Valentine had wasted no time in running to Legion and informing Chaos about the deal he'd made. He'd arrived at Chaos' doorstep tipsy, breathless and more than a little smug but if his son had questioned his sanity he hadn't made a show if it and had come on board pretty quickly. Now they were back at Abaven and it was all Valentine could do to keep from racing into the pack and dragging the slaver out by his tail. Perhaps Valentine should have let Chaos take the lead since he was technically the one taking control of the captive, but he was much too eager and too used to being in charge for the thought to cross his mind. He howled for Abaven's alphas to let them know he'd returned and then stood tall and quiet, ready and waiting for them to bring him his prize. ""

Chaos had followed along with his father's pace, privately grumbling to himself that his father was much too spritely for an old man and weren't old folk supposed to be slow and dignified and leave the rushing and bouncing around to their kids and grandkids? Despite his internal grumbling, Chaos kept up with his father's tipsy running about and bore a smugly crooked little grin of his own as they came to a stop at Abaven's borders. When Valentine had babbled out his deal with Shaye and Rhyme, Chaos hadn't quite understood. Slaver? What slaver? But Valen had finally gotten around to the whole sordid tale, a slaver that had come to try and track down his escaped prisoners only to be captured by mousy little Abaven when he'd been idiot enough to walk straight up to their borders and demand his property returned. And the offer, that Shaye and Rhyme would turn the slaver over to Legion to hold captive in return for three Abaven wolves in the war against the slavers, and any information they could wring out of the little rat. It seemed like a more than fair trade, frankly, and Chaos was more than happy to accept his father's trade for him.

He lounged indolently on his haunches on the border as he waited for Shaye and Rhyme, fangs glinting ivory in that smug grin he just couldn't be bothered to hide. And wasn't Abaven lucky to have one of their alphas have connections with a pack that wasn't as squeamish about slavery as they were? He wondered what they'd have done with the male if they didn't. They surely weren't going to have been able to kill him. Salve their own conscience with thinking of him as a prisoner, maybe, and let him drain off their food and their guards like the leach he likely was. Not so Chaos, who wouldn't put up with slacking and crybaby attitudes in what he considered apologetically to be a slave - though perhaps it would be more tactful not to refer to the captive that way until after he'd been handed over, lest Shaye or Rhyme back out of the deal over it. "Looks like something worthwhile is finally coming out of a wedding, eh Dad?" he asked of his impatient father with a great deal of course amusement as they waited for the other alphas to appear. Other alphas - that didn't just include he and Shaye and Rhyme. In his heart of hearts, Valentine would always be alpha of Imperium, regardless of what rank he held in Legion.

She heard Valentines howl and knew what it was about, she left Rhyme to prepare their prisoner and made her way to the border to greet him and his son. She nodded her head to Valentine, noting the eagerness in his eyes, through he stood tall and proud at her border. She looked to Chaos, giving the Alpha a nod also, though she did not know the man it was easy to figure out who he was.

“Welcome to Abaven, Valentine and Chaos, if you would follow me?” straight to business, as no doubt Valentine was eager to do. Once she calculated in the time it took to get from Abaven to legion, speak with Chaos, and get back here, she was half expecting that Valentine had sprinted the whole way. Some people got excited over strange things, Vail when she saw a rare herb, and Valentine when he had the prospect of getting a slaver into his clutches. Some people.
She led them through the pack to where Vlad was being kept, and Rhyme could be found.

Rhyme heard the call and before it dissipated into the air he was on his way to where Vlad was being kept. He still felt a little apprehensive about the deal, but there wasn’t a better option to present itself that he and Shaye could both agree to. Having him out of Abaven would free up their resources once more, and they could more easily focus on defense of their own border. The next round would come soon, he just hoped they’d be successful in their raid. He shook his head of future thoughts, he needed to focus on corralling Vlad.

He rushed to Vlad’s little corner in the thickets, nodding silently to his current guard as bright eyes searched for the slaver’s large form. "Get up." He commanded, still feeling the effects of their previous conversation. If things were different maybe they could have been friendly with each other. Alas. "You’re being transferred." He didn’t offer much explanation, but if questions were asked he’d answer truthfully.

He’d guide their captive in the direction of his father’s call, sure that Shaye had already met up with him and would be heading this direction already.

