Alpha Markus
Chapter 54

Markus P.O.V.

I wish I could convince Celeste not to be down here for the questioning. It wasn’t even that she would not be sensitive about seeing someone tortured, but I didn’t want her to see that side of me. I didn’t want her to be scared of me. Atlas was worried what we were about to do would change how she looked at us.

‘Celeste, are you sure you want to see this? We will have to do things to make him talk. Things we don’t like doing but are necessary.’ We asked, one last time. Hoping she would change her mind.

‘Kara said you’re worried about what we will think of you when you torture the prisoners. Is she right?’ Celeste asked.

I sighed, ‘I’m not going to pretend she’s not right. We have to do things to make them talk. That usually means crossing a line I don’t generally like to cross, but if I believe the ends justify the means, I will do it and I’m afraid what these fuckers did is more than worth leaving my morals at the door. I will get justice by any means necessary.’

‘You don’t have to bear this burden alone. You don’t have to anymore. This is also my fight. Whatever we do tonight, we will carry the moral repercussions together. This torment of my people ends this week, no matter what needs to be done.’

I laced my fingers through hers. ‘Together then’ I said.

‘Always’

We entered the dungeons. The two traffickers were in individual cells. One was wearing silver cuffs around the wrists and ankles. There was a cot in a corner and a chair for questioning. The other one was wearing normal cuffs around his right wrist and on the ankles. There was a bandage over the stump where the left arm should be and it was permeated with b***d. I had ordered they didn’t put silver on him so he could heal enough to answer questions. He looked pale and in pain. Good. That will make it easier to punish him. I went to the blonde in the cuffs first, make him sweat. He won’t break as easily, but it might scare the other already in pain into talking.

“Fasten him to the chair,” I instructed my men. The binds on the chair were not silver. It allowed me to hurt them more if their wolf can heal them. Gillian brought over a tray with torture instruments. I rolled up my sleeves. I turned towards Celeste. “Stay out of the cell. The chair is secured to the floor but I don’t want you anywhere near them,” I said as I pushed her to the corner with my body. I gave her a sweet k**s that way so no one could see, and pressed my forehead to hers. I closed my eyes, inhaling her scent. Ready Atlas? I asked.

Let’s protect what’s ours – Atlas growled and came forward slightly, both of us sharing control. I opened my eyes and Celeste’s eyes glowed with love at the sight of ours. I knew you could see one fully black iris and one normal grey.

I turned and entered the cell. Everyone bared their necks to us as they noticed the presence of both wolf and man. It was not something that could easily be achieved by everyone. It was a show of power and strength as well as a show of how deep the connection to our wolf was.

“You will tell me what I want to know, Levi,” Mine and Atlas’ voices were mixed together. Levi paled when he saw us and visibly started shaking when he realized we knew who he was. That part was interesting. What was so important about knowing who he was?

‘Gillian do we have someone we can trust in the Desert Moon Pack?’ I asked as I turned towards the small table of tools.

‘Yes, we have a few.’

‘Find out if Levi has a family. That might speed things up’

‘Yes Alpha,’ he said and stepped out of the dungeon, Danny taking his place in the cell.

I started small, a couple of fingernails, some broken fingers. I was mostly biding my time until Gillian had the information I needed to put things to the next level.

“You will tell me who hired you. Who is in charge of your trafficking ring,” We said as we punched him in the gut, b***d splashing on our face as he coughed up b***d.

“I’m not telling you shit.”

“Wrong answer,” I said as I broke a rib with another punch.

“Who is organizing the trafficking of the young she-wolves?”

“We don’t traffic she-wolves, we simply resale trash. It’s environmentally friendly,” he mocked. I grabbed the garden shears and cut one of the pinkies down to the first knuckle. His screams filled the dungeons as I removed the stub completely.

‘Alpha, he has a mate and a child. I also asked about Lucas. He doesn’t have a mate, no parents, only some distant cousins from another pack.’ Gillian said through the mind link as he made his way back into the dungeons.

‘Any chance you got some names?’

‘Yepp’ he said, popping the p. ‘Alice and little Marissa. No name on the cousin but I believe Celeste already provided that for us.’

“Who is organizing your operation? If you make me ask again, you will regret it,” we said, and jabbed a silver knife deep into his leg.

He was panting after his screams died down. He glared at me as I went over to the table again. I turned to face him, waiting for a response.

“That cunt of a Luna you have will never be safe again,” he spit b***d at my feet. I sighed despite the anger his words made me feel. I turned to Gillian. “I guess we’ll need to ask little Marissa when she gets here. How far away are they?”

