CHAPTER 66

CHAPTER 66
RAUL'S POV


The moon was at its peak when we arrived back at the pack. I ordered the prisoners to be taken to the dungeon and decided that questioning them could wait until tomorrow.




Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, but there was something else that had been on my mind and I knew I needed to do it now, it couldn't wait.




I turned to Marissa. "Marissa, there is something I need to check, don't wait for me. Go to bed," I said, my voice gentle yet firm.



“What is it? Can't it wait till morning?” She asked, scratching her eyes with her hand.



“It's urgent and it can't wait,” I responded. She nodded and didn't argue. The exhaustion was evident on her face.




She gave me a tired smile and walked towards our house. I watched her go, feeling a pang of guilt for the burden she carried. No matter how we tried to be a little happy, new challenges came up and we had to face it head on.





I sighed loudly, ready to face the matter that has been drawing my attention, Liana.



I made my way to the separate dungeon where she was being kept. I was greeted by the guards on duty. I nodded at them and entered inside. I saw her fast asleep as I got to her dungeon. It had been less than two days since she was brought in, but she already looked haggard, her hair was messy and her lips dry and cracked.




She looked dirty and still had the clothes from two days ago. The sight of her stirred a mix of emotions within me but I couldn't let my emotions get in the way of judgment.




"Liana," I called out, my voice low but filled with authority. She jerked up, her eyes scanning for who had called her. I have always known that she wasn't a deep sleeper because she was always scared of being alone. I'm surprised to see her sleeping soundly but I guess it's because there were guards around and she didn't feel alone.



She finally saw me, meeting my gaze briefly before averting her eyes. My presence did not seem to intimidate her even if I didn't soften my expression. She hissed slightly, using her finger to brush her hair.



“What do you want now, Raul? You choose not to believe me and lock me up. Why are you here?” She asked, gritting her teeth as she spoke.




"Why did you lie, Liana? I have evidence that proves you've been meeting and working with Damien.You can't lie to me anymore. But I want to understand why you did what you did? Why, Liana? Why did you betray me?" I asked, my voice cracking with the flood of emotions I struggled to contain.




I expected her to cry and explain but what she did next shocked me. She began to laugh, a sound that chilled me to the bone. It was a maniacal laugh, devoid of any warmth or familiarity.





"I didn't betray you, Raul, I only did what I thought was best. And besides, you betrayed me first, you hurt me. You left me for someone you had just met, in the name of a mate. You know I've loved you since we were kids, Raul, and I would do anything to have you, even if it means siding with the devil in killing that girl," She said, her tone filled with Malice.




My blood boiled in anger at her words and I didn't know when a growl escaped my lips before I could stop it. I could feel Jayden also boiling with rage, and In a swift motion, I had her neck in my hand, choking her. Her laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by a strangled gasp.



She tried to free my grip from her neck but I was much stronger than her.


"How dare you threaten my mate in front of me? Don't you dare threaten me to hurt Marissa ever again," I hissed, my grip tightening.
"You don't know what I am capable of doing to anyone who crosses their limits, no matter how important they were once in my life."




Her eyes widened in fear and her face was red, but there was still no glint that she felt remorse about what she had done or said. "You think killing me will solve your problems? If you think so then you're a fool, Raul. I'm not the only one who wants that mate of yours gone. This goes deeper than you know," She said, her voice strained from being choked.




I released her immediately those words left her lips, and she collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. I took a step back, trying to regain control of my emotions.




"What do you mean by it goes deeper than I know. To what extent do you know? Explain," I demanded, my voice cold and hard.




She didn't utter a word and looked down, rubbing her neck.
“Don't taste my patient, Liana. I'm really holding myself back from doing what I will regret, so start talking,” I said, letting my Alpha power show a little to scare her.




No werewolf can resist the Alpha power, unless they are equal to the Alpha, like the Luna for example.


"Damien... When he approached me, he promised me power. A place by his side. He said they were a group of high councils by his side and that they could help me get rid of Marissa and take my rightful place beside you,” She explained.



"And did you get to meet this group of high councils?" I asked, glaring at her and she shook her head immediately.




“I tried to get Damien to let me meet them but he refused saying their identity couldn't be revealed to just anyone,” She replied.




I hissed loudly, banging my fist on the wall. "I thought you were smart, Liana but this shows me that I've been wrong about you. Damien has been using you, just like he's used by everyone else, and you fell into his trap. Now look at you, Damien has run away and left you."



Liana looked up at me, her eyes filled with a weird look I couldn't understand. “ Only if you knew... if you knew what he's planning, you wouldn't be so confident that he ran away," She said.




"What do you mean? Tell me," I ordered, my patience wearing thin.



She hesitated, then spoke in a low tone. "He's gathering an army, Raul. A dark force, beyond anything you've ever faced. And he's not alone. They are the high councils backing his every move, he has everything planned out.”




Her words sent a weird chill down my spine. I knew she wasn't spouting rubbish, she was telling the truth, or at least some version of it. Damien's ambitions were far more dangerous than I had realized.
We needed to find out where he is hiding before he strikes his plan.





"I'll deal with you later," I said, turning to leave. "But know this, Liana. If anything happens to Marissa, there will be no mercy for you or anyone,” I threatened before walking away.





As I walked away, her words echoed in my mind. An army, powerful beings... I needed to prepare. Our pack needed to be ready for whatever was coming. And I needed to protect Marissa at all costs.