The Delta's Daughter Chapter 338

LYRIC

Sunday

I paced the cell a couple of guards moved me to last night. I had managed to undo the silver cuffs and slipped them off. Throwing them under the lone cot as soon as they locked the cell door and left me.

At least I was able to pee in the bucket that served as a toilet. Disgusting as it might be, I didn't have to resort to wetting my pants. My ego had been bruised enough getting caught, without adding the stench of sitting in your own urine.

The guards were gracious enough to tell me what day it was, as they hauled me down here. Tomorrow, if Lizzy had listened, she would leave for the safe house. I couldn't chance her and my son going out in the open without protection. I had no idea if Shadow had caught up to them. Or if Miko had spilled his guts.

All I knew was they weren't safe. My son was in danger.

Did Miko even know Bram was dead?

Light footsteps bring me from my thoughts as the soft sound of a female's heels draws nearer. I halt my pacing, fingering the dirty shirt of the green-eyed man I still wore.

Now the cuffs are off I can smell the approaching female. Note growls in my head, as she recognizes the same scent as we smelled on our mate out in the forest. He had reeked of another female. Note didn't have time to process her possessiveness then, but now her low growling turned to a snarling growl, laced with agitation and jealousy as the female appeared before us.

She was pretty, I'll give her that.

Long brown hair and curves that I was envious of. Her eyes were a shade of light brown with green flecks. Full lips that went along with her full frame. The female stood before me, her gaze wandering over me, taking me in. Assessing me.

I cocked my head at her when I stopped pacing and stood directly in front of her. Was she here to warn me away from the Beta? To tell me he already belongs to someone? Her.

If that was the case, I was okay with that. Contradictory to my wolf's feelings who craved the mate the goddess gifted her; I was not so keen on being mated. The very idea scared the living daylights out of me.

She said nothing and neither did I for a long beat. The two of us sizing each other up. I feel my wolf come to the forefront now the cuffs are off, a silent challenge to the other female's spirit animal. Yet my wolf stumbles over her show of dominance when the female wolf doesn't retaliate.

I find myself speaking out of bewilderment. "Where is your wolf?" I sense the female is a she-wolf, but she lacks the wolf's essence as if her spirit animal is absent from her. Curiosity gets the better of me and I'm surprised when she answers me.

She takes a few evened-out breaths, her face wears her emotions plain and open for all to see. Guilt, shame, heartbreak, sadness, and more than that - dejection. Unlike me who conceals everything I feel behind a mask. Showing weakness would only get you killed. "My wolf is disconnected until I find a mate that doesn't exist. Cursed until I find a wolf-less shifter." She tells me with an air of acceptance.

I'm not sure if she meant to divulge all that, but nonetheless, she did. This female was different, bold but caring. Tough but soft. She reminded me of my sister, the way she didn't hesitate, the way she didn't hide her true self.

But she still couldn't be trusted.

"I know who you are, to the Beta," I tell her, looking her up and down with a not-so-friendly demeanor.

"Is that so?" She finally speaks. And I almost laugh out loud because despite the mixture of emotions she wears on the outside. Her voice is soft, unwavering, and purposeful.

"You are here to claim your male. I don't care. I just need to speak to him then he is all yours." I mean what I say even if my wolf, Note, is protesting loudly on the inside.

"That's not why I'm here," She sighs and looks away from me. "I wanted to see you, to know what kind of a female you are." She looks back at me, eyes wide and lips pursed. "I will not stand in the way of his true mate if you are who he truly wants."

I scoff, but the laughable words are lost on me when I see her throat bob and eyes glisten with unshed tears. She wasn't joking. This female was a hundred percent dead serious. "Why?" I question with narrow eyes.

"Because I love him, and he deserves to be happy. Even if that means it's no longer with me." She turns her head to the side, unable to look at me any longer.

"Look lady," I cross my arms and huff the words out. I don't quite trust her, especially as her wolf isn't present. "That's really nice of you and everything, to come down here and let me know I don't have any competition. But I can assure you I wasn't any competition in the first place."

What I want is for her to go away. I either need to escape this place or play my hand with the royal Beta.

"Did you do it?" Her question surprises me and throws me off for a moment.

"Do what?"

"Kill the two men, steal my sister's crown?"

Ahhh. Realization dawns on me. And I find myself answering the questions I refused to answer before. "Does it matter?"

"It does if he wants you."

"I didn't kill anyone," I admit, the words punctuated with emphasis.

I turn my back on the female, refusing to give her anymore. It was the last thing I would say unless it was to my mate, the Beta himself.

Silence looms between us, the only sounds I hear are her evened breaths and the odd shout from another inmate somewhere in this underground prison.