""

Valentine chuckled dryly in response to his son's sly comment before cocking his head and musing, "That doesn't happen very often, does it? I do believe we've struck the better deal in Abaven today." Ah, and there was Shaye. It seemed she rivaled him in eagerness because she didn't waste any time in getting down to business. Valentine wasn't about to complain. The sooner they got their paws on the captive and out of sight of Abaven, the sooner Valentine could begin working on him. "Gladly," he said saucily. Shaye led them through the territory swiftly, and in no time at all Rhyme came into view. Valentine eyed his fang-less son with a satisfied expression. It was a done deal. There was no backing out now, no second thoughts. They would be walking away with the slaver, period. "Rhyme, Shaye. I must say it's been a pleasure doing business with you," he said pertly. "Should you get your paws on something similar, don't hesitate to call." Would it be rude to scruff the slaver and run? Valentine was sorely tempted to do it anyway. ""

"The poor dumb bastard," he opined piously in agreement, and it was clear he was referring to the poor doomed bridegroom rather than the slaver who was about to turn slave.

He lazily turned his grin on his half-brother's cousin as Shaye moved to greet them. He let his gaze travel over the other alpha with a distinctly appreciative glint in his eyes that, perhaps, wouldn't go over particularly well, but he made no attempt to hide it. It's not like he'd act on any particular attraction even if she welcomed his attentions, but he let the coarse vulgarity of his gaze and his smile make it known anyway. Let it bother her.

A moment later he recalled himself to the seriousness of their mission, and sent his father an innocent look that would absolutely and totally convince Valentine that he'd done nothing wrong whatsoever, and followed docilely after them as Shaye led them to meet Rhyme.

Chaos eyed his brother with a crooked smile, mismatched eyes glinting with a certain dark humor. "Brother," he growled with amusement coloring the word. "It seems that our packs have built a trade agreement after all, thanks to our father." He tilted his head laughingly toward Valentine, then turned his eyes avariciously behind Rhyme. "And where is our dear captive?"

Rhyme was very quick and businesslike as he commented on the trade, and made a mention of being open to more like it. She was not about to get into the slavery business, which was kind of the whole point of this. With nothing else to do with Vlad, and no desire to keep him here, Valentine’s offer had been the only one she could consider.

Rhyme appeared, herding the slaver towards them, and she nodded at her Alpha partner, eyes glancing to the captive. She didn’t want to feel any pity for the man, or for what Valentine might do to him. She kept a mental image of Rhyme and Rhythm, abused at their captors hands, of Rhythm being blinded, mounted. Her breath rasped out in anger. Okay, maybe that mental image went to far. With a grim expression she nodded at Valentine. “He’s all yours” they would take him, and she would never have to lay eyes upon him again.

The slate alpha kept one eye on the prisoner and another on the horizon as Shaye led Valentine and Chaos into the territory. He gave an official looking nod to both of them, finding it hard not to smile eagerly at his brother’s presence and his amused words. While he had never really intended to deal flesh, this time would be an easy hand off.


He stood over Vlad’s huge form as he eyed his father. Valentine looked like he was about to grab the slaver up and trot away with him at any moment. "Good to see you both." He offered first, more glad to be rid of their ‘guest.’ They had already wasted too many resources on the large wolf. "Abaven: the pack that’s slightly more useful than you thought." He offered a depreciating joke at the pack’s expense.

""

Chaos gave a sharp laugh at Rhyme's words. "Sure, it's not the first time Abaven has given us a bit of sport. The Hellstrom siege gave us a couple slaves too," he said genially, refraining from adding Rhythm to that list of sport Abaven had provided his family, given the present company. He could be gracious - after all, Abaven had just given him a shiny new toy. The alpha pair had said the magic words that sealed the deal, and Chaos grinned a grin that might have made them second guess their decision had it not already been too late. His voice deepened to a commanding bark that rang out to the new little slave. "All right, boy, it's time to meet your master. Stop standing around with your head up your ass and get out here where I can see you. Or are you too scared to take what you dished out to my brother's family?" If the male chose to ignore him, well, Chaos would just have to take it on himself to punish him for his cowardice and insolence, regardless of the more squeamish alphas present. It wasn't like they could protest - they had literally just forfeit any rights to their slave when they turned him over to Chaos.