19. Ghoul

Chapter 19

Ghoul

I accept my plate of rare beef and potatoes from the pretty jaguar with the red lipstick and even redder bra and panties. Cain Clawson likes his female subordinates scantily clad around the house, and while none of the males complain, it leaves a lecherous scent permanently in the air.

This new place is smaller than the last, and made with a lot less money. The dungeons are a lot smaller, but effective at detainment nonetheless. Once Titus gained some of his brains back, he'd asked for him and the girl to be moved to his father's property. He has some grand plans, I'll give him that. But if he's going to pretend to be a rex of a new, self-built pack, he has to get out of the hospital bed first. I chuckle into my plate, making the females waiting on me glance at each other in panic.

I've barely tucked into my food when a snivelling lynx rushes into the room, smelling of sweat. "My lord!"

I raise my head, swallowing my mouthful before gesturing to the floor next to me. He dutifully slows down his steps and kneels by my side with his head down.

"What is it? Speak up, son. You're among friends." I take another mouthful of meat.

"There's a…situation that requires your attention, sir."

There always bloody is. Useless pieces of shit. "And?"

"The new girl in the dungeon? Rob and Tony have—are— I mean?—"

I put down my knife and fork so quickly the lynx flinches. Standing so fast my chair skids backwards, I wipe my mouth on my napkin and stride out of the room, barely containing my fury, my need to shift and tear this fucking room apart.

I'm down in the cells within seconds, sending the guards skittering like the filth they are. The old, cast-iron door to the series of cells is already open, and when I enter, I see both Rob and Tony on their knees before the cell, their hands reaching through the bars, tangling with the fingers of the leopard girl as she quietly sobs.

"Regina," Tony whispers.

Rob jumps to his feet when he sees me, protectively trying to shield the other two. He doesn't get time to do anything because I grab him by the hair and slam him into the bars. His eyes roll to the back of his head and he slumps to the floor.

Sabrina cries out and Tony scrambles backward, his eyes wild. Pathetic.

"Stand up," I command.

He glances at his regina before obeying. As soon as he's up, I shove him into the white stone wall hard enough to knock him out, too. The smell of blood reaches my nose and I'm happy they'll both get a little concussion.

This all makes me feel drastically better.

"That was unexpected," I say lightly, wiping my hands on my trousers. "How exciting for everyone."

The girl blinks rapidly, her breath light and fast, clutching her blanket with white knuckles.

"Oh, don't worry about them," I wave a hand reassuringly. "They'll be fine."

"Don't hurt them," she whispers. "Please."

I crouch down to get to eye level with her, assessing the resolve in her eyes. "Finding your mate can give a beast new life," I say sagely. "But losing one…" I tut. "We don't want that, do we, feline?"

She shakes her head, brown eyes wide and red-rimmed. "No."

"Alright then." I straighten, grabbing Tony, then Rob by his collar and drag them out, leaving two bloody skid marks along the flagstones.

The next day, I take the brothers back down to the dungeon. Moving the girl was a complete disaster. No one expected for her to find her mates here.

I enjoy a good surprise, but some surprises deserve to die a sad and lonely death.

Pausing outside the room that houses her cell, I brief the two leopard brothers. "If either of you deviate from the script, I will execute her immediately. Do you understand?"

Rob's hands tremble as he tucks the script into his pocket, "Yes, my lord."

"Good boy." I look to his brother, Tony.

"Yes, my lord," he also says, submissively bowing his head.

I grunt, and we enter the dungeon. It smells of slop and anxiety and something that must be her regina's lure. Leading the brothers to her cell, I regard the small, shivering figure covered in the threadbare blanket. It's not until the males step up to the cell that she raises a dirty, tear-streaked face.

"Regina," Tony whispers, trying to stick his face between the metal bars.

Sabrina's eyes lock on him for a breath before darting to Rob, then me. Her fear skyrockets.

"Are you okay?" she whispers.

"We're here to help you," Rob says carefully. "You need to listen to us."

The girl reaches out a hand. "I… I've waited so long."

Tony flinches. He's losing his resolve. I shift behind him, letting him know I'm readying myself to end his woman.

"We waited f-for you too," Tony says. "But listen, you really need to do what you're being told."

"You've got to obey your orders. It's the only way they'll let you out of here. It's the only way they'll give you a better room and…and a proper toilet."

"Say it again," Sabrina whispers.

They're silent before Tony says, "Regina."

Sabrina closes her eyes. A single tear slips out from one eye.

I sigh in irritation. "This is useless. Get out."

They both cast a longing look at the leopard before taking the longest time to turn around.

"Wait. Tell her," I command.

They both turn back around.

"Our allegiance is first to the Clawsons," Tony's voice breaks as he says it. "It always will be."

Sabrina's mouth falls open, but she closes it before nodding. "Right."

I impatiently gesture for the two males to leave, a thread of my shadows reaching for them. They practically bolt through the door.

When we're back out in the corridor, Tony, clearly the bolder of the two, but less intelligent, says, "C-Can we not put her in a cell with a flushing toilet, my lord?"

Turning my back on them as we walk down the corridor, I say simply, "Ask again and I'll rip your lips from your mouth and you'll never get to kiss your regina, flushing toilet or no."

They both let out shaky breaths.

I roll my eyes because none of them realise the truth: I'm definitely going to have to kill them before the end of this.