RA | YG [✔]

01.

Seven years later.

By Sorin's light. This day—the most important of Yeonjun's life—was torture already. He sighed and lectured himself again to keep his hands to himself and his mouth shut. He watched helplessly as one of the servants stumbled and almost dropped the huge pitcher of wine he was trying to carry without spilling, while also avoiding the drunken Alphas who all seemed to think he was invisible.

Yeonjun bent his head, ashamed that he couldn't help. This wasn't even his pack. The ceremony was being hosted by Alpha Jaekyung, the lead Alpha of this territory—Caedra—who had the most wolves and the best hunting. The vile man also happened to be his guardian as the senior Alpha, which meant he was unable to interfere in anything the man did.

He watched as the kitchen slaves tried to hobble awkwardly in the chains around their ankles. He hated the way the Alphas treated the humans. Werewolves ruled their society. Well, no, not even that—male werewolves ruled their society. Females were simply for having pups. They weren't physically abused like the humans, but they had no freedom either. The gammas were always werewolves, but each Alpha kept humans both as guards if they were physically big enough, and as servants if they weren't—or at least in Caedra anyway. He wasn't sure about the other territories as Yeonjun had never traveled further south than the edge of their lands and he had no wish to be taken hostage. The Alpha-heir would fetch a good price, and even then he wasn't a hundred percent convinced Jaekyung would pay any money to get him back.

Yeonjun heard a cry and looked up. One of the slaves had just fallen, a thin boy stumbling under the weight of the trays he was trying to carry. Yeonjun rose to his feet as the nearby gamma unhooked the small whip from his belt. He felt a hand on his arm dragging him back down.

"Yeonjun, no," hissed Hyunjin, his beta and best friend. "Don't give Jaekyung any excuse."

Yeonjun glanced at Hyunjin. He knew his friend was as disgusted by the boy's treatment as he was, but as Hyunjin had reminded him countless times, if stopping an injustice to one led to him not becoming Alpha, he wouldn't then be able to alter the treatment of many. This greater good argument was all well and fine, but it still rankled.

Yeonjun sank back down, his hands fisting helplessly. The boy's sharp cry sickened him as he was pushed in front of the gamma to be taken away for punishment. Yeonjun closed his eyes tightly, unable to watch. Jaekyung was the senior Alpha of all the packs in Caedra, which technically meant he was Yeonjun's guardian and had the power to stop the choosing. He had the power to prevent Yeonjun mating an omega, and if that happened the Alpha abilities wouldn't transfer and he would be stuck waiting another year, and there were too many people, including Yeji, his sister, depending on him to become Alpha for that to be allowed to happen.

Another hour and he would be officially Alpha. Ten long years he had waited for this since his father had died. Another seven since he had nearly died himself when his twin brother had attempted to poison him. Six since he had challenged his brother to mortal combat and his brother had run away, all because Yeonjun, even though he knew better, had been unable to deliver the killing blow and simply let him disappear.

Yeonjun watched as another slave ducked to one side, just missing the empty carafe that was flung at her in temper by Alpha Jaekyung because she had been a second too slow to fill his goblet. She sidestepped Alpha Taejoon, who seemed to think it was a good idea to brawl with two of his betas right where the girl needed to walk between the tables, and she managed to duck behind a tree as another empty jug came sailing for her head. Yeonjun didn't think that one was actually meant for her though, just Alpha Ren annoyed his favorite whisky was all gone, and taking his frustration out on anyone nearby. He searched the crowd but the gamma and the human boy had vanished.