Chapter 112 : Axe

THEO.

Ajax meets my eyes, and the fear in his gaze makes my skin ripple with cold dread. That’s the kind of fear that ignites something else. Fear from knowing that you would never be given a better choice. Fear that would give way to seeking protection from harm, to fighting, and to winning.

His muscles are tense now. He keeps eyeing the armor on the floor. His eyes are also flickering at the line of weapons that the Alpha Supreme arranged before I even got here, as though he’s already making his pick. I want to mind-link him and tell him that I have no plans to fight, especially now that I know that we are bound by blood and brotherhood.

But no such connection gets established.

“I will give you, my son,” the Alpha Supreme says to me, “freedom that you long to have. I will free Maxine Kane, and I will let her be with you. I will let you take her as your Luna when you someday take the throne from me. You will be the Alpha Supreme with the one you love, no longer leading a small insignificant rebellion against an empire that can crush you underfoot. No. You will be leading our people to success.”

Silence rings between all of us, strong and tense. I stare at Ajax, wanting him to look back at me, but he already seems to be preparing for defense. He just keeps looking at the weapons until he gets fixated with an axe.

I swallow hard. “Ajax….”

He looks up at me as though surprised to see me speak, but he later on just looks at the axe again.

The Alpha Supreme appears pleased by this. “And you, Ajax, my wavering son… I will give you stability. I know that you have longed to establish something of your own, and I can give you that. I will give you free reign over the land. You can start your own pack, or you can stay with ours and take my place. And when you do take my place, you will be free to pass anything you want. You can undo my legacy and you can build yours. I will stay on the sidelines and let you do anything you want.”

“Under what condition?” Ajax asks.

“Don’t ask that,” I say desperately. “He’s trying to pit us against one another. We’re not enemies.”

Ajax ignores me.

“A fight to the death,” the Alpha Supreme announces.

My heart drops, and it falls even further when I see Ajax nodding like he agrees with all the conditions.

I’m so confused now. And so scared. I have been weakened by the beatings that I received when I was put in here, already beaten by the guards before I even got here. The chains continue to grate on my wrists and ankles, weakening them to the point where I don’t even know if I can stand if I’m let go.

But Ajax seems to be at full strength, or at least close to it. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen him fight but I know that he would not be an easy opponent.

And I hate that I have to think like this. I hate that I have to oppose him.

“Ajax,” I say again. “We don’t need to do this.” I look at the Alpha Supreme. “You can give him what he wants. I’m not fighting.”

“I didn’t expect this from you,” he whispers, his eyes flashing with malice as he walks closer to me. “You know, even though you have failed me time and time again by throwing your royal heritage to my face and siding with Human-borns… I have always favored you. You are ruthless when you need to be. You don’t show mercy.” He glances at Ajax. “Unlike my other son who has shown softness at the worst times.”

Ajax’s hand clenches. “It was not softness. Theo was raised in a merciless environment. It’s not fair for you to compare.”

“Is it not?” he asks carelessly. “You are more like your mother, Ajax. Did you know that she died at the hands of another woman that I… had relations with?”

He looks at me pointedly. It’s as though an ice cube is slithering down my throat.

“Yes,” he whispers. “Theo’s mother was a beautiful woman, and my wife was lacking. No motivation. No fire. No anything. Soft. Toothless. Margot was different. She was a whore, of course. But she was different. I sired a baby with her, and she wanted more. She went to my home and killed my wife. Theo’s blood killed your mother. I still had her hanged after she gave birth.”

“He’s just trying to make us angry,” I tell Ajax, but it seems to be too late.

The Alpha Supreme undoes my chains. I fall to the ground, barely able to support my own weight.

However, Ajax makes a dive for the axe without the armor, and I’m compelled to take the sword closest to me.

Alpha Rex steps back as though to admire his art when Ajax and I start to circle each other. He puts himself in a safe distance and watches as Ajax lunges at me with a swing of his axe.

My instincts kick in, and perhaps that’s my only advantage here. I’ve been in a lot of fights with different people and dodging while also attacking has become second nature to me. While he tries to cut my head off, I swerve out of the way and retaliate with a jab.

But my hesitation is still strong. This is my brother, and before that, he is my friend. I can’t hurt him.

He parries the blow with the base of his axe, and the impact draws us close.

We now stand face to face, and up close, his eyes are telling a different story.

Ajax doesn’t want to fight. This is all a show.

He tries to slice at me again but this time I’m ready. I block his blow with the blade. Sparks fly in the air. Ajax puts on a great show looking angry, but now I can see who it’s for. We exchange attacks, almost like a choreographed dance. Alpha Rex starts to cluck his tongue with impatience.

“I don’t see any blood,” he calls out as though he’s watching two servants fighting instead of his actual sons. “Remember what’s at stake!”

The words seem to affect Ajax more than they affect me. He lets out a growl, and with that, he throws the axe right at his father.

It will hit him, I think, as I watch the blade spinning in midair. But it doesn’t make an impact.

The Alpha Supreme catches the axe effortlessly, as though it’s not heavy or sharp or dangerous. His hand grazes the blade and he bleeds, but it heals almost instantly. He tosses it, holding the handle, and in one swift move, he throws the axe back to Ajax.

Only this time, it hits.

The blade burrows into Ajax’s abdomen, and he collapses on the floor, bleeding.