CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN

[Noah's POV].

Like any horror movie or story, the interrogation chamber was on the lower levels. Greyhound Prison was located far from the civilizations, just like the mines. The area looked like a typical estate, but within was fenced and barricaded, the dreaded place where captured rogues were kept.

"Alpha Noah," Jericho greeted with a bow. "Please allow me to show you to the room where our guest is being held."

Noah's jaw ticked as he rolled up his shirt with shaky hands, allowing his wolf a little bit of control. Cold sweat dripped down his seething flesh as they walked deeper through the narrow halls and down dim cobblestone stairs lit by torches hanging from the ceilings. The walls were moist, being underground, and the thick smell of dampness, blood, and burning flesh hung heavy in the air.

Noah's shoes clanged against the metal flooring of the lower prison hall as they passed the empty rooms lined on the sides. He clenched and unclenched his hand. The feral energy and righteous anger that had become his loyal companion clawed at his sanity. He wanted to punch something, tear something apart to release the tiniest bit of the rapidly building hailstorm inside him. The pain of losing Ruby was like a silver shackle around his heart, squeezing and leaving him burning. Noah had tried transforming the hurt into anger, but not having his mate near was like he was plunged further into the dark days when she wasn't there. His life held no meaning until he found her and brought her back to his side where she belonged.

But until then, Noah thought as the jarring smell of silver intertwined with burning flesh tickled his nostrils. His wolf clawed at their bond with feral instincts, baying for blood and the life of the pitiful man who would soon be begging for a quick end.

Jericho placed his hand on the knob of the thick metal door. He turned to Noah with the wicked glint that permanently marred his expression when he was given the opportunity to torture. Many see Jericho as one of the meek Elders who keeps his head low, listening until his opinion is needed. But Noah knew why he appointed the man as the one in charge of the prisons and training. His methods were savage and unethical, and he worked wholeheartedly, always getting them the answers they needed.

Noah pinned him with a stern gaze of his own, urging him to open the doors. The delay was making him grow antsy, and the sooner they got the information they needed, the faster they would find Ruby.

Jericho nodded and pushed the heavy door open. The thick smell of rogues escaped the enclosed room and hit Noah right in the face. He felt his last self-control slip from his loosened grasp, and occasional growls escaped his lips unintentionally as he stepped into the room.

The man before him was strapped in the middle of the room to a metal chair with his neck, hands, and feet bound with silver shackles. His hair was wet, probably from water or sweat. He looked untouched—fresh and waiting for him to make as much damage as he wanted until he spoke. The only damage that had been done was the burns from the silver that held him.

Noah watched the man raise his head. He looked to be in his late forties. His eyes ran over his form, and Noah smirked in contentment when the man's Adam apple bobbed. Noah could make out the fear that crossed his eyes, but he pushed it away, trying to put up a complex, blank front.

Noah remained silent, letting the man see the fury that burned in his eyes before moving to a table behind the chair. He could hear Jericho silently moving through the room, arranging his toys—as he liked calling them—on the metal tables at each corner of the room. Noah could smell fear oozing out of the man as he grew nervous about having him out of sight. He tried turning to see what he was doing, but the sizzling sound of the silver melting off his flesh at the movement stopped him.

"What do you want?" the man hissed with so much hatred. "Did you bring me here to tie me to a chair? Let me go now, and I will forget this ever happened."

Noah felt his wolf rage at the audacity of the man to still bargain. His blood boiled as he picked up a pair of gloves before walking to the table at the left of the room. His shoes clicked against the floor, making the man turn his head sharply in his direction, forgetting the silver around his neck. Noah listened to his labored breathing—music to his ears as he fiddled with the varying-sized syringes containing liquid silver.

"You have no right to be upset by my presence on this land. This is rogue land, and you have no authority here!" The man yelled.

"Are you a member of Oliver's herd?" Noah asked. His voice was dangerously calm despite the murderous rage that flowed through his veins.

The man fell quiet, and Noah turned to face him. His head was locked in place, and his eyes were trained on the door, but a stubbornness bloomed in his orbs.

"I am not obligated to tell you anything," The man bellowed, saliva dripping from the side of his mouth and veins protruding from his neck as he struggled to talk without burning himself.

Noah pulled a chair from the corner of the room. Its legs scraped against the floor as he settled it in front of the man before taking a seat. The man's eyes lowered to him with his teeth still clenched.

Noah turned to Jericho, who stood quietly watching the exchange with unimaginable glee dancing in his eyes. He stood by a table with two flasks of wolfsbane, and when he noticed his Alpha's gaze on him, he moved to a table and retrieved a syringe before walking up to the strapped man.

Without waiting for a second, Jericho jabbed the needle into the man's arm before pushing half of the liquid silver into his body. His flesh grew chunky as it darkened like drying molten lava. A ghastly scream ripped from the man's throat as he thrashed around, making the silver shackles melt away more parts of his flesh.

Noah closed his eyes, savoring the sound of pain that he had heard countless times. A few minutes went by before the man's curses reduced. Opening his eyes, he watched Jericho slam his hand down on the syringe, injecting the rest of the liquid into the man, making him let out another string of screams and curses.

"I know you wouldn't make it easy for yourself," Noah said in a bored tone. "As much as I am impatient, we will be here all day until you give me the information I need."

