Chapter 114
Third Person POV
The winter air was frigid against Burton's skin; he had run for hours through the snow in his human form. His wolf was healing from the recent battle. He wore the blood of those he had hunted and killed; the humans that weren’t worth keeping alive. There was no place for the weaker species in the shifter world and now, most are dead.
The warriors set up camp to rest and recover for the evening after the unplanned attack took most of them out. The Alpha of an allied pack stayed behind while Burton carried on looking for the very village they were ordered to eliminate.
It didn’t take long for Burton to discover the Red Oak Tribe, and he could sense that they weren’t just humans.
“Witches…” he murmured, sniffing the air.
The King made his orders rather clear; to eliminate all humans, especially if they harvest powers. There was nothing more dangerous than humans with powers.
But he was in no shape to fight them just yet, at least not without the rest of his men. His goal was to investigate them and then call his men in to eliminate the threat. By then, his men should be mostly healed as should his wolf.
“State your business in Red Oak,” one of the human warriors said, standing his ground with a rifle in his small human hands.
Burton wasn’t stupid and neither were these humans; they knew to use silver bullets because normal bullets wouldn’t kill a werewolf. They were probably laced with wolfsbane too.
“I’m seeking refuge,” Burton replied, holding his hands up to show that he was unarmed. “I am injured and far from home. I don’t wish to harm anyone.”
That was a lie, but he knew it was enough to get them to lower their weapons, at least a little. Human minds were naive and weak; they were too trusting.
“Let him through,” a woman said as the small crowd started to part ways.
A woman, who looked to be in her 20s, walked through the parted crowd. Her red hair shone under the illuminating rays of the moon and speckles of blue outlined her otherwise green eyes. Freckles danced unevenly around her fair features; her figure was thin but curved in all the right places. She wore robes encased in different colored gemstones and her feet were bare as she walked along the grassy earth.
“Are you sure, Madam?” One of the guards asked, looking uneasy. The other murmured, unsure if Burton could be trusted. They were smart not to trust him, but he tried his best to appear innocent.
She looked him over thoughtfully, sizing him from head to toe before she nodded.
“Yes,” she answered. “Bring him to the infirmary for treatment; I will speak with him myself.”
“Yes, mam,” one of the guards said, motioning for Burton to follow him. Burton wondered if this woman was their leader; they showed her great respect, and she held herself with pride and assertion.
Burton walked with ease through the crowd of onlookers. The village was small, but it was well-kempt, and the buildings looked relatively modern. Red Oak trees towered over the streets, casting shadows on every corner, and giving the village a temperate feeling. They reached a smaller building, and the woman opened the door, leading Burton into the large space. He paused at the entryway when he noticed a ton of neatly made beds and some medical equipment on carts nearby. He glanced around the seemingly sterile room with a frown.
“Is this your hospital?” Burton asked, his brows furrowed.
“It’s an infirmary,” she answered, glancing over her shoulder at him. “Our tribe isn’t big enough for us to build an entire hospital. We have everything we need here. Take a seat on a bed and I’ll nurse your wounds. Remove your shirt.”
He stepped further into the room and took a seat on one of the beds; he removed his shirt, placing it neatly beside him.
She wheeled a cart over and put some latex gloves over her perfectly manicured hands.
“So, Alpha,” she said as she got a cloth ready to wipe his wounds clean. “What brings you to my territory?”
He looked at her with surprise.
“You know what I am?”
A smile tipped the corner of her lips.
“You think you are the only wolf that made traction on my land?” She asked. The chemicals she used to wipe his wounds stung, but he didn’t flinch. “I could smell the lot of you from a mile away. Don’t think I don’t know that there are more of you lurking around. Why haven’t your men followed you here yet?”
Burton had to admit he admired her wits.
“They are back at our campsite,” he admitted, not exactly sure why he was telling her this. “I was sent to scavenge the area.”
“And that was how you found us?”
Burton nodded, taking in her indifferent expression.
“We aren’t stupid, Alpha. We know the wolves are taking out humans,” she finally said after a long pause. “And I know you are here to take us out as well. You were sent out to find us because of your tracking abilities and now you are supposed to tell your men of our location.”
She took out bandages and began to wrap his wounds. The wounds were still fresh from the recent battle, but he knew his wolf would heal him soon enough. However, he still allowed her to wrap his wounds anyway.
“And yet, you still granted me access to your village?” He asked, his eyes finding hers.
She was quiet for what felt like an eternity. For a moment, Burton didn’t think she was going to respond until she did.
“You seem like a strong Alpha; I can sense it from your aura,” she told him. “I’m hoping you’ll be able to speak to your people.”
“Speak to my people about what exactly?”
“Killing us would be a grave mistake,” she finally said as she started to clean her supplies.
“You are nothing but despicable humans,” he muttered, sizing her up and down. “Regardless of your witch heritage, your lives are worthless in our world.”
She stopped her movements, and he realized her hands were trembling. She was frightened but spoke to him with confidence and bravery.
“The women of this tribe are prophets. I was the daughter of the previous leaders and now it is my duty to protect them. It was predicted that my people could produce an Enigma. My bloodline specifically could produce an Enigma. The prophecy stated that my descendant would be an Enigma wolf, powerful as all could be.”
This caught Burton’s attention almost immediately.
“An Enigma wolf?”
She nodded thoughtfully.
“You’ve heard of them, yes?” She asked.
“Of course, I have,” he answered. “I would have to have lived under a rock to not hear of them. But they have gone extinct eons ago. There hasn’t been an Enigma in this world in a long time. At least none known.”
In fact, it was rumored that the King’s great great great great grandfather was an Enigma, which was what made him the King in the first place, passing the title down to the next generation.
Enigmas were meant to be the strongest beings on the planet; they were said to be even stronger than an Alpha wolf.
It was hard to believe that this simple redheaded human could birth such a child, even if she did have witch blood.
“The prophecies never lie,” she continued.
Burton stared at her for a long while, trying to get a hint of a lie, but he found none.
If what this woman was telling him was the truth, then this tribe, she especially, was a gift from the Moon Goddess herself. Having an Enigma as a child could change his entire life.
Suddenly, Burton was filled with a new plan, a better plan… a plan that was laced with hope and greed.
“What is your name?” He finally asked this woman.
She lifted her gaze to meet his.
“Esmeralda,” she answered. “Most call me Esme.”
“I will return to my warriors and tell them that I found nothing over here,” he finally said after a short pause, watching the relief in her eyes. But it was short-lived after his next sentence. “But I want to have a baby with you.”
“What?” She asked, taken aback by his words.
She never thought that he would demand a child with her!
He stood up from the bed, his demeanor towering over her and making her feel even shorter than she was.
“You heard me,” he said, his tone darkening as he stepped closer to her. “Bear me a son and I will keep your tribe safe. If not… then I will personally make sure that every single one of your people suffers the same fate as all other humans…. Only worse.”
“Y… you can’t do that…” she whispered. “If others found out that you killed a tribe of women who could birth Enigmas…”
“They won’t find out because you won’t be alive long enough to tell them,” he cut her off. “You will have my child and only then will I keep your tribe safe. Otherwise, I’ll make you watch as I kill everyone you love just before I end your life.”
