Blood of The Beast: Revelations

Prisoner

Disturbed- Down With The Sickness

Scylla: 

    "I can't talk to him. He's not responsive. Not like a normal person," Reginald sat down with us. He had been in there for hours. "He understands to an extent. It has a human face, but it's not all there," 

    "What the f**k is happening?" Ripley asked mostly to herself. 

    "Any of you want to give it a try?" Reggie asked. "You seem distracted, Lady Malacoda," 

    "I'm trying to think. Brandon is on his way back. He has the two princess with him and I honestly don't think it's a good idea to have this thing around when they get here. They're sort of pampered,"

    "Doesn't he have some sort of psychic power he can use on them?" Ripley asked. I looked over at her confused. Why would they think that? "Didn't he use that on you when you first shifted?" 

    "What?" I laughed. "No. I mean yeah, he can communicate telepathically but that's not how it works. The person in question has to be willing or vulnerable. That thing in there isn't vulnerable. It has nothing," 

    "The other one killed itself in the cell," Lonnie, one of my up and coming guards, announced. 

    "Put this one back. I'll wait until the vampire King gets here," I shrugged.

    "The only available cell has one of the Lycan rogues we brought in," he shook his head. 

    "Right, let me talk to the kid first. Keep that thing in the interrogation room for now," I sighed.  Lonnie bowed and excused himself.

    "I wanted to talk about Tyler and Joseph being here with your son. They don't get along very well-" Ripley began.

    "Stop. If your sons have a problem with mine. I don't care. They're boys. They're going to fight. If you can't put a leash on them, my son is not going to hold back because they're his mate's brothers. They're in his home. We invited all of you to stay with us because it's dangerous for you and the rest of your pack to be alone right now. You haven't declared a side. This courtesy is out of kinship, respect for my son's mate, and of course, you. I have enough to deal with at the moment," 

    "We apologize," Reginald interjected before she could come up with any kind of answer.

    "Excuse me," I nodded. 

    I walked away from them and began to make my way to the underground prison cells for important prisoners. None of the guards have been able to get anywhere with the kid. He asks for me personally. This boy can't be older than Naloc. He was caught, and I quote from the little guy himself, because he wanted to get caught. So he can personally pass a message to me. I like his spunk already. These lycans are tenacious. I want them to come here so I can properly educate them. Maybe add them to my collection of fighters. 

    "Finally," the kid stood up and looked me over. "I guess for once the rumors are true," 

    "Don't. If my mate were here, you'd be dead before you could finish that sentence, kid. You requested my presence, repeatedly?" 

    "I did, your majesty," he winked. 

    "Don't call me that," I waved to the camera so they can let me in. I went over to the writing desk and took a seat. 

    "You're bold. What if I did to you what I've been doing to your guards?" he asked sitting on the cot. 

    "You can try," I laughed. 

    The file is still here. Blank. I picked up the pen and the clip board before facing him. The kid is handsome. I'll give him that. Blonde wavy hair. Tanned pristine skin. Unique ultramarine eyes. Yeah, he's a cute kid. Not to mention his outstanding physique. I filled in some of the information just by looking at him. 

    "You like what you see?" he asked. 

    "It has potential. Given to what you've done to some of my guys, you have amazing physical instincts. Is that because of what you are or constant training?" 

    "Both," he shrugged. I nodded. "Your men aren't built like we are. Rogue wolves and rogue Lycans aren't the same thing. We don't have the spirit of a wolf. We're just beasts," 

    "Don't pat yourself on the back, kid. You're still at the bottom of the food chain. What you've been up against are new guards. They don't know the taste of blood or the sharpness of war yet. You're their training," I waved him off. "Lonnie is one of our brightest kids. You couldn't take him. He's only fifteen. His dad is one of my best men. Killian Redford," 

    "That's Redford's son?" he asked sitting up intrigued. 

    "Correct. What's your name?" 

