Chapter 18 The real Alpha
TARA:
The door opened and the first sight I saw was a man tied to a chair. He was draped in blood and he looked half dead.
I covered my mouth to prevent myself from gasping too loudly.
The room was quite full, the betas and the gammas were there, one other guy with a huge knife, and then, the Alpha. He had the coldest, deadliest look in his eyes. He wasn't the Alpha I knew a few hours back.
The air was saturated with blood and sweat, making me nauseous and dizzy.
Diana and Rowan shot me glacial looks.
When would these two ever like me? It wasn't like I had done anything to make them hate me.
I was scared to my bones.
The walls and the ground were littered with blood, both dried and fresh.
And also, why were they torturing the man?
Seeing him made me remember that I was suffering the same fate two days back.
I wanted to run away and never turn back.
To make matters worse, Mason left my hand and stood with the others. How was I going to survive in that room?
"I hate repeating myself. Why did I do it?" The Alpha's voice dripped with poison. Even his looks could kill.
"Please, Alpha, I'm sorry. It won't happen again." He begged. I was already feeling sorry for him, making me want to beg on his behalf. What did he do to land himself in such a condition?
"Let me list out everything you did." Beta Rowan stepped toward him. "You betrayed the Alpha by giving out information to the enemy pack, you leaked information about our expedition, and as a result, five precious lives were wasted. Tell me, why should we spare you?"
I pursed my lips. He wasn't innocent. But could it be possible that he was framed for it?
"You've always been kind to me and I do not take it for granted." His breath was laboured. He was barely alive at that point.
"But I was threatened! He threatened me!" He yelled.
“I didn’t want to do it. I promise!” His face was stricken with horror as he spoke.
“Lying is not getting you anywhere…” Rowan nodded at the other guy with the knife. And to my surprise, he struck the tied man's fingers. I flinched, watching his fingers flying across the room.
His screams filled my ears, my heart racing faster with each second.
I looked at the Alpha but he wasn’t even moved. Same as the others. They stared as though it were a normal scene. I stepped back, my body hitting against the door.
Was this what Mason meant about the real world? About to kill or be killed?
Every nerve on my skin screamed at me to run away but I was too scared that if I tried that, I might be the next person.
“You don't seem to know the gravity of your betrayal yet.” Rowan continued. I knew he was evil but not to this extent.
“Please, I’m innocent. I have a family. A wife and two daughters.” He cried like a baby. He continued begging them but nobody was ready to listen to him. Why didn’t he think about his family before doing anything rash? Didn’t he know the kind of Alpha he was betraying?
Rowan dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a phone. Probably his.
He played a recording, making the man go ice stiff. He stared at the phone like he had seen a ghost.
“That is not me. I swear on my life! It’s not me. That is not my voice.”
Rowan hissed, tapped on something, and showed him.
“What do you want to say now? That it’s not your face? Save us the stress.” He dropped the phone. Only his looks alone could make someone pee their pants. Someone like me.
“Please,” He sniffled. “I’m sorry. I admit it. It was me but I had a reason.”
The Alpha, being fed up, stood up. He grabbed a sword that was on a table. The table accommodated lots of torture weapons that I had never seen before. The sword looked sharp and pointy, begging to be used.
“Let this be a warning to everyone standing in this room. The moment you betray me, run away. Because if I find you…” He raised the sword, flinging it with full force. The man's head rolled off and landed in front of me. I covered my mouth, my body shaking with fear.
“This will be your fate.” I raised my eyes to meet the Alpha's own. It was cold, emotionless, and impassive.
This was the ruthless Alpha of the North. What I have known about him for the past two days was only what I wanted to know.
It was now that I was meeting the real him.
He walked past me, his aura almost pushing me down. Everyone stepped outside after him, leaving me behind.
“Sorry about that,” Mason apologized and took my hand. “I promise, it's not always like this.”
He took my hand and led me outside. We were standing in front of some small bushes when he raised my hand to take a good look. I was terribly shaken.
“Are you—”
Before he could continue his statement, I turned to the small bush and threw up.
“There, there.” Mason rubbed my back in circles.
“Mason, you're needed right now.” I heard Diana's voice. I cleaned my mouth and stood erect, coming face to face with her.
“I’ll see you later, Tara. Stay safe.” He said before running off toward the others.
I wanted to walk out of Diana's presence but she blocked my way.
“I don’t know who you are or whatever hole you crawled out from but I will make you a promise. If I notice anything fishy about you, you know what comes next. I don’t need to tell you.”
Was she threatening me?
“Diana!” Rowan called her. She eyed me maliciously and walked to them. I dragged my feet, waiting for them to leave before I could finally release the tears I was holding back.
“Mason, take Diana, Rose, and Rowan back. Please, remember to come back for Tara and me.”
“But Alpha, that girl can't protect you. I should stay back with you.” Diana suggested desperately. She had been like that since I came. Always wanting to be beside the Alpha. Earlier inside, she was the closest to him and she would occasionally cast glances at him.
Wait… was she the ex-girlfriend Rose spoke about?
“Do as I say, Diana. Go,” He ordered. Even if she didn’t like it, she had to. It was the Alpha's command.
I found somewhere far from Alpha Lucian to sit. My legs were still aching from walking around the plaza.
Neither of us said anything until Mason drove back to get. I sat in the front with Mason, my body still cold from witnessing such a gruesome scene.
“I promise you again, Tara. It’s not like that every time. It’s usually mild punishment.” Mason tried to convince me but I knew otherwise.
“You don’t have to try so hard. I already know what it is.” And it wanted to make me puke again.
When we got back, the Alpha walked to his room while Mason helped me carry the bags inside. I had even forgotten we had gone to get something earlier.
“Tara, are you okay?” Mason touched my neck, just to find me burning up.
“I’m fine. Really. It’s just an aftershock. I have never seen so much blood.” I laid on my bed and covered myself. I felt the space beside me deepening.
He adjusted the duvet to cover me properly. Then, he went ahead to close he windows and pulled down the curtains.
“Just rest and try not to have any nightmares, okay?”
I hummed and shut my eyes. I normally don’t sleep immediately after I close my eyes but that afternoon, I fell asleep instantly.
I felt a cold cloth tapping on my neck. I breathed in but winced because of the headache that hit me.
“Take it easy,” I heard the Alpha's voice.
“I must be dreaming again,” I muttered with my eyes shut. The wet cloth touched my face. I touched it and with my fingers trailing toward what was holding it up, I held a hand.
“Huh?” I hummed and opened my eyes. Through a blurry vision, I made out the Alpha's figure.
“Do you always dream about me or what?”