A Wolf's Duty Page 24

“Fine, then let someone else do it! Ryan and I saw what he did to you when we were in England. We didn’t even see the full extent of what he did, which just makes it worse so I’m sure you could get Ryan to do it…hell, even I’d be willing.”

  She stood abruptly from the bed. “I need to see Fred, could you take me to him?”

  “No.”

  “Please Sebastian, I just want to talk to him.”

  “I have no idea where he is. You’ll have to wait until Tobias gets back and then you can ask him.” He stood, moving towards the door before opening it he turned to her. “Alex, I know Tobias said you should choose what will happen to him, but I advise you to sentence him to death. If you do, then you can at least say you want it to be quick. If you don’t and you say he can go free, the ones that find and capture him won’t be so merciful.” He opened the door, heading out and closing it behind him to leave Alex alone with her thoughts about her father’s fate.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The sound of fists pounding against flesh created a rhythmic beat that echoed throughout the dungeons where Fred was being held. Tobias’ mind was a haze of fury and his body moved mechanically, one punch after another, as his wolf gained dominance within his mind and he continued to act on instinct. The sound of Fred’s grunts and groans of pain proved to be soothing to his inner beast and so he continued, blinded as to the man’s condition beneath his fists. A restraining arm on his forearm prevented his next punch from reaching its target and he snarled, displeased by the unwanted interruption.

  “Tobias, stop,” Ryan instructed, struggling against his cousin’s wish for his arm to be freed from his grip. “You promised Alex that you wouldn’t kill him remember?”

  His brow furrowed in confusion as he struggled to regain his awareness of what was going on around him. “Alex?”

  “Yes, remember you promised that you wouldn’t kill her father. You don’t want to break a promise you made to your mate do you?” Ryan reasoned, trying to force his mind to regain its idea of consequences and break his wolf’s grip over his thoughts.

  “Xandria,” he sighed, her name acting as a catalyst, forcing his mind to return from the realm of base instinct. He stepped back, finally aware of what he had done. Fred lay sprawled across the cold stone floor, his face a mass of swelling and bruising as he coughed blood onto the dirty floor.

  “Did I break anything?” Tobias inquired.

  “I made sure you didn’t do too much damage, he might have a broken rib or two but I’ll have someone come and see him, make sure it’s not fatal. I don’t think the blood he’s coughing all over the floor is from anything too serious, he probably bit the inside of his mouth.”

  “Did I do all of this? I can’t remember.”

  “Well I think you probably did quite a bit of it, but the guards weren’t exactly gentle bring him down here and I did a little. Cousin, there’s no reason to be too upset about what you’ve done to this piece of trash. He deserved it.”

  “I know, but Xandria doesn’t want him to die.”

  “She doesn’t understand exactly what this means to us Tobias. You gave her a choice about what’s going to happen to him, that’s all that matters.”

  “I know, but she probably won’t order for him to be killed.”

  “She might not order it cousin, but you and I both know that’s the only fate that awaits him.”

  “Yes, one way or another, he won’t be alive much longer.”

  “We’ll give him the night to rest and recover from the worst of his injuries and then we’ll come back tomorrow and go another round yeah?”

  “Definitely, but now I need to go and see her. She was afraid of me Ryan,… I don’t want her to be afraid of me.”

  “You’ve got nothing to worry about cousin, you’ve given her a little time to calm down and I bet she’s fine now.”

  “But what if she’s not? She never once freaked out about what we are, what if it’s just hit her now what she’s gotten herself into? I just got her back; I don’t want her to go back to that time when she refused to talk to me. Not now, the moon is coming and I was just beginning to think she might accept me, let me claim her. What if I’ve ruined any chance of that?”

  “Tobias, you worry too much. This is Alex remember? The woman that was prepared to take on a fully grown wolf to stay with you. She risked death so the two of you could be together.”

  “Don’t remind me. Her introduction into our world has been so violent, what if this is the last straw and pushes her over the edge?”

  Ryan groaned, increasingly frustrated by his cousin’s line of thought. “Just go and see her, that’ll sort this out and prove that I’m right. She’s not going to want to leave you Tobias, she loves you.”

  “You’re right, I just need to go and see her.” His wolf growled his agreement. He frowned looking down at his bloody knuckles and blood spattered shirt. “I can’t go and see her like this, not with her father’s blood on my hands.”

  “You act as though it’ll never come off. Just come down to my room, have a wash and then borrow some of my clothes and all will be well. Besides, you kept your promise, the asshole isn’t dead yet.”

  “Yes,” he turned to look at the battered body of Fred, a sense of satisfaction rising within him despite his worries. “He’s not dead, yet. I’ll take you up on that offer of some clothes. Thank you.”

  “That’s what family is for.”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what they’re for.”

  The pair turned away from their bloody work to walk towards the door. Tobias’ eyes narrowed as he took in the thunderous expressions on the faces of the guards at the door as they eyed Fred’s body. “Don’t kill him,” he ordered.

  “Your highness?” one questioned, confused.

  “I said don’t kill him.”

  “Your highness we heard what he did to the Princess. He should suffer.”

