Adrian entered the dungeon, and Calvin was at his side.
“The craziest thing is that she is from the Primo pack. I don’t recall her name but I remember giving her a room. She seemed so quiet and peaceful then but I guess you never really know with some people. Everyone can be two-faced.”
Adrian fought off the feeling that somehow what was going on was something he could have predicted.
He rounded the corner and he reached the cell, they’d kept her in. Alex stood outside the cell with his eyes dark and stormy. He barely reacted to seeing Adrian.
Adrian moved past him as Allee struck a conversation with Alex.
“What the hell, dude? I thought you were over this–”
Adrian saw the girl and her defiant eyes. It was Shawn’s sister. The sister of the wolf he’d killed for being with Ava and just like that his anger was back. The pain of losing Ava to someone else, the betrayal of that moment. He closed his eyes and pushed back the memories to focus on the girl.
She couldn’t have stayed here after her pack left without help and the Primo pack were as backwards as he knew. They wouldn’t even have guns, much less know how to fire them. Someone was supporting her. Someone who was a part of his pack.
“Who have you been staying with?”
The woman spat at him and it hit Adrian squarely in his cheek.
“Murderer. You killed my brother. Do you presume that you can give me commands? Let’s see how well that will work for you.”
She didn’t seem to realize that she was shackled and bound by silver chains in his dungeons, unable to fight or defend herself if he were to retaliate.
Adrian cleaned off the spit from his cheek with a handkerchief.
“You have trespassed on my pack lands and have made an attempt on my life as the Alpha of this pack. Your life is forfeit. If you will not answer my questions, I will have to torture it out of you.”
Adrian stepped closer and grasped the sides of her cheeks tightly, she continued to look at him defiantly but he could see the whisper of fear in her eyes.
“I hope you hold on to this attitude because once I begin, I will not stop. You have brought this upon yourself. Remember that.”
Adrian could feel the sharp gazes of Calvin and Alex behind him. They had never seen this part of him before. The part of him that made him the Alpha of this pack. He respected women but this wasn’t just any woman. This was one who had put his pack in potential jeopardy by her actions alone.
She could have caused his pack to become leaderless and prey to stronger packs and rogue attacks as well as intrapack wars amongst themselves without an heir to ascend.
Her foolhardy plan to avenge her equally stupid brother who had thought he could sleep with the Luna of a pack in her matrimonial bed and not be punished for it had almost caused significant damage to his pack.
And that was one thing he couldn’t forgive. He refused to forgive.
He grabbed her left hand and broke her pinkie finger. She screamed in shock. He broke her ring finger next. Not letting her catch a breath he broke the rest of the fingers on her left hand in rapid succession.
“Alpha perhaps…” Calvin began but Alex grabbed his arm and shook his head lightly in warning. It wasn’t like Adrian could hear him anyway.
Adrian took her right hand and began to work on it as well. Her initial scream had turned to pained grunts as though she didn’t want to give Adrian the pleasure of hearing her scream.
“This person must matter a lot to you, more than your own health. No matter, I will get the answer out of you anyway. Perhaps if I were to flay your skin from your bones, you would be more inclined to speak.”
Adrian left her and came back moments later with what looked like a scalpel. He heard her heartbeat skip and then intensify. He ignored it and took her shaky hands. Just before it touched her hand, she jumped.
“Stop. Stop. I’ll tell you.”
Adrian removed the scalpel from her skin slowly, his brow cocked slightly as though to say, ‘see that wasn’t so hard’.
Adrian pulled back and looked down at her. “Speak quickly. I don’t have the time for this.”
She eyed him angrily before sitting it out like it was a curse.
“I don’t know her name–”
“Alpha!”
Adrian turned to look, annoyed at the interruption.
“What is it?”
“The elders have asked me to summon you, Alpha Adelaide has brought a contingent of fighters and they are demanding the release of their pack member.”
Adrian looked at the woman who now had a smug look on her face, she wouldn’t give him any information now that she felt that she would soon be rescued by her people.
Adrian nearly slammed his fist into the wall in anger. What rotten timing. He could have had the information that he sought if the warrior had come a few minutes, hell seconds later.
There was nothing to be done now. He had to see Adelaide.
******
“You kept my pack member a captive here without informing me? That alone is grounds for a war. ”
“Your pack member tried to kill me. She should be tried accordingly to my pack laws. The moment she trespassed, her life became forfeit. We had no obligation to inform you of her presence here.”
Adelaide’s eyes sparked with rage and Adrian couldn’t have cared less. If she had been just a little bit more disciplined with her pack members she would have realised Shawn’s sister, whose name turned out to be Tiana, had gone missing days ago.
They were having a meeting alone. Just the two of them with their men outside. Instead of meeting in the presence of the council, Adrian had opted for a meeting such as this. He couldn’t trust the council at this point. Someone had let Tiana in and harboured her. It could have been anyone.
Besides, it’s not like the council could offer any insight apart from arguing about any and everything.
“Listen to me, Adrian. I am only having this conversation with you out of respect.” Adelaide continued, her voice even despite her rising anger that Adrian could scent.
“You helped me and my pack out in a difficult time. If you had been anyone else, I would have challenged you to a duel to the death. Now I request you give Tiana back to us. We will decide on her punishment. Not you.”
Adrian merely regarded her unfeelingly, his mind working out the kinks as he recalled what had happened over the span of days.
“You never told me how you found out that I was holding her. According to you, you didn’t realize that she had been missing for days but somehow the moment that I want to begin questioning her, you show up. Was this your plan? To kill me and usurp control of my pack to consolidate power for your pack?”
“Alpha Adrian! Enough! There is only one of us who is a vow breaker and I assure you that it isn’t me. How I found out is no concern of yours. If you refuse to release Tiana to me, you leave me no other choice but to go and have a conversation with your elders.”
“I hear you have just concluded a trial about your mate being deposed as the Luna of this pack. Coming in, it was all I could hear about. Your pack members don’t seem to be too happy with the decision you made. When I explain to all who wish to hear about the reason Tiana wishes to kill you, you might find mutiny on your hands and your mate will not be spared.”
Adrian sat upright in his chair.
“Are you threatening me?”
“This is not a threat but a promise, Adrian. Give me Tiana.”