The Alpha of Alphas: Apollo (boyxboy)

Chapter 37

WARNING: this chapter is very deep. Talks about torture and rape. Not in detail, but it is a main concept.

Blaze's POV

*a few hours before the phone call with Lyle*

I never understood the idea that church made people feel calm. But standing in front of this house, a building of torture, weirdly caused a wave of calmness to rush over me. Sometimes I wondered if it was Artemis comforting me in this time of need.

Jesus, well Joseph, stood next to me with a small scowl on his face. I could tell through our little bond that he was overwhelmed with emotions, but he didn't show it. He was always strong like that. Even now when he was perfectly allowed to cry, he didn't because I was there.

We stood there for at least five minutes before I took the motion to step forward. The loyal incubus was only a few steps behind me as we stepped into the abandoned building. From the outside it looked like an old house. The inside was far different. The rooms were either offices or what looked to be operating rooms where we were brought up to be tortured.

We ventured around, just looking at all the rooms briefly. Neither of us wanted to step into any room. Joseph stopped at one door in particular. It was Vance's second in command, Phillip's, personal torture room. The wooden door had several scratch marks on it. I wasn't sure who they were from, but I had no doubt we both contributed to them. There was a couch in there that had a few blood stains, probably from both of us. Phillip sadly took an interest in Joseph when we were here. He often retrieved Joseph during the night to have some "fun." Then he would return the 12 year old boy with blood running down his thighs.

I was lucky to had only been raped a hand full of times. Each one Apollo took over, which was a blessing and a curse. The reason they'd rape me would be to talk to Apollo. It's taken me this long to understand that they knew about Apollo long before I did, hence their brutality. Power and greed can make any being turn into a monster.

Joseph lingered in that room while I pushed open Vance's office. I had only gone in here a few times before, none were all too pleasant.

There were some papers scattered throughout the room, but what caught my eye was a safe with a lock on it that was hidden under the desk. Using my heightened hearing, I was able to get the combination right to open it. Inside were some more folders and some pictures. I looked at the papers first. They were all embedded by a crest in the corner. The crest of the werewolf council.

I picked up the top one and began reading.

"The council has voted that only one child can live. Alpha Chance has one month to choose which child can live before Beta Vance will take action."

I couldn't steady my heartbeat as I stared blankly at the words. I shuffled through the papers to find another letter from them.

"Vance,

although we do not approve of your rogue lifestyle, if you provide proof of the death of the child, we will dismiss your crimes. Please send a picture or vital organ as proof."

That's when I noticed the pictures. The bundle of pictures I had thought at first were just dark images. But when I began shuffling through them, the more vivid the picture got. They were of me splayed out being tortured. Vance was mocking the council by sending them pictures of me being alive; that was clear. When I got to the last picture, my heart stopped.

Blood. That was the first thing I noticed in the picture. There was blood covering the dirt around my small, naked form. My throat was wide open, looking almost detached from my body. My eyes were wide and lifeless. There was no tension in my body. It just sank into the ground, accepting the dirt as its resting place.