by J. K. Jones
“Marissa?” Ryu takes in her disheveled appearance. “What happened? What are you doing here?”
She beams at him, cradling his face. “You were always so handsome.” She strokes his cheek fondly. “I…we never got a chance to say good-bye.”
Ryu’s throat clogs with emotions, but he swallows them down. “It’s okay. Everything will be better now.”
Micah dismisses half of the guards and hands Ryu a bottle of water to give to Marissa. She drinks greedily. Her lips are cracked and white from dehydration.
“What’s going on?” Ryu asks Micah, who stares down at both of them.
“A platoon went missing while investigating the whereabouts of the rebel base. General Miah took six hundred strong wolves into the southern borders of the Filthy Claws clan and never returned. We need those soldiers if we’re to mount an attack against Randolph,” Micah explains coolly. “General Sato said rebels of the Filthy Claws clan have taken them and are holding them for ransom.”
“What are their terms?”
“For us to give up Woodlawn and Liverpool, two major cities. Or else they’ll behead General Miah and the rest of the wolves. They’ll kill one for every day we refuse.”
Ryu sighs deeply. Things are getting more and more complicated. If they need those soldiers, then they’ll have to work out something with the Filthy Claws rebels. Things aren’t that straightforward. Emotions are running high, and solutions are few. They’re going to die if they can’t defeat the Bloodhound Prince. Ryu turns back to Marissa, but she stubbornly turns her head away and glares at the ground. If Kenyon was their leader, then that means someone must have taken his place after he died.
“You’re the new leader of the Filthy Claws?” Ryu asks.
Marissa looks up at him. “Is it true? Did you really mate with a Silvercrest Howler? Is everything Kenyon said true?”
Ryu is so over this. The accusations of betrayal, the rage, the intolerance—everything. They don’t have time for this shit. “I need to speak with her alone.”
“Byakuren.” General Sato steps in. “I must advise against it. The Filthy Claws rebels grow stronger by the day. This woman is amassing a large army that could bring down the very foundation of the Silvercrest Howlers encampment. We must act swiftly, get information about General Miah, and attack at once.”
Micah doesn’t respond but locks eyes with Ryu. He can see the uncertainty and conflict in his expression, the need to appease his subordinates and bring order back to the clan. Micah must act like an Alpha, which means he needs to consider everybody’s concerns. Ryu thinks about this morning, how much they enjoyed just being together. He hopes it’ll extend beyond the bedroom. If Micah wants Ryu to be his second, he must regard Ryu with the same respect in public. Ryu knows Marissa. If he can get through to her on a deeper level, as he did with Kenyon, then maybe they can all find common ground.
The Silvercrest Howlers alone are not strong enough to defeat the Bloodhound Prince. They’ll need reinforcements. Ryu tries to convey that through the link so that Micah will understand where he’s going with this.
“Very well.” Micah turns to General Sato. “Let Ryu speak to Marissa. We will interrogate her again within the hour.”
General Sato frowns but follows Micah out of the room, as do the other wolves. Marissa relaxes visibly and offers him a small smile. She twirls the ends of his hair.
“You never wanted to cut it.” She laughs. “You let it grow and grow and grow…Now look at you…so beautiful…a true Omega.”
Ryu wishes he could say the same about her. The years of war haven’t been kind to her and have killed her spirit. Whatever light she had in her eyes, in their youth, has now dissipated. Time is of the essence. “We don’t have much time, Marissa. I know you think I’m a traitor, but bigger things are happening between the Silvercrest Howlers and the Filthy Claws. We need your help, and soon or later, you’ll need ours.”
Marissa stiffens. She withdraws her hand and subtly moves away from him. “You smell like them, like him… Byakuren.” She sneers the word. “Is he your mate?”
“He is.”
“Then you are no friend of mine.” She lifts her chin. “Call them back. Let them kill me and throw my body into the ditch.”
“Marissa,” Ryu begs, “listen to me. The Age of the Lycans is coming. If we don’t band together, there won’t be anything left to protect.”
