Word Count: 1775

~Dove

I'm woken abruptly from a kick to the stomach.

I'm lying on the floor, curling into myself. Everything is in pain, ranging from a splitting ache in my head to bruised ribs and weak limbs from whatever I've been drugged with.

Someone looms over me, wearing chunky black boots that I've become well acquainted with, and a gruesome scowl.

They kick me again, narrowly missing winding me. I cough, groaning in pain as I hold my hands up as a mock shield in front of myself.

"Please...stop," I beg weakly.

They crouch down in front of me, grabbing the collar of my shirt. Their face swims in my vision, but I note Varian's pack crest on the shirt.

Matthias's manor...the explosion, the smoke and being separated from my father. Soldiers found me, drugged me...

My father. Fuck.

Grief only escalates my physical pain as I try to sit up. The man before me lets me sit up until I'm leaning my back against the metal frame of a cot, trying to draw breaths in.

My father is likely dead. I can only silently hope Eden made it out with Ciella.

The man with the nasty sneer angles his head, his lip curling as he looks over me.

"So, who are you to Alpha Matthias?" He questions.

His words sound chopped and uneven for a second as my head spins. The last dregs of whatever I've been drugged with still haunts me.

"W...what?"

"Do you work for him?" He demands.

My eyes drift to the twin set of knives sheathed to either side of him. He works for Varian, whose soldiers kidnapped me and brought me to...wherever this is.

"Why do you-"

He leans close, grabbing my hair in a fist at the back of my head. Pain lances through my scalp as he pulls back, bringing my eyes to his own.

"Answer plainly." A cold warning laces into his words.

"Yes," I grit out.

There is no point in lying. He could know everything and this interrogation is just to shred my dignity, or give him reason to abuse me. Either way I've been kidnapped for a reason.

"What's your job?"

"I clean...I clean his house for him," I force out, grimacing as his hand releases my head unceremoniously. I'm not lying, necessarily...

I'm just not electing to mention my other activities in Matthias' estate.

He stands, cursing under his breath.

"Fuck, we picked a useless one. Kill her." He slaps his hand on another guards chest before pointing coldly at me, not giving me another glance.

I force myself to stand, ignoring the woozy dizziness and the sharp ache in my ribs.

"No!" I insist desperately, my breathing wheezing croakily. "I know Alpha Varian. I met him-"

"Maids have a wealth of information. They know more about how a place runs than anyone else in there," the other guard says to the main one. "She may even know about where it's kept."

My hands bunch up into fists. If I can speak to Varian, I can get this all cleared up and make sure my father and sister are safe.

"I don't want to waste his time." The guard turns to look over me, his sneer growing at whatever he sees lacking in me.

"I know your Alpha...He would very much like to see me," I say, resting my palm against my forehead as a spell of dizziness overcomes me.

Sinking down onto the stiff bed, I ignore its foul smell and try to ground myself, not wanting to slip into unconsciousness when there's a risk these guards will make sure I don't wake up.

"If you want to speak to Alpha Varian, then you can face his wrath," he says dismissively, nodding at the other guard. "He can interrogate her."

"My father...I need to know if he's alive," I plead, ringing my hands anxiously as I hope for just an ounce of mercy.

The main guard strides from the room, tugging his gloves off as he goes. The other casts a glance back at me, something simmering in his dark eyes.

"Unless he was a personal guard or a war advisor, he's dead," he murmurs.

"War advisor?" I breathe. "He's alive."

The guard clears out of the room, the door locking behind them. I lay back against the bed, trying to ignore the dark spots making my vision splotchy.

My father is alive...how long for, I don't know, but that's hope.

As soon as I start devising a plan to escape, I lose the battle of staying awake, unconsciousness claiming me.

•••

~Varian

The door creaks and shudders as it closes behind me.

I don't use these cells often. They reside below my manor as contingency. Since the invasion, a few important members of Matthias' inner circle have been brought here for interrogation.

And considering my investigation of Matthias' manor for information on my brother has been fruitless, I'm ready to unleash my frustration on one of his lackey's.

His war advisor will do nicely.

"You've looked better," I note, approaching where Dennis is tied down to a chair, chains binding him.

He's been beaten by some of my guards. His face is puffy and swollen and bruises yellow his jaw and cheekbones. Blood drips from his nose and his lids are half shut and blackened.

