Alpha’s Black Furred Slave Mate
Chapter 34

It seemed like a decade ago when Marlon was repulsed by the dark-furred wolves. Like everyone, he thought of them to be dirty, smelly, uneducated, and uninteresting creatures. He grew up with only that in his mind and he never understood why some dark-furred

wolves were slaves to the nobles and royals, and others were able to reside in the homes of commoners.

They played it off like they were just slaves for the commoners. But even at a young age, Marlon knew the dark-furred wolves were treated differently. The commoners didn't treat them as help, they treated them more like equals than anything. They were allowed to live amongst the commoners peacefully and without fear. They were weak and simple-minded. They remained dirty and disgusting creatures.

Worst of all, they repopulate. It seemed as though the number of dirtballs kept increasing. They were allowed to have children and those children had children and so on. The population was growing too intense to keep up with it.

So, the king made a new order stating that the commoners were no longer allowed to hold slaves. It was a no-brainer; round up all the dark-furred slaves and keep them from repopulating. Place them in an area where they can learn how to be proper slaves until they turn 18 years old and can actually be a proper slave to a family more deserving than a commoner.

Commoners don't need slaves; commoners were already workers and did tasks for the higher hierarchy. They had no use for slaves.

Marlon, on the other hand, didn't like having dark-furred slaves in his home. He never has. He would be assigned a few of them and he would work them hard until they die. Or he would use them for his own hunting game and kill them much quicker. But for the most part, he was pleased with just using his commoner workers.

He was brought a slave, not long before Deonna arrived, she was much older than he expected. She was booted from her other master's home because he grew annoyed with her for not knowing English. Marlon knew her old master and knew him to be a softy. Her old master should have just killed her instead of shipping her off to a different manor.

Marlon ended up getting stuck with her and he stuffed her in the slave shack, in the gardens. He planned to just hunt her once he got back from his business trip. But as he was gone, he got word that another, much younger, slave was going to be residing at his residence. That didn't sit right with him, but he was told this one was weaker, yet much younger.

This made Marlon curious enough to end his trip a few hours earlier and begin heading home. He knew his sons well and didn't trust them around fresh meat anyways.

He wasn't expecting his wolf to react to Deonna in such a way that left him bewildered. His plan for her was to use her for gutter work; she was to report to the maids, and they were to use her as they see fit. But his wolf wouldn't allow for that; he had grown much louder than Marlon had anticipated.

Now the slave had his child, and he was keeping her stored in a shack, separate from the manor. He knew he needed to stay clear from them both for a while until talk around the manor calmed down, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It was like his body craved her; his wolf wouldn't allow him to forget about her. He needed to be around her, and he wanted to be around his newborn son, Mateo.

What kind of name was "Mateo" anyways?

It didn't sound like a name for a nobleman.

How was he going to bring Mateo in to be a potential sole heir to his estate, without raising concern around the kingdom? For sure others will get wind that he was born from a dirtball; just one look at him and it's obvious that his mother is a dirtball.

So far, the maids believe that Deonna is on lockdown and resting after a birthing that nearly took her life. Which isn't completely a lie. Marlon even went far as to tell them that Deonna is also caring for the newborn child in her time of rest. But soon the child will be given to the slave farm once a spot opens up.

That was a lie though.

Marlon wasn't going to allow any son of his, regardless of the fur color, to be sent to a slave farm. He knew what the farms were about; he didn't need Deonna to tell him what the farms were about.

Maybe Marlon has been in denial about it this whole time; he wanted to believe the farms had a purpose to strengthen the dirtballs and make them into proper slaves. But after hearing Deonna speak so ill of the farms and her take on everything, it was clear to him how wrong he was.

Of course, he would never admit that to her. He still needed to provoke a little fear in her and not show her any signs of remorse or weakness. Despite the fact that he showed up at the shack with gifts for both Deonna and Mateo Deonna was getting wildly comfortable around him, and he needed to put an end to that.

Just as the thought crossed his mind of how he could put Deonna back in her place without raising eyebrows, he received a weary sensation throughout his wolf. It was a sense that someone was breaking into his study.

His wolf often warned him of breaches and whereabouts of things/people that were important to him. In this case, he was getting a nagging feeling in the core of his stomach.

Something was wrong.

He made his way through the manor. He could hear the wind picking up from outside and the thunder roaring through the kingdom. He worried that Deonna and Mateo weren't okay. As he reached his study, he pushed the door open, and Alex stood there frozen. He looked like a dear who got caught in the headlights; Marlon pressed his lips together in a firm line and stared at his son with dismay.

Alex looked guilty and Marlon was in no mood for this shit. "What are you doing?" Marlon asked, stepping into his study.

His son recoiled slightly but kept his eyes locked on Marlon.

"I was just looking for something," Alex told him; Marlon could see him beginning to sweat. "I was looking for mother's journal. I know you keep it close, and I wanted to show Bob something. We had a bet going and the journal will allow me to win that bet." He was lying. Marlon knew when his boys lied; they both had obvious tells. Alex would swallow hard whenever lies came out of his mouth. Bob would stare down at his feet like a child. It was pathetic really.

"And you didn't think to just ask?" Marlon asked, keeping his tone low and even. "Instead, you break into my study?"

"I didn't think you were home," Alex admitted sheepishly.

Marlon took a step closer to him, and by reflects, Alex took a step back. Marlon was too tired to argue with him. He rolled his eyes and pointed over at the bookcase.

"Third row, 5th book in," Marlon said as he made his way over to his desk.

Alex seemed hesitant for a moment but then nodded and went to search for the journal. As Marlon sat at his desk, he no longer paid much attention to his son. Alex was the weak one of the two; he wasn't as strong as Bob. He was smart though, which Marlon admired, but it was going to take more than brains to take charge of a kingdom and be the sole heir. He worried that Alex wasn't going to be fit for the role.

