29 Maunir's Castle III

Razur nodded, "Yes, they are the only ones we do, we aren't interested in taking any other, they are good enough."

"Okay, so what am I, an extended-extended pack member?" It sounded hilarious to me.

"You are a part of the pack, doesn't matter extended or not."

"But I can't stay in a pack, it has never-"

Jackson just hit my back to snap me out of it, his face suddenly serious, "Doesn't matter, if he said you are a part of the pack, then you are. Stop pulling away like a coward."

I stared at him with surprise, "You a devotee of him?"

He blushed… he f*cking blushed when I mentioned it, like seriously?

My first reaction was to look at Jiner, whom I thought was close to Razur or was his mate. But I was met with laughter instead of any possessive behavior. Jiner was actually laughing, followed by Razur, then by Toto and then Hoba. Only Min was calm but when he saw my confusion, he clarified, "Jackson worships our alpha. Wants to be just like him. He is cute like that."

I looked back at Jackson and I understood him, even I respected Razur without even knowing him on a personal level, he had this grandness to him which even Min didn't, not even Hoba, "I can understand you, even I like him."

And my words made everyone pause, like they hadn't expected me to take Jackson's side on this. Well, I was just being honest for once.

Babam choked, while Jay frowned, "You seem weird today, you right in the head?"

"He is happy to meet us Jay, he may be the tough guy now, but he was a cute little bunny when we first saw him," Jiner mocked, "I am happy he still has those big eyes of his though, they expressed him the most. Always bright with curiosity."

"Yes, I remember, he used to play around us and hide behind us whenever Toga ran after him. They were both like cat and mouse." Hoba was smug about his history with me, something which was plain noticeable.

"Yeah, well, you were all very funny for adults, still are, maybe I can blame your stagnant age for that."

'Genero' were alphas who had strong healing ability, so their tissues didn't rot fast or got destroyed, thus they lived for long. They weren't immortal but just had longer lifespans. And because of that, when they formed a pack, the pack ceremony shared this attribute with the rest of the members, giving them this ability in return.

It was a fair trade, a longer life for the pack just like their alpha had.

"Hey, I am not childish, ye are." Toto shouted with a frown, resting his head against his mate.

"Ignore him," I heard Jiner say, his face telling me all I wanted to know.

"So, why were you with the Slavors," I asked Razur, for now ignoring the rest of the crowd, it made me curious what could make him submissive enough to get attacked by those hunters, wasn't he an alpha?

"We were actually looking for the Kwongs, they had been a pest for a long time, a pest we had wanted to get rid of before a major blunder could occur. So I went in as a slave, it was like killing two birds with one stone."

I didn't want to be too intrusive to what their animosity with the Kwongs was, so I went on with the safer topic, "What if they strike back, the slavor or the kwongs."

"They won't," he replied with confidence.

"You sure?"

Jackson growled at me seeing my persistence, "He is a genius with strategies, he wouldn't go wrong."

"... alright then, so tell me why the slavors captured you, Jackson, how did they get the information."

Jackson paused a bit, looking slightly awkward, he stared at Mak and Babam for support. "Actually we found out that one of our own back home was a spy for the Kwongs, and since the Kwongs were after brother Razur and his pack, they thought kidnapping us and buying us as slaves would seem the least bit suspicious. They would have tortured us for information if they had succeeded."

"But Razur and pack would know you were all captured, they would have saved you right?" I kind of asked Razur who was looking plainly at the ground, contemplating something with a frown.

"They wouldn't have been able to do it," Jinyo explained, "because once a slave, always a slave, the contract a slave has to go through states the same. Even if they would have killed the Kwongs, our ownership wouldn't have gotten cancelled. It can only be cancelled after the master agrees wholeheartedly. And because of that-"

"You wouldn't be able to form pack bond again with them," I finished for him as he nodded his head.

"Omega slaves are the same," Mak pointed out, "once they get into the contract they cannot get out, even if they do they can't mate nor can they form a pack, it is a very hideous practice. Jackson has been secretly finishing off these slavor factories, but there is no stop to it. It has taken a new leap recently, since the omegan community was banned from the fest."

I nodded, sitting down on the stoned seat behind me by the edge of the field, "I have heard. Since the ban, the rich are more than happy, the omegan community has been unofficially declared the weakest minority. And a crowd with low morals is easiest to enslave"

"So you are going to change that," Jackson simply told me, "moving on," he then continued, "why the hell were you not answering our calls last night, we banged your door, called your name, you never replied."

Really?

I was surprised, "I don't know, I was very tired so I must have fallen into a deep slumber, after having locked the door of course, I don't like people barging in on me."

And I didn't remember locking the door.

"Were you sick," Yuga asked, "because I no longer feel your scent, as if it has vanished."

"Of course he was sick Yuga," Babam stated, "this guy turned into his wolf form and also was in heat, how can he not be sick?"

"But even before the heat he had this strong scent, all floral," Yuga argued, and he wasn't looking creepily at me, just... concerned?

Must be the pack instinct talking.

"I don't know, it has never happened before." It was the truth, it had never happened before.

"No use getting all worried, things would be alright, wrap up now," Min as always made it short, but he was right, it was no use arguing about something which was not much of a concern to us for now, it was actually lucky for me that my scent wouldn't be much of a problem now. Hiding it would only add into my favor.

It was mysterious how things worked, it was odd how my scent could get faint all of a sudden, and that too just after my heat. It was normal for others, but in my case it was a bit odd.

Anyway, I couldn't focus on it for now and dampen my own mood.

"So what are we going to do next?" I was hopeful for a spar, my unused limbs wanted some much needed attention.

"We eat first. It is brunch time."

Well that was good, I was really hungry.

As everyone started leaving, Toto came next to me, hooking his left arm around my neck. "Welcome to our home kid, it's Maunir's Castle, relax for today, tomorrow will be tough. Am sure ya remember our training from back then."

I nodded, "How can I ever forget that. It was personal hell for me."

Toto giggled, "Was, but before that we have a lot to talk about."

I smiled, looking at his shiny golden gaze, "Yes we do."