    "Aeneas Steppenwolf," he answered. He's not lying. I wrote the name down and looked up at him. 

    "You're Hunter's brother on his father's side," I stated. "I am honored to be from the same homeland. Steppenwolf was the all-father's good friend. I can see how serious he is about taking Rogue Creek now," 

    "Just now? Not when we stormed your university?" 

    "I let you in. My daughter has a thing for the dramatic and she asked me to let things play out. As of late, I've been inclined to give her everything she wants. She almost died a few months ago and well, I'm a mom. I want to spoil her. To let her know I'm listening," 

    "I hear she's as beautiful as you," 

    "She has her father's temper, but essentially we've been told she could be a mini me," I proudly boasted. He laughed. 

    "Cute," he nodded. 

    "How old are you?" 

    "Nineteen," he cleared his throat. 

    "Mated?" 

    "I hope not," he scoffed. I grinned.

    "What are you, two twelve, two fifteen?" I asked. 

    "Two fifteen," 

    "Six, three?" 

    "Yep," 

    He doesn't like that I can name those things right off the top without a scale or measuring him. I can see the aggravation in his eyes. This kid has been through hell in his short life. He's guarded. More than any of the kids here. This kid isn't a stranger to war. Not like me but he's definitely seen some ugly s**t. 

    "I'm going to move you upstairs. You can stay here for as long as you want. You can leave if you, please. What's your message?" I asked. 

    "What are you doing?" he asked sitting up. 

    "Clearing you," 

    "Why? You're my enemy. I'm yours. Why would you?" 

    "I have a message for you to pass on to your brother. Nothing important. Just something small," 

    "He wants you, not the King or his little princess. He needs to talk to you. Personally. We can avoid this war," 

    "I'm going to war regardless of what you and your brother do. You two are so caught up with me that you haven't bothered to step back and take in your surroundings, Aeneas. I was attacked in broad daylight by something that has no soul. Those noises coming from the cell next to you. I thought it was a person. We brought in an expert interrogator to find that it's not a person at all. It just looks like one. While we were trying to talk to its little friend the prisoner next door bit chunks out of itself until it died. 

    "You and Hunter are cute. I love that you have the confidence of Kings and one day you will rule over something. It's just not going to be Rogue Creek or the Pack lands, boys. You have your own race of lycans. You have power over them and they look to the two of you for guidance. Take advantage of what you have and run with it before you push into someone else's land. You have no f*****g idea what it is I am capable of. I admire your will to f**k s**t up. I used to do it myself when I was your age. Go home when you feel okay to move and tell your brother he can come for a visit when he wants. The King and his little princess aren't here," 

    "Why did you send them in the first place? We lost men," 

    "So did I. You can't go around poking at s**t you don't understand. Alastair and Astra are not like me. While they are a treat to look at, to talk to, to love. They're beasts. Real, I will f*****g kill everyone here just because I didn't get my way, beasts. I can be reasoned with. I have control of what I am. I can still pull it back once I let go. They can't. I apologize for the men you lost. But this is an example of why you two should tread lightly from now on. As rogues, you are free to come and go as you please. Tell him I'm not mad and that his letter was exquisite," 

    "You really think we don't have a chance?" he asked when I got up and tapped the glass. Lonnie is standing right outside. "I do what he says, but he's not easily swayed. My brother is the kind of person who was deprived of everything and was punished for taking minimal for the two of us. Until he started fighting back. Until he realized he wasn't just slave," 

    "Tell you what. If you can beat Lonnie in a fair fight, I'll take back what I said and I'll take the two of you seriously. If you can't, call your brother. Have him come get you and I'll talk to him. There's a place for you and your friends here. You're going to need something stable if what's to come is more than anyone can handle out on their own. You don't have to acknowledge me as your alpha, but I don't want something as beautiful as the two of you out there when alone when s**t hits the fan," 

    "Can I get that on paper?" he smirked looking Lonnie over. The two of us laughed. 

