Rendered

Chapter 5

Kenny POV

It was 12:00 when my door burst open, and Gamma entered with Troy. The boy appeared exhausted and dejected. I was pretty sure his wife and kids were worried sick about him. "Please leave us. I want to have a private talk with Troy," I instructed Msizi. He wasn't happy about the request, seemingly distrustful of the boy. As if Troy could do anything to me. He was just a mere human with no wolf.

"You're up," Troy said, his first words as he bowed down. "There's no need to do that; we're alone in this. Tell me, how are you?"

"I've seen better days, but hey, what can I say. My mother and sister have once again put me in this predicament," Troy sighed, taking a seat on the couch near the bed. "I need to go home. I'm sure my family is worried sick about me. My wife is six months pregnant with our third kid. If you're not planning to release me, at least let her know that I'm fine, or just send my body to her so she can bury me, grieve, and move on."

"You will go home today, but I have to ask, what would you like me to do with your mother and sister? I made a promise to your grandfather to protect you since you were the only weakling in the family. You know I keep my promises," I said, looking at him while he gazed back at me, exhaustion evident on his face.

"Do what you must with them, leave me out of it. They are not my family. To be clear, I'm a grown-ass man who can take care of himself and his family," he replied, attempting to intimidate me. I chuckled at his failed attempt. "I know you are, but that doesn't change the fact that you are vulnerable like any other human. Your father's name puts you in danger, especially in the eyes of the elders."

Troy sighed and poured himself a cup of water, deep in thought. After a while, he responded to my statement. "I'm aware of that. You don't have to keep telling me every time we meet. Why haven't you told anyone about me being human? It would have saved us from this predicament."

He was right. If I had told them a long time ago, it would have made things easier for him. But it would also attract opportunistic people who would try to use him as a weapon to take over the Silver Pack again. "I promised your grandfather that I would not tarnish his name. Besides, you come from an alpha line. It's better for people to remember you as such."

"I honestly don't care about that. I only care about my wife and kids. I'd like to go home now," he replied in a disrespectful tone, causing my wolf to surface. "Boy, don't you ever disrespect me. I am still your Alpha, and I'm sparing your life even after all your family's transgressions," my wolf roared. "I apologize, Alpha. Can I go now?" Troy quickly responded.

I called Gamma to take the boy home. I also instructed him to allow the beta to make the final decision regarding the traitors. I didn't have time to deal with them. What was important was to regroup and cover up this mess before the other packs heard about it. I was due to attend the Alpha's summit next month to negotiate the new terms of the treaty we, the alphas in the southern hemisphere, had established.

Nuzo POV

Trust the alpha to put me in this damn position. There was only one thing to be done with the Bensons—execute them. But I preferred someone else to make the call, so I allowed Elder James to announce it publicly. He wasn't happy about Troy's release. Personally, I believed the boy posed a bigger threat than his mother and sister. I also wondered why the alpha insisted on keeping Troy alive. Did he want him to succeed him? One of these days, I'll have to ask him.

No, it's probably better if I ask the boy myself. What could possibly go wrong? "A few things actually. One, we don't know how strong the boy is. He might be good at concealing it. Two, he could be the next alpha, which means confrontation is a big no-no," my wolf chimed in. "Thank you, but I didn't ask for your opinion."

At 2 pm, I left the pack lands and decided to visit Troy. I ignored my wolf's complaints about not going. I took my car to town and parked close to the national botanical garden. Waiting until it was 10 pm, I transformed into my wolf form and stealthily ran behind the bushes until I reached Troy's house. Thank God his house was next to the bush. All the lights were off. I decided to roam around the yard and headed toward the shed at the back of the house. The door was slightly open, and a faint light seeped through. I could hear someone breathing. By the scent, I knew it was Troy. "No need to stand outside, you can come in," Troy spoke softly, ensuring only I could hear him.

