The Delta's Daughter Chapter 385

TRAVIS

I hung up with Kellen, bringing my thoughts back to now over a year ago. The day one of our patrols found Petra.

She was a frightened little girl. So scared that the smell of her fear almost hid her scent. Petra was eleven now, as a bear shifter she should have her first shift at around fourteen. Werebears shifted earlier than wolves or cats, it was a known fact.

I had fallen in love with that little girl because of her bravery. And that she had no family left. The scene of where she had come from had never left the minds of any of us that were there to see the aftermath.

A whole Clan was decimated. Bodies torn and shredded. Stripped of clothing. Appendages strewn around like trash. That sight was awful, but the most horrifying thing was the children that had been strung up in the trees.

I didn't want to believe that Petra could be someone other than the girl I had come to know and love. She was the closest thing I had to a little sister. To family. I had abandoned my own family and left the title of Alpha to my younger brother.

I hadn't been home in a long time. My father and mother would reach out every now and then. I just couldn't, I didn't, I wasn't the same person that left the Academy. Being held in the dungeons that sat below me, had changed me.

If it hadn't been for Lamia, I would have stayed lost, and my wolf would have certainly left me.

Janus stirs at the thought of his name. As he does, so does the parasite. His darkness and need to corrupt slithered around in my head, around Janus, encompassing both our minds.

'Find the girl.' He says in a conniving voice. 'She has secrets.'

'She is a child' Janus defends Petra. He too has built a bond with the girl. He is as protective of her as I like to think I am.

I chew on my cheek, fingers rubbing through my beard. Contemplating the best way to talk to her. I know I need to; I can't just brush this off. When Mike gets a gut feeling, you tend to listen. Same with Hunji.

I trusted the knights; they were all my friends. Though I wondered, more these days, how deep our friendship went. I expected Kellen to ball me out for hiding the truth about Oliver. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had turned up here, beat the shit out of me, and killed Oliver. But that hasn't happened either. Yet.

I stand from my chair, exit the office and head towards the back passage, where the door to the dungeons stands.

I hadn't seen Petra in over a week. We used to have meals together with Mrs. Brown. I just assumed she was too busy, a young girl with friends having fun. Now I wonder if I hadn't seen her for different reasons.

*Mrs, Brown, where is Petra?* I open up a link between me and the head of the house.

*I'm not sure Alpha,* She replies. *She may be at Erica's.* Erica was Petra's best friend, a squirrely looking little werecat. Her father is a warrior. A good one too.

*Why don't you know where she is? She is only eleven. Not sixteen.* I was a little blunt with Mrs. Brown, frustrated that she wouldn't know where Petra was.

Mrs. Brown had taken care of her since Lamia deemed her part of MacTire. Mrs. Brown had lost her only son in the battle when he fought for Silas. So, when Petra came along, we figured she needed a werebear, a shifter she could connect with and Mrs. Brown had fallen in love with the girl the moment she laid eyes on her.

Just like the rest of us.

*I'm sorry Alpha. I will find her for you.*

*Thank you.* I reply before cutting off our connection.

Opening the door to the cells, I am met with the familiar dim darkness. My wolf's eyes adjust allowing me to see clearly as I make my way down to visit my favorite prisoner.

I pull up the stool, ignoring the way Oliver ignores me. I sit in silence just listening. Thinking. When Oliver interrupts.

"You want more information?" He says with a touch of amusement in his voice.

"How can you be what you are, and be so proud of it?" I ask, with a dry tone.

Oliver stirs and sits up from his cot. "Because it was all I knew. It was all I was taught. Kill or be killed. I'm a survivor Travis."

"They can't find Senko," I tell him hoping he will offer up information.

"Did you want to torture information out of me?" He grins, the grin turning to a smirk. His eyes land on mine and he holds the stare, "Or did you want me on my knees Alpha?" He stands coming to the bars. His feet were dirty, and the skin peeled from the contact with silver. "We both know you enjoyed it."

Something akin to lust stirred within me, my cock responding to the memory of the one time I had Oliver suck me off. Thinking it would be a form of punishment.

I'm ashamed to admit I enjoyed it way too much. But it would never happen again. I wanted him to hate me, I wanted to feel superior. Except I came so hard down his throat when he gagged and almost came again when he swallowed my come.

