Unknown P.O.V.
"You lied to us."
Otto Müller was on his knees, literally, begging for forgiveness.
"I don't know. I swear," he cried.
"You do know!" The man bellowed, eyes burning.
Otto Müller said nothing, his hands trembling in the shackles that held them behind his back.
"You only had two jobs," he continued. "You were supposed to kill the damn Beta and then kill him."
Otto's eyes shot up to glare at Zak, who was standing in the corner of the room.
"You sent him to kill Cain as well and he couldn't do it either," he said to the man. "Why is he not in chains too?"
Zak crossed his arms.
"Zak was only supposed to gather information," the man snarled. "His attempt at the life of the Alpha Sovereign was unplanned and opportunistic. Besides, he was able to track their location, which proved much more helpful in the long run than anything you've contributed thus far and he's delivered the girl after you were unable to."
Otto Müller exhaled a shaky breath.
"I couldn't kill my own granddaughter," he said.
"No," the old man agreed, "you couldn't. So you were going to put her on a plane to send her here for someone else to do it and when that didn't work, you sent a bloody nightcrawler to do your job for you."
"The nightcrawler was supposed to kill Cain, not Ella."
The man looked at Otto in bewilderment.
"You thought that a nightcrawler, who are notorious for being weak and decaying creatures, would be able to kill the strongest being who has ever walked this planet?"
When Otto Müller said nothing in his defense the man scoffed.
"So give me one good reason to believe that, after all the damage you've done, you truly don't know where they are?"
Otto Müller shook his head.
"I swear I don't."
The man sighed, unsatisfied with the answer he was given.
"We found the tracking device you planted in the girl's ankle," he told him. "That's how the nightcrawler knew where to find her, isn't it?"
Otto nodded slowly.
"So in the twenty-three hours after you escaped the Indian Beta's men, before you came here, you never once looked at the tracking beacon to see where she was?" The man asked.
Otto shook his head.
"Then how did you know to find her here?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you! I didn't know she was here and I don't know where she was before she went to D.C."
The man gave him a smug smile, immediately catching the lie.
"No one told you she was in D.C."
He watched as Otto Müller's eyes widened, realizing his mistake.
"You sent the nightcrawler because you knew Cain would kill it before it killed her and you know she was in D.C. because you were watching her to make sure she hadn't died in the attack."
When Otto Müller said nothing, the man sighed.
"I'm tired of your feigned alliance," he said. "You remain loyal to your family and no one else."
He turned to Zak, who began to walk forward.
"Let's see how loyal they are to you."
The man popped open his pocket knife and made a small incision in Otto Müller's neck, shallow enough to do very little damage but deep enough to release the scent of his blood.
Otto Müller watched in horror, immediately forgetting the pain of the wound, as his grandson caught the scent and his pupils began to dilate.
"Bon appétit," the man said to Zak before leaving the two of them alone in the room.
- - -
Narrative P.O.V.
News of the Chinese Beta's death arrived at the cabin with Jai.
Although he anticipated Cain would be angry with him for withholding such pertinent information, Jai refrained from telling him until he got back from the airport.
He knew Cain would use the exigency of the circumstances to delay sending Ella away. Jai knew this because it was exactly what Cain had done after the death of the Indian Beta.
As much as Jai believed Cain was doing the wrong thing by sending Ella away, he wasn't going to manipulate their decisions with strategically revealed information just so the two of them could continue to pretend they didn't know right from wrong.
Besides, the investigations of the deaths of two high-ranking officials weren't exactly conducive to the type of environment that mended and fostered healthy relationships.
He wasn't going to play puppeteer, Cain would realize his mistake sooner or later.
They left Kashmir in a rush, as Jai had expected them to.
The plane ride to Beijing gave all three men ample amounts of thinking time since none of them were on speaking terms after Cain reacted to Jai's intentional nondisclosure with an explosive temper.
Daniel, who didn't want to be caught in the middle of the feud, already missed Ella's presence as she had a way of lightening the mood.
He, however, knew it was best that she left.
Dealing with Cain wasn't easy, something he had learned very quickly.
The moments of sadness she would feel after leaving wouldn't come close to the years of suffering she would endure if she had stayed.
Cain was a one-man show and he always had been.
Daniel was his Beta for God's sake and he was nothing more than a glorified chauffeur and errand boy.
If they were to have a Luna, he knew she would be nothing more than an accessory, ornamental at best.
With Cain's inability to trust, he would never allow her to take on a diplomatic role like a Luna should hold.
Daniel desperately wanted Cain to feel love, but he also wanted that for Ella.
The three of them remained silent as they landed in China under the cover of night.
They were taken to the Beta's facility by an escort of several military-grade vehicles.
In the back of his mind, Daniel was more intrigued than he was saddened by the news of the Chinese Beta's death.
The Beta was part of an ancestry of Chinese royalty that stretched back as far as anyone could remember.
