The Alpha Queen

Chapter 7

I woke up the next morning with an urge to go to the place my parents died. I get up quietly so as not to wake the boys up, changed, and made my way downstairs. I walked into the woods and shifted into Alex, she picked up our clothes and we ran to the west side of our territory. We easily found the area because there was still blood on the ground that we can smell.

Speaking of blood, I need to check in about those interrogations. I'll bet everyone purposely let me forget about them. Alex huffs, upset that we let that slip. We shift back so I can look around. 

-Honey, do you that?

-There is another presence here. Is it old or new though?

-I'm not sure. It feels strong though.

We can't pick up any strange scents and nothing seems amiss. 

Abrham: Adeera, where are you?

Me: I'm at the place my parents were killed. I felt pulled here.

Austin: Have you learned anything?

Abrham: We're on our way there.

Me: I feel a strange presence, but Alex and I can't smell any strange scents. 

Austin: Weird. Almost there.

I sit under a tree and wait for them to show up. When they do, they shift and pull on shorts. I quickly slapped my hand over my eyes when I recognized them shifting. "Guys!"

Austin laughs, "Come on, babe. We're werewolves! You can't freak out every time someone shifts in front of you."

"Oh I most certainly can! I have no desire to see you or anyone else naked!" He just laughs.

"We're clothed now." I look to Abrham, he looks and sounds upset. 

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

"You shouldn't have left on your own! You should have had one of us with you!" He just exploded, I don't think I've ever seen him this angry before. 

-Adeera, we have a calming aura we can let out, not just our power.

I nod in my head at her and she lets it out. It's warm and oddly peaceful. 

"I hear you, I'm sorry I worried you."

They come and sit on either side of me and I rest my head on Abrham's shoulder.

"I know, but you need to be more careful. I know you're extremely powerful, but you should have at least one of us with you when you leave the mansion. " 

"Okay, I promise." I say, thinking about all the ways I'm going to go outside just to annoy them.

Abrham chuckles, but Austin groans, "You hear that tone? She is going to have fun with that."

"Yep."

"Okay, so you said you feel a presence? I don't sense anything? Austin?"

"I don't sense anything wither, sorry babe." 

"It's so strange. It's not threatening, it's inviting." I'm puzzled, what does this mean? What does this have to do with my parents? Could this be the presence of whoever they were meeting? 

I get up to walk around the area again before calling it.

"Let's go, we have work to do and this isn't getting us anywhere." I go behind a tree to shift and Alex grabs my clothes. We run back together, of course with them flanking me. 

-Hey Alex, this would be a great time to test our speed, don't you think?"

-Honey, you read my mind!

She takes off and the boys aren't fast enough to keep up. They send me mind links, telling me to slow down but I ignore them. We get to the mansion and I shift so I'm standing there looking impatient when they show up. Alex is rolling around in laughter. 

Finally, Abrham and Austin show up and shift in front of me again. I whirl around, "Guys!"

They respond with snickers. 

"If you can dish out the mischief, so can we!" Abrham said and they both came up to my sides. 

"Are you dressed?" Ugh! I did not need to see what I just saw!

"Yep." They say in unison. 

I huff and make my way to the dining room. I'm still grumpy when I sit down with me food. Ben, Camilla, Chance, and Sheila all look at me and then take in the chuckling boys as they sit down with their own food.

Camilla is the first to speak up. "Boys, what did you do?"

Austin replies, "We didn't start it, honest." He shoulder bumps me and I just roll my eyes.

"Mom, we shifted in front of her because she ran away from us." He was still chuckling and his words made everyone else chuckle. 

"Adeera, shifting is a part of our nature. You know that." Bill couldn't keep a straight face.

Camilla playfully hits his shoulder, "Adeera's right, she shouldn't have to see naked men." She smiles over at me.

"Thank you." At least someone is on my side here. 

By the time we finished eating, the ladies were on my side and the men didn't see an issue. 

Let's see them answer this, "Abrham, Austin? What would you say if your mate were to shift in front of other men? Knowing that they would all see her naked?"

They both growled at the thought and I smiled triumphantly. I picked up my plate, winked at Camilla and Sheila, then walked out before the boys realized I won the debate. I thanked the Omegas and kitchen staff before I left and went up to my office.

My office...that's going to need some getting used to. 

As I sit down, I remember about those captured wolves. I link Beta Ben to come up when he finishes eating and start going over the patrol schedule. 