It was obvious I enjoyed it by the way I shouted out my release, I couldn't hold back my moan of pleasure. And Oliver knew it too. Though part of me thinks he enjoyed having his manly lips wrapped around my dick too.

"That won't be happening again." I shake my head, staring at him.

"Afraid you would enjoy too much. Again?" He laughed, turning his back on me and walking the few short steps to the back of his cell.

"I'm afraid you might enjoy it too much." I quip back.

I study Oliver. Kellen had also revealed on our phone call that Oliver may be the true heir to the Dimaztle mines. Diamond mines that sat just over the border of Bhakhil. One that Tala had split between her and the current Alpha of Bhakhil, Jasper.

"What was your mother's name, Oliver?"

Oliver snarls at me, showing his wolf through his eyes and his teeth. "None of your business."

"Oh, but it is," I smile. "See I know where she came from, if it's the same person, I know who she was."

"You know nothing." He growls back.

I guess his mother was a touchy subject.

"Did she ever mention Dimaztle? What that place was?" I wait and watch as recognition flashes in his hazel eyes, a hint of orange as his wolf stays on the surface.

"I know what that place is. I was there. Remember!"

"Yeah, but do you really know what it means to you?" I smugly say, crossing my arms and kicking my feet out. "Tell me what your mother's name is and I will tell you what I know."

Oliver growls and stomps in his cell, careful to avoid the silver-painted floor. "Trina, her name was Trina. Why did you want to know?" He spits at me with demand in his vicious voice.

I shrug my shoulders. "Not, Petrina by any chance?"

I see his head slightly move from side to side. His brows furrow and eyes slant, flicking around in thought. Then I watch as all the color from his face drains, making him look paler and sicker than he already did. "I knew her name as Trina, It's what Silas called her."

"Petrina, or Trina in your case was the sister to Tala's mother."

"No." He says in denial.

An emotion flashed across his face, so fast it was hard to get a read on it. Whatever it was rattled him though.

"Did you know she begged King Alexander to kill her, in order to save your life?" I let that piece of information slip only so I can watch him squirm.

A light breeze tickles the back of my neck, raising my hair. I frown and stand looking around. There is no breeze down here. The air was always stagnant because of a lack of ventilation. Cells on the side had small pocket windows, but not here. Not where they had kept me. Not where I kept Oliver.

I lift my nose, scenting the cool air that blew in. It's musty and earthy. I look to the end of the corridor and wave off Oliver as I walk the length.

Part of the wall had been dug and or knocked out, creating a big enough hole for a small person to climb through. I swiped the edge of the mortar that had been dug out with my finger and licked it.

I taste no scent and smell no one. But that doesn't mean anything.

When did this happen? Who had done this?

I picked up one of the loose bricks from the floor and tramp back to Oliver. "Who was here?" I demand angrily at Oliver. "Who was here Oliver?"

I hate the sly look that comes over his face and I want to wipe it clean off. In my temper I throw the brick at the cell bars, watching it bounce off and hit the floor.

"Okay." I back off when he says nothing. Sealing his lips tight. "You want to play it like that?" I returned a devious smile. It had been months since I last got to torture Oliver. "You know, I never did pull your canines out. It was something I had always thought about. They say once a werewolf loses his canines, they never grow back. You become useless and weak, and your wolf slowly dies.

I had no idea if that was true, but it sounded good.

"My wolf is already dying." He replies with sadness.

I should feel bad for him, but the truth is, I should have killed him long before now. "Then your wolf will be free of a despicable piece of shit like you."

"My wolf was born of royal blood. He should never have been rogue, to begin with."

"I guess you have Silas to thank for that." I sneer. "Or maybe your mother." I laugh, just to piss him off more.

Oliver flies forward, hands gripping the bars, instantly burning his palms, but he doesn't let go. "My wolf would piss all over yours."

"Pity you will never see the light of day; I would accept your challenge." I tease knowing I'm getting to him now.

I walk away, threading my way back upstairs to my office. I open the safe and take out a needle full of wolfsbane and ketamine. Then go back down to Oliver's cell.