I entered the shed and found him sitting on a couch. "You know what's more annoying than cockroaches and ants?" Troy asked. I didn't answer since I was still in my wolf form. I just sat by the door and looked at him. "Oh, sorry, I forgot wolves can't talk. You can give me a purr." He laughed at his own joke. "Again, I forgot you're a dog, not a cat. What a shame, I prefer cats, though." He seemed distant as he spoke, almost as if he had lost his mind. "You can turn into a person now, Nuzo. That way, we can have a conversation. What do you say, little kitten?" He was clearly trying to provoke me, and it was working. I transformed into a human and walked toward him, completely naked.

"You know, us humans don't find nudity appealing from people we don't fancy. So, cover up, champ. There are trousers behind the door," he remarked. I went to grab the trousers and put them on. They had his scent, indicating he must have used them while he was busy in this shed.

“Must I pour you a glass of whisky? It’s the best day to celebrate. My mom and sister are gone. Which means no more problems. Hopefully my kids will be safe. Of cause that is if I go by your alpha’s word,” mummed Troy. He seemed to be in a talkative mood today, I am guessing it’s because he was drunk. “Why did he spare you?” I asked Troy. “He loves little boys who listen to him, I am sure you know that. You seem to fit the type of boys he likes. You are 20 right, the perfect age which turns him on. Bulk and you seems like the type who is obedient,” responded Troy while laughing. Nothing about what he said was funny. The alpha never gave vibes of being interested in same s*x relationship. Plus, it was not a wolf thing. Only humans engaged in such things. “I don’t find your jokes funny and I do not appreciate it when people waste my time.” I responded to him. He seemed please by my response. “Straight to business kind of man. Women do not like that. You need to work on your people skills. You are lucky you still have time before you find your mate otherwise she will have left you because of your dry humor.” At this point I wanted to change into my wolf and rip him into shreds. No one pokes a new wound.

In a split second, I had Troy pinned against the wall, his feet in the air and my hand wrapped around his neck. Surprisingly, he felt light for an alpha male. His face turned pale, and he struggled to breathe. I released my grip, allowing him to fall to the ground and catch his breath. "If you want to kill me, just do it. I won't fight back. It's not like I'll win. But I doubt Kenny will be happy about it," Troy spoke while lifting himself up and sitting back on the couch. "Have a drink, man, and stop being uptight. Here!" He extended his hand with a glass of whisky. I took it and downed it in one go. "Now start talking, Troy. I don't have all night."

He laughed at me and poured both of us another glass. "Well, Nuzo, I actually do. Now, sit down and relax." He turned on the stereo and started singing along, completely out of turn, I must add. When the song ended, he began speaking. "I was born a full human, the only one in my family and your alpha's knows it. My sister was the only one with the wolf. Well, she was the only one with the wolf. It was as strong as my dad, and she was just as stubborn as him. My grandfather and your former alpha were good friends. I'm sure you know the story, so I won't bore you with it. When my father died, he asked Kenny to spare me. I doubt he listened to him. Anyway, after killing my father, Kenny went to see my grandfather to apologize and offer his condolences. He wanted to be the one to tell him what had happened. But my grandfather already knew. He had warned my father about this war, but my father was too stubborn." Troy paused, taking a sip from his cup. I poured myself a third glass.

"My grandfather told Kenny that I wasn't a threat because I was human. Unfortunately, my mother had a human mother and a wolf father. It's still a wonder why I never got a wolf, but I'm grateful for it. He made Kenny promise to take care of me for as long as I live. He knew the elders would want me dead, and of course, the other clans would prefer me dead too. It would make it easier for them to claim our land if they defeated Kenny. But we both know no one will ever defeat him, except for his mate." I nodded in agreement, allowing Troy to continue speaking. "Now I'm under surveillance 24 hours a day. Kenny has two guards watching my house, and in case you missed it, the premises are surrounded by cameras. Unfortunately, I've been stripped of my privacy. At least I know my wife and kids are safe." That's all I needed to hear. I stood up, ready to leave. I wasn't in the mood to listen to whatever else he had to say.

"Please stay, it's nice to drink with someone. I usually drink by myself. I find human company mostly boring. I guess it's because I grew up surrounded by wolves," Troy requested. I reluctantly sat back down and listened to him talk for four hours. I regretted not leaving when I had the chance.