The man huffed. His eyes were blood red as he stared down at his disintegrating skin. "You are a madman, just like Oliver said."

Noah nodded, motioning for Jericho to fetch the next tool of his choice—he was there for just the information and would allow his Elder to have as much fun as he needed. "See, we are going somewhere. Admitting that wasn't so hard, was it?"

The man spat, but lucky for him, the ball of saliva dropped inches away from Noah. His wolf fought within in at the disrespect. He had been to countless interrogations, and spitting and curses were expected, but the situation was different. It took everything within him not to give in to his wolf's urge to tear apart the man's limb by limp until he spat out the correct information he needed.

This was the only part of the pack he didn't want to show Ruby—where he was free to be merciless, cruel, and, at the same time, patient and tactful. But he needed to go through the rabbit hole of destruction if he needed to find her. As if reading his thoughts, Jericho picked a silver mini saw; its teeth were crooked and blunt.

"Tongue or his fingers, Alpha?" Jericho asked as the man paled in his seat.

"We need his tongue for a little longer. Let's see how many fingers it will take him to talk."

Jericho bowed in respect before grabbing the man's hand. Noah could make out the underlying seed of panic sprouting in his mind as he fought with Jericho, but his energy wasted by screaming was no match for Jericho's enthusiasm.

The man cried out as Jericho began working on two of his fingers, the silver melting the flesh easily, but the crooked teeth of the saw got stuck in the bones as Jericho pushed further, jerking his arm up and down until two fingers laid on the bloody metal floor.

"Two for the disrespect," Noah said as he watched the steady rhythmic pattern of blood that dripped from the severed finger to a pool forming on the floor. "Now, if you are ready to answer my questions, what is your name?"

The man's breathing grew labored. His eyes still held stubbornness as he looked at Noah. Another wail of agony left his lips as Jericho plucked another digit from his hand.

"D-Daniel," the man bellowed. His toes curled, and his bare feet dug into the ground.

Noah gave him a crooked smile. "Now, we are on the same page, Daniel. Talk, and this won't happen again," Noah signaled to Jericho, and another finger was pulled out—just as a warning.

"You fucking…bastard. F- Fine, I'll talk!" Daniel snarled as he stared daggers at Noah.

"Why did you attack my pack?"

Daniel's eyes almost regained their stubbornness, but one look at Jericho's bloody saw tamed his disrespect. "You claim you made the pack for us rogues but capture us when we enter; quite pretentious, don't you think? Just count your days, Alpha. Oliver will tear down your shiny structures from the foundation, and you will do nothing to stop him."

"I don't give two fucks about Oliver and his ever-planning war. I just need one simple answer from you. When you and your brothers infiltrated my pack, you ambushed two women at the mall."

Noah felt his anger grow as he spoke. A fear-stricken face of Ruby flashed in his mind, and he felt his claw extend, ready to tear the feeble strings Daniel called a throat.

"You chased them down the road, destroyed their car, and abducted one of them." Noah watched Daniel shrink back in his seat as the overwhelming rage from his wolf filled the room. "Where is she?"

Daniel gritted his teeth, his neck stiffened from strain, and his eyes darted around. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Noah flew out of his seat. A jolt of rage rang up into his brain as he grabbed a fist full of Daniel's hair and slammed it into the back of the chair. His finger burned from a brushed contact with the silver, but that was the least of his concerns as his eyes radiated the storm brewing inside him.

"I told you, I will only ask once. Do not think I need you for the information I crave. I can storm into your little settlement anytime and wipe out every last one of you until I get the answer I need. Your only choice right now is to answer me. Now, where is she?"

Daniel's eyes were enraged as they stared into Noah's. He felt the gravity of the situation, understanding that his fate was entirely in Noah's hands.

Daniel's head bobbed as Noah let it go. Blood trickled down his forehead as his eyes glowed with comprehension. "She is long gone by now, presumably across the borders."

"Who ordered the attack?"

Daniel gulped as he looked at Jericho, who stood impatiently with his tool. "I don't know! I swear on my life. Oliver received the order and told us to get the Luna."

Noah's face hardened as he encouraged Jericho to take another finger. "You knew she was my Luna and still went through with it?"

Terror filled Daniel's eyes as he struggled to release his hand from Jericho's clam-like grip. "Everyone knows about the Luna and her gift. It was only a matter of time before someone else tried to take her away from you. Even Oliver wants her for himself. You can't imagine what the Alphas all around the world would do to get the moon Goddess child."

Noah knew it was bound to happen. Everyone would want his mate and the power that came with being with her. His wolf whined at their carelessness. If only he was more protective, if he had never let her out of his sight, she would still be at the pack, safe by his side.

"For the last time, who took her?" Noah pushed his luck.

Daniel screamed as Jericho went back to the table to fetch another toy. "Please! I fucking told you already, I don't know. Only Oliver will know the identity of the person. Please, I beg you! I've told you everything I know!"

Noah felt as if his head was about to explode. He pushed himself away from the begging man and out of the room. He could feel Jericho's eyes on him, and he gave him the go-ahead to do what he pleased with Daniel. He had more important things to look into. He had a bigger fish to catch.

Noah didn't care if he had to search all over the world. He didn't care how many people he would have to kill. All that mattered was getting Ruby back.