1
“What is it, Ezekiel?” Kazan voiced annoyed by the presence of his right-hand man, little brother and best friend—who for the past five minutes stood at the entrance of his personal training room, signalling that he needs his attention to heaven knows what.
Ugh! It better be something very damn important. He knew very well that Kazan hated being interrupted while in the middle of a sparring session with his martial art instructor and father figure, Grand-Master Dorian.
“Alpha.” Ezekiel, a young black male cloaked in white close-fitting garments that displayed his honed physique, slightly bow towards Kazan. “Grandfather,” He greeted Dorian with the greatest of respect.
“Enough with the formalities, Ziki. Just say why you are here already or go.” Kazan urged him.
“Apologies for the disruption, my alpha. But there is an urgent matter that needs your attention.”
“Can’t it wait until I’m done here?” Kazan blocked three strong, swift blows from Dorian, who seemed unmoved by earthly matter and only focused on the opponent before him. And when he tried to counterattack with a blow just as fast and powerful, he got knocked down on his ass. Hard. If he wasn’t a tough guy, he might have broken his spine just from that violent fall.
“I’m afraid it cannot.”
“Hooo. Thank you for the martial lesson, Grand-Master Dorian. Let’s do this again tomorrow, same time.” Kazan got up from the floor, lowering his head reverently to Dorian, who did the same before fleeing the scene with supernatural speed.
“So, what is so important that you feel the need to disrupt my training session?” Kazan reached for his towel on the bench to dry his sweaty bearded face and bare torso that seemed to be forged from diamonds.
“We’ve caught a stray,” Ezekiel replied zealously.
“A stray?” Kazan snorted. “Ziki, please tell me you didn’t interrupt my training session for some damn stray!”
“Well, this is not just any stray, Kaz. It’s the stray. The one that you’ve been hunting for the past week now.”
Seven days ago, Kazan made it his main duty to hunt this pesky stray, who has been sneaking in and out of his territory for who knows how long; terrorizing and stealing food from his people. It even injured several skill fighters, whom he ordered to bring the fiend to justice. However, that lucky bastard managed to escape him every time.
Therefore, it brings him some relief and joy to know that this bastard that has been a pain in his fucking neck— the asshole that caused him many sleepless nights, is now apprehended somehow by Ezekiel.
He’s somewhat curious though to learn how it happened— how Ezekiel managed to do something he wasn’t able to accomplish. But right now, he’s just too anxious to strangle the life out of this stray with his bare hand.
“Where is that bastard?” Kazan crushed his fist angrily. “Bring him to me right now!”
“Her.” Ezekiel promptly corrects him.
“Her?” Kazan repeated confused.
“The stray you have repeatedly failed to capture day after days and night after nights is a young female, my alpha.” Ezekiel teased with an amused smile.
“What? That’s not possible.” Kazan couldn’t bring himself to believe what Ezekiel just told him. There is no way a girl could cause him this much trouble. He was outsmarted and bested by a girl. Not only is that humiliating, but it hurt his pride as an alpha and the prestige of his mighty pack, fear by many. And this makes him even more upset.
“Bring her in, boys!” Ezekiel commanded, and two men dragged a human size cage into the training room. And trapped inside the cage is a woman whose hands and feet are bound in shackles.
Kazan takes a good look at the young lady. And damn, she is a beautiful sight to behold. She is of caramel complexion, slender and shapely figure, long dark curly hair and bright brown eyes that had a fierce gleam in them. The girl looks no older than seventeen or eighteen.
Heh. There is no way this delicate girl is that stray that caused so much damage and humiliation to his pack. She looks so weak, like she can’t even harm a fly.
But then again, Ezekiel wouldn’t dare lie about such a serious matter.
“Who are you, and what’s your purpose for antagonising my pack?” Kazan sternly asked the woman, but she blatantly ignored him. It’s as if he didn’t exist.
“Do you know the penalty for stealing from my pack, causing harm to my warriors? It’s death.” Kazan tried to intimidate her with his strong voice and violent demeanour, but she wasn’t even fazed by him. That is strange. Normally ordinary wolves, especially women and children, cowers before his might. So why does it seem like she’s unaffected? Unless she’s not ordinary. “Say something, damn it!” he demanded.
“OK. Can I get something to eat please?” the young girl, Leah, requested as she looked Kazan directly in those stern azure eyes. He doesn’t scare her one bit. “All your constant blabbering is making me very hungry.”
The seemingly appalled Ezekiel found the young lady’s response very amusing and eager to see how this turned out. The two men who brought the stray girl in, on the other hand, felt fear in their hearts. They know how fearsome and ruthless alpha Kazan is to his enemies. That is why there are many who doesn’t dare to disrespect or offend him. Not even those big shots, alphas from the other packs in the surrounding area. However, this girl just talked to him as if he was a nobody. She must have hit her head real hard or have a death wish.
“You little bitch,” Kazan growled. The nerve of this girl talking to him in such disrespectful manner, both appalled and angers him.
“Release me from this cage, and I will show you who the real bitch here is.” Leah retorted.
Ugh! How did she end up in a crappy situation like this again? Oh, yeah, that is why.
Last night, she managed to safely steal some food for dinner and man it was delicious. However, it was dosed with a high dosage of bane salt— which is unscented, making it undetectable to a lycan’s strong sense of smell. And it also has the ability to deplete a lycan’s vitally and strength to zero. If she had been an ordinary lycan, she would be dead right now.
Anyway, by the time she realised that she got poisoned, it had been already too late.
When she regained consciousness, she was bound in shackles and locked inside this cage that is made from black steel. The only thing strong enough to imprison or kill a Lycan. Her strength severely weakened at the moment. And now she’s being annoyed to death by this arsehole. This is just too much.
In the time it takes to blink. The upset Kazan swoosh over to the cage and seised the stray’s throat with the intention to choke the life out of her.
“How can you call yourself a man? Attacking a defenceless woman. Puh!” Leah taunted, and Kazan’s grip got even stronger— powerful enough to snap an ordinary Lycan’s neck. Good thing she’s not your average female lycan. However, she’s not indestructible either, at least not in her current state. If this bastard keeps this up, he might take her head. Hooo, guess she has no choice but to take him down with her. “You are worse than a scum.”
“You!” Kazan snarled, losing what little cool he had left. And as he gears up to finish her, to detach her head from her shoulders. Leah used the chains attached to the shackles on her arms to wrap his arm — pull as hard as she can, bashing him into the cage. Afterwards, she sank her fangs into his neck. And no matter how much he struggled or used his other hand to beat her in the head, she wouldn’t let go.
It took a powerful blow to the head from Ezekiel to knock her unconscious, thus freeing Kazan from her mouth.
Blood sprayed from Kazan’s neck like a water fountain, and no matter how he covered the wound with his hand, it won’t stop. And strangely, his healing capabilities don’t seem to be working at the moment. Suddenly, he starts to feel light in the head. Everything then turned dark and he came tumbling down.
Luckily, Ezekiel was there to catch him and urgently rushed him to the hospital before he bleeds to death.
