The silence that followed Alpha Dave's words was deafening. No one spoke. They all stared at the shifter like he was some crazy lunatic.
Riven was quiet for a while. And then he laughed, a cold laughter with no trace of humour in it. He took a step closer to Alpha Dave, like a predator stalking his prey.
"Are you aware",Riven said slowly. "Of the offense of your daughter?".
Alpha Dave looked away from the cold light of Riven's eyes and took a step back tentatively.
"I haven't heard from Cara. I will only believe her words",he said.
"YOU CALL THE SUPREME ALPHA A LIAR?",Cade roared and shifted fully into his lycan, growling menacingly and ready to pounce on Alpha Dave.
"Cade!",Riven said and subdued the beta with a furious look. His eyes were changing, a sign of his beast emerging and his canines were slowly elongating. He whipped his eyes towards Alpha Dave and the latter cowered back under the murderous intensity of the Supreme Alpha.
"You want to see your daughter?",he asked in a dangerous low voice. "Be my guest".
Off to the dungeons they went. It was a low building a few meters away from the mansion. The building dipped down into the ground and was guarded by fearsome looking shifters. They stepped aside as Riven passed through the metal gates with Alpha Dave and Cade behind him. The other shifters waited outside.
The dungeon reeked of blood and death. There were numerous cells, littered with bones of past prisoners, old and decayed. Instead of metal bars, each cell had strong silver gates used in preventing the prisoners from escaping in case they tried to. Particles of decayed flesh could be seen on the bars, where the silver had burned the prisoners who tried to escape.
There were numerous imprisoned captives in the cells. Some chained to the walls, some bound with chains on the ground. A number of them were unrecognizable, having been tortured mercilessly. Alex was in one of those cells and he looked away quickly when Riven walked passed the cell he was.
The last cell room held Cara and Alpha Dave rushed towards it and gripped the bars without thinking. He hissed as the silver burnt his hands and he quickly withdrew them.
Cara's hands were chained to the ceiling and she was suspended from the ground. Blood dripped down her entire body from wounds that didn't heal. The wounds were inflicted from the silver whips that was used on her and it would take a longer time to heal. Her face was lowered, covered with her blonde hair that was stained with blood and dirt. She looked up at Riven and her eyes burned with hate.
"Supreme Alpha",Alpha Dave said in a shaky voice, anger visible in his eyes. "What is the meaning of this? I demand that you release Cara this instance".
"Mind your tongue Dave!",Riven said icily. "You don't want me to lose my temper".
Alpha Dave looked back at his daughter, trembling with the rage he was feeling.
"Go on then. You said you would only believe her words",Riven said and gestured to Cara to speak.
"Cara tell me. Did you really hurt Supreme Alpha Riven's mate?",Alpha Dave asked. His eyes pleaded with his daughter to disagree, to tell him she had been accused wrongly. He knew if Cara really did hurt the Supreme Alpha's mate, there would be nothing for him to do to save her. But Cara only glared at Riven and looked away.
"I guess her silence is answer enough for you",Riven said and clasped his hand behind him. "But allow me brief you on what she did Dave".
There was nothing for Alpha Dave to do but to listen to Riven while he seethed with anger.
"I'm sure you're aware of the arrival of my mate",Riven began in a hard emotionless voice. "Not only did your daughter disobey my orders and enter my room, she deliberately hurt my mate and tried to humiliate her".
"But..."
"Silence Dave. You know as well as I do that we protect what's ours with our lives. We are greatly possessive and protective towards our mates. Cara knew this and yet she had the audacity to harm what's mine".
"Supreme Alpha if may",Alpha Dave pleaded with an anger filled voice. "I'm sure Cara didn't mean any harm. With your relationship with her, I'm sure she thought you..."
"Relationship?",Riven asked, arching a perfect brow. His voice was full of disgust as he replied. "There was never a relationship between your daughter and I Dave. She merely clung to me shamelessly, probably hoping she would be my mate someday".
Cara snapped her head up and glared venomously at Riven. She tried to speak but her mouth was gagged and she could only grunt in anger.
"I beg you Supreme Alpha",Alpha Dave cast aside his pride and pleaded. "Release her and..."
"Do not waste your breathe Dave",Riven said and started to walk away. "She will be imprisoned until she has paid dearly for her atrocities".
Alpha Dave watched Riven and Cade exit the dungeon and he turned furious eyes towards his daughter.
"You were meant to do one thing Cara. Get close to the Supreme Alpha and make him mark you. And yet you failed!",he spat viciously, his eyes burning with anger.
Cara could do nothing but glare back at her father. She felt the prickle of tears behind her eyes and she fought hard to hold them back. They spilled down her cheeks nonetheless, as she remembered the humiliation she received from Riven. Her anger and rage built up and she began to loath Layla. That brat was the cause of her present predicament and she would make sure Layla paid dearly for what Riven put her through.
"I can do nothing to help you. You know the punishments for hurting an Alpha's mate. And yet you blindly hurt the Supreme Alpha's mate",Alpha Dave said in a fit of anger and began to walk away.
"I will plead with the Ancient Shifters. Maybe they will plead with Riven on your behalf. Until then, you're stuck here Cara!". He didn't turn around as he threw his last words over his shoulder and marched out of the dungeons.
Cara remained silent and her hatred towards Layla increased tremendously.
...
Riven walked back to his room. The sight of Cara and what she did to his mate made him furious and made his wolf itch to tear her apart. However he didn't. She would suffer slowly for what she did. Right now he wanted to be in the presence of his mate. It was just two weeks since he found Layla and she already had him wrapped around her fingers.
Riven climbed up the last flight of stairs and made his way to his room. He paused at the door, his hand poised to open it when Layla's sweet laughter reached his ears.
Pushing the door open, he paused and leaned against the door, smiling at the most beautiful sight before him.
Caleb was in his wolf form, a big silver coloured wolf. He was at the end of the room, wagging his tail rapidly and Layla threw scrunched up paper at him. Caleb would grab the scrunched paper in his mouth and deliver them at Layla's feet before running back.
They were so engrossed in their little throw and catch that they didn't notice when Riven entered the room until he spoke.
"This is clearly interesting".
Layla's head snapped up and a pleased smile lit up her face. Before Riven could walk in, she skipped towards him and threw her arms around his middle in a hug, smiling sweetly at him.
Her action both shocked and pleased Riven and he couldn't resist placing a kiss on her forehead. Layla blushed deeply and released him, turning around to point at Caleb who was now in his human form.
"I see you had a good time with Caleb",Riven remarked and placed his hand around Layla's waist possessively. Layla nodded at him and put her forefingers together, placing one on top the other.
Riven immediately knew what she meant. "You're friends with Caleb now". Layla nodded, extremely pleased that he understood what she meant.
"Alpha, I was just keeping her company. I didn't do...",Caleb began to say.
"Just clean up the mess Caleb",Riven cut him short. He wanted to be alone with his mate. Caleb quickly picked up the pieces of scrunched up paper and exited the room, waving at Layla before he disappeared.
Riven frowned. He didn't like Layla's closeness with the gamma. He took her with him towards the bed and Layla quickly grabbed a plain parchment.
"Have you had lunch my love?",Riven asked when he saw Layla scribbling on a new parchment. She shook her head and continued writing.
"Would you like to have lunch with me?",Riven asked further and smiled when Layla nodded eagerly to him. She got off the bed and placed the parchment before him.
Riven's eyes widened with shock at what she wrote.