Chapter 46
A lycan on top of the anguish I’d suffered. How dare she receive such a wolf. She didn’t deserve it. My daughter would have known, sweet Rebecca. I thumbed a finger over the last of her sepia colored polaroid’s I possessed on my mantelpiece. In the photo she was a lively, vibrant young thing with a long, strawberry blonde braid. When she was younger her hair was the blonde, how it got darker over the years was one of the mysteries of my daughter. I loved her dearly and I couldn’t mourn her enough.
Now that raven haired wolf witch was gone. She’d escaped my grasp and my wrath by the skin of her teeth. I slammed the photo back down, but calmed hoping I wouldn’t crack the frame from my internal rage. A lycan - a cruel twist of fate that she would possess such powers. How dare she have these powers while the only daughter I had died. I wanted to crush and grind her bones, and if I ever lived to see another day it would be to make sure she experienced the dark pockets of pain I’d endured over the course of my life. Two women I’d lost, my wife and then daughter in quick succession, one year apart almost to the day, like some sort of death plague.
To have a real challenge set made a furnace of fire burn inside my soul. If anything chasing down Vera was bringing me a great sense of fulfilment.
I will avenge my daughter’s death. Vera will die in a slow, inhumane way. Reilly and my pack members being injured were insignificant to me. My rage spilled over from my cup allowing them to think I was on their side, but I never was. I would never be, I trusted nobody, and my pack were merely an extension of me.
I stared around the empty country house as Grant bounced in and out of the front door. Once Vera had been the ideal maid and now dishes with crusted leftovers were piled sky high in the sink. Grant would not be the wolf for housework. I stared at the dishes in disdain. I would have to make one of the new trainees the new bitch for chores. I would not dare lift a finger to clean my own dishes. I hated to admit Vera kept the house in tip top shape and now I would have to find another to subjugate. A clear tumbler stared back at me and I knocked it over in frustration.
A plan would need to be formulated, and one that would draw the little sneaky wolf back to my lair. Every step I took involved thinking of her and wanting her dead. I showered and made my daily rounds of tyranny including to Clive.
“Where is she? I know you have her whereabouts. You were directly involved when Reily’s crew went down. Why are you lying to me?” I raised my hand to slap some sense into Clive as he stood on the training ground ready for the fresh recruits.
“I told you already Dane. I have no clue where she went.” He caught my hand in mid flight as a battle of wills ensued. He won and pushed my arm down to get me away from him. His eyes cut through like steel as I contemplated raising it again and catching him unawares with the other hand. I thought better of it. I had other people to save my slaps for. Vera was one of them. The taste of vindication was on my lips and it made my cock hard to think of tormenting her in the basement for days on end. I had indulged in doing this to her beforehand however she had looked better for it. I wanted her to come out looking worse for wear, but she ended looking well fed and watered rather than starved and malnourished. I shook with fury as I thought about it. Lycans were the most ancient of wolves and the animal totem to be cherished, but I wanted her blood. A new lineage which could not be destroyed could be created with her. She owed me that at least. I would take her power from her.
On the day she went missing I was looking for her and I couldn’t find her anywhere. She got away from me like she got away from you.”
“You’re treading on very thin ice and I’m going to be watching you at every turn. If I even get a sniff you’re involved I will kill you with my bare hands and snap your neck in front of your pack members.”
Clive held a steady gaze, and he’d repeatedly been one of my best soldiers on ground. He was a great all rounder, albeit a little slow, but nonetheless a wolf I would instantly send out on recon without hesitation.
“I told you what I know Dane. If you ask me you should leave Vera alone. Don’t you think she’s suffered enough?”
White hot rage overflowed as I delivered a low blow to Clive’s gut. He doubled over as I chuckled at his pain. “You piece of shit. I knew you were on her side. You will never defy me again, do you hear me?” I grabbed him by the ear and whispered into it as he moaned. “Have I taught you nothing? Why’d you have your hands down? Bad move. You have more work to do. Never defend her again.” Clive held his stomach as a look of anguish showed on his face.
“You’re becoming senile. You’re not thinking straight Dane,” he said with a smothered groan.
“Then help me with it. Help me find Vera and bring her back here to Mount Hunter. I’ve sent you on recon missions ever since your parents died. Have you no honor? No respect for the dead? You’re one of my best and you can’t find her?” My voice went up as notch as Clive stood warily rubbing his stomach.
I’d merely given him a love tap, nothing serious. “I have training Dane. My parents are watching over me right now and you need to have a clear head if you want to find her. You also taught me this.”
Studying Clive for betrayal I considered his statement. “That’s true. I did teach you this. Carry on with your training. Come up with a strategic plan of attack since you’re head is so clear. A matter of fact she might have visited her parent’s home. That’s a place she might be. Have a team of 12 go out to the house. I want them to turn over every room in the house. After all, I own it. Here’s the key.” I handed Clive a brass key as his hands folded over it.
“Okay, we’ve been going out every night and searching high and low. We might have to try a different approach Dane.” I could have cared less about the weariness in his eyes. I wanted Vera preferably alive. I had a score to settle and a daughter to avenge.
“Then fucking try it, you insipid excuse for a wolf!” I screamed as Clive leered backwards almost tripping over himself. “Ah, look at you! Can’t even stand up straight. Where’s Archer huh? Where has the rogue gone? You’re a pitiful excuse for a wolf.”
“I don’t know. I guess you’re right. I’ll do a better job. Thanks.” I expected another fight and was willing as I had enough grief and pain locked up to unleash.
“Good. Thelma?”
