The Heir to the Alpha
Chapter 26

Scarlett

I had never been to the guard headquarters, but it was a huge metal box, imposing and full of guards coming and going. Inside, in addition to the offices, interrogation room, and cells, there was also their training center, and was all filled with cars and trucks. The driver took us to the barracks entrance, and Christopher got out of the car and opened the door for me, but I wasn't prepared for what came next.

Many guards were training from the outdoor training area, and they suddenly stopped, at first I didn't understand, but soon they all stood at attention and saluted at the same time, seeing the immensity of men and women all saluting and shouting: For the guard, for the Pack, for the Alpha and, for the Goddess. And only then did I turn around, to realize that they were saluting Christopher, he sucked in air and shouted in their direction: By the Goddess, dismissed.

At that moment my whole body shivered, his deep voice reverberated inside me making all the hair on my body stand on end and my heart accelerate. The feeling of belonging took over me, of security, and protection, and I felt at home, together for the same cause. As he entered the guard headquarters, all the guards saluted him, and suddenly Marquardt came towards us.

"Alpha, Scarlett." He said greeting, and we both responded with a short nod, then he made a gesture with his hands. "Let's go this way."

As we entered the guard headquarters, with each step the place became less administrative and more military, and in the background there were some cells and interrogation rooms, and I have to say that a shiver ran down my spine.

"She's here, at 073." Marquardt pointed to one of the rooms. "And the exiles are at 074 to 087." Marquardt pointed to the other cells, but only hers interested me.

It was Bertha.

I would face the person I called a friend, who I confided in, who I thought I could trust, the first person who knew I was pregnant, or who at least suspected it.

"Honey, are you sure? This might be too much for you, Scarlett." Christopher asked me, I felt his eyes on me, but mine were glued to the interrogation room that I knew she was in there, it was like I could feel it.

I mentally answered that no, I wasn't sure if it would be too much for me, but I was sure I needed it.

"I need to, Christopher. And I need to put an end to this." I said to him as I turned around, and met his apprehensive look that broke my heart. I saw Marquardt swallow hard, no one agreed when I said I needed to talk to her.

But I knew it was necessary, it was the only way.

"Be careful, we'll be right here," Christopher said pointing to the next room, a room with a false mirror, for interrogation, where Christopher and Marquardt would be ready for anything.

"When you're ready." Marquardt's deep voice hit me hard.

When am I ready? Maybe I never really would be, but as I told myself many times, I needed to.

I needed to put an end to this, end this cycle.

I turned the handle slowly and opened the door entering the room, there were already two guards standing next to the door on the inside, and inside a large room, there was only a metal chair, Bertha handcuffed with her hands to behind sitting on it, and another identical chair in front.

Bertha was a middle-aged woman, with dark brown hair, the first gray hair started to come on the side of her face, and her brown eyes, which I previously found sweet, now gave me chills. I slowly walked to the chair and sat down, she gave a sadistic smile before saying.

"Of everyone who could appear, I need to say that the person I found least likely was you." She shrugged and her indifference disgusted me.

"Why?" That was all I could say, and my voice came out high-pitched and choked, I didn't want to show it, but my heart was tight and my stomach was in a knot that I was grateful for not having eaten anything before.

And she first sighed, and tried to adjust herself in the chair, but the immobilization of her hands prevented her from moving much.

"Oh, there Scarlett. For the same as always… Money." She said rolling her eyes and then looking directly at me.

"Joshua offered you money? But his Pack isn't even that rich." I tried to pretend I didn't know anything about diamonds.

"But he has plans to get more…" Bertha said practically spitting out the words.

"Do you speak of his plans to conquer our Pack?" I said trying to stop my brain from thinking about the diamonds, I couldn't go that way.

"We can say yes." Now she smiled and tilted her head to the side, as if she were trying to read me, trying to decipher what I knew or what I was trying to do there.

"But how did you have the courage to sell me? To sell the information about my pregnancy? After so many years Bertha, working with me and my mother..." I said and my body stood up on its own, without control, and I took a step in her direction.

Talking about the baby made me lose my mind.

"Business is business, Scarlett. For the price they're going to pay me, I'd sell your head if I had to." She said, each word made my blood boil, and she said it with such absurd indifference that I took another step towards her, Bertha was inches away from me when she completed it. "In fact, for the price, I would sell the baby itself." Now she laughed, and I completely lost my mind, when I came back to the reason I had both hands on the collar of her blouse, I lifted her from the chair, her hands trapped in the metal dragged between the handcuffs, and I heard a moan of pain, which was music to my ears, I was ready to punch her in the face, until I saw her teeth full of blood in the next stupid smile, but then I heard the sound of the metal door opening.

"Enough." The deep voice was Christopher's, and I felt both of his hands on my waist. "You can't let her mess with you like that, Scarlett."

I slowly released Bertha back into the chair and she laughed again.

"Listen to Alpha, little princess." She said with a sarcastic tone, making me want to keep my plan of punching her in the face even more.

"And you shut up before I make you never speak again, we're not done with you," Christopher said and turned to the door where Marquardt was. "Schedule her transfer to the Council this afternoon, I no longer want her within our Pack."

"Of course Alpha." Marquardt's voice echoed, as Christopher pulled me out of the interrogation room.

As soon as the door closed I whispered.

"I did it." I didn't know if it was for Christopher or myself.

After that, I just wanted to get out of there, we went back to House of Pack and my father came to meet us in Christopher's room, and he was panting and out of breath and took two breaths of air before starting to speak.

"Alpha, Scarlett." He said, but sucked in the air again, he rested his hands on his knees. "I looked at Joshua's records, and they tried to hide it very well, but there is a warehouse, based on the address it is close to our border, it would be the perfect place for them to dig for diamonds."

That made me look at Christopher.

Was that it?

Would we finally replace out everything?

But before we could think or say anything, the doors to the room opened again.

It was Hensen and his face didn't look good, my instinct said he didn't bring good news.

"Alpha, a letter has arrived from Alpha Brennon." Hensen approached, waving a letter in his hands. And he handed it shakingly to Christopher.

He opened it and read it quickly, as his eyes roamed the paper my heart accelerated a little more.

"Brennon distrusts the Council's deputy chief guard," Christopher said, running his hand through his hair, and that brought another layer of concern to it all, but nothing compared to what happened next.

Marquardt invaded the room, and I was starting to get scared as the room was invaded all the time.

“She escaped.” He said sighing.

“What?” My father asked shouting.

“Bertha escaped…”