Mated To My Boyfriend's Dad-Chapter 189: The Enlistment Begins

Rhett sighed to himself, his eyes remaining expressionless when he saw Darius.

By the moon, what did he want? What was he doing here? The Alpha said they would oversee the enlistment program together, but that didn’t mean he had to see the annoying Beta twenty-four-seven, right?

"Beta Darius, I wish I could say it’s nice to see you, but I’m really busy right now." Rhett shot Darius a forced smile, which also held a warning: ’Back off’.

But it seemed the Beta was tone-deaf as he scoffed before replying. "It can all wait. We need to commence preparations for the enlistment program. We’re behind schedule and wolves have already begun coming forward to enlist."

Rhett clenched his jaw, fighting hard to contain his growing irritation. He glanced at Farkas at the back, silently asking him if it was okay for him to leave this case to him. The military advisor gave him a nod, smiling wryly.

"Very well then, Darius." Rhett turned his gaze back to the Beta. "Please, lead the way."

And with that, the two men left the crime scene. They drove to the precinct, only for Rhett to open his eyes wide with surprise once they’d gotten there. There was a line forming, leading to a tent which Rhett was sure would be used as the spot where he and Darius used to screen the men who wanted to enlist.

Most of those on the line were werewolves, but a handful of them were also fey. The thing that stood out most to Rhett was that those who came out for enlistment today varied greatly in age. Some were youths, between the ages of eighteen to their twenties. A few others were in their thirties, but Rhett also spotted some in their forties and even fifties.

"Hmph, now you see why this screening was a good idea?" Darius asked Rhett sarcastically before continuing. "Just look at them. Most of them would die instantly on the battlefield, even with all our training. And some middle-aged men even showed up."

Rhett nodded as if he agreed with a word the Beta said. Middle-aged men had shown up, but they were still wolves at the end of the day. Wolves who, with the right training, could become very useful in the war. He was a forty-plus-year-old man after all, but he still considered himself the strongest wolf in the pack. Though, that might just be because he’s the chosen one...

Rhett ignored Darius’s yapping, as he walked toward the tent. Once inside, he sat on a chair, grabbing a handful of his hair when he brushed it with his hands.

He still couldn’t get his mind off Isleen. The homicide case with the missing body had been a distraction, but now, Darius decided to show his ugly face, making his psyche reach the edge.

But he couldn’t falter. He couldn’t let Darius or anyone else see his inner turmoil.

Suddenly, Darius stepped into the tent too, sitting right beside Rhett. The two of them sat together while facing a chair on the other side of the table. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"The first in the line, come in!" Darius yelled out, a grunt escaping his lips. It was clear as day that he was already getting tired of this new duty. He’d only been eager to do it when the Alpha brought it up because he thought it would be another way to prove himself.

Just then, a wolf, who looked like he was at least nineteen, stepped inside. He seemed nervous, his eyes darting around shyly away from the intimidating gazes of the Gamma and Beta.

"Name?" Darius asked, handing Rhett a log book and a pen to write it down without sparing him a glance. If looks could kill, the Beta would’ve been dead because of Rhett a thousand times over.

The wolf took in a deep breath before speaking. "I’m Johnson Rolan. I just turned twenty and –"

Darius raised a hand, silencing the young wolf. He then arched an eyebrow, folding his arms before he spoke.

"You do realize what joining this program entails, right? You aren’t going to be cuddled. You aren’t going to be taken easy on. On the battlefield, only the strongest can survive. Are you ready for that?"

Rhett frowned. What was the point of asking all that? If the Betta was trying to sound inspirational, he’d failed... woefully. He’d only managed to make the wolf seem more scared and reserved.

"Y... Yes sir. I’m ready to do what it takes. My parents were killed in the last attack. I need to avenge them and make those blood-sucking creatures pay." The boy clenched his fists as he spoke with a heightened tone.

Rhett glanced at Darius before nodding his head. It was expected that among those who came for enlistment today, were men who’d lost their family and their loved ones to the vampires. Their thirst for vengeance could either be a useful tool in the war or could prove to be a liability, holding them back.

After the young wolf, the rest of the screening went on smoothly. And by ’smoothly’, Rhett meant that he hadn’t tried ripping off the Beta’s tongue throughout.

The man had no shame, in pointing out unnecessary things about Rhett which apparently annoyed him. Anytime Rhett would try arguing against his judgment of a wolf, Darius would snap at him, telling him to look over his own task of recording those who’d successfully passed through the screening.

The two men threw words at each other that would seem harmless to an outsider, but were actually laced with subtle insults. Some of the pack members who noticed the underlying hostility between the two men could only watch them uneasily, careful not to interfere or worse... Pick a side.

Rhett commended himself silently all through. Several wolves were rejected due to them not meeting some specific criteria, like strength and turning speed. But Rhett was able to argue things out with the Beta whenever he made the unprofessional mistake of trying to reject someone who could prove otherwise useful until the Beta would succumb reluctantly.

It’d been a few hours, but the screening was almost done.

"Next!" Darius called out, rubbing his head with an exhausted look.

To Rhett’s surprise, it was Kylo who stepped in next. His gaze landed on his father, stoic but with determination in his eyes.

"Ahh. Well if it isn’t the Gamma’s son?" Darius smiled amusingly.