Torment

Calder's POV

"No disrespect, Alpha but yer' becoming obsessed with obtaining the girl," my Beta said, leaning against a dead tree.

"You may be my Beta, Alaric but know your place. I've always known something was different about Noir. It furthered my suspicions when she didn't shift 6 seasons ago when most, if not all, werewolves shift for the first time."

Leaning on a trunk opposite of Alaric, I looked out at the border.

"I want that halfbreed, Alaric and I'm going to get her."

"Ye kno', she was born in Moon Rock. Since ye discovered she'a halfbreed, have ye not considered how she 'came one in the first place?"

Actually, no. No I haven't.

"Where is Gamma Khinn and Desha right now."

"Somewhere, I reckon, Alpha. They 'ere at the border earlier this e'en."

Alaric's thick ancient made it difficult to understand him sometimes and most of the time annoyed the shit out of me but I left it alone. Despite the lack of clear English, he was indeed a formidable warrior.

"Find them."

"Yes, Alpha." Alaric paused "Then what?"

"Bring them to Kelifer's Peak and do not breathe a word of why they are needed."

"What 're ye going to try?"

"Get some answers about our dear Noir and her sister. Now stop asking questions and go. I'll join you soon."

"Ye wish is my command."

With that, Alaric shifted and vanished into the forest's obscurity.

This family of her's keeps getting more and more interesting.

I took a few more moments to look out over the forest. Here the moon was eclipsed by the trees, ebonizing the land beneath it's canopy.

I couldn't help but smile.

This veil of darkness will be perfect for the element of surprise.

***

"Gamma Khinn. Gamma Desha."

Bowing, both Gamma's stood and looked at me then to Alaric who had joined me to my left.

"Is everything alright, Alpha," Desha questioned, shifting nervously before Khinn rested a hand on her shoulder.

"You two are aware that your daughters, Noir and Triaa, were charged with treason back in Skerpla, correct?"

Looking at each other, Desha dropped her head but Khinn straightened himself.

"We are aware, Alpha. After all, you made a public display of brutality out of our youngest and had Beta Alaric deliver her eye to us."

I chuckled at the memory.

"You are also aware that Noir escaped and was taken under Alpha Alister and his pack, whereas Triaa was forcibly transferred to be with her sister, yes?"

This seemed to catch Desha's attention, a look of relief washing over her features as she looked up at her partner.

Khinn, however, stiffened, a streak of anger flashing in his eyes.

"Well, they're alive but, here is a little fun fact," I began, circling around the two until I was standing behind them with a hand on each of their shoulders, "Noir shifted."

Khinn didn't seem at all phased but Desha froze and her breath hitched.

There it is. Fear.

Moving to stand back in front of them, I smiled.

"Her wolf, absolutely beautiful."

Pride seemed to radiate from Khinn but Desha stayed frozen.

This will be wonderful.

"Her lycan is too."

There was silence. Absolute utter silence.

No one said anything and I could see the silence was gnawing at Desha's insides.

The silence was like a gaping void, needing to be filled with sounds, words, anything. It was poisonous in it's nothingness, cruelly underscoring how vapid our conversation had become. It seeped into her every pore, like a poison slowly paralyzing her from either speech or movement

Smiling even more, I could almost taste the fear that was pouring out of Desha and Khinn's urge to defend what was his.

Khinn, straightening himself, looked at me.

"Oh, I see."

"Alaric."

"Yes, Alpha?"

"Tineti-I pe, Khinn."

In a blur of movement, Alaric was behind Khinn, bear-hugging him with a sharpened bone blade pushed harshly to the notch on his throat.

"What—," Khinn shouted.

"BE QUIET."

Once more, silence whirled around us.

"Desha. How is your daughter a halfbreed when both you and Khinn are not," I questioned, seizing the woman by her jaw.

When she forcibly turned to face Khinn, a look of sympathy washed over her before I tightened my grip causing Desha to scream.

"Answer me."

"I was with a man before I met Khinn. I was already with child. I didn't know. Khinn didn't know," Desha whimpered. There was a lie somewhere in her answer but where, I couldn't pinpoint.

"I see. Don't move."

Releasing Desha, I turned my attention to Khinn.

"You knew?"

"Of course I knew," Khinn growled. "But what does it matter? It's not any problem of yours, Alpha."

Now I see where Noir gets her mouth from.

"It is your duty to report things such as this regardless if you were demoted from Beta to Gamma. Regardless of your mate and your acceptance of the mutt."

"It's been 20 seasons, what does it matter now?"

"BECAUSE I WANT THAT HALFBREED," I shouted, grabbing a hold of Khinn's hair. "And because of your lack of duty, she was under my nose the entire time and then got away."

Something in Khinn flipped, like a wick of a candle bursting aflame.

"You would have killed her."

"No, old friend. I would have tortured her until she shifted then tortured her even more until she became a feral weapon which I tried doing by the way, with all the harsh punishments."

A vein popped on Khinn's forehead and down his throat with the information he had received.

"It's a good thing my daughter had enough sense to get herself caught up with Alistair then."

"Maybe but I will have her."

Turning, I looked at Desha who stayed stationary.

"What about Triaa?"

When she didn't answer, I growled.

"She is Khinn's by blood."

"Well, that's a waste."

Looking back at Khinn, I scratched my beard.

"Well, either way, you will have to be punished for your crime. What shall I do to you? You can withstand large amounts of punishment. You're still of use to me. Sooo, how about I break you?" I said this as I looked at Desha.

"Don't you dare fucking touch her," Khinn seethed.

"Or what?"

"I will kill you."

"Threatening me now? That was a fatal mistake."

In a single movement, I pivoted and grabbed Desha by the throat and rammed a clawed hand into her chest. Her earth shattering scream and the beating entrail in my hand sent a wave of desire to my groin; I turned to look at Khinn as I ripped the organ from his mate's chest.

If that wasn't enough, I wrapped the same hand into Desha's red hair and dragged her now lifeless body to the edge of Kelifer's Peak and tossed it off the ledge.

Insult to injury, I guess.

Tineti-I pe, Khinn - "Hold Khinn"

Skerpla - Early June