Chapter 59

Adira was ready to go the next morning, overjoyed that her son was healthy. She couldn’t stand to be away from him. Duncan was hovering around them both with pride and protectiveness.

She looked down at her son, "Well, little one, it is time for us to go home." He squeezed her finger in his little fist as if in agreement. She was amazed at his awareness at barely a day old. He was wearing a little blue handmade hat with an 'A' sewn onto it, and he was wrapped in a baby quilt that the elder ladies of the pack had made him.

She then realized that she would never be alone again. She knew that with Duncan, this was different, though. She was complete.

Duncan told Adira everything that had been happening, even how Marnie and Ashton looked when they came into the waiting area.

He told her about Felicia and what she had done. He told her the punishment she would have to carry out. He also said he didn’t trust that female any further than he could toss a semi-truck.

He and Marco had upgraded the pack house's security. Extra locks were installed on all their doors, especially in the nursery and their bedroom since they were connected now. They also added a panic room off of the nursery, just in case.

Cameras were added in the hallway and inside the nursery for their protection. They would send video straight to Duncan’s and Marco’s phones and computers. They would know right away if someone meant them harm.

He also assigned guard duty to the younger warriors as part of their training. They would walk the halls in shifts: morning, afternoon, and midnight, rotating the shifts randomly.

Duncan and Marco also assigned guards—two male and one female—to Felicia for when she got out of the dungeon. One had to be with her at all times, including in the bathroom.

Her room was in the basement, and she would be locked in there. The only time she would be allowed out was when she was doing chores. Only the guards were allowed to interact with her, also to keep her alone while she was doing chores.

She would have shock and tracking bracelets around both her ankles. If she got out of line, the guards had permission to shock her and lock her back up until she behaved herself.

She would also only be allowed on the first floor, in the kitchen and dining room areas. She would be given a gray outfit to wear and would be allowed to clean herself once she was out of the dungeon. It would be the only time she would be able to wash.

Archer and August had also taken a personal role in guarding her as well. They would be an extra pair of eyes if things got out of hand. Also, Archer had talked to his pride, although Felicia’s father was having a fit. Even her mother had agreed that this punishment was harsh but fair.

Archer also stated that if she should not behave while in the pack house, he was going to take her back to the Pride and she’d be publicly punished there, then Felicia would then be kicked out of the Pride.

It seemed a bit harsh, but Duncan had seen this kind of behavior before: rich, spoiled, and entitled. He had nothing against the rich, after all, he was one himself.

It’s the attitude that has to be corrected; he wasn’t even sure it could be. He didn’t like the vibes she was giving off at all.

She is a snake hiding in the grass.

Marnie and Ash were back in her room again. This time, they just snuggled and watched some TV. Right now, they were solving a mystery with a group of cold case detectives.

He loved the feel of Marnie’s room. It was feminine and warm, but it also had an edge to it, just like his mate: gorgeous and a little sharp. Push her too much, and you will get cut. He loved that she was a badass. For so long, the only females he was around were the salad nibblers who were afraid to break a nail.

No, his mate was beautiful and unique. She was smart with great intuition. He could watch her every day for the rest of his life; she was the flame to his moth.

He was thinking about some more bedroom playtime, but just being with her like this was something he wasn’t willing to give up yet.

He intended to tonight. Adira will be home soon, and he knew that he would lose Marnie to Adira for a while. A newborn pup was tough competition.

That little guy is too cute; he is going to be breaking hearts before he knows what a heart is.

Felicia decided to play nice for now. Today, they would take her to the next stage of her punishment. She couldn’t wait to get out of here. She did wonder if that other prisoner was removed yet, and if she would see his body. She was pretty sure that being in this dungeon had messed with her mind.

Sure enough, they came for her. She was given a set of gray jogging pants and a baggy shirt to put on, with her hands tied and her feet in what looked like silver shackles.

As they walked her down the hallway, she looked in the cell where that disgusting guy was. To her surprise, he waved back at her. Oh, my God, he looked like a zombie. Why did he go silent? It was then, just before the guards yanked her away, that she realized that he didn’t have a tongue.

“What happened to his tongue?”

The guards looked a bit surprised that she would ask. The bigger of the two shrugged, and in a calm voice, as if this was some sort of dinner conversation, he said, "He ate his tongue, right after he ate his dick."

Felicia thought she was going to be sick. What kind of monster was he to do that?

“Why?”

“Well, when a sicko like him goes against the wishes of his wolf, doing nasty things the wolf doesn’t like, well, the wolf leaves, leaving the human to go insane.”

With that, she was pulled along to the outer door. She was blinded because of the sunlight on the snow. She stopped to adjust her eyes, which just made her guards drag her rougher than before. She was walking barefoot in the freezing snow; cut her some slack.

She was aware that she was being watched by others who were lined up to watch her. It was like she was the float in a parade.

When they reached what looked like a small shed, the guards handed her over to another set of guards. What is this, she wondered. Wasn’t she supposed to go to stay at the pack house?

She decided to keep her mouth shut and just play along for now, to see what the situation was, looking for any holes in the security or lapses.

She did scent another Lion, though. She looked around, and there, leaned up against a tree, was Archer. He was watching her with his cat eyes. They looked like they wanted her to fight or run so he would have a reason to rip her to shreds.

Archer was still really pissed at Felicia and what she did. She had to be partially insane or something to do that kind of shit: destroy a kitchen and beat the cook because the dinner wasn’t going to be ready for another hour, then sneak attack Marnie with poison, claiming it was in self-defense. Did she think they were idiots?

No matter what she does here, he was going to personally see to it that she doesn’t step one toe out of line. If she does, he will claim it was self-defense, only he will take much more care to ensure that no evidence was left behind.

He had also decided it was time to tell his parents and Felicia’s parents that they do not rule the Pride anymore and must step down.

No more power-hungry idiots manipulating from behind the scenes. He will find his mate, or he won’t; either way, it is up to him to decide.

Seeing how Duncan’s pack was run, he decided to adopt some of his pack’s ways. It is time for a big change to his Pride. He was certain that not everyone would embrace this new thinking, however, he was certain that they would all benefit from it if they gave it a chance.

Look at how Felicia acted here at this pack; he can’t take another chance of making enemies with other species. He needed new bonds to make them stronger; the Lion line of shifter is slowing down. They need some new blood into it to make it stronger. If those in his Pride are not up for the changes, then they will either get with the program or get out.