Forbidden Queen

Katy

The rest of our journey to the northern territory passes uneventfully and the next day we arrive at Philip’s pack house.

It is smaller and not as grand as the pack house in the Lunar Eclipse Pack, but it looks comfortable, and I am looking forward to seeing Philip again and meeting his wolves.

First though Joseph wants to get our prisoners safely transferred to his dungeon and start their interrogation.

Philip is waiting for us at the door to his pack house. Next to him are five large burly wolves.

“Welcome. I am so pleased that your majesty had decided to visit the northern territory. It has been thirty years since a member of the royal family has visited us. I am afraid that we have always been seen as a bit of a back water.”

“Not to me. I am looking forward to seeing more of your territory and meeting the wolves that live here.”

“And so, you shall, first thing tomorrow. I will show you where your rooms are and give you time to rest before dinner. In the meantime, we will get your prisoners secured in their cells.

Joseph you are welcome to begin your interrogation as soon as you want. I have put my best wolves at your disposal to help you question the prisoners.” he says gesturing to the wolves standing next to him.

“Thank you. I would like to start straight away.”

“And Alex, I have a prisoner who might interest you. Your brother has been travelling to the neighbouring packs. He strayed a bit too close to our borders last week and we managed to capture him. I have him locked in a cell. You may do with him whatever you wish.”

I feel Alex stiffen and grab his hand. I can only imagine how he must feel, to know that his traitorous little brother is so close.

“Once Katy is settled, I would like to speak to him.”

“We both will” I say.

Alex turns to look at me, he must see the determination in my eyes, and simply nods in agreement.

“If possible. I would like to see him too” Daniel says.

I had forgotten that he must hate Jordan just as much as we do. His former friend had helped Carl kill his father and betray his pack.

Alex nods his head.

“Why don’t I show you to your rooms and then I will take you to the dungeon?” Philip suggests.

“Thank you.”

Philip takes us inside his pack house. It looks comfortable and clean. The carpets are a neutral beige colour and look well worn. There are no paintings on the walls, but they are covered with photos of mountainous scenery, and of pack members enjoying themselves.

Philip watches me as I take in my surroundings. “We aren’t as grand as the other territories, we don’t have expensive furniture and paintings, but we look after each other, and share what we have.”

“Which is much more important” I tell him.

“We are happy.

Now all your rooms are on the second floor,” he says walking us up the stairs, “apart from the guards who will share with my warriors. Yours, your majesty is here on the left.”

He opens a door and I look inside the room. It is simply furnished like the rest of the house with a double bed, a wardrobe and a small desk.

“This will be perfect, thank you.”

“I will return in twenty minutes to take you to your brother.”

As soon as he leaves and we are alone I watch Alex’s shoulders slump, and the blank mask he has been wearing since he heard of this brother’s capture slips from his face to be replaced by pain and rage.

I hug him close.

“I am glad that he has been caught and he can no longer spread lies about what he helped Carl do to our pack. He needs to stand trial for his crimes, the lives he has taken.”

“He does, but no one expects this to be easy for you, whatever he has done he is still your brother.”

“I can’t show mercy, he deserves the same fate as all the other traitors. I just never thought that I would have to kill my own brother.”

“And you shouldn’t, he should be sent back to the Lunar Eclipse Pack and put on trial. They should decide what happens to him.”

“I am their Alpha, it is my duty to deliver justice, and there can only be one punishment for his crimes, death.”

I kiss him gently on the lips. I don’t know what to say to comfort him.

……

Twenty minutes later Philip arrives to take us to the dungeon. Daniel is hovering behind him. A determined look upon his face.

“Follow me. He is in a prison cell in the darkest part of the dungeon. It is bleak down there, but it is the most secure place. I was afraid that the Black Moon pack might attempt to rescue him.”

Alex nods, “a sensible precaution in the circumstances.”

“How is he?” I ask. It is pretty clear that Alex won’t ask about his brother’s welfare, but I can tell that he wants to know.

“He sustained some minor injuries when we captured him. Bites, scratches, and his arm was broken, but nothing serious. A healer attended to his wounds. His mental state is not so good.”

“In what way” I ask. Alex needs to be prepared for what we will find when we see Jordan again.

