Isaac for some unfathomable reason didn't find her tactics as amusing as she did.

She had half expected to be attacked from behind by the two creatures so desperate for her attention but was pleasantly surprised when she turned around to see them both being held back in chains by large muscled men.

What she didn't find so pleasant were the daggers Isaac was shooting at her with his eyes. It wasn't her fault she wasn't much of a hugger.

The crowd yelled and congratulated Amelia, throwing weird spices at her, which Isaac claimed were tradition to honor her win, but Amelia didn't trust him and thought they were seasoning her so they could eat her later.

A number of the elders came up and congratulated her for getting not two but all three of the metallic rods and anxiously wanted to hear the whole story from the champion's mouth herself. Isaac recovering from the massive blow to his ego, pulled her aside after the sixth one, claiming the Luna was too tired and would celebrate later.

He took her hand and lead her out of the chaos "what's going to happen to Iris?" Amelia asked, staring at the agitated wolf trying to get out of the heavy metal chains.

"She'll get over it," Isaac waved off.

"You should rest, can't have you dying on me now, funerals cost too much," before Amelia could argue, he put his hands around her waist and picked her up in his arms.

"What do you think you're-" Amelia tried to get out of his grip.

"Taking you home."

"My home is in silver moons" she answered in monotone.

"This is your home now," he growled, irritated by the thought that she didn't want to be with him. " Sure I Kidnapped you but I really thought we had bonded."

"You know who I did bond with? Your pet crocodile," Amelia beamed, trying to claw Isaac again.

"Oh yeah, she's a real looker isn't she?" Isaac answered back with a cunning smile.

"Sure is, how you managed to get your hands on her is above me, what a precious thing she is," Amelia's tone was acid.

"Frankly, I thought our torture techniques needed a little spicing up. What better way to scare the crap out of your enemies than threatening to set a blood lusting crocodile on them?"

"So you set it off on me?" She glared, not liking his answer.

"It was sedated?" He tried to calm her down.

"IT wanted to eat me."

"Don't insult Gloria like that, she has a much more refined taste palette," he announced proudly.

"Gloria?"

"We call the croc what the croc wants to be called," he said trying to put his hands slightly up in defeat.

"And you chose Gloria," she stated blankly, "how that name even popped up into your head is questionable."

"It's funny to tell people they'll have to deal with Gloria and see them look all cocky because they think Gloria's an old suburban housewife but are mildly surprised to see the hungry reptile."

"Yeah, mildly surprised."

"Same way you're mildly irritating."

"Hey, the peasant doesn't go around making snarky comments," Amelia said, letting the fact that Isaac was carrying her around like a princess get to her head.

"Women, give them an inch and they'll take a mile. I'm carrying you because you walk like an intolerable sloth."

"Shhhhhh" Amelia said putting her finger on his lips.

"No one gets to fucking tell me to-"

"shhhhhhhhhh"

"I'm going to drop you, seriously-"

"SHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Isaac, despite all his previous threats, did not indeed drop her- in fact he took her into his house, carried her up the long staircase, tucked her unconscious body in bed as he bandaged some of her wounds.

"You're so fucking whipped," his Beta said standing outside the bedroom door, watching Isaac bandage a sleeping Amelia's wrist.

"Stop breaking into my house Jake."

"So you're going to let one female get in between us, what happened to bros over hoes?" Jake said with a cocky smile.

"Yeah, well you're the only hoe I see," Isaac countered, talking about his friend's womanizing ways.

"Are you still mad about me escorting her here, because I told you, I promise I did not hurt her."

"I know, because if you did, you'd be six feet underground right now," Isaac gave him a charming smile. He did that when he was threatening someone.

"I'm glad to see where your loyalties lie, old friend," the Beta shook his head with a grin.

"Did you have something to tell me or are you here because you don't have any other friends?"

"I have plenty of lady friends," Jake answered wiggling his eyebrows "but yes, I have news that the Alpha of Red bane has killed two of our warriors yesterday on neutral ground."

The Red bane were a newly emerging pack. The only ones with the balls to pick a fight with the Blood hounds.

"How many did we kill?" Isaac asked gritting his teeth.

"Seven, our wolves didn't go down without a fight," Jake answered with a bitter smile.

It pained Isaac to hear about the death of the two loyal men, he cared about his pack with great passion, filled with the criminals of society and all, he gave them a place to live and it was his responsibility to lead them and keep them safe.

"You know what this means right? War. We've let them mess with us for far too long," Isaac declared.

"You heard the rumors, Red bane has been intimidating Silver moon into letting them make base there because they have the land closest to us, and are weak enough to boss around without using military.

We fight one pack, we have to fight the other too," Jake whispered "how do you think your mate would take it when she finds out the reason we were snooping on her land was to gather information for a future attack? We were gonna burn the place to the ground. Especially now, given recent circumstances."

Isaac looked at his friend and then his mate "she'll have to deal," was his macho response. But he couldn't ignore what he really felt inside

I think she's going to set my crocodile on me.

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