Chapter 4

“She’s going to stay there for three days? Poor child, she didn’t even get to eat breakfast this morning.” Ms. Bridget sighed loudly as she dished out rice porridge into Alpha Lake's plate while he sat there, brooding. He did not like what he was about to eat; he had his private menu that was used for preparing his meals, but he had no choice, he had to eat what Ms. Bridget prepared from the Pack's kitchen. After all, he had locked away his cook in a cold, dark dungeon.

He chose to live in the penthouse above the Packhouse, because he liked his alone time and he did not like to associate with other members of the Pack. That is why he decided to have Audrey as his maid, she did everything for him. He wanted her to work in attunement for her mother's sins.

“Oh, poor boy, I'm sorry, is the food not to your liking? You know? I had no idea ill be replacing your maid tonight, I wasn't pre-informed that your maid was going to get locked up in the dungeon.” She placed a glass of water beside his dish.

“You are quiet, you have killed her! Oh my God, I should have taken her with me the last time I visited, I should not have listened to her refusal.” He paused dramatically and looked right at his friend. “Her birthday was just in the corner, yet, you murdered her!” Alpha Sebastian raked his hand through his hair in frustration, he stood up and paced back and forth.

Alpha Lake was going to tell him where he had locked her, but he changed his mind when he heard him say something about taking her with him. If he told him that Audrey had been hanging in the dark dungeon since yesterday; there was no doubt he would go release her and take her with him. No. He can’t accept that. He knew his friend had deep feelings for that bitch and it baffled him how anyone could afford to love that ugly thing.

“She went camping with her friends.” He lied.

Alpha Sebastian looked at him like he suddenly grew ten heads. “You…let her go camping?” He asked consciously, finding it hard within himself to fathom such information.

“Of course. What do you take me for? A monster?”

“Yes!” He did not allow Alpha Lake to finish and immediately answered without thinking twice. Alpha Lake just ignored him and drank his wine in a go. He did not know how else to convince him, so, he chose silence, that way he would not give himself away. He knew Alpha Sebastian was a spontaneous person, he dreaded the idea of him deciding to take Audrey as his mate. That would mean he has to live his whole life seeing the person he wanted to disappear from the surface of the earth.

“Fine. I’ll believe you, but… I’ll come visit her next week. Just giving you a heads up, don’t care if you agree.”

Ms. Bridget was inside the kitchen hearing all they were discussing. She wished Alpha Sebastian would take Audrey away. The poor girl deserves a normal life filled with love and care, which were all absent in her life at the moment.

“Who did this!” Alpha Lake barked at the two guards standing in front of the dungeon door.

Rage filled him as he saw the blood-drained girl lying on the floor, looking all pale and dying. His wolf, Regal, sensed a very faint heartbeat from her, and for the first time, it became crazy, restless, and angry. He did not understand why his wolf was feeling that way toward Audrey, but it affected him too. Whatever his wolf felt, he felt too. They were one. He got more irritated as his wolf became more restless. He was angry at Regal for making him want to know who did that to Audrey and why. Left for him, he would care less about her.

“You will answer me.” His eyes glazed over, and his wolf pushed forward, using their Alpha command on the two guards.

“We do not know, Alpha. We were drugged.” They answered in a somewhat hypnotic unison. Bill and Bull were no longer the ones on guard, they had changed shifts with the new guards for the night.

Alpha Lake was raging. “Damn it!” He punched the wall, denting it with his fist. He was boiling in anger. Who dared to touch his prisoner without his order? And even had the gut to drug his guards. He had come down here to order for her to be taken to Ms. Bridget so she could nurse her for the night, at least, let her say her last goodbye to the poor woman. He wanted to do it for Ms. Bridget, not Audrey; he did not care about how she felt, he'd rather she felt heartbroken and torn.

He wished she would feel lonely for the rest of her life, but he knew Ms. Bridget would be very sad and broken for a long time if he dared to send Audrey away without letting them meet for the last time. She had taken care of her like her own daughter.

