“Are you sure you weren’t followed by anyone there?”
“Yes Alpha, we used the secret passageway on the left wing. Even if they managed to follow us out to the tower, we would have sensed their presence once they passed through the gardens.”
“Alright. The Elders are all here in the ballroom but you never know if they’ve sent someone out to tail you.”
Ma’Heron was slowly waking up, but as he listened intently to the conversation he was overhearing, he decided to play dead. This was quite easy to do since it seemed he and his “companions” were in total darkness.
“How long will they be staying there, Boss?”
“It may take a while. We’re all waiting for Alexia to come out of her bedroom. She seemed to have fainted when that Silvercrest bastard collapsed and she was brought out of the ballroom so she can recover. This synced reaction had all the elders convinced that she is indeed that Gamma’s mate. I’ve left Alpha Van der Meer to convince them otherwise, but I can’t take the risk of them finding him with you, considering what I’ve just ordered you to do.”
Shit, Alexia. I hope she’s ok… Wait, what am I saying? I don’t need to worry about her, I should be worrying about myself… Lyon! What the hell is wrong with you? WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!
“Then we should just do it. No more torturing to force him to reject her?”
“No, let’s make this easier on all of us… including him. Make it short and sweet.”
Torturing to reject her? Short and sweet? DAMNATION LYON! I can’t do this alone. There are almost a dozen werewolves here, and some of them have already shifted, and I can all smell and hear them!
“You got it, Alpha. Will call you when the deed is done.”
“Alright, Gamma Dante. Feel free to return to the ballroom once you’re done.”
On cue, a pair of average-sized werewolves grabbed M’s numb body from off the cold brick floor and raised him high above their heads, his face directed towards the ceiling. From the vantage point, the view from the window allowed him to see the open space outside the packhouse’s thick, tall walls.
He then realized then that he was inside one of the high towers that reinforced the four corners of the castle-like packhouse walls.
“Hold him high, so you can easily throw him out the tower after I’ve gutted his insides with my claws,” he heard Dante say in the darkness.
Based on the location of his would-be killer’s voice, all that his executioner had to do was to take a few steps closer to him, shift to werewolf form then easily slash at his exposed back, destroying his spinal cord and spilling his internal organs all over the floor. It would actually be a merciful death since he won’t be feeling himself landing on the ground outside the tall tower.
However, Ma’Heron didn’t plan to go out without a fight, no matter how weakened he was and despite the absence of his wolf.
TO HELL WITH THIS! I AM NOT GOING DOWN THAT EASILY!
He twisted his upper body with all the force he could muster to loosen the smaller werewolf’s grip on his wrists. Almost instantaneously, with a rush of adrenalin, M kicked at the claws that held his ankles.
Both shifters growled in surprise and slight pain as their prisoner landed solidly on the hard, cold floor, then started to army crawl away in an effort to escape.
He didn’t go far though as he felt the four paws of a larger-than-average wolf landing firmly on top of him, Ma’Heron tried to clamber upwards, despite his breath being squeezed out of his lungs by the heavy weight on his back but only managed a few inches before he felt a large hand push down on the back of his neck, pinning him to the ground.
If he hadn’t been recently drugged, beaten up, and unable to shift, the ten surrounding him would have all been broken and bleeding right now. But since he’s all that, some of his attackers even found it impressive that he still put up a brave fight.
“It’s an honor to finish off such a vicious and determined fighter like you, Gamma Ma’Heron. Too bad, it wasn’t under more principled circumstances. Be comforted by the fact that if my Alpha hadn’t ordered it, I would have preferred to fight you fair and square,” stated the still-human Dante with emotion lacing his voice.
“Don’t… unggghhh… worry… I’ll… still… haaaahhh… give you that… chance… somehow… mmmppph… someday…” M gasped, bravely.
“I don’t think so, Ma’Heron. Goodbye…” Dante mumbled, a tad sadly.
Then both Gammas suddenly heard cries of pain and panic echoing out from the darkness, a few feet away from them.
A few moments more and there were now sounds of bodies falling, violent hits, and the smell of blood grew thick in the air. M felt claws pulling at his arms once again, but this time, he felt himself being carried out into the cold night air, with the noisy yells and shuffling movements little by little fading behind him.
“I won’t let you say goodbye yet, Ma’Heron. We’re not done. Not by a long shot.” Those were the last words he heard as everything went black.
+++
Back to the present…
“ALEXIA!”
Both the Beta and Bren jumped to attention as they saw the sleeping Gamma suddenly jerk upwards in a sitting position. They could see that he was now wide awake, but it was as if he was still sleeping with eyes wide open. Worriedly, both of M’s friends spoke out at once, while rushing to his side.
“Bro! Take it easy…”
“Boss! Are you ok?”
No answer from the man in the patient’s gown.
He continued looking at the wall as if he could see through it. Bren was about to slightly shake his arm when Aaron stopped him with a hand on the slightly slimmer man’s shoulder.
“No, don’t. He’s trying to mindlink his wife. Or maybe it’s her who has linked with him.”
“How sure are we that he is doing that right now?”
“Well, I guess we have to wait and see…”