waiting for an answer, she walked briskly away.
Chapter 5
The next morning, Selene returned to the prison cell. This time alone, without any outside observers. Leaning against the door, she calmly smoked a cigarette and looked at the prisoner. His large figure took up almost the entire space of the damp, cramped room. Broad-shouldered, tightly built, he breathed steadily, his head bowed limply. Selene assumed that he should have recovered during the night, and she was right.
The man exhaled slowly. He moved his stiff shoulders, and powerful muscles played under his white shirt. Then he lifted his head and blinked sleepily away. His gaze wandered around the cell until it landed on Selene.
“Good morning!” she said sweetly, smiling.
“I thought I was imagining you,” the man rasped in a low, deep voice that still had a sleepy edge to it.
“How are you feeling?”
“Amazing. Your doll did a good job,” the wolf replied and coughed.
Selene handed him a bottle of water, “We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
The man unscrewed the top of the bottle as far as his shackled hands would allow, and took several gulps. Trickles trickled down his chin, partially washing away the dried blood. He emptied the bottle and tossed it aside.
“You’re here for some fun, too?” his voice was less hoarse now.
“It all depends on you. If you behave yourself, I won’t hurt you,” Selene took a drag on her cigarette. “I just need answers.”
The werewolf regarded her for a few seconds, his golden eyes narrowed thoughtfully. A slight smirk appeared on his lips, making the cleft in his chin stand out clearly.
“I am at your feet, fagr7,” he said, bowing his head in mock reverence.
“Fine, let’s start with a simple one,” Selene began the interrogation. “Your name?”
“Sol,” he said.
“You’re from the First Pack, right?”
The amusement in his eyes immediately faded, and he became serious.
“I’m a loner. I left the Pack a few years ago after…” he paused.
“After the previous Alpha died,” Selene finished for him.
Sol nodded, his white hair falling over his forehead as he stared at the floor. It was obvious that this topic was causing him pain.
“What were you doing here in Venice? Why didn’t you introduce yourself at court?” Selene asked.
“Surely you’ve heard that the alchemist is missing? His trail led me here.”
“Why would you want to look for him?” Selene frowned.
“Because Lucan is involved, and I want to know what he’s up to,” Sol said, his jaw tightening. “I have my own reasons for that.”
Lucan became the new Elder Alpha just a few years ago. During this time, he managed to become famous for his radical views. He opposed the principle of “the best power is invisible power” and wanted to rule openly, not hiding from mortals. He sought to enslave them. However, none of the leaders supported him, as did many of his fellow tribesmen. Alphas who did not agree with his rule were killed or exiled. Lucan surrounded himself with loyal followers, eliminating anyone who dared to cross him.
“What makes you think Lucan had anything to do with it? And why didn’t you tell us right away if your search led you to the city?” Selene asked, exhaling a stream of smoke.
“I was watching him and saw Andros brought to him. Then, the alchemist hurriedly went here. I didn’t go to see the Prince, because I wanted to make sure first that he had nothing to do with it.”
Selene was startled. To suspect the Prince is absolutely absurd. After all, Adrian had always maintained a policy of non-interference since the days of the Inquisition. He strictly forbade his subjects to reveal their true identity to people. So it seemed unlikely that he could support Lucan.
“So, are you convinced?” she asked, arching a dark brow.
“I didn’t have time,” the wolf quipped, shaking his chains. “But what I do know is that Lucan is in cahoots with Baron Victor – it was his men who brought Andros to Alpha.”
Victor. Again, the name sounded like a point-blank shot. Of course, if anyone is going to support Lucan, it will be him. He has long been looking for an opportunity to overthrow the Prince and take his place.
Selene tried not to show that she was worried, but it didn’t seem to be working.
Sol asked her, “What is it? Did the kitten run away to another owner?”
Selene understood why he called her “kitten”. The coat of arms of her former clan, Victor’s clan, was a panther.
She took the rest of her cigarette out of the holder and tossed it at wolf’s feet.
Stubbing out her cigarette with a black patent leather shoe, she said coldly before leaving, “Thank you for the interview, tesem8.”
Chapter 6
Selene’s mind was a mess as she rushed to tell the Prince the information she had received. She doubted Sol’s sincerity, but the sense of impending disaster grew stronger with each step. When she reached the heavy oak doors of the throne room, Selene found that there were no guards. This fact alarmed her. Taking a deep breath, she walked in, trying her best to keep her face expressionless.
In the hall, seated on a dais, was Prince Adrian. Next to him were Greg, Thomas, and Maria. All three of them, except Maria, looked crestfallen, the way those who are ready to report an unpleasant event usually look. Maria was biting her lip nervously. Obeying Adrian’s gesture, the two guards, whose absence Selene had noticed earlier, closed the doors behind her, cutting off her escape route.
She didn’t need to be a seer to tell that something was going wrong.
Keeping an outward calm, Selene asked, “Has something happened, my lord?”
Prince Adrian slowly raised his eyes to Selene, his gaze reflecting a serious and distant expression. He rested one hand on the carved arm of the throne and rubbed his chin thoughtfully with long white fingers.
“Tell me, what did you learn from our guest?” the Prince asked instead of answering.
Selene summarized everything she’d learned from Sol. Adrian didn’t seem surprised, even when Selene informed him that the werewolf suspected him of missing the alchemist. The Prince only nodded his head slightly, as if he already knew everything.
“Wolf thinks Victor is helping Lucan,” Selene said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Adrian looked at her carefully
Beauty (Old Norse).
Dog, hunting dog (Ancient Egyptian).
