Chapter 92 Celeste
Celeste's POV
That afternoon, I arrived home with my sons, and we ate lunch in the dining room.
Two hours later, I found my sons and Gamma Giana's son sleeping in the playroom with toys scattered around them.
Every day was like that, and I could only let them sleep there and make sure they were comfortable.
I went to the dungeon without worry. No one would kidnap or harm my children. Everyone in this base was a member of my group.
"Mm, I'm just in time." I stood in front of a single-occupancy prison cell with a dirt floor, but it had a bathroom.
I watched a warrior whip the blue-eyed young man—the sunlight filtering through the small ventilation illuminating his peeling, bloody back.
I used to feel nauseous and sorry every time I saw someone being whipped, but now I don't, especially if that person has done something bad to the people I care about.
"Hey, how are you? Are you used to the hundred lashes every other day and the devil's helmet that inhibits your body's regeneration?" I raised an eyebrow, my hands in my pockets.
"Would you like a more severe punishment than this? Like, a hundred lashes every day?" I grinned evilly with enthusiasm.
The blue-eyed young man glared at me fiercely. He gritted his teeth at the pain that was shooting through his body, but he refused to lean against the wall; he insisted on sitting with his back straight.
The warrior who whipped him remained in the cell, his hand holding the whip that dripped blood onto the floor.
“Are you still stubborn? What’s the harm in telling us about your organization?” I tilted my head, observing his pained face and clenched jaw.
“Who are you, really?” the blue-eyed young man asked after he was sure he wouldn’t wince in pain. He didn’t want me to laugh at him.
“Why do you say ‘we,’ as if you’re not alone here?” He raised an eyebrow, curiosity brimming in his eyes. “No wonder I got caught.”
“No. I’m a civilian with a lot of money and connections,” I replied, keeping a straight face so she’d believe me. “If you tell me, I’ll contact my connections.”
“Rogue intel won’t be able to expose my organization. We’re solid and untouchable. Even rogue assassin groups can’t track us!” The blue-eyed young man said proudly, chuckling mockingly at the end.
Damn it. He was absolutely right. My heart felt like a spear had stabbed it.
“Don’t be arrogant,” I sneered at him.
“You will be shocked and lose your sanity when one day you hear that a group of rogue assassins has burned down your organization’s headquarters,” I hissed with tightly clenched fists.
I will urge my members to immediately find the werewolf-hating organization. I won't rest in peace until they're eliminated.
Even if Liam calls Alpha Eiden "father" tomorrow, and then Alpha Eiden declares Liam his heir, and Liam lives in his mansion, I will remain determined to eradicate the werewolf-hating organization.
I left the room in disgust, even though I knew full well that the blue-eyed young man had chosen to die with the secrets of his organization.
The prison cell on the right held the four men who had released the tiger into the forest Benedict and the five warriors had passed through, resulting in Benedict's death.
The four men were just like the blue-eyed young man. They stubbornly refused to tell us who had ordered them.
"You can finish your meal without thinking about the person who died because of that tiger," I said sarcastically when I found them eating lunch.
Lunch was late because they had to endure a hundred lashes every single day.
All four men were confined to the same cell, sharing a single bathroom and lying on soil damp with blood and sweat.
"How can you four be so heartless? There's not a shred of guilt in your faces or eyes. Who exactly are you?" I asked, my brows furrowed.
“Spend the rest of your lives in this prison,” I said coldly. “Then we’ll throw your bodies to the hungry crocodiles in the lake after you die.”
I smiled, enjoying their panicked expressions, and noticed they'd lost their appetites.
“You should be grateful to us. We didn’t throw you to the crocodiles while you were still alive.” I looked at them, who were hanging their heads.
“Oh, or would you like to experience being eaten by dozens of crocodiles right now?” I asked, enthusiastic about the idea. “Being whipped every day is painful, isn’t it?"
Of course, they didn’t answer.
I left the prison, frustrated that I hadn't gotten any information from them, but also happy that I'd given them nightmares starting tonight.
I realized that my members and I didn't know everything. There was a lot of information we hadn't gotten after years of investigating.
Not everyone we'd captured was willing to tell us what they knew.
I walked toward my house. No one used vehicles at this base.
I passed through the forest where we trained. Today, the twenty children did not train or take tests.
I squinted to clear my vision. This was the second time I'd found Beta Dylan talking to the two agents behind the tree.
I wondered what they were talking about. For a week now, Beta Dylan has not reported any information to me from our agents.
I put on scent-masking perfume and walked without making a sound.
I silently thanked Benedict for training me for a month to move without sound and leave no trace behind.
I stood a few dozen feet away from them and leaned against the large tree. I strained my ears, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"I want you to throw two stones with the threatening note at Alpha Eiden's car while he's sitting in it and passing by a crowd of people so his members know their Alpha is in danger," Beta Dylan ordered them.
"We'll do it, Beta."
I froze, eyes wide and mouth agape. I couldn't have heard wrong, could I?
I couldn't ignore this.
I emerged from my hiding place and hurried over to Beta Dylan, who was leisurely walking out of the forest.
Beta Dylan turned around because I hadn’t used any technique to mask the sound of my shoes crunching on leaves and branches.
“Alpha?” Panic was evident in his eyes, but he tried to remain calm.
“Why did you do that? What has Alpha Eiden done to you?” I snapped, gasping for breath from the emotions boiling in my chest.
“So I’ve been caught red-handed by you,” Beta Dylan responded casually.
“Yeah, I have plenty of reasons.” He shrugged. “I don’t like him, I’m jealous you’re with him, I’m worried about your identity being revealed, and I want to see him scared.” He grinned evilly.
My jaw clenched. I never thought he was the mastermind behind all the terror Alpha Eiden experienced.
“You’re going too far,” I said, shaking my head in disappointment. “Stop this ridiculous thing.”
“Then are you going to tell him? Are you going to punish those two agents and me?” Beta Dylan raised an eyebrow, not afraid, but defiant.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell him,” I said without thinking, because that was what he wanted to hear.
“I’ll punish you if you keep doing this,” I growled and looked him straight in the eye. “Don’t mess with me.”
“Fine. I’ll stop and call the two agents back.” He lifted his hands, looking completely unapologetic.
“Pathetic,” I said coldly. “How could you command our agents to commit such a low act?” I jabbed a finger at his chest. “Have you thought about how the elders will react?”
Beta Dylan didn't say anything. He could only hold his breath and look at me, pleading with me not to tell the elders.
For almost a month, Alpha Eiden wondered who wanted to kill him and had shot his left ear.
I was responsible for what he experienced because Beta Dylan and the two agents were my members, but unfortunately, I didn't know when I would be able to tell him the truth.