My head drops down with exasperation. Time was ticking by along with my window of opportunity. Something needed to happen, and fast.

The need to make sure my son was secure and safe was gnawing away at me. My wolf lowered her guard in agreement, mother instincts taking over. Her pup was in danger, and she was useless to protect him with each passing minute we were locked in this cage.

I came to an unpleasant decision. If the Beta would not talk to me of his own accord, maybe his female could convince him to.

I roll my eyes and lift my head, spinning around to engage with the woman, ready to beg for an audience with her male, my mate. When the sound of hurried footsteps coming down the corridor has the female turning. The startled and scared look on her face gives me pause and the familiar sound of the green-eyed man's voice fills the stagnant air.

*****

RHETT

I rubbed my eyes, focusing on the morning sun shining through the window of a back room in the holding cells.

I had the female suspect moved to a secure cell last night. I shook my head; the girl was stubborn as shit. Even Hunji tried but failed to get her to open up. It made me feel better that it wasn't just me who was having a hard time getting anything out of her. She wasn't intimidated in the least. Hunji had even tried commanding her to speak, but she somehow managed to resist his order to confess.

I wondered, even without her wolf, if her strength came from being Mike's mate. Damn, this was a shit show if I had ever seen one.

I got up and walked into the small bathroom, the room was small and built for overnight guards to rest in between shifts. A single bed in an almost bare room with a small bathroom that held a toilet, sink, and shower. I flip the handle for the shower, stepping in, I let the cool water run down me.

I wash quickly, throw a towel around my waist, and step back into the room. I took a minute to look out the window, only to see it had begun to snow. I rub my cock as he shrinks back at the thought of the cold weather. "Not as cold as MacTire, buddy," I tell my flaccid cock.

I dress quickly, knowing I have a full day trying to piece together what went down two nights ago. It was now Sunday, and we were no closer to figuring out what happened on Friday night. It would be so much easier if that damn female would speak. She was going down for murder and theft and come Monday she would be put before the council, who would ultimately decide her fate. She might as well confess.

My gut told me to hold off, to let her speak to Mike. Yet Mike had blocked us all out. He had a mental barrier up and had either switched off his phone or was ignoring it.

I step out of the room and halfway down the hall to the main reception area, I hear Tyron and another man speaking harshly. "What's going on?" I ask once I can visually see them.

Tyron turns to me and is the one to explain, "J.D here, thought it was okay to let the Beta's female go down to the cells to question our suspect. I told him…"

"Whoa, back up a second. Did I just hear you right? They let Mike's female go down to the cells to question our suspect?" This was not good. So not good. It was only myself, Hunji and now Kellen, who knew the thief sitting in our cells was Mike's fated mate, "By his female you mean Jonda MacTire?"

"Ughh yeah," Tyron confirms.

"Fuck!" I groan, straining the word, and turn my heels, rushing towards the doors that led to the underground cells. "Get a hold of Mike and let him know. NOW!" I barked out.

I had no idea if he had spoken to Jonda or not, but this couldn't be good. The chosen mate and the fated mate. The last thing we needed was two she-wolves fighting. I didn't know Jonda but if the female in the cells was capable of murdering two large males, one being an Alpha, then I didn't know what chance Jonda would have against her. Gods, I hope no one opened the cell for her.

Another scary thought entered my head as I flung the door open and made my way down the stairs. Would Jonda attack the thief out of jealousy? Shit, if she did it would hurt Mike.

I reach the underground cells, the dark and damp smell crawling up my nose almost immediately. I had only had my enhanced shifter abilities for a year now, and I still hardly used them. I had strength and speed as a hybrid, but when I was chosen to be a queen's knight, my abilities became stronger, along with the gift of shifter eyesight and smell and other things. But without a spirit animal, I had found it hard to navigate them. Usually, instinct would take over, but all I could smell was the nasty cells and the pungent scent of decay, sweat, and blood.

I had put the female in the last cell, on the last corridor. I round the corner and stop at the familiar memorable sight of deep chestnut brown hair.

I shake my head. This is no time for daydreaming. I tell myself and advance toward her. Except, the closer I get the more I recognize the shape of her curves, and the more I remember my hands feeling every piece of her soft flesh. The feel of her wrapped around my cock and the sensual way she moaned beneath me.

"Jonda?" I croak out, hoping to the powers that be that I am wrong and it's not her. The familiar woman turns to face me. "Holy shit! It's you!" I gasped. Not daring to take another step.

Jonda looks just as shocked as I feel. Her mouth gaping open, hazel eyes wide and unbelieving. "What, what." She quickly looks at the female in the cell she stands in front of. "Why are you here? How did you find me?"

"Find you?" I splutter. Well shit, she has no idea who I am.