“YOU’RE f*****g LYING,” he screamed.

“I am not usually one to make empty threats. You come into my land, kill a pack member and threaten my mate. My Luna. Did you think the consequences of that were going to just be yours? Your Alpha Charles was more than willing to hand them over as long as we didn’t declare war on his pack. He knows better than to get in the way of an Alpha when his mate is threatened. If I don’t get answers from you, I will get them from Lucas. If he talks before you do, I will give him a quick death. Your mate and your child won’t be given that mercy.” I turned and walked out of the cell.

“Wait! Wait a damn minute!” He yelled.

I smirked, “Oh no no, I spent an hour trying to get you to talk to me. Now Lucas gets a turn. You better hope he doesn’t talk, then maybe we can talk when I’m done with him and discuss just how much you want your child to live.”

I walked into Lucas’ cell. He was already strapped on the chair. The stump on his left arm was not bleeding profusely.

“I am not telling you anything.” He snarled weakly.

“Oh? But you’ve already told us so much. We just need a few more things,” I said as I unwrapped the bloody gauze.

“We know you talked to your cousin just before you killed Ruby. Tell me, who is your cousin?” I asked as I pushed two fingers into the slowly closing wound. He screamed as he tried to yank his stump away from me. I punched him in the jaw to shut him up and I felt it crack under my knuckles. B***d oozed from his mouth as he slumped forward, passing out. s**t, maybe I put too much force into the punch. – Atlas said in my head.

No, I think he just lost too much b***d – I responded.

“Wake him,” I said to Danny, who went in and slapped Lucas. When Lucas didn’t wake, he put on a glove and grabbed the wolfsbane infused water. I thought he would throw it at his face, but he had another idea. He poured it into a bowl and dipped the stump in it. A full agonizing scream erupted from Lucas as the pain brought him about.

“I’ll ask again. Who is your cousin,” I said, coming back into the cell and putting on gloves. It was time to get to business.

“They are going to destroy you and your pack once they get their hands on your precious Luna,” he wheezed, letting out a cackle, “You have no idea who wants her.”

I snarled. “You will tell me what you know and then you will beg for us to kill you,” I grabbed the syringe with silver nitrate and stabbed his leg with it. I strapped a tourniquet to his leg, cutting off the b***d flow. If the liquid silver reached his heart, he was dead, but until I undid his tourniquet, his leg would be on fire. He would beg me to cut it off.

“Alright, guess it’s your lucky night Levi. It might be a while before he gets used to the liquid silver in his leg. Let’s have another chat, shall we? Gillian, put a gag on Lucas, he’s getting a little loud.”

I came back into the little cell. I took the gag out of Levi. You could see the hatred in his eyes. Too bad it came no where near my hatred for him.

“Let’s chat, shall we,” I said, picking up the second syringe of silver nitrate and turning around. “Or you can scream like your buddy there and I can ask your mate and pup.”

“You promise me you leave them out of this,” he growled, “You promise me my pup will live and I will tell you whatever you want.”

“You’re not in a position to bargain here,” I growled “You’ve cost so many women their lives. Why should I give your women any mercy?” I said. I was going to plunge the syringe into his thigh when Celeste came forward.

“I will guarantee the safety of your child. Your mate’s life is forfeit as she knew about your activities, but perhaps your child can have a life with a foster family,” She said.

Hope sprung into Levi’s eyes. “No, please. She didn’t know anything. She doesn’t know what we’ve done. She thinks I’ve been away on pack business. Please think of my pup,” He pleaded to her, but Celeste’s eyes turned black at his words.

“You dare ask for mercy for your mate when I just saw my friend being robbed of her life. Where was your mercy when you took Clara, or Sophia or Janet? Where was your mercy when Lucas tried to rape Maya or when you beat me senseless after I stopped him?” She growled. Recognition and fear crossed through Levi’s eyes. Someone came downstairs and gave something to Celeste and set up a tripod before bowing and leaving, “No, you don’t get to ask for mercy. Mercy will be what I decide you deserve after you tell us everything we want to know. If I feel like you’re keeping something from us, if I feel you’re lying, whatever little mercy I have for your pup will vanish. I will make sure it’s turned rogue and left in the middle of the forest, defenseless. Just like all the newly shifted women you took all these years.” she said. Levi gulped and nodded. Celeste placed a burner phone on the tripod and set it up. She nodded to me before turning and heading back to the corner.

“So then, let’s begin” I said.