Page 5 of Unhinged Alphas

Time to get this over with.

The guest house's sitting room is exactly as I left it, the air thick with the stench of alcohol and alpha pheromones. Nikolai and his men are sprawled on the plush couches, still laughing and shooting the shit in Vrissian. Seems like "fuck" is a universal word, though.

Valek sits at the center of it all, a king holding court. He looks up as I enter, cocking one eyebrow in a pointed gesture as if to say,Well?

I drop the suitcase onto the table, the heavythud cutting through the revelry like a gunshot. "As requested," I say, my voice flat and cold.

Valek gestures carelessly to the suitcase with one hand, bringing his drink to his lips with the other.

Nikolai leans forward, his silver eyes gleaming with avarice as he flips the latches and peers inside. Stacks of crisp unmarked bills, more money than most people will see in a lifetime. Especially now that virtually everyone still alive survives on scraps.

"Looks like it's all here," Nikolai says, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Excellent."

He stands, raising his glass in a toast. "To our gracious host. And to the Vrissian empire, rising from the ashes to crush those Council bastards once and for all!" He pauses, a wry twist to his scarred upper lip. "Or at least to make us all disgustingly rich in trying."

The room erupts in cheers, the men slamming their glasses together in a raucous display of solidarity. But beneath the surface, I can feel the tension, the unease that ripples through the room like a living thing. Something's off. They're too eager, too quick to celebrate.

I catch Valek's eye, a silent question in my gaze.Are they buying it?

He gives a minute shake of his head, his lips thinning into a hard line.

The implication is clear.

We're on borrowed time.

Fuck.

We need to wrap this up and get them out of here before they start asking too many questions. Before they realize that the man they're toasting with is nothing more than a mask.

After a few more rounds, Valek clears his throat, drawing their attention. "Well, gentlemen," he says with an easy smile, his accent bleeding into his words even more than usual. "It's been a pleasure doing business with brothers and friends. But I'm afraid we have other matters to attend to this evening."

Nikolai's gaze sharpens, a flicker of suspicion darting through those cold eyes even behind the round lenses of his tinted glasses. "Leaving so soon?" he asks, his voice deceptively mild. "And here I thought Vrissian hospitality demanded we stay the night. And those mountain roads are so treacherous."

Valek tenses, a muscle ticking in his jaw. I can practically see the gears turning in his head, the calculations whirring behind those dead eyes.

Finally, Valek smiles. "Of course, of course. Forgive my manners, my friend. It's been a long day, and I'm afraid these brutes have rubbed off on me." He wrinkles the side of his nose in my direction, and I'm not convinced that's part of his act. "I only meant it's a shame I won't be able to continue entertaining you this evening."

Nikolai watches him, stone-faced, unreadable.

Valek spreads his hands, a gesture of welcome that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Of course you're more than welcome to stay the night and drink your fill. What kind of host would I be to turn you out into the cold?"

Nikolai's answering grin is sharp, predatory. "Most kind of you, my friend. We accept your gracious offer."

Yeah, Valek is right.

This asshole is onto something.

I'm just not sure what he's figured out, and there's no point in showing our hand before he's called our bluff. And now we're stuck with them for the night, a pack of wolves circling us and waiting for the chance to rip out our throats.

My mind races, scrambling for a plan, for some way to salvage this rapidly deteriorating situation.But I come up blank, every option seeming worse than the last.

We're outnumbered, outgunned, and rapidly running out of time.

I don't think even Wraith can take them all out.

Valek inclines his head. "If you have need of anything, please don't hesitate to radio. My men will be happy to assist you."

"We'll be leaving in the morning," Nikolai assures him. "But before you go, Prytel..."

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