Chapter 22

Neon light from the moon shows me blue-white sparkling teeth of the Alpha's close-nit family. A resident family dinner between all of Alpha Skye's blood was taking place around his table in his home, set for many.

"What happened to 3 of your betrothed today, Skye?" Raygar asks with a tight lipped snarl as he chews on a bone, glaring from his corner up to Skye, who sits in the opposite diagonal corner, as if they wished to avoid one another as much as possible.

I am sitting on a stool, strangely enough, not kept in my cage, as I sit next to Skye, feeling rather important.

Lemeri was in the middle, winking at me for my resilience and brave demeanour while I sit naked in plain view with nothing but a collar on my neck, a chain dangling from it, connected to Skye's magnetic wrist band, and two weights around my ankles. I certainly looked the part, but at least I was being 'shown' off. Lemeri advised me the other day that it was important to be paraded around, to be marked and owned was safer than appearing disconnected. I didn't like the advice but it was coming in handy now, I guess. I was also still feeling rather confident after today's training went so well.

"Pssht. I disbanded them, I grew bored of their company," Skye munches into a chop of meat, while Raygar looks pointedly at Lemeri. Without saying a word, Ray simply coughs loudly in agitation and skulls some wine.

"I am the last," Lemeri explains to every quiet mouth on the table, "Does that mean you have chosen, Skye?" she flutters her eye lids at him, and Skye smiles but shakes his head.

"Absolutely not, your smell is barely tolerable," Skye jokes, but Lemeri pretends to be offended.

"When is the next Medivian due to arrive?" Mila asks very politely, calmly, but even I see Lemeri stiffen in her seat.

"Tomorrow morning," Vastian answers, a brooding low browed brother, handsome but older, he seems quite reserved, "Her name is Lulu and she is looking for you, Mila, you've been violating Genesis conduct in regards to violent torture of other Beast Kind, I suppose you know of this common accusation?"

"Argh, Medivian Kind and their pretentious droning lectures," Mila murmurs, "I almost hate them as much as I hate Meri and Human Kind."

"Do not group the cat with the worms!" Raygar snarls at Mila, who smiles with all her brilliant blue teeth, while her black thick hair is messy in beautiful soft locks around her face and even her smile appears tame compared to the violence going on in her soul one layer underneath.

"She doesn't mind," Mila looks at Lemeri, "You enjoy speaking their language."

"They speak our common tongue," Lemeri counters, but very quietly, as she picks at her food and lowers her eyes, "I do not know what language you refer to, Mila."

"The worms speak the tongue of the regressive, the tongue of the weak… have you heard them when they cry? Little itty bitty whimpers, soft and high," Mila whispers that part, quite sadistically.

Raygar looks pointedly at me and Skye strategically puts his hand on the back of my head and forces me off the stool and toward his boots, where he throws some leftovers.

"Eat," Skye guides me while his family seem to erupt in a network of insults that collide all at once.

"Why are you hiding her -?" Raygar's accusation.

"I am not regressive," Lemeri, losing her cool and seemingly throwing something at Mila, as I hear the clatter of metal dishes.

"I'm the only one with both eyes open, at all times," Mila returns, quietly but still somehow her voice manages to travel, quite like Skye's when he's pissed off.

"Ray, you have spilled the wine again," Vastian speaks with concern, "You are quite distracted."

"So, I have been," Raygar darkly responds.

Skye, finally has his say, a quiet drawl that shuts everyone up in the moment, ignoring their previous conversation, "I am so glad you were all available to come and hear my newest announcement for the progression of Wolf Dominion. It's quite a large one so listen intently. It's come to my attention we've reached a period of Stagnation. All Dominions are plotting. We will not strike the way they suspect. Information has come to pass. All human worms enslaved in all Dominions, have a certain tendency to bond with their captors… and vice versa. A kind of… affectionate bond… and so the worms now hold my attention."

