Torn Between Enemy Alphas

Chapter 21- Lost His Mind

Alice had never been down inside the holding cells before. Cole's hand shot out and gripped her elbow as she began to make her way down the slick, stone steps that marked the passage from the bright sunlight above the ground to the darkness below. The Beta had already told Kate, in no uncertain terms, that she was to wait up above, but she had still insisted on coming along. He wasn't going to be held responsible for bringing the Alpha's daughter down into the holding cells, even if Lane had lost his mind. Alpha Cadman already had too many reasons to want to separate his head from his shoulders and he wasn't about to give him another.

The holding cells had been built below the warrior's barracks. It was a building that didn't get much use, since most of the warriors had homes of their own. But a few of the men lived there, mostly young pack members who had just moved away from home who appreciated the completely free living space, away from their parents, that became available the day they were admitted as pack warriors. There were also places for guards who were taking a break during a long shift to rest, although Alice had never seen them.

The stairs went down much further than Alice expected them too, the temperature dropping as they left the bright sunlight and entered the darkness of the world under the ground. Cole brushed his hand against a pad near the door, and a moment later a thick metal door swung open, revealing a guard who glared past the Beta, his scarred face twisting into a scowl when he saw who was accompanying him.

"Why would you bring her down here?" The guard's voice was filled with derision as his eyes ran down Alice's form before he turned back to his Beta.

"I need to question the prisoner. She's his mate-"

"That's what they claim. Who knows if anything the little slut says is actually true." The guard turned his gaze back to Alice again and this time he was opening leering at the woman who he had thought of as his Luna only a few days earlier. She forced herself to square her shoulder, and take slow, deep breaths, despite the dank, moldy scent of the basement that immediately assaulted her senses.

"I'm willing to bet that it is true, after seeing his reaction yesterday at lunch and I'm guessing you weren't there if you doubt it, Williams. Anyways, you aren't the one giving orders here. She's leverage. We need answers and fast. Alpha Altera needs to know if he has anything to do with the missing Luna and I don't have time to waste my breath explaining this to you. If you want to talk to Alpha Altera, or better yet Alpha Vos when he arrives-" Cole reached down for his phone and the scar faced guard immediately shook his head.

"No Beta. You two go on ahead. I'll stay right here at my post. Yell if you need me."

"Will do, Williams. Oh and keep an ear out. The Alphas' daughter Kate insisted on accompanying us, and as you may or may not know, she's with Pup."

"Our Alpha's expecting a grandson? A possible future Alpha?" Williams' face changed and he suddenly looked mildly happy, if such a thing were possible.

"We don't know the gender yet, but it could be." Cole replied, taking Alice by the wrist as she tried to step past him into the darkened passageway.

"I will protect her with my life, Sir." Alice turned her face away from both of them to conceal the roll of her eyes. She was thankful that the asshole would be keeping an eye out for Kate, although she strongly suspected her best friend was the safest person in the entire pack, otherwise she would have never left her alone. Still, the way the individual members of the pack had turned on her so quickly was still making her head spin.

"Thank you Williams. I'll see you when we come back out."

With that Cole began tugging her by the wrist, rapidly down a darkened corridor that smelled of blood and fear, piss and vomit.