Alpha Lake walked into the dungeon, the metallic smell of blood flooded his nostrils, and being a wolf made it worse. It was like he was gulping down a gallon of blood with a hint of lavender flavor. He felt repulsed. He took the keys that were hanging beside the walls and went to squat before Audrey. With the proximity, he saw clearly how the culprit intended for Audrey to die slowly and painfully. Her thighs were judiciously sliced open, and her arms and wrist received the same fate as blood still trickled from her wrist, down to the floor. He was supposed to feel over the moon with her predicament, this was what he had always wanted. Her death. But when she was dying right in front of him, he did not feel a thing. He did not feel happy, he did not feel sad. He knew he should be the happiest wolf in the world at the moment, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel anything. He felt…void.

Andrew was just about to go to bed when he received a mind link from the Alpha, asking him to come down to the dungeon. The day had been very busy for him. Alpha Lake had given him a few orders to complete

regarding the upcoming full moon which was in the next two months. And now, he had a bad feeling as he walked down the dark walls of the dungeon.

He entered the dungeon and froze.

He saw the Alpha standing over Audrey's butchered body. He felt conflicted. He wanted to ask him if he was the one who did that to her, he knew how deep his hatred ran for her, but he believed his Alpha, would do this to her. He was too busy to stoop so low to find time to do such a thing.

“Alpha, I’m here.” He knew better than to question his Alpha when he felt the rage emanating from him. He kept his mouth shut knowing that Alpha Lake was a force to be reckoned with, especially when he was pissed. He was brutal with enemies, he was not known as the most feared Alpha for nothing. But he did not expect him to treat Audrey as one.

“Dispose of her.” His voice was deadly cold. No emotion could be traced in it.

“Alpha?” Andrew dared to question. He could still feel a faint pulse from the dying girl. He did not understand what he meant by disposing of a breathing girl.

“Do as I say,” Alpha Lake slowly turned around, facing his beta. His eyes were changing from red to grey, he was fighting dominance with his wolf, who was annoyingly not in support of his decision, and that made him

want to get rid of her the more. He would not allow his wolf to feel sympathy for that bitch. He understood his wolf only reacted that way because it had recognized Audrey as a part of his Pack, and as an Alpha, it was his duty to care for an injured Pack member. But he knew better, Audrey would never be part of his Pack. Never.

“Are you questioning your Alpha?”

He brought his face close to Andrew's, looking straight into his eyes, daring him to challenge him.

“No, never.” Andrew bowed his head, showing his submission.

“Outside the Pack's border. Don’t want her stupid body anywhere in my territory.” With that, he walked out of the dungeon, leaving his beta feeling conflicted as he looked at the dying girl lying helplessly on the floor.

Andrew parked the car a good distance away from the Pack's border. It was the peak of the night and there was no moon in the sky. The owls and crickets could be heard in the forest.

The road was lonely that night as not many people traveled the area unless they were coming to visit their Pack. Trees lined the sides of the road and he would have enjoyed the view if not for what he was about to do.

He went and opened the back seat door and carried the bloodied Audrey out. He carefully carried her to the other side of the road and gently placed her on the soft grass beside the road. He gently ran his fingers over her soft dirty cheeks.

He had always known he had feelings for Audrey, but he dared not act on it for fear of offending his Alpha. He bent over and pecked her cheek.

“I'm sorry I couldn’t help you. I was not man enough.” He closed his eyes and sighed. His conscience could not allow him to walk away from her, but he had to. He was following orders.

His heart shattered with every step he took away from her. He knew he would live with this guilt forever. He had known Audrey since she was little, and even though he was not allowed to associate with her, he still watched her grow. He knew she was strong, and always found a way to be happy in the midst of her chaotic life. He knew it was absurd, but he wished a miracle would happen, Audrey would survive and he would have the chance to meet her again.

He swore he would not let her go if that ever happened. This was her first time outside the Grey Blood pack. He did not know what her fate was. But something told him that she would survive, she was a fighter. He shook his head at himself, maybe he was going crazy with hope. He knew an average wolf could not easily survive such deep and heavy cuts, talk less of a 'wolf-less' girl. He looked back at her one more time before entering the car and driving back to the Grey Blood pack.

Audrey lay unmoving on the soft grass, beneath the night. She was unconscious of her environment. Her body felt like it was falling into an endless vortex of silent darkness. She kept falling and falling, not knowing when she would hit the ground.

'Finally.'

Audrey heard a soft but mischievous whisper amid the dark vortex.