Page 86 of Alpha Reid

“Stop crying, Q, I’m fine,” Theo hisses, wincing as he digs his knuckles into the snow and tries to sit up straighter. “The bullet will work itself out.”

“Not if it’s silver,” Jax says warily, a grave expression on his face. “We should get it out of you, just to be safe.”

“Hello?!” Brooke’s voice demands through the phone again, and I turn to find Fallon beside me and shove it in her direction, wide-eyed.

“Hey, Brookie,” Fallon responds, taking the phone from me and bringing it closer to her face. It’s obvious that she’s trying to keep her voice even and calm, though I can hear the strain in her tone.

Her sister picks up on it right away. “Fallon, what’s going on? Did something happen? Is everybody okay?”

She sighs, her and Theo exchanging a side-eyed glance.

“I’m fine baby,” he pipes up, gravel in his voice.

“You’re not fine, I can tell,” Brooke replies instantly. “Don’t bullshit me, Theo, tell me what’s going on.”

Fallon heaves a sigh and Theo darts her a warning look, but she ignores it, blurting “he got shot.”

“Hewhat?!” Brooke screeches.

“He’s gonna be fine,” Fallon quickly adds, wincing at the panic in her sister’s voice.

Theo shoots Fallon a glare, his jaw twitching as he looks to the phone resting in her palm. “Calm down, kid, it’s no big deal. Jax is gonna pull the bullet out and I’ll heal up and be good as new by the time I come home to you.”

“Theo, I swear to god, if you don’t make it back here in one piece…”

“Stop,” he barks, his voice strong though the color is starting to drain from his face. “I told you I’m fine. Now these guys still have a job to do, so can you help them get inside or what?”

There’s a long pause before Brooke quietly responds. “I can help.”

Fallon scoots closer to Theo, still holding the phone out in front of her. “I’ll stay with him, Brookie,” she reassures her sister. He turns to look at Fallon and the two of them exchange a glance before she continues. “I won’t let anything happen to your mate. Promise.”

“Okay.” Brooke’s whispered response is barely audible.

Fallon turns to her own mate crouched on the other side of her, speaking into the phone again. “I’m gonna hand you off to Gray, alright?”

“Okay,” Brooke says again, a little louder this time, though her voice is strained. “Love you. Both of you.”

“No matter what,” Fallon and Theo reply in unison.

A lump forms in my throat that I have trouble swallowing past. The bond between the twins reminds me of what I have with my own sister- and she’s so close, right inside that building. I just have to get to her.

Gray takes the phone from Fallon, sliding it into the top front pocket of his jacket as he speaks into it. “Okay, Brooke, we’re gonna have to make a run for it this time, so let us know when that door’s unlocked.”

“Gotcha,” Brooke replies, keyboard clicking in the background again. “Annnnnd,” she draws out the word, keyboard clicking some more, “you guys are good to go.”

Gray looks around to the rest of us. “Ready?”

We all nod in agreement, moving to the edges of the SUVs, ready to make a run for the entrance of the building.

“Alright, you gonna dig this thing out of me or what?” I hear Theo ask Jax as I round the SUV. Then the rest of us take off toward the door as Jax, Fallon, and Quinn stay behind with Theo.

Pop! Pop!

More gunshots ring out as we all fly toward the entrance in a dead sprint. I swear I hear one of the bullets whiz right past my ear. By some miracle, all of us make it unscathed, Gray pulling open the door while the rest of us slam our bodies into the side of the building, pressing tightly to it.

Gray disappears through the door, and one by one we follow him inside. The interior of the building is dark and damp, windowless concrete walls that make the place feel like a bunker. I wonder what its use was prior to the shadow pack claiming it as their own.

“Brooke, can you do anything about the lights?” Gray asks quietly, taking up the lead and inching forward through the darkness.

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