The Lycan King’s Hybrid Queen
Chapter 30

Thane

I stare at the scene before me in shock. When Callen mind linked me, yelling The Witch had killed a handful of my men and escaped, I was confused. There's no way she could have escaped!

Reports had been brought to me about her t*****e. My guards had put the woman through things most wouldn't have survived. However, they made sure to keep her alive because Lyric wanted The Witch executed tomorrow. Tomorrow morning at dawn, The Witch was to be burned at the stake. I was shocked when Lyric said that. She knows firsthand what being burned alive feels like.

Lyric told me, 'Exactly. That bi.tch tried - did kill you. If you hadn't come back, I would have lost you. She deserves everything she gets.' I couldn't argue with that because the woman did want me dead. Lyric's first official order as Queen was execution. As the woman wouldn't give her name, everyone refers to her as 'The Witch. It could have been worse, I suppose. There are many names I could think of for her.

My eyes scan the cell The Witch was kept in. Body parts are strewn all over the place, and there is so much blood my senses are being overridden by it.

"Where the hell were you when this happened?"

Dave, one of the fifteen dungeon guards left, looks at me. "My King, I was doing my rounds in block B," Dave is head of all three dungeon blocks, A, B, and C, so doing rounds is normal. "When I returned, the prisoner was gone, and," He waves his hand toward the mess in the cell. "I don't know how it would have been physically possible for The Witch to do this. All the t*****e she'd been through... I don't get it." "What the hell are you getting at?"

"I think somebody helped the girl escape. There is no other explanation."

Anger floods my veins. It seems I have a traitor working for me. Somebody is going to die!

"Get this sh.it cleaned up, and I'll have the families informed. Also, get me the camera footage for this cell. I'll replace out myself what really happened." "Yes, my King."

I walk out of that place, filled with anger. I need a shower to remove the stench from my nose and throat!

After showering and changing into a gray suit, I make my way to my office. I called a meeting with Blaze and Theo; Tyler is away right now, or he'd be here too. I want Theo and Blaze to witness what's on the memory stick Dave gave me.

I can't believe this is happening. It's mere days until my and Lyric's public ceremony and my mate's coronation. I should be preparing for that the way Lyric is right now. She's with my mother, learning all she needs to know about becoming Queen. Tomorrow is supposed to be The Witch's execution, and then Lyric was to go dress shopping with my sisters and her own. When Lyric replaces out The Witch is gone, she'll hit the roof.

I grab a water bottle from the small fridge beside my desk. I refuse to drink anything that has yet to be inspected beforehand, including checking if bottled water has been tampered with. The Witch may have been caught, even if she's escaped now, but my trust in people has all but been depleted. I'll get over it in time.

Lyric believes I'm now like her because I can't stay dead. But I have my doubts because it's possible it was a one-off. The only way to replace out if it's permanent is to die again, and I don't fancy that. What if I don't wake up?

I'm not ready to die yet, so there's no way I'll try dying again for some time. I have the elders looking into Lyric's curse and why I died and returned. Elder Matthews said he'd never heard of such a thing, but he wouldn't stop until he had an answer for me. Goddess knows how long it will take, but I hope not too long.

I knock back half the bottle of water before Theo walks into the room.

"Blaze not here yet?" I shake my head at Theo's stupid question. He can blatantly see Blaze isn't here! "That's odd," Theo sits in front of my desk. "Blaze is usually the first one here."

It is strange that Blaze has yet to arrive; he's never late. Though he's probably busy doing his job, which is what he's paid for. I sent him a mind link letting him know The Witch had escaped. Blaze will be briefing his troops, so he can be forgiven for his tardiness. With Blaze on the case, we'll have The Witch in custody in no time.

Five minutes later, Blaze walks into the room, closes the door behind him, and takes a seat beside Theo. "Sorry, I'm late."

"Where were you?"

Blaze raises his eyebrow at Theo. "I had business to attend to. Besides, it's a one-off."

"No need to explain." I wave away his words. "I didn't call you here for that."

"What did you call us here for?"

"Well," I grab the memory stick from my desk's top drawer and hold it up for them to see. "This is why I called you here, Theo. Footage of the dungeon and The Witch's cell. We're going to watch this and replace out just how The Witch got out of there. Dave reckons someone released her because she was too injured to help herself."

