Chapter 256: Your Mate Died Because Of You!

Chapter 256: Your Mate Died Because Of You!
Julian

The dungeon felt different tonight. Colder. Darker. Like the very walls knew what kind of monster we'd brought down here.

I knew Dominic had built a special reinforced cell for special prisoners in the deepest part of the dungeon. Hidden behind a wall with a secret mechanism that only the Alpha himself could access.

This place screamed "abandon all hope, ye who enter here" with its steel-reinforced stone walls, heavy iron chains that could hold a full-grown werewolf, and an atmosphere that made your skin crawl.

But none of that mattered when I saw Orion.

The massive werewolf hung suspended from the ceiling by reinforced chains, his arms stretched high above his head, looking both uncomfortable and completely inescapable.

Even unconscious, he was terrifying—eight feet tall in his hybrid form, muscles bulging against the restraints, claws that could shred steel.

Seeing him, fresh rage surged through my veins, but I forced myself to stay calm. For Clara.

Dominic, Avery, Damian, Rachel, and Ethan had already gathered in the room, their faces grim as they studied our prisoner.

Dominic's reinforced dungeon was a masterpiece of werewolf engineering—there was no fucking way Orion was getting out. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't break those restraints.

"How long has he been in coma?" I asked, surprised by how calm my voice sounded.

"Don't know," Dominic replied. "Whatever happened to him in that cave did a number on him. He's hurt pretty bad, but nothing life-threatening."

I could see what he meant. Orion had three deep gashes across his chest that were still bleeding despite their age. They looked like claw marks, but bigger than any I'd ever seen.

Something else had hurt him. Good. Hope it hurt like hell.

"Time to wake him up," I said, reaching for the bucket of ice water in the corner.

Without waiting for permission, I lifted the bucket and dumped the contents directly onto Orion's face and head.

His reaction was swift and violent.

Orion snapped awake with a roar that seemed to shake the dungeon's foundation, his massive head thrashing back and forth as he struggled against his restraints.

His yellow eyes blazed with fury and confusion, and when he bared his teeth, I could see fangs that looked like they could rip through steel.

Fuck, he really was a monster.

"There's nothing to interrogate," Dominic said calmly, as if there wasn't a huge, pissed-off werewolf thrashing around a few feet away.

"We know why he came here—revenge against Damian for killing his rogue pack. We know how he did it—kidnapping innocents to draw out his target."

He clapped Damian on the shoulder, a surprisingly gentle gesture considering the circumstances.

"The real question is what you want to do with him," Dominic continued. "He's your brother. The decision is yours."

Orion saw Damian and thrashed even more violently against his restraints, the chains rattling against the stone walls.

"Kill me!" he screamed, his voice distorted by his werewolf vocal cords but still completely understandable. "Do it now! Just fucking end this!"

His eyes bulged from their sockets as he continued to struggle, rolling wildly in his head. Combined with his grotesque, partially shifted features, the effect was truly disturbing.

But I didn't come here to be intimidated. I came here for Clara.

"Not yet," I said, my voice cutting through his roar like a blade.

"First, you're going to tell us everything. Every fucking detail. Starting with why you killed Clara."

Orion's wild gaze fixed on me, and for a moment, his thrashing subsided. When he spoke, his tone was full of casual cruelty that made my blood boil.

"Ah, the dead bitch's mate. Let me tell you something—your mate died because of you!"

Why is he saying that? Marc asked in my mind.

He's talking shit, I answered mentally. He wants to piss me off so I'll kill him right now. I won't let him manipulate me.

I forced myself to stay calm. Don't let him get to you. That's exactly what he wants.

"Tell us what happened," I repeated, my voice deadly calm.

Orion laughed, the sound echoing off the stone walls like breaking glass. "Oh, I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything, and you're going to hate every fucking second of it."

He leaned back against his chains, a sick smile spreading across his monstrous face.

"Your precious little mate was such an idiot," he began, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Walking around upstairs from the dungeon, chattering to her inner wolf about planning some surprise party. 'Oh, this outdoor celebration would be perfect! Julian will love it!' Like some brain-dead kid playing house."

Every word was like a knife in my chest, and I could barely keep myself together. What was he talking about? Clara knew my birthday was coming and was planning a party for me?

He's right, Marc said. If Clara hadn't gone out looking for a place to throw a party, she wouldn't have died...

"You know what the funniest part is?" Orion continued, his yellow eyes gleaming with malicious pleasure.