Selena's heart raced with fear and determination. She knew that to survive and potentially save Cayden; she needed to gather as much information as she could. With a glimmer of hope, she focused her attention on the man standing before her.
She locked her gaze on him, her voice steady despite the unease in her heart. "Who are you? Why do you seek to destroy the werewolves? You are one of them, are you not?" Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the mix of curiosity and disbelief that washed over her.
Magnus met her gaze, and his eyes darkened with remorse and anger. "Yes, Selena, you are right. I am one of them. But I never became a werewolf. What you don't know is that I was not born a werewolf; I was made into one against my will."
Selena's mind was having a hard time processing this information as her eyes widened in shock. She was unaware of any wolves. Rarely were humans turned, except if they were a person's partner. Or had unintentionally received a wolf bite. Or perhaps they had discovered their secret. In that situation, a human is given just two options. Turn and join them, or you'll perish.
"I am Councilman Magnus," he added.
Selena never expected a councilman, someone who should have been a staunch defender of their species, to turn against his own. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and she yearned to understand the motive behind Magnus' betrayal.
Intrigued, Selena pressed further. "How did a human like you end up as a councilman among werewolves, only to turn against your own kind?"
Magnus sighed deeply, and his voice was sad at the same time. "A long time ago, I was the Duke of Castamere. I was engaged to my beautiful Evelyn, and I did not know that supernatural beings existed. One night, a rogue werewolf attacked me, and I had no choice but to join their pack. My human life was taken away from me, and I had to learn to live in a world I had never heard of before. My fiancée was my inheritance, but I had to give her up and my entire life.”
Selena listened carefully, her curiosity and sympathy mixing as she did so. She couldn't imagine how painful it must have been for Magnus to be torn away from his old life and thrown into the world of the wolves.
Magnus continued with a bitter tone in his voice, "I tried to find comfort among the werewolves, but they never really accepted me. I was an outsider and would always be seen as different. Even though there were obstacles, I worked hard to move up the ranks and prove my loyalty and worth. I eventually joined the Alpha Council, which I thought would give me a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose."
Selena felt a pang of compassion for Magnus. She understood the desire to find belonging and acceptance, to feel like a valued member of a community. Yet, it seemed the path he had chosen had led him down a dark and treacherous road.
Magnus's face showed a bit of sadness as he told his story. "Over the years, I saw how the council was filled with corruption. Power and greed poisoned the hearts of those who were supposed to protect us. I saw how our kind was being treated unfairly and realised that the council had become a force that kept pain and suffering going."
As Selena thought about what Magnus had said, she furrowed her brow.
"So, you destroyed us?"
Magnus shook his head, his eyes filled with determination. "No, not destroy. I wanted to dismantle the corrupt system and rebuild it into something fair and just. Which can only happen when the current lot of wild werewolves die. I may not have been born a werewolf, Selena, but I have seen the darkness within our kind. I want to liberate us from the chains of oppression, even if it means tearing down the very structure that once elevated me."
"You are crazy!" She snapped. Selena's voice trembled with a mix of fear and disbelief. "You can't possibly think that violence and destruction are the answer. There must be another way to bring about change, to find a balance between justice and unity."
"All I want is a war. You people will destroy each other, anyway."
He smirked; his eyes filled with icy determination.
"You do not differ from my dad and others whom you have been manipulating." Selena shouted in anger. "You claim to fight for justice, but all you're doing is perpetuating the cycle of pain and suffering." Selena's voice quivered with righteous indignation as she stood her ground against his twisted ideology.
" Councilman Magnus! Hawk has been taken into custody." A man suddenly arrived and announced.
"Excellent! And what else?" Magnus asked the man with glee.
"The council is broken into two factions. Most of them were against arresting Hawk. But Lady Thalia persisted. But most packs are not happy with this decision. There is a lot of infighting going on."
Magnus's smile widened at the news, relishing the chaos that had unfolded within the council. Selena heard the news with horror. She had to stop him.
"You can't do this!" she screamed and jumped at Magnus.
His hand pressed over her mouth, his fingers digging into her cheeks.
"Be a good girl, and I won't be forced to hurt you. Yet."
