Damon's POV
Damon's heart continued to beat wildly as he waited for Grayson's team to subdue the guards surrounding the dungeon. His ears flicked up when he felt Apollo leaned slightly onto him. Damon and Apollo could still mindlink each other because they were siblings."I don't know what I am feeling right now Damon, but I can safely say this...Alpha Thomas will die tonight... if it's the last thing I ever do in my life" Apollo growled through the link. Damon's tail swished in agreement as he continued to concentrate into the darkness hoping to see Grayson and his team.
Apollo's nose twitched in anticipation. He shifted uneasily trying to keep quiet as Damon huffed impatiently beside him. Patience had never been his strong suit especially now when he had his mate's life at stake. He tried to calm himself as he too anxiously awaited for the signal from Grayson.
"Look....to the left. Shadows moving! Is that one of ours?" hissed Damon through the mindlink again. Apollo turned to stare into the darkness. He saw the shadows hunkering down and creeping towards them. His heart rate speeding up as he waited to see if the shadows were the Black Raven guards or were they the Starfall elite guards turned rogues. Apollo's tongue felt dry pressing onto his hard palate as he tried to swallow his anxiety down. As Grayson came into view, a sharp gasp of relief passed through Apollo's lips. He had shifted to his human form so that he could open the locked doors of the dungeon to let the lead group in. His group would remain at the door, guarding it, to ensure that no one would be able to attack his Alphas from behind.
Grayson took the large metal key he had taken from the unconscious guard's belt and slowly inserted it into the large keyhole in the door. Grayson's stomach dropped to hear the loud metallic whine emanating from the lock. He turned to apologise to both the Alphas who were waiting as he pushed the door open. The two Alpha wolves in front grimaced as the loud sound tore into the night. They stood straight with their noses to the air scenting if anyone has been alerted to their presence.
Damon pushed himself forward still sniffing the air for signs that someone coming as he slowly advanced towards the door. As Grayson stepped aside, the two large Alpha wolves along with their team of wolves entered the dungeon cautiously. Grayson closed the door behind the small group and shifted into his wolf as he took his position as a guard in front of the dungeon. The two other wolves with him taking their position in a small scrub facing the door of the dungeon. The three of them would prevent anyone from entering the dungeon and ambushing the rescue group.
The smell of suffering and filth permeated the dank dungeons. Damon and Apollo quickly padded through the corridor gingerly stepping over a few puddles filled with inky brackish fluid. Apollo put his nose near the fluid trying to decipher its nature but the smell made his eyes water and his throat close to prevent him from gagging. The metallic smell of blood and the sickly scent of wolfbane permeated his sensitive nose. He shuddered to think of Alisha locked here, not knowing when she would be rescued. He vowed to make Alpha Thomas pay for the suffering he has caused. Apollo said a prayer to the Monn Goddess to keep his mate safe until he could get to her.
The Alphas slowed down as to avoid the silver chains carelessly thrown on the floor. Reagen's wolf heaved and retched noiselessly as she saw bits of flesh and hair matted onto the silver chains on the ground. She shuddered to think of the suffering that had taken place in this dungeon. Reagan was an elite guard so death was not a foreign concept for her but of what she was witnessing now...This was not incidental deaths but intentional torture to cause the most amount of pain before their victims died. Beads of sweat rolled off her forehead as her revulsion at the extent of violence she was looking at made her stop and gasp for air.
Suddenly from the bowels of the dungeon, a scream emanated. Both the Alphas stiffened as they recognised who the scream was from. Apollo raced forward just a hair breath behind Damon as they hurled themselves towards the narrow corridor of the dungeon.
Suddenly, they saw her. She was hanging from the ceiling from chains attached to her wrists, neck and ankles. Damon who was in the lead snarled loudly as he saw that she was being whipped by one of the wolves while the other was laughing at her. Alisha's cry had slowly stopped even as the wolf continued hitting her. Her head falling forward as she hung there powerless to defend herself. Damon saw red as he heard a shrill laugh from the man observing her." Samuel! You get Sean! Apollo and I will take care of Alpha Thomas." he snarled knowing full well that Samuel couldn't understand his growl but would probably understand his intent. Apollo and Damon enter the dungeon but Damon managed to pounce on Alpha Thomas's back first. Damon felt a slow whisper of movement as Samuel and Reagan rushed past Alpha Thomas's prone body towards their prey. Damon knew that the man holding the whip was Sean. He had wanted to pounce on him first but Mitchell had promised Samuel. Sean's death would be by his hands....and his hands alone.
