The Wolf King's Demand

11

“Henry, I have a different task for you. You and I need to interrogate the rogues we’ve kept for questioning.”

“Your Majesty, you do not want to get your hands sullied by these two louts.”

“I will accompany you but observe from a distance. I’ll be there in case you require backup, as I don’t trust these pack members. They are out for blood anyway they can get it. We can’t take their behavior for granted, even if they are bound in chains. Has the mage arrived?”

“She is almost here, My King. But until she arrives, I would like to play with the prisoners.” Henry gave him a wink. The king detested torture, especially since they didn’t need it to get what they wanted. But he’d let his enforcer have his “fun.”

Tyler watched as Malcolm and Valerian returned to the shed to round up the small group. When he knew all was well, he and Henry made their way to the shack where the two remaining rogues were held.

Henry opened the door for Tyler. Inside, the single room was cloaked in darkness, save for a couple of lanterns burning on a simple pine table. In wooden chairs sat the chained prisoners. By the looks on their faces, they were ready for what they thought was to come.

Tyler took a seat in the corner nearest the door while Henry began the “interrogation.”

“Well, well, what do we have here? A couple of miscreants, losers, who are lucky to be alive. How has the questioning been going so far, men?”

The one guard spoke up. “We have yet to obtain the pack’s permanent lair location, the strength of the pack, weapons caches, or their current location in the realm.” The guard smacked the one prisoner with his hand for good measure. The rogue cried out in pain.

“Hmm, seems like we picked two tough cookies. What is the main reason for the attack? Any results there?” Henry slowly walked around the two chained men, leaning in close as he growled out his query.

“We were working on that when you arrived, sir.”

Henry pulled out a small dagger and looked at it with interest as he spoke. “Do either of you know what an orchiectomy is?”

Tyler almost laughed out loud. He couldn’t believe Henry was doing this ploy.

When neither prisoner said anything, Henry continued with the small knife. “Well,” he said, “I’ll tell you how the procedure is done.”

Henry lunged forward and swung the blade down to one of the rogues’ groin. “First, a small incision is made just above your pubic area, then your testicles are pushed up and removed through the hole.”

All the color in the two men’s faces drained.

“Of course,” Henry said, “the procedure won’t kill you. We’ll let you live. But will you really want to after that?”

One of the men opened his mouth, and the other kicked him and growled. These shifters truly were not giving up information. No matter. He would still get what he wanted out of them.

With a knock on the door, his guard’s playtime came to an end. “Oh, darn,” Henry said, sheathing his dagger. “It was fun while it lasted.” The enforcer opened the door to a frail-looking female in a dark robe.

“You called, My King?” she asked.

Henry nodded to the chained shifters. She entered without a word and stood behind the first seated rogue. Her hands lay on both sides of his head.

“Please begin,” she whispered and bowed her head.

Henry asked his first question. “Where is the rogue pack’s home base?”

The prisoner said nothing, but the mage said, “At the outpost on the edge of the kingdom.”

Both rogues gasped, and Tyler smiled. With magic, reading minds was as easy as pie. No torture or injury is needed. But there was the problem of the brain exploding if the person mentally fought too hard to keep thoughts hidden. He hoped that didn’t happen, but he would do anything to get the intel to keep his queen safe.

In response to the next question Henry asked, the mage replied for the prisoner. “The Fleetfoot pack was hired to assassinate the queen, Your Majesty.”

Tyler rocketed out of his chair with a shout. “Who? Who ordered such a thing to be done?”

The prisoner, with his thoughts being scanned, found his tongue. “Sir, we don’t know.”

Tyler strode up to the man and stared at the mage, waiting for her reply.

“He speaks the truth,” she said. “He has no knowledge of the name.”

Henry drew his dagger. “Then we have no further use for you.” He stepped forward as if to slit the chained man’s throat.

“No! Please! We will describe the messengers who came to the lair that night. Clothing, looks, anything you need to know! I beg you. We did not hear the conversation as our alpha ordered us out of the room, but we could describe them.”

Tyler smiled to himself and motioned for Henry to come to the door. In a whisper, he spoke. “Get what you can from these fools. I suspect they know less than nothing. But get what you can, then take them to the dungeons.”

Henry nodded. Tyler met the mage’s eyes, silently letting her know to keep doing what she was to drag the needed information out of the rogues. With that, he left with too many questions in his mind.

Who could hate me enough to do such evil to my mate? He shall not live a single minute more if ever I meet the bastard. And now he had a daughter to protect as well. His wolf’s determination solidified. He would do anything and everything to keep those he loved safe.

Tyler’s footfalls slammed hard against the well-trodden path. He knew well where his future lay. And how to get there.