When Cain acquired Asia he allowed for the sitting Alpha Superior, Zhao Chen, to take a Beta position under the condition that Asia would be split into four separate sovereignties under Cain's leadership. Chen reluctantly agreed, not wishing for his family's legacy to end in defeat, and was given the title of Beta over the Eastern Asian region.
Now Zhao was dead, along with the Indian Beta, who was the leader of the Southern Asian region.
Daniel's curiosity stemmed mainly from the discretion that Zhao Chen had always kept when in power.
He always arrived at meetings alone and was very private when it came to disclosing his personal life.
No one knew if he had a mate or a family.
Daniel knew that Cain never seemed to have a problem with Zhao's inclination towards secrecy, but it certainly wasn't a breeding ground for trust.
This was Daniel and Jai's first trip to the facilities of the Eastern Asian region and they were interested to see exactly what went on there.
As they pulled up to a large iron fence, the driver made a call and the gate opened.
They went through four more of those security checkpoints before reaching a long driveway that stretched out to a large Ming era-inspired mansion.
Four pavilions branched off from the main building, each of them topped by a balcony that allowed the security inside to patrol from higher vantage point.
Daniel knew he was being watched sharply as they exited the vehicle and began the hike up to the front door, which sat at the top of a seventy-foot staircase.
He managed to shoot a look at Jai, who seemed just as surprised by the heavy security as he was.
Daniel noticed that Cain was completely calm and followed their guide as if he had walked up those steps several times before.
He seemed as if he were bored by the theatrics.
The large front door turned out to be a gate that opened to a courtyard.
Their guide left them in the courtyard and returned to the vehicles, instructing guards to shut the gates behind him.
This left Cain, Jai and Daniel alone in the courtyard, watched by guards who stood up at the top of the fifty-foot stone wall.
"They're certainly security conscious," Jai noted under his breath.
"Paranoid," was the response Cain gave.
A man stepped out from the house that sat in front of them.
"We are thankful for your prompt arrival, Alpha Sovereign," he said.
Cain bowed his head as the man did the same.
"My name is Zhang," he said. "I was the assistant to the Beta before his passing."
"Have you begun the investigation?" Cain asked him.
"No," Zhang sighed.
Daniel and Jai looked at each other briefly in confusion.
"The scene of death has been preserved for you," Zhang said. "It is traditional for us to avoid the touching of a mutilated body as it is a bad omen."
"So take us to it," Cain said.
Zhang held out his hands to stop them from walking forward.
"The family has asked that you allow time for them to grieve."
Cain's eyebrows creased.
"You rushed us down here to wait?" He asked.
"The body is still fresh and the scene has been well preserved," Zhang assured him. "The family is breaking tradition in many ways by allowing you here to investigate. They ask that you pay your respects by allowing only a few more hours for them to grieve."
Cain exhaled and nodded.
"There is something you should know before we continue," Zhang said.
The three men waited for him to continue.
"Zhao's only son was also killed in the attack."
Cain let out an angry breath.
"How old?"
Zhang looked at Cain somberly.
"Seven."
The three men took a moment to digest the news.
Suddenly Daniel wasn't so sure a few more hours would suffice the amount of grieving the family had to do.
"I'll show you to your rooms," Zhang said. "You can begin your investigation at dawn."
The three men followed him without protest.
After a few minutes of walking through winding, dimly lit hallways they arrived at a staircase that led them up to an apartment-style living space.
"This is where you will stay for your time here," Zhang said. "Please make yourself comfortable."
He left the three men and went back downstairs.
They remained silent until they heard the door shut.
"This was an inside job," Jai noted. "It had to be."
"Why do you think so?" Daniel asked, unsure.
"Did you see the security outside? No one got past all of those men and into the house completely unnoticed. Besides, I think whoever did it was Chinese."
Daniel's eyes furrowed in confusion.
"How can you tell that already?"
Jai looked at him and sighed.
"In Chinese culture, the son is the second-most important member of the family and is groomed from a young age to lead the family alongside the father."
"So you think whoever did this had a personal vendetta?" Daniel asked.
"No," Cain interrupted. "Whoever did this wasn't just trying to kill a Beta. They were trying to end a legacy."
Jai nodded.
"None of this is coincidental," he said. "If Zhao died the same way that the Indian Beta did, you can be sure it was done by the same people."
"But why kill Betas?" Daniel asked. "It's risky and the position can always be refilled."
"Not exactly," Cain said. "Betas are some of the last remaining group of pure bloods on the planet. We could replace the position, but we couldn't assure that the person who filled the role would be a true Lycanthrope."
"Maybe they're not trying to kill Betas," Jai offered. "Maybe they're trying to kill pure bloods."
Cain nodded as though he had already come to the same conclusion.
"This is an attempt to exterminate the Lycanthrope race."
Daniel ran a hand through his hair and shook his head in disbelief.
