A puny human
Alpha Zarak Vex'thor
"My Prince, the king awaits your presence in verset." The royal guard bowed as I walked past. He opened the door, not daring to spare me a glance lest he'd be fighting for his life. When I entered, my father was seated on the throne, his expression somewhat bored.
"Any success?" His eyes lit up, he stepped down and came to greet me. Our fists met in a firm shake, the traditional werewolf greeting.
"We caught a man, father." I spoke in a firm tone, circling the table where a bouquet of food was prepared.
"Only a man?" His eyes followed mine.
"I have seen how weak human men are. Their world is in ruins, they have nothing left to fight for but survival. I believe that humans know of their own weakness, but they're not stupid. They knew that the weakness of their world would attract the strength of others like ours. In that case, they hatched plans to hide their women and risk their own lives in that regard. While it is noble and quite frankly surprising, I plan to get information out of the captured male as soon as possible."
"Your mother would approve. She always encouraged us to think outside the box." He smiled at me. I nodded, knowing that my mother was probably looking down on us from heaven, happy with the choices I made.
"What do you propose?" He asked. I frowned, glancing down at the table. Food was set upon it, but I knew it was for the sake of appearances.
"We must show these creatures what we really are capable of," I stood tall, looking at him without blinking. "We have the technology. We have the resources. And we have the numbers." I held his gaze, waiting for his response.
"You know what happens when you go against our kind." He warned me.
"I know. But I also know what happens when we lose. I want to make sure that doesn't happen." I answered.
"Then why not simply kill them all?" He asked, leaning forward. "Why capture and interrogate one?"
"It's a game of strategy, father. You can't win a war by killing everything that stands in your way. It's a matter of survival and resource management. Do you want the people of earth to die out? Do you want to leave this world to be taken over by other races?" I asked. He was silent for a moment, considering my words.
"What if their human women are the answers to our troubles. We don't have any more time Zarak, the window is closing. Without an heir to the throne, we risk abdicating control to the Lycans. We can't loose, not like this. Before we do anything hasty, interrogate the human male. Find out all there is to know. Maybe, just maybe, there's a miracle woman somewhere on earth waiting to be rescued by us.''
"If we're lucky, we'll find a single human female, still alive. If we're lucky. But if you let your pride get in the way of what's best for the future of our race, you might end up regretting it." I said, even though the look in his eyes warned me. My father was getting old. He no longer believed in the tradition of our ways or our nature. He lost hope the second mother died, now, he operates under nothing but desperation. He isn't fit to be king, yet I can only receive the power of the crown with a mate at hand. I clenched my fist, I have to interrogate that man. Whatever happened, I'd get my answers out of him. Or else...
"I will have him brought to Verset first thing tomorrow morning. We will send another ship for the rest of our men once we're sure there are women on this plannet. Perhaps we can use the men as bait. If they're noble enough to sacrifice and protect their women by allowng themselves to get captured, then perhaps the women will have no one else to depend on if we get all the men. " the idea sounded sinister, but it could work.
"Very well." My father agreed.
"Just remember, Zarak. Don't go against what you feel inside. We can't afford the bloodshed." He told me, bowing his head.
"Come on, father.'' I shrugged, heading for the door. I turned to look at him a last time. "This species is three times smaller than us. They're are weaker, irrational, quick to anger and responsible for the destruction of their world. The only blood to be shed is theirs, if they don't co-operate.'' I walked out of the room, leaving him to think about his words. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not fully convinced that having women on earth is the answer to our problems. I believe that we can rule without needed to imprison and breed women who aren't werewolves like the rest of us. But what choice do we have. The lycan's are stronger than us. Law and tradition permits them to take the throne and enslave werewolves if we have no chance for an heir. I cannot let that happen. Not now.
...
The interrogation chamber was exactly as I had designed it—cold, sterile, and stripped of anything that might offer comfort. Fear was a powerful tool, and I intended to use it to full effect. I stood tall, surveying the creature before me, slumped in the metal chair. A human male, puny, weak and scared. Pathetic.
