Chapter16
1490 Words
Interrogation
POV: Sebastian
The silver in her eyes had lasted only a second, but I'd seen it. Felt the power behind her command shake the foundations of everything I thought I knew.
Omegas didn't possess an alpha voice. Couldn't command other wolves. It was biologically impossible. As impossible as the sun rising in the west or water flowing uphill.
Yet she'd dropped my son, four trained guards, and a Silver Ridge operative to their knees with a single word.
"Everyone out," I commanded, my voice cold and absolute. "Except her."
"Father, she's my mate, I should, " Caius started.
"I said out.. I didn't look at him, my eyes locked on Serenye, who'd gone pale as death. "That includes you. Especially you."
"But, "
"Now, Caius." The alpha power in my voice left no room for argument. "Take Sterling back to the mansion. Have Edward debrief him on the attack. I'll handle this."
Drake stepped forward. "With all due respect, Alpha Wolfe, she's been through a traumatic experience. Maybe interrogating her right now isn't, "
"Your concern is noted and dismissed." I finally looked at him, letting him see exactly how thin my patience had worn. "You have ten seconds to leave before I have you forcibly removed from my territory."
Drake opened his mouth to protest, but Serenye spoke first.
"It's okay," she said quietly, her voice shaking. "Go. I'll be fine."
She wouldn't be. Not after I was done with her. But that was between us.
Caius looked torn, his protective instincts warring with his obedience to me. Finally, reluctantly, he moved toward the door. "Don't hurt her."
As if I'd ever physically harm her. There were other ways to break someone. Other ways to extract truth.
My guards filed out. Drake followed, shooting one last concerned look at Serenye. Caius was the last to leave, hesitating in the doorway.
"Father, "
"Close the door behind you."
He did.
The lock clicked with a finality that made Serenye flinch.
We were alone.
I let the silence stretch, watching her. She stood in the center of the room, still wearing that red dress that had driven me half-mad when I'd watched her leave for her date. Her hair was disheveled, makeup smudged, one heel broken. She looked vulnerable, fragile.
But I'd seen what she really was. Felt the power hiding beneath that delicate exterior.
"Walk," I ordered, gesturing toward the hallway.
"Where are we going?"
"Questions later. Move."
She obeyed, walking ahead of me through the safe house and back down to the parking garage. My men had already cleared the area, secured the perimeter. We were alone except for shadows and concrete.
I led her to my Range Rover, opened the passenger door. "Get in."
"Sebastian, I can explain, "
"I said get in." My voice dropped to something dangerous. "Don't make me repeat myself."
She climbed into the vehicle, her movements stiff with fear. Good. She should be afraid. She'd lied to me, manipulated my family, and hidden secrets that could potentially threaten my entire pack.
I drove in silence, taking back roads, avoiding main streets. The city lights blurred past the windows. Serenye sat perfectly still beside me, her hands clenched in her lap, her breathing shallow.
Finally, I pulled up to a building on the edge of pack territory. Nondescript, windowless, the kind of place people didn't ask questions about.
My private interrogation facility.
I killed the engine. "Out."
She hesitated. "What is this place?"
"Where I take people who lie to me." I came around to her side, opened her door. "Where I find out the truth. One way or another."
I saw her swallow hard, saw the fear flash across her face. But she climbed out, following me to the entrance. I used my thumbprint to unlock the door, then led her down a hallway lit with harsh fluorescent lights.
The interrogation room was sparse. A metal table. Two chairs. Cameras in the corners that I'd already disabled remotely. No windows. Soundproof walls. No one would hear her here. No one would interrupt us.
Perfect.
"Sit," I commanded, pointing to the chair facing away from the door.
She sat, her posture rigid, defensive. I circled around behind her, letting her feel my presence, letting her fear build.
"So," I said softly, trailing my fingers along the back of her chair. "Let's start with the obvious question. Omegas don't have Alpha voices. They can't command other wolves. It's genetically impossible." I leaned down, my mouth close to her ear. "So what are you?"
"I'm, I'm an Omega," she stammered. "I swear, I, "
"Don't." I came around to face her, my hands braced on the armrests of her chair, caging her in. "Don't insult my intelligence by lying. I felt the power in your voice. Saw your eyes turn silver. That's a royal bloodline, Serenye. Ancient Alpha genetics only exist in the oldest, most powerful packs."
Her pulse hammered in her throat. I could smell her fear, sharp and acidic, mixing with something else. Something that made my c**k harden despite the situation.
Arousal.
She was afraid of me. And turned on by it.
Fuck.
"My mother," she said quickly, desperately. "My mother was an Alpha. From the Eastern Ridge territory. She had an affair with a Beta. My father. It was forbidden, but they loved each other. When I was born, I had mixed genetics. Mostly Omega traits, but sometimes, when I'm stressed or scared, the Alpha side comes through."
It was a good lie. Well-constructed. Almost believable.
Almost.
"Your mother was an Alpha," I repeated slowly.
"Yes."
"And your father was a Beta."
"Yes."
I leaned in closer, my nose almost touching her neck, inhaling deeply. Her scent filled my lungs, jasmine and roses and underneath it all, something I couldn't quite place. Something familiar but wrong.
"Here's the thing about lies, little Omega," I murmured against her skin. "They have a smell. A taste. And right now? You reek of deception."
She tried to pull back but had nowhere to go. "I'm not lying."
"One more lie," I warned, my hand coming up to her throat, fingers wrapping around gently, feeling her pulse race beneath my touch. "Just one more, and I'll know exactly how to make you tell me the truth."
"I am telling the truth," she insisted, but her voice wavered. I applied the slightest pressure, not enough to hurt, just enough to remind her who was in control here. "Let me tell you what I think. I think you're not who you claim to be. I think 'Serenye Hale' is a cover identity. I think you came to my pack with a purpose, a mission. And I think you're hiding something that could endanger everyone I love."
Her eyes met mine, defiant despite her fear. "You're wrong."
"Am I?" I moved closer, our faces inches apart. "Then explain the Alpha voice. Explain why professional mercenaries are hunting you. Explain why you've been trying to seduce me since the moment you arrived."
"I haven't, "
"Don't." My grip on her throat tightened slightly. "I've watched you, Serenye. The way you look at me. The performance at your window. The pool. The party. You've been deliberately trying to break my control, to make me want you. Why?"
She said nothing, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her lips parted.
"Tell me the truth," I demanded, my voice dropping to barely a whisper. "Or I'll f**k it out of you."
The words hung between us, a promise and a threat wrapped into one.
Her pupils dilated. Her thighs pressed together. And despite everything, despite the fear and the lies and the danger, her body arched slightly toward mine. Seeking contact. Wanting more.
My wolf roared with satisfaction. My c**k throbbed, demanding I follow through on my threat. Every instinct screamed at me to claim her, to mark her, to make her mine in the most primal way possible.
But I needed the truth more than I needed her body.
Didn't I?
"Last chance," I said, my free hand sliding down her side, over the curve of her hip, gripping her thigh through the thin fabric of her dress. "Tell me who you really are. What you really want. Why are you really here?
Her breath hitched. Her eyes fluttered closed. And when she spoke, it was barely a whisper.
"Please."
One word. Just one.
But it could mean everything or nothing.
Was she begging me to stop? To let her go? To believe her lies? Or was she begging me to continue? To follow through on my threat? To take what we both wanted?
I stared at her, at the vulnerability and desire warring in her expression, at the way her body trembled beneath my touch.
And my control, that iron discipline I'd maintained for five years, that wall
I'd built between myself and every temptation, shattered into a million pieces..
- Writer
