Never with Me (Book 1)

[11]: Prisoners of War

[Damien's POV]

        Alex had rushed back to the house as I had instructed, while I remained back in the field.  Securing the border, and transported the bodies of my pack members that had fallen in battle back to our facilities for burial.  There were so many mates and families I would have to notify.  It was a blow to our pack any time one of us died.  With more than forty perishing, it meant as Alpha, I would be taken on the care of so many affected by this.  I was devastated for the parents, women, and children whom would go to sleep tonight, having lost someone they loved.  It always personally affected me that they gave their life, protecting the pack, under my orders.  It was something I would never get use to, and never wanted to get use to.

        After I gave orders on where to place the dead, and where to dispose of the rogue bodies.  I began making my way to the prisoner facility located on the fair Northern area of my territory.  For all those that had died, and would die, I at least had something to show for it.  Something to study, watch, and even experiment on if need be, to find the solution to all my pack's problems.

       The prison itself was just a concrete and metal building.  Lacking any kind of adornment.  It was cold, and remote, as it should be.  For anyone or anything housed in it, was not welcomed on my land.  Stepping up to the front gate, I waited as the steel perimeter gate slid open for me to gain entrance, and nodded to a guard as I walked inside.  After turning through many corridors and hallways, I arrived at the solitary confinement area, and watched as the rogue I had just captured, paced back and forth in its cell.  It had yet to notice my presence yet, allowing me time to observe it.

        It had shifted from its wolf, and I use the word wolf lightly, back into what I would guess was its human form.   It's skin was grey and completely translucent, showing the veins that ran throughout its body.  It was obviously a male, because of its anatomy.  But it could have cared less if it was naked or not.  It walked with its back hunched over, with its knees slightly bent, its eyes scanning its cell.  As it finally noticed me, it turned its eyes to me.  Cold back eyes looked back at me.  There was absolutely no white areas, just bitch black.  It opened its mouth in a snarl, and its teeth were jagged and sharp.  As if every one of its teeth had turned into k-9s.  Claws were semi protruding from the tips of its hands and feet.  It was as if it were an undead human stuck mid-shift into a wolf.

        It sniffed the air, still looking at me, and their reached through the bars of the cell, reaching for me and swiping its hand at me.  It was willing to break its own limbs trying to get to me, before realizing it couldn't.  I watched in horror, as it tipped back its head and let out the most horrific grotesque scream I have ever heard in my life.  It was the thing of nightmares, what children were scared of in the dark, and everything bad you could ever imagine.

        I turned with that, and left back to my own house.  Still shivering from what I had just witness.  Hoping somehow, I would be able to erase some of the fear that had crept into my very soul.

        As my house came into view, I noticed more than half a dozen vehicles parked in front of my house.  Knowing whom they belonged to, I stepped into the house and immediately went into my office.  As the door opened, I saw all six of the Alphas I summoned, as well as their Betas, and the pack doctor all turn their eyes to me expectantly.  I had instructed Alex via our pack link, not to tell them anything until I had arrived.

"Gentlemen, thank you for coming.  I apologize if you had to wait long, and if Alex did not answer your questions on why I summoned you all here.  But I had to deal with the deaths of some of my pack members, and it took longer than I anticipated.  Please have a seat, so that I can explain to you, why you are here."

        As I watched them all take a seat, I began the story of what had happened, the deaths, the fight, the prisoner I now held.  I watched as their eyes filtered rage, sadness, understanding, and then last curiosity.  They had all been affected recently as well to their invasion, the only common link we had found in the attacks, was were all shared borders with one another.  Packs that did not, remained unaffected.  And each of us had suffered casualties in their war against us.  Each of us with no answers to it, nor the ability to find the answers.

"So you are telling us, that you captured one alive?" I heard Scott Winterstone state.  He was Alpha of Blood Rune Pack that was located South East from my own territory.

"You are correct.  It is currently being held within our prison.  Now this is why you, Steven, as our pack doctor, have been summoned as well.  I am sure everyone in this room would be in agreement, that we need to know more about this creature or thing.  If it is even a Lycan, or what it even is or was."

        I watched as every Alpha and Beta nodded their heads in agreement with my statement, and with that, Steven left the room with a slight shake of his head in the affirmative.   He was headed to the prison to find out what were were dealing with.  Soon, I would have the answers.  Soon, I would end this war.  Soon, my pack would be protected and safe.  And along with my pack being safe, the men currently sitting in my office's pack would be safe as well.

        A few asked questions here and there, before everyone took leave to return back to their territory.  As I watched the last one leave my office, I turned to Alex.

"Alex, we will discuss more tomorrow.  Right now, it has been a long night.  Like me, I think there is nothing more than you want than to see your mate.  Am I right?"

"Yes, I want to be with Abby.  Thanks Damien.  I'm just going to check in on Leilani before I go first.  Link me if you need me, for anything."

Alex left my office, with me right behind him.  We walked together towards the staircases, and verged off at the landings.  Him going towards Leilani, and I going towards Rachel.  Strange though, how I wanted to go with Alex as well, to make sure Leilani was okay as well.