Chapter Thirty Five

Corin and Alexa walked toward his office. He asked his enforcer to leave. Of course his enforcer was reluctant and made sure to give Alexa a warning glare before leaving. Alexa smiled. Corin cut her a look, she quickly stopped smiling. All three of them knew Alexa had no chance against Corin. Alexa wasn't an idiot. She wasn't one to start a fight and she adhered to pack law when it was required of her. If Corin wasn't trying hard to gain Christian's trust, she'd be dead already.

They walked past his guards and began to walk down the long hallway toward his office. He kept his office private for a reason. If the guards failed to protect him at the front entrance, being close to his office door would not do any good. Corin was one of the most powerful kings she knew, unless they attacked him with an army like cowards, he would not be defeated. When they stepped into his office, he asked her to sit down. She hesitated for a moment. If the queen was coming to see them to be questioned sitting next to Alexa would agitate her. He remained standing. She sat down in the chair. The wait made her a little restless. Corin was trying to remain calm, but Alexa could tell Corin was on edge as well. What would he do if his wife was the traitor?

"Queen Sierra has arrived," said a guard.

"Come in," said Corin.

Sierra was escorted in by two guards. They bowed their head, lowered their eyes and stood behind her. She appeared calm, but everyone in the room could hear her heartrate and smell her fear and anger. The fear already gave her away. Alexa closed her eyes. Why was she here? She had nothing to do with this?

"Leave us please and wait at the main doors. You will be escorting the queen back to her room once I am done with her here."

The guards did not know what to think. They simply knelt down for a moment said yes, my king and walked out of his office.

"Please sit," said Corin.

"I will not," said Sierra.

Corin smiled. She was so proud and he loved that about her. Had her pride turned to madness? Why did she hate his son? He met his mother years before he and Sierra discovered each other. Some wolves believed that a wolf could only have children with their chosen mate, but that was not true. Corin loved her; he chose her and she chose him. How could she betray his own blood like this? Maybe he was wrong? It could still be someone else.

"That's entirely up to you, of course," said Corin.

"Why have I been summoned like a lowly dog," asked Sierra?

"No one would dare call you that."

"Why the formality, Corin? We sleep in the same bed."

"This is not a conversation for the bedchamber."

Sierra's heartbeat jumped again. It made Alexa blink, she looked down. Sierra was afraid of something. Corin placed his hands on his desk for a moment; then he quickly appeared in front Sierra. Sierra lowered her eyes. She didn't mean to, but the rage she felt from the man she loved was overwhelming her.

"Why are you looking away, Sierra?"

"You're scaring me…"

"Why is that? Do you have something you need to say to me?"

Sierra regained her strength and looked at him. Corin didn't move an inch from her face.

"I have nothing to say. Is something wrong, husband?"

So that's how she's going to play it, thought Alexa. Sierra's heartrate had returned to normal. Whatever fear she felt had left her. It was replaced with anger. Sierra planned to remind everyone in the room that she was the queen, a royal wolf that was equally as powerful as Corin. Alexa didn't know what to think. Was Sierra simply caught off guard or was she a clever mastermind that planned to get away with treason?

Christian slowly raised his head. Elliot and Taylor wanted to run. Elliot had a terrible thought about trying to knock Christian out, but he knew that wouldn't work. Christian's opened his eyes and saw Elliot Taylor. Must find Anna, said his wolf. The wolf growled. Elliot walked up slowly to the wolf. It didn't know what to think of the man in front of him.

"Christian, listen to me, I know you're in there," said Elliot.

The wolf snapped his jaws. Elliot took another step forward.

"You can't help Anna like this."

The wolf whimpered at hearing Anna's name. The wolf started to remember who he was. What was his name? Taylor wanted to grab Elliot and pull him away from Christian, but that could be just as dangerous. Christian could easily kill them both.

My name… thought the wolf. I have a name? No, he can't help her?! It's his fault she's gone. The wolf shook his head and growled again.

"Christian stop!"

Christian, my name is Christian, thought the wolf. The wolf's eyes widened and became aware. Christian had regained control. The wolf took a step back to show he was no longer a threat. Christian focused on changing back. Like before his change was severely feral. His wolf didn't like losing control; it felt it had been tricked. Christian yelled out as his human form took hold. His eyes glowed for an instant. He groaned and looked up at Elliot.

"I still don't have complete control," said Christian weakly.

"That doesn't sound good," said Elliot.

"What do you want us to do," asked Taylor?

"Lock me up."

"Where," asked Elliot.

Christian and Taylor looked at each other. Elliot had no idea what Christian meant. Buying a storage unit in the middle of night would draw too many questions.

"Do you want to do this right now," asked Taylor?

Christian felt his wolf clawing at his mind.

"Yes."

Christian stood up and Taylor followed Christian. Elliot stood there dumfounded. Did Christian have a room where he tied himself up? What the fuck? Elliot didn't want to know and left it at that. He decided to believe that Taylor was locking Christian in one of his bedrooms. Elliot walked to the couch and sat down. He shook his head. So, Christian wasn't as up tight and boring as he thought?

Christian and Taylor saw that the door was broken. Taylor looked at Christian. Christian had other things on his mind. Explaining himself was not one of them at the moment. Christian walked to the middle of the room and raised his hands. Taylor restrained his hands and feet.

"This is different. These won't hold if you don't want them to," said Taylor.

"I know," said Christian.

