The Beta’s Alpha Mate

Twenty

Grayson’s POV

Eight days, I had been here. At first, our captors had held Helix and I separately, in adjacent cells. We could talk, but cement walls kept us from seeing each other. The third day, Helix returned too weak to sit up, and they ordered me to take care of him. We had shared a cell ever since. It could be worse, I told myself every day. I could be here alone, without Helix to keep me company and offer me some comfort on my worst days. Or Julien could be here, instead of me.

Julien. My heart hurt every time I thought about him. The first couple of days, Helix and I had talked about our mates a lot, but around the fourth day, we both seemed to come to the conclusion that it was better not to mention them too often. Of course, that was hard, given how intertwined Julien was with both of our lives, and how much Helix loved Olivia. I heard him sometimes at night, having nightmares, crying out Olivia’s name. The vampires did it somehow, pushing horrible scenes into his mind, twisting his memories into the most terrifying scenes. I was grateful that Daniel's blood kept me from experiencing that particular magical form of torture.

We didn’t know where our captors had taken us exactly, but life in this tiny, cramped dungeon was absolute hell. Every day, they would take at least one of us to their so-called "interrogation" room and inquire about our packs. They wanted to know every piece of information high-ranked wolves could provide to them: patrol routines, training methods, layouts, security systems, evacuation plans - all of it. From what we had been able to gather, they had kidnapped us hoping the packs would contact them about trading Daniel for us, but when that didn’t immediately happen, they reverted back to the original idea of attacking the packs and taking Daniel by force. They saw us as the keys to their success.

Unfortunately for them, and for us, I guess, Helix and I were both well-trained warriors. Getting information from us was a fruitless endeavor for them, and deep down, I’m sure they knew that by now, but that didn't mean they were ready to give up. Most days, they would just beat the hell out of us. The more vindictive guards used silver knives and wolfsbane-soaked whips to punctuate their questions. Our food was dosed with wolfsbane, too, preventing us from shifting or speaking with our wolves. Fang had been silent since we we were taken, and I missed him fiercely.

After their interrogations were over, it was all we could do to crawl back to our beds, eat the meager portion of food they gave us, and fall asleep. Our cell was small, no more than ten feet by ten feet, with single slab beds attached to the wall on either side. We each had a thin gray blanket, which gave us almost no protection against the drafty, cold temperatures here in their dungeon. The cell doors were lined with silver, and even the stone walls had traces of silver in them, making it impossible for us to break out through force.

Selfishly, a small part of me was glad not to be going through this alone, although I would have preferred Helix not be caught here, either. The bottom line was that everything about this situation sucked. I was tired, so tired, and always in pain. We had to think of a way to escape, soon. I wanted my damn mate. I wanted to tell him I love him and wrap my arms around him and never let him go. And then I was going to burn these vampires to the ground for keeping me from him.

* * * * *

Daniel’s POV

As I waited for Julien and Cory to finish outlining their plan, my stomach was in knots. Keely kept one hand on my shoulder to comfort me, but it was only making me feel worse. I didn’t deserve her compassion. Tears slid down my cheeks, and my shoulders shook as I cried. I kept thinking about the kindness Grayson had shown me from the very first time we met, always teasing me, but always courteous and sweet. Always giving me choices, something I’d never had with my previous pack. I should have told him my secret from the start. He would have helped me.

“I would do anything to help get Grayson and Helix back.” I softly whispered to Keely.

She pulled me towards her, stroking my hair as I leaned my head on her shoulder. “I know you would, Daniel. But they wouldn’t want you to sacrifice yourself for them. It would make whatever they’ve gone through pointless. This is what they do as pack leaders; they protect their pack members. That includes you.”

Her thumbs gently brushed the tears from the corner of my eyes. I could feel it, the way she was pushing her healing energy to me, gently. It wasn’t magic, so it was working. That was good to know, I guess, since Grayson would likely need her healing powers when we found him. At least now we could be sure they would still work on him.

"Oh Goddess, what did I do, Keels?" Another sob escaped me, and Julien shot a look in our direction. He hated me, and I couldn't blame him. I took his mate from him. I didn't deserve to sit here and cry. I needed to pull myself together. But it was so hard.

"We'll get them back," Keely promised, wrapping her arms around me in a hug as she stared at her brother. I wasn't sure who she was trying to comfort with those words, but I appreciated it nonetheless. I sniffled as quietly as I could, trying to contain my emotions, but in a room full of wolves, it was plenty loud.

"Daniel," Kade called, frustration clear in his voice, and my stomach dropped. He had never said my full, formal name before. He must be pissed off, too. "Look, I'm telling you this for your own good. And for my own good, because I’m tired of being the mediator here. Cut the s**t. I get it, you’re upset. We're all upset. But you're only aggravating Jul's wolf, Juno, by crying over Grayson. If you don't have anything useful to add, you need to leave. Keels, take him for coffee or something."

I sighed, hanging my head to my chest. He was right. I was just in the way here. I wasn’t contributing anything to their plans, just distracting them. I allowed Keely to take my hand, gently leading me through the hallway from the conference room to my own guest bedroom.

“I’ll be right back,” she said softly. She turned and walked out, leaving me alone.

A couple of minutes later, she popped back into the room carrying two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. "You look like you could use this," she offered. "Here. Drink."

I took one of the mugs from her, smiling at the way she had taken the time to garnish it with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, just like when she made it for me at home. I sipped the drink, closing my eyes briefly to savor it, before continuing to stare off into space.

“What do you think they’ve done with them?” I asked.

Keely’s expression turned solemn. “I… I’ve not heard good things about vampires. But Grayson is tough, and Helix is, too. They’ve trained with my brother and he’s stronger than anyone I know. If anyone can endure this, it’s them.”

She set her own mug on the table and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close to her chest. “You were trying to protect Sierra, Daniel. It’s not as though you trapped them on purpose.”

“Grayson’s been so excited about teaching you how to use your healing gift,” I said sadly. He’d talked about it a few times with me, mentioning that he hoped Keely would be even stronger than he was since she would have proper lessons “Your birthday is only a couple of days away, and he’s going to miss it.”

“Don’t say that,” she snapped, annoyed with my pessimism. “He could be back before then. I know him, and even if we can’t find him, he’s probably working on an escape plan right now.”

I smiled slightly, although I didn’t fully trust her words. “You’re right, Keels. I really hope you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right,” she said confidently, patting my knee. “My brother is never going to let his mate stay kidnapped, and Olivia is a kickass Luna who will fight for Helix, too. We’ll get them back, somehow. Don’t ever doubt them.”

“Will you help me figure out a way to help them?” I asked her.

“Of course!” she exclaimed. “I’ve already got an idea.”