At the end of the corridor that leads to Oliver's cell is a long stick, I grabbed it. It was what I used to jab the needle into him, avoiding giving him a chance to overpower me, just in case he got jumpy.

I stand by the cell and whistle to him like a dog. He knows what's coming and he doesn't try to fight it as I push the stick with the needle on the end through the bars, jabbing him right in the middle of his back.

I then take the stool down the end of the corridor, prop it against the wall and sit down. Making myself comfortable as I could be here a while. Maybe whoever made the hole won't come back, but the parasite in my mind actually agreed with Janus for once and both seemed to think whoever it was, would come back. Call it a wolfs hunch.

'Wolves. Two.' The parasite's words echoed in my mind. Lately, he had been referring to himself as a wolf too, like he was a spirit animal. Janus was my wolf. Whatever he was… well he wasn't my wolf.

I must sit here for hours. Wondering if Mrs. Brown had found Petra yet. Wondering who could come through the tunnel. If anyone would. At some point my eyes closed, sending me into a semi-deep sleep.

It was Janus's scratching in my mind that woke me, at some point.

I scent the air and smell nothing. Yet I feel another presence. The corridor is dark and silent. One low light shines at the other end. My eyes fixed on the other end of the corridor when I saw a movement in the shadows.

The parasite is quick to react, taking over my limbs and throwing me forward. Janus aids him and with my wolf speed, I catch the intruder by snatching at the long hair my hand finds.

I bring the small intruder into the light. Only to find a stunning young woman in my grasp. My eyes flick over her jet-black hair, her porcelain features with bright red juicy lips. Finally landing on her eyes, to be greeted with orbs that shone like the sun.

"Who are you?" I snarl, baring my teeth and letting my claws grow, threading them around her neck and yanking at her hair.

The female looks up at me, eyes like a deer when hunted, lips quivering. The fear rolled off her, but that was the only scent I could find. There was no other.

"If I have to ask again and get no reply… well it's your neck. And I will snap it." I grip her slim neck tighter, as I promise her what will happen.

"Brave girl Petra!" I hear Oliver chuckle from his cell. "Why did you come back?"

"Petra?" My eyes wander to her face. "Petrina?"

"Please don't kill me, Alpha Travis, I beg you!" She cries out, her whole body trembling as the fear wracks through her. "Please Uncle Travis," She whispers in desperation.

"Petra?" I repeat, still not believing my eyes and ears.

The female morphs instantly, suddenly becoming the small eleven-year-old I know and love with her brown hair and brown eyes, skin a few shades darker.

My hand coils even tighter around her neck. She gasps for air as I squeeze. "You… You have. You are Senko's daughter. You have been here spying on all of us the whole time?"

Janus was going crazy because of the betrayal he felt. He was ready to die for Petra when she had been kidnapped by Orion and Finn. Oliver was there too. "No." I seethe the word, spit flying from my mouth. The parasite laughs in my mind. He laughs and laughs.

"No," I repeat over, I squeeze tighter, fully cutting off her air supply, and watch as her face begins to change color. Frantically she claws at my hand with her short nails, morphing back into the older female.

"Travis!" Oliver growls from his cell. "If you kill her, Lamia doesn't get her questions answered. She can lead the Queen to Senko. She knows where he is."

Fuck he's right. I hate that he's right. My hand loosens. But I drag her back by her neck, and not gently either. By the way she whimpers, she's scared and in pain. I should care. I do care. But not enough. I pulled her to the first corridor and threw her into one of the newer cells. Locking it with the keypad.

I stare at her on the other side of the shatterproof glass.

"Please, Travis!" She begs, but I don't know her. I never did.

My face remains blank and after a moment I walk away.

I hid Oliver from Lamia, but this… This was outrageous. I felt everything one should feel. Disappointment, betrayal, anger, confusion. Hurt, sad, surprised. I felt everything towards Petra.

Except what I had felt for her before this night. The love, the trust, and the protectiveness for the past year and a half all washed away in a matter of minutes.

Leaving me cold and bitter with an angry wolf and a parasite who was ready to maim the female.

'Wolf' The parasite corrected me.

'Shut it.' I commanded him, in no mood to entertain his shenanigans.