173- The Alpha’s Verdict
POV Aldren Valmorin:
“What did you drug her with?” I pressed.
“Fenelar,” he referred to the herbal injection of my own creation, based on Morpheus poppy and mandrake, capable of putting a strong wolf to sleep for two full days.
“A full dose?” In the body of a thin, debilitated pup like that, it could result in an irreversible coma.
“No, no. Less than half.” He rose from the armchair and shoved his hands into the pockets of his loose, dark jeans, looking uncomfortable. “In a day and a half she should wake… where is she?”
“In the cage.”
“In your cage?” An involuntary sigh escaped his lips, reflecting his disbelief.
“Is there a problem?” I asked sharply.
“You… want to sleep and wake up beside the female spy…?” His expression made it clear he was indignant, though he softened his tone.
“The prisoner is in the cage on this floor, Kehin, not the one in my chambers.” I watched him place a hand on his chest and take a deep breath, clearly relieved. “And if I wanted to interrogate her more closely, what would be the problem?” I added.
“No problem, it’s just that—”
“Is it the same place where I keep my two whores when they irritate me?”
“That’s not what I meant, but—”
“You did mean it, fuck.” Kehin was testing my patience.
“All right, I did… but it’s just that…” He brought his hands to his head, grabbed two fistfuls of his own hair, and tugged, giving in to his nerves. I waited for his outburst to pass so he could continue. “Aldren, I know she’s nothing but an intruder, and that’s why I brought her here. My loyalty to you stands above all things, but…”
“Spit it out, fuck,” I growled impatiently.
“I felt something different with her, I can’t explain it. I don’t remember ever experiencing such attraction in my life. The scent, the irreverent aura…” His confession sounded like a joke to me, and I burst out laughing, throwing my chin back. “Aldren, I’m serious.”
I recovered from the fit of laughter, looking at his emotionally charged mug.
“Come on. What kind of implicit request is hiding behind this terrible confession, Kehin? Be honest about what’s between your legs.”
“This isn’t a request. I’m just telling my best friend how I feel. If she really is a spy, she deserves death, but if not…”
“If not what?”
“Let her stay. The poor thing is a screwed-up waitress who lives under a pile of rotten wood. She’s not from here and probably doesn’t even know our laws.”
I laughed sarcastically.
“The answer is no. I want mutts far away from my territory, that’s enough.”
Kehin didn’t move his tongue to disagree, out of respect, but he clenched his teeth so hard the bone of his jaw jutted out.
“Can I see her?” he asked softly, fearing my answer.
“You want to pay a little visit to the bitch spy who probably came to steal the formulas that guarantee your people’s survival?” I mocked.
Kehin knew that traditional pharmaceutical industry products were toxic to the lupine people and that many had died along the way, sacrificing their lives to test formulas that healed instead of killing us.
I wasn’t sure I’d reached the peak of medicinal knowledge necessary for my pack yet, which was why I still devoted my time to research and study.
Who else would do it, after five hundred years of my life?
Even one of my right-hand men traveled the world, searching for new inputs so we could advance our formulations.
“If that’s actually true, she deserves to have her neck ripped out in a public square and no dignity in her burial, Aldren.”
“That’s my bet,” I said, before turning my back on him and heading for the door.
Kehin didn’t question me a second time about seeing her, showing that he accepted my decision.
Only because of that did I head toward the cage instead of going up the stairs to the first floor. For some reason, my beast twisted inside me, disagreeing with my decision to let him see her briefly.
We are one, and I do not tolerate cursed spies. I hold the control, I thought.
The prize hunter of the day was used to following silent orders, so he came with me. My guard, Victor, opened the old wooden door, revealing the dark room where light refused to penetrate.
The ancient iron structure that formed an arched cage, made to hold prisoners, could be partially seen due to the small beam of light. Leaning against the side wall, the cage was firmly grounded and secured by already worn iron rings, ensuring it remained fixed even if a prisoner used superhuman strength.
For that female, that place would be purgatory, and I couldn’t be more eager for her to wake up and realize the mess she’d gotten herself into.
The spy’s weakened body lay stretched across the small mattress suspended on an iron base. One arm over her stomach, the other touching the floor, her neck twisted toward the edge.
The outfit on her body seemed to be her work uniform. It bore tears stained with blood and mud, leaving her almost half-naked.
“Can I go in to adjust her neck? If she spends two days in that position under the drug’s effect, she’ll wake up unable to move from such a bad crick,” he intervened, touching the bars with his hands, staring at her through the gaps in the iron.
My beast was once again thrashing inside me.
Stop it, fuck, or I’ll have to rip this female’s neck out before finding out who ordered her.
“Fuck it. I couldn’t care less,” I snapped at Kehin’s request, boiling with impatience.
“What… do you intend to do?” He used a cautious tone, turning toward me.
“Torture her until she reveals herself.” Wasn’t it obvious?
“Physical torture?” His face went pale.
“Do you have a problem with that, Kehin?” He shook his head, but failed to look convincing. “Not that it’s any of your concern, but in the state that female is in, she won’t have the energy to react to physical pain.”
The alpha-in-training looked down for a few brief seconds.
“I really hope she tells everything she knows. If she knows anything at all…”
“The visit is over. Go back to your house and keep your mouth shut.”
He sighed, defeated, upon receiving my order.
“Yes, Aldren.”
“Be aware that I will make this mutt talk, no matter the cost.”
“I know…”
“Do you know her name?”
“She lied about part of her own name, but I heard Ralph looking for Elowen before leaving.”
“Elowen…” I pronounced her name, testing the word on my tongue.
“That’s it.”
A blazing fury ran through my bloodstream, clashing with my beast, which, mysteriously, did not yearn for vengeance and justice the way I did.
The decision was still mine. The control was mine. Of all the alphas, I took pride in being the one who mastered himself the most.
“Elowen invaded my lands and will find out she made the biggest mistake of her life. If she’s sane, I’ll drive her mad. If she’s proud, I’ll humiliate her until she begs for a drop of dignity. If she offends me, I’ll let her perish from hunger and thirst in this filthy cubicle. And if she doesn’t break, I’ll torture her until I rip away her last thread of vitality—only then will I tear off her head.”