One

               He gave the woman a once-over, noting the way her feet were apart, as if she was bracing herself for a fight. The notion itself was ridiculous but he gave her points for bravery. Unlike her mate who was trying to run away. Reed wondered why the moon goddess would pair the two up. That bastard didn't deserve her. She deserved a man who wouldn't use her as a shield. A man who would give his life to protect her. 

"Why?" He asked looking around. The place appeared deserted but he knew the rest of the pack were hiding behind closed doors. Which was okay with him. Seeing as he was about to take their alpha couple's lives. The entire pack was going to hate him. That was a given. But at least they wouldn't have to witness the death of their leader. He also wished the woman in front of him would walk away, cut ties with everyone in that place. 

"I love him" 

"Love? Even a scoundrel like him gets to have a woman who loves him?" 

"I don't expect a cold blooded person like you to understand anything. Get it over with" 

"I only take orders from the king" 

She snickered "You understand that you'll have to walk over my dead body to get to him. Don't you?" 

"I'm not taking another step Meg. This is as far as I go today" 

"What do you mean?" She asked turning her head from left to right. Her mistake was to think he'd gone there alone. Of course, his name alone was enough to make other wolves wet their pants. His reputation preceded him. Officially, he was known as the King's Man. Unofficially... Well, he couldn't keep up with all the nicknames people gave him but Adrian had told him most of them. Some he approved of and others he wanted to find the person who'd invented them and ask them what they were thinking. Folding his hands behind him, Reed waited for her to interpret what he'd said. When she finally understood, her body sagged in defeat "Let us go. We'll never come back. Please, Reed. For the sake of all the years we've known each other" 

"You should have stopped him or left" 

"He's my mate. How could I just leave?" He shook his head, disappointed in her and himself for failing to teach her. Megan had been in his pack before she met her mate. When he'd sent her off, he had reminded her of their rules. Don't do anything that you know will land you in trouble. She knew what Corey was up to and instead of stopping him, she let him continue. Reed wasn't unreasonable. He understood that she might not have a say in whatever her useless mate did. But that didn't mean she had no choice. She could have gone back to the pack. Everyone would have welcomed her with open arms. Staying meant she supported Corey. It also meant that she had no right to ask for a second chance. 

"Let's see how deep your love is" he said when he spotted Elliot and a struggling Corey. 

"Please, Reed. I'm begging you" 

"Let go of me you bastard. I'm still an alpha" Corey spat angrily. Reed scoffed. He didn't deserve that title. Not when an enforcer alone could overpower him. Weak bastard. He was doing the pack a favor. Sometime in the future, they would thank him for his services. 

"Let's get this over with. Who's killing who?" 

"Reed, please. Let him go. You can take my life but spare his. Please" 

"You heard her, let me go!" Elliot kicked him, forcing him on his knees. The bastard glowered at him "I will remember this humiliation Reed" 

"Shouldn't you be begging for Megan's life instead?" 

"Why? Because you'll spare us?" 

Reed dug his nails in his palm trying to control his anger. He knew how the situation was going to end. Corey could rot in hell but Megan... He sighed. There was nothing he could do for her. While she was busy begging for her mate's life, he hadn't even bothered to spare her a glance. For the hundredth time, he cursed the moon goddess. Who did she think she was to force love upon them? They didn't have a choice when it came to mates. If they did, maybe Megan could have found herself a better man. 

"I will spare you Megan" he paused to look from one to the other then added "If you kill him" 

"No" 

"Yes. Kill him" 

"No, Reed. You know I can't do it. Please don't make me do it"

"Why not? I'm sure if I give him the chance he won't hesitate to do it" 

She lifted her tear streaked face to look at her mate. The conviction in her eyes infuriated him further. No matter what happened, Corey was going to die and Megan had already made up her mind to die with him. 

"Okay Corey. You do it then. Kill her" 

Without a second thought, he swiped his claws against Megan's throat, tearing it out. Blood spurted in all directions, some landing on him. Staining his jeans. Reed watched her take her last breaths thinking that the color black suited him just fine. He didn't have to worry about walking around with blood stains. Corey tried crawl away but Elliot kicked him. 

