The Disgraced Daughter & Her Sigma Mate

Chapter 4: The Mechanic

They were an hour into the ride and still she could not mutter a word. She could sense things but not nearly as well as was normal for her so Royce was glad when the burlap sack was taken off of her head.

Across from her, she saw the Beta sitting down with the sack in his hand. They were alone, and it was obvious that something was on his mind.

Beta Noland looked to his left toward the front of the van. They were secluded-even from the driver. Then the Beta dropped his head and he finally spoke. And what he said, it surprised Royce.

“Look at this.” he lifted a tablet from his lap and turned it to Royce. “This…this is surveillance of you doing exactly the opposite of what you said you didn’t do.”

Royce, through her blurred vision, was shocked to see the reality of the what the Beta was saying on the video screen.

There was no mistaking it…the dark flat hair, and training suit she wore. It was her! Way before Royce even arrived.

That’s not me! She wanted to say; she wanted to shout it with all of her might and yet could not utter a word. So, instead, Royce did the only thing she could do, and that was weep.

“I know…that it isn’t you, Caulder,” said the Beta.

Royce looked up at him in shock. What did he mean he didn’t know? By ways and actions earlier, he seemed pretty sure that it was her.

“You are…most definitely rough around the edges. Sometimes I even doubt that you are Royce Caulder’s daughter.” He shook his head. “But one thing I will say…you are…too innocent, too gullible, and naive…and more importantly...too considerate of others to commit something as heinous and treacherous as what was done last night. You may stick to the shadows, but you are extremely loyal to the Marsh Haven and its people. I know that you would not do something like this.”

Then why? Why would you not defend me? Why did you act as if I was guilty? She wanted to ask but couldn’t. It was fortunate that the Beta seemed to know what questions she wanted to ask despite her being unable to inquire. Royce began to wonder if he was reading her mind.

“The Luna would have your head if she thought she could manage it without conflict from the alpha,” he said. “She is….extremely distraught by the death that occurred. Turned out to be her best friend and her children. She thinks that you are lazy, and that you do not care about the Marsh." Everyone referred to Marsh Haven as the Marsh. "She thinks that you are a weak link that needs to be removed and that the alpha is blind to it because of his allegiance to your biological father.”

“Wh…at,” Royce finally found the strength to say as she felt the tight numbness in her mouth start to loosen up. “Do…you…think?”

“Hm, impressive,” remarked the Beta. “You should have been out cold from that injection. The fact that you have remained conscious all this time is impressive. You finding your words again…even more so.”

Royce wasn’t concerned about how impressed the Beta was, though. She wanted to know what he thought and the look on her face must have depicted as much since he finally answered her.

“I think that you are different, not lazy. I think that not enough time was taken out with you as an orphaned child. I think that you are weak but that you have the potential to grow strong, but not in Marsh Haven.” He sat back and placed the tablet to the side of him and eyed Royce. “I’m sending you away, Caulder, to save your life.”

“How…how is this saving me?” Royce struggled to say through tears. “Prison?! Prison is safe to you?”

“It’s safer than being around a volatile she-wolf,” replied the Beta. "I am giving you the chance to prove her wrong."

“And what about the Alpha? Does…does he know?”

The Beta shook his head. “I was informed that it was best he didn’t. Not until you were gone. Unfortunately, it is not my place to overstep the Luna.”

Royce was so distraught by this news, she dropped her head and struggled not to cry again. She was so sick of crying. “So….she did… Kareen was responsible for this. That she has been trying to get rid of me this entire time.”

“I’m not saying that,” clarified Noland. “What I am saying…is that right now, she is grieving and you look guilty. Crimes like this…can be punishable by death. This…this is the better alternative. For you…and for the Alpha.”

“He was supposed to meet me out there last night,” murmured Royce, whose tongue loosened almost completely, though she still experienced the numbness. “He never showed up…I mean…I did arrive early but not early enough to beat him there. Alpha Calin is always a step ahead. Or at least I thought he was," She said as she wondered how he was not aware of what happened. "Some part of me assumed that…maybe he’d have gotten there even earlier.” Royce chuckled dryly. "No maybe...he would have most certainly gotten there earlier than me," she corrected herself. “That he’d turn up out of nowhere, commend me for at least trying to beat him there.” She sniffled and said, “that’s what he’d usually do.” Then her smile suddenly faded. “He wasn’t there last night,” she said. “He just…didn’t show up, No heads up, no note for rain check. He just…didn’t show up.” she shrugged. Then she frowned at the Beta. “What makes you think that he would even care about judging me?” She asked bitterly and then rolled her eyes. “He probably feels the same way as Kareen…as all of them.”

The Beta exhaled. Before another word was spoken, the truck came to a stop.

By this point, Royce had become resigned to whatever was to happen next. “Maybe it’s for the best. I wasn’t meant to be there.” She murmured.

Then the door to the truck opened. There stood the guard, waiting for Beta Noland to exit the truck with Royce.

“You might be right, Caulder.” He helped her out of the truck. “Maybe the Marsh is not where you are meant to be. Right now. I believe someday that will change, though,” he said. “You will find a way to belong on your own.”

He led her from the truck and toward this large facility. It was old but sturdy, tall and intimidating. The entrance of the large cement building was lined with guards. Not just any guards, no, they were wolf-guards. Far more powerful than any human. That meant that this place had the potential for danger.

“I won’t survive this place,” whispered Royce.

“We will…survive this place.”

“Katya!” When Royce heard her counterpart’s voice, she immediately had a momentary sense of respite from this frightening situation. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

“I will always be here,” said her wolf. “All we need is each other. We will survive this place, and we will escape.”

Royce was suddenly filled with more confidence. “You’re right,” she said. “We will escape, and we will survive.”

“Yeah,” said Beta Noland. “You will.”

He escorted Royce into the building that night.

Two Years Later……

The old man stood at the corner outside his auto shop talking to a few of his guys as well as his most recent customer, a younger gentleman with an old classic.

“How long will it take this mechanic to figure out what’s going on with my car?” Asked the young man.

“Not long at all!” Expressed the old man. “Roy’s my best mechanic!”

The young man chuckled. “You sure are comfortable saying that with your other employees around.”

“They know that I don’t sugarcoat,” laughed the old man. “They also know that I’m right.”

“Yeah, Roy is fast, and can find easily missed problems and just…work magic. Kind of a genius with an engine.”

“Well, Roy seems to be taking his precious time,” said the young man.

“You have an older car. Roy doesn’t rush with the classics.”

“Hm, I’d like to meet this Royce.”

“You will in a minute-” before he could finish his sentence, he looked behind. “Speak of the devil.”

The young man turned his attention toward the footsteps that were approaching from behind. “Hi,” said the young man. “I’m…” he looked confusedly at the older man. “Dave, I thought you said that Roy was coming.”

“Oh, I forgot to mention…Roy isn’t a man.”