C40. To Kill For

Continuing Matthew's POV:

     I followed Ethan out into the hall and to the door a few feet down. He unlocked the cell and I was shoved in before the door shut dramatically behind me. I had tripped as I landed head down in the floor. I looked up in relief as my sister's scent flooded the room. 

     "Matthew?" April asked in surprise as she looked down at my face. Her own was a blank space of horror. She looked pale like a ghost hit her. She had been sweating only moments before as if some how it was hot in the room. Which it was as cold as a basement should be. For lack of installation of course. She moved off the bed and helped me to my knees. "Wow... it is you?" She asked in surprise before helping me to sit on the bed with her. "Where are we?" She asked and looked around at her small purgatory. 

     "I don't know." I lied to her. I felt immediately guilty for lying to her. She had been my sister after all. I usually told her the truth. I was an honest man after all. At least I liked to think of myself as one. "I think we're kidnapped by rogues," I suggested.

     "Rogues?" Her voice hit an octave as I knew she was worried. Her eyes looking lost as she stared away in space.

     "How did you get here? What do you remember?" I asked her curiously. 

     "I was taking a bath while sipping on a glass of wine. I don't remember anything after that," she explained. "You? What do you remember?"

     "I was chasing Josephine's scent into the woods because she had escaped from the station. I was attacked by rogues. I thought I had died but then I woke up as they were dragging me here," I explained. It was close enough to the truth. She nodded as she took my hands and brought them up to her cheek. She rubbed them gently with her head. 

     "Brother," she whispered. "I'm so happy you're here with me. I thought I would be alone here. What do you think they want with us?"

     "You don't have any ideas?" I asked her as I pulled her to my chest and rocked her in my arms. I looked at the ground as I couldn't bring myself to look at the wall hiding the one way window. I knew behind it would be the rest watching us like a soap opera. 

     "No clue," she said softly. A small worried whimper breached her throat. "I don't want to die here. What are we going to do? How do we escape from here?"

     "I'm not sure..." My voice trailed off as I took in my sister's emotions. They were skyrocketing and effecting my own. She made my body tremble with anxiety. Her feelings were trying to become my own. I had to stop this before it was too late. "I heard a few voices before I got here. A phone call being discussed. Do you recognize the name of Ezekiel?" I asked curiously. I would trick her first into thinking she was in his keep. As long as she believed we were here because of the rogues I could open her up and read her like a book. She yanked away from me as she suddenly brought her nails up and began to chew on them. 

     "No," she mumbled. 

     "No?" I asked her. "No you don't remember? No, you don't know? What do you mean by no?"

     "I mean... I do know..." she shook her head as she looked to be fighting telling me. "He's the rogue pack's Alpha. I've met him before during the last crowning. I don't know why we're here... Do you think it's because he's behind William's death?" She asked and looked up into my eyes frantically. Ah! She was trying to trick me. There she goes... Weaving me into her web. I have to untangle more lies now. I nodded as if it all was making sense to me. It wasn't. It wasn't connecting. I have to slip her up.

     "There's no way he'd deliberately kidnap us. Unless he was behind the alpha's murder. But, that would mean he's also connect to the rogue and Josephine." I balled up my fist to sign anger but I was aggravated as I searched for a way in to her head. I want to know what she'll plan to say next. Where are my loopholes? Think- Think, Matthew.

     "That's what I just suggested," she muttered. She had my tongue tied. I couldn't counter her. I didn't know what to respond with. 

     "There wouldn't be any other reason," I pressed. "Nothing that I could think of. Looks like he will kill us too. Now that he has us." Her eyes widened with surprise as if she didn't think of it before. Yes, there was now a possibility in her head she could die. 

     "Did you happen to see him before coming here?" She asked frantically. She stood up as she pressed her hands down on my shoulders. "Did you?"

     "No. I wouldn't even know what he would look like."

     "Surely we could talk rationally with him," she spoke quickly.

     "No, I'm sure we will die. That's why we're here. He'll probably kill us both. Something about this feels personal. Maybe William pissed him off without our knowledge."

     "I wonder what day it is," April mumbled. She walked up to the door fast and began to bang her fist against the metal. The room was soundproof. Her screaming started to echo across the room as she demanded for them to open the door. Ordering for them to bring her to Ezekiel before she threatened violence. I flinched with irritation as her demands went unnoticed. They would not come. Not when they had a show already. She walked back over to me suddenly. Her eyes landed on my chest and I flinched. Her hands reached over and yanked my shirt up before revealing the wire they placed on my chest moments before. H-how did she know?

     "Speak," she ordered me. "Explain what is really going on. Right now!" She must had felt it earlier while touching her head to my chest. It was the only possible explanation. 

     "I-I-" I wasn't sure what to say to her. I was found out to be a traitor! This was embarrassing. I nervously stared across the room at the mirror. My eyes begging for them to come and help me. She caught on to where I was looking and looked as well. She dropped my body as she walked over to the mirror. I could see her staring intently at herself. 

     "Are you there? Ezekiel?" She asked dramatically. Her voice was like silver as it melted across the hot fires she was spitting out at the mirror. She was angry now. I could smell the rage radiating off her. "What do you want from me?"

