Chapter 44: ❤️ Valentine’s Special — By all means necessary

Benjamin’s POV

I spent the whole week torturing without any remorse the bastard that served under me as captain. When the beatings that I inflicted on the traitor no longer seemed sufficient, I armed myself with torture devices. One by one, Craig’s ten fingers were ripped apart by the ferocious teeth of my bolt cutter. His body bore the marks of my iron whip and his soul threatened to surrender countless times. Whenever he neared death, I would give him a small break which would only help bring him back to life. I kept his wolf subjugated with wolfsbane and in the process, I efficiently prevented the traitor from healing quickly.

Pushed beyond their limits by my ruthless actions, my mother and my sister withdrew early on. I was helped by my father, Ryan, Anderson and Ronan. All four of them took turns beating and interrogating him until they became exhausted. Despite every horrible thing that was done to him, Craig never opened his mouth and after three days, I was the last one still standing in front of him. I couldn’t afford to give up like the rest of them. My mate’s life hanged in the balance and I was being forced to race against the clock. Every second that he remained silent was a second longer that Mina had to be alone. Every minute that I couldn’t get him to speak was another minute that she spent unprotected. And every day that slipped through my fingers became the day that she died.

It wasn’t until the moment that Craig laughed at my futile efforts that everything I was doing wrong became clear to me. I realized that he was trained just like all the warriors in my pack to endure the pains of torture. Like any of us, Craig could withhold information until his last breath, but I also knew that as a mated werewolf, he had a big weakness, his mate. In my fit of rage, I had forgotten about her and deeply regretted it.

“Where’s Emma, Craig?” I had asked him. “Does she know where Mina is?”

“Good luck finding her. I told her to disappear when your dog captured me.” He revealed then.

That day, I ordered Anderson to go find the second traitor and to bring her back to me as quickly as possible. Without the help of Craig who was an excellent hunter, she didn’t stand a chance against him and the rest of my men. I spent the following four days locked alone in my dark cellar with my old friend. The air that hung all around us became heavy and the metallic smell of blood mingled with the sickening odours of sweat, dirt and piss. Every time Craig passed out, I retrieved to my corner and silently implored the Moon Goddess to watch over Mina and protect her. I loved her more than anything and even though I had severed our mate bond by rejecting her, I could feel its lingering hold on me.

On the seventh day, I grew tired of seeing his mocking expression as he continuedto refuse sharing the whereabouts of my mate and the rogue Alpha. I was fixed on the idea of killing him when I received a mind-link from Anderson.

***Benji, we got her! We got Emma! But she’s refusing to talk too!*** He exclaimed in my head.

***Bring her to me.*** I calmly replied back.

I looked directly into Craig’s sunkened eyes and I could see fear form in them for the first time. I made sure that the mind-link extended to him and that he could hear my exchange with Anderson and I revelled in his reaction.

“Don’t you dare touch her.” He let out in a weakened breath.

“That’s up to you. Tell me where my mate is and I won’t harm yours.” I answered sternly.

Craig kept his eyes on me, but still refused to speak. Even if we both knew that it was only a matter of time before the truth came out, he stubbornly dismissed my threats.

“Very well, then.” I said before getting up and heading for the stairs.

“I’ll kill you, Benji! Don’t you dare touch her or I swear I’ll kill you!” He screamed as loudly as he could.

I ignored him and made my way to my living room. The former Alpha and Beta of our pack were waiting there for me alongside Ryan and we sat down anticipating Anderson’s arrival. They resumed their conversation and discussed Craig’s unfounded motives for betraying us. The patrol Captain thought that I had sacrificed his parents’ lives during a rogue attack, but it couldn’t have been further from the truth. The day of the attacks, his parents felt compelled as former warriors to protect some kids playing in the woods near their home. They fell victim of an ambush that no one had seen coming. By the time we made it to their side, they were already dying and refused to be transported to the hospital. Craig knew all of it, but his pain never healed and it festered into a vengeful hate.

“It doesn’t matter why he did this…” I spoke up to the men siting in the room. “The only thing that matters is that we save my Luna.”

