Offer

Paige who had been hiding by the entrance hall, opened her mouth wide in shock and gasped hearing Ivan's words.

' To think he's really found that bitch!... Talk about being unfortunate' Paige was devastated at the fact that her chance to redeem herself with Jason was gone, just like that.

" Where are they now?" She heard Jason ask and couldn't help but give up on her thought and focus on listening in on the conversation even more.

" The traitor was spotted in Portico city. He is wounded and is now looking to find help and heal. Caleb Last saw him entering some local pub. Yoldes' palm it was called..." Ivan recounted slowly.

' To think that fool has gone that far...' Jason creased his gaze and rubbed his chin in thought for a second before asking. " And Kyley?"

" ... I found her myself..." Ivan didn't let up the chance to boast of his achievement. After all, it was a rare opportunity that every other pack member had been hoping to grab so as to impress Jason. However, he didn't waste too much time and quickly added. " She's still within the woods. Deep within the northern area, she stays with some man..."

" Grr!"

Ivan trailed off his words when he heard Jason grumbling. He couldn't help but raise his gaze and he visibly shuddered seeing Jason's face.

His fangs had grown visible and his face slowly shifted, growing into a snout and became hairy; his eyes gained a golden glow and the whiteness in them reddened.

Jason was furious!

Ivan was shocked and just stared dumbfoundedly at Jason. He didn't understand why his leader was suddenly furious but he knew well enough to keep silent and slowly retreat.

" This man. What does he look like?" Jason asked a while after.

Ivan looked to the side for a second to recollect Darren's image before answering tersely " H- he is of an average height, built muscles and sturdy figure. I've never seen him around before."

" A rogue perhaps" he added.

Hearing this description, Jason's anger slowly subsided and confusion spread all over his face. He craned his head to the side in thought for a long while.

Paige who had been listening in on the conversation the whole time also looked up as if to recollect if she'd seen someone who fitted that description before.

' No I haven't. It's just as Ivan said, a rogue perhaps' She thought and shrugged. She touched her chin as she resumed her train of thought right after ' Now that Ivan found Kyley, what am I supposed to do? Jason would probably make a move on those two by himself and I would stand no chance to redeem myself.'

' Think Paige, think! There's gotta be something.

" Those two are going to taste my wrath" Jason swore with a crush of his hands as he stared with a sneer at a distant spot, seemingly thinking about his next move.

' Those two?' Hearing Jason's words, something suddenly occured to Paige. She frowned and contemplated the idea ' Jason couldn't possibly be present at both scene, right? He couldn't go after Kyley and Alphonse at the same time. Knowing him, he'd probably go after Kyley first... However, if I could just convince him a little' Paige grinned when she came up with a way to sabotage this opportunity that had revealed itself to her.

" You may leave now" Amidst her thoughts Paige heard Jason dismiss Ivan.

" Y-yes, leader!" Ivan nodded and hurried away. Jason's mood was unpredictable, and Ivan himself didn't want to stay around any longer after what he'd just witnessed. He didn't even notice Paige hiding on his way out.

Paige looked at Ivan's back and couldn't help but crease her gaze. After he was completely gone, she came out of her hiding and headed towards the main hall where Jason was to make her move.

Click! click!

Hearing the sound of heels suddenly echoing through as someone walked in, Jason was shaken out of his thought as to what to do next after hearing the great news that Ivan had come in to deliver.

Looking up to see who it was, Jason frowned instantly setting sight at Paige's figure. " ... What is it this time, Paige?" Jason didn't have the time to spare for her worthless schemes. He wasn't in the mood to listen to any of her nonsense at the moment. He had important businesses that he had to take care of after all.

" Ja- leader... I have something to offer you" Paige bowed reverently and stated in a confident tone. She had almost made the first mistake to call Jason by his name and not leader. Thankfully, she was able to make amends before it was too late.

She couldn't help but bite her lower lip, regretting those nights that she had spent fantasizing about him. They were really getting to her now.

" What do you have to offer?" Jason frowned and asked. If it weren't for the fact that she was sometimes capable and useful, Jason wouldn't even grant her the ground to stand before him.

" I-" Just as Paige was about to respond, Georgia walked back into the room with a bottle and glass of scotch on a tray in hand. Paige couldn't help but pause since what she had to discuss with him was confidential.

" Master, here's your drink" Georgia bowed and placed the tray before Jason.

Jason calmly reached to pick up the bottle and placed it by his feet. He then took the glass of scotch that was already filled as well.

Georgia stepped back, having carried out his order. However, just then, Jason grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, making her fall in his lap.

" Eek!" Georgia squeaked in fear and expressed panic as she landed in his lap.

Clang!

The tray dropped falling from her grasp and crashed on the floor loudly.

Jason's expression remained cold and stern, however. He raised the scotch and placed it to Georgia's lips.

" Drink!" He ordered.

Georgia still shocked and bewildered just nodded in a daze and drank the scotch that was poured all over her mouth. After taking a full gulp of all the scotch in the glass, Jason removed the glass from her lips. " Get up" he ordered.

Georgia stared dumbfounded for a second before slowly pushing herself up. She moved to pick up the tray and retreated from the room entirely, wiping her mouth as she rushed away.

Next time, she would learn to fill the glass right in front of Jason.

' Who the heck is that?' She questioned and subconsciously looked towards Jason as if to ask. However, seeing the cold stern expression on his face, she shook her head and pushed the thought aside.

Paige stared at Georgia's back as she left the room, her face red and flustered. For no apparent reason, she despised that servant, whoever she was.

" Your offer?" Jason reminded her and it was then that Paige remembered that she had been trying to convince Jason before.

" Y-yes, the offer. It's about Kyley..." Paige said. She looked deep into Jason's eyes. Although she trembled from the coldness within those chaotic eyes of his, she still persisted.

" What about Kyley?" Jason asked, furrowing his brows even deeper. He didn't understand just where Paige was headed with this ' offer' of hers.

" I know you can't be in two places at once. You have to go after either Kyley or Alphonse... And I know you want so badly to get rid of Alphonse and drag his face across the very floor you step on so no one would dare stand up to your authority ever again..."

Jason frowned and lowered his head in thought hearing Paige.

" After all, you have to make an example of him" Paige grinned and added seeing that Jason was giving thought to her words. " As such, I shall assist in bringing Kyley back. That way, you could kill two birds with one stone don't you think." She suggested finally, a smirk appeared on her face.

This was the brilliant idea she came up with to seize the opportunity before her. She planned to make Jason go after Alphonse and change his mind about going after Kyley first. And her plan seemed to be working.

Jason touched his chin and shot a glance at Paige. He stared at her in thought for the longest while before asking. " and what do you stand to gain in all of this?"

Paige visibly shuddered hearing this. She hadn't thought of this and didn't know what to say.

She looked about quickly in search for what to say. However, greed was a fatal flaw that Paige struggled with. Despite knowing Jason was trying to interrogate her to see her true intentions, she still couldn't let the opportunity to request the one thing she's always wanted pass by.

" I-... I only request the leader would take all of me and own it" She looked into Jason's eyes and said. Paige was bold enough to admit her feelings before Jason, and she wouldn't back down at any opportunity to showcase this.

Following her words, silence fell around the place for a long while until Jason let out a dry cackle.

" Come" Jason beckoned at Paige with creased gaze, causing her to shudder. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest instantly and she couldn't help but stare at Jason confusedly.

She didn't think she heard him quite right

...