Damon placed a large paw on Alpha Thomas's back as he turned to look at Sean. He heard Sean denying any wrongdoings and putting the blame on Alpha Thomas. He growled as Sean even said that it was Debra's fault that he was forced to kill her. Apollo snorted in Alpha Thomas's face as he heard Sean, Alpha Thomas's most trusted second in command, betraying his Alpha to the two wolves that had surrounded him.
As Sean's wolf tried and escape, Apollo took a step towards the doorway ensuring that Sean would not be able to leave the cell alive. He grimaced as blood from Sean's disarticulated head spurted out and hit the floor beside his front paws. He looked disgustedly at the head that had rolled in his direction after being spat out by Reagan's wolf. He turned to see his brother step off Alpha Thomas's body and nudge him to stand.
"Now see here! You will be punished if you harm me. I am a powerful Alpha. You don't smell like you are in any pack. You are rogues, arent you? Do not harm me and I will make sure you are rewarded. You can take the place of my Beta ....he was a useless one anyway!" said Alpha Thomas slowly rising to his feet. His confidence that he would be able to talk his way out of this grew as the seconds ticked by. Damon and Apollo snorted in disdain. A cracking sound followed by the sudden movement in their direction was all that warned Alpha Thomas that his plan to win over the rogue wolves would never pan out. The rich black coat with blue highlights was pulled into Markian's body as he shifted back to human form.
"You! You are not a rogue!! Aren't you, Alpha Xavier's son?" he shouted as confusion coloured his face. His ragged breaths came out in hitches as he slowly processed what was happening in front of him. His face fell as he recognised Markian and Mitchell. His previous confidence faltering as he turned towards Alisha and stuttered "No! She can't be your mate! She is a weak human bastard! She cannot mate with a mighty wolf! I forbid it! Not again!"
"If you thought she was just a human....why did you pump her full of wolfsbane?? You know she is a wolf! That was the reason, wasn't it? The only way you could subdue her was with wolfsbane!"Markian's voice cracked as he rushed to Alisha's side. Mitchell went to the other side so that he could also support Alisha weight, taking the pressure off her shoulders and legs. Alisha's eyes remained closed but she moaned as her mates held her close.
Alpha Thomas growled as Samuel delivered a kick behind his knees. He staggered and fell into a kneeling position in front of Markian and Mitchell. Reagan and Samuel caught hold of his arms behind him and held onto Alpha Thomas to keep him still as he continued to yell obscenities and threats at the twins.
Mitchell and Markian ignored his ranting as they pull on the chains to bring Alisha down. They hissed as the silver in the chains burned their palms. Their eyes turned black as they let their wolves strength out to yank at the chains one more time. The links of the chain seem to explode as they tore away from the ceiling. Markian caught hold of Alisha as she dropped down to the ground. He bent over her body shielding her from the silver embedded links of chain that were showering them from above. Mitchell roared as he pushed the broken links from the chain that had fallen on Markian's exposed back. He cleared Alisha's bed and helped Markian place her on it. Both Markian and Mitchell dropped on their knees in despair as they looked at their beautiful mate and the obvious signs of her torture all over her body. With tears in their eyes, they buried their head into either side of her neck inhaling her scent which they had longed for since such a long time ago."Alisha! Baby! Wake up! We are here Alisha! ...Please wake up!" Mitchell pleaded as both of them kneeled by her bedside. Their tears, flowing freely from their eyes, wetting her neck and shoulders as they murmured their pledges of undying love for her. Markian pulled the clasp which undid the cuff on Alisha's neck as he lifted her head slightly to support it with his shoulder. Mitchell's eyes turned black again as Apollo surfaced to help him sliced off the cuffs on her wrists and waist. He hissed as he saw the raw areas riddling her wrist and waist that were caused by the cuffs.