Theo nods as though he agrees, and Blaze sits emotionless as always.

I open my laptop, load the footage, and set the computer so we can all see. I press play and watch four days of sheer torture put upon The Witch, skipping through most of it. I don't need to see every damn moment.

I skip to the end, and my eyes narrow and then widen. Johnny and Lou were about to rape The Witch! Yes, the woman poisoned me, wanted me dead, and she should have died for her crimes.

But r**e?

No!

I do not condone that sh.it. No matter the crime, rape is never acceptable.

Then I see a figure, covered from head to toe in black, a mask, cloak, and gloves. They made sure not one part of their body was showing; they didn't want to be recognized. The howl is somewhat familiar, but I can't pinpoint who it belongs to.

I watch as whoever the figure is tears Johnny and Lou to pieces. Kyle, Sid, and Marc rush toward the figure in black, but nothing could have saved them from the person's wrath. All five men are dead in under a minute.

The figure, which I'm assuming is a man from how they hold themselves, looks at the damage in the room for a second or two. He then turns and unhooks The Witch from her restraints. He grabs the blanket from the cell cot, throws it over The Witch, then lifts her bridal style and runs out of there with a speed I didn't know was possible.

What the fuck?

"What the hell was that?" Theo huffs as I slam the lid shut on my laptop. "That told us nothing."

"It told us that whoever that was knew the layout of the dungeons. They also knew The Witch. Why else would they help her?"

Blaze looks at me and shrugs. "Could be someone who used to work here. The only other people who know the layout of the dungeons are those who work or worked down there, your most trusted warriors, you, me, Theo, Tyler, and Uncle Ronan." "Well, I can rule you out, Theo, Tyler, and Dad. None of you would do something like that. The others will need to be questioned, though."

"I thought we'd updated our security systems?"

Theo is correct. Security was updated six months ago, and CCTV, audio, and alarms were all top of the range. If not, I, another trusted member, should have been notified. We weren't, which means it could only have been one of them. I didn't let The Witch out; Theo, Blaze, and Tyler wouldn't have. So one of the high-ranking warriors or guards it is.

"We did," I admit. "Which means it's someone we know. I didn't get anything from looking at the person, though something about them seemed familiar."

"Yes, like the way they held themselves." Blaze narrows his eyes as if he'd just had an epiphany.

"Blaze, what are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure yet, Thane. I'll let you know as soon as I can."

I nod. "In the meantime, Theo, bring everyone privy to the dungeon's info. I want them all in my office within the hour."

"Not waiting until tomorrow, then?"

Theo laughs, but I narrow my eyes at him. I'm in no mood for humor today; he should know that!

"Okay," Theo holds his hands up in surrender. "Not in the mood to laugh."

"No, Theo, I am not in the mood! I want that damn Witch caught before she gets too far!"

"Highly unlikely." Blaze scoffs. "They did a real number on her, Thane. It wouldn't surprise me if she's lying in the forest dying. Plus, I think we should question every guard. I don't want to think badly of every person working down there. But I never had Johnny and Lou down as rapists either, and now I don't know who to trust. "What if those two have done this more than once? What if a few of them have? Whatever crime a person committed, Grandfather would never have allowed r**e."

"I don't allow it!" I slam my fist on the desk. Ba.stard!

"Blaze wasn't suggesting you do, Thane."

"I was making a point. I'm sorry if you took it the wrong way."

'You need to chill out.'

'Don't start with me, Jagger. I'm not in the damn mood!'

'You need to get laid; it would make you a much nicer person.

'Oh, fuck off!'

1

Maybe Jagger is right, but I won't tell him that. I'd love nothing more than to sink myself into Lyric's tight, hot body, but I can't neglect my duties right now. I need to replace The Witch; she's the only one who can give me the answers I seek. I'll replace her if it kills me. 'Then you'll just wake up again. Jagger laughs inside my head.

I roll my eyes and ignore my Lycan.

"Just round up those who need questioning and get them here."

Theo and Blaze leave to do as I asked. I need to replace Lyric and let her know what's happened. Goddess, she's going to lose it!