CHAPTER 14

"Felix." I said to him while looking at the man in front of me.

He was in front of the door that would lead me to the prison of rebel werewolves, or werewolves who had committed vile deeds to my people within my territory.

I know I'm an Alpha who can give a second chance to someone who wronged me. But I'm also the Alpha who won't lower my head just to listen to a lie to cover up a mistake.

I can give them my ears to listen and to decide if they truly deserve my second chance. And that second chance is their last chance to prove to me that they're willing to change and be a good citizen of my territory. But... at the same time, I can give them the most and cruel punishment that they deserve.

And the ones who received a cruel punishment are here, in the dark, dusty dungeon and it's located under the big packhouse.

"Where is she?"

"She's inside one of the prisons below and she's currently receiving punishment at the very head of the cell."

"What about the silvers? She already said where she got them?"

"No. Alpha. She remained tight-lipped regarding my question about the silvers she obtained and smuggled here within your territory. Now, the cell leader is currently torturing her with a whip surrounded by silver." Felix explains to me.

I nodded to him. She deserves that, for planning to kill an Alpha like me using the silver particles she has.

"Lead me to her." I said and I saw Felix nodded his head.

He headed inside, I saw the stairs down, a few seconds ago I saw two pack warriors guarding the two sides of a large and thick door.

They opened it for us and when we entered the area where we can see the werewolf rebels imprisoned in each cell, when they feel my presence, they start screaming and asking for help. The pack warriors closed the big door behind us.

I just stayed where I was standing for a minute while listening to their screams and cries for help.

But no one can help them here.

Felix walked ahead of me and while I followed him and I looked at each one imprisoned in each cell we passed.

They saw me again, but they're very scared while looking at me. Yeah, be scared and fear me, because I am the Alpha of the territory that you betrayed, lied to, hurt just because of your selfish dreams and desires.

I noticed that Felix stopped and from where we were standing I could hear Nina's voice screaming and begging. I could feel the fear in her voice and how her voice trembled from the pain she was getting at.

This is what I always hear when I introduce new werewolf villains to one of my citizens. It hurts me to see them like this, it hurts me to hear their every whimper, crying and begging for their little lives.

But my question is why... when they are at this point in their lives, they will ask for forgiveness, beg to be saved, promise to change and be good forever.

Is it because they know they are no longer safe from the sin they committed? Is it because they thought this realization was the payment for their sin?

Every sin carries with a penalty.

To this day, I still can't figure out why those reasons don't enter their minds.

Why will they regret it? In the end when they can stop and accept their mistake?

Is it because it feels good to do wrong?

"Alpha, we're almost there." Felix reminding me, he was about to walk again when I spoke.

"Felix, why can't they think that what they are doing is wrong? Why do they continue to do it even though they know the consequences of their mistake?" I asked my Beta.

He turned to look at me, he didn't leave my eyes but I know he was thinking what is the correct words or answer he'll give to me.

"It's okay if it's not the correct answer, Felix. There's no correct answer in every question, it's just that, there's many answers in every question."

"I don't know the answer, Alpha."

I don't know why I suddenly lost my excitement to know the answer from him. I sighed and was about to walk again to go to Nina's cell when he spoke.

"This is not the right answer, Alpha. But for me, maybe because that is the only reason for them to feel happy again, for them to know that their lives are still useful. For them to know that by doing wrong, there will be people like us who will waste time to catch them, talk to them and punish them for the wrongs they have done." Felix answered my question. "How ironic, they're doing the things that make us upset but for them, it was entertaining. Thinking that we are currently giving them our time to talk and asked them why they did that."

Felix did not speak again because he had already walked ahead of me, but I remained standing in my place and repeated in my mind what he had said.

He has a point.

And I want to know more answers from different perspectives.

I took a step to follow him but also stopped and turned to the man on my left. He was... dirty. His face was very dirty and his dirty hands were holding the chain tied to his wrist, to prevent him from approaching the cell surrounded by silver.

He was standing far from his bed and his round eyes were staring at me.

I don't know why I walked towards his cell and I stood there, in front of him.

"What is your name?" I asked.

Silence filled between us and after two minutes of staring at each other, I heard the old man's elderly voice answer my question.

"If I am not mistaken, you are Arthur's son, are you not, young Leonard?" he asked making my eyes widen.

How... did he know my father?

Although confused, I stared at his face again, I already enhanced my ability to looked at his whole face to look at him properly, but a smile form into his lips when he saw my eyes changed its color.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. But no matter what you do staring at my face you won't recognize me anymore. I've aged forever in the cell that has been my home for so many years." he answered again which confused my mind even more.

Who is this man?

I saw him sit on the edge of the bed that was against the wall at the end of the room. He didn't take his eyes off me until I spoke after my silence.

"How... did you know my father?"

"Oh? Is it Arthur? Didn't he.... mention to you about a friend he put under your castle-like home?" he asked as he smiled at me.

