Page 183 of Psycho Alphas: Part One

I could feel her in the bond.

She was upset, but more than that, she was shaken.

Even half-conscious as I was, I’d felt the deaths of her Alphas. The rest… where were they? She had fled so fast, not everyone had made it out.

That had been Ace.

AcefuckingMaverick?—

“Jacob’s going to be so pleased,” Bella went on, centering my mind. “He won’t be at the bottom of the pack anymore, and he thinks you’re so pretty.” She brushed a lock of my hair back. “As long as they don’t damage your face or…” It was all I could manage to let out another growl as her hand pressed against my crotch. “Or the goods. I think I’ll let him have you for a few weeks?—”

She cut off abruptly at the crash of someone massive barrelling through the doorway.

“Fuck—!”I heard the sound of weapons being drawn and a scuffle. “Drop it!” That was one of her Alphas.

Bella had gone tense against me, though. I tried to drag my head to the side; the movement lolling and slow.

“Drop. It!” That was Banner.

Who…?

I knew they should be in the safe house, but I found myself desperately hoping for Vance, or Callum. I’d fallen far, to wish for that, when I knew it would mean they were in danger.

But I couldn’t do this.

And then I saw him.

I blinked, as if my vision might shift—That it might become someone else.

Anyoneelse.

Fuck…

Rogue towered over the Alpha behind us, one fist at his neck as his gun was levelled right at Bella’s head.

My throat was dry, my mouth not working as I tried to speak.

Kill me.

Just shoot me.

Please.

He hated me—but surely not enough that he would leave me to this fate.

Everything had happened so fast, it felt like a dream. From everything to nothing in a blink of an eye, like a movie or a book.

Not real life.

But I’d been here before. The whole world changing on the roll of a dice.

There was silence for a long, long time.

I could all but see a million things tumbling through his brain as those bright teal eyes met mine, and the gun wavered in his grip.

The calm in Bella’s voice was forced, but I could almost hear her words sewing my fate. “You have your scent match. I have mine. Walk away and claim your life back, Rogue Manzo.”

It was primal instinct that told Rogue he needed me alive. Years of dependency, of knowing that without me, he would be dead. But the Alpha who’d just crashed in, saving Thistle—that had been Ace Maverick.

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