Chapter 19

Chapter 19
Leo

Another boring day of paperwork and policy meetings dragged by at a glacial pace.

As second eldest of the Nightwalker Pack's royal triplets, certain tedious administrative duties fell to me. I much preferred life in the field leading raids and training drills. 

All this bureaucratic nonsense was slowly sucking out my soul. 

The evening meal bell rang, releasing me from my office temporarily. 

"I skipped lunch, I can't skip dinner." I groaned, rubbing my temple.

I eagerly made my way down to the Great Hall, stomach growling. At least dinnertime meant a brief reprieve filled with decent food, gossip, and pretty slaves to admire.

My usual crowd had already claimed our preferred table on the dais when I arrived. I exchanged boisterous greetings and lewd jokes with my Betas as I took my place and filled a goblet with rich red wine. 

This was the life - wine, women and authority untainted by administrative headaches.

Halfway through the meal I realized my youngest brother Lucas was absent from his customary seat. 

"Babe, what are you looking for? You seem concerned." One of the sweet ladies by my left asked as she fed me.

"Oh, nothing, just looking for Luke." I shrug.

Odd - he never missed a chance to hold court and toy with the servants. I surveyed the bustling hall but saw no sign of his distinctive white-blond head.

"Where's Lucas skulking tonight?" I called down the table to Marcus, his personal attendant. "It's not like him to miss the entertainment." I leered good-naturedly at a shapely serving girl, making her blush deeply. 

Marcus shifted in his seat, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "Apologies, Alpha. Lucas has been...preoccupied of late. He takes most meals privately now."

I frowned, intrigued. This was definitely abnormal behavior from my socialite brother. "Preoccupied with what, exactly?"

Marcus cleared this throat delicately. "He has, shall we say, developed an interest in one of the new slaves. The wolf-blooded girl from the raid on the Wild Creek pack."

I sat up straighter, thoughts churning. A female slave had caught Lucas's notoriously wandering eye? She must be exceptionally beautiful to distract him so thoroughly from his usual recreational habits. I was surprised he hadn't boasted extensively of this little diversion.

"Bring this slave to attend me tomorrow," I told Marcus casually. As Lucas's elder brother, it was my right to evaluate his potential amusements, particularly if they might impact his duties. I was simply...looking out for him.

Marcus looked mildly uncomfortable at the request but nodded acquiescence. "Of course, Alpha. I will make the arrangements."

My curiosity stayed piqued all throughout the next day's meetings, distracted by thoughts of the mysterious slave girl. 

What was so special about her that she commanded Lucas's fixation where countless lovely conquests before had not? I intended to find out.

When Marcus presented the slave Natalia to me late that afternoon, I dismissed him and circled her slowly, keen eyes taking over every detail. She kept her gaze lowered submissively, but subtle tension hummed through her slender frame. Interesting - she still had some spirit left.

Objectively, the girl was pleasing enough to look upon - glossy dark hair, bronze skin, delicate features. But no great beauty by our pack's standards. Still, there was something captivating in her proud carriage, the defiant angle of her jaw despite the circumstances of her servitude. I sensed embers of banked fire within.

"So you are the one who has caught my brother's eye," I mused, watching for reactions. "Rather surprising, since you are nothing extraordinary." 

Her shoulders stiffened slightly but she held silent. I could not resist prodding further. "Tell me, slave - how did you seduce the cold Lucas Walker into your bed?" I toyed idly with a lock of her long hair. "Did you beg prettily? Or bare yourself to him like a wanton?"

At that, her head jerked up, dark eyes flashing. "I have done no such thing!" Her voice was richer than I expected. "Your brother is a monster. I spit on any attention from him."  

I laughed in delight. There it was - the spark of pride and fire I had sensed simmering beneath the surface. Now I understood Lucas's fascination. Taming this little she-wolf's indomitable spirit would be a tempting challenge indeed.

"Your words say one thing, but your body tells another tale," I taunted, trailing a finger down her neck to feel her rapid pulse. Her eyes narrowed with impotent fury. I smiled. Such fun to bait this captive wolf. 

But I found the game had soured my appetite for a more intimate sport. Her spirit reminded me too much of a cornered wild thing. I would take no pleasure in bedding her by force. Not this one. Strange, since I rarely hesitated with slaves before. But something in her proud gaze unsettled me.

I stepped back, regarding Natalia thoughtfully as she subtly relaxed her rigid posture. Yes, she was an intriguing specimen, I would grant Lucas that. None of the simpering subservience of a typical slave. She still had her claws, it seemed.

"I believe I understand now what consumes my brother's attention, little wolf," I remarked. "Do take care not to let it go to his head. His pride grows ever larger." 

I saw a surprise flare briefly in her eyes before the shields lowered once more. With a dismissive wave, I turned away and called for the guards to escort her back to her duties. But glimpsing her innate resilience left me thoughtful long after Natalia was gone.

Perhaps I would visit my preoccupied brother and gain more insight into this strange fixation of his. Lucas delighted in dominating and humbling those with strong wills. It was an entertainment we shared, sparring with feisty souls. I had to admit this slave girl showed intriguing potential for such sport.

Yes, Natalia's fire was too rare a thing to be casually extinguished. Properly stoked, it could make the game infinitely more interesting for us all. Somewhere, a challenge awaited that could spur even jaded souls like Lucas and myself to far greater heights. I sensed it like electricity in the air before a storm.

This she-wolf was important somehow - to my brother, and perhaps myself. Her proud spirit called to kindred embers within us that we often disregarded, consumed with baser amusements. She was a resplendent flame that must not go gentle into the night.

I would ensure it, even if the methods proved...unorthodox.