Soren's Blackfire Luna(Breeder#5)

Chapter 11: I Needed Them Dead

With Mila gone, there was no need for me to keep sleeping in the guest room. I grabbed my clothes and headed to my own room again.

As soon as I walked in, I ran into a thick wall of her sweet, delicious scent. My mouth watered and I licked my lips.

What was I doing? There was no need to get all slobbery over a girl I'd never see again.

Huffing, I tossed my clothes into a drawer. I could fold them later. When I sat on the bed something clinked and I looked at the pillow.

I raised an eyebrow when I saw a small pile of jewelry and valuable knick-knacks.

There was one piece I recognized. A ring. It was the ring Ashley had told me would be appropriate compensation for us caring for Mila.

Slowly, I reached out and touched the ring. Had she left all these as payment? What was way more generous than Ashley anticipated. I wonder what she would say when she learnt about this.

I picked through the items on my pillow and examined that ring. It was too small to slide past my top knuckle on my pinky. The ring was so dainty, despite being antique and intricate.

After a close look, I felt like the design etched on the ring was familiar somehow. A distant memory nagged at the back of my head but I couldn't place it.

I tucked the ring in my pocket and went downstairs.

Payne was in the bar with the late-night security shift. None of them were drinking, because they were on duty, but they sat around chatting casually.

“Soren, I thought you went to bed," Payne greeted me as others slightly bowed their heads. I wasn't their alpha, but they didn't pay me less respect.

“I was on my way," I admitted.

“Looking for me for something specific?"

“Mila left her valuables behind," I said. “I think it was for payment."

“Did she?" Payne asked, but that wasn't really a question that I needed to answer. “Well, good for her. Now Ashley could shut up. We certainly didn't expect that."

“Neither did I…" I sighed and pulled the ring from my pocket. “Especially something like this."

I put the ring down on the bar between the two of us and waited for Payne's reaction.

His eyes narrowed and then he sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes widened and he creased his brow.

It looked like he was familiar with the ring.

After a moment, Payne's eyelids dropped halfway and I could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“You've seen something like this before?" I asked, flicking the ring lightly.

“I… maybe?" he said, scrunching up his face.

“What do you mean, maybe?"

“It looks familiar. If I have seen it, it was a long, long time ago. Like, before my pack was eliminated. So, I was maybe eleven or twelve…"

“Okay."

Payne sighed and squinted his eyes, thinking real hard. He started nodding like his memories were becoming clearer.

“Right, I remember. I used to sneak into my father's office and look for something interesting. Once, I found a wanted poster that he placed in his drawer," Payne explained.

Wanted posters…If he had th poster, would he want to display it on a public wall so that the whole pack was aware of and could keep an eye out for that wanted person?

“On it, was a woman. She was wearing that ring. I'm sure of it," he said.

Suddenly, Payne creased his brow again.

“For an eleven year old, you had a great memory to remember this kind of details." I glanced at him, watching his expression.

He shook his head and explained, “The woman was dressed like a seer and she was from Miltern Pack. I asked my dad about her but he brushed me off and said it wasn't my concern. He wouldn't even tell me why she was wanted. He did tell me that if I ever saw this ring, I needed to tell him right away… I guess that won't happen now." Payne sighed heavily, “But that's why I have this recollection."

“Is that everything?" I asked softly.

Payne nodded. “It was a long time ago. I can't be sure this is the same ring… but it is similar."

I gave a pat on his shoulder. “Thank you, man."

I didn't press further, knowing it was hard for him to talk about his father.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

“That's the perimeter alarm!" Payne jumped up.

“Someone opened the door from the outside!" I grabbed the ring and stuffed it in my pocket as Payne headed toward the breach.

He only got halfway across the bar when a dozen intruders swarmed in.

My guards immediately jumped into action, but I shook my head. I didn't want a bloodbath and the intruders outnumbered us at the moment. Besides, I needed to learn what they were here for.

My men didn't stand down but they waited for me to give further orders.

One man pushed to the front of the group of intruders.

“Where is the woman?" he demanded.

I clenched my jaw and tightened my fists at my sides, but I kept my silence.

Payne took a deep breath and asked calmly, “Excuse me, who are you looking for?"

When Payne didn't give them the answer they wanted right away, the leader of these goons nodded to some of the shifters behind them.

Laughing, they ran through the bar. One of them knocked a table over and kicked the chairs.

Another went to the bar and smashed several expensive bottles of wine.

My guys growled, but I held up a hand to hold them back.