"You're going back on your word Reed. You said you'd spare me if I killed her" 

"I never said that" 

"You son of a bitch! I killed her for nothing" 

Reed stepped on one his hands, grinding his heel until the man screamed in pain "It's better than her killing herself. Don't you think?" 

"You will pay for this. I will..." 

"Wait for me in hell" bending down, he thrust his hand into Corey's chest then pulled it out. Together with his heart. He died with a sour expression. Reed threw the organ beside his body, pissed that he had to take another shower "Maybe I should get myself one of those weapons humans use. They are less messier" 

"Say the word and I will get you a gun" 

"What's the hurry Elliot? I thought your hemophobia was cured" 

"It is" he replied swallowing. 

"Really? Why don't you clean this mess up then?" 

"Why? This is not our pack. Let his members bury him. We should leave. I think you have another meeting or something. Don't you need a shower?" 

"You're rambling" 

"Am I?" 

Shaking his head, he spun around heading to where they'd parked the car. He'd never met an enforcer who was scared of blood. If Elliot wasn't so good at what he did, he wouldn't have taken notice of him. Let alone promote him to an enforcer. Reed had to agree that although he had an aversion to blood, that didn't make him any less capable. He could come up with ways to kill without shedding a single drop of blood. Painful ways. If he was known as the most ruthless person, his enforcer came second. They made quite the pair. 

The journey back to their pack took less than twenty minutes. Thanks to Elliot who drove like a madman. The guy really had a problem with blood which was weird because in his wolf form, he could tear any living thing apart without a second thought. As he was getting out, he spotted Adrian approaching him. Judging from the expression on her face, she had heard the news and was about to tear into him. He held the car door open, wondering if he should make a run for it. Then again, how long could he avoid her? A year without seeing her annoying face and hearing her  nagging would be a blessing. 

"Tell me you didn't do it!" She growled slamming the door close. Quick reflexes saved his fingers from getting mushed. Their healing process was faster than that of humans but they couldn't regenerate body parts. Something he'd tried telling Adrian but it was as if she was deaf. 

"I didn't" 

"You son of a... Wait, really? You didn't kill her?" 

"What do you take me for?" 

"An asshole that follows orders blindly" 

Reed sidestepped her and headed to the house. Of course, she followed, waiting for him to tell her what happened. Knowing how she would react, he took the stairs two at a time and only turned to face her once he was outside his bedroom

"Her mate did it" he said then went inside and slammed the door close "One, two, three..." 

"You son of a bitch! How could you? She's one of us. You should have protected her" Adrian screamed banging her fists on the door. Luckily he'd changed it to steel or she would have knocked it down. 

"I gave her a choice. She decided to die along with him. There was nothing I could have done" 

"Bullshit!" She kicked the door several times then added "You deserve it you asshole" before storming off. He was too busy listening to her footsteps to process what she meant. By the time her words sunk in, it was too late. Reed froze, his eyes trained on the snake sitting on his bed. This one was bigger than the last one. Where did she get them from anyway? He wanted to know so he could burn the place or cave or forest down. Damn her. 

"My room. Now!" He barked at Elliot through the mind link. 

"Can't. Adrian is holding me hostage" 

"Find someone who can. There's a slimy thing on my bed and I want it out or you will be doing the cleaning for the next two months" by cleaning, he meant taking care of bodies. Bloody bodies. While Elliot had the ability to kill without shedding a drop of blood, Reed could do it messily when he wanted to. 

"I'd rather clean than offend Adrian" 

"Are you kidding me?" 

"I'm sorry Alpha but you're on your own today" he closed the link. Reed breathed through his teeth not believing his own enforcer had, well, like humans put it, hung up on him. He was the damn alpha. That bastard was going to get it. Once he was done with the... No. He'd gotten used to handling the smaller ones. Why would that psycho Adrian change the size? One of these days he would take her to the human world to visit a psychologist. He believed there was something seriously wrong with her. Otherwise why would she enjoy torturing him with snakes when she knew how much he hated them? 

"Stay where you are you disgusting thing" he said trying to open the door. Reed moved, the snake jumped and anyone who heard the screams and curses pretended not to, going about their business as usual. Or maybe they'd just gotten used to hearing the struggle between snakes and their Alpha. 

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