Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

With the misunderstanding somewhat resolved with Jayden, Cain had a new problem to resolve: Finding three people to create a team for the Tournament that was coming next month.

Of course, he could enter with just Jayden and himself but he didn't like the chances that there wouldn't be some way to incapacitate him or Jayden. He had confidence that Jayden would be able to win in a fair 1v1 fight with most people, he knew that someone playing dirt wasn't just a possibility, it was an inevitably.

Mira who was talking with Jayden about maintenance of her sword glanced at Cain, she noticed that brow was furrowed as he began to think about his possible options. Mira looked back at Jayden who's tail was wagging as she continued to gush about how much she loved her weapon.

"What's on the Boss' mind?" Mira asked, unable to contain her curiosity. Whatever bothered Cain was her problem as well. While it was partially out of her desire to not lose his sponsorship, Cain was the first one to try and help her based on her skills, not because of her body.

Jayden stopped running her hand along the empty air where her sword would be if she had not stored it away. She turned toward Mira with a grimace on her face as she growled a name with her teeth bared. "Piggy."

Mira blinked. "What?"

"The one who came after Cain when he killed Abel," Jayden said, her tail flicking sharply behind her. "Big mouth, loud voice, thinks he is important because he walks like he owns the place. His name starts with a P. I don't remember the rest, so Piggy works."

Cain's eyes opened slowly. He stared at her from where he leaned against the wall like he was questioning his life choices.

Jayden lifted her chin stubbornly. "What? He squeals enough."

Mira tried to piece that together. "Wait, someone challenged him after Abel?"

Jayden's grin faded, her golden eyes narrowing. "Yeah. Said Cain should enter the Tournament if he had the guts. But he knew exactly what he was doing. It is not a duel. It is a team format. Five on five. That way he can stack the deck with whatever meatheads he wants and call it fair."

Mira frowned. "Five on five?"

Jayden nodded sharply. "Right."

Mira tilted her head toward Cain, then looked back at Jayden. "So how many people are on the team right now?"

Jayden hesitated. Her ears twitched once before flattening slightly. She scratched her cheek and looked off to the side instead of meeting Mira's eyes. "Just me and Cain."

Mira stared at her like she had just grown a second head. "Just the two of you?"

Jayden's tail slowed, her voice dropping as she admitted, "Yeah."

Mira blinked again, then turned toward Cain with wide eyes. "You agreed to this fight with only two people?"

Cain finally pushed off the wall, his expression calm but his violet eyes giving away faint irritation as they slid toward Jayden.

Jayden crossed her arms defensively. "Do not look at me like that. I did not think you would accept right there in front of everyone."

Cain sighed, rubbing his temple. "And you got Piggy from Paigos?"

Jayden nodded once like it was obvious. "What else was I supposed to call him?"

Mira froze. Her eyes widened. "Wait. Paigos? That Paigos? The one who never shuts up?"

Cain gave a single nod.

Mira actually shuddered. "That pig is your older brother?"

Her gaze drifted over Cain before she realized what she was doing. He was leaning against the stone wall again, the sunlight cutting across his sharp features, white hair catching the light. Even in a simple shirt she could see the way his body moved when he shifted his weight, strength balanced with speed under perfect control. His violet eyes had the kind of quiet intensity that could make anyone look away first. It was the kind of beauty that was almost unfair, like the gods had given him everything at once.

Mira shook her head hard. "Paigos must have lost in the genetic lottery."

Cain raised a brow faintly but said nothing.

Mira scowled, crossing her arms. "Out of all the men who tried to chase me, Paigos was one of the loudest. He thought being born with power made him special. He was pushy, arrogant, and would not take no for an answer." Her golden eyes gleamed now, a dangerous edge creeping in. "If you are going to put him on the ground in front of the entire Tournament, I want in."

That made Cain pause. "You want to join the team?"

"Yes," Mira said instantly.

Cain frowned. "I did not think you could fight."

Mira smiled slowly. "I am more capable than I look."

Jayden's ears twitched forward. "She is telling the truth. My instincts are never wrong."

Cain studied Mira for a long moment. He could not read her as easily as he wanted to, but Jayden was rarely wrong about this kind of thing. Finally he exhaled through his nose like he was already regretting the decision. "Fine. But we still need two more people."

Mira's smile widened with confidence. She slammed a fist lightly against her chest. The motion made her curves bounce but she ignored Cain's faint glance and kept speaking. "Leave it to me. I know people who live for this kind of thing. If I call them, they will come."

Cain's violet eyes narrowed slightly. "And you trust them?"

Mira nodded. "With my life. They owe me favors. The kind that are not repaid with coin."

Jayden tilted her head, tail flicking once. "If they hate Paigos, that is good enough for me."

Cain finally gave a short nod. "Bring them. But if this goes wrong, it is on you."

Mira smirked. "It will not."

The wind shifted through the courtyard again, tossing a few leaves across the stone path. Mira turned toward the gate with a grin that promised trouble, already thinking about who to call first. Cain watched her go with a look that said he was not sure if he had gained an ally or invited a storm into his life.

Jayden leaned her shoulder against his arm with a sharp little grin. "Guess the team is coming together."

Cain sighed, his eyes sliding toward the sky. "We will see."