HUNTED

Aila approached the cell with Darren in. The Delta's back was against the wall, his legs sprawled out before him. The blood on his face trickled down from the side of his forehead, nose and split skin on his cheeks along with busted up swollen lips. Aila knew he would heal in a few minutes, and the pain would be temporary unless Damon used wolfsbane on him.

"Have you used wolfsbane on him?" Aila asked quietly through the mind-link to Damon. Her eyes were still set on the Delta sitting on the ground. 

"No," Damon's deep voice floated through her mind. Aila did not look at him. She didn't know how she was feeling at the sight of Darren. 

Aila knew Damon wanted him dead, but she made a choice to have him locked away until she made her decision. It was inevitable that Darren might be beaten up, although she expected it from another pack member; he was, after all, a part of the plan to take her down. Aila gritted her teeth at the thought of it. 

It was then, she felt another wave of emotions pass through her, guilt, sorrow and anger. It was Damon's feelings washing over her. 

"I'm sorry, I lost my temper." Aila turned to look at her mate, who apologised through her mind; neither wanted Darren to hear them nor Finn and Ajax, who just arrived, staring at the Delta with their own expressions hard.

With Damon's now clean hands, he reached forwards and caressed her cheek. "I just came back from all the families who lost someone and.. then I saw Darren.. and.. I lost it." He downcast his gaze from Aila's face, and she sighed, placing her hand atop his on her cheek.

"I understand." Honestly, she did. She felt his emotions and his thoughts from today. She could even see some visions of him talking over and over to different families, watching them cry in front of him. Her brows drew together, and she felt her eyes well up with tears. Taking a deep breath in, she calmed herself down. 

Caressing his hand gently with her thumb as she observed his features, Aila gently pulled his hand away after feeling his rough knuckles that had been split. But they were healing quickly. Then, letting go of his hand, she muttered, "You need to clean your face." He looked like a bloody crazed murderer. 

She started dragging a metal chair across the floor, pulling it behind her as she entered Darren's cell. The noise gained the Delta's attention, and he tilted his head back to watch Aila. 

"You're not going to torture him, are you?" Ajax mind-linked her. Aila paused what she was doing and glanced at him through the bars. His normal olive complexion had paled dramatically, and she realised he might not hack being there. The basement was similar to the hunters, and even if she wasn't going to torture him, she could still see that the place affected him and most likely gave him the creeps. 

She shook her head in response to Ajax' question then replied, "You don't have to be here if it's too much. I understand.." Her gaze never left his as she watched his pupils dilate while he ruffled his raven hair. He took a deep breath in and turned around to leave.

"I'm sorry," He muttered over his shoulder.

"Don't be." She mind-linked him and watched as Finn tried to stop him.

"Let him go," Aila commanded quietly, halting Finn from pulling Ajax back. He let go of Ajax' shoulder and frowned at his friend before returning his attention to Aila.

Aila sat down on the metal chair, facing Darren, whose eyes never left her for a second. 

"Are you sure you want to sit in there with him?" Finn asked worriedly, but his expression relaxed when his eyes settled on Damon, who raised his brow at his question.

Aila ignored them and flicked her hair behind her shoulders as her gaze hardened at the Delta. Damon's feelings were merging together along with hers, making her a mess. But on the surface, she kept herself composed, even cold-like. Which was precisely how she wanted to appear. Aila wanted nothing but the truth from Darren without the use of torturing. She didn't mind if he THOUGHT she was a stone-cold bitch intent on hurting him.

"Tell me, Darren. When did you and Lydia get involved with each other?" Aila asked; she kept her voice level as she crossed her legs over demurely in her seat. 

Darren watched her legs, then cleared his throat. "We weren't anything exclusive. Not yet. But we got together.. a month ago?"

"Coincidence?" Finn started a mind-link between him, Aila and Damon so they could talk throughout the interrogation. Damon and Aila stayed quiet, but she would take on what they said as she asked Darren what she wanted to know, making sure not to leave anything out before the Luna made an official decision.

"So, you got together a few weeks after I arrived?"

Darren nodded his head at her question. "How did it start?" The Delta looked away from her sharp gaze while he remembered.

