Chapter 290: Facing Kane Butcher

"Come on, One-Eye. I don’t remember doing that to you, but if I happened to be the one, I want you to know it was awesomeeee..." Faye said. Even if she didn’t remember it, the thought of it was something she was proud of. She let out a sharp, mocking laugh, her chest expanding as she tilted her head back with a cocky grin. She shifted her weight on the gravel, her eyes locking onto the man’s single eye, totally empty of any fear despite being out numbered.

"I’m going to take that eye before selling you. Any Alpha will buy you as long as you’re still an Omega..." Butcher said. He gripped the iron rod tightly, his knuckles turning pale as the metal scraped against the dirt with a harsh, grating sound.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but an Alpha has already paid for me. I’ve been sold to the Alpha of my dreams. She paid my dowry," Faye boasted. She crossed her arms over her chest, puffing out her chest as she let out a smug chuckle, her wolf pacing around in her mind, completely ready to back up her mouth.

"Technically, she hasn’t paid anything, and you’re still in the dating stage," Malo said. He kept his eyes on the brush behind Butcher, his voice barely louder than a whisper as he stood right next to her.

That was not helping at all.

"She marked me! That means she fully owns me. I belong to her!" Faye whispered fiercely into Malo’s ear. She leaned over quickly, her teeth bared as her face flushed a deep red from the sudden frustration. Her shoulder jammed against his arm, her breathing speeding up as she tried to make him shut his mouth.

The boy shifted away slightly from her tantrum. He rubbed the side of his neck where her hot breath had just blasted him, his expression completely flat as he shook his head.

"Still doesn’t mean you’re married," Malo mocked. He didn’t even look at her, keeping his focus entirely on the weapons the people were holding, his posture remarkably relaxed for someone facing a loaded gun.

"Yo, what are you trying to gain from making me angry? I don’t have to be married to Princess to show the world that I belong to her!" Faye hissed back, her fingers curling into tight balls inside the pockets of her hoodie.

"Wow, from running away from an Alpha to getting marked by one. Don’t worry, I still have some clients who would want a marked Omega," Butcher said, interrupting the two. He took a heavy step forward, his stupid boot crushing a thick branch with a loud snap that cut straight through their bickering.

Faye looked at him with pure disgust and hatred. Her nostrils flared, her lower lip curling back just enough to reveal the sharp edges of her canine teeth as her inner wolf pushed closer to the surface.

"You know, Butcher, I have a punch reserved just for you. I don’t give a fuck about you and your goons. I’m going to beat the shit out of all of you." She took a long, deep breath through her nose, feeling the cool morning air expand her lungs as she prepared to spring forward.

"Why don’t you start with me? I’ll beat the shit out of you first, bitch," Bambi said as she stepped forward, gripping a baseball bat.

Faye was about to attack, but Malo stepped in front of her.

"Wait, one punch-girl. Remember, this is talking, not fighting. Sometimes a war can end with just a discussion. Let me handle this," Malo said. He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes serious and steady, his breathing slow and controlled.

"Alright then. The floor is yours peace maker..." Faye let out a heavy sigh through her teeth, stepping back onto her heels but keeping her eyes locked onto Bambi’s bat.

"Bambi, look, you don’t have to do this. You have a choice... your own choice, to walk away from that man. Look at him. He’s a greedy krab. He doesn’t love any of you. You’re just goods to him," Malo said. He opened his hands wide, showing his palms to the girl as he tried to get through to her, his voice perfectly clear in the open field.

Bambi started laughing. The sound was high and sharp, entirely lacking any real warmth as she shook her head from side to side.

"Ohhh, you’re just saying that because you think you’ve got feathers now, huh? You’re the goods, not us. He’s our family, better than the ones who gave us up. He gave us a roof, a bed, and put food on our table," Bambi said. She tapped the end of the bat against her palm, her chest heaving with anger as she glared at her former friend.

"What are you trying to do, nephew? Turn my children against their father?" Butcher asked. He let out a low chuckle, his single eye glinting with amusement as he leaned heavily on his iron rod.

"You!" Bambi pointed the bat at Malo. Her arm was shaking slightly, her breath coming in short, furious gasps now. "You were my compa. I did everything for you, but you left me in that dungeon. I was chained up for days. No one came to rescue me except Butcher. He came and carried me out of there."

"Come on, he’s the one who put you there in the first place.... Kraven, even you shouldn’t be standing by his side. He’s not your father. He doesn’t see you as family. He’s just using you," Malo said. He shifted his gaze to the older boy, his voice raising a notch as he tried to break through the wall of loyalty.

Kraven, who happened to be the only one holding a gun, wasn’t buying any of it.

"My loyalty belongs to the one who gave me a home. Everyone else in this world means nothing. Your words are empty, just like you," Kraven replied.

"Looks like they know where their loyalty lies. Malo, you are ungrateful. Your parents brought you into this world, and this is how you repay them? You are a disgrace to your mother, your father, and your siblings," Butcher said. He spat into the ground, his face hardening into a cold mask of disgust.

"Oh, for fuck’s sake, this is taking too long. They don’t need words; they need a serious beating, punching..... And who are you to talk to my friend like that, huh? You’re the disgrace, the disappointment. Offering help to helpless children only to sell them for your own selfish desires. It’s not like you even use the money for anything good, you drink it away in some fucking bar. Maybe I should open a bar for people like you. It would be a very profitable business since there are so many of your kind," Faye said. She pushed past Malo’s arm, her voice booming across the empty field as she stepped right into the center of the road, her lungs burning with raw fury.

"Once I get my hands on that mouth of yours, you’ll be the one begging for mercy. I can’t wait to sell you," Butcher growled.

"How much?" Malo suddenly asked. His voice cut through the shouting like a knife, perfectly calm and incredibly cold.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"How much to buy this Omega right here?" he repeated.