Chapter 6 :
The Capital's Park Office was quiet, but the silence was heavy, laden with secrets that no visitor could guess. Only the flicker of candlelight danced across the polished wooden panels, throwing shadows that twisted like living things. Edgar leaned back in his high-backed chair, a smirk tugging at his lips. Across from him, Elder Kappa rested his arms on the table, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"You should have seen the look on his face," Kappa chuckled, his voice low, almost a growl. "Absolutely priceless."
Edgar's piercing blue eyes narrowed, but there was no warmth there, only the cold promise of what was to come. "We're only beginning," he said, his tone measured. "This is nothing. They haven't even realized the full weight of what's coming."
Kappa leaned closer, the candlelight catching the sharp lines of his face. "Soon, every last one of them will bend. Broken, ruined, and begging for their deaths… and we'll be the ones holding the strings."
Edgar's smirk widened. "They won't know until it's too late. Not until every plan, every defense, every thought they have has been anticipated. Every movement watched, every choice manipulated. They'll be pawns, not heirs."
Kappa nodded, his laughter low but chilling. "And they won't even suspect us. They'll trust us, follow our guidance, and—" He let the word hang, his grin wicked.
Far away, beyond the walls of the Capital, the forest rustled. Lucas's sharp green eyes flicked from shadow to shadow, nostrils flaring as he picked up scents carried on the wind. He had been walking for hours, intending to clear his head and think. But then he noticed it: Felix and several of his assigned warriors trailing him, silent as ghosts.
Lucas's jaw tightened. "Why the hell are you following me?" he barked, stopping in the middle of a clearing. The wind caught his hair, tossing it across his forehead.
Felix froze, eyes wide. "Master… I—"
"You what?" Lucas stepped closer, his tone slicing through the forest like steel. "Are you all just going to sneak behind me like some pack of children? Or do you have a reason?"
Another warrior, broad-shouldered and silent until now, stepped forward. "Sir, we were ordered to accompany you for protection. The forest… it's dangerous."
Lucas threw back his head and laughed, short and bitter. "Protection? Or surveillance?" His sharp eyes darted from one warrior to the next. "I know your orders. You're not here to watch me survive—you're here to report, aren't you?"
Felix's green eyes flickered nervously, but he stayed silent. Lucas's nostrils twitched as he inhaled sharply, catching the scent of the forest—and something else. Something utterly intoxicating, impossibly sweet and warm.
Lucas froze mid-step. His lips parted, a low, involuntary sound escaping. A moan.
Felix's head snapped up, eyes wide. Did he just moan? From a scent? He swallowed hard, a flush creeping up his neck as his body reacted despite himself. His pulse quickened, and he forced his jaw tight. Live… w-what the hell?
Lucas's hand brushed against the bark of a tree as he inhaled deeply again, his moan louder this time, almost reverent. The scent was mesmerizing, utterly consuming, yet he didn't recognize it. He didn't even think. Only the pleasure of the smell, the strange surge of energy running through him.
Felix's mind was in chaos. He's moaning… because of a scent?! He felt heat rise in places he hadn't expected. He clenched his fists, trying to regain control. The warriors exchanged uncomfortable glances, but none dared speak. Lucas, unaware of their reactions, remained transfixed.
Meanwhile, several miles away, Leo moved cautiously along the Eastern Border. His ten warriors, carefully chosen and loyal to the bone, flanked him. John, his beta, had insisted they accompany Leo this time. Every step was deliberate, calculated; the Eastern territories were teeming with potential threats, especially after the recent Rogue attacks.
Leo's amber eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the rogue encampment ahead. He signaled for his warriors to halt. "Stay silent. Wait for my mark," he whispered. Even in his frustration, he was the picture of calm control.
He strode forward, every step echoing in the tense silence. The rogue leader, unaware of the danger, approached, smirking as he tried to size up the intruder.
"Tell me," Leo said coldly, his voice cutting through the morning air. "Were you the one who killed my parents?"
The rogue laughed nervously. "What? No… you don't understand—"
"The killer was already with you," Leo interrupted, his tone a deadly whisper. The rogue's grin faltered.
Confusion, fear, and a spark of defiance flashed across the rogue's eyes. Before he could react, Leo's hand shot out, seizing the rogue by the collar. With a brutal motion, he ripped the man's head from his shoulders, his eyes never wavering. The forest echoed with the sickening thud.
John and the warriors stood silently, awe and fear etched on their faces. Leo's hands were steady, though his jaw tightened with controlled rage. He took a deep breath, surveying the chaos he had left behind. The Rogue attacks would learn fear today.
Back at the Capital, the Park Office remained steeped in shadows. Edgar leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, eyes glinting with calculated malice. Kappa sipped from a crystal glass, smiling at the flicker of firelight.
"They have no idea," Kappa murmured, his grin wicked. "They think the danger is outside… but it's already here. And it's coming from a direction they'll never suspect."Outside, Lucas had stopped mid-step, inhaling the scent again. He tilted his head back, letting the wind carry it to him, moaning quietly, almost lost in it. Felix's internal turmoil grew unbearable. He looked at the others, hoping someone would speak, but everyone was frozen, tension hanging like a dense fog.
Lucas finally pulled himself together, glaring at Felix and the warriors. "Do not follow me again without my permission," he growled, voice low but commanding. "I don't need protection. I need space."
Felix's cheeks flushed, but he forced a nod. Space… yeah, right. After that reaction?
Miles apart, Leo signaled to his warriors. "Double security on the border. Scan everything. Nothing moves without my knowledge. If anyone thinks to cross this line, they will pay."
John's sharp eyes met Leo's. "We'll handle it, sir. You don't need to worry."
Leo's jaw tightened. "I don't want anyone else involved. This is my fight. Mine to control. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," John replied, and the warriors murmured their assent, forming a protective perimeter around him.
Lucas took one last deep breath of the intoxicating scent, moaning softly again. Then, with a shake of his head, he stepped deeper into the forest, disappearing into the shadows, leaving Felix and the warriors staring after him, hearts pounding with tension, confusion, and something unspoken.
High above the Capital, the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the Parkhouse grounds. Inside, Edgar and Kappa continued their quiet laughter, plotting, scheming, ensuring that the sons of Alpha Kane had no idea the storm that awaited them. The pieces were in motion, and soon, the forest, the Rogues, and even the loyal warriors would all fall into place, each step carefully calculated by the two who smiled behind closed doors.
And in the forest, Lucas smelled it again—something wild, irresistible, and unknown. A shiver ran down his spine as he moaned involuntarily, completely unaware that this moment, this scent, would change everything.
The hunt had begun. And the true danger lay closer than anyone suspected.