Jacob held out his hand, helping Sarise from the car and turned to look back over the remnants of the city they had just travelled through.
Zone One housed the original Alpha City of Vengeance Pack and while it had fallen to disrepair it still held some of the glory from a thousand years ago.
"Alpha Marcon." A voice called
Sarise and Jacob turned to see a muscular man dressed in black leather walking towards them, a cocky grin on his face as he looked over Sarise with a hungry eye.
Beside her Jacob growled, his eyes flashing lavender and the man laughed.
"You must be his Luna." The man stated, winking at her before turning to Jacob. "I'm Kario Jefferson."
"Regulator Jefferson..." Jacob began but Kario shook his head.
"My father is The Regulator." Kario stated. "He would have met you but..." He held up his fingers in quotation. "He's busy." He shrugged. "There was a pretty set of legs than needed his attention."
"I think we got the gist without you clarifying it for us." Sarise pointed out, causing Kario to chuckle.
"Just making sure love." He added, stepping aside and waving them towards the manor. "Anyway, I figured it was rude to leave an Alpha hanging, so I chose to meet you."
"So, you're The Regulators son?" Jacob asked as they started walking towards the manor and Kario nodded. "How many of you are there?"
"My father has one other child, a daughter." Kario answered, turning and smiling at the two. "From one of his little dalliances within The Zones." He turned back to the manor, shrugging.
"But otherwise I'm the only child from his choice mate."
"It doesn't bother you that your father has another child to another woman?" Sarise asked and Kario laughed.
"Darling I'm lucky he doesn't have a hundred of them running around." Kario answered, his husky laugh rumbling in his chest. "Besides my parents think I'm ignorant to the fact I have a sister." He looked at them, touching his nose lightly.
"I pray you'll keep that little secret for me."
"It's none of our business." Jacob pointed out as they walked through the door of the manor. "We're merely here to see the library." Kario frowned at Jacob for a moment.
"Can I ask what you're looking for?" He questioned and Jacob stopped, looking at the man with sharp eyes.
"You're questioning an Alpha?" Jacob asked and Kario laughed, folding his arms across his barrelled chest.
"I'm questioning a man whose walked onto my lands and wants to forage through my possessions." Kario pointed out.
Sarise saw Jacob's eyes flash lavender, gripping his arm and turning to Kario, yet the man didn't back down, merely narrowed his eyes at The Alpha before him.
"We're looking for information." Sarise answered, smiling at Kario.
The man frowned at her for a moment before chuckling.
"Darling, you've may have a stunning smile that would make any man's cock hard, but I don't believe a single word The King said about your visit."
"You spoke to the King?" Jacob asked and Kario snorted lightly.
"My father is usually..." Again, he put his fingers up in quotation. "Busy." He laughed again. "Far too busy to bother governing the lands of Zone One so I do it for him." He indicated the hallway
"Library is this..."
"Kario!" A voice called and another man bound in same black leather walked up.
"Problem?" Kario asked.
"Who are these two?" The man demanded, looking at them with narrow eyes.
"Alpha Marcon and his Luna." Kario answered, waving his hand absently at them. "Again, problem?"
"Rouges in the marketplace."
"Fuck!" Kario growled, his eyes glowing yellow as he turned to a maid who wandered through the foyer. "Wendy.
"Sir?"
"Take the Alpha and the Luna to the library." Kario snapped
With that he was gone, running through the door and shifting, his companion doing the same.
"This way." The woman stated, walking down the corridor.
"Interesting man." Jacob stated and Sarise nodded.
"Indeed." She replied, turning in the direction the maid had gone.
*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲
"Alpha." A voice called and Jacob looked up, seeing Kario walking into the library, pulling a black tee shirt over his head. "Apologises for leaving so abruptly."
"None needed." Jacob answered, lowering the book in his hand onto the desk. "I trust you dealt with your problem?"
"Becoming more of an issue of late." Kario growled, throwing himself onto the couch in the room. "They're wandering across our lands and heading into the Packs."
Jacob ground his teeth at the comment. Obviously, word about the failing borders had gotten out.
"I thought The Zones used Rogues for some of their more...delicate problems." Jacob pointed out. Kario snorted at the comment.
"You do remember what Pack this used to be?" Kario asked, raising an eyebrow. "We've never needed help from The Rouges." He shrugged. "They're not tolerated on our lands."
"In Zone One?" Jacob asked, leaning against the desk.