When she stared in horror at Magnus, black specks danced over her vision. His huge form crushed her against the cold stone wall, his fingers painfully gripping her cheeks. A sharp object pressed against her throat.
"You tried to kill me." Magnus's narrow lips twisted into a terrifying smile. Selena's legs almost collapsed beneath her.
His head lowered, his lips brushed against hers, and his breath warmed her face. She tried to move her head, letting out a little whimper, but merciless fingers stopped her. His mouth stroked lovingly over hers, nipping and teasing, his tongue seeking admission. Her palms pressed against his chest as his fingers crushed her nostrils shut, and her lips parted as she tried to get breath into her suffocating lungs. Bile rose in her throat.
His tongue entered her mouth. She couldn't breathe or think. Dizziness poured over her as he avidly explored her mouth, his hard lips pressing aggressively against hers, his breathing deep as his solid bulk mashed against her softness.
When Selena felt the sharp point at her neck pushed down across her chest, over the uneven rise and fall of her breasts, she trembled. As the dagger slashed through the strap of her dress, his mouth suppressed a gasp. She felt the fabric fall over the peak of her breast.
"My! When Hawk offered me the chance, I should have taken it. Regrettably, Gerald got you before me."
So, her father had offered her to almost every prospective Alpha! She wasn't surprised.
As she felt the pointed tip press against her tense breast, her fingers clamped around his wrist. A tear rolled down her face as the stinging sensation worsened, a simple foreshadowing of what was to follow. She clenched her teeth and tasted blood. Magnus jerked back, his hand reaching for his mouth.
"You bit me!" As his fist collided with her temple, leaving everything black, he bit out savagely.
**************
Cayden and Max walked slowly back to their pack, worried and determined. They knew they couldn't face this challenge alone. His pack members surrounded them, asking questions, offering hugs, and expressing sympathy. Cayden pushed through them and headed straight for the meeting room. He needed to make a plan. He entered the room and saw four men sitting around a large table. They were James, Mark, Jack, and Dean. They were the Alphas of the Black Shadow pack and the Blood River pack.
They looked up at him and saw the pain in his eyes. They stood up and embraced him. "Cayden," James whispered. "We're so sorry."
"We heard what happened," Mark added. "We're here for you."
"Thank you," Cayden said hoarsely. "Thank you for coming."
"Of course," Jack said. "We're in this together. We'll help you find her," Dean said firmly.
Cayden nodded and sat down at the table. Max joined him and took a seat next to him.
"Let's get down to business," Cayden said. "We need to find Selena. "
"Do you have any clues?" James asked.
"Not much," Cayden admitted. "Someone hired mercenaries to kidnap her. Thalia cannot hold Hawk for long. We don't have much time."
"Mercenaries?" Mark frowned. "That's unusual."
"Yeah," Cayden agreed.
"It makes it harder to track them down. They're professionals," Cayden said bitterly.
"They know how to cover their tracks. So, what do we do?" James asked.
"We attack Hawk's allies," Mark said grimly.
"What?" Cayden exclaimed.
"You heard me," Mark said coldly. "We go after the packs that support him or work with him. This is what we've always wanted. Now that Hawk is in custody, We have the opportunity."
"It will start a war, something that Thalia has been trying to prevent," Cayden mumbled.
"You know war is inevitable." You must focus on looking for Selena; let us handle Hawk's minions." Mark insisted.
Cayden sighed, realising the weight of Mark's words. "Alright," he reluctantly agreed. "But we need to be strategic about it and make sure we don't put innocent lives at risk."
"Did you mention mercenaries?" Kylie's voice interrupted their discussion.
They all turned and saw a girl standing there.
"Kylie, what are you doing here?" Max asked. "I'm here to help," Kylie said.
She walked in. "I may have a lead," Kylie announced, her voice filled with conviction. "My brothers used to work as mercenaries. If anyone can help us find out who kidnapped Selena, it's them."
Cayden's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and anticipation. She was right! Kylie and her brothers loved like rogues for years.
"Kylie, if your brother can provide any information that leads us to Selena, it would be a significant breakthrough," Cayden said, his voice resolute. "We will need all the help we can get."