Distinctly Defiant

Chapter 2 ~ New Target

Chapter 2 ~ New Target

The tavern was packed, despite it being the middle of the day. There was never any shortage of men who wanted to take a break and drink their problems away. There was a roar of laughter then clinking of mugs and then the noise died back down to a reasonable level.

Everett took a gulp of his lukewarm ale. He wasn’t here because he wanted to forget his troubles. He just needed something to do until his group was finished with their task and ready to leave. He scanned the room, looking for and tell-tale signs that there was a werewolf but saw nothing, unfortunately.

He was itching to do what he did best. Track down a werewolf and make a profit of their fur. It was a lucrative, albeit dangerous lifestyle. Werewolves didn’t go down without a fight. He had lost many co-workers by werewolf bite. He absentmindedly scratched a scar on his arm; he had had a few close calls himself.

The door opened and three men slightly older than him walked in. His two brothers took seats on one side of him and their friend on the other.

“Are we ready to leave? Is it done?” Everett asked before he downed the rest of his drink. He turned to his brothers; they had the same shade of dark brown, almost black hair. Tobias, the eldest, had closely shaven hair. His twin Miles was the opposite; he had hair past his shoulders, tied up in the back.

Tobias fixed his brown eyes on his youngest brother. Miles had the same eyes, but somehow, Everett had ended up with blue eyes. He would have liked to know where his looks had come from but their parents had died when they were little. Everett had been only a few months old and his brothers had been almost three. Neither of them recalled many details.

They had grown up in an orphanage and as soon as they were old enough, he and his brothers had left. In their minds, anywhere else had to be better than that orphanage. He grimaced at the thought of that tiny room where all the children slept on the ground. The few blankets rotated possession each night while those without one had to huddle up and spend the night shivering. The few hours they slept were not enough, but as soon as dawn came around, they had to begin their chores. Some nights the baby’s wailing kept them awake, and the next day they were half asleep.

That was probably the reason they went into this profession. They made a lot of money on werewolf fur, silver and gold wolves especially. With the money they made, the brothers wanted for nothing, as long as it was of an average cost. They had come a long way from being poor children trying to survive in the orphanage.

They had gone from being the poorest of the poor to being slightly better-off than the average person. And so far that suited them; they didn’t want to be greedy. That would make them no better than the upper-class who did nothing and still were drowning in wealth. The upper-class just watched over the poor wallow in horrible conditions, doing nothing to help them. They didn’t need so much money; even a tiny piece of it would benefit the poor tremendously. Mindful of what the poor went through, the brothers always donated a portion of their pay to the poor. And they had seen the difference it made.

“There was a complication,” Tobias answered. “But it’s handled. We’re finished what we set out to do.” Tobias signaled to the owner of the tavern to get them drinks.

“We caught him and sold him to a buyer hours later, not bad for one day’s work,” Griffin laughed. Griffin ran his finger through his black hair, his face red from the heat. Griffin had been with them at the orphanage, he was the brothers’ closest friend. When he had found out what their plans were to make money he had wanted in and he’d brought some friends along with him. At the moment their group consisted of sixmen, including Everett.

Everett impatiently shifted on his bar stool. “So now that our work is done, we can go. Where are Felix and Ezra?” he inquired.

Miles shrugged. “They’re around here somewhere, enjoying themselves. Maybe you should take a page from their book. You’re always so high-strung. Besides, we’ve decided to stay a while longer.”