    "Play with him. Have your father evaluate his movements for assessment. I think we're gonna have new toys to play with at the end of this," 

    "My lady," Lonnie bowed. "Let's go, pretty boy," 

    "Get him cleaned up. I don't want him to be sent back to Hunter in the state he's in," 

    If he's as easy going as this, the brother isn't. This one is the playful happy guy while the other one is the one who knows exactly what he has to do to ensure that his most valuable possession is taken care of. What that boy has given up to have a brother this beautiful tells me exactly who he is. After all, I was in the same place when I found Allison. 

    "Yes, my lady," 

    "You're a Redford?" Aeneas asked him. 

    "I am," 

    "You got siblings?" 

    "A sister and six brothers," Lonnie answered. 

    "No, s**t?" 

    "None," 

    "I got one brother and he f*****g drives me insane. I can't imagine having that many," 

    The prisoner from upstairs was walked down. I stopped the boys from walking ahead of me as they passed us. The guards are having trouble containing him. The thing is snapping at them. That's exactly how the hell hounds act when they're hungry. I flinched when one of the guards growled and hit the prisoner as hard as he could. That hit should have knocked him out cold. The others got the thing into the cell the as fast as possible. 

    "What the f**k?" Aeneas whispered. 

    "Gerard, are you okay?" I asked going to the guard. 

    "Yeah," he nodded looking down at his arm. 

    "Go up stairs and get it cleaned up. Come see me after," I ordered. "I'll be in my study," 

    "My lady he bowed," and rushed up the stairs. I looked over at Aeneas. 

    "I saw," he shrugged before I could say anything. "I'll go for now. We'll have to postpone me kick your ass, Redford," 

    "Are you coming back with your brother?" Lonnie teased. 

    "Yeah," he blurted. "But not so he can kick your ass. Your ass needs to be kicked by me. Trust when I say Hunter doesn't fight fair. He'll rip you apart," 

    "Go on, boys. Get him some food. Tell Naloc I said to let Mr. Steppenwolf borrow some clothes. Yours would be too small for him," 

    "The prince is gonna love you," Lonnie smirked. "Come on," 

    "The prince? As in her son?" he asked looking back at me. 

    "Duh," Lonnie laughed pulling him along. Yeah, that's Killian's son. 

    I went up to my study. There's silence for a bit. Much needed. I put the information I gathered into the system and put the file with my personal stash. Alastair and Astra should be getting off the plane soon. Naloc should be back from classes already. I let them know he's going to be absent but I assured them that none of his assignments would be turned in late. I have two hours before Brandon and the rest of the Vampire royalty arrive. Their rooms are in order. 

    "You look tired, kid," I looked over to the doorway and smiled. 

    "Dr. Peters. Come in," I waved him in. Gerard is with him. His arm is wrapped. 

    "Just came to say that he's going to need some rest. A few days off. That's all," he motioned him. 

    "I'm fine," Gerard insisted. 

    "Take a few days off, Gerard. With pay. We don't know what that thing is and I want to make sure you're good. Yeah?" I offered. 

    "Thank you," he bowed reluctantly. "I really don't need it though," 

    "Say hello to your parents for me," I dismissed him. 

    "My lady," he bowed and left. 

    "Kids," Peters smiled at me. "How are you feeling?" he came over to me with his stethoscope in hand. "Let me," 

    "Stressed," I answered when he placed it on my throat. 

    "Breathe in," he instructed. I took a deep breath. "Breathe out," 

    "Why are you checking me?" I asked. 

    "You've been training. Before Naloc was born you were experiencing some difficulties with swelling in your wind pipe it. It was always raspy. I believe it had to do with your blood intake," 

    "Now?" 

