Chapter 63: The Truth
The town was just as Claude imagined. It was small, communal, and everyone seemed to know one another. Alaina and Theo greeted more than half of the townspeople as they made their way to the outskirts.
His keen eyes took in everything, and Alaina didn’t hesitate to answer any questions he had. He noticed Theo didn’t seem to approve of how forthcoming she was, but he also didn’t question or try to stop her.
"We were alone after Alpha Keenan and Asher were taken to the mines. The orphanage was mostly abandoned. The years after they left were the worst," Alaina explained as they went up the hill that led to the orphanage.
"Just you and Theo?" Claude asked with a sympathetic expression.
"And my sister Winnie. Most of the orphanage children had it worse, and a lot of us died. We lost many friends to the mines and starvation. The orphanage was left to rot after they left."
"I am sorry," Claude offered. "Alpha Keenan did mention losing someone close."
Alaina’s eyes darkened. "It was a long time ago," she said dismissively. "But I guess he didn’t find out until he escaped the mines three years ago," she mumbled.
"He escaped?" He asked in shock.
He wanted to ask who it was, as this was information he only partially knew. However, he didn’t miss how dismissive Alaina was. Whoever it was, it was not someone she wanted to remember—either for good or bad reasons.
"Yes, after a decade. Theo and Asher helped, and he was able to get out of the mines. Isn’t that right, Theo?"
Theo stiffened slightly, and he almost stopped walking as they all turned around to look at him. "Yes," he mumbled and brought his gaze down.
He didn’t want Alaina feeding Alpha Claude more information. However, he couldn’t speak in this situation as he didn’t want to anger Alaina.
"But wasn’t he caught? How else could he have ended up in the High Alpha’s hands?"
"He was only caught because he came to the orphanage," she mumbled, and in the same breath she asked, "Do you know what the High Alpha’s daughter did to him?"
Claude glanced at her with feigned disbelief, shaking his head lightly. "I know Vilhelm is a cruel man."
Alaina’s jaw tightened. "His daughter is no different," she said immediately. "She was the one who tortured him all those years. She acts like a victim now, but don’t let her fool you."
Claude remained silent, allowing her to continue. He was not oblivious to how intense she got. This was a subject that bothered her and perhaps her goal in their interaction.
"Do you know about the scar on Alpha Keenan’s chest?" she asked bitterly. "The one that still hasn’t healed properly?"
Claude nodded. "I assumed it was one he got in battle."
It was a risky statement. Keenan had the scar even before he joined them in the war. If the Alpha spoke about him, she should be aware of this, as Claude had taken Keenan under his wing almost immediately.
Alaina scoffed. "No. She tried to kill him. Torturing him wasn’t nearly enough for her. She smeared wolfsbane all over his chest, and when that didn’t work, she sent him to war to die."
Theo’s expression soured and fear flickered in his eyes. "Alaina—"
"It is the truth," she snapped. "You know she is nothing but the devil’s spawn. You want to act otherwise. She deserves no sympathy and should be thrown in the mines like she deserves! She should suffer just as much as we went through!"
"I-I didn’t know all of this," Claude said.
"You wouldn’t," Alaina replied. "She is quite adept at tricking people. Alpha Keenan was tricked many times."
"But she married him—"
Alaina laughed bitterly. "Do you think she did that of her own choice? Even if our Alpha has the favor of the Alpha King, her father would never agree to it. The High Alpha wants Verlassen back. I am certain he sent her to spy on us. Maybe he thinks she can trick us into lowering our guard."
Her eyes hardened. "Or maybe she’s here to finish what she started. We can never trust—"
"We are here," Theo started to say as he walked ahead of them to open the gates of the orphanage.
The loud noises of children playing around could be heard from outside the gate. Claude did his best not to react to Theo’s interruption as he had learned far more than he had expected.
"Theo!" Screams of children could be heard as they walked through the gates.
They ran toward him, hugging his legs, but stopped abruptly when they realized he wasn’t alone.
"Who are they?" A girl who was no older than five asked, pointing to Claude and Hilbert. She clung to Theo’s legs as they stepped closer.
Claude bent his knees so they were at eye level. "Hello, young lady," he said with a calm voice.
She looked cautious and immediately looked up at Theo. "This is Alpha Keenan’s guest," he said.
"Hello," she whispered while the rest of the young children peered.
"What’s your name?" He asked softly, keeping his distance but remained friendly so she could approach him.
"Lily," she whispered.
"Like the pretty flower?" He asked.
She blushed slightly at the compliment. "Yes," she said and hid her face.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lily. My name is—"
"What is going on?" Asher’s voice called from the doorway.
"Alpha Claude decided to pay a visit to this orphanage," Hilbert replied almost instantly. He glared at Asher who could hardly hide his shock.
"Alpha?" The young girl whispered with a gasp that echoed through the rest of the children. They whispered his name and looked from one person to the other.
Claude nodded and smiled at her. He didn’t look away from her even when he was interrupted. Putting his hand to the side of his mouth, he whispered, "But you can call me Claude."
He winked, and she giggled before he stood to his full height and turned his attention to Asher. "Beta Asher, I thought it best I introduce myself, since you wouldn’t introduce yourself to me."
