Captive Of The Alpha
Chapter 52

Hades expected anything but that confession.

Rodrigo, for his part, felt all the weight suddenly lift, but he could only watch as the alpha in front of him did not move, though his eyes had turned a deeper, colder silver. His fingernails had grown longer and were digging in hard, splintering the wood of the handrests.

She swallowed dryly, she had confessed what had kept her awake since her mother had been rescued. But maybe it hadn’t been a good idea. His father was right, it was better to keep quiet. Always.

-Why didn’t you do anything,” to her surprise the alpha remained in the same position and despite his change in appearance, his voice remained the same tone.

-Why would I do that? -That answer only made Hades narrow his eyes, containing his wildest part, remembering his own words. “Until recently, all I knew about my mother was that she had abandoned her pack and used her power for her own benefit. That was the punishment she deserved.

Hades took a deep breath, feeling the tips of his canines begin to break the skin of his tongue.

-You think her capable of that,” he raised an eyebrow.

-So when I realised that Alan’s birth was not the product of one of his mistresses as father claimed, I followed him, and became aware of the truth.

-And yet you did nothing.

-Would you have done anything if you spent most of your time in confinement, with people who criticise, judge and punish every step you take and constantly tell you that the person who brought you into the world is a whore who only wants wealth and exploits the herd?

Hades was silent for a few seconds. Rodrigo’s life had been harder than it appeared, he was not his father’s favourite as his brothers believed, he was just an ornament with a harsh discipline so that he would not embarrass the alpha. A mere puppet for his purposes.

The colour in his eyes diminished and his claws and teeth retracted.

-And what do you think now that you know the truth and all that your mother has done for the pack,” he was aware that he was already privy to the real story.

Rodrigo felt more comfortable seeing the alpha return to a calm state.

-That my father is a son of a bitch and that he deserves more than the punishment he got.

-I agree with you on that but it was the Council’s decision, at the moment he is not being given food or water and we have him confined to one of the sun cells. I hope his skin gets scorched,” the image of when he first saw Nebraska and the state he was in made his b***d boil, “Well done puppy,” she smiled slightly at him, “Feeling better?

Rodrigo blinked in confusion.

-Aren’t you going to punish me? -The question threw the alpha off balance.

Hades expected anything but that confession.

-Why would he do that?

-I knew my mother’s death was a lie, that she was confined, and what my father did to her. And yet I did nothing to stop it.

-You said it yourself, what would I do if I were in your place? And I can only answer that I would act just like you, I’m not going to lie, but I’m not one to judge, it wasn’t your fault.

-But…

-Do you want to go on with it? I’m the kind of wolf that likes to conclude things when I decide- -I’m the kind of wolf that likes to conclude things when I decide-.

Rodrigo ran backwards, still not understanding why he wasn’t punished. He had done something wrong, he had done a lot of damage and not being punished was something that made him feel out of place. This was not how he had been taught that things worked. This place was really different from anything he knew.

-So it’s okay for me to forget this?

-Don’t forget it,” the alpha commanded, catching his attention, “Keep it in your heart and grow stronger.

Rodrigo’s eyes filled with tears for the first time in years.

-I can be forgiven so easily. My brothers and my mother will not accept me once they know what I did, can you hide it from them?

-If he hides it from the main victims, it will be you who will not be comfortable. Leave it to me, I have my ways of doing things.

Rodrigo hesitated, but in the end agreed with his head.

-I have a question to ask you.

-Tell me alpha,” after that intense conversation where he had let down all his walls he felt incredibly lighter but still nervous.

-Your brothers told me that when they were about to escape to inform me of the situation, they found you and they say that you sent soldiers after them.

Rodrigo made a slight grimace on his face in confusion.

-Why would I do that? I remember they told me they had found out where our mother was, but I didn’t want to talk to them anymore so they wouldn’t interfere with me. If anyone found out and they were punished, they would surely be beaten but I would be sentenced to death if our father found out that I knew the secret too. But I didn’t send anyone after it. They are my brothers. I was also taken by surprise to learn that they had escaped.

Hades was now the confused one.

-So who could it have been?

-I’m sorry alpha. I have no idea-

Hades let the wolf leave to reflect on the last few minutes, while he pondered. That last thing they had talked about seemed simple and unimportant but his instincts told him he shouldn’t overlook it.

He sighed and looked at the papers on the table. His beta had done a very good job of lightening the work, yet there was a small lump that needed attention. He wanted to get some sleep, but there were things he shouldn’t procrastinate on. He would finish with that while he thought about how he would approach the issue at hand with his future family.

Hades walked down the hallway after the clock told him it was time for dinner, the normal bustle of the manor was concentrated in one spot, the dining room and he knew that the entire pack was gathered together having a party and he hadn’t been alerted to the fact. Not that it bothered him, he liked to eat in company.

He was sure that Sara was the promoter of it, she used to make these feasts because she knew he would feel at ease. What didn’t quite fit was the intense smell of alcohol that reached his nose. She watched as a young wolf walked past her with a huge keg that he was balancing in his hands.

He stopped, turning around as he realised who it was.

-Alpha, welcome,” the heavily freckled boy bowed as much as possible with a smile.

Hades raised an eyebrow at the blush on his cheeks.

-I see you’re abusing the pantry,” he said.

The boy shook his head, pleased.

-The beta Siran allowed us to drink today, said we could have a good time because you’re back. I can tell you’re in a good mood.

And look how good a mood he’s in. Hades thought to himself. Siran was not a drinker and was just as strict with those around him. He claimed that it made them more indomitable than they already were. Sara, on the other hand, was a different story, she had an innate resistance not to get drunk, whatever she drank, and her husband liked to indulge her.

-All right, for today it’s fine, that wine has been in storage for a long time and it’s time to give him a good one.

-Yes alpha, thank you, but come quickly to the dining room, or you’ll miss the best duel in the whole pack.

-Duel? Duel of what?

-Of course, to see who can drink the most. We never thought anyone so young would be capable of beating Commander Leoxi apart from Sara.

Hades felt his body tense, he couldn’t imagine that any of the Nebraska cubs were drinking, only the older two were old enough to do so with supervision. He passed by the boy and walked quickly to the dining room. But good was his surprise when he entered and what he saw was not what he expected, quite the opposite and the shock was even greater.

His future wife was with a jug of wine that she was drinking almost to the bottom, as fast as if it were water, and next to her was her twin at almost the same level, not counting the at least five empty jugs on the table, three on the she-wolf’s side.

The best part of it all was that the rest of the pack, including her beta, her protégé and the pups, were only inciting the duel with shouting and racket.

What the hell had happened in the hours she had been gone?