Page 40 of Rejected and Pregnant by the Alpha (Forbidden Alpha Kings #52)
Julian
Walking into the Haven Trail pack house, I head upstairs to Theta Aidan’s office, catching the man just as he is leaving.
“King Julian,” he calls out in surprise before quickly masking it. “I thought you would be interrogating the hunters by now,” he says, giving me a friendly smile.
“I thought I would come to you first and wait for Hannah to join us,” I answer, watching as a look of unease flickers across Theta Aidan’s face before it disappears and a stiff smile takes its place.
“Hannah is a little busy right now with Saben, so it will just be us interrogating the hunters,” he says, motioning for me to join him.
My eyes narrow at his flimsy excuse, but I say nothing, deciding that I can just go to Hannah’s cottage later to see how she and Saben are doing.
Following Theta Aidan, the two of us make our way down the stairs.
Some of the Haven Trail wolves wave at us, their hostility toward me gone since I helped save Saben and protect their borders.
I wave back before disappearing with Theta Aidan into the basement.
“We have the hunters in separate cells so it is easier to interrogate them individually,” Theta Aidan explains as we pass by a set of steel doors that, after taking a deep breath, I find are reinforced with silver.
Past the doors is a corridor with three cells on either side.
These, too, look like they are made of steel, but what surprises me is the clean air and the bright lighting.
“You look surprised,” Theta Aidan says, grinning at me.
“I am,” I answer, stopping to take in the first cell and finding it prepared with a cot, a toilet, and a sink. “Most packs have damp cells, and I have to threaten them to bring them up to code. I thought the cells here would be the same, but I was clearly wrong.”
“I guess being in the royal pack did have its advantages then because Hannah always said she wanted the cells to provide clean, livable conditions for our prisoners,” Theta Aidan explains, making me smile.
“Well, since your cells are so clean, I wonder just how you interrogate your prisoners,” I muse, motioning for Theta Aidan to lead the way.
Silently, he moves toward the cells at the back of the basement, the sound of someone sobbing reaching my ears.
“Shut up already!” someone shouts from the cell on the left. “These wolves are beasts and are just going to kill us without a second thought.”
This causes the sobbing person to cry harder, fear emanating from their cell. I instantly recognize this person as the female hunter whom Hannah and I had captured and sigh.
“Who do we interrogate first?” Theta Aidan asks.
“The female,” I answer, motioning for him to unlock the cell. Theta Aidan quickly complies, moving to the first cell and pulling out a set of keys. The scent of fear grows thick, annoying me to no end. How dare she feel fear when she was the one who kidnapped Saben?
“Please don’t kill me!” the female hunter begins to beg as Theta Aidan steps inside.
He says nothing, and I wait patiently while the sound of someone struggling comes from the cell. Moments later, he walks outside with the female hunter thrown over his shoulders.
“The interrogation room is this way,” he states, walking past me.
I follow him, my eyes on the female hunter, who silently cries with a look of indignation and fear. She keeps her gaze on the floor, not bothering to fight back, and I nod in approval.
Theta Aidan comes to a stop in front of a lone door, using his free hand to push it open. He sets the female on her feet and steadies her until she catches her balance.
“Sit in the chair,” he orders, pointing to the lone chair in the room.
The female hesitates, glancing at the chair and then down the hallway behind me. In the end, she complies and waddles to the chair, carefully lowering herself onto it. I notice her hands, spotting the casts on her wrists, and remember that Hannah had broken them upon her capture.
“Dr. Grace says the breaks were clean, so she put a cast on them,” Theta Aidan explains after noticing my stare.
“You provide medical care for your captives?” I ask, impressed once again.
“We do. It makes it easier to interrogate them if we show a bit of kindness,” he answers, stepping inside the interrogation room and leaning against the wall.
I nod, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind me. The hunter flinches at the loud sound, wincing as she jostles her broken wrists.
“Are… are you going to k-kill me?” she asks as I begin to walk around her, her voice quiet and filled with fear.
“That depends,” I answer, coming to a stop in front of her and slowly releasing the power inside my blood. “Do you plan to cooperate with us?”
She shivers at my words, her body crumpling in on itself. I wait, pulling my power back slightly while Theta Aidan watches on. “I will tell you everything I know about the hunters if you make me a promise,” the female says, lifting her head to look me dead in the eyes.
“What is it that you want?” I ask, slightly amused by this show of foolish bravery.
“I want you to find my mate.”