Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Asael.

She froze on the spot like a pathetic statue, skin smeared with ash and sweat, and her weird hair tangled beyond recognition. 

Trembling in her torn pajamas, her wide flamy green eyes glared at me, causing disgust to erupt in my gut. 

Her sad eyes flickered through a small opening above the ground that looked like an abandoned basement before landing on us in terror. 

The little fucker though she could escape. 

Satisfaction oozed through me at her sense of surrender. 

Her alluring siren-shaped eyes, smeared with tears, were devoid of the only thing I craved. 

Fear. 

It infuriated me that she wasn't terrified of us– the savage monsters standing before her. Rather, her fear was directed to something beyond our comprehension. It made me want to destroy her. 

“I guess it's too late to hide,” she broke the tension, clearing her dry throat as a sad chuckle rolled off her lips.

 “I've been captured,” she continued, shaking her head pitifully while sinking her teeth in her lower lip in regret as her eyes were fixated on some remains of ashes scattered on the floor as if communicating with it. 

My blood boiled at her audacity to look at us dead in the eyes. 

“It's been barely a minute since you left and I can't even survive on my own. How am I supposed to live without you?” she asked, dropping her arms by her sides before yanking her eyes off the ashes and focusing on us. 

“You are free to finish me off. I deserve it. I deserve a fate worse than death,” she yelled amid tears, walking up to us with no iota of fear. 

Anger stirred within me as the urge to rip her throat out slammed into me. 

"For an Opal wolf, you are stupid!" I sneered. 

If she had an idea we were the infamous quadruplet Alphas known for ruthlessness, she wouldn't be so reckless with her desires. 

It bruised my ego that she challenged us like we were nothing. 

“What are you waiting for? End me this instant!” she screamed, throwing herself at us like a sacrificial offering. 

Fiesty.

Glancing at my brothers, I mindlinked them, wondering what we should do with her. 

I couldn't comprehend why I hadn't ripped her sharp tongue out yet. 

My jaws clenched tightly. I took a step forward, covering her like prey as I slammed her back hard against the wall. 

“If I were you, I would shut up and think of other ways to put that pretty mouth into good use.”  

A smirk etched on the side of my lips at her silence. 

Thats right. Fear me. 

But then, something caught my attention. 

Damn that intoxicating scent. I was certain it oozed from her. 

Midnight Jasmine and dark vanilla– it fucked with my brain the more I resisted. 

My wolf Koa stirred violently in my head. I could feel him pacing over my head with his tail wagging nonstop like a fucking idiot. 

Perplexed, I withdrew my hands from her that instant, turning to my brothers, but the shocked expression on their faces mirrored mine. 

No! It couldn't be what I was thinking. 

The moon goddess had to be playing games with us. 

How could she be our mate? Anyone but her. 

For the first time in my life, I was baffled. Staring at my elder brother, Atlas, awaiting expertise on how to navigate this complicated situation, I was met with disappointment as he slightly nodded his head, confirming our worst fear…my worst fear. 

Fuck!

“I need some air,” Arien, my youngest brother said, breaking the awkward silence as a disturbing look was plastered on his face. I could hear the loud thumping of his worried heart. 

“Alpha Atlas!” A familiar voice called; his voice was distant, but we could sense he was 2 rooms away from us. 

“What, Liam?” Atlas replied nonchalantly, his eyes fixated on the girl before us who had the same expression on her face. 

I could feel her conversing with her wolf, unwilling to accept the truth. 

“We lost. I've combed the pack, it's all ashes. They are all gone. But did you, by any chance, spot any Opal wolf? I have to present the wolf to Darius or he would be pissed at our defeat again.” 

She jumped in fright, breathing hard as her body trembled violently. Tears resumed streaming down her flamy green eyes uncontrollably as she wrapped her palm over her mouth. 

Her fear was so strong that we could taste it at the tip of our tongues. 

“Are you there, Alpha?” he asked, snatching our attention again. “Is there any remaining Opal wolf?”

The tension in the room was at its peak as hush silence enveloped us. 

Our anxious eyes pinned Atlas's blank ones. His head spun with several complicated thoughts. 

One wrong decision could change our lives forever. 

We were left with two options; Deliver her to Liam and the Rogue King or fake her death…If only the moon goddess didn't complicate the situation. 

Soft sobs reached my ears, it was then I realized she had been pleading quietly. 

Our emotions are dead, sweetheart.

“Please, don't send me to him. I swear by my late parents, I'll do anything, just keep me from him.”

