KANE

"I need eyes on Braum and a team, no one is to know, is that understood?" I say glancing up at Lex.

"Yes, Alpha."

Glancing back down at the paper in front of me with my handwritten order one last time before I sign and hand it over to my Lead warrior Lex.

ALPHA BRAUM

Order: S&C

I Alpha Kane Locus Black of Deepwater Pack declare the SEIZE and CAPTURE of one ALPHA BENJAMIN BRAUM.

DEAD OR ALIVE.

S.S&A

Kane Locas Black

I sign the order and stamp it with my pack logo.

"I want immediate report on every single movement of my operatives. And tell Larson I want to contact him." I command towards Lex.

"Yes Alpha, of course." He says and I nod for him to leave.

Going back to my work I notice he is reluctant to move.

"Yes?" I ask glancing up at him from the stack of paperwork, tired and in no mood for chatter.

"How is Sora? I haven't heard from her since.. "

I interrupt. "She is none of your concern right now." I snap. "What is of your concern is to deliver that, we are on the verge of war! She's my mate and my concern, not yours." I say glaring at him.

He nods and bows before exiting through the double doors, closing them with a loud bang.

I ask myself so many times... Why couldn't Sora be friends with anyone other than Lex? The guy is a pain in my ass but he is undoubtedly one of my best wolves.. annoying as fuck but he cares for Sora and she needs more like him in her life, preferably I prefer females.

Sitting back in my chair, rubbing my eyes I glance at the time. I've been here since 4:00 AM yesterday. Sora brings me to lunch with her guards not far behind her.. we sit and eat every day and I share everything with her, she has shown me she can handle the reality of everything happening and that is... very hard for me to grasp but I cannot ignore that she's right.

Snapping out of my thoughts when Lucas walks through the door.

"She's ready for you."

Great. I make my way from my office and down to the interrogation room on ground zero, underneath the packhouse. I had this made the first time I came into contact with a shifter. Completely magic-proof and completely soundproof, also anyone would be lucky to escape this. Designed to only allow high-ranking wolves I approve of with access.

Making my way to the room Lila is currently sitting in I open the door and peer down at her.

She looks barely rested.

Good.

"Let's cut the crap shall we Grinmorte. I'm a busy guy and you are trespassing but most importantly, why come to me now?" I ask as I lean against the wall facing her.

She's chained in the middle of the room to the floor. On her knees. Clothes matted and dirty. It's been a week since and I restricted all food except water for her and her people.

This makes prisoners more talkative. But of course, I have other tactics to make people talk, but I find it more effective to make them suffer before the real interrogation begins.

She glared up at me wearily. "This was not necessary Kane, I wanted to explain myself, my people do not deserve this treatment!"

I growl at her tone and she bows her head. "You talk when I say so, is that clear?" I state and she nods her head in submission.

"Tell me everything and I might let you live, depending on how good your story is."

She gulps and nods, looking straight ahead into my eyes with her much defeated ones.

"Orion." She whispers as a tear falls down her face.

Infamous covenant of dark magic.

They supposedly all died in the war.

I stare at her intrigued as I walk around her slowly circling, purposely intimidating her as her body shakes. "They are all gone."

She shakes her head, fear in her eyes. "Aeyon Grinmorte.. my uncle." she whispers deadly with hate and fear in her voice. "He had spies everywhere and they got me to a few months back.. he forced me to obey him or he would harm my sister, Lola. Three months ago I was taken and tortured but I was let go.. t-the guards are part of it.. Braum is his second.. I.. I could not trust anyone but those people with me." She starts to sob. "Please don't hurt them, do whatever you shall to me but spare them, they are the only family I have left!" She pleads and I stare down at her.

"Tell me something Lila Grinmorte, how did you escape?" I ask stopping in front of her looking down with a hard glare.

She closes her eyes momentarily and takes a deep breath. "Lola." She whispers, her voice breaking. "We had planned to escape together but they somehow knew of our plan.. she stayed back to give us time to escape.. she.. she did not meet us at our spot.. and her shard has gone cold, she died so I could escape.. so I could warn you and save the people with me.. also prisoners as I was." She says as tears fall. "The day you came to the palace was the day of our escape."

I study her face and sigh. "Does not explain why Aeyon would want me dead." I say, my voice hard.

She looks at me confused. "Your mate." She clarifies. "She is your claim to the throne."

I growl and glare at Lila at the mention of Sora and grab the chains of her neck to make her look at me. "Tell me Lila Grinmorte." I snarl as my eyes shine bright yellow, deadly piercing into Lilas as she cowers. "Why should I let you live?" I ask deadly seriously as my grip tightens.

She stares at me more confidently, the light that was gone in her eyes shines a little brighter. "Because you need me, I have information of wolves in your pack who are working against you, also information on locations on where his allies reside.. and there is no one alive who hates Aeyon more than I." She says glaring at me.

I release the heavy chains and mind-link my Beta.

"Lucas, I want every single person who arrived with Lila Grinmorte questioned on Aeyon Grinmorte."

"Yes, Alpha."

I close the mind-link and grab Lila's neck to see the look in her eye. I thought I recognized it at the palace. Disturbed, hatred, lonely.. conflicted... fear. "Do you fear me?" I ask her.

Her eyes swirl with confusion and her reply makes me smile slightly. "I do not."

I nod, a sense of approval washing over me. Stepping away from her and releasing her neck I go towards the exit to leave as I glance over my shoulder to study her one last time for today. "A pack member will come to question you for names then will escort you and your people once they pass our questions, you all shall move to a temporary location for the meantime. I hope for their sake you did not lie to me, Lila." I say deadly and she nods her head.