Adam stared at him, cold.
"I didn't turn back, Alexander. From the beginning, the men knew that your punishment would be to suffer, to think that you would never see your family again, or meet your unborn child. It was a kind of emotional torture. I never planned to kill you. The day I do, the day I sentence you to death, I won't give you time to say goodbye to your family. But you should rethink your loyalty, because Anna made me tempting offers to leave you alive... I almost couldn't resist. But I couldn't accept that she thought she was staying with me for the sake of her life. I want her on my side, but without lies. If I have to force her to make it happen, I will, but first, I'll give her every chance to stay by my side of her own free will. She was willing to change all her plans for you, while she can't do it for me, the father of her child. Bonnie would never be capable of such a generous act."
"So you think I left the table because I was loyal to Bonnie?"
"And you didn't?"
"Of course not. I just didn't think it was fair to toast and celebrate while one of us was in hospital, between life and death. Because she became one of us. And it was you who brought her into our midst. Of course, if I had to choose between the two, it would be Anna. I've known her since... Always. I watched her father hunt down and murder her entire family." Alexandre said and remembered something. "That's why you were so excited at the pool! I thought it was because you didn't mind losing a member of the big family we've formed." Alexandre said, and tears welled up in his eyes. "You were calm because you knew it was a lie." He said and laughed with relief.
"Yes. Now go and join your wife, before she beats me again... And tell your son that I'll be waiting when he wants to avenge his father's death."
Alexandre looked at his boss with genuine surprise.
"He said that?"
"Yes. He told my son."
"He's very sentimental." Alexandre said with a slight smile. "He tried in every way to get me to run away. He gave me several unfeasible alternatives."
"I can imagine. He's a good kid, and I'm relieved to be off his blacklist." Adam said sarcastically.
Alexander, taking Adam by surprise, hugged him and after they had walked away, they each went to their own table. That night was a party. The children ran around the chapel happy and carefree.
...
Anna got up early, even before the cooks, and went to the kitchen to prepare Sarah's food. Once everything was ready, she found a thermos and put everything in it and made herself a cup of coffee, then went out onto the balcony, where she waited for Adonis, who soon arrived and they went out, closely followed by a convoy that was always watching Anna's steps.
She entered the old house, accompanied by Adonis, and could hear his footsteps in the morning silence. There was still no one in the house. Or there was, and they were still asleep. She didn't care. She took the bottle of coffee out of the bag she had brought with her, and counted out twelve salt and water cookies. That would be Sarah's meal. A glass of coffee for breakfast, four cookies and the same for lunch and dinner. She didn't put it on a tray, she took it in her hand.
Adonis followed her in everything. The other men who came stayed outside. They would only come in when they were needed.
Anna turned on the light, pleased to discover that even with dawn, the basement remained dark. Sarah was in the same position as the day before, but this time she didn't say anything when Anna arrived.
She turned the tied woman's chair around until she was facing her, coffee cup and cookies in hand, while Adonis untied her.
Sarah stared at Anna debauchedly and stretched her arms, as if to stretch. She looked like she'd had a restful night. Anna approached her and handed her the coffee and cookies.
"You took your time with my breakfast. I was starving. Can you believe they only served me a cornmeal broth for dinner?" She asked as she devoured the cookies and sipped her coffee.
When she had finished, she tossed the empty cup to one side and turned back to look at the handsome young man. "Do you have a cigarette?" She asked as if she was having a lot of fun with the situation. "Anna doesn't seem to have had a happy night. Didn't you fuck her, as I advised you?"
Adonis approached and tied her up again with her arms behind her. He felt like he was facing the devil himself, who was challenging whoever was trying to exorcise him. He felt sick, with a chill down his spine as he entered, but he didn't want to leave Anna. He loved her company, he had promised he wouldn't abandon her, and something told him that only he would be able to protect her from that woman's evil.
"Ah! You're young. It's still going to happen. I know that the moment I mentioned sex between you, you both thought with desire about the possibility, but you're too cowardly to live the pleasure..." Sarah said, straining to look at Adonis. Sarah said and struggled to look at Adonis. "Do it with her now. She'll struggle at first, but then she'll like it. Anna is a naughty slut. And you need a reason to answer to your conscience for your actions, right? I'll give you a good reason. Anna has enslaved the minds of all werewolves. You no longer have the protection that witches used to give you, so that the Alpha can't always see what you do. If Adam wants to see through your eyes so badly..." She pointed at Anna with her chin. "... let him see you stick your penis in that bitch!"
Adonis didn't seem to hear what Sarah said, and Anna grabbed the nail pliers and advanced towards her mother's murderer. She pulled them out one by one. She thought she would be pitied at some point, but every time she asked a question and she didn't answer, she took pleasure in pulling out one of her nails. Her cries of pain and pity were the most beautiful song Anna had ever heard.