Page 38 of Feral

The howls from the hallway came closer, mixing with Zach’s fury until my ears rang with alpha rage.

Every hair on my body stood on end as I stared open-mouthed at the door.

No!

The speaker mounted somewhere above my head scratched to life.“As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, today’s test is a little different,”Dr. Axell said.“May I suggest you close your eyes and think of the importance of this sacrifice you’re about to make for science and our nation’s defense?”

They spilled into the room then. So many huge, naked men. Alphas, snapping and snarling at each other and at the guards driving them in with metal poles attached to their collars.

The guards released them, slamming the door shut.

Leaving me alone with five feral alphas.

EIGHTEEN

LILLIAN

They smelled me instantly.

A hush fell over them as five sets of eyes locked on my shaking form at the other end of the room. Zach’s heavy body smacking repeatedly against the bars was the only sound for a few agonizing, drawn-out seconds.

Then all hell broke loose.

They were on me so fast, huge hands grabbing at me, yanking on my body.

I screamed, kicking wildly at the alpha who got between my legs, cock poised and ready to breach my pussy. Another pulled him off me, trying to take his place.

They ripped at me, unconcerned with my terrified shrieks. They fought each other like a pack of wild dogs, snarling and clawing, seeking my weeping but unwilling sex. The stench of alpha rut enveloped me, choking me with a thick blanket of male hormones.

Metallic screeching pierced the din, demanding the alphas’ attention. I managed to look over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of the bars separating us from Zach lifting up.

A jolt of wild hope shot through me as the alpha leapt across the room. He impacted with the feral beast closest to my backside, slamming him to the floor with his weight. Another immediately took his place, but Zach managed to twist up and out, kicking the other male in the side of the knee so he tumbled to the floor.

Wild howls and snarls followed, mixing with the thuds of bodies colliding.

The remaining alphas seemed to deem Zach a big enough threat that they turned their focus from me to him.

It was an unfair fight from the start. They were five against one, and though they’d been fighting each other to get first rights to me, they all recognized the need to subdue the newcomer.

And yet he fought them. Punching, kicking, clawing, and biting like a beast, he tore into my attackers with a rage I’d never seen in a human before.

I couldn’t see every part of the fight, couldn’t see Zach most of the time as he was buried underneath the five hulking men trying to subdue him. All I could do was press myself against the wall and pray. Pray that the connection between us that I’d denied since he placed his mark on my neck was strong enough to somehow let him overcome impossible odds.

After what must have been at least twenty minutes, one of the alphas slumped to the floor, unmoving. Five minutes later, another crawled a few feet away before collapsing.

The next two followed more quickly, and then there was just Zach and one other feral left.

My heart clenched when I could finally see my defender.

Blood dripped from his eyebrow, one eye was almost swollen shut, and his already scarred body was marred with long, bloody gashes. The only consolation was that the other alpha was in a similar state.

They pulled away from the fallen alphas, getting to their feet so they could circle each other, still snarling, spitting blood onto the floor as they sized up their opponent.

If he wins this fight, I’ll never turn him down again.

It was perhaps a ridiculous promise to make—but it was the only thing I had to give. I couldn’t give Zach his freedom, couldn’t give him any reward for saving me from the most horrific experience a woman could go through, other than my silent promise that I would submit to him. It was the only thing he had demanded of me, and as he launched himself at the last of my would-be rapists, I swore to myself that whatever he needed from me… I would give to him.

They were both tired, which was made obvious by their slower reflexes. They each landed several blows, and I winced at the spray of blood that fanned across the room when the other alpha punched Zach in the jaw. But Zach managed to spin around and push forward, using the momentum to smack his knuckles directly into his opponent’s temple.

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