    "It sounds okay. It's only been a few days. I checked Naloc this morning. He's doing great. His recovery time is outstanding," 

    "I know," I sighed. "Doesn't give me much time to recover from it mentally," 

    "Your father has informed me of his departure. They leave tonight. Before the Vampire King gets here. I think you should talk to him before he goes," 

    "I've tried to talk to him. He doesn't want to let this go and I'm not going to stop because he's having a fit," 

    "He just doesn't want to see either of you get hurt," he defended. 

    "This is essential for that," I shrugged. He nodded. 

    "I agree with you. I actually thought that you would have started sooner," 

    "You and every other trainer I had. I have been getting letters to come teach him from your colleagues since he was four,"

    "Most of his teachers at school are your former teachers. He and Astra are as advanced as they are because you placed them in the right place," 

    "Don't tell my father that," I whispered. 

    "Don't tell me what?" speak of the devil and he shall appear. I groaned. 

    "That you're an ass hole," Peters answered and stood up. "Well, alpha Malacoda. I will check in on our bite victim tonight and again tomorrow," 

    "Thank you," I chuckled. He openly glared at my dad when he walked by him. My dad growled at him. 

    "That no longer scares me, Dylan. We have the same fangs now," he hissed before he stepped out of my study without taking his eyes off my dad. My dad shut the door on him. I covered my mouth so he wouldn't see me laughing. 

    "He peed once. I glared at him and he peed," he sat down across from me. I put my hands down trying to fight the grin on my face. "I've lost all credibility with these fangs," 

    "You lost all credibility long before that," I smirked. He playfully glared at me. 

    "Your prisoner bit someone?" 

    "Yeah, he bit one of Harper's sons. I want to make sure he's okay. I gave him a few days off," 

    "The creepy prisoner or the kid?" 

    "The creepy one," I sat back. "I let the kid go," 

    "Why?" 

    "Because if he or his brother were a threat he'd be dead," I answered truthfully. Astra has taken a strange interest in these boys and I really hope my assumption is the cute one with blond hair and not the brunette with the anger issues that surpass my own. 

    "Lily and I are leaving in a couple of hours," 

    "I'm sad to see the two of you go," I admitted. 

    "You don't look sad," 

    "I am. But I'm not going to sit here and act like it's not in our best interest," 

    "I just want you to-" 

    "Scylla," Peters rushed back in. He looks alarmed. 

    "What is it?" I asked getting up. 

    "Gerard," 

    I rushed out with him. Gerard is being held down by Aeneas. Naloc and Lonnie are trying to comfort one of the girls that works in the kitchen. She's bleeding. I went over to them to see that he bit deep into her jugular. 

    "What happened?" I asked. 

    "He-" Aeneas tried. They all look spooked. "He was talking to her and out of nowhere he just snapped," 

    "Gerard?" I called out to him. His eyes are blood shot. His skin is starting to lose color. His fangs are out. "Gerard. Can you hear me?" 

    "Mom," Naloc called out to me. The girl is dying. I knelt down next to her tucking my hands behind her neck and pulled. She instantly died. There was no coming back from a bite like that.

    "Was anyone else bitten?" I asked. 

    "No," they all answered.

    "Let's get him restrained. Peters?" 

    "Yes," he nodded. 

    I picked up the girl and moved Gerard into the infirmary where we chained him down. The veins around his eyes are popping. He's starting to foam at the mouth. I pushed his head back and swabbed his mouth while Peters removed the bandage on his arm. The bite has gotten much worse. It looks like it's rotting and at an alarming rate. 

    "We can't leave him like this," Aeneas shook his head. 

    "Give him something, Peters," I agreed. 

    "Right," 

    He went over to his medicine cabinet while I started to run tests on what's coming out of his mouth and the blood on his arm. The machine went off. Marking the samples as errors. I ran it again only to get the same result. I scraped some of it and put it under the mircoscope. 

    "Alpha," Peters called out to me. 

    "Just put him out," I called back. This is insane. There's no way this is a sample from a wolf. 

