My Best Friend's Werewolf

30 Whose Side?

"So why are you a luprau?"

Jasper's chains rattle as he tries to find some comfort. He assured me he was fed—I don't know what. Today's Monday. The letter should be picked up today. "I don't want to bore you."

"Try."

"I'm against the idea of alphas, not necessarily pack life. For centuries alphas have always exerted their will on us whether it be good or bad. They know they have the power and that we'll roll on our backs, expose our unmentionables, and do whatever they say.

"My alpha took advantage of any female in the pack he wanted—married or not married. He abused them. My mother was one of those women."

"That's—"

"Sick? Yeah, it is. He took it too far one night and killed her. I couldn't leave the pack fast enough after that. I've been a luprau ever since."

"You probably don't want me to say I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to say."

He shrugs before wincing.

"Not all alphas are like that though?" I ask.

"Most of the ones I've seen are. Those who aren't have the potential to be."

Eliza's face pops in my head. I'm doing the right thing trying to get us out of here. What will happen to Jasper after I leave? Nothing good. My stomach twists. I have a duty to m best friend and me, not this guy I met Saturday evening when he jumped on me in wolf form.

"Will a pack die without their Tala?"

"No. There might be some disfunction at first, but a werewolf pack wouldn't die."

Xavier did lie.

The door leading out of here creaks and Xavier, Rory, and two other men and a woman round the corner, their expressions grim. One of the other men grabs me and hoists me to my feet, I think trying to be gentle but ending up unsuccessful.

"What's going on?" I ask.

Rory cracks his neck. "We're interrogating the luprau."

My fingers curl. "And by interrogation you mean more than just questions and answers?"

They don't answer.

I twist in the arms of the man holding me to face Xavier. "How would Eliza feel about you hurting someone defenseless?"

"Leave it be, Addison," Jasper begs, his voice weak. "I don't want you getting hurt for no reason."

"Yes, Addison, listen to what he just said. My patience with you is shrinking rapidly."

The man holding me tugs me toward the door and I follow. At the steps he pushes me out the door and slams and locks it. Jasper cries out from the other side.

I run outside, trying to escape the pain in his screams. Who knows what all they'll do to him, and I'm powerless to stop it. I felt powerless when Eliza was taken, but I found her. Now look at us.

I'm missing my parents to the point that if I dwell on it for more than ten seconds I tear up, and Eliza is refusing to see reason because she's infatuated with an alpha who is lying to keep her here. I wipe my eyes as Eliza steps outside on the porch.

"How can they torture him like that?" I ask.

"He's a luprau. He was trying to kill us only Saturday. Did you forget about that?" Did I? Was he and the other lupraus trying to kill everyone or only the alpha? Maybe in their minds they were trying to free us. Killing is never the answer though, and I'm sure Xavier will eventually kill him.

"What about mercy?"

She crosses her arms, observing me. "Do you like him?"

"I'm trying to be a decent human being, Elizabeth."

She clenches her teeth. "Well lupraus aren't decent."

I could throw out that it's her mate taking part in beating Jasper. I could point out that Xavier lied about her needing to stay, but she wouldn't believe Jasper over Xavier. I don't blame her. I bite my tongue, feeling the need to hike my anger off, but I'm not risking getting attacked by Xavier's wolves.