  “He is suffering,” Tobias replied. “And he’ll suffer even more if he isn’t killed tonight. Don’t kill him. Princess Alexandria will decide what happens to him.”

  The second guard spoke up. “Your highness, the Princess is too kind to allow him to be punished accordingly for what he’s done. I was assigned to watch over Lady Lucinda the night of the party and the Princess found me that night to ask about her well-being. After all Lady Lucinda did to her highness, she wanted to see if she was being treated well. This man is her father; if she shows such compassion to her enemy, she won’t order his death.”

  “I’m aware that’s probably what’s going to happen.”

  “And you’ll order that he’s left alone your highness and the man will be free,” the first guard inserted, disheartened by what would probably happen.

  “I never said that I would give an order preventing him from being harmed. What people within the clans decide to do after Xandria has made her decision is up to them.”

  “You’re serious your highness?”

  “Of course I am, so don’t kill him tonight, he has much to pay for and much to suffer through before Xandria makes her decision.”

  The guards grinned, pleased by Tobias’ statement and stepped aside, allowing him to leave the room. They walked along the halls and up the several flights of stairs that took them to the more used levels where most people lived.

  “I did the right thing, didn’t I?”

  Ryan turned to his cousin, increasingly disgruntled by his repetitive line of thought. “We’ve gone over this, of course you did the right thing. He got everything he deserved. Don’t tell me you or your wolf are having doubts about this now?”

  “No, my wolf is quite certain that we did the right thing, he’s a little upset by the fact that Fred is still breathing, but other than that everything with him is fine.”

  “You need to take a page out of his book and stop worrying about this, what’s happened has happened and there’s nothing we can do to change that. Now come on, my room is just around the corner, we’ll get you changed and then you ca
n go see Alex.” Tobias nodded, following his cousin’s lead into his room. “The shower is just through there, shirts are in the top drawer and if you need a pair of trousers then they’re in the wardrobe over there,” Ryan chuckled, leaving the room and his cousin alone in it.

  Following Ryan’s instructions he soon came across the bathroom, looking down at his bloody fists he felt a moment of apprehension, before he remembered the way Alex’s body had trembled in the mere presence of her father and his doubts about his actions dissolved. Entering the shower, he quickly washed all traces of blood from his body, drying himself quickly when he was finished. A borrowed shirt soon clothed his frame but he opted against borrowing a pair of trousers from his cousin, preferring his own dirty though they were.

  I guess I can’t hide from her any longer, he sighed leaving the room and making his way to where he knew Alex was waiting for him.

  He opened the door and felt the air rush from his body as Alex flew into him, enveloping him in a loving embrace. “Tobias, I was worried about you.” His arms hung limply at his sides as his mind struggled to interpret her words and actions. She pulled away and he groaned as she began to respond to him how he had expected. She’s already distancing herself from me. Her eyes wandered his frame as though seeking something; apparently satisfied she leapt into his arms again, hugging him tightly against her. “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you to come back.”

  “I was doing something,” he mumbled, his body still unresponsive to her proximity as he waited for her to be angry with him.

  The expected anger failed to manifest and instead he found himself being dragged back to the bed, led to sit at the edge while she knelt beside him.

  “Tobias, are you ok? It seems like something’s bothering you,” she questioned, gently stroking his hair and holding him close to her chest.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t seem fine, talk to me Tobias.”

  “You’re not mad at me? Scared? After what I did?”

  “You were angry; I can understand that. I wasn’t afraid of you. I was more scared of what you were doing.”

  “I’m not sorry for what I did,” he stated resolutely. “And I’m not going to apologize for what I did to him back there.”

  She kissed the top of his head gently, continuing to caress him. “I wouldn’t expect you to.” His head pulled out of her grasp, turning to look at her, her reactions defying all his expectations. “Sebastian explained how your mind works to me. I know that you want to hurt him, apparently what he did is seen as a major crime here.”

  “What else did Sebastian explain to you?” he demanded, increasingly concerned as to what his cousin had revealed.

  The smile she had worn when greeting him faded as a shadow crept across her features. “He told me that no matter what I say, Fred is going to die. He said that the people in the clans will kill him regardless of what I give him as punishment.” He was silent and a small but sad smile emerged on her face. “He was right, wasn’t he? Fred isn’t going to make it out of here alive.”

  “Yes dearest, your father will die. There isn’t anything you can do about it.” He pulled her down so that she was sat beside him. “What I can’t understand is why, after all he did to you and your mother, you would even hesitate over this decision. I know that killing people for crimes is looked down upon in your world, but there has to be a certain line that people cross where forgiveness is no longer an option and your father has definitely crossed it.”

  “I know that Tobias. I shouldn’t even spare him a moment of my time but I don’t want him dead.”

  “Why dearest?” His hands landed on her shoulders and squeezed. “Why do you care if he lives or dies? He didn’t spare you the same courtesy when he broke your arm or nearly broke your legs. He didn’t care and neither should you. The world would be better off for his death.”

  “He’s the only family I’ve got left Tobias, I know he’s a waste of space, I know he’s a horrible person, but if he dies then I’m officially an orphan with no family.”