     "He wants you to confess," I spat out at her and went towards the door as I hovered close to it. Hoping they would open it and let me out. "You should admit to killing your husband, April. It would make things much easier for us all." She stared back at me. Clever girl with opal eyes. She was appalled as she glanced back in the mirror. 

     "This is what this is about?" She asked quickly. "I'll have you know I didn't kill him! Not that it matters much to you! It was my daughter, Josephine. She's the murderer."

     "There is no proof it was here," I whispered as I trembled. I didn't know how much longer it would take before she took her anger out on me next. Would I end up like my dead brother in law? "It's your word against hers. There is plenty of proof pointing at you."

     "Proof? All lies," she told me as she walked towards me. She grabbed my hands. "I hated him, I will admit. I might have even cheated on him. But, I assure you I did not kill my husband. I should have. He was an angry mad man! I did not kill him, brother. You have to believe me." How can I believe her? After trying to frame her own daughter?  How could I have been so blind before? My sister is the killer. 

     "So you admit to cheating on him?" I asked quickly. 

       "What? I said I might have."

     "You did, didn't you?"

       "I-I"

     "Tell me the truth!"

     "I did," she whined and suddenly fell down on her knees. "I cheated on him. I slept with Ezekiel. Don't you see what's happening? I tried to break things off with him but he wouldn't leave me alone. T-Than William found out about the affair. He was so angry with me!"

     "You killed him!" I shouted at her and threw her backwards. She fell on her back as she screamed.

     "No! Never! I would never kill my own mate!" Her voice was very convincing with the precision she kept up. I have to get her to confess. This is my mission. I walked over her as I knelt down and glared down into her eyes. I wouldn't touch her. She was my sister after all. I would keep my hands off her for now. 

     "Liar," I hissed through my teeth. "What did you do to him?" I asked as I reached out and gently sat my hand on her chin. "What happened the night of Alpha Cromwell's death?"

     "I-I wanted to kill him," she cried out. "I promise I didn't though. We had a fight and it woke up Josephine. We tried to be quiet-"

     "Liar," I hissed through my teeth. "I bet you slipped something to your daughter to make her a heavy sleeper that night. You were the only one awake when it happened. You sat everything up. You wanted to kill three birds with one stone. The undeserving husband, the ungrateful daughter, and the side piece you had been sleeping with for well over four years. You slipped something into both their meals that night. A little kill Cromwell's strength while the rest was enough to knock Josephine out cold. You made sure it would happen on the night Juliette snuck out to her usual Friday frat party. You planned it all down to the T, right?"

     "W-What? Who told you all that?"

     "Did you do it?"

     "NO! What kind of active imagination is that?!" She screamed. "Did he tell you to say that?" She looked at the mirror. "You fucker! You're setting me up, aren't you!?"

     "Quit acting, sister! We caught you! There are letters he kept. I saw them just a few moments ago. They're all letters of evidence. You were going to use his son as collateral. Incase anything slipped. He was informed to come for an arrange marriage to Josephine. It's all in the letters."

     "He forged them!" She insisted. She thrashed under me as I stayed still above. I watched her crawl out from underneath. "Can't you see, brother? You've been brainwashed by him!" That felt familiar. I shook my head as I stood up. No way... was this really happening?

Ethan's POV:

     "Go settle this," Camren ordered me directly. He must have decided the interrogation wasn't moving fast enough. Not with Matthew's help. She would only keep denying everything. Camren had little to no patience. He wasn't a waiting man. He liked things to be finished as soon as they were started.

     "She's still insisting she's innocent. After clearly being caught?" I heard Ezekiel's surprised remark. I wanted to laugh from him. Like it was some sick joke that I got. She really wasn't going to slip up any further. She'd gaslight her brother as long as she could. I licked my lips in final decision on Camren's side. This would be easy for me. I knew what I had to do to get her attention. Make her realize what kind of situation she was in.

     Camren's eyes settled on me suddenly. He had not looked away from the window since the show started. I knew then he was angry with me for being on my phone. I couldn't help it. I liked the temptation it brought me for debating about answering the stupid girl's call and denying her instantly.

     I lowered my phone in my hand as I was receiving another call from Nathalie. Another text popping up on screen, call me. I turned the device off. I didn't have time for her. Didn't she get the message from the first few miss calls? It's been this way for a week. 

     Camren instructed me not to answer her calls. He insisted they'd have to come speak to him directly. He didn't want to see anyone in advance. He was too busy to slip up and meet beforehand with them. He wasn't going to let me off for this. I would be punished later for being on my phone. When we were alone together I would be danger of his tight temper. He glared me down before looking away from me. He didn't have to say anything else.

     "As you wish," I said with a bow in his direction.

     I stood up slowly and walked out of the room. He wanted me to settle it. One way to settle things fast filtered through my mind in a kaleidoscope of possibilities before I settled on one. 

     I walked down the hall away from the shouting as I took a minute to pick the lock on an armory room. It was filled with tools we used for torturing as well as weapons. I picked a switch blade up. My mind was raging in red thoughts. I locking the door behind me. I took off towards the interrogation room we were keeping the two in. 

