The Rejected Mate

Chapter 119

119

Alaric's POV

"I have to find her and once and for all make this right; you and I know that Arielle is the reason why we're here," I disliked why Ryan flared up.

"She's not the reason why we're here; your jealousy is the reason we're here. Don't cast the blame on the wrong folk. I suggest you find someone who's going to make that right for you." I knew why he was acting this way; we hadn't found Arielle, so he allowed the thoughts of her death to fill his head. I'm certain that if she's alive, we would find her.

"What is our fate if we don't find her? What would become of us if she's dead? I would hold you responsible, Alaric; that's certain," he added as he stared at his chains.

"I hope we're not the ones to be killed tomorrow."

"Open your arms to death if it's standing right in front of you because there's nothing you can do to stop them from making you go through hell before finally letting you join the afterlife," Ryan advised.

"What if they succeeded in their plans?" We all shifted in the direction of the voice, staring at the man with long brown hair resting over his shoulders; his face was bruised. I could tell that he had fought with the rogues before being captured.

"That would be good news for them; I don't have a problem with that. I have a problem with this man here because he's the reason why I'm here," Ryan spoke to the man in the other cell.

"If he's the reason why you're here, why haven't you decided to chop off his head or strangle him in his sleep?" He chuckled as Ryan stole a glance at me. I knew Ryan would never think of hurting me.

"I wonder what our fate will be tomorrow. Some of us won't return to the dungeons, and some will never get to see the borders of the pack again because they will be standing at the borders of the afterlife." Ryan observed the fact that he wasn't fazed or scared about what the outcome would be.

"Why aren't you worried about your fate in here?" Ryan asked, wondering if he also had a plan to get out.

"I'm ready to die if that's my fate, and I'm ready to survive if I don't die. Isn't that so simple? If you get yourself worked up, you lose your strength and appear weak before them. They use the weak ones as test subjects for whatever it is they're creating," he divulged. Ryan could tell that the man had been here before they were captured.

"The yellow-mask man always has his taste set for the kind of men he would choose. Since they haven't sounded any alarm, it's safe to say that Gabe's plan actually worked," he divulged, wearing a smile on his face. I wondered why he was thrilled that Gabe's plan worked.

It's not supposed to work; the guard knew about it, so why didn't he inform the rest? Or was he scared that he might sound the alarm and be late to the scene to catch Gabe and his accomplices?

If Gabe was successful, people would certainly mock me in this dungeon. Well, in the morning, I'll have the answers to my questions.

"So if you're going back to your pack, do you have a family?"

"I don't have anyone; my wife took my son and eloped with my Beta to an unknown land. She was his mistress right under my nose. According to rumors I heard, they were residing close to this desert. I was prepared to go back for my son. I departed without guards and got captured on the way. I felt displeased; he would never take care of my son the way I wanted," he expressed himself and how he got here to Ryan. I wondered why everyone seemed to trust Ryan by opening up to him. His questions never go unanswered, more like he's using a charm, or it's just a gift he has.

"That's sad; you should have a second chance at life to make that man pay for taking your son away. Don't kill anyone; just take your son and leave." Ryan knew that any man who would have the opportunity to see the man that took his son away would want to kill him.

"I have no grudges against her. I didn't expect it to be that serious, but I always noticed her constant departures from the room at night. She always strolled down to the library, so I concluded it was her personal time to read about history, so I never cared to make inquiries until she left me a note when I returned, and that was how I never saw her again." He felt worried about his son. I knew I had to make a plan that would grant all of us a second chance at life in order to make things right.

"Are you a peacemaker?" He dropped a question I felt Ryan wouldn't answer.

"No, but sometimes bloodshed isn't the only way to solve matters," Ryan responded to his words.

"To most people, that's the only way they speak, and everyone listens; they have their full attention with bloodshed. That's exactly what they're using to get our attention."

"Well, I have a sister, and she's out there on her own. We were on a mountain climb when I was captured. I urged her to stay hidden in the mountains so she wouldn't be captured. She watched her only brother being dragged away. I was pleased that she stayed hidden. I knew how much she misses me; the winds of the east are so strong, yet I was dragged by horse through that wind. At some point, I felt like dying, but they cared less about it. I was glad that the horse dragging me wasn't running like others that some had died on the way," he divulged, exposing the inhumane acts that these rogues inflicted upon them.

"Seems they all have a mechanism for this, which means the leader must have a problem with almost everyone, which is why he wants vengeance. Making someone of your kind go through that kind of pain is crucial," Ryan felt relieved that they weren't made to endure that kind of suffering.

"What if we find a way out of this hellhole that doesn't involve these tunnels?" Exactly what I expected; the tunnels should be excluded from any plans we're making.

"That's his job. Alaric right here would do that because he's indebted to me, but we have to find someone." Ryan was about to expose Arielle when I stopped him.

"Are you trying to hide words from us? We told you everything about us, so you should do the same," he chuckled.

"Yeah, you're right; we're searching for a lady named Arielle. I don't know if you've come across someone bearing that name," Ryan inquired.

"I'm afraid we haven't heard of that name, but the ladies are locked up as well. If only we could get to them, maybe she might be alive, or she must have been taken to the castle to be a maid for the Alpha," I knew his words were honest. I would have known if he was lying.

"What if she's working in the castle as a maid?" I mumbled letting out a faint sigh.

"We should get some sleep; tomorrow might be our last day on this part of the earth."