Chapter Four

Cartan

I watched the towering walls in front of me, my gaze fixed on the massive gates. It wouldn't be long now. The air was thick with fear and despair, and the people within those walls were growing increasingly desperate for a taste of normalcy, yearning to escape the feeling of being hunted.

Soon, those imposing gates would swing open, and we would overtake the city without losing a single man. There was nothing more destructive than the turmoil within a person's own mind, and all I had to do was wait, watch, and be patient. I smiled as the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving only torchlight to pierce the gathering darkness. A deep silence descended upon us all.

The stillness was shattered by the sound of footsteps echoing on the well-worn path leading to the magnificent city. I turned my head, catching sight of Tyros approaching. He was dressed like any of the Tesarian Wolves, bare-chested with leather straps holding his weapons and dark pants. The weather in Verocca was chillier compared to our homeland, yet it did not bother us. We had crossed the Great Sea to find this island where the princesses were hidden, and our prize was within reach.

"High Alpha," he greeted as he came to stand beside me, his eyes fixed on the sandy-colored walls.

"Any concerns?" I inquired.

"Mainly impatience. They're growing weary of waiting," he informed me.

"It won't be much longer. I must admit they've lasted beyond my expectations. But they're tired, thirsty, and hungry. They'll give up their treasures to save themselves," I remarked.

"We're aware, but some skirmishes have started breaking out," Tyros added.

I sighed and shook my head, understanding the Alphas' pent-up aggression. If we couldn't spill blood, it needed an alternative outlet.

"Should I handle it personally?" I asked, glancing at my oldest friend, who smiled and shook his head.

"I've already dealt with it myself. I tied them to a pole at midday and let them burn," he said, making me chuckle.

"Good."

I turned my attention back to the walls, noticing the guards up there who had been observing us as we observed them. They changed positions occasionally, but their shifts had become more frequent as weariness set in. I relished the subtle signs of their vulnerability beginning to emerge.

"They are indeed a peaceful city. They even have Beta guards," Tyros remarked.

"I'm aware. They're not warriors. They have Omega leaders, after all," I pointed out.

"Perhaps some of the last Omegas left." He sighed.

"Yes, and once I bring them back with us, things will undoubtedly change."

"They certainly will. No one believed Omegas would walk on our land again. The clan leaders were certainly wrong to doubt you. So few survive the Black Desert, and even fewer as children," Tyros acknowledged.

However, there was no need for me to recount the challenges I had faced as a child. I knew what I had endured, but it had led me here. I was about to lay my eyes on the last court of Omegas. Their father had been a smart Alpha, never letting them out of his sight. But with no male heir to protect them, they were defenseless.

"It doesn't matter what I survived, as long as I continue to," I declared.

"And you will."

"Fearing my death?" I teased him, turning my head.

He smiled a little, his mouth opening as if to continue the banter when another sound interrupted us. We both turned our heads, hearing the giant brown doors beginning to open.

"It's happening," Tyros whispered.

Indeed it was, I thought.

"Go back to camp and prepare the others," I instructed. "Tonight, we celebrate."

A wide smile spread across his lips as Tyros turned away to inform the rest of the army. I strode forward, approaching a group of Beta guards who had gathered around a few elder wolves. I stopped right in front of them, looming over them all. The elders wore golden chains with a wolf pendant around their necks, signifying their importance, perhaps as advisors to the queen. But tonight, it wasn't their queen they were pledging loyalty to.

"Alpha Cartan," one of them began, bowing his head slightly. He was an elder Beta with grey hair, dressed in fine blue and white clothes. Despite his respectful words, the disdain in his eyes was evident. In their minds, I was nothing more than a barbarian. But I paid little heed to their opinions. I wanted what I had come to claim.

"Well?" I pressed.

"We ask you once more to leave our city alone," one of the elder Betas requested.

"You already have my answer. It has not changed since the last time you sent a messenger to me."

They exchanged nervous glances, well aware they had few options.

"I want the princesses," I growled, leaning forward, and watched as they all took a step back. Even their guards lacked the courage to confront me, instead following their elders. "So?"

They exchanged glances once more, but their eyes then settled on something behind me. I could sense that my army was starting to assemble. Nervous twitches appeared on their faces before they turned to each other, nodding in agreement.

"This city is peaceful. There is no need for bloodshed," the eldest Beta told me.

"Do not worry. I have done my research," I assured them. With that, I pushed past them, shoving the elder men to the side so I could enter the city.

The moment I crossed the threshold, I paused, inhaling the air and savoring the sweet taste of victory. I continued forward, with my army keeping a little distance. We strolled through the city, observing the residents poking their heads out of their homes to watch us. No one dared stand in our way, and anyone still on the streets quickly scurried indoors to hide. A smile spread across my lips as I continued through the city, following the main road that led to the castle at the far end.

The guards standing in front of the castle doors stepped aside, surrendering. They even lowered their heads in acknowledgment of their new leader as I pushed open the massive doors and beheld the magnificent interior, which was truly fitting for a princess.

