Page 4 of Alpha Fate

As my vision adjusts, I can make out the basic features of the cell. A stained mattress lies on the floor in one corner. A toilet and sink are crammed against the far wall. The only light comes from a single bulb in a cage outside the cell a little way down the hallway, casting dim shadows through the bars.

I grimace as I move, trying to find a comfortable position. Getting captured by Rack’s rogues was not part of the plan. But if I’m honest with myself, I didn’t have much of a plan to begin with.

Get in. Find their leaders. Figure out what to target. Get out. Take the intel back to Jagger and the others.

I almost got it right – up until the “get out” part. That’s when I slipped in to join a departing team that happened to be part of their leader group. They sniffed me out as a stranger within seconds.

Smart move, Heller.

Still, it would have been great if I’d succeeded. Go back to Steel Lakes as a hero. Get the girl.

What girl?

The one I’d set my sights on is now firmly bonded to Jagger Law. Trust him to use that whole “I’m celibate” thing to get himself a foot in the door there. I’ve never played that game. I am what I am, and finding a mate would have been a priority for me – if it had ever felt like it was within reach. I’d almost made my peace with it. Until I’d thought that Sierra could have been it…that woman’s eyes had snared my attention from the start. The way the green would flicker through the hazel brown every now and then…

Cut it out.

There’s no time for shit like that now. I need to figure out how to get out of this cell. But my thoughts are still scrambled. I tilt my head back against the wall and close my eyes. The concoction in the syringe they used to subdue me is still flooding my system, making it hard to focus. I just need time for the effects to wear off before I can formulate an escape plan.

As I sit there, I gradually become aware of a soft sound coming from nearby. Heavy breathing.

There’s someone else here.

I listen for a minute or two, trying to get a read on who it might be. Not one of ours, as far as I can tell, but certainly an ally – the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that shit.

“Hey!” I wait a second and get no reply. I scoot across the floor as far as the cuffs will allow me, almost making it to the bars separating the cells. I peer through them, dimly making out a shadowed shape against the far wall. “Hello?” I rasp.

The sound stops abruptly. For a long moment, there is only silence.

“I know you’re in there. I can smell you.” It’s true. I’m picking up a strong scent of wolf. It hit me like a tidal wave the minute I got in here. And from the way my nuts have tightened, it’s female. Although considering my circumstances, that probably isn’t the most appropriate reaction. It’s just that there’s something about this scent that strikes me.

There’s still no answer, and I figure that whoever is there would rather not chat. Who would blame them? Except it would be handy to have some insights into this place.

“You don’t wanna talk right now. I get it.” I settle back onto my ass, tugging at the cuffs. “But when you’re ready, I’ll be here.”

There’s a strange little whimpering sound that has my balls tightening even further.

What the fuck, Heller?

“Don’t panic.” I keep my voice soothing. “I’m one of the good guys. At least, I think so.”

Something scuffs across the floor. The shape I’d seen shifts a little, then begins to take form. Through the darkness, I can make out shoulders and a torso as she pushes herself onto one palm unsteadily. I squint, trying to make out her features, my wolf senses failing me thanks to the damn silver flooding my system.

“Who…?” Her voice is hoarse, barely audible, breaking before the word is out. “Who…?” she tries again.

“It’s okay,” I murmur gently. “I’m Gage. You can trust me.”

She tilts her head slightly as if trying to understand. A tiny glimmer of light touches her features, eyes glittering green as she tries to train them on me. Her face comes into focus.

Shock washes through me, and I suck in a sharp breath.

“Holy shit! It’s you!”

Chapter 3

Savannah

It’s you.

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