She regards him closely. “You know about that?”
Ryu nods. “It’s coming. All the dark legends about the Bloodhound Prince are true. You’ve seen them, those things that kill our brothers and sisters and turn them into mindless beasts. Thousands more are coming. We can’t hold them off any longer.”
Marissa is quiet. They’re running out of time on both sides. “We can’t defeat them. Whatever darkness Kenyon called upon is too strong. They’ve reached the sewers of the Filthy Claws…infecting the littles ones…small children. The disease spreads through the pipelines.” She sighs deeply. “I don’t have the strength…we can’t defend our clan against the Lycans, find food and fight the Silvercrest Howlers.”
Ryu takes her hand.
They have the same problem, which means they can work toward a solution. If the Silvercrest Howlers can’t defeat the rebels and the rebels can’t defeat the Silvercrest Howlers, then they must work together to kill their common enemy.
“Fine,” Marissa says. “But we do this my way. Call your Byakuren back here. We will renegotiate the terms and conditions.”
Chapter 22
They all gather around a large map that shows the layout of all the cities and the borders of the Filthy Claws clan and the Silvercrest Howlers encampment. A large portion of the Filthy Claws clan is taken up by the Silvercrest Howlers, almost as if it’s a small city. Why would they do that? A lot of things about them being here doesn’t make any sense.
Micah stands at the front and inclines his head to Marisa. “You may speak.”
Marissa stares down at the map carefully, then points to the inner cities. “I want you to relinquish Liverpool and Woodlawn. Most of the crops grow there, and our people need access to resources. We shouldn’t have to pay to get clean water and fresh foods.”
“If you let go of Liverpool and Woodlawn, then the direct supply to the Silvercrest Howlers encampment will be cut off. Thus leaving us without resources,” General Sato says.
“Is there another solution?” Micah asks.
“None whatsoever,” General Sato replies. “Look”—he points to the map—“this runs through our supply line. If we open it up to the common people, they’ll overrun the resources and deplete the supply for both.”
“Bastards,” Marissa snaps. “You’ve taken all the best positions and left us with nothing. We’re starving. The people can’t afford to pay to have access to clean water and fucking food.”
“The Silvercrest Howlers give out vouchers.”
“They are half rations. The food doesn’t last even a day, and it’s half-rotten by the time the people can get it.”
“Let’s work toward a solution,” Micah says. Ryu looks between the two of them, puzzled. Michael never would’ve wanted this. Why did the Silvercrest Howlers remain after the wars? If the goal was to stabilize the Filthy Claws so that they could grow agriculture for themselves, it seems they have already done that in Liverpool and Woodlawn. What reason would Micah have to keep them here? It’s not adding up. Until Ryu knows why his judgment is impaired. How can he suggest splitting everything evenly if he doesn’t know the reason they are here in the first place?
“We can compromise.” Micah looks down at the map. “Give us General Miah’s location, and, in return, we give you the Woodlawn northern borders. That way the people have access to clean drinking water. It would reduce the number of people in the sewers, thus keeping the Lycan disease at bay.”
“Very well,” General Sato agrees. “That could work. It doesn’t cut into our supply line. We can set up access points and vouchers.”
Ryu is baffled. The tiny piece of the city is barely big enough for a quarter of the Filthy Claws clan. Why not just give her both places? If they plan to leave, why not negotiate to hand everything over to them?
Marissa is silent, darting her eye over the map, then she nods.
“Okay. Let’s move on.”
“Wait,” Ryu says. “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to give?”
Micah looks at him blankly. “That’s the best compromise.”
Did he enter the twilight zone? What the hell is going on? Michael would’ve wanted to give the Filthy Claws back their land. Why would Micah continue to occupy it?
“I don’t understand,” Ryu says slowly. “Why not leave and never come back? Why not give them back everything? Why are you giving them a piece of what they already own?”
Micah’s face morphs into a cold, dark mask. “You’ve been away for too long. I won’t expect you to understand these things.”
