Episode 3

He felt the tug on him.

The two bodyguards moved swiftly around the area, returning fire as they went. The intruders were numerous and armed with high-caliber weapons, while they had only their basic firearms.

The screaming never ceased, and Bley saw more than one person dead on the ground, blood spattered in every direction.

"We need backup! Call the police!"

He covered his ears as the location turned into a firing squad. The sound of gunfire was relentless.

He didn't know what had happened to the rest of his bodyguards, but the two with him couldn't hear anything through their earpieces, no matter how loudly they were addressed via the microphone.

"Respond! We have to get the president's son out of here!"

Unaccustomed to such chaos, he was clueless about what to do. Each gunshot was more frightening than the last. Tears filled his eyes, his body shook, and his sobs could be heard throughout the venue. He let out a scream when he saw one of his own fall to the ground, a bullet piercing his neck.

The last one standing was the one he trusted the most. Clinging to him, begging for help, he watched him reload his weapon and take the gun from his now-dead companion.

He hid behind some objects and saw the Alpha taking cover elsewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to move. He covered his mouth to keep quiet, paralyzed with panic. It was an unprecedented situation for him, and he couldn't control his beating heart or stem the flow of his tears. His mind raced with a thousand thoughts as he watched the Alpha strike down an approaching enemy before firing in another direction.

Believing he was going to die, with no one to mourn his passing because no one could ever love him, he wept at the thought of a miserable end – not even his father would grieve or miss him.

He closed his eyes and covered his ears, praying for it all to be over, filled with regret for having come to this moment.

He couldn't tell if they had been followed, awaited, or if he had just ended up in the wrong place by accident, but everything was going terribly wrong. His eyes snapped open to see the Alpha still battling until a shot struck him down. Bley yelled his name, wanting to rush to his aid, but stayed in place when the Alpha shook his head in refusal.

Without hesitation, he stood up. It was his duty to protect the president's son, and he was ready to do far more since, for him, it was not just about doing his job, but about protecting something he had cherished for a long time.

Bley had always thought nobody cared, but since this Alpha had appeared, he had caught his interest.

He watched the Alpha fire once more; then, two consecutive shots rang out, and the Alpha fell again. Crying harder, Bley noted it was the third shot the Alpha had taken without a sign of movement. Unable to bring himself to motion, he remained, listening to an eternal silence. Then, footsteps approached, growing louder, almost making the ground beneath quiver. He saw the silhouettes of the men and the shadows of their guns.

He stayed hidden, watching from the darkness as the blood-soaked men scoured the area with their weapons.

"Posmotri tuda," one barked, with the other promptly advancing.

They continued with exchanges that Bley understood all too well. Their words were the kind only psychopaths and murderers would utter.

Hearing their steps fading, he breathed a sigh of relief, imagining the worst was over. He figured he had hidden well and would now have the chance to go home to safety. He allowed himself to envision various scenarios that abruptly ended when his arm was yanked.

"Proklyatyy rebenok," came the curse.

Bley tried to break free, screaming until a blow to his face sent him crashing to the ground, breathless and dizzy. Drops of blood fell to the floor, and he lay disoriented for a few seconds.

"My sobirayemsya prodat' yego kak sobaku," one declared.

"Eta brakovannaya omega prineset nam kuchu deneg," added the other, eyeing him.

One grabbed his arm to pull him up and cupped his face to look at him. Bley's long, blond hair drew the man's attention, and he took a strand to smell it. Tears kept streaming as the man approached to smell him, and he closed his eyes tight, disgusted.

"No, prezhde chem prodat' yego, mnogiye iz nas sobirayutsya poveselit'sya s nim," he heard, and dread struck him. He wished to speak out, to act, to do anything, but his first attempt to resist was met with another strike to his face.

"Otpusti menya pozhaluysta!" he pleaded as he tried to flee.

One carelessly yanked his hair. He fell to his knees, dragged across the floor, feeling strands being mercilessly ripped out.

He didn't know how long it lasted until a noise broke the silence.

He screamed as more gunfire exploded in his ears. He watched them scream, watched as one after another dropped to the ground, and he remained kneeling, terrified to lift his gaze and confront his demise.

His tears fell, and his small frame shook with the desire for someone to hold him safe, to embrace and offer the protection he had never known. Footsteps neared once again until they stood directly in front of him.

With a tremulous breath, he slowly looked up, expecting a gun aimed squarely at his eyes.

And then he saw him.

The Alpha's red hair, his tattooed arms, and that cold, imposing demeanor. Those dark eyes laden with gruesome deeds and a multitude of deaths. The Alpha said nothing, only stared as if Bley were the most insignificant thing he had ever beheld. Seeing him beaten, crying, small and trembling stirred not a single hair on the Alpha's head.

To kill him would be all too easy, but he wasn't going to do that… not yet.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***