Chapter 144: Chapter 144; The Rogue Den
Lucian’s pov
The sound of bottles breaking, screams, sex, drugs, and alcohol filled the room as soon as I walked in. The chaotic atmosphere pressed in from all sides, thick with the scent of unwashed bodies and cheap liquor.
I frowned, navigating through the tightly packed crowd. I turned my head slightly and asked Boca, "What kind of place is this?"
Boca glanced back at me, completely unbothered by the madness around them. "They are also rogues like us, so why are you acting surprised?"
Ragnar scoffed from the side, a mocking grin spreading across his face. "Lucian has been cuffed up by Alina so much he has forgotten what the real world looks like."
Boca let out a dark laugh, while I simply rolled my eyes, ignoring my friends’ teasing as we kept on walking deeper into the dingy establishment.
Eventually, Boca stopped in front of a truly massive man who easily matched his own towering size. Boca clapped a hand on the giant’s shoulder and said, "Hey."
The big man turned around. The moment his eyes landed on Boca, excitement bled into his rough tone. "Boca, my man! Long time no see! You just completely left us, Boca."
"Not really," Boca replied casually, offering a brief nod.
The man’s gaze drifted past Boca’s shoulder, scanning the two newcomers. "Who are these people you brought along?"
"My friends," Boca introduced, gesturing between us. "Lucian and Ragnar. Meet Tanjiro, a very good friend of mine. We go way back in the day."
Ragnar stepped forward with a casual smirk. "Nice to meet you."
Tanjiro sized Ragnar up, his eyes lingering on his frame before he grunted. "You seem a little weak."
Ragnar let out an awkward, forced laugh, his smirk faltering slightly.
Tanjiro’s gaze then landed squarely on me. He paused, inhaling deeply as his eyes narrowed. "Hmm... you smell of power."
The raw observation caused Tanjiro to suddenly burst into a loud laugh, and everyone around them laughed as well. I, however, stood perfectly rigid, not finding a single bit of it funny.
Wiping a tear from his eye, Tanjiro lowered his voice, leaning in closer. "I brought the goods. And let me tell you, these ones are extraordinary."
My eyebrows snapped together. I leaned toward Boca and muttered, "What the hell is he talking about, Boca?"
"Our mission," Boca answered in a quiet, serious tone. "We are selling a completely different type of drug this time. This stuff is foolproof, Lucian. It’s going to make us so much money that we might not ever have to continue doing this anymore. You can finally give my sister the exact life you’ve always wanted for her."
I stopped in my tracks, my jaw clenching. "Wait a minute. We didn’t discuss any of this. How is this drug any different from what we have been selling before?"
Tanjiro’s smile instantly vanished, his expression turning sour at the hesitation. "Why talk too much? You know I don’t like things like this, Boca. Your friend is questioning me too much."
"Excuse me, Tanjiro," Boca said smoothly, lifting a hand to placate the giant. "Let me speak to my friends for a quick second."
Boca immediately grabbed Ragnar and me by our jackets, pulling us forcefully into a quieter, darker corner of the room. He looked at me with an intense glare. "Tanjiro is an incredibly dangerous man, Lucian. We cannot disagree with him on this. We are already standing in his house, and besides, what the hell do we have to lose?"
"We might have nothing to lose," I shot back, my voice low but fierce. "But what about the people these drugs are going to get to? Look at this place!"
Boca stared at me in absolute disbelief, letting out a harsh scoff. "What the hell, Lucian? Where is this sudden righteousness coming from?"
"You aren’t getting my point—" I started.
Before I could finish, a loud, shattering sound echoed across the room, instantly catching our attention. The music seemed to die down as our gazes snapped toward the center of the bar.
The desperate cries of multiple women pierced the air. A group of rowdy rogues had surrounded them, violently tearing at their clothes and stripping them naked.
My eyes widened in pure shock, my protective instincts instantly flaring. "What the hell is going on over there?"
"I have no idea," Boca muttered, his brow furrowing as the three of us moved straight toward the escalating scene.
Tanjiro walked over, throwing his head back as he laughed out loud. "You brought us dinner!" he bellowed to the crowd.
One of the rogues holding a crying girl down smirked up at Tanjiro. "They are the omegas of your most hated pack. And now, we are going to rape them, kill them, and send their bodies straight back to their Alpha!"
The disgusting declaration caused the entire room of rogues to burst into loud, cruel laughter.
Ragnar shook his head, his face hardening as he looked at me. "No... this isn’t right."
My eyes turned pitch black, my inner wolf snarling at the surface. "Tell him to stop," I whispered to Boca, my voice dripping with an icy, lethal threat. "Tell him to stop right now, or I will make him stop."
Boca grabbed my arm, holding me back. "Lucian, this is absolutely none of our business. We are in their territory, remember that."
I whipped my head around, glaring at my friend. "Boca... are you seriously scared of Tanjiro?"
Boca didn’t respond, his silence speaking volumes as his grip loosened.
"Forget this," I growled.
Shoving past Boca, I marched directly into the middle of the clearing. I stepped right between the terrified, crying omegas and the predatory rogues, my commanding presence instantly radiating through the room.
"Nothing of that will happen to these girls," I announced, my voice booming over the noise.
Tanjiro’s laugh faded completely. He stepped forward, his massive chest heaving with deep annoyance. "What the hell do you mean by that?"
I stood my ground, staring directly into the giant’s eyes with a stern, deadpan expression. "You will set these girls free right now... or I will make you."
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