Page 13 of Fall of the Alpha

She looked back at him, wringing her hands helplessly at her sides.

“I don’t know what to do…” she whispered. “I… I’m afraid.”

She had every right to be. Alek didn’t know what a Sigma was, but they’d all been taught about Omegas and Alphas. Even though some of it had turned out not to be true, some of it was. Both of them had already experienced their bodies’ betrayal. They knew how much truth there was to it.

And now they had to go back out there again.

Alek didn’t doubt the Alpha would leave them there with nothing to eat.

“Come on,” he said gently, putting his arm around Bella and letting her lean on him. “We need to eat to keep up our strength if we’re going to figure out how to escape.”

Looking down at her, he saw her close her eyes and felt her breath hitch. Then she nodded, lifting up her chin. So fucking brave.

They walked to the door together. It slid open soundlessly in front of them, and Alek stepped through first, keeping Bella behind him. He might not be very good protection, but he would die trying.

The room he walked into was a living space, fully furnished. The Alpha stood by another door on the far side, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him and a bored expression on his face. He straightened as Alek walked into the room, Bella trailing behind him.

“Good,” he said. “Are you going to give me any trouble?”

Alek’s jaw clenched, but he shook his head. There was no point. He didn’t even know where in the building they were. As badly as he wanted to escape and get Bella out of there, they needed to be smart about this.

“No trouble,” Bella said softly, slipping her hand into Alek’s as she came alongside him, glancing up at him like she was worried.

The Alpha smirked at her.

“I know you won’t, little Omega. You’re too new to your instincts. Any Alpha growls at you, and you’re going to submit. The Sigma, on the other hand… you’ve got a war going on within you, don’t you? You don’t know whether to submit or fight.” The Alpha’s smirk grew, his voice silky, with a hint of a purr to it. “Let me give you some advice—you’ll live longer if you submit. Now, come on.”

10

ZONE ONE

Grigori

“What in the blazes happened?” Grigori stalked into Paldon’s private chambers, roaring his question. He already knew what had happened, though; he just couldn’t believe it.

I should have never let Alek go into the Territories!

But it should have been safe enough. Especially since he’d been with Paldon’s damned daughter.

He’d assumed there would be security. Some kind of watch kept.

The more fool him for not checking with Paldon to make sure of it.

Sitting on a couch with his mate, Paldon lifted red-rimmed eyes to meet Grigori’s. They’d hidden their relationship to their daughter for her entire life, but they still cared. And they’d been close enough, though most people thought she was the daughter of Paldon’s cousin rather than the child of Zone One’s leader.

He’d always known she would be a target and had taken the steps to protect her… until now.

Grigori had done similar, though he didn’t have nearly the stature Paldon did. He’d preferred to remain in the backgroundbut deliberately kept up a public front of caring little for his son. His own mate, Brianne, was beside herself. He’d left her in their dwelling, unable to take her wailing anymore.

“They were taken,” Paldon said bitterly, rubbing Carina’s back as she burst into tears again. At least she didn’t wail like Brianne did. Why the crying and wailing, when it was hardly going to help the situation, was beyond him.

“That I know,” he snapped back. “How? Where? By who?”

Paldon met his gaze, his eyes crackling with anger.

“You know by who.”

The breath stilled in Grigori’s throat. Until this moment, there had been a part of him that was sure it must be someone from the Zones. Someone looking for leverage, perhaps.

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