"What… do you mean? I was asking who you were, I didn't say involve the—"

"Because I know you know me that's why I'm including your father in our conversation." he answered me. "Don't you recognize the man your father used to be with?"

At his last question I was suddenly stunned, I remembered the times when my father was still alive and who was always with him.

When I remembered the face of the man he was talking about, my eyes widened as I stared at the man in front of me. He also seems to be waiting for me to say that man's name, but why... he's been dead for a long time, hasn't he?

"You are—"

"Alpha," I was suddenly cut off when Felix suddenly grabbed my shoulder and I immediately turned to him. "Nina, she's losing it Alpha and she's started screaming and saying nonsense." He suddenly said to me.

Nina suddenly returned to my mind because of what he said, and because of that, Felix and I both ran to her cell.

When we got there, to my surprise I saw how the soldiers surrounded her, she was trying to break free from the chains attached to both her hands.

"Get me out of here! You animals! You're all going to die! You're going to die! You're demons!" She screamed one after the other and after that, she again lost her standing in the middle of his cell.

I saw how her fangs are starting to appear and even her golden eyes are visible on us. I saw that her nails were trying to get longer, she was starting to shift into her wolf form but the chains are holding her.

"Nina, what do you think you're doing?" I asked her as I entered her cell.

She stopped from screaming and yelping when I stepped inside her cell and her eyes locked on mine. It was sharp and it almost penetrated my body.

"Alec."

"What do you think you're doing, Nina?" I asked but she only gave me a weak growl back.

I glanced at Felix and he nodded his head. The pack warriors came out of the cell and when Nina and I were the only ones left, she laughed. She laughed like crazy until her eyes looked at me again.

"Are you here to punish me?"

"No."

I saw her frown because of my answer. "Then, what are you doing here?"

"Because of you, someone close me had trouble breathing and dying because of you."

"What?"

"You left your rotten smell. You really want to piss me off don't you, Nina?" After that she laughed again.

She's fucking crazy.

"Anyway, where do you get the silver particles?"

She stopped laughing and looked at me with those cunning eyes, "Why should I tell you?"

I still don't understand why they don't want to say the answer to such a simple question.

"Do you really want to get hurt before you tell the truth?"

"Do you think I'm a fool, Alec? Tell the sins I've committed, to you?"

"Yeah. If you don't want to die here alone."

"You don't even know what I'm going through, Alec! Are you really the Alpha of—" I stared at her eyes.

Her angry eyes suddenly changed to fear. Her body started to tremble and after that her knees eventually gave in and she kneeled in front of me.

I walked towards her and stopped in front of her.

"I don't have any opinions or second thought on how did you live or do with your life, Nina. But as far as I know, you have no right to question me as an Alpha of this territory. If you're going to say nonsense words again, then it's better for me to cut your tongue so you can't use it again."

I don't like this. I'm not a ruthless and devil-like Alpha that everyone knows. I considered their feelings too but, her mouth, I want to cut it using my hands.

"Or... it's better to kill you here."

"I-I'm sorry, Alpha Alec—"

"Felix." After I called my Beta, he stayed outside Nina's cell.

Now, she was calling me, asking and begging for my forgiveness. This is what they're doing if they're on the verge of death. When someone declared that they're going to be killed or die.

"I'm so sorry, Alpha! I-I don't know why I said those words! Please! Forgive me! I-I'll go to change! Please! And I'm going to tell you where I got the silver particles! Jist forgive me!" After she said those words I looked at her.

I removed her grip on my leg and knelt in front of her so that we were both equal. And when I looked at her eyes full of tears, I asked again.

"Where did you get the silver?" she didn't answer right away but she looked at Felix and back at me again.

"I-I got those from a... pack warrior that guarding the east gate."

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Y-yes, Alpha! Actually... they get those from outside the territory and give them to us with the money we earn from working." she answered while her lips ate trembling.

My jaw clenched after I heard it from her. I can't believe that something like this is happening between my pack warriors and my people. I didn't know that someone immediately broke the promise and rules of every warriors in my territory, to their Alpha, to me.

I cannot allow them to overdo the kindness I show them. They don't deserve how this territory is still standing because of me.

"Alright. Thank you for the honest answer, Nina." I said to her and tapped her shoulder.

Her smile came back, and a little hope passed through her eyes. Does she hope that by answering my question I will release her and forgive her?

I took a very small answer from her, very little from the large percentage that she almost killed me and now David and Ken.

How can I trust someone like her again after what she did?

"W-will you let me go Alpha? Are you forgiving me?" She asked, hoping.

I just looked at her, there was a trace of surprise on her face. After that I stood up and turned my back on her, I walked out of her cell and from there I looked at her again.

"Continue torturing her." I said and after that the emotions on her eyes changed.

Earlier her eyes were full of hope, now it was replaced by a mixture of anger and fear. She screamed at me but I didn't listen to that anymore, I need to find who is the pack warrior she is talking about, I need to give them the punishment that they deserve.

A punishment for betraying their Alpha.