"Let's get Alisha out of here Mark! We need to get her home and check by our doctors. I don't want her here any longer" said Mitchell as he gritted his teeth in anger. He turned to growl at Alpha Thomas who was staring at the floor in discomfort. Samuel hauled the Alpha to his feet ignoring the Alpha's growl of pain as he wrenched his shoulder upwards."We have to settle the Black Ravens first Mitch....We can't leave yet." said Markian as he pulled Alisha into his arm and carried her out of the cell.Ben rushed forward ahead of Markian , protecting his Alpha with his own body as all of them slowly clambered out of the Black Raven's dungeon.Ben pushed the door open and found himself face to face with Grayson's snarling wolf."Whoa there Beta!! It's me Ben! We got our Luna. Alpha Markian is carrying her out." said Ben as he pushed the door wider.
Grayson yipped in relief seeing the rescue team coming out with the Luna. The two wolves that were crouching in the bushes came out as well to welcome their Alpha and Luna back. They sniffed Alisha and looked back to their Alphas...there was something different. Luna Alisha didn't smell the same. It was like something was missing, an integral part of her that had caused a change in her very essence. The wolves whimpered as they followed their Alpha.
Ben knew the way to the Black Raven packhouse so he lead the way. Samuel dragged Alpha Thomas all the way, making sure to make it as uncomfortable as he could. He snarled as Alpha Thomas tried to wrestle away from him. Reagan withdrew a knife she had kept strapped on her body, she stood in front of the struggling Alpha and brandished it menacingly."Try anything funny Alpha and I will cut you down! My Alphas may have let you live for now but just give me trouble and I will make sure you die as painfully as possible" she threatened.
It was about ten o'clock at night so many werewolves were still standing around talking to each other in front of the packhouse. They stared in shock as one by one noticed their Alpha being dragged to the packhouse by a bunch of wolves who smelt like rogues. The Black Raven wolves growled and began to shift into their wolves. One wolf who had walked up to them, lifted his hand to stop the advancing group of rogues.
"I am the Gamma of the Black Raven pack. I command you to stop! Who are you? And why have you captured our Alpha?" he said loudly as he watched the rogues come to a stop in front of him. He winced to see his Alpha being manhandled by the rogues
Mitchell stepped forward to answer the Gamma's questions.
"I am the next Alpha of Starfall. We came tonight to rescue my and my brother's mate. She was kidnapped by your Alpha and his Beta nearly two weeks ago. They have been keeping her locked in your dungeon since then. You can see that they have been torturing her all the while" said Mitchell explaining the situation quickly before it became a bloodbath between the Black Raven warriors and his small group of warriors
"You lie! We have no fight with Starfall! Why would Alpha Thomas and Beta Sean kidnap your mate" said the Gamma vehemently as he stared at the group. His eyes scanning the group and falling on Alisha who was being carried by Markian.
"Your Luna?! Why?! How...She was...She was in the dungeon?" he stammered as he began to believe what Mitchell was saying."Alpha Thomas....Please tell us that it is not true!! Did you actually think that you could kidnap the Starfall pack's Luna and not tell us? What have you done?" he asks with resignation as he turned towards his Alpha who was being made to kneel on the ground by one of the rogues.
"Oh shut up Patrick! This is why I never promoted you to anything more than Gamma! You are too soft! Can't you see the girl is a human bastard? She is my previous Beta, Lawrence's.....She is his bastard! The fool thought he could mate with a human and I wouldn't find out??? I will not let the wolf bloodline be contaminated with weak human blood!"Alpha Thomas shouted at Patrick, the Black Raven's Gamma as he glowered in anger.
Mitchell roared in anger at the insults Alpha Thomas was hurling at Alisha. He walked towards the kneeling Alpha and caught hold of his shirt. His eyes glowered black as Apollo's consciousness sprang forward. Pulling Alpha Thomas up onto his tiptoes so that he could look the Alpha in his eyes. Apollo snarled seeing the Alpha gulp in terror. His snout elongating and his canines lengthening and Apollo struggled to come forward completely
"Disrespect her one more time and I swear that I will chew and spit out your head before you can even blink." he threatened.
Patrick flushed as he heard what his Alpha had to say. He turned to look at the other wolves who had come forward as well. The Black Raven wolf council had all hurried to the front of the packhouse when they heard that their Alpha had been captured by rogues. There was a lot of murmuring between the council members. All of them realising that their Alpha had brought on a possibility of war between the Black Raven pack and the Starfall pack.