His limbs were spindly, his jaw weak—everything about him screamed fragility. When his eyes flickered open, I caught a glimpse of those dull brown orbs. The sight filled me with contempt. These humans were a wretched species, weak and cowardly, unable even to defend themselves. Their world was a reflection of their failure.
"Speak," I commanded, my voice echoing in the chamber. He swallowed hard.
"We... we don't have any women," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.
Liar. My patience was already wearing thin. "Liar," I growled, stepping closer. My patience is a finite resource, and this pathetic creature was already testing its limits.
He winced, his eyes darting around the room, searching for an escape that didn't exist. "It's true! A virus wiped them out years ago. Only men are left."
A virus? I scoffed at the excuse. My species had faced countless threats, far more formidable than anything this weakling could imagine, and yet none had come close to wiping us out like the last. Yet, I refused to believe that one phenomenon could happen to two plannets. A virus wiped out our women. They fell like flies and died in a matter of days. The humans, however, it had to be different. "Where are your hidden cities? Your underground bunkers?"
The human shook his head vigorously, desperation seeping into his voice. "No cities. No bunkers. We live in small groups, trying to survive."
I leaned in, locking eyes with him, my gaze penetrating. "And where are these small groups?"
His hesitation was telling. His fear was palpable. "I... I don't know. I'm alone."
That was the last straw. My patience snapped, and I lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the wall. His whimper of pain was a pitiful sound, only deepening my disdain. Why was a male was so weak? Human or not, there was a softness to his eyes, a delicacy to him that made me feel all sorts of things. He appealed to my protective wolf, made me want to nature and protect him. What the hell was wrong with me?
"You will tell me the truth, or I will break you," I snarled, my grip tightening.
His eyes widened in terror. "I'm telling the truth! Please, believe me!"
I released him, letting him slump back into the chair, but I didn't take my eyes off him. There was something about this creature that gnawed at me. Something... different. It wasn't just the defiance I saw flickering in his eyes, though that was intriguing in its own right. There was something off about him. His hands were smaller than those of most human males, and his hips were...shaped. A strange sensation stirred within me—something unfamiliar, a blend of curiosity and repulsion.
I dismissed it as irrelevant. I had a mission to complete. My people's future depended on finding the human females. Without them, we were doomed.
"You will cooperate," I said, my voice cold and unyielding. "Or you will die."
He nodded, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind. Good. Fear was a language I knew how to speak.
"I know nothing. There are no women.'' My fist slammed into a wall chest heaving. My patience was thinning, I hated being lied to.
"You are withholding information," I stated, my voice low and menacing.
The man swallowed hard, yet, he no Adam's apple bobbed. Every second, something grew strange about him. "I-I told you everything," he stammered.
A wave of irritation washed over me. His fear was palpable, but it was not enough. I needed answers, and I would not be denied. I was holding back on him, for some reason, I didn't want to crush him. He was delicate and weak. He looked like he could easily break under my finger. He was like something I'd keep as a pet. Play and toy with, control, take care of and protect.
"You are lying," I said, turning my attention to the present. "I can smell the deception on you."
His eyes widened in shock. "What?" He squeaked out.
I leaned in closer, my senses heightened. The scent was there, unmistakable. A sweet, almost floral undertone that clashed with the musty stench of fear. It was a scent of life, of potential, of something...different.
"You are hiding something," I repeated, my voice low and dangerous.
The human's face paled. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. I could see the gears turning in his puny mind, the desperate attempt to formulate a lie.
"Tell me the truth," I demanded, my patience evaporating. "Or I will make you wish you had."
The human's eyes darted around the room once more, as if searching for an escape. But there was none. He was trapped.
"There is something different about you," I pressed. "Something that doesn't fit. What is it?"
His glassy eyes locked onto mine, and for a brief moment, I saw a flicker of something in them. Was it fear? Or was it something else? Something deeper?
"I don't know what you're talking about," the human whispered, his voice trembling.