"...Ornyx is still going to kill him."
My eyes fluttered open and I became very aware of the pounding in my head. It felt like someone had hit me with a sledgehammer.
I tried to move but soon realised that my hands were chained to the floor while my legs were chained together.
I looked down at my torn up and blood stained t shirt.
"Because that's not the plan. Tristan needs to stay alive."
I looked up and found the sources of the voices.
There was a woman facing away from me. She was tall and had a slender figure. She had a big fro which extended to her shoulders.
I blinked and focused on the person she was talking to. It would take a long time for me to forget Roman's voice or stance.
"I thought the plan was to take out the alpha - Ornyx said once that was done, he could reclaim Silvercrest -"
"David. Ornyx doesn't have to explain his ways to anyone. You just have to be patient and see what he does like the rest of us."
There was silence from both of them for a second.
"He's keeping you in the dark too, isn't he?"
"David -"
"He still wants Crystal. And you know him, he won't stop till he gets her. If Tristan is still alive when that happens, she's gonna try and save him. And how do you think that will go for her?"
"Are you really going to lecture me on how I should take care of my daughter, David?" I heard the woman snap.
I flinched. The pounding in my head made it hard to see or think.
But it was clear who they were talking about and I didn't have to guess to know who the woman was.
"I'm worried." I heard Roman say.
"And I told you don't worry about it. I have everything handled."
More silence.
"What is it?" Crystal's mother asked.
"Meggy's ex-"
I shifted slightly, causing the chains to make a clinking sound.
The woman turned around as both her and Roman turned their attention to me."
I saw Theresa Benson's face come into view. A face that I had only seen in pictures thus far but I would still recognise it anywhere because of the similarities to Crystal.
Roman came up behind her.
"There you are." The woman spoke as she crouched down.
Crystal's face was more round and I felt like it made her features look softer. Theresa's face was longer and her features were more striking I guess. More intimidating.
But none the less it was easy to tell that she was definitely her daughter.
"Tristan Melrose." She spoke. The words played on her lips as she studied me in interest. Watching me carefully. For what? I didn't know.
"I've been dying to meet you." She continued.
I let out a cough and winced as the small action intensified the throbbing I my head.
"Wish I could say the same." I spat.
Theresa smiled as if she was amused.
"I see my daughter has a thing for the sharp tongued men as well."
She got back to her feet.
I saw Roman roll his eyes.
"Crystal has actual taste." He spoke.
"Now, now, don't be jealous, David." Theresa spoke. She walked to the side as if she wanted to see me from another angle.
I saw her fold her arms across her chest.
"Jealous of him?" Roman or should I say David scoffed.
"I've always been amused by the frailty of men's egos." Theresa spoke with a smirk. "My daughter sure knows how to pick them."
"The daughter you abandoned?" I let out my voice coming out through gritted teeth.
It just occurred to me that maybe I should have been panicking more.
I didn't know where I was. From what I could tell, it was a dilapidated room with stone walls which were unpainted. No windows and one door. I couldn't hear anything outside.
I had nothing to give me a clue on my location.
My body was in pain and my head felt like it was about to explode.
Theresa looked at me. The look is something I should have definitely been frightened of but I just stared back. Narrowing my eyes.
She walked over to me. Her leather boots hitting the floor.
She crouched down again. This time close enough that her face was inches away from me.
She suddenly pulled on the chain around my neck, roughly yanking my face closer to her.
I let out a yell.
"Listen to me, Tristan Melrose, you don't know me. Or what I'm capable of. My baby girl might have a soft spot for you but that doesn't make you safe."
She let go of the chain, giving me a push so that I fell back, hitting my head against the stone wall.
I winced. I definitely felt that one in my skull.
Theresa walked to where Roman was standing before turning back to me.
"You've been captured, alpha. I'm sure you're well versed with the rules of war to know that this means the Shadow pack has ground to determine victory. Your pack will have to choose a replacement alpha. And whoever that person will be has the option of relenting or keeping up the war effort. But I can promise you, Ornyx will get them and kill them as well."
I gritted my teeth. I wouldn't give either of them the satisfaction of knowing how much pain I was in.
When there was a power vacuum there was a select group of people who were eligible to take the alpha's spot.
My beta would have been an obvious choice but that was a non starter.
Other family members. Ideally Mikey or Joshua or even my grandmother.
There was also the chief of my army - captain Park. The freaking traitor.
And of course -
"Does that include Crystal?"
The look Theresa gave me was enough to let me know that I had definitely hit a nerve.
She shot me a murderous look.
I saw Roman try to keep a straight face but from how his expression faltered slightly. I could tell that it had to do with the conversation I had just overhead.
Theresa's hard look melted and she smiled.
"Bold of you to try and play mind games with me, alpha. Looking at the position you're in right now, you really should be more careful with someone who has the keys to your life."
I watched Theresa. "Am I to believe you're the one pulling the strings here?"
Theresa folded her arms across her chest.
"If you want to see Ornyx that badly, all you have to do is ask."
She cocked her head to the side grinning.
"Unfortunately for you, he's a little preoccupied at the moment."
I fought the urge to scoff.
I'm sure the bastard was somewhere plotting the perfect death for me.
It must have been poetic for him in some sick way to get to kill three generations of Melroses.
I looked at Theresa, then Roman.
"You both proudly serve a man who readily murders and tortures innocents. A man who wishes to enslave the world."
