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CHAPTER TWO

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The parade of the criminal around the Akleri Clan has been going on for three days; many think that this is a ruse to lure his men out of hiding. 

"Savage!"

 

"Kill him!"

Rene and Soral push their way through the chants and jubilation of the excited crowd; the whole street is packed with people who have gathered yet again to watch the disgraceful display of the captured barbarian. 

The servants have been given a holiday for the first time because of this special celebration, and Soral had managed to persuade a partially healed Rene to view the scenery with him; an opportunity to leave the castle does not come by so easily for slaves like them. 

"Brute!"

"Burn him!"

"He killed our sons and husbands!"

"Hang him!"

Rene watches his brothers, Eren and Aston, lead the other warriors of the Akleri tribe towards the castle. Everyone else watches them in awe and pride, and Rene feels an unwilling pang of jealousy and sadness twist in his chest. 

No one will ever be proud of him the way they all revel and worship his brothers, he will only and forever be known as his father's disgrace. 

Knowing that his life is about to change soon, his chest flicker with relief and he just continues to watch the humiliation ritual take place.

Several warriors, all Alphas, are guarding a large iron cage; inside the cage is a man whose name spreads fear to everyone who watches him. Their enemy, the Dahome's dark ruler. 

The warriors draw closer, and the hoots and praises from the tribe people grow louder and louder.

 

"All hail Prince Eren!"

"All hail Prince Aston!"

"Let's go to the front to get a better view; I can't see anything", Soral suggests, already exhausted from being on his tip-toe; he has the disadvantage of being a few inches shorter than Rene.

They barely manage to squeeze through the sea of cheering people in front of them.

Rene's eyes slant towards the prisoner, and a chill sweeps through his spine, prickling his skin like tiny needles. 

Some people call him the savage brute,  while others simply call him "The mad raider".  

This same barbarian is the leader of their opposing Dahome clan, who derives joy in raiding and pillaging other clans just for the fun of it.

His cruelty knows no bounds; So many of the Akleri warriors have died at his hands in these last years. 

Even from the safe distance between them, Rene can smell his potent Alpha energy, a misty rain forest and a musky wooden scent.

Rene has always heard that Dominant Alphas are different from ordinary Alphas; they are stronger and bigger, and they release more powerful pheromones that make it easier for them to find and bond with a mate, but this is the first time he is seeing one.

The talks about dominant Alphas turn out to be true from what Rene's eyes are seeing. 

"Even though he is inside a cage, the captive still looks formidable; he doesn't even look afraid," Rene murmurs to Soral, who just nods, but his mouth is dropped open in both fear and awe.

The heavy chains which are snagged around the prisoner's wrists and ankles rattle loudly as they scrub against the metal cage.

There is no mistaking the air of arrogance surrounding the prisoner, even though he is currently in chains, his presence instils fear in the surrounding crowd as most of them quieten and begin to back away, none daring to throw their stones at him despite their hate-filled eyes and voices. 

The captive's thick mass of jet-black hair shields his face from Rene, but Rene can only imagine how ugly this barbaric powerful man must be. 

His upper body is exposed and ripped with thick muscles, and most of his skin is covered with tribal tattoos and scarification.

The prisoner's breeches, which are made of some tough animal hides cover his lower body, but his calves, which are thick with muscles, cannot be hidden. 

Most of the crowd is starting to disperse, but something about him makes Rene feel drawn and unable to look away. 

He cannot help but wonder how this dominant man must feel, trapped within a tiny cage. For some unknown reason, he feels that the man is powerful enough to tear apart the cage and start to attack everyone, the thought makes him shudder.

The prisoner suddenly lifts his head, and his stormy grey eyes fixate directly on Rene.

Rene stops to breathe, completely frozen, his heart pummelling hard against his ribcage at an unsafe speed. 

The prisoner isn't ugly. 

Even though his face is covered in dried blood, he is extremely handsome but in a very frightening way. 

A deep scar runs across his left eye, down to his chin which makes him appear more vicious.  An unease sweat breaks out from Rene's forehead when the Alpha's lips twist in what resembles a snarl, and it is so feral, like a wild creature, that Rene looks away instantly.

His fine strands of golden hair falls across his face as his eyes cast downward subconsciously in submission. 

It has already been an ancient rule that useless omegas like him dare not to look into the eyes of an Alpha. 

It is disrespectful, forbidden and strictly punishable. 

This man is an enemy of their clan and also a prisoner, but Rene is already conditioned to obey these rules.

 

How did the prisoner even notice him? There is so much crowd around them, and he is not the only one watching.

The barbarian seems offended, too, which spreads a deep blush across Rene's cheeks, is the prisoner furious that a lowly Omega like him is daring to mock his state?

"Soral, let's go back," Rene whispers. His eyes are still downcast, but he can still feel the barbarian's gaze burning like hot metal into his skin. He squirms uncomfortably where he stands and suddenly grasps Soral's wrist.

"Not now, We only just got here!" Soral complains, and a frown deepens in his brows. He doesn't budge when Rene tries to tug him away. 

"Just a few more minutes, didn't I tell you I also want to visit the market?"

It is so difficult to get a free day and he's in no hurry to return to work as Rene is forcing him to.

Soral suddenly notices the prisoner, and his head snaps to Rene, his expression bearing the same nervousness in Rene's eyes.

"That prisoner__ Why is he staring at you?"

Rene peeks his eyes upward again but looks away almost instantly from the prisoner's blatant stare, which is piercing through him like sharp blades.

"I don't know, m_aybe it's not me he is looking at..." Rene stammers nervously.

A strange kind of heat is starting to spread through his body, starting from the core of his stomach and creeping steadily to his face 

"No, I think it's you. So scary, you're right, let's leave this place, I'm no longer comfortable "

Soral pulls Rene away and they disappear into the crowd, away from the barbarian's gaze.

"Maybe it's the bruises on my face that drew his attention," Rene mutters, there is simply no other explanation.

"It's definitely your face, but it's not the bruises; you are too good-looking for your own good," 

"Stop saying that!" Rene's face boils red with embarrassment. 

"But I'm being serious; if you were a female omega instead, only the best of Alphas would seek after you;  I've heard the barbarians mate with their fellow males though,"

Rene shudders when Soral whispers the last part, a male with a male? 

That is something only savages do; the practice is strictly forbidden in the Akleri, but some males with sexual perversion still do it hiddenly; Rene's blood drops cold as a haunting memory floats through his mind. 

"Thank the goddess that he is going to be executed soon anyway," Soral sighs, it isn't difficult for him to understand why Rene's fair skin, fine golden blonde hair and hazel eyes that are mixed with flecks of gold will always pull attention, but unfortunately, Rene's attractive fem like beauty always gathers the unwanted type of attraction from the sickest individuals who only wants to covet him.

Rene looks away; strangely enough, his stomach tightens with unease, thinking of the horrible suffering this barbarian will go through before he is sentenced to death. 

In no time, he will beg for mercy, and none will be given, it never has been given to any prisoner. 

He shakes his head wondering why he should care about this murderer who has slaughtered a lot of innocent people. 

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