Chapter 17

Tyson
Zander held raven hair, and tan skin, but the eyes were different. One was blue, while the other was black. His glare was defiant, flashing the purplish-red irises of his wolf, Darkness, as if he believed he’d done nothing wrong.
But so many innocent humans died because of him, and his disobedience.
He was the Alpha of a pack of assassins. Each seat held between 3 to 7 in their ranks, with me holding the most at 15. They were born only on the new moon, whereas all others were born during the full. It gave them extra abilities, like phasing into shadows, thus the name.
Jang rang his bell. “I’ll link Shakira.”
It only took her moments to bring Zander. This may be hard for John, since Xavier, the true Alpha of Shadow raised him… Because of the corruption within these walls, even the pups of the Second held no peace. Xavier stepped down to raise John….
I already sent him an email. He’s going to have to take the mantle back. ShadowMoon otherwise will have no Alpha.
Brutus was behind that too. I’m *so* glad he’s already dead. He nearly assassinated the son of my most trusted Seat. Had he lived, he held no oath with me… I’d have killed Brutus as soon as I got this accursed crown.
I will not allow my Seats to be frivolously corrupt. If they cannot serve, they can die.
Zander marched behind Shakira, who was a full head and shoulders taller than him. She was about 6’9, the height of an *old* male Alpha. She could ‘take on a man like a man’ as she liked to put it. She’d grown since I first met her, as she trained with father for a time.
Hyena females are about 30% stronger than their males, being the size of a Gamma or Beta werewolf. They were the dominant…hyper aggressive instigator of the two, and she showed it with her proud head and polished badge on her uniform. She was tall, ebon skinned, having her golden blonde-brownish and black patched hair shaved on the sides, and in a long, multi colored brown and black braid to her hips.
The hyenas are as loyal to the king as a worker bee is to their queen. The slightest hint of a problem is often met with broken bones unless they are an Omega. It’s universally paws off the powerless.
It’d changed since we were younger, though I think that was because she’d grown much stronger over the years.
Zander was tan, a little darker than me. His blonde hair was cut short except a single, belly button length braid that covered his left eye, the red one. He stood proud being chained head to toe, with a collar of pure silver around his neck. I could see it burn and sizzle his skin, but if he policed his people better, he would not be here. He willingly kneeled on hands and knees, and today was not a good day to have my attention.
“Zander, the Stealthy, you have a minor title, yet it seems so is your mind.” I said angrily. “You are here because your pack initiated an unauthorized culling of 245 mortals in retaliation for the killing of your daughter.”
“I plead guilty. I have no regrets.” He said stoically. “They killed my little girl… She was spoiled rotten… That was *my* fault… but they didn’t have to send me her skin.” He hissed.
“You understand the gravity of your pleading? Do you not wish at least a trial for formality’s sake?” I asked getting up. The hyenas made him kneel on the brass plate…
I’d known Zander since the first time I arrived here for King’s training… I saw him as a friend… and he has no eligible heirs. The Shadows won’t have a leader…
“My lord, it has been an honor serving the crown, but I knew when I found out… I knew…I knew that was the *last* day I would draw breath as a free man…. I killed all those humans mostly by myself. I bathed in their blood and the boy who made her think their love was real got to suffer the longest. I’m going to Hell for Oath Breaking… and there’s nothing for me here. My Omega son will be raised by my elder brother… William’s a good, gentle boy.” He said with a forlorn sigh.
“You’re going to miss his clarinet recital.” I said summoning my sword. “You traded what you had for a little revenge…”
“I will never see my mate again either… Franny’s already with the Pale Lady.” He chuckled. It was a dry one that lacked any actual amusement.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that… seeing as how they were assassins for their entire lives…., but I wouldn’t say anything to ruin his image of her.
I summoned my 5ft long sword. The black steel was a part of my very being, forged in hell *with* me in place of an inner wolf… since *I am* the wolf. The runes on it pulsed a deep red, but there was no reason to summon the shield. There was no fight… only death.
“I will be quick.” I said simply. “For the death of 245 mortals, 103 of which being under the age of 14, your sentence is death. What say you Father Macnabb, Chief Marshmallow, House of Lemon-Sprinkles?” The yellow haired unicorn snorted.
“I agree.” Said Chief Marshmallow. Almost all the Chiefs of the police force were unicorns. They *can’t* be corrupt, so they are perfect for such a delicate position.
“I as well.” Said the priest. The old, ebon skinned man looked sternly at Zander.
I slowly made my way to him with a heavy heart, but justice *must* be delivered. I stood before him, and lopped his head off with a clean, swift slash.
“Trixie don’t be a brat.” Zander growled, holding a landline phone…. He’d called her from his office.
I was seeing the cause of his fall… Well shit.
His daughter was 21, extremely young, but old enough to know better.
“Joey said he didn’t care!” She yelled back. “I’m already on my way to his house with Crystal’s unit just in case.”
“That boy is of Hunter’s blood, some of which STILL kill us. You think some dumb, 20 something *mortal* has your best interest in mind?” He asked angrily. “One who knows of us? You didn’t share your location, did you?”
“Of course not.” She lied.
“You’ve been compromised… come home. I don’t want to bury my child. Even if he is your mate, you’re heading to a trap!” He growled.
“Daddy, I know what I’m doing.” She hissed hanging up.
“It’s fucking Jesse all over again! Collect them. They’re compromised.” He shouted to no one in particular, and his Beta appeared.
Jesse was his late niece. She gave my Aunt Heidi trouble, but was executed for trying to release the Beast Prince early… He cannot die, nor can a normal wolf defeat him. The Beast Prince is an Old One without physical strength… but what he lacks in it, he compensates with a mind so sharp, even the gods thought it best to lock him away. He would have killed Ronitus’s pack with some plague or worse. Thankfully Aunt Heidi stopped her.
Troubled she wolves run in their family. His late eldest daughter was beheaded in the 1700’s for purposefully breaking the Treaty. Now this one ran literally into a Hunter’s den because a boy wooed her…
The chances of him actually being her mate was SLIM, but I knew what happened next. He wasn’t… They’d manipulated her with pheromones by keeping her real mate… It was by accident that they did this, so now that they were dead, it could not be replicated.
This was top secret… Only those who sit at my table knows of its existence and the disposal of this information… They only got away with it because she hadn’t met him yet.
Had she met her mate, she’d have known his face and voice, that the scent alone wouldn’t have tricked her… that the thin red thread that connects them, as invisible as it is to mortals, would have told her the human was lying…
“Of course sir… Though… I know by the time we get to New Mehico, it’ll be too late.” His Beta had white hair, and one red eye, the other blue. Heterochromia only happened in Shadow Warriors, and only the good ones had a red or black eye. I believe only the eldest held a black/red eye combination though.
“I know… prepare the 9… We’re going hunting.” Zander said ominously.
The next memory was of him on a plane, and the fact that he raided that place personally…. SOME were hunters, but only 28 out of the 254… . Those people were to be left alone… to be unharmed. That wasn’t enough to justify killing pups.
The children would have been put up for adoption, though they were punished for their bloodline, not their actions.
The hunters should have been captured by the Shadows, secretly, and left the remaining to realize that this line of work is illegal for a reason.
This was a hard one… the Church demands this wolf, but I would not give them one so valuable…. His blood went down the drain… What a waist…
“You made trouble for me and my House, Zander.” I said firmly standing. “But you are much too valuable to give to be laid on the Ring…” I said thinking out loud. “That is why I killed you myself… All this stops here with me.” I said this giving a warning glare to the council…then the priests.