I had learnt Ornyx's twisted manifesto when I was a boy. He didn't agree with the werewolf union's pledge of secrecy.
He wanted humans to find out about us.
He considered himself superior. He considered all werewolves superior.
"It's the basic law of nature." Roman spoke. "We're faster and stronger. We're the dominant species." He explained.
"So that gives you the right to rule over others?" I asked in disgust.
"The problem with you is that you have always been so small minded." He told me. "The idea isn't to enslave humans. We just want to establish ourselves as the superior species."
I let out a laugh.
It seemed to infuriate Roman.
"You're an idiot if you think that's all Ornyx plans to do. You were in my AAP, you learnt about tyrants. About men who consider themselves 'gods'. They want people to bow to them. They want to be worshipped. That's what Ornyx wants. He wants to rule over everyone. He wants to control them."
Roman stepped forward. "All your AAP ever did was spread lies about the Shadow pack. The pack you and the entire union labelled as the enemy. You shunned us, exiled us. We could have died out."
I could see the anger in Roman's eyes as he moved closer.
I kept my jaw tightened.
"So sorry alpha, but your little attempt at converting us isn't going to work. It's a little too late for all of that."
I knew that my chances of getting out of here alive were slim to none but I sure as hell wasn't going down without taking or at least trying to take Ornyx down.
The bastard just needed to show his face and I needed to convince him to duel me. That probably wouldn't be too hard considering his naturally violent nature.
His pride also probably wouldn't let him back off.
The only thing that hurt was that I wouldn't get to see Crystal again.
"Now boys," Theresa spoke, "we're not here to indoctrinate each other."
She looked at Roman and nodded. "We're here to get your official surrender."
"Surrender Alpha Tristan and your people will be spared."
I looked at Theresa. "You honestly expect me to believe that?"
Ornyx's very nature bred violence. He hated my pack especially and what we stood for. And I was supposed to believe that all I had to do was kiss his ass and my people would be safe?
"A noble leader would look out for his own people first." Roman spoke.
I looked at him in disgust. "You're one to talk about nobility. You paraded in my pack as a spy, lied to everyone around you including the girl you claimed to love."
"I love Crystal more than you ever will, jackass." He spat at me.
Theresa held him back. "Don't let him get to you, David." She hissed. She looked him in the eye. "You know better."
Roman relaxed and stepped back. But his glare on me never ceased.
I smiled to myself which seemed to infuriate him more.
Theresa breathed a small sigh. "Your answer, Alpha Tristan?"
I looked at her.
They looked alike but that's where the resemblance ended.
"My people will never bow down to Ornyx." I spat.
I turned to look at Roman. "And even if I die. At least it will be with the knowledge that I was the one Crystal loved in the end."
Roman's face darkened even more.
I leaned against the wall and shut my eyes. An indication that I was done talking.
"Tell Ornyx that if he wants to ask me something he should come his damn self."
I heard Theresa let out another breath.
"So be it. David, let's go."
I heard footsteps.
When I opened my eyes I was alone again in the dim room.
After what felt like some hours had passed, I heard the sound of heavy chains.
I looked up to see two guards walking in, this time dragging a girl.
I immediately recognised her. In spite of the cuts and bruises on her face that almost disfigured her.
It was Meggy.
One of the rogues I had captured.
She was thrown onto the floor a few feet away from me.
She groaned weakly. The guards attacked her chains to the ones of the walls like they had me before turning to leave.
I turned to look at her.
Her head rolled back in a way that looked like she had no control over it.
But she soon turned and found my eyes.
"Alpha Tristan." She muttered. There was no particular emotion on her face or in her voice when she said my name.
I know she had been in a bad state with the way we were keeping her in the prisons but if it's possible, she looked even worse.
I narrowed my eyes at her.
Her clothes were torn and bloody as well. Her limbs lay limp beside her.
"Why did they do this to you?" I asked wondering why they would hurt their own in such a way.
Or imprison her.
Meggy looked at me with hatred. Some of her short hair was flying wild while the rest stuck to her face with blood.
"I told you I wasn't freaking working for Ornyx." She spoke bitterly.
I pursed my lips.
She had said that her and the other rogues we had captured with her were part of some resistance. Of course I didn't believe them.
I knew all Shadow pack members to be raised to be loyal to Ornyx and the Van Cliffe family.
Meggy tried to turn her head but she didn't seem to have enough strength to do so. Or maybe she was just in too much pain.
"And now his killed all my family and my friends." She muttered looking off into nothing.
A pang of guilt hit me.
I opened my mouth not knowing what to say.
My mother had always told me to follow my instinct.
And my instinct had told me not to trust a single Shadow pack wolf.
She had infiltrated my pack. Come after my Luna... but didn't try to hurt her...
I looked at Meggy. Too weak to do anything.
In even worse of a state than I was.
Crystal told me to speak to them. To use them for information by striking a deal. I had refused because I was convinced she would just dupe me. Try to hurt my pack the way so many of her people had done in the past.
But I was wrong?
"Don't feel bad." She spoke. She then let out a weak laugh. "We're next."
She let out a laugh again. But this time it got interrupted by a fit of coughs.
When she recovered she turned to me. I saw a ghost of a smile on her face.
"I just hope they kill you first so that I can watch. That will be enough justice for me." She seemed to muster all the strength she had left to say those words.
I leaned against the wall and looked away trying to ignore her.