Defy The Alpha(s) novel Chapter 560

Chapter 560: Alaric’s Nightmare

Realizing that screaming and struggling would get him nowhere, Alaric forced himself to think. Since violence wouldn’t work, maybe, just maybe, he could reach the part of his mother that still loved him.

"What do you plan to do to me, Mother?" Alaric rasped, his voice hoarse and raw from shouting.

Zara paused mid-motion, a syringe halfway filled with a clear, viscous solution intended to use on him. Her hand stilled as she turned toward him, surprise in her eyes.

It was the first time Alaric had called her "Mother" since this nightmare began. Before now, it had always been "Zara" or "Bitch," as if the word mother burned his tongue.

For a brief moment, her expression softened. She set the syringe on the metal tray and crossed to his side.

"Alaric, baby?" she whispered, testing him.

Alaric lay restrained on the cold table, sweat beading across his brow. Between the suppressor cuffs and the physical strain of fighting, he looked fragile and vulnerable. One might even said he lost weight.

"Why are you doing this to me?" His voice cracked, heavy with anguish. "Why, Mother?"

Zara cupped his face, wiping the sweat tenderly. "Because I want my son back," she said softly. "My sweet, obedient Alaric, not this violent creature who curses and fights me. I don’t even recognize you anymore."

"Fine, I’m sorry," Alaric gasped, his chest heaving. "Just remove the suppressor cuffs. I miss my wolf, Mother. It’s been days... I feel empty, and hollow inside. Please mother, it’s killing me."

Zara smiled faintly, threading her hand through his damp hair. "I know, my love. Don’t worry, the cuffs will come off soon. I can’t perform the procedure without you and your wolf in perfect equilibrium."

Dread clawed at Alaric’s insides. He forced his voice to stay calm. "What procedure?"

Then he turned his head and saw the strange, crown-like device with a matte metal frame branched into delicate braided wires, and fine mesh petals overlapping it.

His blood ran cold. "What is that, Mother?"

Zara followed his gaze. "Oh, that? The Mnemosyne Crown," she said casually, almost proudly.

Alaric’s pulse spiked, but he kept his tone calm. "Why am I only hearing about this now? You never mentioned it to me."

"That’s because your father ordered the project shut down after we lost a subject..." Zara trailed off, realizing that was the wrong thing to say to her son that she was about to perform the same experiment on.

Alaric’s heart stopped. "Lost...?"

Zara’s tone turned exasperated. "Technically, the experiment didn’t kill him. He just wasn’t strong enough. His mind fractured and he went feral. We had no choice but to put him down. Besides, he was a convicted criminal awaiting execution, anyway. It was a calculated risk."

Alaric’s fury rose, though he kept his voice measured. "He didn’t agree to this. You experimented on him without his consent." His breath caught as a horrifying realization dawned. "And now you plan to do the same thing to me."

His wild gaze swung to the two guards stationed by the door. "Did you hear that?!" Alaric shouted, straining against his restraints. "You’re going to stand there and let her torture your future Alpha?!"

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify