13

13

"The red was a sign telling you to stop. Get it? Because red is the sign of danger?"

That sentence was enough indication to tell me the human was loopy. Calli had put him on something. My eyes flashed in anger the moment my eyes fell on his bloody form crumpled on the stone floor. I felt pain tear through my entire system, I was feeling his pain, my fist clenched painfully, nobody could know this was affecting me, nobody had to know. Guilt racked through my bones, ingraining itself deep within me, where I know it will never see the light of day again, long after he leaves the pack grounds, I will continue to feel guilty for subjecting him to this. He was my mate after all.

"Calli, what is this?" I couldn't keep the venom from my voice. I didn't even mind that Erin was right there.

Calli turned to me with a Cheshire grin plastered on his face.

"It was obvious that the human had built a firm resistance to physical pain. Nothing I did got a word of him. So I invited my sister."

He gestured towards his sister, whom I didn't notice when I entered. If you think Calli was awful, you definitely had not met any other members of his family yet. Lia was Calli's younger sister, as petite as she might be, she was worse than Calli. Their whole family lived to torture, and her area of specialization was mentally. She claims to use hypnosis but it was her toying with her victims mentally, breaking them down and chopping them to pieces mentally was how she got her thrill.

Lisa bowed slightly to me. A soft smile against her features, a deceiving factor, considering what she does.

"M. It's always a pleasure to serve you."

I don't say anything to her, i can't say anything to her, what do I say to someone that caused extreme pain to someone connected to me?

Grace whimpered at the movement of the human. He sat with his back against the wall, he was basically slumped against the wall, his eyes half open, blood trickled from the side of his head, a fresh cut was above his upper lip, his hair was disheveled in every sense of the word. It's only been a day since he got here but he looked so beaten, the sight of him tugged the strings of my heart. Worse part, no matter how unkempt he looked, he still looked devilishly handsome to me.

I had to clear my throat really loudly to get my mind off him. To focus on the task ahead, the corona Fletcher was more important than he will ever be, the pack and i will still be here when he leaves, I had to focus on the pack.

"Brief me."

Lia looked displeased at the fact that I did not praise her hand work, I never complimented her hand work yet she still expected it. She spoke nonetheless, she had to show off her work.

"I have to commend him, he is really strong and fought a great deal.."

Translation, she subdued him because she was really good at what she does.

"His mentality was strong too, little wonder why my brother could not break him."

Translation, she was way better than her brother.

"Cut to the chase, we don't have all night." Erin spoke up.

Lia's eyes flashed with annoyance, she was older than Erin but couldn't say anything because of me, at least that's what she thinks, Erin is a beta and they assume he is an omega. Everyone thinks they can get him, they had no idea.

"Like I said, his mentality is strong. I only got one thing from him. A name. James."

I could tell she was ashamed she could not get more than a word from a human. I felt a surge of pride that he was able to hold on.

"if you give me more time, I promise you, I will get more out of him."

If it were someone else, I would have readily hand over the person to her, no second thoughts whatsoever. Unfortunately, I had second thoughts with this one.

"He has taken all he can for today. Let's try again tomorrow."

"But this is surely the best time, he is weak and can't handle much, he is broken. Giving him to rest will make it harder for us."

"Harder for you? Lia I was under the assumption that you were the best, if him resting makes it harder for you.. are you really the best? It's just one night, what could he possibly do while broken to make your work harder?"

Her eyes widen.

"Of course not, one night rest wouldn't hurt. He will still be broken by tomorrow. We get our answers tomorrow."

I suppress a self satisfied smile. She couldn't possible think she was manipulated into agreement.

"Good night Lia, Calli." I nod to each of them respectively.

They bow before stepping out. I wait till I was sure they were well out of hearing range before speaking.

"We can't leave him like this."

I move towards the human. His eyes were fully closed by now, his head nodding in sleep.

"I will arrange for people to move him to the beds." Erin offers, not waiting for my response before leaving to get the people that will help carry the human to the beds, one of my predecessors were kind enough to install beds in the cells for the prisoners.

I nod, making sure to stay rooted to my spot, lest I carry him myself. I could not let us touch each other. As his held hung in front of him Grace reached out, I struggled to regain control. The minute I touched him everything was going to change, I would feel rush of excitement and everything my parents always talk about. I would forget everything I worked hard for and throw myself at him, unfortunately, he does not feel the same and it won't work out.

Luckily I managed to stay in control until Erin walked in with the guards.

"Carry him to the bed." I manage to give the order.

"Carefully." I couldn't stop myself from adding.

They bowed slightly before picking him up, two of them carry the lower part of him while one carried the lower part and towards the bed. I followed close enough to watch them but not so close that I could touch him even by accident. I could feel Erin's questioning gaze burning a hole on the back of my head, I was not going to turn to face him. He could not know how the human and i were connected.

They placed him gingerly on the closet bed, scurrying out before they were told.

"Do you think there are other clothes we could put him in?" I ask from where I stood, a few feet away from the bed.

Erin raised a brow at me but humours me anyway.

"There should be the uniform around here."

I busy myself with searching the wardrobes for anything resembling a uniform so Erin didn't ask me more questions.

"Is there a reason Lia is not getting an answer out of him right now?" Erin finally asked.

So much for busyness.

"She would have killed him."

"He knows when he is close to death, he would have talked before then."

Where the hell was this shirt? If Erin was dressing him up, he wouldn't have time to ask questions, I hope.

"He is stubborn. Only death remained for Calli to give him."

"There is only so much the human body can take. He would have talked."

I found a brown shirt deep in a metallic cupboard, it was old enough to belong to my dad, but it was cleaner than the one he had on.

"please dress him up in this one." I pass it to Erin.

He looked he was going to argue with me but shuts his mouth and gets to work.

I start to look for a towel he could use to wipe off the caked blood on his fingers and face.

"He can't die Erin. I need him to give it to me. I can't fail before I even start. I can't be the first ever female alpha of our pack and then fail. What legacy even is that?"

Erin walks back to me, a purposeful look in his eyes. I was never one to be overly emotional and he knew this. He knows this was a rare moment for me.

"He won't die. We will take care of him, get the answers by tomorrow and make you the best ever female alpha."

I muster a smile.

"Let's clean him up. Help me."

"You can at least do that. I'm changing his shirt." He frowned.

I try not to look guilty.

"I'm busy with other stuff. Please Erin."

He looked at me with suspicious eyes.

"You don't want to touch him?"

"Yes I don't. I can't. Help me."

"Why can't you?"

Oh shit.