“When we first captured him, he spent his time shouting and demanding to be set free, telling us that he was the son of an Alpha, that he was an Alpha himself and should not be imprisoned. When we made it clear that we knew who he was and what he had done, he became sullen and refused to speak. A few days ago, we told him you were coming. He… He became hysterical at the news.”

Alex swore under his breath.

“He would be scared. He should be scared. He betrayed our pack. He knows what is coming, what he has brought upon himself. He is a coward” Daniel says scathingly.

I reach out and squeeze his hand. This will be almost as bad for Daniel as it is for Alex.

Philip led us out of the pack house to a small stone building 200 metres away. “This is where we keep our dangerous prisoners. It looks small from the outside, but the main structure is below ground.”

I nod trying not to shudder as I take in the windowless building in front of us. Two fierce warriors stand guard in front of the heavy wooden entrance door. It looks grim and uninviting.

One of the warriors, nods to Philip and heaves open the door.

It is gloomy inside, but a weak light flickers on as we enter the building. “We keep the prisoners in the dark for most of the day. It keeps them disorientated and makes it more difficult for them to try and escape.”

I can’t imagine how horrible it must feel to be imprisoned in this dark place. I can see water running down the walls. It feels damp and cold.

Philip guides us along the corridor to another sturdy wooden door. He takes out a key and unlocks it, revealing steep steps going down into the darkness. We follow him down until we reach another corridor, this one darker and gloomier that the last. As we walk along it, I notice the cells on each side. Some are populated with prisoners who cry out to us as we pass. They beg us to let them go, or shout obscenities at us, but as we go further down the corridor this noise stops. Here the cells are smaller, and contain no furniture, not even a bed. The occupants are bent over, unable to stand in such a confined space.

“This is where we keep our most violent and dangerous prisoners. The ones that we cannot let escape. Many of them need to be broken to stop them attacking their guards.”

“And Jordan is in one of these?” I ask. I can’t reconcile the weak coward I know with the dangerous criminals who these cells are meant for.

“If this is the most secure place, then this is where he should be. Many of the members of my pack who lost loves ones because of his betrayal would be glad to think that this is where he ended up” Alex says harshly.

Finally, we reach the last cell. I can hear someone inside sobbing. This must be it. Jordan’s cell. I turn to look at Alex, but his face is expressionless.

“Jordan” I have brought your brother to see you, and his mate the queen.”

The sobbing stops and a thick voice says “I don’t want to see my brother and his omega whore. They murdered my father.”

“Even now you plan on sticking to your lies. Blaming me for your crimes. No one will believe you here. As for calling your queen a whore, you are her prisoner, your life is in her hands it is hardly the brightest thing to do. Even you should know better than that.”

“I have done nothing wrong,” he sobs. “It wasn’t me.”

“Well, if you have done nothing wrong then you won’t mind returning to the Lunar Eclipse pack and standing trial. You will be given the opportunity to plead your innocence to your pack.”

“No, no I can’t go back” he splutters, sobbing harder. “They hate me.”

“Of course, they hate you. You helped kill their family and friends.” Daniel says angrily.

“It wasn’t my fault, they weren’t supposed to die. We were just going to kill the Alpha and take over the pack. There was no need for further bloodshed.

“You mean you would have killed your father, brother and the other ranking wolves? Did you think that the pack would just give in to you? That they would accept you. You are even more stupid than I thought. Your ambition and greed for what is not yours has blinded you. You deserve what is coming to you” Daniel says in disgust.

“What do you want to do with him?” Philip asks Alex

“We will take him back to the palace, and from there I will arrange for him to be transported back to the Lunar Eclipse Pack. Euan, my beta will arrange his trial.”

“No” screams Jordan. “No, that is not fair. They can’t judge me. I am an Alpha.”

“No, you are not, you aren’t even a member of a pack.

I Alex, the Alpha of the Lunar Eclipse Pack do now expel you from the Pack. I sever the bonds that bind you to the Lunar Eclipse pack. Hence forth you will be a pack less rogue.”

“No” Jordan whimpers.

“I have seen enough. Let us return to your pack house and continue our visit. I do not want to see him again until we leave.”