The Viking Alpha

The truth comes out

(James POV)

Two months later.

Another dead end. He was sure this would be it. They had scoured almost everywhere in the fae lands looking for her. His wolf remained silent. Barely making any kind of interaction since he discovered she was gone. The morning is still vivid in his mind.
He ran all night that night he found Cassandra and Rexton together. Ripping apart any creature that dare got in his way. His heart was in shatters. His wolf was angry but suffering in a way James wouldn't wish on his worst enemy.
When his wolf refused to go any further away from the castle, from Cassandra, James took over. His wolf pawed at him to go back.
'Why should we? What is there for us? She betrayed us!' He shouted to his wolf.
In response he just whimpered. Still wanting to return to her.
How could she? She lied to him repeatedly. He ignored his brother over and over. What now? What should he do? What could he do?
He already knew sending her away was impossible. But could he really keep her in that tower? Everyday his instinct would be to go to her.
He was still in so much pain. But maybe he could try talking to her again. Make her look him in the eye and explain why she did what she did. But not tonight. He couldn't trust himself for so many reasons. Too many bad outcomes would be a result if he were to face her now. He went back to the castle. The closer he got the urge to run to her became stronger. He needed a drink. Now!
He went to the library without thinking until he was in there. Memories crowded him as soon as he stepped over the threshold. Cassandra curled up in a chair with a book in her lap. Them dancing, laughing, kissing. Fresh pain assaulted him. Quickly getting the whiskey he poured and downed it. Then another.
In his drunken stupor he remembered the night he proposed in front of his people.
'Cassandra. I love you.'
He watched her freeze in surprise at the declaration.
'You what?'
'I love you. I always will.'
'I love you too, James.'
A tear slipped from his eye as he remembered her saying those four words. He roughly brushed it away.
Another drink.
Another memory of that night came into play. She was trying to tell him something right before then.
'Okay. I saw you.' She pointed to his chest. 'You were angry with me. Pissed. You told me to get out. I was no longer queen. You told your guards to take me back to the humans. I-'
She started to cry during her ramblings.
'Cassandra. It's alright.' He hugged her. 'Calm down. Maybe you were just dreaming.'
'I was wide awake, James!'
'Okay. Okay. Maybe it's because you're under a lot of pressure. You might be getting yourself worked up.'
He saw the impatience on her face.
'James...oh forget it.' She stomped to the forest in frustration.
Catching up to her he tried to calm her.
'Cassandra. Love, slow down. What happened?'
'I-I don't know.'
'Love. You're alright.' Hugging her again she hugged him back. She clung to him.
'You were so angry with me.' She whispered to him.
'Whatever you saw, I would never send you away.'
Did she see this happening? Another drink. This time he ignored the glass and took a long pull from the decanter.
Drowsiness was pulling him under. Sitting on the sofa he sat back. Right before he succumbed he felt a painful pull on his heart.

