The Rogue Alpha [Retribution]

Disclaimer: This book contains scenes that may depict, mention, or discuss sexual abuse. Reader discretion advised.

Dylan kicked his horse harder, riding with determination, knowing fully well that every minute he spent on the ride was precious. Behind him, riding with the same fury as their leader, were a hundred fierce warriors. All of them were kicking their horses, holding the reins with one hand while the other was holding a silver spear. They aimed forward as if expecting any unexpected attack or ambush. But they were not; it’s how Dylan trained them. He had been breeding these hundreds of warriors ever since they were eighteen.

He chose hundreds of hardened wolves from his pack, and trained them himself with combat, becoming in sync with their wolf, and how to use different weapons other than claws. He had been breeding them for a day like this ever since the death of Xavier Knoll, the Alpha that was killed by Sebastian years ago. Dylan was sure that he would catch his victims unaware. Sebastian wasn’t expecting such a seizure; he was certain of it. That’s because no one in the middle land, or in the king’s palace knows about him. None of them knew that Xavier Knoll had a distant relative.

He heard about the death of Xavier the day he was betrayed by his most trusted beta, Jaiz. The first thing that came to his mind was revenge. The desire to avenge Xavier’s death washed over him like a river’s wave. It took all his might, advice from the elders, and the help of his mate to stop him from acting blindly. If they hadn’t been there for him, Dylan was sure that he would’ve made the wrong decision. A decision that will change his life forever; a step that he will come to regret and that will affect the fate of his pack for the rest of their lives.

Instead, Dylan remains patient. He picked up a hundred immature wolves, bred them, trained them in all art of war, and made them sync with their wolves. They had grown, become fierce, and unstoppable over the last hundred years. Now, he was riding out of his hiding spot to begin his revenge plan. He had planned everything perfectly. He’d been doing it for a hundred years: making plans and marking the spot where he’d hit Sebastian. Since he already had the advantage of staying hidden and unseen, he will hit Sebastian hard, to the extent that he won’t be able to recover on time, especially with the trouble he’s going through at the hands of the strange being that was terrorizing his nation.

Of course, Dylan had heard the rumor about the man with red and blue eyes from his spies all around the Middle Land. It’s part of his plot. He had men all around the middle land, working as spies for him and reporting every activity in the middle land to him. Dylan was following one of his forefathers’ words that says, “Know your enemy first; only then can you defeat him.” Every three days, Dylan’s spies will bring him the news. But recently, all of them have been bringing the same report. A new Alpha has appeared out of nowhere to terrorize the middle land and frustrate Sebastian. It’s the reason why Dylan decided that it was time to take revenge for his cousin, Knoll. Sebastian was too preoccupied with fighting the new threat, so he will not notice him approaching or remember to fortify his territory. Even if he later discovered or heard about his attack, it would be too late.

Dylin, a man twice in height and with a hard gaze. He had a broad chest, wide arms, a long chin, and a dagger tattooed on his forehead, the sign of the Black Venom pack. He had bright red skin and scowled as he kicked his horse harder, exposing his two long fangs, which protruded out of his mouth like tusks and included several rows of sharp teeth. Alpha Dylan had bright orange flesh and skin, and his dark yellow eyes were bigger than his slits. His bald head shone as the first sun rose higher in the sky, a bead of sweat forming in its middle.

After what felt like an eternity that they had been riding, the gate of Moab came into view. It’s the first city they will encounter ever since they’ve been riding. Dylan smiled—a deadly one that means a lot of things. He had done it. He had been riding since daybreak, before the first sun came up in the sky, pushing his men and their horses hard and not allowing them to take a break. And it has now been paid. They had arrived in the first town of the middle land. It’s where he will begin his attack.

Dylan dipped his hand into his front pocket, brought out a compass, and examined it closely. The compass didn’t change hands, which could only mean one thing: he was heading in the right direction. Dylan had a lot of things planned in the last hundred years. His mission isn’t about getting vengeance for Xavier Knoll alone; he wants to awaken him, but in the form of a wraith. Once Alpha Dylan and his men raid a lot of towns in the middle land to get Sebastian’s attention, he will order them to continue the attack while he ventures deeper into the middle land by following the compass’s direction.

