Chapter 87: Deal
Axel
It was surprising enough that Thor had spoken at all.
Usually, unless he disagreed with something Rex or I said, he ignored us completely. Half the time he looked like he would rather be anywhere else than seated at the same table with us.
Which made it even more irritating that he chose to speak on behalf of something that should have been nothing more than wall decoration.
The fact that we allowed Raven to stand in the room instead of kneeling beside the table was already merciful enough.
I opened my mouth to speak, only for Rex to beat me to it.
"I agree," Rex said calmly. "Her body is an important asset."
My face twisted immediately in disgust and anger as I turned to glare at him.
Of course he would say that.
He had gotten stronger through the use of her womb, and clearly it had softened him. Power always made people stupid eventually.
My gaze shifted toward Raven.
Without all the interruptions and chaos over the past few days, I would have already put a child inside her myself.
Annoyingly enough, she still looked strangely appealing despite how weak her body appeared. Her skin still carried a glow to it, soft and healthy-looking even while the rest of her looked exhausted and underfed.
She clearly hadn’t been eating properly.
Even so, if standing became too difficult for her, there was always the floor.
"Fine," I interrupted sharply before Rex could continue speaking.
"If she can’t stand for long, then she can sit on the ground."
I looked around the table with an irritated glare, daring either of them to argue with me.
Rex did anyway.
"She’s useful," he replied. "And she’s cooperating with our plans."
I scoffed loudly.
"The running away incident should’ve earned her worse," I seethed. "Throwing her in the dungeon would’ve taught her a proper lesson."
Raven lowered her head even further toward the ground, and satisfaction curled inside me at the sight.
She deserved worse than she had received.
Much worse.
And now somehow we were discussing allowing her to sit at the same table as us?
Ridiculous.
"The faster we resolve this, the faster the meeting can begin," Thor said evenly. "And we are not animals."
I turned and glared at him just as harshly.
Thor didn’t even react.
He looked bored more than anything else, like he genuinely couldn’t understand why this discussion was still happening at all.
Especially when both he and Rex had already agreed.
"Fine," I bit out finally.
A servant immediately stepped forward and pulled out a chair for Raven before placing food in front of her and pouring wine into a glass.
At least she knew her place well enough not to touch the wine.
"Axel," Rex said, shifting the conversation, "how many women will you be taking?"
I answered immediately.
"Three."
I had already planned everything carefully. After nearly dying once already, I had no intention of placing myself in unnecessary danger again.
"I gathered more information about the village Thor mentioned," I continued. "The cover story should hold for at least a week."
Rex and Thor both listened silently.
"The kingdom is Mountel," I explained. "Northern territory. Mountain region."
I leaned back slightly in my chair.
"That’s where we’ll head first. My identity will be that of a slave master whose people were killed by beasts during travel."
Thor nodded once.
Clearly he had already reviewed the story beforehand and found no problems with it.
"The village itself is small," I continued. "It shouldn’t be difficult to manage. If complications arise, I’ll simply retreat."
And if necessary, I could use the women accompanying me as distractions.
I almost died once already.
That mistake would not happen twice.
"I’ll put a child in Raven before I leave," I said next, unable to fully hide the anticipation in my voice. "By the time I return, the ritual should be ready again."
Power.
The thought alone made excitement stir beneath my skin.
Almost dying had changed things.
It forced perspective onto you.
As irritating as Raven’s existence was, at least she was useful.
Given enough time, all three of us would eventually become powerful enough to kill Valon.
And once Valon was dead, the true fight would begin.
The fight for leadership.
As long as I kept Gessia loyal to me, I could gain access to more of her potions. More advantages.
Enough to win.
I wasn’t above poisoning either of them if necessary.
I had been born alpha.
Whatever strange game the goddess thought she was playing by allowing three alphas to exist simultaneously was irrelevant to me.
I would rule this pack.
And after Valon died, I would rule the largest Moonborn pack as well.
The future already belonged to me.
I was still thinking through possibilities when Thor suddenly spoke again.
"You may need to remain there longer than expected," he said calmly. "Possibly over a month."
I frowned immediately.
"If that happens," he continued, "the ritual timing will shift and interfere with mine."
He wasn’t wrong.
But I didn’t care.
I slammed both fists onto the table with a growl, instantly rising to my feet.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" I demanded.
Thor merely looked at me calmly.
"I’ll go second," he said. "And as a sign of goodwill, you can take the first turn again during the second cycle."
I immediately paused.
More importantly, so did Rex.
The shift in Rex’s aura was impossible to miss.
Changing the order mattered.
A lot.
If I consistently went first, then every cycle would strengthen me ahead of both of them.
That advantage alone was significant enough to make me hesitate.
Still suspicious, I remained standing while Rex spoke first.
"And why," Rex asked slowly, "would I agree to that?"
Thor answered without hesitation.
"I’ll teach you my combat techniques," he said. "My personal insights into fighting. You’ve wanted them for years."
My eyes widened slightly.
We had all sparred together countless times before.
Thor fought differently than either of us.
Violently.
Efficiently.
There was a reason neither Rex nor I truly believed we could beat him in a direct fight.
The way he moved during combat was unnatural.
Dangerous.
"Deal," Rex answered instantly.
I frowned immediately, annoyed that I wouldn’t also gain access to whatever techniques Thor planned to share.
Still, the shift in ritual order benefited me enough.
Eventually, I sat back down heavily in my chair.
"Fine," I snapped.
I grabbed a piece of chicken from the table and tore into it with my teeth.
The taste was rich and satisfying.
As the conversation continued around me, my thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Toward the human weapon that had nearly killed me.
Toward the village.
Toward revenge.
If possible, I intended to find the source of that weapon and steal more of it for myself.
And afterward?
I would burn that entire human village to the ground.
I had no intention of forgiving what they had done to me.