Bob on the other hand wasn't smart; he cheated his way through his lessons and made stupid choices on the daily. But he was strong and fierce; other wolves feared him, and he knew how to take charge. He was the most suited to take over as the sole heir and he was most suited to be a nobleman.

Bob reminded Marlon a lot of himself at that age.

Marlon pulled open his hidden drawer under his desk; he frowned because of how easily it pulled open. He must have forgotten to lock it the last time he was in there.

He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but there was a nagging feeling that was telling him he needed to open it. Staring down at the items in the drawer, everything seemed to be in order. He kept the things that were the most private in the drawer. Important documents, drugs, a couple of tape recordings, cufflinks, and the cufflink emergency key. In case something happened where Marlon's touch didn't work to unlock the cufflink and he needed a key. Or if a slave was being taken away due to the king's orders and Marlon wasn't around to release the slave into the guard's custody. His sons would be able to grab the key and unlock the cufflink.

As he sat there staring at his desk drawer, he frowned.

The key was gone.

It was no longer in its normal location. It was completely missing from the drawer.

Slamming the desk drawer shut, he shot up to his feet, just in time for Alex to reach the doorway. He had the journal in his hands, and he looked utterly nervous.

"Stop!" Marlon barked at his son who flinched at his tone.

Alex stopped walking instantly and turned to see Marlon glaring at him; Alex swallowed hard. Marlon noticed his fingers trembling and his knuckles turning white as he gripped the journal.

"Where is it?" He hissed between gritted teeth.

After a breath of silence, Alex answered.

"Where's what?"

"Don't play me for a fool!! I know you took it. Where is it!!" Marlon shouted, his voice booming through the study.

Alex flinched again at his tone; this is the angriest Marlon ever felt towards his son.

"I don't know what you are talking..."

Before Alex could finish his sentence, Marlon was already inches from him and gripping his throat with his long and sharp fingers. Marlon's wolf face began taking shape as his anger rose deep into his chest.

"I'm going to ask you one last time. Where is it?" He hissed again, anger seething through his teeth.

Alex was gagging for air at that point; he had dropped the journal as Marlon slammed him into the wall.

Alex finally motioned for his pants. Marlon reached into his son's pant pocket and pulled out a small silver cufflink key. Gripping it in his hands he tightened his hold around Alex's neck.

Alex continued to struggle to breathe; his eyes were begging for Marlon to release him and show him mercy. But Marlon was just so furious at his son's betrayal. He was confused as to who he was planning on releasing and why he would risk everything to release this person.

Once Alex's face began turning from red to blue, Marlon finally released him. Alex fell to the ground with a "thump" and began coughing. Taking in as much air as he could, he rubbed his throat with trembling fingers. "How dare you betray me!!" Marlon roared to him.

He recoiled; now his entire body was trembling.

"Me?" Alex finally said, his tone raspy. "I'm not the one hiding a slave and a baby!"

That took Marlon by surprise. So, that's what this was about. Alex found Deonna and Mateo in the shack and was planning on releasing them.

"Were you ever going to tell us about your new precious son?" Alex shot back.

Marlon's eyes widened.

He knew?

"Yeah... that's right," Alex coughed, reading Marlon's shocked expression. "I know that the slave's baby was yours. I know you've been hiding her in the shack. I know everything."

"So, help me, god..." Marlon hissed between his teeth.

Alex scrambled to his feet.

"What? What are you going to do? Kill me? Go ahead. It's not like you want me around anyways. I'm sure Bob will make a fine nobleman. Unless you decide to give it to Mateo," Alex shot back.

Without hesitation, Alex's neck was in Marlon's grip again and he was slamming his son into the wall once more. Alex coughed, trying to gain breath but there wasn't enough air in the room that could help him. "You watch how you speak to me!!!" Marlon shouted; his voice nearly echoed.

Then a thought crossed him which caused him to release Alex once again; how did he know Mateo's name?

"You spoke to her?" Marlon asked, his voice sounding accusatory.

Rubbing his throat and gasping for air again, Alex stood up.

"Yeah. So what? I found her in the shack. She agreed to leave if I was able to get her out undetected," Alex admitted.

Hurt flashed through Marlon's eyes; he couldn't deny that it stung him to hear that she was planning on leaving. She was trying to take Mateo and get out.

He had to take a step back and reevaluate what he just learned.

"She wants to leave?" Marlon breathed; his anger was slowly dispersing, which Alex was noticing.

"Would it be better if she were to die instead? You couldn't possibly want this dirtball child," Alex told him.

Marlon's hand shot across Alex's face, slicing through his flesh, and leaving a pink marking with a trickle of blood down his cheek.

Alex stared at his father in shock, before realization crossed over his face.

"You love her," Alex said in a mere whisper; he was in disbelief at his own words.

It wasn't a question, but Marlon knew he couldn't allow his son to think such things.

"Don't be ridiculous," Marlon hissed.

"Then why do you care what happens to her?" Alex asked.

He was becoming braver, which Marlon was admiring.

"If anything happens to her..." he paused to collect his thoughts. "You won't live to see tomorrow."

"I fucking knew it..." Alex breathed, staring at his father as though he was staring at a stranger.

"Get the hell out of my study," Marlon growled.

With a final look, Alex left the study, leaving Marlon alone with these thoughts.

He was breathing heavily due to being so riled up.

He needed to check on Deonna again and make sure that Alex keeps his nose out of the shack; he also needed to make sure Alex kept his mouth shut. The last thing he needed was for word to get out about Deonna and for rumors to start spreading. As he headed back towards his door, he paused and frowned.

Was Deonna really planning on leaving?