A Little Left to Give (Forgotten Series #8)

Chapter Six

I watched as the last few females were sent quietly over to the tent. The male who challenged me was laying in the dirt. I didn't care if he was dead or not. I couldn't be seen as weak and they were disgusting. I would have been content to kill them all to be honest. I could smell their ill intent, their rotten cores, the evil they were filled with. They were worse than the old way bastards.

You could trust the old ways to be pricks but they would somewhat follow the laws. Illegal rogues? Most of them spent their lives brutalizing everyone they came across. I could see it. The females looked shell shocked, I couldn't see a single one that wasn't bruised outside of Julieta. That I could see, that is. Who knew what bruises there were that weren't visible.

However, the females had been mistreated. I knew they would be before I had walked into the camp. I just didn't expect how badly it seemed. I had spotted one female in the back of the crowd with a black eye and I knew I would need to separate them off. I knew the females were freaking out but that wasn't my problem. My issue was separating the females from the males and figuring out how to get rid of all the males. My wolf gave a low growl and he sent me images of attacking, the feeling of bone between teeth, blood coating our tongue.

It was hard to resist it. I liked fighting, it was why Luka and I got into it so often. The fighting orientated me, made me feel like I had a proper place. That something in my life was going my way, that I was making the decisions in the direction my life was going. It liked doing it. It was like it gave me purpose.

"This is bullshit! Those females are communal property!" A male tried to go by me as Luiz ushered the last females into the tent and I clamped my hand down on his throat.

"No." I rasped thr single syllable before squeezing, letting him know I was more than fucking serious. I tilted my head as he choked, grabbing at my hand to try and get it off. His face was turning red and I watched with interest before I let him go. He staggered away, coughing and choking. I was aware of the males that were throwing me wary looks. That was good.

I wanted them wary.

I pointed to the tent as Luiz zipped it closed. "Mine." I threw out my dominance, staring out into the crowd and narrowed my eyes. They needed to understand the females weren't to be touched. They were mine now according to their fucked up rules. I turned and shoved the sweats off before I shifted. The male I had knocked out seemed to be coming around and when my wolf and I walked by, his eyes opened. I snarled at him, a dark and deadly sound and he scrambled away almost sloppily.

I moved and laid down in front of the entrance to the tent, my eyes scanning the crowd while my wolf happily urged me to attack, to show these shit males our teeth and claw for all they did. I let him, it would be good for one of us to release that aggression without starting a full on battle.

Luiz shuffled closer, moving a bucket as he sat down on it. I knew what was coming but I could also ignore it. "Been a long fucking time since I've seen you like this, Ezekiel. You got a lot of scars." He spoke low and when a male glanced over, I bared my teeth and he looked away. I narrowed my eyes before standing up. They were all too fucking close.

I stalked forward, my hackles raised down to the tip of my tail and I growled heavily. They backed up quickly but when I snarled they all dispersed, retreating rather hastily. I returned to my post and could see Luiz glancing at me. I could smell the wariness that radiated off of him, sour almost. I didn't care about that. I rested my lower jaw on my paws and watched, listening as well. The females were mine to protect and I would ensure they were safe. I just wasn't quite sure of all the details just yet.

Thinking made my head hurt. I didn't want to have to plan anything but I also didn't want to listen to Luiz rattled on about his own plans. I had little tolerance for that, not since everything that happened. "You're bigger than I remember." It was easy to tune him out, so I did. I focused on the sounds the males were making. I could hear hushed conversations. They weren't happy with me but they also weren't willing to test me, at least not yet. I knew someone would. If not tonight, it would be soon.