Page 14 of Alpha Fate

“Good man.” It’s Callum again.

“Call the team together,” says Jagger. He’s pulled Sierra close again. “Shhh…” he murmurs against her hair. “We’ll get her out. I swear it.”

I don’t know how he can make a promise like that, but I don’t disagree with him. He’s telling her what she needs to hear.

“I’m on board.” A big male I recognize as Barrett Chord steps up. “I didn’t get a chance to kill enough of the fuckers earlier.” He gives a tight smile that would freeze the blood of a lesser man.

“I’m in, too.” Tarkin is behind me, clapping a hand on my back. Others are beginning to crowd closer. More are volunteering. At this rate, we’ll have a formidable force to take back to Leadmills.

“You’re taking a big risk,” says Jagger. “Thank you.” He kisses her head again. “But with Rack out of the picture, they’ll be disorganized. We can take advantage of that.”

“Rack’s dead?” I stare at him.

His lips turn down. “Yes. Sierra killed the fucker. Got what he had coming.” He gathers her closer, tucking her face into the crook of his neck.

“When did Rack get hit?” Callum frowns.

“During the fight here. She took a pipe to him. Smashed him up pretty good. Didn’t you get a look at the body?”

“Body? What body? We found a couple of the bastards who managed to get past the door, but nobody looked like they held any kind of rank.”

The lines of Jagger’s face grow taut. Sierra has stiffened. She’s making a keening sound that makes my hair stand on end. Jagger’s biceps bunch as he tightens his grip around her.

“We left him on the third floor, Callum. Carcass should have been up where you found me. I would have thought you’d moved it when they took me down to the doc.”

Callum is shaking his head. The others are exchanging uncomfortable glances. “We picked you up, Jagger. But we didn’t see anyone else there, dead or alive.”

“Oh my God, he got away.” Sierra is stiff as a board; she’s raised her head. “He’s not dead,” she says. Her eyes are wild as she rakes them over us. “Rack isn’t dead…and he has my sister. If you don’t get her out…”

She doesn’t have to go on for us to realize what she’s afraid of.

Everyone knows exactly what Rack has in mind for Savannah.

And I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Chapter 5

Savannah

Gage’s words echo in my mind as I sit shivering in the damp cell. It’s been hours since I woke up, but his words still seem clear enough that he might have been whispering them into my ear.

“I’ll save you, sunshine. Don’t give up hope. I swear I’ll get you away from here.”

He promised he would come back for me. He said I don’t belong here, that this isn’t my pack. That male isn’t my mate. I have someone else, and he cares about me. I cling to those words, repeating them like a mantra. They give me hope, something I’d almost lost in this dark place.

I think of the brief time Gage was here, the comfort his presence brought me through the drugged-up haze. His confidence and wit even in the face of the leering guards. He made me feel safe, protected. Not like the alpha who comes to taunt me, telling me I’m his, that I belong to him. I don’t feel that way with Gage. The attraction I felt was more than that – he represents freedom, escape.

“Looks like she’s awake again.” A voice snaps me out of my reverie. They’re back. I hadn’t even heard them arrive.

Pay attention!

I need to be sharp. I can’t let my guard down again. I stay silent as one of them approaches the bars of my cell. Yanking the door open, he steps in and sets down a bowl of water.

“Try not to drink it all at once,” he smirks. “Boss hasn’t given us new plans for you yet, what with all that’s happened, and I might want you conscious if I-”

“That’s enough, Chet,” the other one snaps. “The plan remains the same. It’s just taken longer than expected.”

“Why wouldn’t it change?” Chet remains adamant. “He’s messed up. And if he no longer has need for her, she comes to us. Simple as that.”

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