Anger erupted within me like a volcano as I wrapped my large palm against her slender neck, gripping her throat tightly while pouring my Alpha command on her until she submitted. 

“You don't get to ask!” I stated in a dangerously low tone, shifting my gaze to Atlas. “She is of no use. Take her to Liam.” I spat in irritation watching her fall to the floor like her life had ended. 

“Alpha?” Liam's annoying voice flooded the room again. I wanted to cut his tongue off so I would never hear him speak. 

“There is no one here,” Atlas responded, staring at me dead in the eyes. 

He disregarded my opinion. Again. 

My brows furrowed and I reached out to him in disagreement. “Why did you lie to save her? She means nothing to us. Whatever her fate is doesn't concern us.”

“Since when do we pity strangers? She was stupid enough to let herself get caught during shifting. She deserves a cruel fate. The lives of hundreds of people wasted for nothing because of her,” I concluded, hissing in annoyance, glaring at her like a worthless bitch. 

My words cut through her like a dagger, stabbing her open wounds repeatedly until healing wasn't possible. 

She is a fool. She would be delusional to think we will save her. 

I said what I said! 

Liam's annoying voice echoed again. “Are you sure, Alpha? I just learned that they hide in an underground basement. Could you please make sure you check if anyone is lurking in there?” 

“Everything is empty,” Atlas replied again, causing a wave of anger to stir within me. 

I fought the urge to punch him in the face as I couldn't contain myself. 

“Actually, there is a girl in here…” 

“A girl? On my way.” Liam's voice interrupted me. I could hear his footsteps drawing close to the room.

“That won't be necessary, Liam. She already erupted in flames the moment we stepped into the room. There is no Opal wolf. They are all extinct. Every last one of them.”Atlas declared, pinning a deadly glare at me as if challenging me. 

“But Alpha Asael was just talking about seeing a girl…”

“You dare call me a liar?” he fumed, rage flashing in his eyes as his breath turned ragged. 

His deadly growl sent Liam scurrying off like a scared puppy before he could enter the room. 

The smart Liam Retreated. No one dared cross my brother when he was pissed. 

“I wouldn't. Apologies, Alpha. I'll be on my way, would you like to come with us?” he asked in a friendly tone, trying to ease Atlas’ anger. 

“Leave us.” 

The receding footsteps signified Liam's absence. I wasted no time in challenging him. 

“What was that for? You are not her saviour.” 

“How stupid of you to think I would let you deliver our mate to a power-hungry tyrant. She might have acted foolish, but she is still our mate,” He tried to explain, but I was not having it. Anger welled up within me each time I remembered that she was our mate. 

“There is no way an Opal wolf, especially one who doesn't think before acting, would be my mate,” I refused, eyeing the girl with contempt. 

“Says the one who makes rash decisions without thinking through. Both of you are the same.” 

My eyes burnt in fury, and I sank my finger into his chest, poking him severally. “Don't you dare speak to me in such a manner in her presence!”

An eerie silence fell in the room. 

“So what do we do with her?” Arien and Alaric chorused, their eyes scrutinizing her boredly. 

“Why don't you ask Atlas, her saviour,” I replied in a tone mixed with anger and mockery. Disgust crawled up to my throat.

The room grew quiet again and the girl slowly backed away from the spot I had pinned her to, walking towards Atlas and bowing her head in appreciation while I rolled my eyes. 

“Thank you for saving me, Alpha Atlas. I promise to repay you in any way I can.” Her voice broke. 

Pathetic fool. 

“You owe me your miserable life. Don't ever forget that,” he retorted, pinning her with his signature blank stare. Fear gripped her at the sudden switch of his tone. It sounded harsh and mysterious. 

Deep down, I knew Atlas wouldn't spare her life for nothing. He never acted on emotions. There was a catch. If only I knew what it was. 

“Just to be clear,” her fragile cracked voice penetrated the air again, ”I'm curious. Why did you save me, Alpha? You could have left me to my horrible fate with the Rogue King.”

I hissed in irritation, glaring at her. “You are not special. Don't even think about it.”

Atlas's hands stopped me from speaking further as he took a few steps towards her, his eyes looking down at her while he stopped when his lips were a few inches away from hers. 

“Silly mate, don't thank me yet.”

“But why did you…save me?” she stammered, Atlas closeness was affecting her. I could tell with the loud pounding of her heart against her ribs. 

A dark smirk played on Atlas’ lips. “Who said I saved you? I came here for revenge and you, my lovely mate, will help me achieve that.”