Chapter 72


    ~Tia~


    The three of us dress and head out of the room. We are met with curious nces as we make our way


    downstairs. I’m sure that nces are due to the fact that we are sporting marks on our necks. I know


    I’m still looked at warily by most of the pack, but the twins are loved.


    We make our way out of the building and out to the cells. I’ve never been out here myself, and I’m not


    really looking forward to what I will encounter. There is a cer door behind what looks like a barn. It


    isn’t since we don’t do farm activities here, but that’s what it looks like. The steep steps lead from the


    cer door to the area below. We have guards, but you can’t see them. Rather than have them posted


    at the cer door, alerting people that there is something there, they are in the woods across the way.


    They can see any movement around the barn-like structure this way.


    We quickly head down the stairs, Landon in front and Lincoln behind me. It’s pretty dark and dank


    smelling. The outer room is nothing but dirt and roots, making it seem as if there is nothing there worth


    noticing. We head down a long hallway before reaching huge steel doors. Landon puts in a code along


    with his fingerprints, causing a clicking sound and the door to open. Only a few members have their


    fingerprints in the system. If anything were to happen, it would be easy to trace the cause.


    Once we step through the doorway, the stench is potent. It smells of old blood, burnt skin, urine, and


    feces. I almost gag once the smell hits me. Lincoln hands me a small jar and tells me to put it under my


    nose. The best I can describe it would be that Vicks stuff that humans tend to use. It’s a strong smell


    that is intended to keep out all of these other odors. There are many empty cells; we tend not to keep


    too many prisoners. Some will get their sentence quickly, and we move on. Some have to stay much


    longer, but it isn’t the norm.


    The inner room is stainless steel from top to bottom. The bars of the cells are filled with silver, with the


    outer shell being stainless steel. We like to make sure that prisoners can’t mindlink or shift. There are


    cells on both sides of the wall and a few rooms in the back. Two interrogation rooms are on the left, and


    two rooms used for torture are on the right. Thankfully, I’ve never had to be involved in any torture.


    We head down the hall until we get to thest few cells. To the left, in the second tost cell, there is a


    huddled mass in the corner. The lights are dim, so you have to really focus on making out the person in


    the cell. Neal looks up as we near his cell. He looks so broken and scared. It’s crazy to me that he


    woke up this morning like it was any other day, and now he’s sitting in our cells.


    Neal, luckily, looks the same as he did when we were at the store. He hasn’t been tortured or beaten


    up, and I’m d about that. Neal hangs his head, not able to meet any of our eyes. “Get the f**k over


    here.” I hit Landon in his chest. I get he is still upset, but there is no reason to be t-out hostile. Neal


    didn’t do anything, and, at this point, he can do noth ing.


    “Let’s talk, Neal.”


    “Talk about what, Tia?” I sigh.


    “We need to talk about why you did what you did. I don’t understand what you were thinking.”


    “Obviously, I wasn’t thinking at all.” I reach out to touch the bars, but Lincoln pulls my arm back. I


    almost forgot there is silver in there. I won’t die or anything, but it would be a bit ufortable. I sit


    down in front of the bars.


    “Please, Neal. Please talk to me.” Neal sighs and pulls his head up. We briefly meet eyes before he


    closes his eyes and leans his head back on the wall.


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    “I messed up, Tia. I thought there was something between us, and I was wrong. Truth be told, I would


    be a lucky wolf if you felt anything for me.” Growls erupt around me, and I know the twins are getting


    upset. They will just have to deal with it. “She told me you were into me, you know.”


    “Who told you that?”


    “Your sister, Ad. She told me that you told her that you were interested in me, and you weren’t sure


    about the ceremony or epting the bond with the twins.” Another growl goes through the room; this


    time, everything shakes under its weight. I reach out and touch each twin’s leg, trying to calm them.


    We head down the hall until we get to thest few cells. To the left, in the second tost cell, there is a


    huddled mass in the corner. The lights are dim, so you have to really focus on making out the person in


    the cell. Neal looks up as we near his cell. He looks so broken and scared. It’s crazy to me that he


    woke up this morning like it was any other day, and now he’s sitting in our cells.


    “I….I never said that. I don’t even talk to my sisters like that and I definitely never confided in Ad.


    She lied to you, Neal. I….you are a friend to me. I enjoyed talking to you, but that’s as far as it went. I


    never considered denying the mate bond. I’m sorry she lied to you.”


    “Even if she did lie to you,” Lincoln starts. “What made you think it was a good idea to go after your


    future Alpha’s mate?”


    “I don’t know why I was so stupid. I wasn’t thinking. I….I…..” Neal says nothing else, but the pain can


    be felt throughout the room.


    “Just how close are you with Ad?” I’m surprised at how calmly Landon asks that question. I know he


    would love nothing more than to rip Neal’s throat out.


    “We….well, we have been intimate,” Neal whispers, but we hear him.


    “Intimate, as in s*x?? She told me that she was saving herself for after the ceremony.” I’m actually not


    surprised to hear that my sister lied about that, but it makes me wonder why. “How long have you been


    sleeping with her?”


    “On and off since high school.” Landon lets out a huff, and I see him shake his head.


    “She isn’t at all who I thought she was.”


    “Is there anything else we should know?” Lincoln’s tone tells the story that he is through with this


    conversation.


    “I….um…..” Oh no, I think there’s more. I almost don’t want Neal to say anything else, or the twins may


    just lose their s**t. “She had me make the call to bring you back to the territory.” The call…what call? I


    stand up and look at my mates. I can see their minds hard at work, and so many emotions pass


    through their eyes. They look at each other simultaneously, and I swear they would shift right here and


    now if they could. Landon turns to head down the hall, grabbing my wrist and pulling me with him.


    Lincoln is right behind me, basically pushing me back the way we came. It seems like they couldn’t


    make it back to the surface fast enough. We finally make it above ground, and the twins immediately


    shift into their wolves and take off running. I don’t know what’s going on, but whatever it is doesn’t bode


    well for Neal.