Chapter 67
Emanuel was on his knees in front of Darian, he tried to reach for the knife but it was lodged
between his shoulder blades. I squeezed my eyes shut even though I swore I wouldn’t look away and turned my head down when he tried to reach for the knife. With each movement, the knife twisted in his tissue and the pain was a constant as it shot down the back and into the legs. With each movement and breath, it was lodged deeper and the desperation of wanting to remove it but not being able to reach on your own would eat at his mind.
I remember my dad telling me about this method before. As a former Beta one of his primary jobs was to sit in on the ‘interrogations’ as he called it- it was just him extracting information from a prisoner using whatever means necessary. He said that he never enjoyed it, which was the reaction from a normal person, not the sickening amusement that twinkled like black stars in Darian’s eyes when he saw Emanuel writhing in pain on his knees.
The anger swirled in me and it was pushing up against my skin wanting to be freed but in response, my legs started shaking and I fell short on words when the air wouldn’t exit. Iliana’s face was turning redder by the second and her eyelids were fluttering shut.
“I’ll tell you what,” Darian said, breaking the sounds of whirling pain from Iliana and Emanuel.
The only couple in this world that didn’t deserve any of what was happening to them.
His hold around Iliana’s throat loosened so she could take a breath and the blood rushed to her brain as the redness fell from her face.
Darian grabbed Iliana’s face in his hands and stroked his thumb over her cheek.
“Shh,” he whispered and tucked her hair behind her ear while she cried out her pleads.
“If you, Alpha Emanuel, can successfully remove the knife lodged in your back, I will spare your beautiful mate’s life.” He chuckled darkly and bit down on his lip while he scanned over her face.
“But if you can’t…” his voice dropped an octave and he turned her around and locked her neck in his arm. Her hands flew up and she grabbed at his elbow. Darian flexed his arm and brushed his hand over her head before he rested it on her forehead.
“… I will snap her neck and watch you carry her lifeless body back to your pack.”
Iliana’s tears fell on his skin and she begged him- but not for her own life, she was begging for Emanuel’s.
Her bloodshot eyes locked on mine and she cried out, “Please help him!”
A rough chuckle shook Darian’s shoulders and he leaned down, inhaled a whiff of her scent, and smiled.
“It’s funny you should ask her to help your mate when it was her father who taught me that little trick that will bring your death,”
Wait what?
My gasp echoed up the high walls and rested in the ears of the angels on the hand-painted ceiling.
Whoever decided to paint angels in the devil’s den was a true prankster with an equally twisted sense of humor as the king.
“That’s not true,” I whispered.
Maybe the words hurt too much or maybe I was afraid of hearing them but a whisper was as loud as I could go. I didn’t believe him, at least I don’t think I did.
My father never enjoyed inflicting pain even in prisoners.
It was his job, he had no other choice.
“Oh, but it is. Think about it,” Darian coaxed.
1/2
The Alpha’s Hunt
