Road Towards Tranquility

The Brazen

         The commotion outside was progressively quieting down as time went by. The shouts of instruction were becoming softer, the desperate runners were now jogging, and the piercing cries of family and friends were becoming less audible.

         "Do you want me to inquire about what is going on, Alpha?" Mark spoke as he approached me cautiously. 

       "No need, I already have Dave working on it." He stopped asking further questions after noticing how casually I responded to his query.

        The following morning, a knock on my door woke me up. I grunted "Come in" as I rolled out of bed and made my way to the couch.

         "Ah, you don't look like you had much of a sleep." He said while lifting his eyebrows with a questioning look. It's not like I could tell him that I couldn't sleep with the thought of the girl and the whole bizarre situation running around in my head.

       I simply offered him a half-smile to let him know that I was alright but disregarded his curious gaze.

         "What does he want?" I asked Mark.

         "He requested your presence during the interrogation and claimed he would be grateful." After a while, he added, "I think he wants to show off. He wants to look like a badass in front of you." Through mind link while making weird expressions. 

         "Tell him I'll be down there when I'm ready," I said ignoring his action. Giving him a reaction is a reward for his behavior. 

          "Yes, Alpha." He did a brief bow before walking out without closing the door.

          "Mark?" I growled.

         "I know." He murmured as he closed the door, winking at me. I shook my head in frustration and walked over to the restroom.

       After getting ready, I headed downstairs. While seeing Alpha Stefan was unpleasant, it was amusing to see him behave like a rabid dog that is only a thread away from losing his wits.

          "Alpha Stefan I would have said good morning, but looking at your appearance I reckon it is not so." I know it is not wise to poke him at this time, but I can't help myself. Especially in light of yesterday's events, I can't stand to see this jerk.
          
       Although my uncle was a cold-blooded killer, I believe this man may catch up to him if his mind were to work harder. Killing is nothing new. Death is certainly nothing new, but if there is one thing that the werewolf community has in common, it is the idea that you should protect your people rather than murder them.

      Although there are exceptions, the majority act covertly and not in public. Especially not in a shameful manner. To voluntarily offer one of your pack members to the Rouges is unheard of. It baffles me how he so brazenly flaunts this disgrace with glee.
         
        "Ah, well, there's always that one individual who manages to spoil everyone's day, is all I can say." He stated while forcing an appalling smile on his face.

        "Am I right?" He went on, stretching out his neck, raising both arms. He even had the appearance of a prehistoric turtle, which is an insult to turtles.

        He was stuck in the same position and just looking at me which was when I realized he was looking for a validation. "Of course, have a sit." I said pointing to the couch that was closes to him while taking my sit at the couch in the center.

        "Care to elaborate on what happened yesterday?" He visibly flinched at my question.

       "The she-wolf who took part in the hunt was a slave of the pack. Additionally, several pack members suffered injuries while attempting to reach her, and it is still unknown how a perfectly fine cave collapsed, injuring and killing all those pack members."

        "A pack slave?" I had to enquire since I couldn't believe what he was saying.

       "As far as my knowledge of your pack goes there shouldn't be a pack slave in your pack. But if what you are claiming is true, do you really have an unlawful slave that you're keeping?" I questioned with a growl.

      "I haven't finished the paperwork for her to become a pack slave, but it hasn't been long since she became one. You have my word, Alpha, that it is within acceptable bounds." His voice's apparent distress made it clear that he just realized that he had made a mistake.

       "I will look into it and decided for myself whether she will remain as a pack slave or if she will be coming back with me to receive the right judgment in front of me and the court of elders." I said with an authoritative voice to show that this was not a topic for debate.

      He was clenching and unclenching his fist, and I could see the veins in his forehead jutting out. "Now Alpha, as we are done with this discussion I would like to go meet this pack slave of yours and assess the situation myself." I said as I got up from the couch and walked over to the door.

     He appeared to want to object, but too bad he has enough brain cells to understand that obeying my command right now is the wisest course of action. After getting up from the couch, he moved up to the door, opened it, and said, "After you Alpha." with his head bowed in submission.

      The underground prison smelled like a combination of perspiration, blood, chemicals, and wolfsbane. It appeared to have recently been cleaned.

       "This way, Alpha." One of the guards bowing his head, spoke with a trembling voice, and pointed to the west side of the prison. 

         "As you can see even the prison is well maintained. The prison cells in the north side are for pack members who committed misconduct. The cells in the east are for pack members with higher offense as for where we are headed to is for rogues and those who need harsh punishments." He said with condescending tone.

     It was clear where the foul scent was coming from as we made our way the west. There were some inmates in various cells. I'm assuming that these people have a slight chance of surviving. I recognized several of the faces as we continued and passed another door from the hunt the day before. They must be the rogues that were once again apprehended. They were obviously in terrible shape.

    The guard opened a different door as we approached it to expose a flight of stairs. A whisper discussion between two people can be heard. I focused to figure out what they were saying. 

     "Did you let anybody know about this?" asked a tender voice.

     "Nobody cared. But he made sure to bring me back so he can torcher me whenever he is bored. It is not like anybody will trust me" said the person with a gruff chocked up voice.

      I was simultaneously relieved and irritated to hear the soft voice say, "I trust you."

       There she was curled up in the corner, trembling. As I laid my eyes on her it felt like I could finally breathe, and a weight simply vanished from my body. I have no idea what is going on since she is not my mate—if she were, I would have known.

      Although I can see that she and Alpha Stefan are conversing, I cannot understand what she is saying. She is looking me. She seemed to be pleading with me to save her. I am unsure of my emotions, and I no longer want to be here. I saw the guards dragging her somewhere but that was all I could take. 

    As I turned away from her, I felt my wolf growl and snarl at me. However, I had to go outside. I needed some fresh air. I started to feel breathless as I stared at her shaking. I tried to leave in a decent manner, but I still felt cowardly. I still don't understand why I feel guilty for not being able to defend her. Why was I experiencing this? I have witnessed the murder and torture of numerous victims. Hell, I've even killed and tortured a few individuals. What makes her different given that this is nothing new?

      "You don't look so good. Are you alright?" Concerned, Mark questioned. 

      "I am good. Let's get out of here." I replied as the guard unlocked the prison's main entrance, allowing me to finally breathe fresh air.  

      "Find out for how long she has served as a pack slave. You are aware that he is not permitted to retain a slave for longer than two months without documentation and valid justification. I have to figure out how to get that girl out of there and take her with us." I said through mind-link. 

      Mark faltered before whisper yelling, "What?"