Silver Walls

Alpha Peter stared down Colin, completely ignoring Reed's presence. With a raised brow, he sneered, "You're saying that your mate is not human, witch, or wolf? What? Do you think some sort of fae was wandering in the Yew Coven's woods?"

Colin shook his head, trying to ignore his father's taunting; there was always a trap set for him. Reed stepped forward, giving Colin a much-needed break from his father's glare. "Alpha, I can confirm Colin's words. The scent was not any creature I've encountered before."

He shot a vicious look at Reed, who bowed his head submissively, for disrupting his plans. He needed to see if there was more he could push Colin on, more to make this visit worthwhile. "And what do you think I should do, Colin?"

"Speak to the Yew Coven and allow me to bring the warriors to the trail of the scent," he replied immediately.

Alpha Peter barked out a laugh, sending a wave of chills down the brothers' backs. His eyes clouded as he mind-linked. Reed looked at Colin, whose face was blank. It was the face he wore whenever he was around their family. But he knew his brother well enough to see the worry in his light brown eyes. The panic, steadily rising as time passed.

"You're in luck," he growled, visibly irritated. "I've just received word from one of our border patrols. The Priestess of the Yew Coven wishes to speak to me about something she found in her territory. She is on her way here to discuss a Council meeting."

The anxiety in Colin's eyes lifted momentarily. He leaned forward and, trying his best not to sound eager or excited, asked, "What is The Council?" His eyes flicked to the ground as he hastily added, "sir."

Peter's eyes flashed angrily at Colin's question. Who was he to request information? He was fortunate that he was not currently hanging from chains for his earlier misbehavior. "Have I ever failed to share information that pertains to you, son?" he asked with a cruel smile and bared his ever-present canines.

Colin fought back the growl in his chest and obediently agreed with the blatant lie. Before either could say anything, Chris, Matt, and the other pack leaders came into the office. Reed and Colin moved to the side, still naked. Chris and Matt both sneered at their brothers, and Chris even shoved Colin against the wall casually. The pack's Luna looked straight at Colin, the usual displeasure on her face. "So, you crossed pack lines?"

Swallowing nervously, Colin nodded and explained, "I came across the scent of my mate, ma'am."

Her eyes burned into him as she continued, "And you took my son with you? While you broke the laws? Bringing the Alpha's child onto another's land could start a war, you insolent idiot!"

The silence filled the room as everyone had the same thought; Colin is the Alpha's son too. "Mom," Reed cut in. "I followed him over. He didn't make me do anything."

She growled, forcing Reed to not speak. She hated that her youngest cared for their half-brother. She tried for years to make Reed and his twin, Lily, see him in the right light, see him for the bastard he was.

"We should get down to business," the pack's Beta and Peter's brother, George, said calmly. He did not care for his sister-in-law's petty hatred. "The Priestess is on her way now, escorted by Gamma Skye personally. She wishes to discuss a potential Council meeting."

"Sir, if I may," Colin spoke up, earning himself nasty looks from around the room. "I would like to know what this Council is. And how it could help my mate."

"The Council is only for the pack leaders," Alpha Peter stated firmly. "And that is not you. Reed, Colin, leave."

Reed was grateful for the exit, but Colin stood his ground. This was about his mate. "If it involves the wellbeing of my mate, I would like to stay, sir," he replied calmly.

The air in the room thickened as alpha power radiated off of Peter's body in pure anger. Colin never spoke back. He did not disobey. He owed his life to the Alpha's generosity, and now he dared to defy him? In front of the other pack leaders? In front of the Luna? He looked at his eldest sons and snapped, "Chris, Matt, escort your half-brother away." He turned to glare at Colin and snarled, "I will follow after this meeting to teach you some respect."

He waved his hand and, with far too much enthusiasm, Chris and Matt grabbed ahold of Colin. Rage surged through his body as his brothers dragged him to the basement. The silver cuffs burned against his wrists, and their tight grips on his forearms would leave marks. As they reached the stairs, Chris chuckled lightly for a moment before shoving Colin down the dark steps. With his arms cuffed behind his back, he could not catch himself and tumbled down, smashing his already-crooked nose on the cement as he fell. A low growl rumbled in his chest, but he showed no other reaction and simply rose to his feet as the blood began to steadily drip down his otherwise blank face.

"Careful!" Chris called down with a grin. "You should watch your step!"

He laughed, but Matt rolled his eyes. He had outgrown petty torture of his youngest brother, but the eldest Lucin brother had not. Matt showed Colin his cell with a slight smirk. He had outgrown only the petty torture; he still could get pleasure from locking him in a silver cell. He put on leather gloves, uncuffed him, and shoved him into the far wall of the cage. "Have a nice rest," he sneered as he locked the door.

As his oldest brothers turned away, Colin yelled out, "Please, I need to get to her!" Neither showed any reaction. "Chris! Chris, what if it was Sam?! What if it was Sam who needed help?!"

Chris turned around and brushed his long, brown hair back with an angry sweep of his hand. He charged back to the door and snarled, "How dare you?! Only you would have a mate dumb enough to get tangled with a vampire like Elias Elhassan!" With that, he huffed and returned to his brother.

"What?!" Colin grabbed onto the silver bars, ignoring the burning pain in his palms as he fell to his knees. He cried out to his brothers, praying they were playing some twisted joke, "What did you just say?!"

Matt tried to pull Chris away, but he was the strongest of the family and easily pulled away. Chris would not miss the opportunity to hurt his little brother, especially if he was trapped. With a cruel laugh, he repeated himself, "Your mate? She's living with a vampire. One of the oldest in the country, actually. Elias Elhassan."

Colin's body burned as it tried to shift. He would be able to run faster, to track her better. He would be stronger. He would be able to save her. But he was surrounded by silver and unable to do more than growl. Chris stood outside the bars, leaning against the wall with a vicious smirk. "That's right. Right now, the love of your life is getting fucked by a bloodsucking mosquito older than Christ." He paused, as if he were imagining the scene. "I bet he fucks rough, too. Feeds while he does it, getting blood all over the sheets. Then, he probably makes her wash the sheets herself. They can do that, you know? Mind control and shit like that. She probably gets on all fours and begs for him to feed off her. I heard that when a vampire sucks your blood, it causes the best orgasm in your entire life. You'll have to be competing with a dead dick for the rest of your days. That is, if she even wants you. She'll probably reject the bond if it meant she had to leave her bloodsucking lover!"

Colin snarled and slapped the bars, ignoring the hissing as his flesh burned on contact. He fell onto his hands and knees as pain ripped through his body, desperately trying to change into his wolf form. Blood poured from his gums, fingernails, and eyes as they franticly tried to shift. He could hear his bones snap, followed by the dramatically slowed beginnings of repair. But he accelerated healing could not keep up, not in that cell. So he kept breaking. After just a few minutes, he began to howl in agony as he collapsed onto the ground, unable to support his own body weight.