"I know it's not my place to say, but your father…"

Christian looked at Taylor.

"Never mind."

"I just need time. Once I'm in full control again, I'll find Anna myself."

Taylor nodded his head. Christian was being stubborn. He wasn't ready to believe his father and no one could convince him otherwise.

"Just remember, you can't help Anna like this."

Christian nodded his head. Taylor walked out of the room and shut the door as best he could. Christian closed his eyes. His wolf was furious. Christian was always holding him back and now their mate as taken from them. It's not that simple, said Christian. Yes, it is, we have to find her, said his wolf. Christian's eyes flickered. Once he let himself lose control like that, he had open up a part of himself that he never knew was there, pure rage. He could blame his wolf, but he and his wolf was the same. He was always angry. He was angry at his mother for being a drug addict, angry at the men in her life, angry that she died and left him alone. Angry that his father left his mother when she obviously needed help…his father could have done something! Christian was only a kid, he couldn't protect her. What was his excuse now? Christian closed his mouth to muffle his scream. He didn't want to scare his brother and Taylor more than he already had.

Taylor walked back into the living room. When Taylor and Elliot locked eyes, they quickly looked away.

"Hungry," asked Taylor?

"Yeah," said Elliot.

Taylor walked toward the kitchen, Elliot followed after him.

Corin took a few seconds to reign in his wolf and himself. Sierra was still his wife and she deserved to be treated with respect. After, he heard what she had to say, he would pass judgement.

"My son is in trouble," said Corin.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Sierra.

Alexa was in awe of Sierra's boldness. She showed no remorse.

"Are you," asked Corin?

"Of course I am, he's your son. I know how important he is to you."

Sierra meant every word she just said. She was being careful not to expose herself. Not even the strongest werewolf could lie to a royal.

"Is he here?"

"No, I couldn't risk anyone seeing him."

Sierra was silent.

"What happened," Sierra finally asked?

"His woman was taken."

"Who would do such a thing?"

Alexa held onto the arm of the chair to keep her heartbeat under control. Sierra was trying to play Corin and it just might work.

"That is what I'm trying to find out."

Corin made sure to watch Sierra's every move and Sierra knew it. Corin did not know anything, but he was smart enough to figure it out. His wife felt unsettled. Would an innocent woman be so numb in her responses? Was she trying to mask her motives out of fear or anger? Summoning her here formally with a guard escort was openly disrespectful. This alone would follow her for the next few months. If he really wanted to harm her, he would have openly questioned her, but that was not his intention. Right now, she was only a suspect.

Sierra could tell Corin thought she was responsible for Christian's suffering, but he did not know for sure. His emotions were clouding his judgement. She couldn't make this too easy or she would look unnatural. What he did was uncalled for, so she had every right to be angry. She just couldn't act too angry. Alexa's presence here was annoying her. Why was a pack-less runt allowed to see her being questioned? What had Alexa told him?

"Why is she here," asked Sierra?

Sierra's patience was running thin.

"She is the only link I have to my son and the only person I can trust right now."

Sierra felt the sting of his words. He didn't trust her. He trusted an untrained enforcer over his own wife!

"Just come out and ask me, Corin. I am growing tired of this?"

Corin looked into his wife's eyes. She forced herself to not lower her eyes.

"Did you set up my son?"

A tear fell down Sierra's eye. He didn't trust her. He chose his son over her. Now she knew where she stood.

"I asked you a question. Sierra!"

Both Sierra and Alexa jumped.

"Answer me, right now."

Sierra rolled her shoulders back.

"No," she said.

Everyone instantly knew she was lying. Corin quickly pushed her against the wall and held her arms above her head. Alexa stood up.

"You betray your husband, your mate," he said in a deadly whisper.

"If you kill her, she can't help us," said Alexa.

Corin's eyes glowed. Sierra lowered her head. He pushed her arms against the wall and focused on calming down. His eyes stopped glowing. All emotion left his eyes as he spoke to Sierra.

"This is what you're going to do. You're going to tell me everything and if you leave anything out. I'm going to kill you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my king," said Sierra.

"Alexa, leave us," said Corin.

"My king?"

"Leave!"

Alexa moved quickly toward the door and left the room. Alexa ran down the hallway, her wolf wanted to get as far away from Corin as possible. When she reached the outer doors, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself and opened the door. She knew they sensed her previous fear, but that was all gone now.

Anna felt herself falling asleep. She wanted to stay awake, but she struggled to do so. How could she sleep? Just when she closed her eyes, the door opened. She instantly became alert. Julian walked in and stood in front of her with a bottle of water. He twisted off the bottle cap and knelt down in front of her.

"Opened your mouth," said Julian.

Anna closed her mouth tightly.

"You want to die sooner?"

Anna opened her mouth. Julian poured the water in her mouth. If Julian was going to kill her, it wouldn't be by poison. Julian took a protein bar from his pocket and unwrapped it. He put the bar toward her lips. She took a bite and grimaced. She quickly finished eating it so he would leave her. Once he finished feeding her, he stood up and left. How long did they plan to keep her here?

Thanks for reading! Sierra hasn't confessed anything yet. Her words will set the course of the story. Anna is waiting to be rescued and Christian is trying to regain control so he find her himself. It's kind of like a race. Who is going to find Anna first? I have my money on Corin, but I may have other ideas when I write it (wink).

As always, I appreciate your reviews, comments and constructive criticism.