“Ah, she’s over at the gun range. She’s practicing her shooting.”
I said nothing as I stalked off. Thelma had vigilantly defended Vera on a number of occasions and it was high time I paid her a visit. Oh yes. Thelma would be the key to bring the lycan back. Deliciously excited about my idea I marched quickly through the field to the gun range.
I found her with earmuffs on and a long range rifle shooting at a paper bullseye from half a mile away. “Boo!”
No flinch, not even a muscle. She shot clean through to the target as the parabellum bullet shell hit the middle of it. Slowly she lifted one side of the ear muff with a wide smile.
“Clive, you really need to-” As soon as she saw the face speaking to her blood drained from her fairy-like face.
“No, no,” I said darkly, this is not Clive, that sorry excuse for a wolf. This is a worse nightmare,” I explained to her hoarsely as I bared my teeth. “You are overdue for a talking to. You must be distraught about your dear friend Vera leaving.” I watched as she ignored me fumbling with the gun as she put the rifle away into the bag.
“Dane, I don’t have anything to say to you. You agreed to a union knowing that Reily wanted blood. I will forever stand with Vera on this.” Her little mouth defending once again was enough for me to take the next steps. I snatched her up around the neck lifting her in the air with one hand.
“You know where she is, and now you’re going to bring her back to me you little bitch. I always knew you were trouble defending her.” Thelma flailed in the air, flapping her arms around everywhere as she slapped at my flesh. I could barely feel it as a flood of adrenaline rushed through me. I dropped her to the ground and before she could pick up the rifle I swung from hip sliding a backhander across her face that sent her spiraling over the dusty arena where the bullseye’s were erected. An ‘oof’ sound flew from her tiny lips as I grinned and snatched her up while she was down carrying her over my shoulder. She was light enough for me to do that.
I’d knocked her out with one blow and now it was time to extract the truth from her.
Thelma hit me on the back drumming on it as I gripped her little body and she came to. I’d hoped my backhand had been strong enough to hold her off, but it wasn’t. To me she was only half a person and no match for me. As I dragged her over the field with all other pack members watching I grunted at them.
“Back to work!”
“Prepare for the mission!”
By the time I traversed back to the country house which held a secret room where I’d tortured many a wolf she’d stopped beating on my back. She knew what was good for her and that she wouldn’t be able to defeat me. I wasn’t about to put her down on the ground so I balanced between the door and for the old antique keys which hung on the key rack in the kitchen. I picked the set off which nobody knew about, and the ones they didn’t ask of either. I jiggled the key inside the lock and entered into the shadowy darkness of the pit of torture I’d created. I sucked in the stale, stank air. It reeked of bloodshed, broken bones and destruction.
“Congratulations, you’ve earned your stripes in the pain dungeon. We will get Vera one way or another won’t we. I will have some dirty water for you, but first I will give you a couple of hours to recover. I will be back soon to get the information I want.” I dropped her semi limp body onto the floor leaving her as she cried out, her hand reaching forward into the sliver of light that cracked open as I left out.
“Ha! That won’t be the only scream you have. There will be many more. I suggest you save your voice.”
“You piece of shit! Don’t do this Dane, please I beg you.” She cried out in despair.
I walked upstairs to my kitchen to eat and to prepare my tools of torture. I had various things I could use, but I figured Thelma was not so big, so it wouldn’t take much to get her where I needed her to be.
I returned a couple of hours later to inflict my first rounds of pain. Not in the usual sense. I tried one of my old militant tactics of dowsing her face in water making it so she couldn’t breathe. How fun it was to watch her catch her breath between dunks. Her tiny, delicate hands tremored with fright before I sunk her head back into the bucket of water. See, they would tire after hours of this. I prided myself on the technique as my victims become so tired after it they had nothing left to give except the answers.
“Where is she bitch? Tell me huh? Tell me where she is. Or shall we go for another swim in the water.” She shook her head as I held the back of her neck dunking her once again. She held up rather well, better than I thought for the paces I was putting her through. The result was how tired my arm became as I placed her face down. I pulled her up for the last time as I ruminated on the next round of punishment I would endorse. I had a few options available and planned on bringing them into fruition one by one.
“I don’t know where she is. I told you Dane, please... just... can you stop?” I slapped her for that. One of my very own soldiers asking for mercy, how dare she. Had I not enmeshed her with the ability to fight no matter what the discourse? There was no mercy when you were part of my army.
“Stop?” I questioned. “You want me to stop? Is that what you want me to do?” I spoke to her like the insolent child she was as the crisp sound of my hand connected with her face. Once to the left, another swipe to the right, and one for good measure, back to the middle. She would tell me where Vera was and I would break every single bone in her body to get her to do so.
Her wails were lessening and she was growing weaker, this is where the slow process of breaking would truly begin. I was 12 hours in and only getting started. Next was the breaking of bones.
I was not prepared for the next shock however as she protected her lycan friend. She shifted into her wolf form too quick for me as she managed to steal a chunk of meat from my neck. I touched it enraged she could such a thing. She spoke to me via mindlink as her wolf took over.
You’re not the only one with tricks. I will never tell you where Vera is you jerk off.
You will tell me everything otherwise I will break every bone in your body. I shifted with seamless ease as I pounced on top of her with half my body weight standing over her.
My incisors were primed to sink into the fur around her neck, but I merely held a paw over her face. Where would be the fun in mauling her to death When I could simply bring her to a slow and painful death? I wanted one thing first and I would have it. I would have Vera back in Mount Hunter.
Breaking season was in.