"We were never close before. Heck, we hardly spoke to each other. But.. Lydia approached me the day after we rescued you guys. It started out as just sex. I thought, fuck, I'm a lucky son of a bitch to gain her attention.." He sighed. Aila observed everything about him, his body language and his facial expressions. She was no cop or professional interrogator, hell no, but she could still tell if he was nervous or lying. 

Aila could also watch him without the pressure of the pack around her, and she could also rely on her gut feeling. She felt it when she stopped Finn from killing him, and her gut was telling her now. He didn't have anything to do with the rogues attacking. The Delta went out of his way and acted as a Delta should that day. But she needed to be 100% sure because it could be fatal if he still wanted her gone. 

"And then, we got talking more outside of fucking. Lyds was talking about how you weren't appropriate as a Luna.." Finn and Damon growled at his comment, but the Delta continued, his gaze now back on Aila. "The things she was saying, it made sense." He held his hands up. "At the TIME. You know this, Luna. I didn't like you.. I didn't think you deserved to just turn up without any training, without being brought up in a pack and then suddenly taking charge.

"We just rescued you from the hunters, an organisation we had been protecting you from your whole life, and now.. they knew who to go after. Having you in the pack was putting everyone in danger." Darren's words felt like a stab to the heart.

She was hurt because he was right. 

Damon marched forwards. "Get to the fucking point before I rip your head from your shoulders." He snarled. 

Aila was hit with a wave of his temper, and she could tell he was listening to her thoughts and feelings. "Alpha, let him continue," Aila replied quietly; she did not turn to look at him as she kept herself cool and collected in front of Darren.

He continued, "I'm telling you the truth, Luna. I believed that Lydia wanted to help. Everything she was saying made sense. She agreed with what I thought as well.. We needed someone else with experience.. but.. even though we started discussing ways to get you to step down-"

"You mean kill," Finn snapped. Unfortunately, he seemed to also be losing his patience.

Aila glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, meaning to quiet him. She listened to Darren and listened to his perspective on things and could understand what he was saying. 

"No," Darren shook his head, "I never, I mean it, never wanted Aila hurt." 

Damon growled, "You don't have the privilege of calling her by her name now. It's Luna to you."

Darren glanced back at Aila. "I never meant for you to get hurt. I never meant for the rogues to come. I didn't think Lydia would.. She always seemed so sweet."

Aila's eyes widened at his words.

"SWEET!?" Malia scoffed. She had been pacing along the edges of her mind but stayed quiet, also listening to the Delta. Surprisingly, she was not angry with him. It seemed Aila and Malia were of the same mind. If he thought Lydia was sweet, then she definitely blinded him.

Darren sighed, and Aila watched as a tear fell from his eye. He wiped it away quickly before looking to the side, slightly embarrassed. Aila frowned and continued to watch him.

"I.. I love her. Or.. I think I did. But I don't think she loves me. If she did.. then maybe she would have confided in me about her plans." He looked at Aila, his gaze unwavering now, "If she did, then I would have told you immediately."

Aila narrowed her eyes, "Would you?" She tilted her head, "You just told me why I wouldn't make a good leader to this pack. AND that you love Lydia. A man will do anything for the woman he loves.."

Darren nodded his head, "I love this pack too. I would never, NEVER put the pack in danger."

Aila stood up and walked towards him; her heels clicked on the cold ground before she squatted in front of him. She looked at him calculatingly. 

"Do you know how many lives were lost that day?" She asked quietly; her voice took on an edge that made the Delta visibly shiver before his eyes filled up with tears.

"Twenty. People. died." She couldn't help the snarl that left her lips.

Darren's tears fell down his face; he looked exhausted and devastated. 

His head lowered in shame. "If you wish me dead, Luna. I am okay with that. I failed you, and I failed this pack as a Delta. I know I will never have your forgiveness, but" He looked at her again, and she could see the hopelessness behind his eyes, "But.." He swallowed. "If you let me live.. I will serve you for the rest of my life- how I should have done from the start. I will do anything. ANYTHING you say. Even.."

His voice cracked, "Even if you wanted me to kill Lydia.. I will do it."