Page 64 of Faith and Fury

Running out of patience, I flash my teeth—making sure he knows damn well I will bite if that’s what this comes to. No-one is going to make me lose this scent.

He starts to purr, or growl. I can’t tell. Some feeble attempt to calm me down. Clearly this alpha isn’t getting the hint.

I sink my canines right into his forearm. He tastes of copper and cinnamon—his blood thick with adrenaline.

Hissing, he loosens his grip just enough for me to break away. I only make it a couple steps when I smell it again—so strong it makes my eyes water.

A dark figure appears at the end of the passage.

“Shit,” Maverick snaps. He grabs my wrist, pulling me behind him, before whipping out his gun. “Freeze! Hands in the air!”

The figure stills. I narrow my gaze, trying to make out any distinguishing features. White alpha. Male. Broad, inked shoulders. Maybe six foot. Bald.

Oh shit.

I grab the back of Maverick’s shirt in warning. I was right—this guy is no ringleader. But he is probably the meanest fuck they’ve got on the payroll, and the main reason all the rookies stay in line. Before we understand the value of laying low and winning fights, we had this asshole to thank for ‘keeping the peace’.

Axe.

The figure tilts his head, and something changes in the air. If I had to guess …

I’d say Axe has figured out who I am, too.

Maverick stuffs his phone into his pocket, using both hands to steady the gun. “Stay behind me,” he mutters.

Axe takes a step forward, testing Maverick’s trigger finger.

“Back the fuck up,” Maverick snarls. “Hands. In. The. Air.”

He has no idea who he’s dealing with. Axe has been with the arena since before Fang got there. Word is, he’s a rogue himself—an ex-contender. When the ringleaders couldn’t sell him off, they stuck him in the ranks.

In other words, someone you don’t want to fuck with.

Caleb’s voice, faint and muffled, crackles over Maverick’s phone. My inner omega leaps to the sound.

Find me, she pleads, despite everything else in my body telling me I can do this alone. Alpha.

I see it before Maverick does. A glint of metal. A twitch of fingers. Suddenly I can see it all about to play out.

Axe is going to reach for his gun. He’ll shoot. Maverick will be too busy shielding me to shoot back.

I can fix that.

I throw myself in front of Maverick right as Axe draws. He’s not going to shoot me—he needs me in one piece. Which means it’s up to me to protect Maverick.

BANG!

My ears burst, pain like a spear from temple to temple.

Well, should’ve seen that coming.

Maverick was the first to fire. Goddamn idiot. There’s no way am alpha like Axe ignores that kind of challenge, no matter the stakes.

He aims.

BANG! BANG!

Maverick throws his body over mine, turning his back to the bullets. He grunts, stiffening like he’s been struck.

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