116

116
MAGNUS

When I walked into the throne room, the air was very heavy. It was so heavy it was almost biting. Every single Alpha in the room had their eyes fixed on me. And even though none of them had said anything, I could feel and smell the anger coming off of them. 

Every corner of the room had guards. They were standing along the walls, with their sword at the ready. They were the ones I had deployed back to the Packhouse to watch over these Alphas and make sure nothing suspicious was going on. I stopped in the middle of the raised platform, just beside the iron throne, and took a few steps backwards before lowering myself into the throne. 

I leaned back against the high backrest, tapping the arm of the throne slowly. 

"Apologies," I said finally with that steady voice that carried across the large room, like I hadn't just made someone permanently dumb. "I'm a little late. I had some business to handle. I heard you all wanted to see me. Here I am now. If you have any more questions, ask, because I don't have all day and I'll be going back to the business I was handling soon." 

None of them spoke at first, but finally one of them finally stood up. Alpha Rick. He was thick-shouldered, with gray streaks in his beard and a face too spotless for an Alpha. But it wasn't surprising since he was one of those Alphas who never fought. His men were always there at his beck and call to fight for him. Weak.

"We demand an explanation. We are watched every second of the day. We are not allowed to move without tour guards breathing down our necks. We are not allowed to leave our chambers. And I need not remind you that we are Alphas, just like you. We are not prisoners. We demand to know why this is happening." 

I did not reply immediately. I looked around the room before I sighed, leaning forward  little while staring at him the whole time. "Friend, there is no explanation. An attempt was made on my life and that of my brother. That is all you need to know that we are in a state of emergency. This is due process. This is security and I will not apologize for it, nor will I ask the guards to stop following you around until the issue has been resolved." 

A murmur moved across the room and I saw how vexed some of them truly were, shifting on their seats but not openly challenging me. They knew the consequences, they knew how lethal I was. 

Rick clenched his hands, but before he could answer, another Alpha rose from his seat to speak. He looked a lot younger than Rick, maybe in his early thirties. 

"That is not our concern." He said. "If someone tried to assassinate you, that is your problem. Do your investigation, hunt down your enemies but leave us out of it. We came here for the Alpha Games opening ceremony, not to live as captives in your Pack. Remember we have Packs we are supposed to be handling." 

I couldn't help the small laugh that left my throat when he finished speaking. "Not your concern? You think it's that simple? You think I can be poisoned at my own ceremony, and in my own Pack, and just let it slide? No. In case you don't fully grasp the situation you are in, I would like to make it a little clearer. Every single one of you is a suspect. Every single one of you could be the one behind the assassination attempt. Nobody has dared to attack me since I became the Alpha, but on the same night the Pack Games ceremony is hosted here, it happens. How about putting yourselves in my shoes?" 

The young Alpha snarled. "Not with your men breathing down our neck. And how dare you accuse us?"

"I do accuse you all and I will not take my word back. Until I know who is behind it, you will remain under watch. You will not move without my guards and you will not leave this Pack." 

That set the room on fire. 

Several of them growled, some standing halfway out of their seats. 

Rick slammed his fist on the armrest and thundered. "You cannot do this! You cannot keep us here against our will! This is madness!" 

I tilted my head slowly and chuckled as the confusion continued to spread. Then I leaned back into the throne and rested one hand on the carved armrest. "Watch me," I said. 

The man roared. "I will leave this place. I do not care what you say. I will leave and you will not stop me." 

I snickered, but it soon turned into laughter. A short one. Then I stood up from the throne and ordered in a very loud voice to the guards who were standing at the walls. "If anyone tries to leave this Pack, apprehend them. Break them and throw them into the dungeons. Is that clear?!" 

"Yes, Alpha!" Came the emphatic response from them. 

The Alphas froze at the sound of that. My men didn't move an inch, but the response was enough to tell them that this was very serious. One wrong step and blood would flow. And I did not care about war. I'd been in lots of them and if any of them was foolish enough to try fighting me, they would be at the receiving end of my fury. 

I rose to my feet, towering over them as I stood on the raised platform. I stepped down the stairs to their level, not looking at the faces of the twenty one Alphas who were glaring at me. "If you will excuse me," I said as I passed through pews. "I have other business to attend to. Hopefully by the end of today, the ceremony will continue from where it stopped. But for now, cancel your plans because nobody is leaving this Pack." 

I walked out of the massive doors of the Packhouse entrance before returning to the dungeon. When I walked into the dungeon where they had locked Rob up, I found him slumped against the wall. His face was swollen beyond recognition. One eye was shut and his lips were split open in a bad cut, with blood smeared across his chin and neck. His breathing was very ragged and shallow, meaning my guards had done a pretty good job. 

I thanked them before asking if he said anything. 

"No, Alpha. The son of a bitch was stubborn. He won't break." 

Rob probably thought I would waste my energy torturing him, but I had another plan up my sleeve. I did not intend to drag this out or waste my breath. But I was going to give him a chance to tell me the truth. Once I got in, I asked him. 

"Who asked you to poison me? Whose plan was it?" 

Rob laughed. The sound was a broken, cracked cackle and as he laughed, blood spilled from his mouth. "You can skin me alive and I won't say a fucking word. You're wasting your time talking to me." 

He coughed and spat blood on the ground before he went on. "You're a monster. Everyone knows it. Everyone fears it but nobody does a thing about it. I knew I would be doing the whole world a favour by killing you. You sit up there on your throne like you’re some kind of god, but you're nothing. You're mortal, and I'm glad I reminded everyone of that." He paused to take a breath. "Look at how scared you are. You're just a cruel, sick man. And I wish that poison had gotten to you. I wish it killed you slowly. I wish you were the one choking and foaming at the mouth and dying, not that boy. That innocent boy." 

When he was done, I nodded once and slowly rose to my feet. 

Then I turned to the guards and ordered. "Prepare him and Mira to be executed. Release the boy, and the other servants who served drinks at the party. They are innocent." 

Whoever made Rob do this was out there, and I was about to bait them into exposing themselves. I didn't need Rob to tell me who'd sent him, I preferred the thrill of finding out myself.