ARCĀNUM (DISCONTINUED)

➺ Chapter Seven ፧ Rogue Kingdom

CHAPTER SEVEN : ROGUE KINGDOM

In the brink of midnight, a certain werewolf was slyly rushing away to the shadows, a devious smirk planted on his face.

He has done this for so many nights; checking up onto his Kingdom, and mostly his prisoners and no person has ever managed to catch him -- it was expected, being one of the undercover villagers that has stood in this village -- more of the pack house itself.

The mysterious and traitorous guy has went to a specific field of flowers far from the place, a cocky smirk curving up to his lips as he pushed away some of the grass to see a small knob to open the hidden trap door. Scent wasn't able to be discovered in this. Not with his skills an undeniably high intelligence.

The first thing he sees is some old stone staircases, and he immediately went down, closing it shut. Using his advantage; speed, he has rushed from the secret old passageways not faster than the speed of light but enough to shorten the journey. It was the secret ways that his parents has used with previous people; one of them being Erina and Hunter's father.

Stopping into an immediate halt when he sees the next staircase upwards, he went to open it up with the knob to show cobbled and dusted floorboards at first, and then the medieval presence and type of interior scattered around his sight ; his real home.

A look of triumph was in his face as he saw his own men walking over to him and ramble certain type of questions and how everything has been going onto this place for the past few days of him not returning to the usual.

The Kingdom surely had a history, a history yet to be built and discovered by Athena Hale sooner or later.

A girl with strawberry blonde hair, wearing some sort of clothing that matched some other ladies that has passed by and dusted the place has headed towards their direction, with a blank, dull face holding a tray of fragile cups of earl grey tea for them. "Here, sir. Would you like anything more?"

The undercover rogue scoffed lightly at her words, snatching the cup as he took a short sip. "No. How are my prisoners?" Though he said that statement, they both knew that he was talking about a rather. . . specific one.

The she-wolf frowned at the mention, if it were even more possible from the look on her face earlier. "He's decent. Nothing new. Still beaten up and slightly bruised."

He placed the cup back to the tray and started to make his way to the dungeons, an expression that intimidated and scared most of the people in the grounds and technically everywhere. The guards has letted him go down to the basement of the palace, he rubbed his hands as a devilish smirk was planted on his face. It seemed like he was excited to meet the person again.

He met eyes with nearly shutted mossy green eyes, his lip cutted as blood trickled down to the cemented floor. The man that looked just his age was wearing nothing but pants, he was chained by his wrists and ankles, so he wouldn't even dare try to escape. It was too hard to get out of, especially since he was weak and just like the cup, fragile as glass. He was just sitting on the corner of his cell, watching the devil come out and play.

"You are lucky that my father didn't let you rot and listened to the servant. I still remain the same offer, but I'm getting my doubts." He admitted in a sadistic tone, eyeing the man as if he is his prey, to be reckoned and fought with.

"I don't understand how your father listened to such a lady, but I don't even know if I should be pleased." The other muttered.

He watched the latter that stood up proud to the ground, walk over to him. He knew that he heard what he said, but in his own luck he didn't manage to answer such a thing; besides, it wouldn't be good if the Rogue Alpha released a secret he somehow knew about his father to a peasant like him.

"Ah, we need to pamper you up." The deep voice of the rogue told, changing the subject and showing off his sharp claws to the prisoner after a few moments of silence.

Other prisoners on the other cells were either passed out, already dead and slowly rotted, asleep, or has given up from everything, waiting till the door of death has reached them, the Grimm reaper lending an invitational wave.

"f**k off." The other stubbornly fired back, his tone laced with venom.

"Tut, tut. We shall begin, with this." His eyes darkened, giving a straight up kick to the poor guy's face, and punches to the body. It seemed tortuous and sadistic enough for the rogue werewolf, no guilt or regret, not even remorse has been etched to his face each kick or punch he has given to the other.

The prisoner tried standing up, but ended up stumbling a bit trying to balance himself. Drops of blood has slowly fell down to the ground, painting it to a darker scarlet shade.

"And this." The son of the late Rogue King Alexander Lyall has showed off his claws, scratching him deeply. The tortured guy wasn't one like them; he wasn't an Alpha like them, his scars can't heal that quickly as he wants to.

Before he could ever pass out and finally give up from all of this, his eyes met with particularly hazel-green eyes that widened each second out of fear; It was the servant's daughter, Olivia Graham. The girl he somewhat felt a connection with for so many years of staying here; an inner spark. The one that actually helped him live through this hell by secret. The girl that helped him battle his fear, helping him heal his own pain and scars, every single time she can offer and get.

His eyes softened, the look on her face has shown guilt for not being able to help him in any way. The intoxicating smell of his blood was covering her own scent, the new Rogue King not able to take notice of her presence in the dungeons.

A punch was given to his skull, and that was the last strength of balance and consciousness he could ever partake to. A loud thump echoed in the floor, the captured werewolf laying down and coughing out blood.

It was as if he was just a stupid dummy bag to the superior.

"Pfft. Pathetic. Your family must be disappointed in you. I'm not surprised if they'll even try to disown you at your afterlife, an eternity of hell there as well." He gave off a sarcastic smile, clasping his bloody hands and walking away. He noticed Olivia standing there with hesitancy, his eyes narrowing at her suspicious behaviour.

Though it was mostly expected from the shyness and given silence. "What are you doing here, doll? Your not supposed to be here, unless your gonna get the dirty trays and clean blood all over again. They should be glad that I give them food."

Technically the food was just water and bread.

Nothing more and nothing less, he has eaten the same thing for so many years. And there was not a day where Olivia has felt bad for it.

She pursed her lips and averted her eyes to the wall from afar. "I am. You should head away already," the she-wolf cleared her throat and continued when he had raised a brow. "It may be near dawn, you wouldn't like to get suspicions, not again." The servant's daughter excused, watching him slowly pass by her, giving a slight nod.

"Right, whatever. Just do what your supposed to do. I don't expect you to make a single mistake from experience." She rolled her eyes softly, when he made his way to the staircases. Luckily he didn't see that happen.

From her heightened senses, she felt him leave already, and is far away after a long awaiting. She then showed that she had a bucket of water and a towel to clean the guy laying onto the ground unconsciously.

Olivia went to some of the cells and took out the trays, helping cleaning some wounds; luckily, they weren't getting anything major, unlike the other.

"Thank you, sweet girl." The old man sighed, coughing weakly right after as he watched her stand up with the now wet and once again clean white towel. She passed cells, Ofcourse locked securely with her spare keys. Though sadly, she didn't have the ones that could break them out.

She huffed, opening the last cell. Going inside she sees the man laying on the cold ground with a helpless look on his face. "Um . . ." She trailed off her words, helping up to make him go on a sitting position, leaning onto the cobblestone wall. The strawberry blonde started wiping away the blood in his lips, the werewolf wincing from the cuts and bruises that touched the cold wet linen fabric.

His eyes fluttered open, watching her cleanse him gently, giving atleast hospitality to him and the other prisoners. He felt completely lucky, and utmost glad that she was a kind one. "T-thank you for h-helping me. . . after all t-these years."

She smiled, giving him a slight nod. "Ofcourse. You don't deserve this treatment at all. And I'm doing my best to serve you right. Even if it's undercover."

That made his heart flutter, his eyes staying to her and only her figure. The rest were blurred out lines. "How is it that you always find ways to help others, especially us prisoners?"

"You've asked that a couple of times, and my answer is still the same; I know what my parents chose as a path for us to all take and bargain was not going to change, but I'm gonna do my best and help the ones I think of is righteous of something. . . better and peaceful. Making my own path." She answered, wiping the dirt under his eyes, and the dry blood that went to his chest from the attacks.

He bit his inner cheek gently, looking at her attentively as she was almost finished on cleaning him up from the bloody mess the Rogue Alpha has created to him. "I'm sorry, for all the things they have done. I know it isn't enough, but I'm doing my best here, to try and give out a genuine apology, on partial of every rogue that has beaten you up."

"It's alright, Olivia."

***

The latest Rogue Alpha gave a side smile; his hands weren't bloody, no speck of a scent of the previous prisoner's blood was there nor stained. It was all hidden and scarred inside himself. His clothes were clean, just like before as if he had just arrived.

Four particular men went over to him, going to his side to see the dark canvas of a sky and to speak with him once more. "Alpha, when will we ever start hunting Athena Hale, again?Our first encounter with her in the alleyways didn't work as planned." One of them said, a scowl on his face as he thought of the werewolf who has saved her in that very moment. Hunter Lupus.

"If Hunter Lupus wasn't there, she should be dead right now. Like the rest of her family!" another spoke, raising his voice a little out of anger and annoyance. It didn't bother the leader though, thinking deeply about his plan for this war to happen, his continuing plot. If even called, his raison d'etre.

The drunk men from the dirty alleys weren't actually really drunk. They were acting, pretending. So they could take a grasp of the Hale daughter and end her before a bloodline could ever continue -- but sadly, it didn't work. If the so-called Alpha Hunter wasn't present there, everything would go according to plan. Without even starting a war at all. But here they are.

"They chose the hard way." The traitor spoke, his eyes glowing in a darker shade of red.

His tactics were smart, he had advantages; nobody knew he was the son of the Rogue Alpha, continuing the plot of revenge. Having a use on witchcraft as well, because of a gift an witch that took straight alliance to their family has given to him when he was younger ; Like how to flash his eyes in a different colour, as if to portray that he was one of them. Not an Alpha. The secret passageway that lead him here to a destination nearby the village, and how he could know more information about them every single day because of being there.

He then turned behind to see the place where he came from, letting out a fake sad sigh. "I should head back to my place, tomorrow I might go back here. I might have some plans on how to execute everything, one by one."

The four werewolves near him chuckled in an evil and devious way, excited to see what was on store for them to do. Perhaps they'll light the village on fire? Burn them all into flames. Or maybe take the Alpha, or anybody as hostage, better if being one of the Lupus siblings or just the Hale daughter ; it would end up greatly either way. Telling by the confidence that flowed around the Rogue Alpha.

"Take guard of this place."

That's the last thing he said before walking briskly back to the trap door, rushing over to the passageways to go and have his façade show up and mess everybody's minds. His hidden agenda has been well kept, and nobody but atleast some has suspected about him.

The old man on the woods wasn't suppose to be the target but he was one of the people that thought of him as a suspicious and skeptical person, and coming from that he had to erase him from this place to hide everything. Even if he was suppose to get Lucinda; the known witch-werewolf hybrid of the village.

An evil grin went to his lips, going up to the stairs and opening the trapdoor to only find the place he once was at. Looking around to find if any body was there, he went up, his feet on the ground as he shutted it slowly. "They won't know what's coming to them soon, they won't expect such a thing."

Yet he was right,

Because he was always one step ahead of them.

(A/N I hope this was great, to through the fact that this is now the point of view of the mysterious Rogue Alpha! I've thought of ending this clean and by a minimum of 30 chapters but then, I changed it to expanding the diversity and adventure! I hope you enjoy this!)

x Beatrice