Chapter 118
KESTER.
I was almost behind schedule. I had to make a quick stop at eropita Hospital to make sure everything was fine. Just a quick ‘hello‘ check on them. Nothing more.
I still didn’t ask them what Kasmine was there for, but I was certain my presence there reignited a certain understanding that was established between us some years po
The basement of my office reeked of stale sweat and grime. The kind of smell that clung to the walls, seeped into the cracks of the concrete, and wrapped itself around the atmosphere like a living thing.
Behind me, three of my men followed.
In the center of the dimly lit room, tied to a chair, was a man. A pitiful mess of sweat–drenched clothing and trembling limbs. Ropes soaked in wolfsbane cut deep into his wrists and ankles, biting into flesh and leaving ugly, raw marks that hinted at the pain he was going through.
He let out a pathetic, broken whimper that barely made it past the gag stuffed in his mouth. His head lolled slightly, the blindfold over his eyes hiding the panic I knew was brewing beneath.
With a rough yank, one of my men stepped forward and pulled the blindfold free.
The second his gaze met mine, his entire body tensed. His breath hitched. His pupils shrank, then expanded in sheer, unfiltered fear.
I let out a slow, cruel smile.
“Alfred,” I said, drawing his name out like a lullaby, sickly sweet and dangerous. “Alfred Anderson.”
The moment he heard my voice, something inside him snapped. His breathing turned erratic, his chest heaving as he struggled against the bonds, making the wolfsbane burn deeper into his skin.
How poetic. Even his own desperation was a punishment,
His attempts at speech were nothing but muffled sounds behind the gag. Pathetic.
I sighed, tilting my head and feigning disappointment. “Now, now. No need to rush, Alfred. We have all the time in the world.”
I grabbed a stool, dragging it with an intentional screech across the floor before positioning it directly in front of him
Then, I sat, legs spread, arms resting lazily on my knees – the picture of relaxation, while he sat there, unraveling in the worst way possible.
My wicked grin widened as I leaned in, my voice dipping into calmness, “Let’s have a chat, shall we?”
The whites of his eyes stood out against his sweat–slicked face, his pupils darting from me to the darkness behind ine as if salvation could be hiding somewhere in the dark.
There wasn’t
I studied him, amused by the sheer, animalistic panic in his gaze. The kind of fear that stripped a man down to his rawest form and left him bare and trembling.
Slowly, I leaned back, stretching my legs out in front of me, “You know, Alfred, I have a bit of a problem.”
“You see,” I continued, leaning forward just enough to watch the terror settle deep in his bones, “when we heard.
+25 BOUG
Chapter 11
you left Valor Lante, we saw an opportunity. A talent like yours suddenly up for grabs? Naturally, we acted fast. My company pursued you and offered you a position with a salary far better than whatever scraps Kex was throwing your way.” My voice dipped, “And you took it. Just like we expected. Just like we wanted ”
A sharp exhale escaped his nose, and he shook his head slowly.
Was it guilt or regret?
Well, I suggest he feels both because, by the time I was done with him, he’d be obligated to feel even more because I plan to add pain and panic to the party.
“Imagine my disappointment,” I murmured, tapping my fingers lightly against my knee, “when I realized I wasn’t the one doing the hunting.” My smile widened. “No, no, Alfred. It was you who came to me. Because that was the plan all along, wasn’t it?”
A garbled plea tried to escape past the gag. Desperation.
I sighed slowly, “I’m a patient man, Alfred. Truly. But I don’t appreciate being played.”
I shifted slightly, adjusting my position on the stool before letting my gaze drop to the floor, feigning thoughtfulness. “You know,” I mused, “There’s a little shop down by the east side. Old run–down thing. Barely gets customers.” I paused, lifting my gaze and studying the way his body tensed further, muscles locking into place. Perfect
“And inside that shop, I had an interesting conversation with a woman. Red hair, big blue eyes. Small but fiery, judging by the way she cursed out my men while sitting uncomfortably in a storage room.”
His entire body locked up. Eyes went wide with terror.
Ah. There it was.
A strangled sound tried to push through the gag, his breath coming in short, panicked bursts. His mate. He knew exactly who I was talking about.
I let the silence linger, watching the fear eat away at him. Letting it fester and sink deep.
Then, with a quiet sigh, I leaned in just a fraction more. “Now, Alfred,” I murmured, my voice eerily calm, “why don’t you tell me the real reason you came to work for Zamford?”
For a moment, he didn’t move. He just sat there, breath shuddering, shoulders trembling, as if weighing his options. Then, slowly, he nodded.
One of my men stepped forward, reaching down to undo the gag. It slipped from his mouth, wet with spit, and for a moment, he only gasped, pulling in air like a drowning man breaking the surface.
“P–Please,” he croaked, voice hoarse and raw. “My mate–don’t hurt her. I’ll tell you everything, just don’t-
“That depends entirely on you,” I cut in. “Talk.”
He swallowed thickly, throat bobbing.
“Kex,” he rasped. “He sent me. Everything about me leaving Valor Lante? That was his plan. He knew you’d come after me. He knew you wouldn’t pass up the chance to snatch one of his best employees. That’s what he wanted ”
I stayed silent, letting him dig his own grave.
1 was sent to spy on you,” he admitted, “To feed information back to him. Internal reports, upcoming projects, and weaknesses he could exploit. I swear, I didn’t have a choice–he said he’d ruin me if I refused. I just needed the extra money he promised me, I didn’t think-”
“You didn’t think, I erhoed, my smile widening “That is clear”
Sweat broke across his forehead, a sheen the qdy spee, suking through the collar of his shirt. His breathing was shallow now, his chest rising too fast and to high
to,
, who else is your accomplice?” I added, folding my hands in front of me, calm as a prayer at a funeral. The flicker of confusion in his eyes was almost convincing Alt
“What What other accomplices?” he stammered. His eyesearched mine, desperate and frantic, like a drowning man begging the sea for mercy.
But I wasn’t the sea.
I was the storm that fed it.
“Some very important files were sent from an anonymous source to Kex last night. We don’t need anyone to tell us you aren’t the only one he planted here, do we?” Lexpled
“No. No, please
he shook his head violently as if that might shake the truth into place. “I swear. I don’t know of anyone else. Please. Believe me. He never mentioned anyone else. I swear. I swear.”
I said nothing
just watched him and let the silence sit between us like a quillotine waiting to drop.
His shoulders cessed, spine curving inward.
“Please, Alpha.” He reeked of desperation
I stood, slowly adjusting my sleeves. The chair creaked slightly beneath me as I rose like a god preparing judgment.
“Please,” he said again, his voice much smaller and thinner, almost like a frayed string about to snap. “My mate. Let her go. I’ll do anything
I paused and tilted my head. I studied him like one might study something trembling in the palm of their hand- something pathetic and broken and far too easily crushed.
“Oh, Alfred,” I murmured, my voice dripping with something that could almost be mistaken for sympathy. “You already are because you’ll do exactly what I’ll tell you to do otherwise, the last time you fucked your pretty little mate would be the last.”
