Beyond These Walls

Chapter 9

The sheriff showed me to a room when we arrived at the police station.  Cameras were set up on a desk and  on the screens I could clearly see a man strapped down in a chair, thick ropes tied around him. His blonde hair was soaked with sweat and a few bruises marred his face.

He looked deathly calm and was even sneering at an officer pointing a gun in his face. There was a noise of a door opening and his eyes went to whoever it was that entered the room. 

"I heard that you haven't been cooperating with the officers." The sheriff came into view, his arms folded as he walked next to the werewolf. 

The werewolf shrugged his shoulders, relaxing back into his chair.  "I haven't." He admitted, his tone giving away that he could care less about cooperating. 

I watched as the sheriff look at another officer in the room.  They conversed silently before turning back to the werewolf. 

"State your name, mutt." The sheriff demanded.  The werewolf's chuckle echoed in the room and I heard the distinctive noise of an officer cursing him. 

"You really shouldn't be worried about that, human.  What you really should be worried about is the fact that something terrible is going to happen to your precious town." He let out another deep chuckle, his shoulders moving up and down. "That is, unless you give back The Alpha what is his."

Silence filled the room briefly. "I don't know what you're talking about." The sheriff finally spoke, trying and failing to play dumb.

The werewolf lurched forward in his seat. "I am no fool. And neither is my Alpha. Did you really think he wouldn't know where his mate was? He could've attacked this town and easily taken it over as soon as we found out she was here." The werewolf's voice rose with each word. His eyes were narrowed into slits, fangs bared. "You don't know who you're messing with, human. None of you all do." He scoffed. "I am going to give you all a warning that The Alpha wanted to make known. You have three hours to hand her over. And if you don't, this town will burn to the ground."

By the time he was finished talking, I was on my feet, pacing the small room. I hated crying, but I could feel the tears burning my eyes. There was no doubt in my mind that The Alpha would follow through with his warning.

The door swung open and the sheriff walked inside. His face was flushed, sweat trickling down his forehead. He was scared. We both were.

****************

Lightning flashed outside the window. A few seconds later, thunder roared throughout the night sky. I was curled up on a chair in the police station, different thoughts flowing through my mind.

The sheriff sat opposite me, shakily sipping some coffee. He was still obviously shaken up by the speech the werewolf had given.

He was waiting for me to make my decision. I really didn't have much of one, to be honest. He had promised me earlier that he and the officers would do his best to defend me, but I knew and he knew, that they had no chance against The Alpha.

"I'll give myself up." My voice was scratchy and filled with exhaustion. Sadness and defeat coated my words as I spoke.

The sheriff could not hide the relief that entered his eyes. I didn't blame him. He needed to protect his town and the citizens in it.

"Are you sure?" He asked. I nodded, licking my dry lips. I breathed in deeply, once again feeling tears gathering in my eyes as I thought about leaving the people I loved. My mom would be heartbroken. And the twins... I don't know how they would handle the fact that their big sister would be gone.