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THEODIN/ 3rd person POV

The dungeon was dark, but far from quiet.

The hallowed coming from the victims of Theodin had gone on all night and day, with little to no rest from the suffering they had done to them from his men, no breaks, and no mercy was ever given.

Information was key, Theodin knew if he was going to take revenge on Kane, he had to get everything he could, information is what almost killed him the last time he tried to kill Black, he wouldn't make that mistake again.

Theodin hated every fiber of Kane Locus Black. The name left a foul taste in his mouth that made him want to destroy everything in his path.

Kane had taken everything away from him, he was someone he once called friend, the only friend he had, but then he found out what Theodin was up to. Joining Orion had been the best thing he had done, despite everything and everyone he had lost.

He had never given up on the cause.

Just because Kane thought he had won after all these years, and building a family and alliances, does not mean he is safe from what is about to come, and come he will, after all, he should have gotten the gift I left for him near Deepwater territory.

1 week ago

Larson lets out a murderous cry as I cut his hand clean off with a cleaver, in one swift motion the man who had been hard to break after all these hours alone with me, had finally opened his mouth.

I grin as he stares at his hand that lays on the floor next to him. "Really, all you had to do was tell me how Kane was doing, if he missed me or talked about me." I chuckle out, pulling a chair up next to Larson.

"Hmmmm." I hum out, looking at Larson's face as it starts to harden, no doubt feeling my gaze on him as he looks at the ground in front of him.

He's trying his best to hide the fact I had broken him, how sweet. "You are so loyal, I remember a time I was also loyal to Kane, what were we, thirteen? But you know when things changed for me Larson?"

He remains silent, his face hard and emotionless. "It was when Kane stole what was mine, I should have let it go, I mean he took something that fate herself gave to me, he just took it, but she was MINE, he knew she was mine, yet he took her from me." I huff out, remembering the day vividly. "But I couldn't go against him, being an Alpha's son and all, being as powerful as he was, so I left.... and look what he did to me." I raise my right arm.

"What was once my right arm is now gone, he bit it clean off that day."

"You see I was just like you, a little puppy following behind him until I broke free from my chains and chose the winning side, the side of power and-"

"You lost the war, you fucking piece of shit and you will lose again, your mate fucking hated you!" Larson snaps out, spitting blood from his mouth on my face.

I blink at him and bring my hand up to my face. I laugh out and stand up, grabbing a piece of cloth to wipe my face. "Oh Larson, I wish you would have accepted my offer to join us, it is a real shame for what I am about to do to you next for insulting me." I sigh out.

"I wonder..." I hum out. "What will Kane's face look like, sad? No, he is the man without emotion, he will surely keep a brave face.. yes, if he is the Kane I remember, he will act strong." I say, tapping my finger on my chin, staring down at Larson.

Larson has yet to react to anything I've said, which should annoy me, but I couldn't care either way.

He is going to die tonight, nothing is going to stop me from killing him, after all, Killing such a high valued member of the royal Shadow league? Well, I do quite like the idea of my name being out in the public once again. People of The Vale and Shadowlands had become too tame to the Black rule, they need to be reminded who the real leader is.

Orion will rule, I will do anything in my power to make it happen, I don't care who I kill along the way.

"Oh." I had almost forgotten about our special guest. "What is your mate's name again?" I ask Larson, who looks surprised by the question.

My growing smile on my lips causes my little friend here to pale, his facial changes from surprise, confusion, and then to.... fear... yes, I like those expressions very much.

"Stay the fuck away from her you psycho!" He barks out, snarling and pulling the chains that bind him to the floor, thrashing around trying to break free.

"Emma, was it?" I say to myself, looking off into the distance, and from the corner of my eye, I see Larson's eyes widen.

"P-Please." Larson's throat cracks as he stares up at me. "Don't harm her.. p-please.. I-I'll speak I'll tell you anything.. just.. don't hurt her." He begs, pleading so pitiful that it causes me to laugh out.

I sigh heavily and snap my fingers in the darkroom. My eyes never leave Larson's as the door to the room opens with the jingling of a key, the steel-reinforced door laced with magic creaks as it opens, I turn and smile at one of my trusted members as he brings the prisoner inside the room.

"N-No." Larson cries out at the presence of my prisoner.

"Larson, w-what's going on?" The woman looks to me. "What do you want from us?" She yells at me causing me to blink at her.

Such rudeness, does she not know common manners? She needs to be taught a lesson.

I walk up to the she-wolf and smack her hard across her face for speaking without permission. "Did I say you could speak, you filthy mutt!?" I shout out into her face.

I take a deep breath and then replace my scowl with a tight smile. "I apologize for that lovely Emma, but we have rules in my family and we must follow them, or else this happens." I tell her simply, pointing at her now red cheek, watching as she holds her face with her hands, her eyes wild staring between me and her mate, chained to the floor, who looks at her with longing and pain in his eyes.

But it's all hopeless, and Larson knows it.

I nod to Keller, my trusted follower and he pushes the girl to the floor in front of her mate, her face full of concern for her mate is one of pure love, I would be a fool to not see that their bond is deep, this will surely take its toll on the poor she-wolf.

Just like it took its toll on me, losing my mate.

I crouch down, level with both Larson and Emma as I smile politely at them, I clear my throat to gain their attention. "Such love, I am jealous, Emma will be a lovely partner to me once you are gone Larson." I say teasingly with a smirk, making Emma cry out and Larson to snarl and snap his teeth at me, giving me such a look that if he were free, I don't doubt he would've kill me single-handedly, even as injured as he is now.

I chuckle at the thought. "I'm joking, of course, she's not my type, my men's perhaps?" I look to Keller for confirmation and he shrugs. "Oh well, either way, sorry darling." I mutter amused in her direction with a shrug.

"You will fucking die if you touch her, I will fucking kill you, Kane will kill you, you won't get away with this you psychotic piece of-"

I stand up and cut his throat with my sharp nail, dragging it roughly across his neck to his nape. I watch as his eyes widen in realization as he coughs on his own blood. The darkroom fills with blood-curdling screams from his mate as Larson's eyes roll back, his blood falls, spilling out into a puddle on the floor beneath him.

"NOOO! NO-L-LARSON?!" The she-wolf cries out as I stand up and wipe the filthy blood from my hands onto my pants. "Y-YOU FUCKING MONSTER!" Emma snarls out, her wolf present and trying to shift, but the collar around her neck stops her from shifting, instead, it injects venom into her neck and makes her lose consciousness.

I sigh out and look to Keller who looks bored at the two on the floor. I chuckle out and look down to Larson, who has now stopped breathing, his pulse is no longer there which means... had has died from blood loss, unable to heal himself because of the chains around his wrists and ankles.

Larson's death was a shame, but I didn't have the time or patience to get the information I needed from him, after all, I have something even better, his lovely mate, who is now mateless and in pain, when she wakes up she will tell me everything I ask, that I do not doubt, the mate bond is a strange thing, I learned that long ago.

"Prep his body, and then move the girl back to her cell." I instruct Keller and he nods, moving from the wall and lifting the she-wolf up. "I have something planned for lovely Emma." I say to myself out loud, thinking of all the wonderful and fun things we are going to do together before I'm done with her.

Kane's birthday is coming up, perhaps he would like a gift from me? Yes... yes, good idea, perhaps I should give him a little something to wish him a happy day, after all, I am his oldest friend, and friends give each other gifts on their birthdays.

I just hope he likes what I have in mind, after all, royalty deserves the best, no?