“You don’t know, do you?” Marissa asks, her eyes flashing with ire. “It’s all a lie. The entire occupation was just one big fucking joke.”
“What do you mean?”
“Michael never had altruistic intentions for wanting to help us. That was just what you idiots were told. The truth is that he wanted the mines. You Silvercrest Howlers were running low on resources. Michael took it upon himself to harvest them from our land. He sent us to work in the mines so that you could line your pockets.”
“I don’t understand,” Ryu says. “What was he getting in the mines? Why didn’t he just employ the Silvercrest Howlers to get it?”
“Didn’t you ever wonder why they’re called the Silvercrest Howlers? Not only did their riches reside in agriculture but also their copious amount of wealth. Centuries ago, they were silver miners until it collapsed, and they had to make their fortune elsewhere.”
“But the Filthy Claws clan only mines for coal.”
“Coal and silver.” Marissa points on the map. “Michael enslaved us to the mines. He took the strongest Alphas and sent them to work there until they died. He took our Omegas and indentured them into servitude to the richest Silvercrest Howlers. Don’t you remember? He divided our clan. Now there are only a few Betas and Deltas. Not enough to make an army. We are the only ones left.”
“Kenyon knew about it. He went to look for you. By then, you were already brainwashed, and he vowed to move heaven and earth to get you back. I don’t agree with his methods, none of us do, but we didn’t have a choice. He became a vessel to free us from the Silvercrest Howlers…and you destroyed him.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You did know,” Marissa says quietly. “Everybody knew. Ask your precious Alpha.”
All the eyes swing to Micah.
A mix of shock and betrayal covers Ryu’s face. No wonder they left him mostly in the dark about their plans with the Filthy Claws. Micah said it was because he never showed up for the meetings, but the truth is that Micah never wanted him there to begin with.
God, he’s so fucking stupid. How can he go along with this? It was his fucking idea to march over to the Filthy Claws and work with them to bring down the Bloodhound Prince.
Now it seems Micah had his own agenda. Like an idiot, he stood there, spouting shit about how Michael started the occupation for good reasons—to be a humanitarian. Now he knows it was all a lie.
Michael is a mass murderer, and Ryu helped him kill his own clan.
Chapter 23
Ryu storms out of the room, down the corridor, thoughts racing and his heart pumping in his chest. He bursts through the bedroom he shares with Micah, feeling like he might explode. Dear gods, he’s been fooled again. He can’t even blame Micah this time. It’s because of his own ignorance. He never bothered to find out why the Silvercrest Howlers remained in the Filthy Claws clan. He just assumed that when the wars were over, things would go back to the way they had been. He’s been such a fool.
“It’s not what you think.” Micah closes the door quietly and stands in the center of the room.
Ryu paces the floor, his mind spinning with all he’s learned. He’s so angry he could scream. Goddamn, the Silvercrest Howlers.
“You knew?” Ryu shouts.
“Keep your voice down.”
“Did you fucking know?”
“It’s not what you think.”
“My god. Michael is a mass murderer, and I fucking helped him destroy my own clan.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“What the hell is going on? Why the fucking hell are the Silvercrest Howlers still here? What aren’t you telling me?”
“I found out later. By then, it was too late. The lie had already been told, people believed my father, and we didn’t have enough time to get ahead of it.”
“So Randolph never was a separatist? He just wanted Michael to stop killing the Filthy Claws?”
“Yes and no.”
“Tell me the truth.”
Micah grabs him. His whole boy heaves as he towers over him. “The truth is that she’s right and wrong. At first, my father was consumed by hatred for the Filthy Claws clan. He wanted to eradicate them for what they had done to my mother. Over time things changed. Originally, he planned the occupation of the Filthy Claws as a way to subdue them and get the resources he needed for the Silvercrest Howlers. Then he got to know the people. He decided to build resources to help the Filthy Claws stabilize their land. My father implemented strategies and ways to aid the Filthy Claws move out of poverty and into prosperity. However, many wolves disagreed. They didn’t understand why my father wanted to infer in the first place. Most of the clans are separatists like Randolph. I believe in my father’s dream. That’s why we remain here. It is to finish what he started.”
