Chapter seventy eight

Chapter seventy eight
As the door opened, a faint gust brushed past me, carrying the scent of dust and old memories. A small building now stood on the once open training ground, its structure unfamiliar and out of place. The sight made my stomach twist. Nothing here looked the same anymore. Nothing felt safe.

And still, the question gnawed at me.

Why wasn’t he snapping my neck?

What could be his reason? Jagger doesn’t tread small, and whatever reason he had would still leave my life hanging on the tread.

“I want to show you my collections,” he smirked, sliding the key into the doorknob. As the door swung open, the thick scent of dark wolves flooded out like a warning.

Six bunks lined neatly against the wall, the wolves occupying them rose immediately, heads bowed low, the moment we stepped inside. Every one of them wore an inhibitor collar, the metal dimming their aura and stealing the spark from their eyes.

“You caused that.”

His hand rose in a sharp command, and the eldest stepped forward at once, spine straight, eyes lowered.

“This is Reed. He can control fire and flame.” His voice stayed calm, almost bored. Then he fixed his gaze on me, unblinking. “Your task is simple. Kill him.”

“What? Why?” The words scraped out of me.

“You betrayed me, and now you prove your loyalty,” he replied bluntly.

“Alpha, you are getting it wrong, I…” My voice faltered when I saw his expression. He wasn’t listening, not even a little. “I'm the one you want, not them. Kill me instead.”

“Zoe,”

I moved immediately, stepping in front of him and blocking his reach to the girl. My fists clenched, breath shaking through my chest.

“What do you want?”

The words slipped out rough, almost pleading despite how hard I tried to hold them steady.

“You still don’t understand loyalty Darius, you don’t get to choose.”

“I will do anything but I won’t kill my kind,”

He scoffed pushing Reed off his grip, and started leaving the house I followed suit not knowing what to except.

Clot was sitting at the waiting room when we got to the main entrance, I took the file from him and entered the office.

He pulled a bottle of whiskey from his bar, start gulping directly from the bottle before heading to his seat.

“So…,” his eyes flashed on me.

“Ohh sorry,” I apologized and handed the file to him.

“I’m no troublemaker,” “Right Daruis?”

“Right,”

He started unfolding the envelope, his eyes scanning the file in his hands he picked half smoked cigar lying on the table and started smoking.

“50% of my army,” he scoffed, mumbling the sentence “Non-compliance will be met with the full force of our wrath”

He flung the paper on the table

“They are not ready, tell them that I Alpha Jagger is full ready to fear their wrath”

My seat instantly became smaller, Lucian said the council has settled with him, why if he rigid about the agreement. I’m here for a peace talk, I adjusted my collar which wasn’t out of place.

“Alpha, it’s a plea from the council, they want alliance when attack comes to them they would need assistance”

His face beamed in mocking expression

“10 is all I can do” he blunted

“Here is the trick, send 50 of your weakest,”

“15 and that’s finial” his eyes flashed

I nodded pushing the paper back to him, he signed and shoved it back to me.

He leaned back to his chair, smoking the ciger the tugged in between his fingers.

“You could have made a great delta here,” smoke escape his mouth as he spoke. “In your expats Daruis are you sure the council wants alliance?”

I swallowed hard as the question catch me off guard.

His eyes flicking on me urging for an answer.

“They can’t sent a representative that doesn’t know their intention would they,”

“No they..”

“My spy informed me that the counsel has been purchasing chromium steel alloy and titanium, you will find out what they are up to”

“What?”

He rose from his seat his face reddened

“The only reason why your body is still holding your neck is because you came when your ability was needed.”

He sat back, gulped few of whiskey.

“Your time starts now,”

I pushed off from the seat heading to the door.

“You got a mate now?”

My step halted for a second before I opened the door and slammed it.