Chapter 5

Caspian’s POV.

Our retreat was hasty, as we had lost most of our fighters with them.

“I can’t believe this,” I muttered as we trekked to the pack.

“Do we go back and ambush them?” Someone asked, almost like he was mirroring the thought of the rest of the men present as they murmured their assent.

I turned to him with glowing eyes. “We barely survived their attack and you want us to go there? To do what? Die when we could call for reinforcements.”

He lowered his head as all of them stopped behind me. “Going back to the alpha is the same thing.”

I sighed as I realized his words were true. Alpha Hector never took defeat lightly, and punished those who failed accordingly. “We will take whatever punishment he gives to us.” They murmured at my answers but none of them disobeyed, following behind me until we got to the castle.

I walked into the throne room. My knees, knocking together as I stood in front of him — alpha Hector. 

“What are the reports from your journey?” He asked from his throne.

I swallowed hard, finding the words hard to leave my lips. “There were some complications along the way.” I lowered my head as I realized he was looking straight at me.

“Complications?”

“Yes, alpha. I lost some men to an ambush, and a chance to replenish my force as those men joined the enemy’s forces,” I said, swallowing hard when I raised my head, watching as his hand gripped the armrest of his throne.

“Hold him down,” Alpha Hector ordered.

Men grabbed me, holding me to my knees as the alpha stood from his seat. “I can set right my actions,” I said, joining he would change his mind towards what he was about to do to me.

“Even if you set it right. My reputation is down the drain for losing to people who do not know firsthand what war is,” he said as he walked towards me. “For this. You will have to pay for it.”

I swallowed hard as my knees wobbled, seeing the alpha strut towards me. He stopped next to me, holding something that looked like a silver rod.

“I saw a lot of potential in you when I made you a part of my inner circle, but it seems you have some lapses in your judgment,” he said as he paced behind me.

Cold sweat broke from my body as I expected the damage. “Give me another chance, alpha. I promise I will make it right,” I said.

“No, boy. First, I make it right with you before I set my eyes on those who have no fear of me.” His words ended with the weight of something striking my back, sending pain through my body.

My screams echoed in the hall as the sound of metal striking flesh followed it. I didn’t know when I passed out from his beating, carried away from his presence, and thrown into my room.

“They will pay for this,” I said before I fell into a dark sleep.

Days passed before I heard anything from the alpha until a knock sounded at my door.

“Caspian,” the voice called out.

I rushed to the door, hoping it was from the alpha and another chance to right my wrongs.

“The alpha wants you in his chambers,” the messenger said as I stood outside my door.

“Chambers?” I asked the messenger to confirm if he wasn’t passing a wrong message. I wanted a call from the alpha, but the location wasn’t something I expected. “Are you sure he meant his chambers?”

He stared at me with disgust. “Maybe another round of beating would set your head in the right direction.”

I swallowed hard as I rushed inside, grabbing a shirt to cover my open body. The pain still echoed through my body as slivers of silver stuck to my skin with my body desperately trying to push them out.

The guards opened the door as soon as they saw me walking towards them, giving me no chance to arrange my thoughts.

I trembled as I walked inside, falling to my feet as I noticed he sat at the edge of the fireplace where the light from the fire never reached him. “You called for me, alpha.”

“You say you wanted to right your wrongs. Your very life hinges on the premises of your word.”

Cold sweat broke on my forehead as I realized what it meant. It was the only opportunity I had to prove myself to him before he chose to end my life if I failed him.

“You say you know where their camp is?” He asked.

“Yes, my lord,” I answered, trembling because it was the first time I got to be in the alpha’s chambers.

He grunted with the chair squeaking. His footsteps drew closer to me. I quaked in my boots as I watched him draw closer to me. “You will take me to their camp and we will right your wrongs.”

I raised my head to look at him. “There is no need for my lord to bother about a group no bigger than two hundred people.”

“No bigger than two hundred people, yet they made a mockery of me and some of my best fighters!”

I dropped my head to the ground, afraid that I might put myself into trouble if I said anything more.

“I think it is time I let them know that I still exist. Let them know that I have been here all along,” he said as he grabbed my head, pulling me to stand and face him.

My blood crawled as I could smell the blood-lust emanating from his body. “Would you want me to prepare the men for battle?” I asked, inhaling deeply to stop my knees from knocking together.

“Decimation or I toy with them for a bit?” He asked as he turned away from me. “I have let you boys handle all the dirty work for a while, and look at what you all brought to me. Shame and defeat from unimportant groups.”

“I’m sorry, my lord,” I said, whimpering as I lowered my head to the ground.

He chuckled as he walked closer to me once more. “This isn’t the time for apologies, boy. It is time we let them know who is in charge.”

I nodded my head as all my body trembled. “Yes, alpha.” I was afraid of him, but he would wipe out that group. I was willing to be anything he wished me to be.

“You say there are no more than two hundred men? I guess I will have to even the playing field for them,” he replied. “There’s nothing nicer to see than your enemies grasping at the straw you placed for them to clutch at.”

“Nothing, alpha,” I said, repeating his word for fear lurking deep from inside my heart.

“It’s been a while since I had a little blood on my hands,” he said as he stood next to me with a grin on his face.