CHAPTER THREE
PAIN!
RENZO'S POV.
"Dear Wolves of Selene pack,"
From the center stage I shouted to the crowd who stood approximately ten feet in front. From my pipe I drew an intentional smoke while I studied my territory with a feeling of satisfaction. These were my wolves, and I own them.
The pack howled back at me. They shook with fear, but their eyes showed loyalty.
"I love seeing fear and loyalty in your eyes,"
I said, laughing out loud. My laughter bounced off the trees, echoing through the woods.
"Today's a special day," I said, grinning.
"I'm turning 100!"
The pack erupted into another chorus of howls, their voices rising and falling in celebration.
"You look twenty-seven!"
a voice screamed from the crowd. I descended from the stage, the sea of wolves parting as I strode towards them.
"Who dared to say that?" I growled, scanning the crowd with a piercing gaze.
A timid girl trembled forward, her eyes wide with fear. I walked over her, my voice thundering,
"That's right! I look twenty-seven!"
The pack erupted into a frenzy of howls.
I grasped the girl's neck, my fingers wrapping around her slender throat. She shuddered as I licked her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "What's your name?" I demanded.
"M-Mira," she stuttered, her voice trembling.
"You'll be joining my mistresses tonight,"
I declared, releasing my grip on her neck. The girl's eyes widened in terror, but I just smiled, enjoying the fear in her eyes.
I loved the thrill of selecting mistresses at random. The pack watched in silence, their eyes filled with a mix of awe and fear. But I didn't care about their feelings. I was the alpha, and I would do as I pleased.
Just as I was about to return to the stage, Elijah arrived with enforcers, dragging a girl with an hourglass shape and emerald green eyes in cuffs. Her eyes darted around, and her lips trembled as she tried to break free. The crowd murmured. Elijah tossed the girl at my feet, and she landed with a thud, shaking with fear.
"A mistake! This can't be!" a woman shrieked, pushing her way through the crowd to reach me. "That's my daughter!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear despite her attempts to hide it.
I turned to Elijah, my gaze piercing. "Elijah?" I asked, my voice low and even.
"I found her with a human," Elijah replied, his expression unyielding.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy of howls and chants of "Burn her!"
I laughed, the sound echoing through the woods, my ribs aching from the intensity.
"This is going to be fun!”
"Bring her up to the stage,”
I demanded, moving forward with her mum and my enforcers following behind. Getting to the stage, I stopped and lowered myself to observe the girl. Her long black raven hair looked enchanting, and her emerald green eyes sparkled as she trembled in fear.
“What is your name?” I asked, but she moved her face away from me.
“No one dares to do that,”
I grabbed her face to look at me, and in that moment, I felt a strange calmness. It was like the turmoil inside me had paused. I felt a pull toward this frightened girl.
"Remove the cuffs," I ordered, and Elijah quickly complied. The wolves erupted into jeers and catcalls. "Burn her!" someone yelled.
Her mother pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. "She's my daughter, please! She wasn't with any human, I promise." But I remained unmoved.
"The universe has given me a birthday gift," I declared, and the wolves responded with a chorus of howls.
I approached the girl, careful not to reveal my true intentions. "What's your name?" I asked, my voice low.
"Rory," she replied simply. I sensed that she felt the same strange connection that I did.
I leaned in closer, inhaling deeply. But her scent was off – she didn't smell like a wolf.
"You don't have the scent of a wolf," I spat, disgust on my face. Tears sprang to Rory's eyes as she shook beneath my touch.
"You disgust me," I whispered, before pushing her away.
Maybe the universe was punishing me. I'd waited a hundred years for a mate, and now I was faced with a wolfless Lycan.
"Now, wolves, for our judgment to be complete, we must ensure it's fair," I declared. "Were you with a human or not?" I asked, my eyes locked on Rory's.
Rory's mother spoke up before her daughter could respond. "No—"
"Woman, silence!" I bellowed, my gaze flashing toward her.
Rory stood tall, her voice steady. "I was with a human."
The wolves erupted into a frenzy. "Why did you break our laws?" I demanded.
Rory's eyes flashed with defiance.
"Love knows no boundaries. He was my first love, my heart's desire,”
A pang struck my chest, unexpected and unwelcome. My mate, bound to me by fate, had given her heart to a human.
Her mother stepped forward, kneeling before me. "You can't burn her—"
"Then I'll burn you instead," I growled.