Page 3 of Unhinged Alphas

Nikolai puffs air through his nose in acknowledgment, taking the refilled shot glass. "What is it they say? Ah, yes—preaching to the choir. But as inconvenient as those petty bastards are, their squabbles do make for good business, do they not?"

Valek's eyes light up with wicked delight that matches the wolfish grin on his face and he raises his own glass. 'That they do."

As the hours drag on and the liquor flows, Nikolai grows more boisterous, more loose-lipped. He brags about his exploits, the Vrissian politicians he has in his pocket, the "shipments" he's moved across enemy lines. It's all couched in vague terms and knowing winks, but the implications are clear enough.

This man is a snake, a viper in human skin.

And we're sitting here, drinking and pretending to be his friends.

It makes my skin crawl. My fingers itch for my gun. But I force myself to smile, to nod along like I'm just another cog in his machine every time he gives me a condescending sneer.

Finally, as the night grows long and the men grow restless, Nikolai leans back in his seat and pins Valek with a sharp look. "Shall we get down to business, then?" he asks, the words a challenge and a command all in one.

Valek just smiles, that same easy grin. "Of course," he purrs, nodding to me. "Luke, fetch our payment from the study."

I flinch at the false name he's assigned me.

Luke.

Just like the commanding officer I killed, earning myself a dishonorable discharge from the official branch of the military and a fast track to leading this pack of mismatched alphas. He's trying to get under my skin, a rare opportunity afforded to him by the fact that I can't let the act drop.

I nod curtly, already rising to my feet. It's a convenient excuse, a chance to slip away and check on the others. To make sure Ivy is still safe. Still hidden.

I make my way back to the mansion, my boots crunching in the snow and then echoing on thepolished wood. As soon as I walk past the threshold, I notice it.

Or rather, the lack of it.

Ivy's scent, the intoxicating aroma that once seemed to blanket every inch of this house, is all but gone. The suppressors in the air vents worked their magic. It's a relief, but we're still nowhere near out of the woods yet.

Not until the devil is out of the territory entirely.

I walk past the study and straight for the stairs leading up to Ivy's room. Outside the door, Plague and Whiskey stand conversing in hushed tones, their heads bent together over a map in Whiskey's huge hand. The fact that they're not bickering is proof enough of the severity of the situation we're in.

"Hey, boss man," Whiskey says, clearly surprised to see me as he lifts his head.

"How is it going down there?" Plague asks, his voice muffled by that ever-present mask.

I blow out a breath, running a hand through my shaggy hair. "As well as can be expected," I mutter. "Valek's got them eating out of his hand, for now. But Nikolai... there's something off about him."

Whiskey snorts, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed over his broad chest. "That'sbecause he's a slimy piece of shit," he drawls. "I say we just take them all out now, be done with it."

"And blow our one chance at infiltrating their operation?" I counter, shaking my head. "Not happening. Not the least of all because the Council will jump straight to blaming Ivy. We stick to the plan."

"He's right for once," Plague muses. "They clearly sent her on this mission to test us. If we blow it, who knows what they'll do?"

The implication is clear. If they try to take her from us, the resulting chaos will make the nuclear war that wrecked damn near everything but Reinmich and a few swaths of Vrissia look like a prelude. It may be inevitable, but I'd rather have time to prepare.

"Fine," Whiskey grumbles, his gaze flicking to the door. "But if that fucker so much as looks at Ivy wrong..."

"He won't," I say, the words a vow and a threat all in one. "She's safe. We'll make sure of it."

He holds my gaze for a long moment, uncharacteristically intense. Finally, he nods, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. "Still don't like it."

"None of us do," Plague murmurs to him, hisvoice low and grim. "But Thane's right. We have to see this through."

I let out a slow breath, some of the weight lifting from my chest. They're with me, even if every instinct is screaming at us to grab Ivy and run, to leave this whole mess behind.

"I'll check on Ivy," I mutter, already moving toward the door. "You two stay here, keep an eye on things."

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