The Brave Human Mate

67.

* * ☾ * *

General Drex's POV

As General, Drex had many sleepless days—Never had he felt so infuriated and deceived in his entire life. This wasn't his normal battlefield, given how his mere interactions with the courts were just that. In the courtrooms.

But here and now, he felt as though he was running out of options.

Not only was Beta Eli surrounded by nonsense in making sure that the Kingdom was running as efficiently as possible. It meant after the third day, both he and Lyall were unable to continue their pursuit of Rhea.

And that had caused a shift in Drex's investigation.

Drex employed his most trusted males, those who worked deeply undercover—In addition to Enforcers willing at hand at all times. While they were usually the King's to take orders from, it was Elias who had turned the tides and shifted the power towards Drex.

Given that he was the one to train and recruit them, it was hardly much of a shift.

Now, however, he was on his way toward yet another lead.
One that had slipped from his males twice before, but not a third time. It was cruel that he allowed his males the gentle few minutes until he arrived to get the bastard prepped and prepared for a proper interrogation.

So it was truly not a surprise when he arrived to see the male battered and bruised—Smelling of blood and piss. "Name?"

"Markus Addams. Human. Recent connections involving the Rogue camps and—"

"That's a lie!" He shouted, but it earned him another punch directly to his jaw. And the way he had gone about such a movement had caused Drex to tilt his head.

Yes, this wasn't the male's first time bound to a chair.

"I have intel that states you were here the night of the Ball, is that correct?"
"Go to hell."
"Oh, I will. On my own time, right when the Goddess has claimed I am done living. But as of right now—You're all mine." Markus had stared death directly in the eyes hundreds of times before, and while he could feel the shift in tension—He was not afraid.

"What are you hiding?"
"Everything. And you're making a mistake."

"A mistake? You were given a bag of gold upon your arrival that night, were you not?" Markus nodded, carefully eyeing the two others in the room who were ready and eager to take another hit at him.

If only.

"Who gave you the money?"
"I'm not a rat."
"No? We are about to face a god's damned fallen Kingdom if we don't get leads, now tell me—Who do you work for?" It had been painful, the way Drex had cupped Maruk's cheeks with his fingers. Digging deep into the plush skin as though his goal was to poke a hole through them.

"This Kingdom is already fallen." He said through gritted teeth, but Drex had fallen back—His wolf so easily at the forefront that he had to calm himself.

Though the scent of blood was not doing that tactic well.

"She's missing," Markus said through gritted teeth, trying not to allow the pain to overcome him.
"What?"
"Lady Rhea, she's missing. She's the one who gave me the gold." Drex could have fallen had he not grasped the back ends of the chair beside him, he leaned forward and repeated himself. Allowing the short pause on Markus' behalf to spit up a rack of blood.

"Lady Rhea employed me to seek out information about the Rogues in the Kingdom."
"And?!"
"I told her the movements and potential candidates, as she asked. But nothing conclusive—And besides, you're not paying my bills."
"I'm the ticket between your death and walking out of here, male. Now speak. The. Truth." Markus was not worried, not at all, his concern laid with Lady Rhea as it should.

"Her wine order was compromised."
"What do you mean?"
"Rogues were targeting a carriage. I thought it was odd, that they wanted to cause trouble—But when they overtook the vehicle, everything shattered. Rhea had been the one to piece together that they were after the wine." Drex had turned to the two males and frowned. "Do we have confirmation of this?"

"Sir, Lady Rhea, and the King had spent the afternoon at the wineries two days before the Ball." The shadowy figure of the lurking male had claimed, but Markus didn't deviate his attention from the bastard in front of him.

He knew well enough the Alpha types, those who didn't hold a title but still ruled over other wolves."To get more." He started, trying to ease the intake of air, given that his ribs were most likely broken. "Bastards were after the wine...And they succeeded."

"You're in luck, male. As I've heard this, but not from the mouth it came from. The King's wine was poisoned regardless. Now tell me, what leads do you have on Lady Rhea?"

"Council member has her, rich wolf, wears too many jewels, fake silver—"
"Mithwell?"
"Ah, I suppose you don't favor him either?... A friend of mine owed me. I rather spend the coins than not have a job." The growl had silenced Markus from another thought, but it had just given Drex the go-ahead that he was looking for.

"I want all available Enforcers within the next five minutes. Go!" He ordered, and thus the two were well alone, and Markus had felt his head fall down first—But Drex had taken to undoing the binds.

"You were wise to tell me."
"That was the first I've come to expose my employer. Don't make me regret it...Besides, my friend was getting next to nothing from that councilman." Drex could feel his males getting ready to swarm the Mithwell Manor.

But first, he needed to inform the better half of the cause. Rhea's males, for one. In addition to Elias and Lyall, hell, he wouldn't be surprised if they too were ready and willing to join the rescue party.

If Rhea is even there.

After removing Markus' binds, he slouched back and shook his head. "I'm not fit for a rescue mission." He claimed, and Drex understood. "You will be compensated, and you'll be brought to the Healers."

"And Lady Rhea?"
"She will be found." The General felt confident enough in this lead to mandate a public search. It seemed that Lady Rhea had already managed to push a sense of loyalty in a male that shouldn't have known for more than a few weeks at most.

Course, Drex wasn't too familiar with the daily goings of Lady Rhea, but he hadn't thought anything wrong. But goddess, he had underestimated her. And good thing, too.

Given that she was settling her own investigation, to find out the truth being the Rogue camps—But her background had justified it entirely.

Rhea had saved Ray and Clive both, and it wasn't all that far-fetched to understand their loyalty as well.

Upon leaving the interrogation room, he had barked out the orders as follows.

To get Markus to the infirmary.

Inform the Beta and Delta of their plans.

Gather up Rhea's males—

And wreak havoc upon the Mithwell Manor.

______

Date: 07/17/23

Time: 4:01

Words: 1196

Author's Note:

Another short chapter, so let's throw in just one more update!