However, a scream pierced the air, causing me to turn my head. I saw a servant who had dropped a basket filled with fruits and was now fleeing in the opposite direction. I knew chaos was about to erupt. As more of my army entered the castle, I felt the energy shift, a primal need to conquer and claim everything in sight.

"Gather all the servants and kill the guards," I ordered.

While I had assured the elders there would be no bloodshed on the streets, I couldn't take such risks within the castle. I couldn't be certain that the guards weren't fiercely loyal to their princesses. After all, they would have been carefully selected for their positions, so I needed to assert complete control.

All the Alphas spread out in various directions, and soon the sound of screams filled the air. I ascended the staircase directly ahead, heading for the highest floor. I wasn't entirely sure where the princesses would be, but if the rumors about their queen were true, she would be awaiting my arrival. She was reputed to be a cold beauty who wouldn't bow to any man, but she hadn't encountered an Alpha like me. I was determined to bring that queen to her knees.

I stormed down a long hallway, believing it led to a throne room. However, when I pushed open the double doors, with Tyros following closely behind me along with a few other Alphas, I was surprised to find no thrones within. Instead, there was only a simple fire burning in a lowered pit at the center of the room, along with a few statues lining the walls. In the middle stood the group of Omegas. It appeared the queen had chosen to have her sisters with her, huddled behind her.

She stood in the front, challenging me with her eyes, and I smiled at the sight of it. She was certainly full of fire and a beauty indeed. All the princesses were dressed in incredibly fine dresses, their hair colors ranging from light blond to light brown. The queen was the tallest, positioned like a wall in front of the others. The smallest clung to her arm, while the middle child stood with her arms crossed, wearing an interestingly defiant look in her eyes too. She certainly had spirit too, didn't she? However, I would leave the task of taming her to one of the other clan leaders. They would undoubtedly have their work cut out for them, much like I did with the Omega in front of me.

I took a step closer, but before I could advance any further, I noticed something amiss.

"Why can't I smell any of you?" I snarled. My Alpha instincts grew irritated at being denied what had been so clearly described as the most heavenly scent—the scent of an Omega.

The queen raised her head high, grinning. "Perhaps you've found the wrong princesses."

I smiled a little, approaching her. She pushed her sisters back, demonstrating that she wasn't afraid to meet me head-on. My Alpha instincts growled inside me, craving her submission, but I knew it would come. I would show the headstrong queen what happened when she didn't show obedience to an Alpha.

"No, you're the right ones," I growled as I leaned forward, bringing our faces within inches of each other. "But you have done something to yourself. You think this will hide you? Somehow save you?"

She did not respond to my taunts. Instead, she simply gazed up at me with a defiant look. I let my eyes slowly move from her to the other two behind her.

"Someone is missing," I murmured. While the queen maintained her composure admirably, I noticed a slight twitch of fear in her eyes.

"Missing?" she questioned. "You have us. We are here. We are not fighters, and we will go with you peacefully."

"I know you will," I replied in a mocking tone, then held up four fingers. "But there are supposed to be four of you."

"There are only three."

"Your mother gave birth to four Omegas," I reminded her.

"Well, if you had studied our history, you would know that the fourth Omega took our mother's life, and together they journeyed to the realm of the Gods to rest for eternity," she countered, her voice calm. Yet she couldn't completely hide the slight increase in her heartbeat.

"I have studied you. I always study my enemies, and therefore I know that while it was written that the fourth died in childbirth, the very document never received the declaration seal which confirms the truth of the words. There is a fourth, and you will tell me where she is."

"There is no fourth! We lost a sister and a mother many moons ago, and it destroyed our father's mind. You have us! That should be enough!" she yelled.

"No, no, no," I told her, shaking my head, and seeing her confidence slightly waver. "I know there are four. Four Omegas left, and I want them all. Queen Vivina, tell me now, and I will ensure the fourth is treated with respect and kindness."

"Kindness?" she laughed. "Respect? If there is one thing us Omegas have learned from our mothers, grandmothers, and ancestors, it's that there is no such thing as respect for Omegas. Not from Alphas who desire only one thing from us. From the time we overflowed these lands, we were used for nothing but pleasure and breeding, and even now, with so few of us left, we know the same fate awaits us. There is no fourth. There are only us!"

"Liar!" I growled. My voice changed again as I circled her, making her feel like the prey she was, the small Omega. I knew it would draw out her submissive side. Yet despite her body starting to shake and her instincts begging her to surrender, she turned her head and met my eyes. She was a powerful one, and it made me snap at the air, my canines growing sharper. I growled darkly, the rumbling spreading from my chest and into my throat. But she did not want to show me her submission.

"There are three," she repeated. "Take what you can get and do not let greed overshadow true value."

I smiled a little, finding it amusing that the queen would think now was the time to provide me with a lesson. She had no comprehension of who she was standing in front of, but she would learn.