Page 88 of Alpha Reid

“Olivia!” I’m growing more frantic; my voice is so pinched that it doesn’t even sound like my own. I tear open another door- another empty cell. And another.

Then I hear it. A muffled voice, followed by the sound of someone pounding against a door. My heart squeezes in my chest, hope surging through me as I move farther down the hallway and call out for her again. “Olivia!?”

This time I hear her, clear as day. “Serena?”

My vision blurs as tears of relief spring to my eyes. I lunge toward the door where I heard the voice come from, pulling back the latch and yanking it open as fast as I can. As soon as I do, she falls into my arms. I stumble backwards and we both crumple to the ground, sobbing, holding onto one another. My sister. My Olivia.

Relief floods me as I cradle her petite body in my arms. After a long moment, I pull back, cupping her face in my hands so I can get a proper look at her. She’s dirty, frail, yet still so beautiful, her blue eyes shining with tears as she stares back at me.

“You did it,” she chokes out, throwing her arms around my neck and squeezing me again. Then she looks to Reid nervously before her eyes come back to mine. “Is it over?”

I sink my teeth into my lower lip, nodding. “It’s over,” I say, stroking her light brown hair back from her face. “You’re safe now.”

“Hey Red,” Reid says quietly, leaning down toward Olivia and me. “I hate to interrupt, but we should probably keep moving…”

I nod, getting to my feet and helping Olivia to hers. “Liv, this is Reid,” I say, a soft smile coming to my lips as I glance in his direction. “My mate.”

It may not be the most opportune time to introduce the two of them, but I want her to know that she can trust him implicitly. Olivia’s eyebrows shoot up, surprise coloring her features as she looks from Reid to me. “What? Really? How…?”

“I’ll explain everything later,” I chuckle, pulling her into my arms once more and squeezing her tight. I can’t explain how good it feels to be able to touch her and hold her. All my life, I took it for granted. I never will again.

“Do you know where they’re holding the others?” I ask as I release her from my embrace. She was originally with them, so it stands to reason that she’d know where they are.

Olivia nods quickly. “I’ll take you there.”

The sound of a low growl sends an ominous chill skittering up my spine. I whip around to see a group of wolves slinking into the corridor from the doorway we came through- five of them, then a sixth. Seven. Too many for Reid and I to take on while still ensuring Olivia remains protected.

“Time’s up,” Reid says quietly, stepping backwards. He tucks me under an arm, steering me toward the door at the opposite end of the hall. Olivia’s frozen in place, staring, and I grab for her hand to tug her with us.

I assess the situation quickly in my mind, knowing that we can’t outrun them. We could try to fight, but there are too many… and if they’re here, what does that mean for our friends that were covering us? My throat tightens as I consider the odds of the three of us making it out of here.

I slip out from underneath Reid’s arm, yanking my sister toward him instead. She needs his protection more than I do. “Take Olivia,” I say as he pries the latch up and opens the door.

He slides an arm around Olivia and pulls her with him through the doorway. “I’ve got her, come on!”

I look back to the wolves, and when I see how quickly they’re closing the distance, I know what I have to do.

“Reid!” I call out, and he turns to look at me over his shoulder.

I see the recognition flash in his eyes as the realization of what I’m about to do hits him, but it’s too late- I’ve already made up my mind.

“I love you,” I say- for the first time and the last. Tears blur my vision as I push the door closed in front of me and slide the heavy latch in place to lock it, sealing them away from harm and my own fate.

I squeeze my eyes closed and press my palm to the metal door, feeling the vibration of Reid pounding on it from the other side. I hope someday he can find it in his heart to forgive me for this. I hope he knows that it’s an act of love- because even though he’s the one with the hero complex, I always knew I’d savehimif given the chance. He’s so good. Too good. If it’s a choice between his life or mine, it’s a no-brainer; I’ll choose his every time.

My sister’s, too. Olivia never deserved any of this. I hope she’s able to heal and live the life she was meant to. Reid will take care of her; I know he will. He’ll probably take in the rest of my pack, too, because he’s noble like that. They’ll all be in great hands because he’s such a strong and capable leader. Everyone I love will be taken care of, and really, isn’t that all that matters?

I turn back around to face the snarling wolves, pressing my back against the cold metal of the door. I can’t think of a better way to die than for someone you love. In my case, two someone’s. I’m so thankful I met Reid- though our time together was short, opening myself up to him and loving him is the best thing I’ve ever done. I have no regrets.

The two nearest wolves launch themselves at me, claws ripping at my clothes, slicing into my flesh. Teeth sink into my thigh on one side, my arm on the other. I close my eyes as I’m pulled down to the ground, pain screaming through my body, hoping this ends quickly.

It does, but not in the way I expect. One of the wolves is yanked off of me with a sharp whine, and I snap my eyes open to see a tall tawny wolf ripping into him. The other wolf is tugged away by a smaller, honey brown wolf.

I recognize them immediately- it’s Fallon and Astrid. I blink in shock, looking past them to see their mates taking on the other wolves. Gray and Brock are making quick work of them, and by the time it takes me to struggle to my feet, all of the enemy wolves have been reduced to corpses on the ground.

The girls quickly shift from their wolf forms, approaching me. “You alright?” Astrid asks, eyes assessing my injuries.

I swallow hard, looking down at the jagged flesh on my arms and legs that’s already starting to knit itself back together thanks to my shifter healing. “Alive,” I breathe. “Thanks to you guys.”

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