Quickly, I assessed their clothing and stances. They weren't rogues or outcasts like us. They seemed organized and were all wearing the same uniform. Someone rich and powerful funded them.

Yet, they didn't wear any identifying marks or insignias. Their colors were too common to be related to a specific pack or alpha. Obviously, they intentionally hid where they were from.

The leader put his hands on his hips and glared at Payne.

“You don't look much like you'd be in charge, little pup," he snarled. He brushed past Payne, knocking him in the shoulder.

Payne grunted but he stood his ground. He wasn't going to disobey me, no matter how much these men insulted him.

The leader turned to me. “Don't play dumb. You know who I'm talking about. A girl named Mila."

“Why do you want her?" I asked, pulling the leader's attention to me.

“It is our business, not yours!" he snapped, glaring at me.

“No, not anymore it isn't," I said, glancing around my bar in disarray.

The men ruining the bar all stopped. After a moment's pause, they started laughing.

The leader clutched his chest and shook his head.

“Ahh, what are you gonna do about it?" he said, looking at me like I was an insect to be crushed. “A f*****g rogue wants to be a hero?"

I narrowed my eyes. “You're barking up the wrong tree."

“Huh. We're so scared!" he laughed sarcastically, “You're nothing but a desert rat that calls himself an innkeeper. Well, if that's what gets you off. Anyway, we know that Mila is staying with you in this dump. Just tell us where she is," he said.

I crossed my arms and smirked, “How about you get out of here right now and I'm generous enough to not charge you for the damage."

“I don't think so. Give her to us and we'll be on our way. If not, we'll go door to door in this dump hole and redecorate every room the same way we already did your lobby and this bar until we find her," he informed me.

He snapped his fingers and one of his followers punched a mirror on the wall. Another grabbed a nice vase off the bar and threw it on the floor.

Obviously, these men weren't looking for Mila to talk to her or reason with her. They were all riled up and I had no doubt they planned to hurt her. Maybe not kill her, but they'd rough her up and drag her off.

Even if I didn't want to get involved with her problems I wasn't going to set her up to get injured by those bastards.

As hard as I'd tried to stay out of her drama, it had caught up to me, regardless.

Quickly, I counted the guards in the bar. There were five total, including me and Payne. Five against twelve. We could win, but winning wasn't my goal, because they might have the chance to escape.

The others patrolling around would see the breach. They'd be gathering by the other doors, waiting for my signal. I just needed to give them a few minutes to gather in force. Once all together, we'd get all the exits blocked.

The lead intruder sighed and shook his head at me. He must have read my silence as intimidation.

“Listen, I don't really want to fight you. We're polite people, you know. So, I will give you two options. Either hand over Mila and we will let you off the hook for helping her. We might even be willing to cut you in on the gain from her capture," he offered.

I curled an eyebrow. “Or…?"

“If you insist on protecting that little b***h, don't blame us if you, your puppy, and the rest of your mangy, scabby, nasty rogues will have their pretty base destroyed… or set on fire… or… well, use your imagination," he said, chuckling darkly.

I smirked and shook my head.

Had I been in seclusion for so long that cockroaches like them thought they could walk in and out of my base like they owned the place? These f*****g arrogant bastards really thought they could come into MY inn and threaten ME?

“Those are your only options," the leader stared at me viciously.

I scoff, “How about I choose a third option?"

“What the—"

I leaped at the leader, shifting in midair. Then I landed on him in a pounce and threw him down on the floor, pinning him in place and growling in his face.

“Get them!" he shouted, struggling under me.

My men had gotten into place and were just waiting for my signal. We didn't need a mind link to be organized and deadly. They all knew where they were supposed to be.

I howled, signaling the others to attack.

Every door of the inn opened and my men swooped in, some of them shifted like me. They rushed in and attacked all the intruders.

I licked my lips and looked down at the leader pinned beneath me. He cringed and I bit into his neck.

He groaned and his body collapsed.

That was right. I didn't care about winning.

I needed them dead. Every single one of them. So that they wouldn't have a chance to bother Mila again.

The fight ended quickly like I expected.

Well, so much for not wanting a bloodbath in the inn.

I still didn't know why they were after Mila, but it seemed unlikely that this was just about her getting sold to Alpha Chandler, and I doubt those were the only chasers sent after her.

Watching the bodies on the floor, I couldn't wave away the image of Mila being surrounded by those disgusting fuckers.

“Payne, you come with me. We're going to find Mila."