HUNTER

 

York was worried about how I was going to deal with Rip. I told him everything would be all right.

I asked him out again the following night but he asked for his space. With the money I paid him, it gave him a chance to take a night off and spend more time at the Omega shelter he stayed at.

The space between us gave me a chance to think.

There was only one thing I could do to help York…

 

* * *

 

I sat at the bar and gulped my beer. The cold alcohol pouring down my throat made me sigh. I never got the chance to go out much after a day at work. Most of the time, I retired back to my apartment to get ready for the next day.

My victory the other night afforded me the opportunity to drink without worrying how I was going to pay for it. A pocket full of silver would have made anybody in Dirge smile.

The Beta sitting across from me sank into his seat and enjoyed his mug of beer just the same. He smacked his lips as he licked some of the foam on his facial hair.

Saxon was a hustler. I didn’t know him well but he had to be the way he was if he were going to make it in a place like Pandora. But just because he was always looking out for himself didn’t mean I couldn’t trust him. I just had to give him an incentive to do what I wanted him to do.

“What’s this all about?” Saxon asked. “It must be something if you wanted to talk to me.”

“You talked to me first, remember? Or did you forget when the foreman yelled at you the other day?”

“Hey, I was talking business.”

“This is business, too.”

“All right, Hunter…”

He chugged the rest of his beer and let out a satisfied sigh. He smiled and despite how dimly-lit the bar was, I could still see his yellow teeth.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“I want you to get me another fight,” I said.

“No problem,” he said with a shrug. “There are plenty of fights out there for you.”

“No,” I said shaking my head. “I don’t want just any fight. I need a big fight.”

“What do you mean by that? You want to fight a bear or something?”

“It doesn’t matter. I just need to make more than what I’m making. I need that gold.”

Saxon’s eyes lit up. He rubbed his palms together and leaned forward in his seat. That was the Saxon I knew.

“Okay,” he said. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about.”

“Can you get me a big fight?”

“I can do it. It might take a bit, but I can do it. I’d have to find a major opponent. Someone who’d be favored against you. That way for sure I’ll be the only one betting on you.”

“And when I win, we’ll get all of the winnings.”

“Bingo. Thing is, bigger opponents means it’s a little more dangerous. You sure you’re up for this?”

I didn’t have to think twice about it.

This wasn’t for me. It was the only way I could think of to get York out of his arrangement with Rip.

“I’m up for it,” I said. “I don’t care who you put in front of me. I’ll beat them.”

“I don’t know if there’s anybody like that in Pandora,” Saxon said. “It’s slim pickings in the slums. How would you feel about taking on more than one person?”

“At the same time?”

“Sure.”

“…How many?”

“No more than three. If you took on three Alphas at once, I doubt anybody would bet on you.”

It was a daunting task. There was a bit of doubt in my mind but I pushed those thoughts aside.

“Just tell me where to be and I’ll be there,” I said. “You can put a dozen Alphas in front of me and I’ll beat ‘em.”

“That’s the spirit!”

Another glass of beer arrived at our table for Saxon. He clinked his glass to mine and took another hearty chug. I’d never seen him smile as big as he did.

“You win this, you might be able to move up to the big leagues,” he said.

“The big leagues?”

“Fighting in the slums… That’s small stuff. Everybody out here on the streets is just looking for some extra silver. But they’ve got bigger fights up in Azure.”

Azure was the part of Dirge where most of the affluent people in the city lived. The residents of Azure controlled most of the resources that kept the town running. They owned the mines where the minerals were gathered. They owned the forests where the trees were cut down and turned into lumber. They owned the farmland where the crops were harvested.

“Azure,” I said. “I’ve never been to that part of the city before.”

“You and most everybody else. There’s no reason to go to Azure unless you’re one of those rich jaguars. They’re the ones with all of the gold… But if you win this fight, you might get Valentine’s attention.”

“Who’s Valentine?”

