Three days later...
Rain lay bloodied in the cell.
It had been three days of the most agonizing torture ever known to man.
He was proud of himself, he had never given up the information they wanted.
He would die happy, knowing that his little brother had a fighting chance.
The door to his cell opened and another bloodied body was tossed in.
He creaked to the groaning lump, it was Steele.
"Steele, oh goddess, you look bad."
Steele grinned, showing off his blood-stained teeth.
"You don't look any better," he replied.
Rain laughed and then winced because of the pain from his injuries.
"I didn't tell them anything; I didn't utter a word," he told Rain.
"I never doubted you, brother, never." Rain assured him.
"I can't believe Darius would do this to the fortress," Steele said in between groans.
"And why don't you believe so?" they heard Darius ask.
They looked up to see him striding into the cell, looking pompous and self-assured.
"How could you Darius?" Rain asked him.
"How couldn't I? The fortress was already declining, a wise person could have simply surrendered the diary and allowed the rest of us to be integrated into packs."
"Integrated as slaves? Have you forgotten people joined the fortress as a solace from the packs?" Rain asked him.
"I am sure they would have preferred to be slaves than to be dead." Darius pointed out to him.
Rain shook his head, "No, have you forgotten the pride of the fortress? We would rather die than be slaves."
Darius laughed. "Ah! Yes, the good old fortress pride. I have never subscribed to that. Alpha Drew offered me a position in his pack, my life just for spilling the secrets. Why didn't you just give him the diary? What was so special?"
"You would never understand Darius. I can't believe I ever called you my brother."
"Oh please! Your only brothers were Ash and Steele. You guys, always left me out, have you forgotten?"
"We never left you out, Darius. And you did this because you are greedy and selfish."
"Whatever you say, they are going to kill the both of you today. And as for Ash, we will find him and I will personally kill him and send him to you."
"You will never get him, nobody knows where he is. Not even me." Rain replied.
"I will look forward to seeing the both of you die, after being pompous all your lives," Darius said with a smirk.
"Karma will get you for this." Rain told him.
"Karma is a fairytale for cowards," Darius replied.
He signaled for the guards to come in.
They came in and dragged Rain and Steele out.
They were carried to the central hall of the fortress, now a former shadow of itself.
"The two of you have been stubborn, but I will find the diary, and whosoever is in possession of it will be dead. I have our men everywhere searching; it's only a matter of time, and I will find them," he told Rain.
Rain and Steele kept quiet.
"So what do we do with them?" another Alpha asked.
"kill them. What else are we going to do."
Rain and Steele felt nothing on hearing this, they had already accepted their deaths.
"If I could offer a different solution." a small voice chipped in.
Rain looked in the direction of the voice. It was a frail-looking young man.
"And what solution is that Silver?" Alpha Drew asked.
"Let them be slaves to instead."
"And what would that solve exactly? Do we have a lack of slaves?" Alpha Drew asked.
"I believe such a thing would be more of a punishment to their pride than death. And whoever is with the diary would eventually show up here or send a message on knowing they are still alive."
Alpha drew considered it, "That is a smart solution; what do you think of this, my fellow Alphas?" Alpha drew asked.
The Alphas all agreed it was a good idea to Rain and Steele's dismay.
"So who wants them?" Alpha Drew asked, pointing at Rain and Steele like they were meat on a platter.
"I and Storm want them." Silver quickly offered, raising his hand and that of the young man standing close to them.
"Ah! I see; okay, make your choice." Alpha drew told them.
"I choose Steele, Storm chooses Rain."
Rain looked at the young man, Storm, who had chosen him.
It didn't seem like Storm even wanted him, it seemed like he was simply going along with Silver's idea.
"But what if they harm them, we all know Silver isn't a particularly good fighter." another Alpha asked.
"Dad!" silver whined.
"shut it." the Alpha told him.
"Well, I know Rain would never be able to do any of that in my pack, or would he son?" Alpha Drew asked Storm.
"No, Father, he wouldn't," Storm replied.
Rain's heart sank even further, he would be in the same pack with Alpha Drew and be a slave to his son. His life looked bleak.
"But just to put your mind at rest, Alpha Lucas, we will get one of the witches to seal their wolf; they will be as powerless as the humans," Alpha Drew offered.
Alpha Lucas nodded in response. "That would put my mind at ease," he replied.
"I will go get a witch." Darius offered excitedly.
Rain rolled his eyes at Darius eagerness.
"Go on then Darius." Alpha Drew permitted him.
Darius practically skipped to get the witch and soon returned with her.
She walked up to Rain and Steele, placed her hands on their chests, and muttered some spells.
Rain could feel the changes in his body and his wolf being trapped.
Before they left the fortress, Alpha Drew ordered for it to be burnt down completely and he made Rain and Steele watch.
Rain cursed them all inwardly, they would all regret this someday. He was sure of it.