CHAPTER 126: TOP DOG

But Reddrick simply barked out in laughter in Savi’s face as he folded his arms across his chest and flexed his arm muscles, which were surprisingly visible under his guard uniform.

"WHAT! Did you just command me?" Reddrick spat, his eyes blazing with anger and raw arrogance as he stared down Savi.

"Are you blind? Do you think because—" But Savi had no intention of wasting time exchanging words with a madman. He took a bold step forward, closing the distance between them until he was right in Reddrick’s face.

"If you want to fight, we can go right now! It shouldn’t take more than a couple of seconds before I put your arrogant ass down like a dog!" Savi barked, his words punctuated by flecks of spit that splashed onto Reddrick’s face. He watched with satisfaction as Reddrick’s face turned a furious shade of red, like an overripe tomato.

Reddrick’s fists bunched together in barely contained rage as he stared Savi down. Savi, in turn, was prepared for a fight, his hands already raised to his waist, unwilling to be hit without getting a few punches in first. The tension between them was crackling, a storm about to break loose—until the sudden sound of the stable door creaking open shattered their focus.

Savi was the first to react, jerking his head toward the noise, his sharp senses immediately on high alert. Who was there? He hadn’t sensed anyone in the stable earlier. But the distraction proved costly. In that split second, Reddrick saw an opening and swung his fist straight for Savi’s face.

The hit landed squarely on Savi’s nose, the force snapping his head back. Pain exploded across his face as he stumbled backward, blood already trickling down. He barely managed to avoid the follow-up blows, anger bubbling inside him at the unfair hit Reddrick had stolen.

Savi rolled his shoulders, his body trembling with fury. He could feel the heat building in his muscles, the urge to transform and shift into his wolf form almost overpowering. Werewolves were allowed to shift during conflicts if necessary, and Savi was seconds away from making that decision to end this fight once and for all. But before he could, someone dashed forward, gripping Reddrick and pulling him back with surprising strength.

"Are you mad?! Are you fucking crazy right now? Do you think this is the right time for this?!" the newcomer yelled, his voice low but brimming with authority. It was Howie, a senior guard whose reputation preceded him. His piercing glare seemed to subdue even Reddrick, who, despite his still-flushed face, nodded like a chastised puppy.

Savi, however, wasn’t ready to let things slide so easily. His nose throbbed, blood continuing to drip, and his anger was far from cooled. He turned his glare to Howie, recognizing him instantly.

"Savi, right?" Howie began, his tone apologetic as he tried to defuse the situation. "I apologize for Reddrick’s—"

"He broke my nose!" Savi snapped, cutting him off as he wiped the blood away with the back of his hand. "You can’t seriously expect me to let this go! Even for you, this is low!"

Howie stepped closer, lowering his head slightly in what seemed like a gesture of humility. "For today, I beg you to let it go. Another day, you can settle your scores with him," he promised, his tone calm yet firm.

Savi flexed his shoulders in frustration, his stance still radiating aggression. His light brown eyes glimmered faintly, the telltale sign of a werewolf on the verge of shifting. But before he could respond, Howie raised his head, and the apologetic look in his eyes was replaced with something much darker—a look that promised consequences far more sinister than a simple brawl.

The change was enough to send a chill down Savi’s spine, though he refused to show it.

"If you decide to fight, it’ll be two against one," Howie announced, his tone chillingly matter-of-fact.

Savi’s fists tightened. "You would discard your—"

"I owe Reddrick. Right now, I would discard more than that," Howie interrupted, his voice calm but resolute. He cast a quick glance at Reddrick, their unspoken communication clear.

’Should we just kill him? ...But the blood... Even if we kill him, it has to be somewhere far from here,’ Howie thought grimly.

Savi’s lip curled in disdain. "So much for werewolf honor," he muttered, his voice dripping with contempt. The breach of tradition stung almost as much as the blow to his face. He straightened his posture, forcing himself to appear unaffected despite the tension clawing at his nerves. 2

"Fine!" Savi barked suddenly, his voice sharp with suppressed anger. It was obvious he was fighting a losing battle, though his pride refused to let him back down entirely. "I came to check the stable! I can at least do that, right?" He stepped forward, attempting to move past Howie toward the stable door.

But Howie shifted to block his path, his expression fierce. "I just checked it. You should search somewhere else."

Savi scoffed but didn’t argue further. Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked off, he knew that if he pressed he would lose. But he’d only taken a few steps when he heard a faint clanging noise from within the stable. The sound almost him pause briefly, suspicion prickling at his senses. But instead of investigating, he quickened his pace, deciding it was safer to leave—for now.

Reddrick and Howie watched him go, the tension between them still palpable. Reddrick ready to dash forward at any sign that Savi had noticed that something was up.

"What the—Are we really letting him go?" Reddrick hissed, his voice low and urgent. "He definitely heard that sound—" He stepped closer to Howie, his tone fierce and commanding. "We should follow him and finish the job!"

But before he could say more, Howie’s fist shot out, slamming into Reddrick’s face with enough force to make him stagger. On instinct, Reddrick swung back, but Howie countered with a swift knee to his chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to the ground.

Reddrick cursed as he tried to scramble back to his feet, his face contorted with anger. But before he could fully recover, Howie grabbed him by the neck, pinning him down with ease.

Reddrick was mad but Howie simply began to speak in an almost teaching manner.

"God! I knew you were stupid but I didn’t know it was this bad! What exactly was your plan for when you fought him and attracted the attention of all the other guards here!"

"Are you trying to get us—" but Reddrick wasn’t listening! His body size and muscles were much bigger than Howie and he fully believed that he could beat Howie, raising his hands to punch him which was why he was even more stunned when again he was sent right to the ground with a bloody lip.

"What the—" Reddrick cursed as he tried to scramble off the ground as fast as he could only to find Howie hovering over him with his hand tight enough on his neck to choke him and make it hard for him to breathe.

"Don’t mess with me, Reddrick," Howie growled, his voice low and menacing. "I might act nice, but I didn’t get to where I am by being nice."

Reddrick froze under the weight of Howie’s words, the realization of his position sinking in. After a tense moment, Howie released him, stepping back and dusting off his clothes.

"We’ll take care of Savi later if he becomes a problem," Howie said coldly. "First, we take care of the girl." His eyes darkened with anger as he recalled the noise from within the stable. If it had been any louder, Savi might have realized what was truly inside, and their situation would have spiraled out of control.

Reddrick, still catching his breath, nodded silently. The tension between them remained, but for now, they shared a common goal: ensuring that the truth about the girl never saw the light of day.