Chapter 3- Human Meat.

The royal door flipped open.

A man, tall enough but not taller than the Alpha, walked in. “Good morning, my Lord.” He greeted with a bow, managing a smile as he walked further. “I have come with an announcement.”

The Alpha looked up. “Tell me, Bastian.”

“There is meat. The men have arrived back.”

Zevran shifted in his bed. For what it's worth, this was a good way to start his day. “Thank you, Bastian.” He sat up as he spoke. “Tell me. How much meat did they bring for their Alpha?”

“Enough to last the next three months.”

Now, the Alpha smiled. “Good.” He muttered.

“Is there something else you would like me to do?” Beta asked as he retreated to the room entrance. “I shall go back to what I was doing if there isn't.”

“No, Bastian. That's all. For now.”

“Alright, my lord.”

“Thank you, Bastian. I'll be there to check them out before processing. You may leave.”

Again, the door was flinged open.

While Bastian left the Alpha's chamber, the Alpha himself remained in it. A sigh - the one that expressed relief escaped his mouth.

There was a slight smile on his face, and anyone who saw him could tell how happy he was.

The last time he had his favorite kind of meat was a few days ago. Human meat was something he could not do without - no matter what.

According to his beta, this would last them three months. Or maybe not, as sometimes, his cravings can be uncontrollable. The Alpha, in his thoughts, got on his feet. He caught up with his closet and snatched a towel. There was enough to do on this day, but he would start by taking a bath and getting out of his chamber so that he could eat.

After this routine, Alpha Zevran settled into one of the diner chairs. A maid approached his table. “Good morning, Alpha Zevran. Shall I serve?”

“I wouldn't be here if I didn't want you to.”

“I'm sorry, my lord. I need to confirm before serving.” The maid replied with a smile and began to serve. She started with the soup and moved down to the meat. Then there was tea she served in a small mug before adding some water for the Alpha who nodded. “Is this enough, my lord?”

“More than enough—” The Alpha replied.

While she stepped back, he picked up a spoon. “Has my Beta passed the news to you women in the kitchen this morning? About meat.”

“Yes, my lord—” One of the maids replied.

“Hmm. You know what that means, don't you?”

“Yes, my lord.” The same voice replied. “We shall be ready to do what we should do, my lord.”

The Alpha nodded. He scooped some soup in his spoon and put it in his mouth. There was satisfaction on his face when he picked up a piece of meat, but it disappeared when he tasted it.

“This is not human meat.”

“It's not, my lord.”

“And why is that?” His tone changed. “Why is there not a single human meat in my food?!”

“My Lord.” The oldest maid in the room reached the enormous table. She bowed and explained. “You finished the last chunk of human meat the other day. We've run out of supply, and I - I thought we mentioned it to you already, my lord.”

“Didn't you hear? The men went hunting.”

“We cannot possibly start taking them for meat. Not when you haven't checked them out. These were the words from one of the men when I asked why we couldn't be given a small chunk.”

They were right.

That meant only one thing. He would manage the soup without single human meat.

“Go back to your posts!” Pissed, Zevran howled at them as he faced the plate of soup again. Slowly, he ate, managing the meat and soup itself.

He would ask those men to kill them as soon as they were brought to the pack next time. He never wants to experience a human-meatless dish. Ever.

The hall's door opened.

Everyone except Zevran looked in that direction. He didn't have to look before knowing it was his closest man, Bastian. His gifted olfactory recognition never failed him. “My Lord.” Bastian caught up with the table and bowed. “I was told of the chaos. You should understand that this is no one's fault, especially the woman from the kitchen. You haven't checked the meat out yet.”

“I believe I understood that, Bastian.”

He continued to eat, anger reflected on his countenance when he picked a chunk of meat.

Suddenly, he dropped his spoon.

“Take me to them—” He got off his seat and was heading out of the large hall. “Bastian?!”

“I am right behind you, my lord.”

***

His eyes lit up at the sight of humans.

A whole lot of them.

But they weren't enough.

And they wouldn't last him three months, just as Bastian mentioned earlier.

Alpha Zevran walked further.

It looked like it was high time he started a war. This was the only event that'll give him as much human meat as he wanted. “Is that all they could bring?” He broke the silence, moping at Bastian.

“Yes. It's not enough?”

“How can this be enough?” He fired back. “You said it could last me three months, but I don't see that happening. Most of them are short and some are skinny. I see a month's meat here, Bastian.”

“A month?!”

“Yes, a month. Maybe half into the second month.”

“My lord—”

“Those men spent a week outside the pack to hunt only these?” A frustrated sigh escaped his mouth as he gazed at them again - one by one. “What to do?” He asked no one but himself, making up his mind at the same time. “Tell the men to proceed. They start with a chubby human before moving down to the skinny ones, mm?”

“Of course, my lord.”

Turning around, he was on his way out.

“I wonder the kind of beast you are.”

The voice. It belonged to one of the meats.

Whoever had the guts to speak to him? Zevran wondered as he turned back around. The room was silent, cold. Anyone could imagine what would occur next. “Who said that to me, Bastian?”

The Beta looked to the ground. “One of them.”

“Who exactly?”

“The petite woman—” Bastian answered. He pointed in the right direction. “That one there.”

Zevran nodded.

He moved closer and asked. “What did you say?”

Not scared - obviously, she repeated. “I wonder the kind of beast you are. That's what I said.”

That's what she said.

Such guts. He admired it.

One glance at Bastian, he ordered. “Where was she brought from? Who is she exactly?”

“One moment.” Bastian begged before leaving. The next time he was in the room, a man was with him. “The Alpha demands to know where that lady was caught - who she is and how she was caught. That pretty one with long hair.”

“The men said she was running when she was caught. A maid, perhaps. The rag she's wearing tells me that. Maybe running from her owner.”

“That's what I thought.” Alpha Zevran laughed. “But a maid shouldn't be this bold to challenge me. Does she know whose pack she is in? Or perhaps she doesn't have any idea. Did they not inform her when she woke up this morning?” He looked at Bastian, who had an ability he would need to make use of at the moment. “Check. Tell me what wolf lives in her. I'd like to know.”

Maybe. Just maybe she could be useful to him.

Bastian did not hesitate. He caught up with the woman who didn't bulge. She stayed calm while he did what he needed to do. The look on his face when he was done told the Alpha a whole lot. “What did you find out? What is her wolf rank?”

“My lord. She's an Omega wolf.”

In the same minute, the Alpha demanded. “Did you check correctly, Bastian?”

“Twice, my lord. I doubted it the first time.”

Zevran burst into laughter. All his anger was gone. There was no need to waste it on someone so weak, someone he would eat by nightfall.

“I'm not surprised. It's always the weak ones. They have guts you would think they're the strongest.” He looked around the room again, meeting the woman's gaze. “Where the hell are you from?”

There was no response from her.

“Hmm. It's not like it'll save you from being eaten.” He turned and faced his beta.

“When it is time for them to be killed, ask the men to kill her first. She must be very spicy - her mouth area especially.” He laughed and was on his way to the main entrance while Beta replied to him.

He reached the door and was about to leave when it came. His wolf's sudden awakening.

Zevran turned in that instant.

He scanned the room and met the same woman's gaze. Just then, his wolf cried out. “Mate—”