ROWAN.
“Fine, do your thing.”
I give him a grateful smile before walking over to the gates.
Before I could swing it open myself, it swings itself and Gaines walks out with the other wolves.
“Guia. We have him chained in the interrogation room. He won’t be able to move an inch,” he informs me
“Thank you, Gaines. You may leave now.”
They do as they are told and I, without looking back at the three waiting for me, walk in.
The cells are one of the ugliest, most unpleasant places I have ever been in and let me say, I have been in some terrible places.
The pack here had felt like that had no reason to take care of it.
Rank with the scent of blood and urine, with rusted iron bars, cracked tiles, leaking roofs, peeling paints and the frequent scurrying of insects, it was appalling.
When we moved in, we had to clean it up.
Not to make it fancy or anything like that, but to spruce it up, make it more inhabitable.
Yes, we are rogues and we might come across some really violent, and evil wolves, once predisposed to causing chaos and destruction, ones cast out of their packs because they are problematic.
The cells are where they are kept.
Anyone we have deemed to keep in the cell, never cim3s out of it alive.
Unfortunate but true.
I have never looked forward to killing any of those wolves but this one, I wouldn’t mind one bit.
In fact, I dare say I would enjoy it.
We had painted the walls a pale gray, replaced the bars, fixed the roof but it still has that sour and depressing aura around it.
It smelt like death.
I hate coming here.
The interrogation room is at the farthest door on the right, designed that way to prevent the screams from reaching out but close enough for other inmates to hear it.
I take one, two, three steadying breaths before I walk in.
My face is set in a neutral slash bored look, so I don’t give anything away when my gaze falls on him.
The wolves did a number in him, if the bruises all over his face and neck is any indication to go by.
He must have tried to fight his way out.
He is suspended by his two arms, chained to the wall with sturdy, silver chains as well as hai legs apart, apart.
“Hello, Vance.”
He starts at my voice, instinctively shrinking back before he settles his eyes on me.
“Ah, if it isn’t little weak, Louisa. I thought you were dead.”
“Sorry, not sorry, to disappoint. And I go by Rowan now.”
“Rowan? what kind of name is that?”
“That is of no concern to you,” I say as I begin prowling around him . “Why are you here?”
“I came for you,” he answers with a smirk. “Imagine my surprise when I saw you that evening, I couldn’t believe my eyes. We all believed you were dead and here you are living your best life as a dirty rogue. Shameless.”
“Shameless? Is it shameless for me to survive?”
“Any self respecting wolf would have killed themself rather than beci3n a rogue!” He spits.
“Translation: me being alive puts Dominik at risk because I can tell the world what he did. Still the perfect sheep for him, aren’t you?”
“You know nothing!”
“I know that you have always wanted his approval. Wanted to be a part of his inner circle. That desperate desire for his approval and yet, here you are doing his dirty business.”
“I am here because he trusts me to fund information. Information about the wolves that went missing!”
“And have you? Found anything?” I mock him.
He says nothing at that, which is answer enough.
“Of course you haven’t. Which is why you haven’t returned. If he is still the same asshole I remember, you coming with nothing would immediately put you on his shit list, right?”
“You know nothing!”
“Which is why you had the audacity to come here,” I continue. “You don’t have anything to give him, so you came for me. You think presenting me to him will save you. What a sad life you have lived, Vance.”
“You shut up!” He snarls, his face twisted in anger. “How dare you speak to me like that? You wolfless bitch! I see, you think those pathetic wolves will protect you? News flash, they won’t. Why would they risk the wrath of our pack for you? Once I leave here, we are going to come for you and if they know what is good for them, they will kick you out.”
I can’t help but snort out a laugh at him.
“What an idiot,” I taunt him. “You have no idea how the outside world works, do you? You are right in one sense, we are rogues. But that just means we have no love for you packs. We have received more loyalty, more love than we have from packs. And we are not afraid to take you on. And what makes you think that you are going to leave here alive?”
“What?” He scoffs. “You think they are going to kill me? I am a pack wolf, they won’t risk it. Enough with this rubbish, call me the winter wolf. I will speak with him.”
“You are looking at her.”
“What?”
“I am the winter wolf, Vance,” I croon as I walk toward him. I can feel my wolf coming out, my senses come alive. My claws come out of my hands and I am pretty sure my eyes have changed color, even my voice as I continue turns guttural. “I am the leader of this coalition. I say who lives and who dies. And I have no regard or fear for you or your pack. As for your release, I will give it to you, just not the way you expect it,” I tell him as I raise my hands.
“Wait!” He begs, finally showing the fear I wanted to see. “I can-”
He doesn’t get to finish his sentence.
Not with his head rolling across the floor.