Chapter 63: ⁶³ pleas

I was met with nothing but confused glances. The entire place had gone silent. I could almost hear the questions running through everyone’s minds, but before anyone could voice them, I continued.

"I can sense traces connected to the explosion on his hands."

I made sure to say it clearly enough for every council member to hear. I especially wanted them to understand that I had a reason for ordering the arrest of one of our own warriors.

A warrior was among the most respected members of the Empire, and publicly apprehending one without an explanation could easily cause unrest among the military.

But there was another reason I had chosen my words carefully. I intentionally kept the existence of dark magic hidden.

If that information were to spread, it wouldn’t simply create havoc within the pack. It could also alert whoever had dared to use dark magic inside my Empire, right in my own home territory and directly beneath my watch.

I couldn’t allow that. Not until I knew exactly who was behind it.

"What happened today is a serious security lapse," I announced, addressing everyone present. "This incident will be investigated thoroughly. Until we know exactly how this happened, everyone is to remain vigilant."

I then turned toward Derek, who was standing beside Louis.

"Gamma Derek has been responsible for today’s security arrangements. Even after I gave him the freedom to remain at the base permanently without having to report to me directly, he allowed such a serious security lapse to occur."

I took a slow breath. I didn’t want to do this. Derek had served the Empire faithfully, for years now and stripping him of his military responsibilities was not a decision I had made lightly. A security lapse of this magnitude could not be ignored.

"He will no longer be responsible for military affairs from this moment onward. I will personally decide his new duties after careful consideration."

Derek’s expression remained tense, but he didn’t dare protest.

I turned toward General Lucian Veyr.

"From now on, General Lucian Veyr will serve as the new Commander of the Imperial Army. His appointment to the post is to be carried out within three days, and Gamma Derek himself will hand over the commander’s insignia to him."

The moment I finished speaking, Lucian stepped forward and dropped to one knee, performing the formal ceremonial bow.

"This subject thanks the Alpha for entrusting him with this responsibility," he said, placing a fist against his chest. "I swear on my life to fulfill every duty entrusted to me and serve my Empire with the utmost sincerity."

"Get up," I ordered.

Lucian immediately rose to his feet, returned to his position, and gave me another formal salute.

I turned my attention back to everyone gathered before me. "Today’s incident should not leave the walls of this army base."

My voice was deep and firm enough to make sure there was no room for misunderstanding.

"No citizen should be burdened with these problems. The people of the Empire have enough to worry about without being made to fear that their own army is no longer secure."

I paused, letting my words settle over the gathered warriors and council members.

"This matter will be handled internally until we have uncovered the truth."

No one spoke.

"Now, everyone withdraw." I turned away from them before anyone could ask another question. I had done what needed to be done here. Now I had somewhere else to be.

The dungeons. I needed to interrogate the warrior we had captured before anyone else could interfere and before whoever was behind this attack realized that we had already found one of their people.

Louis followed behind me as I made my way toward the car. As soon as we reached it, I turned toward him.

"Louis, take another car back home. And make sure you remain alert from now on. I’ll have Ryan assign you a few bodyguards starting tomorrow. Until then, you are not allowed to leave the house. Understood?"

"Understood, Alpha," he replied immediately. He knew there was no room for arguing, even if the thought of having bodyguards clearly wasn’t something he liked.

I was about to open my car door when I felt his hand settle on my shoulder. I turned my head toward him.

"Take care of yourself, brother." Louis said slowly. Worry flashed in his eyes. "I’ll wait for you at home for dinner."

I nodded with a small smile before giving him a gentle pat on the cheek. "Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything."

With that, I opened the car door and got inside.

This was the first time Louis had witnessed something like this happen so close to him. Naturally, he was worried.

But for me, these kinds of situations were nothing new. As the Alpha, I couldn’t afford to let incidents like this shake me. If I allowed fear to cloud my judgment, how could I expect the people of my Empire to feel safe?

I started the car and drove straight toward the dungeons.

...

As soon as I entered the prison grounds, Ryan came hurrying toward me.

"Is he conscious yet?" I asked without slowing down.

"Not yet, Alpha," Ryan replied, quickly falling into step behind me.

"I told you he can use dark magic. Did you make sure his hands were restrained separately?"

"Yes, Alpha. Everything has been taken care of. The investigation department has also secured the explosion site and begun examining it. Their report should arrive soon."

He paused briefly before continuing. "We’ve also investigated the man’s background. His name is Shanel, and he has been serving in the Star Battalion for over a year."

I nodded. Over a year. That meant he had been inside our military forces long enough to learn the base’s routines and possibly gain access to restricted areas.

This wasn’t looking like a simple act of sabotage anymore.

"Good. Keep investigating him. I want to know everything about him."

"Yes, Alpha."

We finally reached the section of the dungeon where Shanel had been kept.

He was still unconscious, his head hanging forward. His hands were bound to chains attached to opposite walls, ensuring that he couldn’t bring them together even if he regained consciousness and attempted to use magic.

I stopped a few steps away from him. "Throw some water on his face."

"Yes, Alpha." One of the special guards stationed inside immediately stepped forward and brought over a large vat of water.

"Wake him up," I ordered. "If the water doesn’t work, then throw a diluted solution of wolfsbane at him, when his skin will burn off his body he would definately wake up. Keep his restraints secure and make sure he doesn’t get an opportunity to use his hands."

The guard nodded. Another guard moved behind Shanel and carefully held his hair, lifting his head so the water would hit his face directly.

I folded my arms across my chest and watched silently. I had no intention of wasting time. Whoever had planted that explosion had chosen the worst possible place to make their move.

We didn’t need the wolfsbane solution. The moment the vat of water was thrown over him, Shanel gasped trying hard to breathe and opened his eyes, blinking rapidly as he struggled to regain his senses.

The chains rattled loudly as he instinctively tried to pull himself free. His knees scraped against the stone floor as he shifted restlessly, his breathing becoming heavier with every failed attempt to break loose.

He was moving nonstop like a rat in a trap, as if half of his mind was still unconcious and the other half was just doing things for the sake of doing something.

"Stop this nonsense!" I ordered. My voice echoed through the cold dungeon.

As if my words had finally brought him back to his senses, he stopped struggling altogether.

For a few seconds, he remained completely still. Then he slowly raised his head. His eyes met mine.

He tried to keep his expression calm, but I caught the flicker of panic that crossed his face the moment he fully understood where he was. And who was standing in front of him.

"Alpha, what is this?" he asked, his voice carrying the tone of someone who had been wrongfully accused. "Why am I here?"

"You know why you’re here," I replied, my voice clipped and cold. "Don’t pretend to be something you’re not."

He immediately shook his head. "But, Alpha, I’m a diligent warrior. I’ve never done anything wrong in my entire life. You must be mistaken. Please reconsider!"

I didn’t even bother responding to his desperate defense. Instead, I watched him carefully. Every movement, every change in his expression, every hesitation.

"Do you know what dark magic is?" I asked.

The moment those words left my mouth, his expression changed. His eyes widened ever so slightly. His body stiffened.

It was only for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. He knew...He knew exactly what I was talking about.