Page 55 of Alpha Chained

“Parker,” she whispers, and I nod, my eyes still fixed on the road ahead. The sun has begun to set, and oncoming cars have switched on their headlights, the twin beams cutting the dusk light.

“Oh, my God.” Her hand moves from my thigh to rest on my shoulder. She squeezes gently. “I’m so sorry, Riot.”

I shrug. “It was a long time ago.”

And yet, it still hurts like a fresh wound. I don’t say so. Talking about it doesn’t help. I’ve learned to think of these as the cold facts of my life. Keeping emotion out of it makes it easier to tolerate. Except now, when I look at Raura, her eyes are welling with tears. It occurs to me that she wears her heart on her sleeve. I like that about her. I like a lot about her. All of it, if I think about it.

“We’re going to get her back,” she says fiercely. “And then you’re coming back to Steel Lakes. Both of you!” Her grip tightens on my shoulder.

“Sure,” I say, watching the headlights flash by, the sun sinking below the horizon.

“I’m serious, Riot!” She turns to face me more, the seatbelt straining. “You’re not going to be alone anymore.”

Her words fill me with a glimmer of hope, a spark of possibility that perhaps there could be more for me. As if sensing my thoughts, Raura turns to me, her eyes shining with a promise.

“We’ll keep you safe, too,” she vows. “You’ll see. Steel Lakes will be your home now.”

I nod silently, letting her conviction buoy my spirits as we draw ever closer to her sanctuary and an unknown future.

Suddenly, she stiffens and then lets out a deep breath, raising her hand and pointing. “There it is. Once we go down that road, we’ll be there.”

I swivel my head to look in the direction she’s indicating. In the distance, lights shimmer from a structure that looks like it could appear in any Mad Max movie.

“That’s home,” she breathes out. “They’re going to love you.”

Chapter 20

Raura

My heart hammers in my chest as the familiar silhouette of Steel Lakes comes into view on the horizon, a surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

I turn to Riot with a brilliant smile, unable to contain my excitement. “We made it.”

His eyes remain fixed on the road ahead, his expression guarded. “So this is Steel Lakes.”

I nod enthusiastically. “Just wait until you see it up close. The gardens, the quaint little shops, the people…” My voice trails off wistfully as visions of my beloved town fill my mind’s eye.

Riot’s jaw tightens almost imperceptibly. “What should I expect when we arrive?”

“Oh, you’ll see!” I beam at him, giving his arm a squeeze. “Everyone will be excited to have me back. They’ll throw a huge celebration, I just know it. And they’ll welcome you with open arms once they hear how you rescued me.”

A flash of silver flicks toward me briefly before returning to the winding road. “If you say so.”

I frown slightly at his subdued response but press on. “Doctor Bea will want to check on your arm right away. She has incredible healing abilities, you’ll see. And Jagger…” A pang hits me as I think of my Alpha. “He must have been sick with worry.”

“Arm’s healed.” He’s staring ahead.

“Of course it is.” I give a light laugh. “You and your superfast healing! But she’ll want to be sure we’re both okay. And then you can settle in.”

Riot remains silent, his body tense beside me. I study his taut profile, wishing I could smooth away the creases of apprehension etched there.

“It’s going to be alright,” I murmur, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “You’re one of us now. Steel Lakes will be your sanctuary, I promise.”

As we draw closer to the gate, my breath catches in my throat. The massive reinforced steel structure is nothing like the entrance I remember. My mind flashes back to the day Parker’s armored SUV smashed through the previous one; the memory makes me shudder.

“Who goes there?” Cody’s familiar voice calls out as we pull to a stop at the gate.

“It’s me, Cody! Raura Pierce!” I shout back, warmth washing over me at the sound of his voice.

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