"…the regressive little herbivores…?" Mila asks.

"They eat meat," Skye corrects her needlessly, "Yes. The Human Kind are an unfocused resource –" Skye halts when my hand grabs his ankle… I am worried and expressing my concern, and I am shocked he even pauses at all, but he does take note of my anxiety for his next statement, "–we're going to focus on abduction of their pets, to relocate them here."

A tense silence ensues.

Vastian speaks up first, "…brother…" he does not sound impressed, but he doesn't show too much disrespect, he simply asks, "…have you been inspired by your new pet to follow this trajectory…?"

"Her name is Ryder and she is being trained to lead the entire operation," Skye sounds proud.

L… lead?

"To lead what -?" Raygar asks, his poison seeping through.

"To lead the entire operation," Skye repeats himself.

Entire.

Operation?

This was news to me.

I remain quiet and where I am on the floor, despite it.

"You've lost your mind, and you'll lose your position," Mila snaps.

"You've lost your mind!" Lemeri quickly snarls at Mila, "Respect the Alpha!"

"If you care to challenge me you're more than welcome to, sister," Skye's malice is absolutely unmatched for Mila, "You have not heard the rest of my plan."

"Oh, please, do tell," Raygar is drooling for more information.

Even though I can only view their feet from under the table, I do notice how tense one is, compared to the other. Raygar is most frustrated, tapping one foot uncontrollably.

To be fair, so am I.

I hold Skye's leg firm but not rough, hoping I am not too shocked for how far he takes his speech.

"Wolf Dominion are innovators, progressors. Ryder is a very loyal and submissive fuck toy who does as I bid – and listens as I forbid her. What a perfect soldier. What a perfect plan. If she dies, what do I care?" Skye means it, "This kind of attack has no possible loss to Wolf Dominion."

"It's starting to sound more appetising, continue," Mila is now quickly being motivated by this new plan.

"The goal is for Wolf Dominion to control the last of Human Kind; then we are going to breed them for more resources," I'm not sure if I like that part.

"Meat?" Mila asks.

"No," Skye kicks my hand off his leg as he states his cruel final objective, "They will be extra hands, some will be bred and some will be free blood… for our military evolution. I want them loyal so I'm going to give them something they can't refuse."

"What?" Mila murmurs.

"A home," Skye slaps the table, "That's it. With us."

"You just want the slaves all to yourself," Raygar whispers, "Why are you always so possessive of everything you touch?"

"I love anything that brings me new and worthy value, Ray," Skye tut tuts and scolds his younger brother, "You're good at the culling, I'm good at the building of the pack, Vastian is the strategizer, Mila the cold warrior… and Skyelim, the friend."

"Friend? Ooo, that's new," Lemeri cackles.

"You are my friend," Skye speaks clearly, and another silence descends, "Ryder," I freeze, "Stand up. Introduce yourself to my family."

I look up past his leg, to see Skye waiting, without glancing down.

I watch Lemeri's foot swing fast; move quick.

Confidence.

I rise quick and – bang.

I hit my head.

Great.

"Idiot," Skye jerks me out from under the table while everyone laughs, and I stand up and hold my head, as I try to appear confident as I'm already humiliated, "Go on, silly pet. Speak."

"Hello?" I rub my skull, looking over the table, "My name is Ryder –"

"Oh, really?" Mila mocks me, but when I glance at her she has a small slither of patience remaining, probably because she's just curious about what I'll say.

"Are you loyal, worm?" Skye leans his chin on his palm as he passes me a confident smile of his own, slow and mysterious.

He seems happy to introduce me to his top Commanders of his entire Dominion.

"Loyal? I have been educated and fed here," I speak whatever I can string together, "Yes, I am loyal."

"She's shy but she's doing great in training," Skye drawls over the table, eager to annoy his family, apparently.

"Xrat looks for you," Vastian speaks up, to me, "…Skye…" he looks to his brother, "Why are you allowing a forbidden bond to go without the remedy? She must die for him to stand any chance."

