Playing The Alphas

Chapter 64: The Lizard’s Debate

After Vera disappeared into the trees, Korvus stood in the clearing with the pouch still in his hand.

The other two lizards gathered close. Their scales were different shades of green and grey. Their eyes flickered with greed. They also wanted the injection for themselves. They were tired of living under Lizard Alpha Kayden.

"We should keep two," said the smaller one. His name was Renn. His tail was twitching. "For ourselves."

Korvus’s head snapped toward him. "What?"

"You heard me. Two syringes. We hide them. We tell the Alpha we only received six."

Korvus’s grip tightened on the pouch. "That is treason."

"That is survival," Renn shot back. "Look at us. We risk our lives in the human world. We sneak into wolf palaces. We spy, steal and bleed. And what do we get? A few gold coins and a nod from the Alpha. Aso a pat on the back. Are we little kids?"

The third lizard, Threx, nodded slowly. His scales were dark brown.

"Renn has a point," Threx said. "Kayden has been selfish. Selfish for centuries. He thinks only of himself. Of his curse. Of his cure."

Korvus hissed. "You are both fools. The Alpha will find out. He always finds out."

"How?" Renn asked. " We are the only ones who handled the samples. We say there were only six. Who will contradict us?"

"Vera."

"We will ask Vera to be on our side when next she comes. I’m pretty sure she does not care how many syringes we give the Alpha. She only cares that we do not come looking for her."

Korvus paced the clearing. His claws scraped against the moss. His tail lashed behind him.

"This is wrong," he said.

"This is business," Threx replied. "Kayden goes to the human world now. Did you know that? He walks among them. He buys apples. He wears shoes. He enjoys their luxuries."

Renn spat on the ground. "And what does he bring back for us? Nothing. Not a single coin. Not a single human pleasure. He cares only about himself. About becoming human. About leaving us behind."

"Once he is human," Threx added, "he will not need us anymore. He will not need any of us. He will walk away from the camp. From the curse. From his people. And we will be left in the swamp with nothing. We will keep rolling in the mud. We will keep being the forgotten and ugly lizards no one wants."

Korvus stopped pacing. His shoulders sagged.

"You are not wrong," he admitted. "But the risk—" free𝑤ebnovel.com

"The risk is worth it," Renn interrupted. "Think of what we could buy. Land. A house with windows. A farm. Animals. Food that is not raw meat and glowing mushrooms."

"We could buy human women," Threx said. His voice was low. "Real women with soft skin, not the broken ones Kayden keeps in his chamber."

Korvus’s eyes widened. "You would buy slaves?"

"I would buy freedom," Threx said. "Freedom to live how I want. Where I want. With who I want."

Renn stepped closer to Korvus. His voice was urgent.

"We have served Kayden for decades. Centuries, for some of us. We have bled for him. Killed for him. Died for him. And what has he given us? Nothing. Not even respect."

"He gave us a place in his camp," Korvus said weakly.

"A place?" Renn laughed. "A place in a swamp. A place in the shadows. A place where we hide from humans and wolves and anyone who is not a lizard. That is not a place. That is a prison."

Korvus looked down at the pouch in his hand. The syringes seemed heavier now.

"If we sell the blood to other buyers," he said slowly, "we could make a fortune. More than Kayden has ever given us."

"Exactly," Threx said. "There are collectors. Witches. Warlocks. Even some wolves who would pay anything for a sample of true Lycan blood."

"But if Kayden finds out—"

"He will not find out," Renn said. "Because we will be careful. We will hide the samples where no one can find them. And when the time is right, we will sell them. One at a time. Quietly. To buyers who value discretion."

Korvus was silent for a long moment. The moon moved behind a cloud. The clearing grew darker.

"How many?" he finally asked.

"Two," Renn said. "We give the Alpha six. We keep two. One for each of us."

"Or we share the profits," Threx said. "Pool the gold. Buy something together. Something big."

"Like a ship," Renn suggested. "We could sail across the ocean. Find a new land. Start a new life where no one knows us."

Korvus shook his head. "A ship is too much. Too visible. We need something smaller. Something we can hide."

"A house," Threx said. "A house in a human village. With a basement where we can hide during the day. And at night, we come out. We live."

Korvus nodded slowly. "A house. Yes. That could work." freewёbnoνel.com

Renn grinned. His sharp teeth glinted. "So we agree? We keep two?"

Korvus looked at his companions. At Renn’s eager face. At Threx’s steady eyes.

"We keep two," he said.

He opened the pouch. He carefully removed two syringes. He handed them to Threx.

"Hide them. Somewhere safe. Somewhere not even the Alpha would think to look."

Threx took the syringes. He walked to the edge of the clearing. There was a large hollow tree, its trunk split open by lightning years ago. Threx placed the syringes inside. He covered them with leaves and dirt. He stepped back.

"No one will find them there," he said.

Korvus tucked the remaining six syringes back into the pouch. He secured it to his belt.

"We will tell the Alpha we received six," he said. "No more, no less."

"And if he asks about the missing four?" Renn asked.

"We tell him the old woman was interrupted. That she could only take six before the girl woke up."

"He will be angry."

"Let him be angry. He is always angry. It will not matter once we have our house. Our freedom."

The three lizards stood in the clearing. The moon emerged from behind the cloud. Silver light washed over their scales.

"What now?" Renn asked.

Korvus looked toward the edge of the forest. Beyond the trees, he could see the lights of a human village.

"Now," he said, "we should camouflage. We go to the village, hide among the bushes and look at human girls for our pleasure."

Renn’s grin returned. "The humans? At this hour?"

"They will be sleeping," Threx said. "But some will be awake. Those who cannot rest. Some young girls will defy their parents and come out to swim."

"We will watch them," Korvus said. "And when we are satisfied, we will return to the camp."