     I had been trained for this. 

     I would be fast. I would not think of the consequences. I would be shielded from them by my cousin. My duty was to the crown after all. I figured it was justified. What I would do for him. For the future queen. He was so decided on her.

     I nodded towards the guards outside. They swiped a key over an automated system. The door unlatched and I was able to push it open. As soon as I stepped into the room I saw Matthew's back facing me. I wrapped my free arm around his neck. Starting to choke him as I took the switch blade and held it up against his throat. 

     "Gee," I snarled in a different tone than the one I've used before. I was channeling something knew. "You were taking forever to make the bitch confess. It makes us not need you anymore." I pressed the sharp blade against his skin. I was surprised as it cut. I could smell fresh blood being spilled as Matthew grew tense in my arms. I looked out at his sister. For the love of god, Matt. Don't give away who I am or I will shove this blade into your neck. I would play good cop bad cop with him now. Anything to speed up this process. 

     April turned on her heels by the sound of a new voice in the room. She no longer stared through the window for me. She had a target to look at now. "Do you work for him?" She growled out. She was speaking to me. "Do you work for that horrid bastard, Ez?" Her nickname for him was Ez. She was talking about Ezekiel. I knew instantly she still believed he was the one keeping her here. 

     "Confess your sins and your brother will survive," I suggested. I looked over his clear skin being stuck by my blade. He was calmer than I thought he was. He had so much faith he would survive this. Maybe I wasn't being real enough. I looked back at April to see if she was buying it. 

     "We have your daughter upstairs. The one you love. If you don't want to see her die here as well than you better confess now," I suggested. It would be easy for us to provide proof to her. She widened her eyes as she figured we were in fact talking about Juliette. I suppose it was all connecting in her mind. 

     "I'm sorry!" She cried out. "Please... Don't hurt her. Let me talk with him personally. We should talk in person," she begged. 

     "He doesn't want to speak to you... But, you can find him there." I pointed to the one place that should have been clear to her. On the other side of that wall.  "Whatever you want to say to him, go right ahead. He can hear every word." Her eyes scanned the room before she went back over to the mirror. 

     "Listen here," she breathed through her nostrils. "You let them go because this is a fight between us, Ez." I chuckled quietly in Matthew's ear. It was hilarious. It looked like she was talking alone. But, I'm sure they heard her clear on the other side. "Come and face me! Come in here now you bastard!" She screamed out and banged her fist against the glass. "Show yourself!" She was hot and bothered now. Her breathing getting out of hand as she was sweating. Probably trying to control her wolf. She looked like she was on the verge of transforming. I guess Juliette's life being threatened really bothered her. At least she had some inking of love for one of her daughters. Maybe it was the lack of control she was loosing on the entire situation. I pushed the knife against Matthew's skin as a gesture to make him speak to her. 

     "A-April you were the one that murdered William Cromwell, weren't you?" Matthew asked her as I saw her slowly turn to look at him. Her eyes widening. I could sense it before the words came to me. 

     'I'm unsatisfied,' Camren's dark thoughts rung in my head. His Alpha powers were giving me thoughts on what to do next. He wanted me to thrash the knife into Matthew's skin and show her what the consequences were to delaying him information. He wanted her to pay for everything. He blamed it all on her. I could feel his anger as it rushed into my blood stream. I didn't hesitate as his thoughts became my own. I slid the knife into the fresh surface beneath and stabbed a few times into Matthew's neck. I pushed him forward and took the knife out. Watching as he fell face down in front of her. He choked as he bled out. His hands were unable to stop the bleeding. She rushed to his side and tried to stop the blood. I walked up to her and kicked her head. Her body falling to the ground as light as a feather. She clutched her head in pain. I stooped over her as I held the knife directly over her ear and pressed down on the soft skin as I threatened to make her loose it.

     "Stop your lies," I growled. "This is your last chance."

     "JOSEPHINE!!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. I growled as I knew that was the wrong answer. She grabbed the blade and it cut into her delicate skin. "H-hear me out! This is the truth! Josephine stepped in and saved me from her father! I was the one who was supposed to die! She saved me." She began to cry as snot bubbled out of her nose. "I-I'm a monster. I still blame her for her father's death. Even though she saved me from him! She'll never know... She really did kill her father! That's the truth! She was too out of it that night to remember. I tell you this is the truth. It was Josephine... It was all because of her!"

     'Leave her and come back to me. I've had enough of her lies,' Alpha Camren instructed. He would leave her alive. I stood up straight. It was her lucky day. I stepped away from her but she reached out and grabbed me by my ankle. 

     "Did- Did I do good?" She asked as she was crying now. "Did I say what he wanted?" I frowned and kicked her in the face to get her off of me and left the room entirely. Camren must be insane if he left that bitch alive. 

     Who knows if she said the truth or not?! 

I would go back to where he was waiting. My eyes distant from my surroundings as I thought back to how-

I

would 

kill 

for 

Camren 

without 

hesitation. 

     So why didn't he ask me to kill her?