Chapter 50
*****Danis POV*****
The smell in this room alone had my stomach churning.
I continued to pick up random bits of paper around the room, placing the important looking ones into a box for Axel to look over whilst he basically raided the place for the desk key.
"I bet that fucking piece of shit has the damn key shoved up his ass... there would be no way to find it then!" Axel rages, causing me to burst into a fit of laughter from the comment.
He wasn't even trying to be funny but he eventually laughed with me after realising what he had just said.
"If you were a key... where would you be?" He throws the question at me, causing me to glance around the room curiously.
"Have you checked the paintings and the photo frames?" I question, earning a nod from him as he continues to rummage around.
I continue to glance around further thinking that it must be in here somewhere... if Nolan couldn't find it on him in the cell then it must be here... he would want to keep it handy no doubt.
A moment passes, as I mentally check off every sneaky hiding spot in the room that I could think of... before my head suddenly tilts backwards.
The light!
"Axel try the light shade up there!" I state pointing, feeling confident with my suggestion since I was almost certain that I could see a funny shadow inside.
"Hm... good thinking doll!" Axel moves to stand on a chair, reaching up with ease as he searches around in the dish like shape.
My eyes light up, watching him retrieve the small key from the spot - almost looking proud of me for finding it!
He heads straight for the desk, jamming the small key into the lock - before successfully opening it as I release a small cheer of victory.
"Do you know what you're looking for?" I question next, wondering if there was anything in particular.
"Nah... just anything that might help us get to the bottom of what's going on around this pack." He explains as I move to get a better view of the contents of the drawer for myself.
Inside of the drawer there were four black folders reading 'classified' which instantly caused Axel to smirk in success.
I watched eagerly as he retrieved the first one - flicking it open - before I gasped.
Empty?
"Fuck!" Axel grits out in frustration, rushing to scan the remaining three folders - only to find the same result.
Blank pages.
"I don't understand?" My eyes zone in on the blank documents within the so called 'classified' files. Did he take the contents out and replace them before we got here? He wouldn't have had the time to do that though would he?
"There is a witch here..." Axel eventually stands after a moment of thought, grasping the folders in his hands tightly.
"A witch?" I question to confirm the brief comment that he had made.
"We need to find a witch who is a member of this pack... one that is willing to help us lift this enchantment." He mutters out, as my eyebrows furrow.
"An enchantment?" I ask, reminding him that I am only a human who is still very new to all of this.
"These papers are enchanted... only a witch can reveal the contents." He explains briefly, before grabbing my hand in order to pull me out of the (now destroyed) office mess.
"Where are we going now?" I quicken my pace beside him as he leads me through the large unfamiliar house.
"Stay by my side and don't speak to strangers!" He locks eyes with me for a brief moment, as I nod in understanding.
I was fearful now for what was to come...
******A few hours later******
"As you all know by now... this pack is now under the control of myself as your King and the Royal Pack for the time being. Your Alpha is no longer in charge around here and therefore any reports or anything of importance will be passed over to myself or my guards!..."
I stand silently at the side of the small stage beside Lily and Belle - hidden by six large guards for protection as we listen to Axels speech as he talks to the full Gemstone pack.
"I am now aware that you have all suffered greatly under the ruling of your Alpha Dillon and I would like to know as much as possible about the corruption within this pack. I expect your FULL co-operation with this moving forward. There will be five separate rooms available to visit after this meeting where you can pass over information and make reports to my guards on what you have gone through. This will help us greatly with getting this pack back on track as soon as possible."
Axel continues with the speech... his voice stern and intimidating as the room remains eerily silent around him. From what I could manage to see from behind the guards, everyone looked either fearful or hopeful of what was yet to come...
"From this day moving forward, this pack will no longer be poverty stricken or neglected. Things will change for the better. With that being said... a new Alpha must be appointed. Someone worthy enough to lead this pack to greatness after we leave. Therefore, this coming Friday, your current Alpha Dillon will be forced to battle any worthy opponents for the title. Please pass your name over to either myself, my Beta Grey or my Lead Warrior Nolan if you believe you could help make the Gemstone pack strong once again!"
Nobody dared to speak as he continued to roar his way through his speech.
"Other than the things I have already mentioned... I would like now... for someone brave enough… to step up and tell me... WHERE THE FUCK HAS ALL OF THIS PACKS CHILDREN GONE?!"
Axel bellows the last part at the crowd, earning a few quiet sobs from the crowd now - causing my arm hairs to stand alert from the tension.
I believe he had wanted to see the whole pack tonight... so where were the kids? I hadn't seen one single kid or even any teenagers since we had arrived.
"SPEAK UP!" He roars out again, causing me to turn and eye Lily and Belle who looked just as petrified as me.
"A-Al... Al...Pha..." We hear a small weak stutter speak out, as I move around from behind the guards in attempts to get a better view of who it was.
"COME FORWARD!" Axel states boldly, as I hear the shuffling of the crowd as they allow the person through to speak.
A few moments pass, before I manage to sneak a glimpse of an older woman who had weaved her way through the crowd to the front. She seemed frail and afraid which caused my heart to break for her - without even knowing her story.
I watch on as she shakes, evidently nervous from the encounter with Axel as the rest of the pack remain silent once again.
"This meeting is over and there will be more meetings to come! Nobody will enter nor leave this pack for as long as I am here! If you head to the main dining room, we have prepared food for everyone in there and whilst you eat... I want you all to think about what information you could pass on to us before you leave here tonight! We want to know EVERYTHING so do not hold back! Tell us the names of those who have helped to corrupt this pack... tell us the secrets... tell us how we can fix it! We are here to benefit you all and I can only promise that going against us will result in instant DEATH!"
Axel breaks the silence, as everyone around the room moves to exit - seeming to perk up slightly at the mention of the food. These people must be starved...
"You will come with me!" He commands the older woman next who only nods and begins to shuffle behind him as he moves towards a door.
"Dani! You come too!" He stops briefly and calls back to me, as the guards instantly separate to allow me through.
Me? Why me? I gulp nervously before doing as I am told - the older woman seeming to relax briefly as I offer her a small smile before we both follow Axel out into another room.
This man was on a war path...