“Valentine’s a jaguar. Rich. Alpha. Runs fights the same as I do here in Pandora.”

“He runs fights? In Azure?”

“Just because he’s rich doesn’t mean he’s above it. I guess rich people need something to entertain themselves with besides sitting on top of all their money.”

“Right…”

“I’m getting ahead of myself though. I’ll get you a big fight and you and I will win enough gold to last us a long time.”

Saxon chuckled to himself then helped himself to more of his beer.

I didn’t see any issue with what was going to happen. The thought of Azure and Valentine wasn’t on my mind. My only focus was to win enough gold so that York no longer had to deal with Rip.

I sighed and took another sip of beer.

“Why are you doing it?” Saxon asked suddenly.

“Doing what?”

“Why do you want a big fight all of a sudden? You didn’t seem too interested the first time you fought. Now you want a big fight so you can make some real money. What happened to you?”

I didn’t look at him as I took another gulp of beer. Even though Saxon and I had a working relationship, there was no need for me to tell him the details of my personal life.

“I know why,” Saxon said.

I didn’t respond to him. I just kept staring at my half-empty glass in front of me.

“It’s because of that Omega,” he said. “What was his name again… York?”

“Is that what you think?” I asked.

I was having trouble hiding the smirk on my face. Saxon leaned forward and gave me a knowing look.

“I’ve been in Pandora all my life. Now, I’m just a Beta—”

“You are.”

“But… I’ve been around enough Alphas and Omegas to know what it’s like. You guys are different.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s nothing bad. It’s just the way it is. When you Alphas get into your moods and Omegas are in heat… It can’t be denied. You might know how to fight but you’re not any different from the Alphas I’ve met. You’ve still got the same wants and desires.”

I laughed softly at Saxon’s observation. He was right but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of letting him know it.

“There’s no shame in it,” he continued. “We all want to find someone special.”

“What’s your deal?” I asked. “You just run fights in Pandora and that’s it?”

“You make it sound like it’s not a big deal. But yeah… I run fights in Pandora. It’s more than enough for me to get by. All I care about is myself.”

“You didn’t have to tell me that.”

I smirked at him. Saxon didn’t take any offense to it as he happily took another sip of his beer.

“Where’d you learn how to fight?” he asked.

“What do you mean? I’m a wolf. That’s how wolves fight.”

“I’ve seen more wolves fight than I can count. You don’t fight like them.”

“How do they fight?” I asked.

Saxon shrugged his shoulders as he spoke. There was a wisdom in his brown eyes that couldn’t be denied.

“Wolves are aggressive,” he said. “Even for Alphas. They’re always snatching and clawing and pouncing. They spend all their energy. You can’t really blame them. They just go at it and try to end the fight as fast as possible.”

“And me?”

“You’re not like that. Sure, you can snatch and claw and all that other stuff. But you’re patient, too. You wait for your moment. It seems like you’re actually thinking.”

“I’m flattered,” I said with a laugh. “But I don’t see the point in wasting my energy in trying to end everything so quickly. If you’re too tired to move, you’ve got no chance.”

“Where did you learn that? Ancestors? Family?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I was never in a pack. Out here in Dirge, there’s no reason to fight like there is in the wild. In Dirge, we’re just ordinary men. I fight like any logical man would.”

“You won’t find much logic in a place like Pandora. But I see what you’re saying…”

Saxon happily finished his beer as another one was brought to our table. He didn’t waste a second as he started chugging it down.

“You’re drinking a lot,” I said. “Is that normal for you?”

“It’s not a normal night. You and I are celebrating your victory. We’re gonna make some real gold after you win.”

“I guess so…”

“Besides, you’re paying for me tonight, aren’t you?”

He gave me a wink and smiled as he finished his beer. He looked at me like he was only kidding but I knew he was serious about having me pay.

I sighed and finished the rest of my drink. There was no point in trying to argue with him. He was a business partner now. I didn’t see any reason I couldn’t try to enjoy his company.