"Two and Three as well." Kario answered, flicking out a small throwing knife from his boot and picking at the dirt under his fingernails. "By the way where is your Luna?"
"She went into Zone One." Jacob answered, turning back to the book.
"You let her go into The Zone?" Kario asked and Jacob turned to him, seeing a smirk on his face. "You're either a brave man or a fool."
"Meaning?" Jacob snapped and Kario laughed, standing up.
"Again Alpha, you remember what Pack this used to be right?" Kario pointed out. "Vengeance Pack was never known for it's manners, not even a thousand years later."
Jacob groaned and Kario let out a low chuckle.
"Shall I have your car brought around?" He asked and Jacob nodded, walking from the room.
*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲
Jacob stepped out of the car, gripping the top of the door as he looked around. Zone One was much like the other Zones he had visited, decayed and impoverish.
He lifted his nose, sniffing the air, trying to catch a whiff of Sarise's scent, pushing the door closed as he walked towards the centre of the town.
Around him woman pulled children to them, watching him with wide eyes as he passed. Men dropped their gaze from his, shuffling out of his way.
They were terrified, he could smell their fear, it soaked the air overpowering the smell of his mate.
"I'm looking for a woman." He stated, turning to an elderly lady near him. "A Luna."
She pointed towards the centre of the town; her eyes wide with fear. He glanced where she had pointed, turning to look at her and inclined his head.
"My thanks." He said lightly, heading in the direction she had indicated.
He moved down crooked streets, seeing houses that were barely standing up, no windows merely a scrap of material covering them, some without doors.
Children rushed between houses, barefooted in clothes that looked either two sizes too big or two sizes too small.
He approached a large building sitting it what may have been the centre of the town, Sarise's scent hitting him like a tidal wave.
Slowly walking towards it he slid between the doors which hung askew on their hinges into the building.
It was once a church, yet now it was a ruin, the roof falling in, beams exposed to the skies above.
Rotten pews lay stacked against the wall and a weathered statue of the Goddess sat against the back wall, covered in bird shit.
In the centre of the room, sitting beneath shafts of sunlight sat Sarise, surrounded by children as she regaled them with some tale.
Suddenly she stopped, glancing up and seeing him standing at the doorway, his left hand in his pocket as he watched her. Slowly she stood, standing in front of the children as she looked at him.
"Jacob." She said lightly and behind her the children began to whimper. "What brings you into Zone One?"
Jacob smiled, walking towards her and glanced down at the children, fear permeating his nose again as they whimpered in fear.
He was an Alpha and if the historical tales of the Zones held true, an Alpha who subjected the losers of a thousand-year-old war.
"What tale were you telling them?" He asked and Sarise turned to him.
"What?"
"You were telling them a tale." He pointed out, looking at her. "I'd be interested in hearing it."
"Yes." A girl said suddenly, dropping her gaze when Jacob turned to her. "You hadn't finished it." She said quietly, glancing up at Jacob.
"Well if the Alpha wishes to hear then I suggest he sits quietly and doesn't add his two cents." Sarise stated and he looked at her, seeing a small smile of defiance on her lips.
"I'm all ears." He stated, lowering himself to the floor and crossing his legs, offering Sarise to do the same.
Slowly she sat, the children following as they stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
She tore her gaze from Jacob and looked at the children, tapping her index finger against her chin.
"Where was I?" She asked and one of the boys held up his hand.
"Aeon had just captured her sister Clio." He stated and Sarise smiled, nodding.
"That's right." Sarise answered, leaning forward. "So, in the depths of the Immortal Lands, in a place only time knew of, Aeon held her twin sister hostage, torturing her for days on end over the loss of her one true love..."
*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲
"A penny for your thoughts?" Sarise asked as they wandered through the makeshift market.
"They're all the same." He breathed, looking around the square.
"Yes." Sarise stated, wrapping her arm in his. "No one cares about the people in The Zones."
"These lands are where all minerals are mined." Jacob stated. "Not on the same scale it used to be, most of the mineral is shipped straight to the Royal Pack."
"In Zone Nine we used to grow fruit." Sarise said lightly. "Nothing large, a few trees here and there, but I'm told in the days of the Pack there used to be orchards
"Why do they not sell fruit anymore, surely the orchards..." Jacob started to say and Sarise laughed, shaking her head.
"Gone, destroyed by the Regulators after the war." She said lightly "It would provide an industry, which would stop the flow of money from the royal coffers."
"And that money never reaches the neediest of The Zones." Sarise added, looking at Jacob.