  “What?”

  “My mother is dead Tobias. I never had any brothers or sisters, no aunts or uncles and no grandparents. Fred is all I have left of my family.”

  He shook her lightly in frustration before pulling her to lie across his legs. “Xandria, you’re not alone. I’m your family now and I’ll never leave you. We’re mates for life and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. I love you.” He chuckled, brushing his lips against hers before continuing with his tirade. “If you want family, then mine is here for the taking. I don’t have brothers or sisters anymore but if you want siblings then I’m sure Ryan and Sebastian would happily take you up on that. Parents? I would offer mine but then we’d be kind of siblings,” he joked. “But if you want them that badly then I’m sure Maria would be glad to act as a surrogate mother, she practically raised me. Aunts and uncles? Anybody within the clan would be willing. As for grandparents, there are a couple of really old people on my council of advisors, I could order them to take the position, and they will have to listen to me once I’m King. Alexandria, you’re part of a clan now and we think of each other as family. Fred isn’t the only member of family that you’ve got, I’ll always be with you and you can take your pick of my family to claim as your own.”

  Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears and she pulled him close, embracing him before peppering his face with light kisses. “I don’t need that much family, talk about going from one extreme to the other.”

  “I’m serious Xandria, if you want them, they’re yours.”

  “Tobias, you can’t just order people to be your family,” she scolded.

  He groaned, “I guess that means you’re still against simply executing your father then?”

  Cupping his face in her hands, she stared into his eyes, watching as they darkened beneath her gaze. “I don’t need all that family Tobias, as long as I’ve got you then I’ll be alright. Having my only family member go from Fred to you is a drastic improvement.” She smiled before muttering, “Plus one day, maybe you and I can increase the size of my family, I hear that it’s expected of the Queen anyway.”

  His arms wrapped themselves around her enjoying the sensation of her body pressed closely against his. “Yes it is, but I wouldn’t worry about that. It’ll be completely up to you, I won’t let my council pressure you like they did to my mother. But it’s nice to know that you’re putting so much thought into our future, I like it.”

  “Don’t let it go to your head.”

  “Alexandria, I hate to bring us back down to earth but what do you want to do about your father? He’s not just going to disappear, we have to deal with this.”

  “What does my opinion matter, he’s going to die regardless of what I say.”

  “That might be the case, but don’t you want to have a say in what happens to him before he does?”

  She sighed, not relishing the idea of deciding her father’s fate. “I want to see him Tobias. I want to see him and then I’ll decide what to do with him.” He gulped, remembering the sorry state he had left Fred in after he had taken out the worst of his anger on the man’s body. “Will you take me to him?”

  “Of course I will dearest, but not tonight. It’s been a long day, one that’s been really stressful for you. I don’t want to have you any more stressed than necessary after what you’ve been through. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to him.” And hopefully by tomorrow he won’t look like he was run over by a truck.

  “Promise?”

  “Of course dearest, have I ever broken my word when I’ve given it to you?” She shook her head. “Then believe me when I say that I’ll take you to see him tomorrow, but I don’t want you to get to upset about where I’ve put him.”

  “Where’ve you put him?”

  “He’s in the dungeons, like any criminal should be, but they’re not the nicest places in the world and you seem to be showing an almost unreasonable level of sympathy towards the man.”


  “I don’t care about how horrible the place he has to stay is. He deserves it. I just didn’t want you to kill him Tobias, you’re not a killer.” She smiled, the trust that she had placed in him clearly visible on her face.

  He pulled her close again, nuzzling into her thick curls and breathing deeply. “You have no idea what I’m capable of when it comes to you,” he whispered, his voice so low that she couldn’t hear his words.

  Chapter Thirty Three

  Standing at the entrance to the lower levels of the estate, Tobias cast a sidelong glance at his mate, immediately becoming concerned at the small tremors that wracked her frame. Her petite hands were clenched into tight fists and she eyed the large mahogany door with a curious mixture of sadness and anger.

  “Are you sure about this dearest? No one is going to say anything if you don’t do this. I can decide the punishment by myself if this is too much for you.”

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you sweetheart?” His heart clenched at the endearment. “If it was up to you, he’d be dead by now. Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you wanted to do to him yesterday. No, I can do this. Just lead the way.” She held out her hand, gripping his tightly within her own for reassurance.

  He nodded at the guards that stood by the door and they opened it, granting them entrance. “Just remember, I’m here with you. If he tries anything then he’ll have to deal with me.”

  “Thank you Tobias, but I’m sure it’ll be fine, let’s just do this.”

  Leading her down the many flights of stairs Tobias was surprised to see Ryan waiting outside of Fred’s cell and his brows creased in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

  “I heard that you and Alex were coming down to see Fred so I thought I should be here for moral support.”

  “Thanks Ryan,” Alex beamed, “but you really didn’t have to. Tobias is here.”

  That’s exactly why you need me down here, in case Fred does something stupid to you and Tobias goes feral on his ass. “I’ve made sure he’s presentable and the guards didn’t do anything stupid over night,” he whispered, his voice so low that only Tobias and the guards with their superior hearing were able to hear him.