'WAKE UP!'
He was woken up by being shoved off the sofa to the ground.
'What the hell?'
'What Did you do to him? Where is he?!'
James looked up from the floor. His eyes felt bleary and he felt disoriented. Something was wrong. Why did he feel so...empty? What was going on?
He looked up and saw the man he questioned last night. Vincent was it?
'Where is he?!' The man screamed again.
Guards came in and started dragging him away.
'Stop. Where is who?' James got to his feet unsteadily. His heart felt like lead in his chest.
Vincent looked much tougher then he did the night before. Still scrawny but anger definitely made him look bigger in other ways.
'Rexton! My mate! He's gone!'
James' scalp pricked as astonishment and fear came over.
'Your mate? You said...last night…'
'I lied! I didn't know he was taken prisoner. Otherwise I would've told the truth. We kept this secret for so long. Not knowing what would happen if we told.'
'So it's true?!'
'Yes. What did you do with him? He would never leave me. I felt the pull last night. He's gone!'
James' eyes grew wide.
'That's not possible! Guards up to the tower! Bring him down. Bring them both down. Now!'
All of them ran there at lightning speed. But they weren't there. But His brother was. Oh yes. Just so happened to be there.
He looked so crestfallen. Another time James might have believed his sham.
'James.' Johnathan whispered while holding out Cassandra's ring in the palm of his hand. James took the ring slowly.
'They're gone. They must have escaped. I'm sorry brother.'
Vincent surged forward and punched Jonathan. Knocking him clear across the room.
'That's a lie! What did you do?!'
Again his guards held on to him. Holding him back.
Johnathan got to his feet. His lip was busted and bleeding.
'Who is this? How dare you!'
Staring at the ring James began to think. Johnathan all of a sudden welcomes Cassandra after warning James of how treacherous humans could be. Whispering in his ear every chance he got. Just like that?
Cassandra said Johnathan did something. Gave her a drink before the party? But why would his own brother, his flesh and blood, do something like this?
Standing tall, James pinned Jonathan with his stare.
'Answer him, brother. Quickly before I tell the guards to let him go.'
Johnathan's facial expression was priceless. First shock, then the look of a kicked cub.
'James! What are you talking about? I would never-'
'You coincidentally welcomed Cassandra that night. You kept telling me over and over about how you were suspicious of her and Rexton. Now this. What exactly are you doing up here?'
Johnathan now looked like he was backed in a corner.
'I-I came to talk to her? To them both. Ask them how they could do such a thing?'
James narrowed his eyes. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt he lifted him.
'Tell the truth!'
'That is the truth!'
He almost believed him. If it wasn't for that flicker of uncertainty in Johnathan's eyes he would have been fooled again. Dropping him he delivered another blow to his face and then picked him up again to give three more. When Johnathan was left spitting out blood, James left the room. Shutting it behind him. Looking at his brother through the window he said,
'We'll see.' Turning to his guards he added, 'Get it out of him. By any means necessary.'
It only took a full day. During that time he had his people out searching everywhere. In every nearby village, the forest, and even had some go to the human world. Vincent went alone. He has not been seen since.
By the end of that day Johnathan was ready to talk. He was beaten bloody. He was whipped until skin was missing, bones broken repeatedly as soon as they healed, wolvesbayne coursing through his veins. He confessed to everything. The riots, deal with witches, the rouge diversion to test weaknesses, having any surviving witnesses killed. His desire to be king. All of it.
He could still hear his delirious laugh.
'She screamed for you! The man who practically gave her away! You gave her to the enemy who you thought was an ally.' His laugh grew louder and more manic.
'But you know what? Sylvia, thanks you.'
Killing him would be far too easy. No. James would keep him alive. When he got Cassandra back she would decide his fate. Until then he wasn't kept in the tower. But the dungeons. Far worse. All darkness. No other soul to speak to. But first…
He had a silver fire poker heated to branding hot. Then his eyes were cauterized shut and tossed in.
Now James felt completely helpless. He had grown weak since Cassandra left. But he kept fighting. Refusing to give in. She wasn't dead. If she were he'd have felt it. He just prayed she was alright. It was all he could do as he continued to search. He went to Willow. Knocking Bartholomew out as he passed by. But she refused to speak to him. To help him.
'I warned you to fix this before it got worse! Now she will take her vengeance on us all. Her anger will be her power!'
'Please. Please, just tell me where she is. I'll fix this, I swear.'
Willow glared at him before closing her eyes. Her ancient haggard body relaxing.
'They have her shielded with magic. It is difficult to see. Wait...I see...she's in darkness. It's dry but so cold. She's In a cage. She's screaming in pain.'
James' eyes pricked with tears. Picturing his sweet Cassandra alone and in pain drove him to his knees.
'She's growing.' Willow suddenly gasped. 'I see him! He's there! She will free him and he will teach her. She will use it with her anger. Villages destroyed. Ashes and bodies everywhere!'
Willow's eyes snapped open.
'Where is she?'
'I see the end.'
Those were the last words Willow spoke. Her heart gave out.
Bartholomew nearly killed him when he came to. He escaped by an inch.
He continued to search for Sylvia. But it's as if she dropped off the face of the earth. Figures. She had to have known he'd find out eventually. What better way to hide something or someone if you hide yourself as well?
Her coven had never been the kind to be in the light of any kind. Figuratively and literally. They were the shadow coven. Witches that once caused mayhem until the war ended. What he thought ended when "peace" was declared.
What a fool he had been. Then and now.
Johnathan was right. James practically had delivered her and an innocent man over to them. He'd beg for her forgiveness until after his knees were past raw and bleeding from kneeling. Give her anything and everything. He could see Cassandra would never forgive him for this. But he could live with that. If he could just see her one more time. To know she was okay. He'd spend every day for the rest of his life in agony if he just knew.
An idea came to him. The coven didn't like light. What if they were looking in all the wrong places? Not above but below. As in below ground? Willow said it was dry but cold. The coldest spot in the fae lands was by the sirens territory. Dig far enough away it would be dry underground but still cold. That had to be it. It was the only place they hadn't searched. Nothing alive survived there unless you have powerful magic to shield you. Signaling his pack, they ran in shifter form through the forest. A shred of hope still inside of him.