, thank you," I tell him. "If there's any other way I can pay you back, I'd be much obliged. You can even take the groceries, if you'd like.""That went be necessary," he replies calmly. "I would just like for you to listen to what I have to
LaraKearwood is just as I remembered it.It's what people like to call a cosmopolitan city. A lot of different types of people can be found around here, and Lycans love this place. I vividly recall my father coming here for business trips when I was younger. I never knew what he was coming to do, but it's a name I've not forgotten. It makes sense that Ambrose has a strip club here. It is said that people are more open-minded here.I've been raised to look down upon such things. Prostitution. Stripping. Dealing drugs. But the man who taught me to never indulge in such things abandoned me and didn't care if I lived or died. He's a man with no moral compass, like all Lycans. I'm not against to the ways of the world. When I was living in the streets, before finding Elwood, a lot of women I encountered had to use sex as a means to an end. I never considered it because I was pregnant and wouldn't want to harm my baby in any way, but I saw it happen. Saw women climb inside cars of men who
"So," Ambrose says while putting his hands together. "Do you have any question for me? Anything at all? Apart from what we've discussed, that is." I shake my head. "I can't think of anything right now. I'm too excited and overwhelmed by everything that's happening. I guess I just need some time to sit down and figure everything out on my own." "Perfect," he says with a smile. "Now, I have to say that tomorrow morning is when your training will start. I'll talk to one of the girls and with Medwin as well. He's going to guide you through everything. Tomorrow at seven AM sharp, okay?" I nod, feeling butterflies in my stomach. "I'll be down here." "Anything else, please let me know. Oh, take this." Ambrose hands me the keys to the apartment. I can hardly believe that this is happening. I say, "Thank you for the opportunity. Really." He inclines his head. "Let's see how far we can go." I make it all the way upstairs. When I open the door, it hits Ander's forehead and he staggers back
Lara Toward the end of the day, I'm actually getting the hang of it, which impresses everyone, including myself. I knew before I stepped foot in the club that I wanted this badly and now, I'm actually proving that I do. By no means am I perfect, but it's the start of something, especially considering that it's my first time ever doing something like this. "Bravo!" Medwin says while clapping his hands. I bow dramatically, unsure of what else to do apart from staring at him and thanking him for the hundredth time. All the girls in the club cheer me on and honestly, I feel comfortable here. I have support, at least, and have no complaints about the girls. It seems everyone is here for work and they have their own clients, so there’s no need for competition. Everyone’s successful in their own way. Otherwise, Ambrose would never keep them here. When we climb off the stage, Ambrose is there. He hands me a paper cup filled with ice-cold water and I down it gratefully. He tells me, “You