"You can't be here!" She squeals barely above a whisper.

I palm the back of my neck smirking. "I didn't think I would ever see you again. I hoped but, what were the chances?" I move closer to her; my body was drawn to hers like a magnet and she steps back. "Allow me to introduce myself gorgeous." I hold out a hand for her to shake, but she just stares at it with disgust. "Rhett Randall, Knight to Queen Lamia Langley. Gamma to Alpha Travis Wertz of MacTire. And founder of the Intermediate National Enforcers."

"Get the fuck out of here!" She shouts in complete surprise. "You lie!"

"I don't lie," I tell her truthfully.

Her back hits the wall, and my frozen stupor breaks. In a millisecond I'm standing before her, caging her in against the wall. Rationality had flown out the window, as my hand came up, knuckles brushing over her slack jaw. My heartbeat picks up and all I can think about is how she felt against me - around me. Not that she was one of my best friend's chosen mate.

I search her eyes, wanting nothing more than to taste her again. Her chest heaves. Beneath the blouse she wears, her pebbled nipples slightly brush against my chest with each deep breath she inhales. I remember what they looked like, the feel of them in my mouth. I lean closer. Ready to kiss her, to own her.

"What the fuck is going on!" The air in my lungs leaves me as I'm thrown back with force, landing on the cold stone ground. I don't even have a minute to figure out what happened when an angry fist repeatedly pummels my face.

"Mike! No!" I hear Jonda scream. It's only then I realize who and why I'm getting the shit beaten out of me. "Stop Mike! Please. Let him go!" Jonda screams, but the fist keeps coming.

I attempt to shield my face, as Mike's rage takes over growling out muffled words and cursing at me. The flying fists stopped as fast as they came. Sensing Mike's distance I uncover my face and scramble to stand and face him. Finding him being held back by not only King Kellen, and Tyron but also Jonda's body in front of him trying to calm the man and his wolf.

Mike's face burns red with rage, growling and spitting for them to let him go until his eyes turn on Jonda and his wolf's voice is present as he accuses her, "You just can't keep your hands to yourself. You're a lying cheating slut of a whore!"

My inner beast wakes up as my own rage fills me. Claws extend and teeth elongate, and I know my eyes have turned black and carry the mark of the queen's knight.

Jonda slaps him hard. But it's not enough to quell the anger at the way he spoke to her. I fly forward ready to attack him and he pulls out of Kellen and Tyron's grip with a quick motion of power, shoving Jonda to the side as he too comes at me.

This time I'm ready, aware, of the fight. I cock a fist and bring it up, landing an uppercut that hardly impacts the Beta and he returns the blow with a jab.

I'm too far gone to feel the power behind the punch, and I lay a left hook on him, swiping at his stomach with the claws on my right.

"ENOUGH!" Kellen's command comes out loud and strong and both Mike and halt our fighting. Neither one of us was able to defy the King's command and neither one of us wanted to back down. So, we stand there seething at each other, eyes locked in a competition for Alpha.

"What the fuck is your problem?" I spit at him.

"Rhett," Jonda says softly, pleading. She turns to Mike, "I didn't know who he was. Not until… now." She casts me an apologetic glance. "He didn't know who I was either."

"This is who you cheated on me with?" Mike's face twists into a pained expression, "With Rhett?"

I clamp my jaw shut tightly.

As soon as I saw her, I knew she was Jonda, Mike's Jonda. My Lisa, the fake name she gave me that night over a month ago.

"I didn't know who she was," I tell Mike truthfully. The guilt of what I did to him, now sinking in. I fucked his woman, the one he was so eager for me to meet. The woman he had fully intended to bond with. The woman he loved. "She didn't know who I was."

"Someone better explain to me what the fuck is going on, because I've about had it up to here with the bullshit!" Kellen demands and I see his hands gesture above his head demonstrating just how pissed off he was.

Jonda sighs out, tears streaming down her cheeks, and I just want to comfort her, protect her, touch her. "I cheated on Mike. On my way back from the Kodiak Kingdom last month. I didn't know who he was,"

"Because it would make a difference if you did?" Mike spits harsh words her way and I find myself growling at him.

"If it means anything, she told me no several times."

"So, you what raped her? Made her spread her legs?" Mike accuses me and my head jerks at the insinuation.

"What! No!" I bite back. "You're being irrational Mike!"

"Then what?" He screams, spittle falling from his mouth, fist clenching. Dark eyes darted between Jonda and me.

Jonda shakes her head. I don't know why Mike. I just don't know…" Her voice trails off and she gulps back a sob.

"You are all fucking idiots." The flat unimpressed voice cuts into the arguments and has the five of us looking at the female prisoner, who we had all but forgotten was there amidst the fighting and arguing.