They agreed and as the talks between them picked back up, Anderson and a few guards entered my living room. They had in their possession Craig’s young mate and unlike him, she seemed terrified of what was to come. Without wasting any more time, I yanked her by the arm and practically pulled her all the way to the cellar. Craig’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he saw me approach with his mate.

“I didn’t say anything, baby! Like I promised.” She cried out to him.

“Don’t worry, he knows that.” I leaned over and whispered in her ear as I stared into her mate’s eyes.

She gasped in horror as I drew out a long and shiny knife. I placed the sharp blade on her throat with one hand and covered her mouth with the other.

“Like I said, Craig. It’s my mate or yours.” I said in a menacing tone ultimately forcing his finger-less hand.

Craig stayed silent a while, watching Emma sob. I could see the anguish that danced across his eyes as he contemplated his options. Before long, Craig let out a defeated sigh and his shoulders dropped back. I knew that he was finally ready to give it up.

“Promise me that you won’t kill her.” He begged me in a low voice.

“She’ll live, I promise.”

“We brought the Luna to an old abandoned ranch off of route 74. It’s near the no man’s land between Crescent Moon and River Creek.”

As soon as he finished speaking, I threw Emma towards her mate and ran back upstairs, locking the cellar on my way out.

“Ryan, Anderson!” I yelled out as I headed towards them. “She’s an hour away. Call out to Jason and Sheila and have them meet us at the borders. Tell them to bring reinforcement.”

“We’re coming with you.” My father said about himself and his friend.

“No. I need the both of you here. Watch over the traitors and when I give you the okay, kill Craig.”

“What about his mate?” Ronan asked.

I paused before following my men out of my house. I really wanted her dead as well, but I had promised Craig that she would stay alive.

"Slash the pack mark from her skin and cast her away. She’s no longer one of us.” I issued the last of my orders as I climbed into my truck.

*‘Hold on a little longer, baby. I’m coming.’* I pleaded to Mina in my mind.

Amina’s POV

“What’s your name?” I asked quietly the young girl who had been bringing me food for the past week.

She was the only werewolf that was persistently shunned by her entire rogue pack and by Gisele in particular. She was also the only one nice enough to treat me like a human being and I grew very fond of our briefs moments together. Every time she would enter my room and place my tray in front of me, she would flash me the warmest and biggest smile. She brought me fresh water bottles and clean cloths for my wounds and helped me tend to them voluntarily everyday. We had never spoken until now and only let each other’s presence heal both of our broken souls.

“Ophelia.” She whispered back softly as she continued wrapping a long clean fabric on my right arm.

“It’s a lovely name. I’m Mina.” I introduced myself. “How old are you?”

“Sixteen, you?” She smiled back.

“I’m twenty-six.”

“You’re very pretty.” She let out in her sweet voice.

“So are you.” I chuckled, moving her dark heavy locks behind her shoulder. “Why do they treat you so badly, Ophelia?”

Her smiled dropped and her eyes glistened with sadness. I could feel this young girl’s pain and I could tell her abuse went beyond insults.

“I’m an orphan." She said. "They treat me however they want.”

“You and I have to run away from here, Ophelia. We can’t let them take us hostage anymore.”

“The Alpha will kill us if we do.” She cried completely terrified.

“We have to try or we are as good as dead anyway.” I tried to convince her. “Look, you can see that Micheal has been beating me everyday and, even though your scars heal faster than mine, I know that Gisele does the same to you. We can’t let them get away with it. Don’t you want the chance to be happy?”

She sobbed silently and nodded her head yes.

“The next time you come with a tray, I need you to sneak a knife with it. After that, the moment you see Micheal come into this room, I want you to send away his guards. Use any distraction you can think of and wait for me at the door. Can you do all that?”

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and I could see that she was still a little unsure.

“Ophelia, if you help me and you don’t betray me, I promise that by nightfall, we’ll both be free.” I told her in a hopeful tone, stroking her wet cheek.

“Okay.” She finally agreed. “I’ll do as you say, Mina. I’ll help you.”