In ten minutes, Ben, Abrham, Chance, and Austin file in and find seats around the room. Last Tuesday, I ordered a new couch and plush chairs for the room. 

"Please update me on the rogues."

Ben looks a little guilty, but does what I ask. "We haven't gotten anything helpful from any of them. We think that only two of might actually know anything useful."

"Okay, I will go see them now. I'm going to change into some not so nice clothes."

None of them argue, but their faces tell me they want to. 

I put on some old jeans, my least favorite t-shirt, and my combat boots. I might need new boots later. Oh well.

I meet the four of them at the front entrance of the mansion and we begin our walk to the dungeon. It's about a mile north of the mansion, away from where anyone lives. We don't want kids to accidentally find it.

The guard on duty at the entrance bared his neck to me and let us pass. I'm led to what I assume is an interrogation room, due to the blood on the ground.

Soon a guard leads one of the rogues in and drops him in the only chair. I stand there quietly with my hands behind my back. 

His is so dirty, I'm not sure what color his hair is. He can't be older than twenty five, but looks to have a mean streak. His clothes are town up and have blood stains all over. 

He sits straight up in the chair, chin up and would have his arms crossed, I'm sure, if they weren't hand cuffed behind him. 

We lock eyes and I slowly let out my calming aura, to see how he reacts. I never look away, but the man in front of my is beginning to sweet. I don't think he realizes that he has started to sag against the chair, after several more moments he lowers his head, chin to chest. 

"I don't know anything to help you, my queen."

"Why don't you tell me what you do know." I say gently. 

"The day before we attacked, I was recruited. I didn't meat the leader until only hours before it was time. He never told us his name, but there was something different about him. He told us that we would be given whatever we desired if we killed the King and Queen."

"And what did you want?"

"My twin brother and I got separated a few years ago, I haven't been able to find him." He still wouldn't look up at me.

"Tell me, how long have you been rogue?" 

"Three years ago my brother and were on patrol and we were attacked. Several of our warriors died and we were blamed. A group of members formed to either beat us or kick us out. I told him to run and I haven't seen him since." His voice told me how broken he felt, but when I saw tears fall, my heart broke for him. 

I stayed quiet for a few minutes, thinking through an idea. Abrham, Austin, and their fathers were not going to like it. 

"What's your name?"

"Timothy Black." 

I walked over to him and put my hand under his chin to lift his face. Once he was looking at me, I spoke. "I want to make a deal with you. We will search for your brother if you agree to become one of my royal warriors." 

Ben: That's not a good idea.

Abrham: Are you crazy?

Austin: Are you sure?

Chance: I don't know about this, my Queen.

I choose to ignore them and wait for Timothy's answer.

"You have my word." I saw the hope in his eyes.

"I can't promise that we'll find him, but I promise we will search diligently. What's his name and what pack are you from?"

"His name is Terrence, Terry. We were from the Wild Moon Pack." 

"Alright, for now the guard is going to take you back to your cell. I have a few more wolves to meet. Is there anything you can tell me about the others?"

"I'm sorry, my Queen. One tends to be quiet, but he other two spend their time talking s**t about the royal family."

"Alright." I pat his shoulder and call the guard to bring me another one. 

"Adeera, are you sure about him? He could be lying?"

I look at Abrham, "He wasn't lying, and I'm sure. We will search for his brother, and we will start with that pack."

I reign in my aura, no need to share it if it's not necessary. 

The guard brings in a middle aged man, he looked even dirtier that Timothy. The man is dropped into his seat, but his eye start scanning my body. Oh. Hell. No.

I released my power, but not all of it. 

"Is that all you got, little girl?" Loud mouth.

I released more and more until he could not look at me. He was trying not to bare his neck to me. I let a little more out and make him fully submit. 

"What were you saying?" I enjoy mocking him and he grunts in return. 

I pull my power in, but keep enough released to remind him who is in charge. 

"I want answers?"

"And I want a bottle of whiskey and a nice pretty she wolf." He just laughs. 

I walk over to a cabinet and open it to see what's in it. The top shelf has a different assortment of silver knives, the next shelf has liquid wolfsbane. Silver and wolfsbane are deadly to werewolves, but if used carefully can also be used to inflict pain. 

I put on some gloves and choose a knife. I also grabbed the wolfsbane. When I turned back to everyone, they were all looking at me shocked. Even the rogue. Maybe that'll work in my favor. 

