Demonic Regime

Chapter 8: Mating Special (Collin)

I scowled at the screen as Axil walked out with a red werewolf. The crowd roared and applauded the couple. I shook my head. Where did Axil find someone like that? His mate should be a dominant with that kind of fur but his size said differently. The camera zoomed in on the couple as they reached the end of the balcony. The boy had white markings. I sat up in my seat. That was interesting. It was rare to see a male werewolf with such dark fur and light markings. The beta's mate was going to be a handful.

"Wow," breathed Milo.

The human was sitting on the floor with his head cocked back so he could look up at the screen. He was completely engrossed with the couple.

"He's so pretty," whispered Milo.

I sunk into the couch and tapped my claw against the side of my head. I hoped red fur meant the boy would give Axil hell for the rest of their lives. The beta deserved a pain in the ass mate.

My eyes flicked over to the little human sitting at my feet. "Have you ever wondered what you would look like?"

Milo sunk into his shoulders.

"Your hair doesn't fit your personality." I ruffled the brown strands. "It would probably lighten up quite a bit."

The boy bowed his head.

"What color do you want?" I leaned over my knees.

Milo shrugged. "I don't know, sir. I'm not very strong for a human. I wouldn't make a good werewolf, either."

I grabbed my tablet off the coffee table and moved to the floor. Leaning back against the couch, I looked up the Midfield leadership. I clicked on a picture and showed it to Milo. "This is the successor of Midfield and his new mate."

His eyes ran over the image.

"Rumor has it, the boy couldn't even walk when Maximus found him. The human had a birth defect or something like that. I think you have far more potential at being a werewolf than him."

Milo frowned. "He has red markings. His blood must have tested pretty good."

"So?" I scrolled through some of the other images. "Red fur isn't as wonderful as everyone thinks. Every werewolf I've met with red fur has been a complete asshole."

The human was quiet for a moment. He peeked over at me. "Why are you asking me this, sir? I'm never going to be a werewolf."

I patted his head. "I don't know. I guess I feel like you need a little confidence. Your old master was a little over the top by the sounds of it."

Milo took a deep breath. "I could never be a dominant. Middle rank might not work for me either, to be honest. So I'd probably be a lower rank."

"What about a sub?" I propped my elbow up on the couch.

"An omega," he whispered. "I'd prefer not to be that."

"Well, the only way you'd be ranked an omega would be through a mating. That would bump you up to sub status."

"It's just a nice word for a mated omega, sir." He picked at his fingernails. "But, I'm a human so omega would be higher than I am now."

I leaned closer to him. "What kind of mate would you want?"

He rubbed his face as he gazed up at the TV. His hands were shaking. "Someone nice. Strong. Most humans just want someone that can protect them from other werewolves."

"I'm highly ranked."

Milo sat very still.

"I outrank everyone in my family. That bastard"—I nodded to the TV—"did this to my face to remind himself that he was stronger."

"The beta..."

"It takes someone pretty strong to leave a scar on me. Doesn't help he has a couple years on me, too."

"You really don't like the beta, sir."

"I hate him," I stated plainly. "When my dad was offered a job to work for the alpha, it was either him or me. He made the final choice, but if I wanted to trade him places, I could. As much as I hate running the estate, having to work with Axil and put up with his shit everyday sounds a hundred times worse."

Letting out a shaky breath, the human remained still with his head bowed.

"Milo, look at me."

He winced at my words. "Are we doing another negotiation, sir?"

"No. I just want you to look at me." I turned his chin my way.

The human stared at the wall.

"Am I really that scary?"

"No, sir. It's just—" He sucked in his lips.

"I'm ugly, then?"

He shook his head and closed his eyes. "No. No, you're a good-looking werewolf."

"My scars are kind of ugly, though."

He looked me in the eyes. "No, sir. It's just hard." He dropped his head. "A human should never challenge a werewolf. You're a really powerful one and I just don't want to—" he clasped his forehead.

I cupped his face and lifted it as I changed forms. "Is this better?"

"Sir?" he gasped.

I grinned at him. "I'm ugly as a human as well?"

He shook his head. "No, I've just never seen a werewolf in human form before." Milo lifted his hand and stopped. "Did that hurt? It's so close to your eye."

I touched the one that ran along the inner corner of my eye. "I was blind in that eye for about three days. The doctor said I'd be fine, but being a dramatic teenager, I was ready to kill Axil. That's how I got this." I tilted my head to the side to show him my ear. "He bit a chunk out of it. It was quite the week. Blind in one eye, my eardrum burst from an infection because of the idiot's toxins a couple days after."

"Why would he do that?"

He was looking at me. I was trying really hard not to smile.

"I was a threat. As I said, I'm high ranking, so Axil felt he needed to put me in my place more so than others. It happens a lot. High ranking dominants are always fighting to establish their place amongst each other. Especially during our school years. We all end up at the same boarding school. Tempers and egos are a constant issue." I grinned at him. "I had to put a few hotheaded red werewolves in their place while I was there."

Milo looked terrified. I guess to a human the idea of werewolves battling it out would be scary. The human slaves that worked at the school were practically shadows. They knew how to hide and avoided us at all cost.

"Do you want to cut into the cake? We can celebrate our beta finding the perfect mate for him," I said with a smirk.

Eyeing the plastic container, Milo nodded. "Okay."

I popped off the lid and moved the plates and utensil over to him. Rising to my feet, I went to my desk and grabbed my floor-length robe. It was a little big in this form. I slipped my arms into the sleeves and did up the two buttons on the front. Returning to the couch, I slumped into it and stretched out.

Milo handed me a plate and a fork. He dished himself a piece.

I patted the cushion next to me. "Come up here."

He did so and sat cross-legged. A reporter was interviewing Axil who had an arm wrapped around his mate's waist.

"This is good," said Milo.

I took a bite. It was good. The right amount of sweetest with a bitter aftertaste. "We'll have to get another one sometime."

He glanced at me.

I shrugged. "What you expected me to eat the entire cake by myself? My mom and sister don't like dark chocolate. I'll have to show up at boot camp out of shape with a gut because I ate too much cake. The other dominants would never let me live it down."

Milo grinned. "Thank you, sir." He pushed his cake around the plate. "You're not ugly. The scars are kind of cool." Our eyes met and he smiled at me. "They fit you."