Chapter 179

[ 1,426 words ]

Rick

“That’s it, boy,” I encourage.

Low uses his wind to block another raised root. We’d be outside making up training games for two hours and it is the most fun I’ve had in months.

Reaching for my connection to the earth, I lift up another branch and watch as my grandson dodges it.

Over and over again, we practice this maneuver and I can see his reflexes improving with every every avoided branch.

A small group of pops is gathered at the edge and I wave them over.

“Come on. Let’s all get in here,” I encourage.

Before I know it all the pups are laughing and giggling if they participate in agility and instinctual drills.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself, old man,” Liam says with his typical bite.

“That’s because I am. The pups make me feel youthful again.

“Since you’re so desperate to turn back the clock, you can just come babysit mine anytime you want,” Liam says

“And give you the opportunity to make more. I think not. That mate of yours deserves a break.”

He frowns and I laugh.

Arya comes up beside Liam and packs him on the shoulder. “ He’s right, Hazel does need a break from your super soldiers.”

He wrinkles his nose in disgust. “Please never say that again.”

“If the breeding kink fits,” she teases.

She puts his hands over his ears. “I can’t hear you.”

I watch as they bicker back and forth feeling the warm flood that comes with being near family. Though I’d never regret taking up my mental as Alfa King. I do miss the closeness with the new family that I’ve built.

This entire mess with the missing and murdered shifters and now this black market business has put me in a position where I can barely leave my office most days.

“All right, kids,” one of the guardians calls out. “It’s time for lunch.”

“Aww, I don’t look so sad.” Aria says, “ I’m sure you have more chances to play with them. The guardians are enjoying this small break.”

I reach down and rub the rounded mound of her belly. “Now there’s a good strong Earth cipher pop.” I ooo. “Isn’t that right.”

“You don’t know what he or she is going to be,” she admonishes.

“It’s called the art of positive thinking. Maybe you should try it,” I nettle.

“Ugh, Xochitl warned me that you’d be insufferable in your hopes of making it this baby in earth sypher.”

“You already made wind, so, what’s wrong about hoping that Earth is next. We are the most diverse of all the Sypher after all.’

Aria purses her lips. “Anyway, I’ve come to get you Rowan and the boys have set up your interrogation room.”

“And you,” Liam says with authority looking at his sister, “are going to go and lay down and rest,”

“I still don’t see why I can’t be present for the interrogation. It’s not like I’m going to be doing it.”

“The stress is not good for the baby and you will undoubtedly have strong feelings about the males themselves and anything they might say. “Whatever. Just make sure you include a full breakdown of everything that happened when you investigate.”

Unwilling to argue logic with a pregnant woman and keep my peace and instead say, “ Okay.”

And go with the pups into the garden building to help serve their food.

I had to go to the enforcer building with Liam, my own wolf tittering with anticipation.

I noticed that the entire building seems cleared out for this. There’s no one working and no one milling about in the Halls which means that they expect or questioning to be rather brutal.

Liam leads me to the back right door at the end of the hall.

Inside Roman, Barric, and Theo are all looking over the group of men. They have tied side by side to the cello on a long wooden bench.

“Interesting setup,’’ I say, stepping into the room.

Some of the men look up at me. Their games are flicking over mine. Frightened.

“I thought it would be better if they get to experience their friends’ misfortune, Theo says

“I have to admit I’ve never seen this approach before but I am a fan.”

“Well since you’re here, you should do the owners in starting off this series of questions,”Barric says.

“Don’t mind if I do,” I say with a vicious, cold glee.

I look across the long table at the five five bound males and take my time standing their faces. These are the mails that thought it was okay to steal children and put them under Goddess knows what type of torture.

They are the males that called us animals or violating the dignity of our people.

They are the males that preach monstrous while calling themselves saints!

I step up my expression bland and my words cool. “My name is Rick. AAlpha Rick alpha of the North American shifters packs. Now I’m going to set the record straight. You are going to die here for your cries. Whether or not it’s a quick death or one filled with hours of pain is entirely up to you.”

I move right in front of the one sitting at the edge on the left hand side. “How did you choose your victims?” I ask.

The man in question looks up with me and clenches his jaw tightly In defiance.

This is going to be fun.

I shift out my clothes and slowly place my hands on top of his digging the edges into the delicate spaces between the bones in his hands.

He screams in agony and I ignore it. Holding my hand still and waiting patiently until his shouts become bitten back whimpers.

“How do you choose your victims?” I ask again.

“You might as well kill me, you animal because you’re not getting anything out of me,” he says bravely.

“Nice try,” I say, my voice lacking in humor. “ But I’ve always preferred to play with my food.”

I curl my claws, feeling the tendons plot and the bone slot between them like we are locked holding hands.

He screams.

I keep going.

Moving slowly.

Methodically.

And never breaking eye contact.

A whistle sounds to my right.

“Yeah, your hand is going to be fucked after this, bud,” Liam says with the same tone you would use talking about the weather.

“I think you’re right,” Barric adds. “If I were one of these assholes sitting next I’d be concerned.”

I yank, my claws out moving the male sitting next to him.

The tension has his shoulders snapped tight.

I repeat the question.

There is a beat where he looks at me, a flurry of emotions marking his features; fear, anger, consideration, and resignation.

“Were sent the names.”

The male next to him tries to knock him with his shoulder. “Shut up.”

“If you want to be some animal’s chew toy that is on you. I didn’t sign up for this shit,” the male speaking to me says.

“Who sent the names?” Ronan asks.

The male shakes his head. “Before I tell you anything I want you to swear you’ll make my death quick.”

“Provided you give us something useful, we’ll grant your wish,” Ronan says.

He takes a moment to study Ronan, assessing if he is telling him the truth or just telling him what he wants him to hear.

“A male,” he says, finally. “He calls, gives us a name and location and things up. We pretend to be humans and nab them, giving them to the movement.”

“The movement? Is that what they call themselves?”

“Yes. The goal is to cleanse the earth of the shifter spices.”

Suddenly the man next to him throws his body, head butting the other male.

Blood spurts and the entire bench rocks.

Barric and Liam quickly steady it as Kade slams his first into the attacker three times preventing him from stopping the yappy one from giving us what we need.

“The next one to try something will have their intestines draped out through their stomach.”

“And why would you associate with humans against your own kind?” I ask once everything settles.

“You’re not our kind. You support the diluting of our power. Want us to temper ourselves. Make us weak like the humans,” he spits.

I hear it.

The system he is decoding behind the rebellion growing in the dark.

“And who would you be?”

He knows what I’m asking. And he knows this is when he crosses a line he can never go back from.

Even if he did manage the slight possibility of escape, he would be on the run for the rest of his life.

He looks at me, his eyes leeching off all their fear, until there is only determination.

“We call ourselves The Feralis.”

He bite down on something on the inside of his cheek.

The world slows.

A high pitched beep stings my ears.

Run, my wolf warns, sensing the danger a moment too late.

Then his body explodes.

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