By the way his shoulders hunch and his posture sags, he's suffered immensely.

There is no instance where as Matthias' war advisor, he isn't aware of the crimes committed against my family, against my brother...for that, I show no mercy.

"I have nothing to say to you," he bites back, although his voice is weak.

"I'm assuming you want your freedom eventually, Dennis." I pace before him impatiently. I'm ready to cut to the chase and get the information from him I need.

Deep lines of determination bear down on his forehead. "I won't tell you anything."

I sigh through my nose. The problem with these highly ranked advisors is they are taught to protect sensitive information during an interrogation.

Thankfully I have creative method for coaxing out the truth.

"You realise Matthias knew about my invasion days before it occurred," I bring up. "If that's the case, why were you at his estate and not in hiding with him?"

His jaw hardens. He senses the betrayal, but I doubt it will be enough to stir his loyalty.

"That is none of your business."

"I'm going to assume you were left behind, tossed aside because you mean absolutely nothing to him," I say flippantly.

That is exactly the case, and it doesn't surprise me. That's Matthias's character.

"And what do I mean to you, Varian?" Something dark and vengeful simmers in his eyes.

"You could mean the difference between me finding my brother and not," I growl, stepping closer.

He has the good thought to flinch. He knows killing him wouldn't burden me in the slightest. He knows that the moment his use to me dissolves, so does my mercy.

"I know nothing about that," he hisses. "You're wasting your breath."

"See, I don't believe you."

Years ago my brother was taken by Matthias' father and he hasn't been seen since. I used to hope I could return him alive, but I've settled on believing that is wishful thinking.

Now, I want revenge. I just need to the right information to justify it.

"I'm his war advisor. Nothing more," Dennis insists, yanking on the bindings pinning his wrists, risking the swelling of dark red welts.

"You're his close confidant." I lean over him, enjoying the quiet terror in his eyes. "I had lesser information tortured much easier from guards I apprehended during the invasion."

Most of it is dead ends, however. Matthias likely only took those with sensitive information with him, meaning it's possible Dennis knows nothing.

But as an advisor, there is every chance he heard something.

"You won't get anything from me, Varian. So kill me already," he announces. He doesn't sound dejected, he sounds determined. It makes my job far more difficult.

"You've been trained for these situations, I understand that." I fold my arms, tapping my fingers against my biceps impatiently. "But you realise your daughter is also somewhere in the prison..."

He stiffens, the colour draining from his face. I got him.

I know little about this daughter of his, I just know she's been apprehended. The fact that my soldiers seized her was a stroke of luck I aim to exploit.

"She's alive?" Dennis breathes, before he reads the expression on my face. "You wouldn't hurt her..."

"After everything Matthias has done to my family?" I angle my head. "You have no idea what I'll do."

I don't even want to know this girls name. I don't want to see her as an innocent victim in this; it will make this process far harder than it needs to be.

I'll need to focus on my brother. Thoughts of him will keep my priorities straight.

"Hurt her, and you won't get a word from me," he vows.

"Then you better get to talking."

As I expected, he presses his lips together and looks away. There's only a brief flicker of shame visible in his expression before that artfully trained blank look returns.

"No?" I shake my head slowly. "Then perhaps your daughter and I should have a little chat."

"She's innocent in all of this. She knows absolutely nothing," he insists, yanking again on his bindings to no avail.

He'll fight me on this all he likes, but his shame revealed one thing to me: he knows something, and he's not willing to share that information, even at the cost of his daughters safety.

"Then don't put her life on the line for a man who has no loyalty to you," I growl lowly.

"I made a vow when I took this job, and I intend to keep it." His voice breaks, his eyes everywhere but meeting mine.

He knows what he is doing is wrong, and he's going to do it anyway...

"Your poor daughter. You've chosen a man who discarded you over her," I murmur. "I think her and I need to talk."

He bears his teeth. "Don't you dare."

"Sit tight." I back toward the door. "And don't think about all the horrible things I can't wait to do to her."

I wait for him to beg me to step back in, to finally decide he's ready to tell me the truth.

But he doesn't, letting me walk away to do with his daughter as I please.

🩵••🩵

As always, you can read this book 16 chapters ahead on Inkitt and 10 chapters ahead on Radish!

Your support means a lot to me!

~Midika 🐈‍⬛💜