I raised my eyebrows at the rogue and he just sat up straighter. I poured the wolfsbane onto the knife and walked over to the wolf. I used the knife to cut each arm, shoulder to wrist. Then each thigh, hip to knee. 

Okay so I don't like this. I set my tools back in the cabinet and then come back to stand in front of the wolf again.

"That's it?"

I nodded slowly, "Of that, yes."

We stare at each other for a while. 

"What were you promised?"

"What?"

"What were you promised? What other reason do you have for attacking?"

"We weren't promised nothing! I hate the royals. You all deserve to die!"

Everyone behind me moved forward, but I put my hand up to stop them.

"And what exactly did we do to make you hate us?" That gave him pause...hmm.

"You all sit up here in your kingdom and act so high and mighty!"

"That seems like a lousy reason to shed blood."

"To you, perhaps."

"Why did you choose that day, what was so special?" 

"I don't know, we only got an hours notice." 

"Alright then." I call the guard an tell him to bring the next one. 

Austin steps forward, "You are doing well."

I look at him and then at the others, "You were right about me not having the stomach for interrogation, or at least the causing pain part."

Ben looks at me with a twinkle, "Ah, perhaps you don't like the physical pain. But there is another kind of pain that you have latched on to."

I smile and wink at him before turning back to the door. 

This rogue was also middle aged, right off I could tell he had a mean streak. 

This time, before the guard could drop him in the chair, I released my power. Not all of it, but I brought everyone to their knees. The rogue was shaking, I'm not sure if it's anger or fear. I reign in enough power so that he could speak, but he was still forced to kneel. 

He looked at me with so much anger, I wonder what could have done this to him.

"What has caused you so much anger?"

I surprised him with that question, but he quickly put his angry face back in place. 

"What right do you have to use your power on me?" He yells.

I take a step towards him, "I am the Alpha Queen and you are on my land. You attacked my people. My parents and five warriors were killed. You disrespected me. The first reason, however, was the only one you need though." I spoke quietly and by the time I was done my wolf was peeking out. The man was now shaking in fear. 

"All I know is your parents were meeting someone on their land and we were to infiltrate and kill everyone." 

"Kill everyone? How far did you think you would get?"

He didn't answer.

"What else do you know about the meeting?"

"Nothing, when I got there we didn't see anyone that was out of place."

Great.

I call the guard for the last one, he must be the silent one. I reign in my power.

This one looked young, to young to have a wolf and much to young to be any help in a fight. 

He never meets my eyes and the guard drops him in the chair. I let out my comforting aura, this boy must have been through hell to be in this situation. 

"Young man, how old are you?"

Nothing.

"What is your name?"

Nothing.

"Tell me, why were you with the people attacking my territory?" 

His shoulders begin to shake and it's obvious that he's crying. I go to him and kneel in front of him. 

"Austin, get me some warm water and a towel."

"Yes, my Queen."

He is soon back and sets it next to me before stepping back. 

"Guard take off the handcuffs." 

"Yes, Your Highness."

I wet the towel and start cleaning of the boy's hands, wrists, and arms. Then I move on to his face. Only when I begin to wipe his face does he look at me. I don't question him, just continue to clean him. 

When I'm done and set the rag down, the boy lifts his hand to my cheek. 

He whispers, "I'm sorry." More tears roll down his face. 

I gently take his hands in mine, "Young, man. Tell me what happened."

He closed his eyes for a minute before speaking, "My father used me to distract a guard. I was to say I got lost. He was very nice. Then the rogues came running in and killed him."

I wipe his tears, "Who is your father?"

"He is the leader." He whispers. 

I am so angry, how could he do this to his son? 

I didn't realize that I had released my power until Abrham tried to speak. "My...Queen.."

I look around and realize what happened and quickly reign it in. The boy in front of my is shaking like a leaf. 

"Sweet boy, I am not angry with you. I am angry at what your father has done. No father puts his son at risk like that. No father should ever ask of his child what your father asked of you."

"Are you going to kill him."

"Yes, sweet boy. When I find him, I'm going to kill him for killing my parents and warriors, and for what he did to you." I can't lie to him, but that is some heavy information for any child to hear. 

"Good. He killed my mother."

I felt my anger grow and I was beginning to see red. All the sudden I felt a hand on my cheek that helped to calm me. 

It was the boy. 

"What is your name?"

"Sean."

"And how old are you?"

"11." He's looks small for that age, malunited. 

I stood and pulled him up with me. I didn't notice when he came in, but Sean is limping. I pick him up and without another word, bring him to the pack hospital.