Claimed by the scarred Alpha

ÉTIENNE

I smiled behind my mask. "It was clear, was it not? War."

"You bastard." Chris surged to his feet. The chains attached to his wrists rattled with the movement. "Where is she?"

I lowered the flashlight slowly, letting the beam travel down my body until it illuminated the dark stains covering my shirt. Blood had soaked through the fabric and dried in patterns that looked almost artistic in the harsh white light.

"I got that she messaged you." I kept my tone conversational. "I didn’t quite like that. So I had to punish her."

Chris rushed at the bars with violence that shook the entire cell. His claws extended with audible snaps. Fangs tore through his gums as he slammed into the metal barrier. The impact rattled the cage so deeply that I felt vibrations travel through the stone floor beneath my feet.

"Calm yourself, brute."

"I’m the brute?" Spittle flew from his mouth. "I’ll kill you, monster!"

"You infiltrated Valcourt territory." I circled slowly to the side of the cell. "There are a lot of crimes I can slap on you for that. I could use you as a proxy for the war I want to start so badly. I’d have good reason to do so. No one would poke their noses at me for it."

Chris’s breathing came heavy and ragged. His chest heaved with each inhale.

"But I won’t go there." I moved closer to the bars, close enough that I could have reached through and touched him if I’d wanted. "You can help the girl. My wife. Help her from suffering even more."

I let the pause stretch.

"I happen to know..." I walked even closer. "That you love her."

His body went rigid.

"So why don’t we make a deal?"

"Why would I make a deal with the devil?"

"Because you want to protect her."

Silence filled the space between us. Chris stared at me with hatred so pure it was almost beautiful.

"How?"

Victory sang through my veins. Because Margotine had told me it would be hard, but this man was so utterly obsessed with her that he went wet in the knees immediately.

I did make sure to keep my expression neutral.

"There’s a record I need."

Chris laughed. The sound echoed off the cell walls, returning hollow.

"And I’m supposed to betray my people? Betray the code?" He shook his head. "Over my dead body."

"And I thought you cared about her." I turned as if to leave. "I’ll just have to bash her head a bit more. I do like how her body jerks when it hits the marble."

Chris tried to tear the bars apart with his bare hands. His muscles bulged with effort. The reinforced platinum only creaked slightly under the strain. The metal held despite his strength.

"She doesn’t deserve this!" His voice cracked. "Not after she threw her life away to protect Beaumont!"

"I imagine the light will completely die from her eyes when she learns something interesting." I paused with my back to him. "That the man who supposedly cares for her, the man she held in such high regard and said I could never stand beside, wouldn’t lift a finger to ease her suffering. I am a monster and all, but if I loved someone, even I would make an effort."

I started walking toward the exit.

"But then again, what do I expect from Beaumont?"

"Wait."

I stopped but didn’t turn around.

"She said that?" His voice came quieter now.

"Said what exactly?"

"That she held me in high regard?"

I glanced back over my shoulder. "You want me to sing your praise?"

"I don’t care about your praise." He swallowed hard. "There’s just been a boy who’s been her scar. Some traitor’s son that she apparently cared about very, very much. I did not think she still had space in her heart for..."

The world tilted sideways.

Everything in me went perfectly still. My heart forgot how to beat for several seconds.

"What boy?"

I needed to know what Chris knew. How much Margaux had revealed about us. Who else could it be if not me?

"I don’t know much about him." Chris leaned against the bars. "She was very secretive with him."

He looked up then. His eyes narrowed with sudden suspicion.

"Why do you care?"

"I don’t know." I forced casualness into my tone. "Maybe it’s fascinating seeing a man such as yourself fight over a woman with a ghost."

I turned fully to face him again.

"But I’m a bit bored. So... do I still wait to hear your decision?"

"What book is it?"

"Records of the Archambault trial."

Chris went still. His brow furrowed with concentration.

"Wait... I know that name. Where have I heard it before?"

"From my research, they were traitors who got what was coming for them."

"Why do you need the book?"

"None of your business."

"Then I guess we’re done here."

"Oh well." I shrugged. "You’re not wrong."

I started walking away. I let my footsteps echo down the corridor. Each one measured and deliberate. So it hurt and clawed at him with every step.

"Wait." Chris’s voice came strained.

I kept walking.

"I will!" The words burst from him in a rush. "I’ll give it! Just release me!"

I stopped at the corner, but I didn’t turn around yet.

"You must think me a fool."

"What?"

"I hear you have a lovely sister." I let the threat hang implicit. "A close friend of my new wife. Why don’t we get her to deliver what’s needed? Then I can forgive this trespassing. I might even be kinder to my wife. I will be kinder to her."

"I won’t believe a word from your mouth until I have reason to."

"What about this?" I turned to face him fully. "I’ll tell you the reason I want those stupid records."

Chris waited. His hands gripped the bars tight enough that his knuckles went white.

"That traitor was accused of brokering information. Some of that information concerned Valcourt, and it somehow still affects us today. He could only have gotten that from a mole we have over here, and sometimes it feels like my plans get out there before I want them to. So... I want to know if the mole is still here. I’m sure the records cover it extensively."

I smiled behind my mask.

Chris processed this for several long seconds.

"So this is about pack politics at the end of the day for you." Understanding settled across his features. "You saw an opportunity and took it."

"Precisely."

"What about Margo?" His jaw tightened. "The message she sent was alarming. I can believe your political nonsense. But what about her?"

I smiled wider. "Well, if I can keep one promise, I can keep the other. I’m sure."

The logic was flimsy, and we both knew it. But Chris was desperate. Desperate people convinced themselves of things that made no sense.

"So... are you fine with what I have to offer?"

"I don’t have much of a choice." Chris’s shoulders sagged slightly. "But I want to see her."

"No."

"That’s what I want."

"A prisoner with a lot of crimes to his belt shouldn’t protest that much." I considered for a moment. "But sure. That’ll be after the call, of course. And if you play funny games with it, one traitor sentinel head rolls."

Chris’s expression darkened. But he nodded.

Victory tasted sweet on my tongue as I turned and walked away.