Dariel lowered his eyes and pursed his lips. He had fallen into the trap set for him and he had no way to get out of the predicament he was in. He only had two choices now. Either he could reveal the truth and save all the innocent people of his kingdom or choose to lie or stay mum and implicate everyone in Renada, including his Alpha who he respected the most.
Dariel's dilemma did not go unnoticed by Aylin and she let out a scoff. "Why did you not worry about the effect your actions would have on others if your plans were to fail when you decided to go ahead with it?"
Aylin's sarcastic yet truthful words only made Dariel lower his head all the more. But the moment he did so, his hands touched the silver chains and he gasped his pain. His palm started to burn and he let a scream immediately after.
Aylin glared at him coldly for a few moments before she glanced at Azimir. Though not a word had been communicated, he understood what she wanted off him and he nodded at her in acceptance.
"Release the chains and bind him to the chair." She ordered and Travis followed her orders efficiently, binding the man to the only chair in the room.
Fortunately for Dariel, they used ropes to tie him. Even though he was still captured and bound, it was less torturous for him compared to his stance from before. He sucked in a deep breath when the thin ropes dug into his skin, exactly at the place where he had been chained.
The pain was awful but bearable. So, he just swallowed his complaints and stayed mum as he waited for this tormenting time to pass as quickly as possible.
"I believe you are due an explanation." Azimir prompted, his voice impassive and stern. There were no emotions other than sheer resentment and fury and Dariel trembled on hearing him.
Though Dariel feared his Alpha, he feared the Alpha of Ideni more for he was not a normal werewolf. He was stronger and more capable than all the other alphas he had come across before and just his mere presence was enough to make him lose his composure.
"It was not my Alpha who came up with this plan." Dariel started while the others listened to him intently.
"He was only worried that he would miss out on this opportunity to become the Alpha King. So.." Dariel swallowed his saliva when he sensed everyone's stare on him.
"So?" Aylin tapped her feet in impatience.
"So, I used someone's plan to achieve what I wanted." Dariel did not dare to raise his head for he knew all he get was looks of hatred and rage. He just kept his gaze fixed on the ground, focusing more on his anguish than the sin he had committed.
"And what did you want to achieve?" Aylin queried again, her face scrunching up slightly.
"I wanted to eliminate one of the contenders for the throne and make it easier for my Alpha to become the Alpha King."
Dariel glanced at Azimir for a moment and was stunned to see the anger in his eyes. His sterling grey eyes had turned pitch black and he was just short of shifting into his wolf.
The other people in the cell too sensed the changes in the man and they took a step back on instinct. Some of the wolves remembered his feral on the first night of the moon and their heart pounded wildly in fear.
Meanwhile, the humans too were terrified and they clutched their weapons, ready to defend themselves if the situation were to go out of control.
Aylin was the only one who stayed calm and she stared at Azimir, her frown vanished immediately on seeing his unstable state. His wolf was fighting for dominance and Azimir was trying his best to not let go. If his wolf were to take control, then Dariel would not live to breathe another moment.
Without caring about the other people, Aylin approached him and held his hand, stunning everyone who was watching the young Alpha of Ideni warily. They could not conceal their shock as they watched the Commander handling the man when he was just on the brink of losing himself to his ferocious side.
Azimir's head snapped to hers as soon as he felt her soft touch. His pitch black eyes narrowed for an instant and they glared at her. Even though the man was beyond frightening, Aylin stayed put as she clasped her fingers with his, holding his hand tight and assuring him gently.
For a few moments, silence engulfed the cell. Even Dariel did not dare to speak lest he should provoke the man and be on the receiving end of his fury. Everyone's breath quickened as they watched the young Alpha in apprehension.
"Control yourself, Alpha Azimir. We still have a lot to find out from Dariel." Aylin's gentle and soothing voice fell on his ears and instinctively, Azimir's rage calmed down. His wolf stopped fighting him for dominance.
"Moreover, he is not worthy of your wrath." This was all it took for Azimir to calm down completely and he blinked a few times in wonder.
Never had he experienced such conflict of emotions whenever his wolf wanted to come out. Nobody had been able to stop the animal from getting what he wanted. He was the King, the Alpha and everyone had to obey him. He was in disbelief to think that the feral animal had listened to Aylin and had obediently stopped fighting him.
Azimir gaped at her silently, not knowing what to do next. He was surprised by the effect she had on him as well as his wolf. Though he and his wolf were one, the animal in him had a mind of his own and it was quite rare of him to listen to anyone.
"Alpha Azimir, Dariel is to be punished according to the laws of Aranill first." Aylin reminded when she noticed his eyes returning to their original color. "If you were to punish him first, I am afraid you would be punished too. So, please control your anger."
Warmth spread through Azimir's heart and his lips curved up in joy. His anger was completely curbed now and he had no reason to not obey Aylin, not when she only had his well-being in mind. Azimir did not even care about how others were viewing him to be. He just smiled at Aylin, agreeing to her words happily before they returned to the matter at hand.