Hidden

Clement nearly phased as he stepped out of the hospital doors, the smell of the forest calling to the beast within but he held off. His wolf was anxious, as was he and he couldn’t risk being diverted. The animal side needed to run, needed to hunt. But the human side of him wanted answers and the lines blurred too easily when in wolf form. Time changes, things become less important. It’s simpler as a wolf but he didn’t need simple right now.

He became increasingly frustrated with the time it was taking to get to the cells on the other side of the compound. He felt his wolf’s annoyance at being caged, they were usually more one than two beings but at the moment he felt a little distant from his wolf. He needed to feel in control of something at the moment and unfortunately that meant his wolf would bear the brunt of that.

The second Clement got to the building he faltered a little. Anger had fuelled him up until this point mixed with frustration. But the undertones of fear were now forcing itself to the forefront and it froze him as he reached for the door handle.

What if these strangers didn’t know anything? What if something happened to Alaya when he was with them? And she was alone. What if they knew something that would change everything? What if they wanted to take Alaya somewhere?

All the questions he had wanted to ask since last night spiralled around in his mind making him feel sick. It felt so much longer than just yesterday.

Clement steeled himself and forced his hand to take the handle, fuelling his motions with the help of his wolf. A perk of being Alpha and especially an Alpha of his standing and power, meant he had access to parts of his wolf that others didn’t in human form. He couldn’t half phase or access most of his wolf abilities but he could use the strength of his wolf when needed. He could also pull his wolf to the forefront in the company of those that sought to disobey him or needed instruction. Or those that lied.

Upon opening the door, before even fully entering the small building that looked so normal on the outside, he could hear the commotion that was coming from the end of the house. He walked faster but made sure to stay quiet so as not to alert others to his presence just yet. He had learnt a long time ago that wolves said alot of truth in anger that they wished they could take back. And they said even more when they thought someone wasn’t listening.

“I just want to know how she is,” Noah yelled, his voice full of rage at this point. Clement guessed he had been asking for a while and clearly got no response as of yet. He didn’t even need to see Fen to know he was most likely stood in the corner, a rock of silence, fuelling Noah’s frustration.

“She is fine. You would feel it otherwise,” a female soothed and Clement guessed that was the sister. Neve or Never, something odd he hadn’t heard before.

“Is that meant to make me feel better? That if she dies then atleast I’ll be able to feel her go. It doesn’t make it better. Getting out of this fucking cage would,” he bellowed.

“Patience brother. That’s all we can do.”

“That’s all you will allow me to do you mean,” Noah answered cryptically, intriguing Clement as he waited in the shadows still to be noticed.

“No that’s not what I mean. We need to do this the right way like we all agreed,” the female said lowly and Clement could feel the stress in her voice. Clement tried to move closer but completely forgot about the floorboard that he had placed in front of the door he hid behind. A floorboard he had placed to ensure others who tried to eavesdrop would be caught out. Oh the irony.

As he pushed the door open to reveal himself he was met with silence. As he had imagined when standing quietly and listening, he saw Fen leant against the wall in the corner of the room, half shrouded in shadows, arms crossed against his chest. The two strangers were sat in a six by eight-foot steel cell, bars running on three sides, a brick wall making up the fourth. Two metal beds flanked the left and right sides and the rest was empty. They hadn’t needed to use these holding cells for years. Sometimes a pup needed a stronger time out but apart from that, they had lain empty.

“I’m intrigued by what you meant,” Clement said as he walked inside, watching as both of them froze for a moment as they realised he had been listening but had no idea for how long.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. My brother just wants to know how his mate is doing,” Neve answered.

“Alaya. Her name is Alaya,” Fen interjected from the shadows. Noah turned towards him in an instant, walking up to the bars and gripping them tightly.

“Oh wow. Now you speak. Hours I’ve been trying to get a response from you and nothing. I’m fully aware what my mate’s name is,” Noah growled through the bars, clearly wanting to get past them and to squeeze his hands around Fen’s neck instead. Fen just stared at him with a slight smirk on his face, clearly enjoying the reaction he was getting.

“She isn’t your mate, she will be mine. You can’t just come into this compound, into this pack and try to take things that aren’t yours,” Fen replied, tone short and sharp but remaining in the shadowed corner.

“I haven’t taken anything. She is destined for me. From the second the goddess gave me life my heart beat for her. It’s not a choice and it cannot be unwritten. I’d die before abandoning her.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Fen retorted, a promise that held truth. Noah shoved away from the bars with a growl but likely one of frustration not pure anger.

“She wasn’t meant for this pack anyway, she was always meant for mine,” he muttered but not quiet enough for Clement and Fen to miss. Neve shot her brother a glare and Noah stopped his pacing for a moment, tension rippling through his body.

“How so?” Clement asked as he walked over so he was right in front of the cell. Noah half-turned to meet his gaze before dropping it, something he had barely ever done that quickly whilst in his presence. Neve walked to the door of the cell clearly trying to direct Clement’s attention to her.

“My brother only meant that she belongs with him because they are mates,” she replied but Clement raised his eyebrow, not believing her in the slightest.

