12

12

The metallic smell of the blood was over powering. If it was not belonging to the man that was given to me by the moon goddess, I was sure I wouldn't want to smash Calli's head in for puting his hands on him.

"What's that look? You look almost apologetic." He spoke in this infuriating tone, he was mocking me, it was obvious from the glint in his eyes.

"You are in a cult and you screamed like a baby when this was done to you?" I try my best to sound dejected.

"The cult I belong to only spread love. Unlike your cult.. we don't do violence." He had the nerve to smirk as he spoke.

Calli moved. He was coming to now, no longer unconscious, I worried about what I was going to say to him that would not bring suspicion to myself.

"Are you ready to hand over the corona yet or you want more time with Calli?" I ask him. My heart hammered in my chest as I wait for him to pick, he had to tell me now, he was not going to survive Calli's vengeance.

He turned his playful gaze to me, with his sweat smeared face he still looked like the most beautiful man I ever saw.

"Or you can hand over the amount I asked for."

Also the most suicidal. If he was crazy he would not be rushing back into Calli's arms in hopes that I would buy the corona off his hands. I wish he was crazy though.

"He could kill you."

"Then you will never know where your precious corona is." He smirked again.

My fingers curled to form a fist, I could not stand the guy yet I think he was the most beautiful soul, I hated him but I loved the way his mouth moved to the side when he smirked, I hated him and wanted to kill him but I can't because I loved him.

"You know you will make even triple the price once you resell this? I'm asking for the barest minimum here."

The playful glint in his eyes had not moved an inch. I had to physically force myself to take three small steps away from him, putting enough distance between us.

"Barest minimum? Don't fool yourself. You are nothing but a thief, nothing more. You deserve nothing. Be grateful if you walk out of here with all limbs intact." I say, putting as much venom into my word as possible. I don't know why but I was determined to make him hate me. Even when saying those words felt like walking across the jagged ends of broken glass, bare footed.

"You talk big. Don't kid yourself. You're nothing but an imposter. You tried to steal the corona too. Talking down on me won't give it to you. It won't do anything for your case." The glint in his eyes were still present but there was a certain hardness in his eyes that I didn't see before.

Thankfully, Calli took that moment to get up, he looked between the human and i in confusion. I take control of his confusion.

"Good. You're up. Get the answers out of him. I don't care what you have to do to get it out. I want the answers by morning." My voice was steely, in contrast to how I actually felt.

"Yes, M." Calli bowed, he was always too hungry to torture someone, and now I gave him my mate to torture all night. That was equivalent to giving a child sugar.

I hurried out of the there. Zooming straight home, not even slowing down for anything lest I turned back and stopped Calli.

Erin was in front of my Den. Again. Thankfully there was no one in sight. Everyone must be retiring for the day.

"It has to be of extreme importance. Any other thing can wait, or has to wait." I tell him as i unlock my front door.

He followed me inside casually like he had every right to walk into my Den. I didn't even have the strength to mention that I was unmated and it was wrong.

"Did the cult thing work?" he asked while sitting on the only sofa in my living room.

I grabbed a bottle of water from my fridge. Making a mental note to get groceries, my fridge was like a desert right now. Plus, I didn't exactly want to be talking about the person I was desperately trying to remove from my mind.

"No. He held out really well. Even Calli has not been able to get words out of him." I respond when I realize that he was waiting for my response. I take a really long swing. I hoped the water would drown any worry in my heart I felt towards him, unfortunately it did not.

"Figures. People in a cult have stronger resolves than an average human. Their indoctrination ceremony alone comes with much more pain than any of us can imagine."

I sighed. Why did he get himself caught in such a terrible life?

"Maybe he had no choice." Erin answered.

"You asked your question out loud." He filled me in, noticing the look of confusion on my face.

"Everyone has a choice. If he stole the Corona Fletcher, without getting caught, he must have done it before. So why didn't he sell what he stole and use it to make his life better?" I ask in exasperation. The thought of him deliberately putting himself in that much pain for What? I have no idea.

"We have no clue whatsoever about what ran through his mind, we don't know what pushed him. We have no right to judge his life choices."

I know Erin was right. But the combination of trepidation and guilt was making my nerves fray seriously. I was very close to running back to the dungeons.

"For the goddess's sake will you stop pacing back and forth like that? It's distracting."

I didn't know I was pacing, I had to stop all the nerve endings in my body so I didn't continue to pace.

"I'm so worried Erin. He is in the hands of Calli. Who knows what he could Do to him? Who am I kidding? He will do worse things to him than we know."

"Isn't that you want? For him to spill his guts and tell us exactly where the corona Fletcher is? Calli can't get that answer by being buddy buddy with him. He uses brute force."

I wince at that. Even if I knew that Calli was not going to go easy on him, hearing it from Erin made me want to hurl my guts, I had sent my mate to destruction.

"What's that look? You never care for the people at the end of Calli's torture."

"I never did.. I never will. Only the answers matter." I hoped I sounded more convincing to him than I did to myself.

"Good. Because they are raising an agenda meeting. To rethink your position. As pack alpha."

My eyes grow as wide as saucers.

"How many people?" my voice shook as I asked.

"For now, just one city has raised their voice."

I blink, trying to focus on the mismatched furniture in my living room. The living room that might not be mine anymore if that city convinced three other cities to join their agenda. The moon goddess would not be able to save me if that happens. Only that corona Fletcher can do so. Once the city against me gathers enough evidence that I was not fit to lead, others will follow and it becomes majority carries the vote, I would undergo reassignment, if I told out to be a beta, or an omega, my life would be ten times difficult than someone homeless and starved.

I walk towards the blind and quickly draw them shut.

"They would be out and about looking for dirt on me to gather other cities to their side. You shouldn't be here. If they see you here, you're not my mate, not only me will be affected, you and your future mate as well." I tell Erin.

"And why do you think I care about what they say?"

I look at him with a sad smile. My only friend in this crazy world. Always trying to support me.

"Not when it's about your mate. You will care. You won't want people talking about her. You can't come here anymore Erin. I'll rather meet you at your parents Den."

He quirked his brow. It reminded me of the human, his brows jumped few seconds before he smirked. My heart ached really bad at the thought of him.

"Not if we find the Fletcher first."

"We?"

"You made a statement earlier, you asked if he had stolen something like the Fletcher before, he ought to have money. What if he was not stealing it for himself?"

It was like scales fell from my eyes and i could suddenly see clearly.

"I know just how to make him talk."