Chapter 20 Darren's POV

My hand swinging restlessly by my side, I walked into the bar. The air was thick with tension, my eyes scanning the bar. The wooden floorboards creaked under my boots. The scent of beer mingling with my cologne wafted through the atmosphere, resting on my nostrils. 

My gaze swept across the room, landing on Eric, the bar's manager. He was seated  on a stool behind the counter, his hands fiddling with a rag that he kept twisting and untwisting. His eyes flicked to me, then quickly away, his jaw tightening.

“Eric,” I called, my voice calm yet authoritative. 

“We need to talk.”

He looked up, forcing a smile. 

“Alpha Darren. What brings you here?”

I walked up to the counter, leaning forward slightly. 

“You tell me. This bar used to be the heart of the pack. Now it’s empty. Ever since the poisoning, people are afraid. You must’ve noticed.”

Eric swallowed, the muscles stiffening we he adjusted uncomfortably. 

“People get spooked, Alpha. It’ll blow over. Just give it time.”

His tone was casual, but I wasn’t buying it. My wolf growled softly in the back of my mind, sensing his nervousness.

“I’m not here to talk about time, Eric. I’m here to talk about the poisoned wine. You were working that night, weren’t you?”

He nodded, too quickly. “I was, yes. But I had nothing to do with—”

“Relax,” I interrupted, my voice weirdly calm. “I’m just asking questions.”

I could see the sweat forming on his brow, the way his fingers gripped the rag tighter. He was slipping, I could sense it, my wolf could too. 

We talked for a few minutes, the tension in the air weighing him down. 

Then, without warning, he stood up.

“I need to use the restroom,” he muttered, avoiding my gaze.

I straightened, narrowing my eyes. “Sit down, Eric.”

He ignored me, taking a step toward the exit.

That’s when Kyle appeared, blocking his path. My Beta had a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and tonight was no different.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Kyle asked, his voice cold.

Eric froze, his eyes darting between us. He stammered something I couldn't hear, but Kyle wasn’t interested. Neither was I. He grabbed Eric by the collar and dragged him back to me, shoving him into a chair.

“Nice try,” I said, my tone cold.

Kyle's fist collided with his face and he dropped on the floor. 

The dungeon was a stark contrast to the bar. Cold, damp, and stinking, it was a place meant to break spirits and yes, of course, bones. I watched as Kyle secured Eric to a chair, his hands and feet bound.

I circled him slowly, letting the silence stretch. The sound of his shallow breathing filling the air. 

“Let’s make this simple, Eric,” I began, my voice calm but laced with something deadly. “Tell me the truth, and this ends quickly. Who poisoned the wine?”

“I don’t know!” he cried, his voice cracking. “I swear, Alpha, I had nothing to do with it!”

I crouched in front of him, forcing him to face me. “Wrong answer.”

Kyle handed me a whip, and I didn’t hesitate. The first strike tore through the silence, the sound of leather meeting flesh making even my wolf flinch. Eric screamed, but I didn’t stop.

“Tell me what you know,” I demanded, my patience growing thin. 

“I don’t know anything!” he sobbed, his voice barely audible.

I stood, tossing the whip aside. “Fine. We’ll do this the hard way.”

I snapped my fingers, and Kyle left the room. When he returned, he wasn’t alone. Eric’s children—two wide-eyed boys no older than ten—stood before me, their faces pale with fear. Behind them, their mother, trembled.

Eric’s screams of protest echoed in the dungeon. 

“No! Please, Alpha! They have nothing to do with this!”

I ignored him, my focus on the children. I crouched to their level, my expression cold. “Do you love your father?” I asked them.

They nodded, too scared to speak.

“Good,” I said, standing. “Because he’s about to decide your fate.”

I turned back to Eric, my gaze hard. “You have until the count of three to tell me the truth. One…”

“Please, Alpha, don’t!” he begged, tears streaming down his face.

“Two…”

His pleas grew more frantic, but I didn’t waver.

“Three.”

Without hesitation, I tried to snap the neck of the youngest boy. The sound of his wife’s scream was deafening, but I didn’t flinch.

“Stop!” Eric cried. “Please, stop! I’ll tell you everything!”

I paused, tilting my head. “I’m listening.”

Eric was trembling so violently I thought he might pass out. “I don’t know who did it,” he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. “After I served him wine, I passed out. When I woke up, the bar was empty. That’s all I know!”

I stared at him, my wolf snarling in my chest. “Do you expect me to believe that?”

“It’s the truth!” he insisted, sobbing.

I raised my hand to snap his wife’s neck, but my phone buzzed. I growled in frustration, pulling it from my pocket.

It was Adam, the oldest elder in the pack. 

“What is it?” I barked.

“Alpha, we’ve been reviewing the footage from the bar,” he said. “There’s something strange. Right before the poisoning, the cameras flickered off. When they came back on, the bar was empty.”

My grip on the phone tightened. Someone was playing games with me, and I didn’t like it.

“Understood,” I said, hanging up.

I turned back to Eric. “Consider yourself lucky,” I spat.

I ordered Kyle to take the children and the wife to the clinic. They would live, but they wouldn’t be the same. Considering it was just a temporary shock. 

Frustrated, I stormed out of the dungeon, the cold air biting at my skin. My mind raced with different thoughts, my chest heaving. Anger and pain surging through my veins, making my chest tighten. 

Someone was trying to mess with  me, to tear my pack apart from the inside. But I wouldn’t stop until I found them.

Mark my words, whoever you are. You’ve made a grave mistake.

I walked into the palace, my hand drapping lazily over the throne's arm. I had summoned Heather and Vanessa. 

They walked into the room, bowing their heads and expecting a command.

“Please me!” I ordered.