“But that’s not what he said,” Clement replied, stalking a little closer. He tried to hold Neve’s gaze but hers in return bounced around the walls and floor, a clear sign of her submissive nature. A little too submissive even for an Omega really but that was a question for another time.

“He rarely says what he means. That’s why he keeps me around. He can never keep himself out of trouble,” Neve joked, trying to keep a slight smile on her face when Clement could see the fear coursing through her. They were obviously hiding something but he couldn’t place what exactly that was. He could choose to make them tell him the secrets they were keeping but he had found from past experience that didn’t end well with non-pack members. He would have to influence their wolves and some were stronger and more difficult to submit. Those were the wolves that were then left broken and Alaya would never forgive him if he hurt them, even if he hadn’t meant to. But Alaya would have to be awake to hate him so in reality however he got her back to him would be worth it.

“I can tell. You clearly love and want to protect your brother,” Clement continued, his mind half made up already. His wolf was pacing near the surface, ready and willing to exert his dominance over the wolves that stood before him. Clement allowed him to exist in the forefront briefly, his eyes glowing, showing the power that hid inside this human skin. Neve stood back a little, likely feeling how she felt back in the hospital room. The Alpha inside of him pushed to escape, to force those who sought to defy him to their knees. Neve gasped as the pressure built, her wolf clearly feeling the need to obey.

“Stop it! Stop! You’re hurting her,” Noah shouted as he raced to his sister’s side. His eyes glowed in retaliation and Clement’s wolf pushed harder. He watched as Noah made an effort to stand, although it didn’t really look like it was that difficult for him to do so until Neve’s hand shot out and found her brothers.

“Noah. Don’t,” she gritted out and Clement saw Noah still, he looked down at his sister and the pair seemed to exchange some sort of understanding without words. He lowered himself back to the ground as if he was buckling too under the pressure from the Alpha. Clement doubted that very much. He was clearly stronger than he seemed.

“Don’t do what?” Clement asked as he released his wolf’s presence fully into the air around him. So much so that even Fen spluttered a little as he filled the entire space. Neve was now writhing on the floor, clearly in pain as Noah clung to her. The look in his eyes was that of rage not of fear like most wolves that were subjected to all of his power. That just made Clement push harder.

“Noah,” Neve gasped and her grip on him tightened. Clement could see Noah’s jawline tense as if he was fighting to stay down.

“Why did you come to this compound? Why did you not just arrange to come here through your Alpha? Did you think I wouldn’t accept?” Clement pushed, his gaze never wavering from Noah. This wolf didn’t react like he should. He held lies deeper than the sea, Clement could sense it.

“I already told you. I didn’t know what I was trying to find. It wasn’t like me nor Adolph understood exactly what was happening, just that we needed to follow the call,” Noah replied, still crouching by his sister but his answer came freely, no gasping or pain as he spoke.

“Who is Adolph? Is he your Alpha?” Clement continued his questions, not missing how Noah froze at the mention of the name.

“You could say that,” Noah said cryptically, angering Clement as he did so. He wasn’t used to someone giving half-truths or remaining calm when he filled the room with his presence. The wolf in front of him cannot be purely a Beta. Fen was the strongest Beta he had ever come across yet he was crouched over himself, gasping for breath as Clement continued his assault. But Lenara had read Noah as a Beta and he had questioned her personally about it? His pack cannot lie to him. None of this was making the remotest bit of sense.

Clement growled in frustration before pulling his wolf back inside, Neve and Fen gasping frantically now the air wasn’t so dense. Noah still seemed unaffected by what had just happened and unease crawled up the Alpha’s spine.

“You cannot see Alaya until I know you’re not a threat to her. Do you understand me? The longer you refuse, the longer you stay here without her,” Clement reasoned, hoping that the wolf would see sense and stop the games. Noah was clearly hiding something and normally Clement would just throw the wolf out, ban him from the compound if he refused to answer his questions. Alot less messy than killing the wolf. But he couldn’t do either of those things as he was his daughter’s mate. Another occurrence that had been banished to the realms of myths and whispers, not something of substance but something meant to be of stories.

“You can’t do that. I need to be with her,” Noah growled in reply, standing as he did so. He came closer to the bars that separated him and Clement held his gaze.

“I’m not doing anything. You are. Answer my questions and you will be released and can be by her side.”

“I have answered! You’re just refusing to listen or believe me,” Noah retorted before pushing off the bars and turning to Neve, who was now sat upright on the ground.

“This is pointless Neve. Absolutely pointless,” he said to her as he paced, clearly getting frustrated with their situation. Clement watched as Neve subtlety shook her head as if instructing her brother not to do something.

Clement walked slowly over to Fen who was clearly taking it all in as he stood in the shadows. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes fixed on Noah.

“Keep watch whilst I go back and check on Alaya. Listen to everything that they say, watch everything they do. Report everything back to me,” Clement instructed lowly before walking straight back out the way he came in. He held Noah’s gaze as he left, Clements eyes twinkling as he let his power resurface, confirming what he already knew.

This wolf was no Beta.

Which meant Lenara lied to him.

Well, he was going to have to find out how she had done that now wasn’t he.