“But the people of the Filthy Claws are dying.” Ryu exclaims, horrified. How can he justify this? How can Micah even say something like that?
“Again, it’s not that simple,” Micah grits out.
“Then simplify it. Why can’t you just leave? Why bother staying? If Michael fucked up, why not just take the Silvercrest Howlers back to their homeland. What the hell are you guys still doing here?”
Micah snaps. He bares his teeth, eyes flashing yellow. “That's why you don’t understand shit. You just want to charge in guns blazing. We are already working on a plan.”
The aggressive tone of Micah’s voice jolts through him, leaving him trembling.
“Sorry,” Micah says. “I’m sorry,” He takes a few deep breaths. “I need you to understand. I would never make this decision unless I absolutely had to. I didn’t know until it was too late.”
“Micah.”
“My father was all I had left. I was too busy…I didn’t notice when things got so bad…” He slumps down onto the bed. “We’re trying to fix it. If I give the Filthy Claws back to their clan, it would severely cripple the Silvercrest Howlers. I can’t hurt one without hurting the other. We don’t indenture the Filthy Claws anymore. I abolished that after my father died. Our main source of trading comes from silver. How can we purchase goods and services? I made the decision to remain here. I want to do the right thing. I want to give them their lands back.”
Ryu runs a hand through his hair. Shit.
“My father didn’t start with the best intentions…but that doesn’t mean he didn’t change toward the end. By the time he realized I was in love with you and that we were going to be mates, he was already implementing changes so that we could rule both clans. As one.”
Ryu’s heart pounds in his chest. That means that in the end, Michael wasn’t planning to take over the Filthy Claws clan. He was planning to integrate them. “You mean—”
“Bring the two clans together,” Micah cuts him off. “They’re so intertwined. All our resources are interwoven. Even now the Filthy Claws know they can’t survive without us. That’s why Marissa didn’t immediately jump the gun and ask us to leave. They need our support against the Lycans and the Blackfang Hounds, to build i
nfrastructure and resources, to keep the peace, enforce laws and regulations. They depend on us as well.”
Ryu can’t handle this. It’s too much all at once. He doesn’t even know where to start. Things aren’t as easy as breaking up the two clans. If they have come to rely on one another, then it would be disastrous for both. However, the Filthy Claws don’t trust the Silvercrest Howlers, and that’s why they keep rebelling.
However, they would trust another Filthy Claws member. At least, if they had one of their own in charge, it would inspire change, inclusion. Exactly what Ryu set out to do in the first place.
Now Micah’s marriage proposal makes sense. With them united and the Silvercrest Howlers and the Filthy Claws all under one clan, things would be peaceful. In a few years, they could work toward making the Filthy Claws more prosperous, and with Marissa keeping the rebels in check, Ryu could work on managing the inner cities and providing them with much-needed aid. Not to mention the mass immunization. If they could administer the cure to everyone in the Filthy Claws clan, then they wouldn’t have to worry about the disease spreading inwardly. The Filthy Claws would trust the cure coming from one of their own, and they would stand with him during the war.
It’s a good long-term plan, easy, practical. Yet.
“You won’t marry me.”
No. He won’t. Ryu can’t bring himself to respond. Marriage? Is that all it will take to bring peace to the clans? It sounds ridiculous. If it was happening to anyone else, he would be laughing his ass off. “I won’t be forced into making any decisions, Micah.”
“Of course not.”
“If we decide to get married, it’s because I want to. Not because it’s politically convenient. I’m not doing that shit. I never will.”
“Understood.” Micah gets up, hurt flashing in his eyes. “Rest. I’ll see you later.”
Ryu’s stomach clenches. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone, yet at the same time, this is a big decision to make.
“Micah.”