"Xrat and Ryder are One and she has my word that she'll be free of that death sentence," Skye speaks as if he's bored.

"Why?" Mila asks, raising a brow, clearly confused by his confidence.

"Because," Skye shakes his head as he leans back and jerks on the chain, so that I fall into his lap and he holds my neck between his spread fingers, "I'm going to use her as a prototype for more evolution in my military – and I'm going to fuck her whenever I want. Win. Win."

O…kay?

"Experiment with her blood? Fine, I do not care," Mila seems satisfied enough.

"With new knowledge we will continue to succeed, so I see no error in this," Vastian agrees.

"How lovely that you all don't wish to murder the young girl," Lemeri is genuinely pleased.

"I am not in favour of this," Raygar adds last of all, breaking the agreement with his dissonant statement.

Skye goes from admiring the fear in my gaze, to slowly moving his blue eyes to Raygar across the table, "Excuse you, brother, do care to explain your strange disposition?"

"Either she dies or Xrat, their bond is feral… against all our beliefs," Raygar murmurs, "You choose to disregard your religious faith in the Genesis Moon?"

"Think. Xrat is dead without his Company – this is a mercy and grants him a small chance to survive with a bond," Vastian interrupts, "Wolf Kind must be given all possible chance of survival, that is our greatest belief. Skye judges correctly, you are skewed toward selfish intent, Raygar. Calm yourself."

"She slips once, she's dead," Raygar ignores me, despite the threat for me, as he simply stares down Skye, "She breaks the law, she's mine to kill. I am executioner."

"No one is above our Law, Ray," Skye murmurs, "As you well know, Elder Ivor did not escape such judgement. I am both aware and weary of the eyes to my throne… although I do appreciate your sense of humour."

Raygar slyly shrugs and relaxes back into his seat.

"I only shove you, to test your resolve, as you well know, Alpha Skye," Raygar smirks into his wine as he takes a sip, "Someone has to keep you in line."

"As I keep you in line," Vastian scolds Raygar.

A brief silence as no one dares to say they keep Mila in line.

"I tire of your ugly faces," Mila murmurs, "I am leaving. Goodnight."

"Meri," Raygar stands next.

Lemeri follows Raygar with a roll of her eyes.

Vastian remains seated, in no rush to leave.

Skye faces his oldest brother with a curious tilt to his head.

I focus on Vastian now, from Skye's lap. He is quite dashingly handsome for his age, but despite his lack of aggression, he also seems to harbour a secret violence only used when necessary behind his calm and light blue eyes.

"You call to me when you get sick," Vastian advises Skye once we are alone, "Do not call Raygar again – he plots and schemes, not to your advantage."

"I am aware he's growing quickly," Skye shakes his head, "But he is not as smart as me."

"The moment you blink, Skye, he'll rip her head off to see if you flinch. If it happens, don't flinch," Vastian shakes his head a bit as he stands last. He does linger to pass on one line to me, rather cold and calculative, "…Xrat is an imprint of my Wolf Beast, Vorth – and that makes him cold blooded. If Raygar does not get you first, Ryder, be sure your Beast will test every single weakness in you, and if you do not break by the time he is half his grown size, you'll absolutely garner respect off even the Medivians themselves… a rather dangerous circumstance… revolution…" Vastian now glances back to Skye, "Careful, Alpha. Keep her close," he winks before he strolls off.

"Goodnight," Skye farewells Vastian only, uncaring for his warning.

One word sticks with me.

Revolution.

I barely knew my position.

We hadn't even begun, in all clarity.

And yet there was something about me… that was suddenly dangerous, in and of itself… I seemed to be a secret power move for the Dominion; and Skye… well… he was taking full and shameless advantage of it, whatever it might mean.

I guess I just had to stay on top of my wits, and not get lost in the power plays.