Dylan and his men rode further into Moab, and they were now fifty yards away. From afar, he could hear the men of the town screaming, and he could see them running inside the town’s wall for protection. Dylan smiled at the sight of them and the panicked state in which he saw them. Unfortunately, Sebastian was only concerned about protecting his palace, his packs, and the wolf’s territory. He failed to provide full protection for the whole kingdom because he thought no one would dare attack him because of his fame and strength. It’s quite unfortunate for him to be thinking in such a way.

As Dylan and his men inched toward Moab’s gate, he could hear the sound of horns sounding. They needed no one to tell them that they were under attack. By now, the soldiers of the town were marching out, forming lines, and stationing themselves according to their rank. Dylan sniffed the air, his nose searching around for any hidden creatures among the men of Moab, and he smiled when he found none. His spies had already told him that Sebastian only protects important towns with fierce wolves, not a minor town like Moab.

Dylan came to a halt a few paces away from the Moabites, his hundred fierce wolves standing behind him, all clad in bright orange armor, their spears still standing firmly in their hands. Dylan shook his head in pity for the men in front of him. All of them were humans, pushed to an unsecured part of the middle land by Sebastian. He wondered how they planned on defeating his hundreds of hardened wolves. Nevertheless, Dylan decided to give them a chance. It’s what he always did in every place before he attacked.

“Men of Moab, the smallest town in the middle land without Alpha Sebastian’s protection,” he screamed, his voice deep and ancient, echoing throughout the atmosphere. He continued, “I’m not here for any of you, nor do I have any quarrel with you. My war is with Sebastian. Join my men, let me pass through your town, and let’s take out Sebastian together.”

Dylan looked at the soldiers in front of him one after the other, hoping to find them thinking about his offer; he was shocked when all of them burst into loud laughter. Dylan didn’t need a fortune-teller to tell him that they thought his speech was the words coming out of a drunk man. Slowly, the men parted ways, and a man emerged from the crowds. He’s a tall man, but not as tall as Dylan. He had a long, rough, yellow beard and a bald head with a pointed shape, a broken nose, and a stern look. Without being told, Dylan knew he was the commander.

The man stood in front of Dylan and scoffed, “Why should we listen to you, soldier?” Anger flashed through Dylan’s face as the man called him a soldier. He hated it when people disrespected him or looked down on him despite his height. Some people are just too proud. Dylan swallowed his anger and said, “Because you and your human soldiers stand no chance against me.” The commander giggled, exposing his brown teeth. Breeze blew the smell of his rotten teeth into Dylan’s nose, forcing him to cease his breathing for three seconds. “Gentlemen,” the commander called. He shifted his mouth towards Dylan and whispered into his ear, “Can’t you see that the odds don’t favor you and your men?” The commander stepped back and said, “Take your men and return to wherever you crawled out.” With that, the commander veered around, returning to the midst of his people without turning to give Dylan a second look.

Dylan shook his head in pity for the man. He had underestimated him and his men. The commander thought that he had a chance of winning because of the number of his soldiers. Dylan turned to face the pack he brought: “Slaughter them all, burn their city to ashes, and spare no life inside their city,” he said, pausing and facing the commander’s men. The latter had also faced him; his eyes lit in shock. It’s obvious that he heard Dylan’s words. He didn’t expect Dylan and his men to fight because the commander and his men outnumbered them. It’s six against one.

“The commander belongs to me,” Dylan ordered his men. “Yes, sir,” they said at once. Before the commander or any of his men could blink, Dylan’s men jumped down from their horses, dropped their spears, roared, and transformed into full-fledged werewolves. In the blink of an eye, they attacked the commander’s men, tearing them apart with their claws. Soon, the air was filled with the screams of men, followed by the sound of flesh being pierced. Dylan smiled at the bloodshed he had just started. Soon, he would revive their worst nightmare: Xavier Knoll, the dead Alpha.