"We need to warn everyone," he said.
Cain shook his head, much to Daniel's surprise.
"No, we're sitting on this until we can examine Zhao's body. If he was killed by a Vampire then we have evidence to support our theory and we can send out a warning. Until then, this doesn't leave this room."
Both Jai and Daniel nodded before looking at each other warily.
"Has anyone heard from Ella?" Cain asked.
Is that really where your head's at? Jai thought. Even after all of this?
"I talked to Zak before we got off the plane," Jai said. "He confirmed she landed in D.C. safely."
Daniel looked at Jai suspiciously.
"What?" Jai asked him, noting the look.
"You talked to Zak?"
Jai nodded, not seeing the problem.
"You talked to her Deaf brother Zak?" Daniel asked again.
Jai's face fell.
"We were only on the phone for thirty seconds, but I know for a fact that the guy I talked to wasn't Deaf," Jai said, beginning to panic.
Cain's jaw clenched.
"Hold on," Daniel said, trying to calm everyone down. "I gave her a phone number in case of emergencies. She would have called if something was wrong."
Cain shook his head, unconvinced.
"Call Priya," he said. "She ran the background check on Zak whenever he was at the castle. I never checked the results because he left before they came back. Find his address."
"Woah," Jai said. "Hold on a second. We can't leave Beijing, we just got here."
"I wasn't asking for permission," Cain growled.
"I have to agree with Jai," Daniel said. "You need to stay here."
Cain looked at him.
"But you don't."
Daniel and Jai exchanged looks.
"Cain, I'm not flying to D.C.," Daniel said. "She's probably fine. I think you're overreacting."
"Call Priya," Cain said. "Then tell me you think she's fine."
Daniel let out an exasperated sigh.
"Do it," Cain commanded, more forcefully. "Right now."
Daniel and Jai exchanged looks before Daniel pulled his phone out of his back pocket.
He called Priya and put the phone on the table in front of the three of them so they could all participate in the call.
A few rings later, she answered.
"Hello?"
"Priya, it's Daniel," he said.
"I know, I have caller I.D."
He rolled his eyes.
"Listen, I need you to check the report that came in on Ella's brother, Zak."
He heard her sigh.
"I'm eating dinner, Daniel."
"It can wait," Cain said.
The other line went silent as she heard Cain's voice.
"Give me a second," she said.
The sound of Priya traveling up staircases and opening and shutting doors sounded through the phone before she picked the phone back up.
"I found it," she said. "What do you need to know?"
"His address," Daniel told her.
"The one listed is the same as Ella's," she said. "It's in Jacksonville."
The three men paused.
"There's not an address for a house in D.C.?" Jai asked. "That's where we flew her."
"No," she told them. "He lived in D.C. while he was in school at Gallaudet, but that was in an apartment and his lease was up there almost four years ago."
"He finished school four years ago?" Cain asked.
"He never finished," she told them. "He studied engineering but he didn't go back after his first year. Looks like he took time off and traveled."
"Traveled where?" Daniel asked.
"He took a trip to Paris, the Yukon, Romania, and a few to see his Grandfather in Frankfurt."
Cain looked up at Daniel with a look that screamed I told you so.
"Why do you guys need to know this?" She asked. "I think you're barking up the wrong tree. You should probably start looking back over the files on the doctor or the other missing men if you want to find Otto Müller."
"We've already found him," Cain said. "And his name isn't Otto Müller, it's Wilhelm Goebel.
"Wait, the Wilhelm Goebel?" She asked, stunned.
"Yes."
"I can't believe you found him so quickly," she said. "You should probably let Dinesh know, he was in a panic whenever he called yesterday to tell me he's escaped custody."
Daniel's eyes widened.
"Wait... what?! He escaped?"
"Yeah," she said. "He escaped yesterday and killed nearly ten of Dinesh's men in the process. You didn't know?"
Cain turned around and punched the wall, leaving a fist-sized hole in the drywall.
"Guys, what's going on?" Priya asked. "What happened?"
"I'll call you back if I need anything," Daniel said before ending the call.
Jai stood there in shock.
"I can't believe he escaped."
Cain turned around to face Daniel and Jai.
"That's how Goebel knew that we would be at the funeral in India," he said.
Daniel felt his shoulders slump.
"Zak knew the plan because he was in the hospital room with us whenever we told Ella," Cain said. "He's the one who told Goebel that we would be there."
The room was silent as the three of them thought hard.
"Daniel, I want you and Priya on a plane to D.C. tomorrow," Cain said. "Find out where she went when she got there and follow the leads that come up."
Daniel nodded, pulling his phone back out to make the arrangements.
"What do you want me to do?" Jai asked.
"I want you to find her grandfather."
Jai nodded slowly.
"What are you going to do?"
Cain's jaw clenched.
"Hope that the next death we investigate isn't my mate's."
- - -