He frowned, watching people move about the market. The stalls had the barest of wares, the sparest of food. He watched as children ran between the stalls, laughing as they did.
Such innocence in the face of such poverty, each too young to understand that they would never be anything more than this.
Jacob went to speak when he heard a crash, followed by screaming and he pulled Sarise behind him, turning in the direction the noise had come from.
A group of Regulatory Guards had appeared, one holding a child in his hand and lifting him off the ground by the scruff of the neck.
"What do you think you're doing!" He growled at the boy, lifting him up so he could snarl in his face. "Watch where you're fucken going!"
The boy whimpered and he threw him across one of the stalls.
Jacob growled, a rumbling growl that vibrated around the marketplace and everyone stopped, turning to stare at him.
The burly guard laughed, swaggering towards him, brimming with confidence.
"You look lost mate. Did you take a wrong turn at the border?" He laughed, turning to his companions with his hands out in mock exclamation before he turned back to Jacob, looking at Sarise and licking his lips.
"Not often we get the likes of you and your pretty lady here in the Zones." He added. "Better watch you don't get lost eh. Wouldn't want your pretty lady to be lonely"
He turned his companions and they roared in laughter as he did a lewd action, thrusting his hips at the same time.
"Enough!" Jacob yelled, his voice echoing around the square and everyone stopped, instantly dropping their heads and offering their necks in submission, yet his gaze was upon the guard.
"Is this how you treat those you're meant to protect!" Jacob growled, his wolf trying to push through.
He couldn't control him, couldn't push him back. His wolf wanted nothing more than to come forth and rip this man apart.
He felt his muscles begin to tear as he began to shift, felt bones starting to break when a hand touched his.
"Jacob." Sarise breathed, touching his arm trying to calm him as the guard flexed his head to crack his neck as he slowly turned.
"Oh buddy, did you make a mistake or what." He growled, turning to glare at Jacob. "Who are you to tell me what to do!"
He started walking towards the two, snarling as he did.
"Well, well what have we here?" Kario's voice ran out as the square was suddenly full of men in leather.
Jacob turned, seeing Kario coming towards him, a cocky grin on his face.
"Kario." The Regulator Guard called, throwing a smirk at Jacob. "I was just about to deal with this..."
"See here I thought you'd run into trouble." Kario laughed, ignoring the man and talking to Jacob "But look at you making friends?"
"We were taking a walk around the market when one of your Regulatory Guards assaulted a small boy." Jacob growled, his eyes flashing lavender and Kario's gaze swung to the guard, glowing yellow as his wolf pushed forward.
"Is this true Hal?" Kario rumbled.
"Stupid kid ran straight into me!" The guard snapped, waving his hand at the boy who as crying in the arms of a woman. "Little fuck should watch where he's going!"
"Harlow!" Kario snapped, turning to the man who Sarise and Jacob had met back at the manor. "Have Officer Walters detained!"
"What!" The guard yelled, looking from Kario to Harlow as men in black leather so descended on him, grabbing him and forcing him to his knees. "What the fuck Kario, you're gonna go off the word of this upstart?"
Kario walked forward, slamming his fist into the mans face, blood spraying across the ground as the man's head snapped around.
"How dare you do this to a child!" Kario roared as he bent down to push his face into the mans. "Your job is to maintain the peace and protect them, not throw you're weight around like a fucken thug!"
"So, you're gonna believe the story of some snot nosed kid and this asshole." The guard laughed, spitting blood from his mouth.
"Oh him?" Kario asked, stepping back and looking over at Jacob and Sarise, still bent down to speak to the man. "That is Alpha Marcon from Intelligence Pack and his Luna." The guard's eyes widened as he looked at Jacob.
"Kario." The man breathed and Kario turned to look at him. "I didn't know. I'm sorry, I..."
"Trust me it's one of your lesser crimes Hal." Kario snapped, stepping back. "I'm sick of you throwing your weight around and torturing these people." He turned his back to the man, waving his hand.
"Get him the fuck outta here!" He growled, walking over to the child who now looked up at him with wide eyes.
Jacob and Sarise strained to hear what Kario was saying to the young boy, yet after a while the boy nodded, smiling lightly and Kario ruffled his hair, standing up and turning to walk towards the two.
"I apologise for that." Kario stated, turning to look at the remainder of the squad that moved away from the marketplace. "It seems old habits, for some; are hard to break."
He turned back to the two, indicating the cars that sat outside the marketplace.
"Shall we retire to the manor?"