    "He should already be out," 

    I turned around to see everyone looking at Gerard. He still pulling on the chains. The foam has gotten thicker. We all flinched when his arm snapped and we was able to free his hand. He grabbed for Peters but Naloc pulled him out of the way.  Tears pooled in my eyes and chills broke out throughout my body. This has to be what the Reapers are preparing for. 

    "Mom!" Naloc shouted. Standing behind Aeneas is the girl in the same condition Gerard is. 

    "Get down," I shouted reaching for my gun. Aeneas hit the floor. I fired hitting her twice in the head. She fell to the ground. I looked over at Gerard. "I'm so sorry," I whispered to him. "I'm sorry," I pulled the trigger and he instantly stopped moving. "Get out of here. All of you," 

    "Mom," Naloc came over to me. 

    "Now," I growled. They all rushed out for the exception of Peters. "Burn them,"

    "Yes, ma'am," he nodded. 

    "Cover up, Peters. We don't know how infectious that is," 

    "Right," he nodded. 

    I took a sample from the girl and found the same thing. They're turning into jackals. I've analyzed enough of their DNA to know that this is impossible. There's no way. The only other type of shifter than can turn a human into what they are is a Lycan but they'd never condemn a human to their life. They have rules and regulations against this. Even the boy is not stupid enough to bite a human. Not unless they needed to. Life or death. The only creatures that frenzy like this are jackals. What the hell is this?

    "What did you find?" Peters asked. 

    "If these things get out. We're f****d," I answered. "I'm talking about Resident Evil, end of the world, Prometheus's wrath type of f****d. I need to find them," 

    "Alpha, stop," he called after me as I rushed down to the cells where that thing is. It's calm now. Is it because he tasted flesh?

    "What are you?" I shouted. 

    "Hungry," he answered. He stood up and came over to the glass. "Hungry," 

    "Kill it," his voice was almost a relief. Brandon came over to me placing his hand on my shoulder. "Now," 

    "I'm sorry," I whispered.

    I put my gun up and motioned them to open the cell. It growled before it tried to rush us. Two taps to the head and he was out. No blood came out of him. I looked over at Brandon and was completely blank minded. I don't know what think or what to say. 

    "You've never apologized to people you've put down before. Has motherhood made you soft?" he asked. 

    "I've always been soft, B. You just never saw it because I've always just been an object to you," I put my gun back in the holster and began to make my way to the elevator. 

    "I wish that were true," I heard him whisper to himself. He followed. 

    "They're gone," Peters approached me when the elevator door opened. I hadn't noticed that he wasn't with me until Brandon showed up. 

    "There's another one down in the cells. Take a sample. See what we can dig up," 

    "Do you want me to see if it's reversible?" he asked. 

    "I doubt it," Brandon scoffed. 

    "Yes," I nodded. "Let's try and get a time measurement. It was six fifteen when they boy was bitten. It took about twelve minutes after I snapped Jenny's neck," 

    "Okay," he nodded. 

    "You snapped her neck and she got up?" Brandon asked when he was gone. 

    "Yes," I nodded and began to make my way back to my study. I have to tell their parents and I have to tell the others. 

    "That's not possible. That only happens in movies," 

    "I snapped her neck. I chained the boy to a chair and he broke his f*****g hands to get out of it. Their cells were deteriorating sixty percent a millisecond. He said that the reapers were getting ready for a plague. He told me the night I started training Naloc. This isn't a f*****g joke, B. Something is happening and we need to do something," 

    "What do you think we can do about an outbreak like that? I've been through hundreds and hundreds of plagues and I've never seen anything like that. Not even when the formers rampaged. This is unheard of," 

    "Well, you're hearing it now. I'm telling you. You saw it. I'm not going to make this s**t up. It looks like we have our work cut out for us again. I'll get Felipe on the phone and call the parents of those two kids. It's time to get the adults back out on patrol. Nothing comes in without us approving it,"