Xena''s POV


    The guards exchanged a knowing nce with Alpha Benedict before stepping aside to let us pass. After two sharp knocks, another guard opened the heavy metal door. At five-foot intervals stood fully armed guards, backs straight, eyes forward, looking like they were just waiting for an excuse to kill someone or something.


    My heartbeat elerated, my throat tightening as we walked deeper into the facility. This ce made my skin crawl, like each step took us further into hell itself.


    The deeper we went, the more the stench of dirt, sweat, and blood assaulted my senses. I fought against my instinct to gag, reminding myself this was necessary. Groans echoed from the cells of either side, sending chills across my skin.


    I forced myself to stayposed, trying not to focus on the cells nking us. Suddenly, a prisoner lunged forward, his fingers stretching between the bars as he tried to grab me.


    Fear struck me like lightning, freezing me in ce. My breath caught for a second. In that moment, I realized just how dangerous these prisoners were, how their desperation made them reckless.


    Ryder quickly pulled me to his side while a guard struck the cage with his baton. I felt Ryder''s protective touch, his body heat calming me slightly, but my heart continued to race. The prisoner''sughter followed us as we entered the interrogation room.


    Cracked cement walls surrounded us, a single wire connecting the hanging fluorescent light. Arge mirror faced three naked men bound to metal chairs. We stood in darkness, but I was certain they could still smell me. All three of their noses twitched when I


    walked in.


    An inexplicable chill crept up my spine. "I thought there would be more," I said to Ryder through our mind link.


    "There were more..." He didn''t need to borate for me to understand they hadn''t survived to see today.


    Ryder stood beside me, not touching. His arms crossed as he controlled his anger. I could feel his emotions swirling like a storm.


    Dad and Alpha Benedict stepped into the light.


    "I''ll cut straight to the point. Who sent you to attack my pack?" I noticed something gleaming in the light. Only when he delivered a particrly brutal punch did I realize it was brass knuckles. But each knuckle had a conical spike on it.


    I recognized this tactic. You needed to figure out which one would break. There was always a strong one and a weak one to crack. You just had to identify them.


    After Alpha Benedict delivered several punches to each man, he stepped back, waiting for an answer. I studied each man''s reaction carefully, trying to read their weaknesses. The middle one subtly pulled his left foot behind his right, as if trying to protect it.


    I noted the tiny movement, filing it away mentally.


    "We don''t know anything!" he shouted.


    "Shut up, Holden!" the one on the right red at him. "I''m not getting beat for that snake!"


    "We really don''t fucking know anything! Just let us go home!" Holder cried out desperately. I watched his futile attempt, a strange sh of pity crossing my mind before I suppressed it. They had attacked our pack; they deserved this.


    "Tell us, and we''ll make your deaths quicker," Dad stepped forward and delivered a resounding p to Holden, growling.


    This version of my father secined foreign to me, and I clenched my sts involuntarily.


    "I''ll make you a deal-you tell us what you know, and we''ll make you deaths painless, Alpha Benedict moved to a table I hadn''t noticed before. Setting down the brass knuckles, he picked up someling long and white. A blue line ran between two metal points.


    A cattle taser.


    "Let me counter offer," the man on the left sald. "I''ll tell you everything, but I want to tell her directly. His eyes moved past Alpha Benedict and my father, staring


    exactly where I stood, as if he knew precisely where I was.


    My heart skipped a beat. It unsettled me but also piqued my curiosity


    "Not possible," Dad punched the guy square in the nose.


    "It''s fine," I said to Dad through our mind link. I didn''t want to undermine his authority, and since I hadn''t yet relinquished my connection to him, we still maintained our link.


    "Then we won''t talk!" he spat blood, sttering it across Dad''s chest.


    I took several steps forward, entering the light. My nerves began to tingle, but I suppressed them as much as possible. They couldn''t know I was anxious, or this wouldn''t work. I forced myself to stand straight, expression impassive, though my heart pounded like it might burst from my chest.


    "Start talking," I said.


    Their eyes locked onto me, then traveled down my body. A sick feeling crawled up my spine, but I kept my face emotionless.


    Ryder released a threatening growl, so angry it made themugh.


    "Oh, is the mighty mate going to kill us?" the one on the right chuckled.


    "You wanted to talk to me, so talk," I crossed my arms, waiting for them to begin.


    "I can see why he wants you," the one on the left licked his lips.


    The savage lust in his eyes seemed ready to overflow. Surprisingly, this didn''t make me angry. I maintained my expressionless face.


    Alpha Benedict immediately shocked him with the taser, holding it for several minutes, causing his body to tense and convulse in the chair, even making him soil himself. I smelled the urine.


    "We''ll start with you," I said, walking to stand before the man in the middle. Chapter Comments


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