Page 41 of Feral Alphas

Our team leader clears his voice. “Assignment number two is to help with transporting the captured fighters. Alpha Lodgings have submitted a request for aid as the numbers coming out of that pit are staggering.”

This is my chance to find out more about the fighters, like Rose asked, so I glance over at Felina, cocking my brows. She rolls her eyes before flashing me a thumbs up.

“Colt and Felina, you’re up.” He writes the assignments on the board.

As the impromptu meeting breaks up, I check in with Felina. “You sure? This is a dangerous one.”

“Ugh! Like you weren’t giving me sad puppy-dog eyes! Give me a minute to up my life insurance cover.”

“I don’t possess puppy dog eyes,” I say grimly.

She snorts. “Tell that to your housewife.”

I growl at her, and she grins. “Cheer up. I’ll buy you breakfast on the way over to Kelsey Square.”

I scowl, but only because I know she means well. Felina knows as much as I do about Luka’s dark past, and how he ended up as my ward for rehabilitation after the Arsenic Brothers tried to off him in prison. And breakfast won’t go astray when I feel this empty. Which must be due to not eating enough and have nothing to do with missing the lively omega who clung to me like I was her last hope.

“I want two egg and bacon rolls.”

“Fine, you oversized muscly vacuum.”

I grin and shrug my shoulders. “I’m an alpha; we’re always hungry.”

Hosting an illegal fighting ring under one of Darinian’s busiest squares was a stroke of genius since the noise on the street level is horrendous. Enough to drown out the sounds of a crazed crowd hidden below ground. It was a nightmare for us to barricade the teeming area off yesterday for the bust, but well worth the effort. We believe we have sixteen kennel managers in custody, and there’s hundreds more on charges of possessing unregistered haze and illegal betting.

As we drop from street level via the well-hidden tunnels in one of the nearby carparks, I pull up the schematics, which were updated after our spearhead yesterday.

“Looks like it was a busy night,” I murmur as I check the OCB’s feeds and work out how the system of kennel pods lead into the main arena chutes.

Felina grins. “Yep, and we missed most of it, thanks to you. I’m super grateful for your sacrifice for the greater good. I got to put my feet up in the waiting room and play Angry Alphas.”

I snort and curl up the empty paper from my breakfast rolls, tucking it into my pocket.

She folds her arms across her chest. “I’m not real good at this stuff, but are you okay and all that shit?”

I ruffle her hair. “I’ll be fine. Let’s not talk about it.”

“Cool. See the Bureau shrinks if you need to. That’s what they’re there for.”

“Sure.” Like fuck I’m telling anyone work related that I wanted to bond a distressed omega who isn’t mine, and that even now my compass is pointing to the Center where she’s staying, wondering if she missed me when she woke up. That’ll get me on observation suspension faster than you can say OCB. Best not to think about it, if I can help it.

And, as Minstrom said, I’m already too close to Rose’s case.

My resolution lasts as long as it takes to stride into the first kennel where I walk smack bang into Rose’s scent.

“Oh hell!” Felina gasps, but her eyes are glued to the tiny cells with the naked, growling men crammed inside.

A burly alpha with a dominating scent comes over and nods to me when I introduce us. “Thanks for coming.”

His green uniform says Alpha Lodgings across his back, and I’m not surprised the captive men are worked up with his strong alpha pheromones. But I’m still glad he’s here because he looks like he can handle himself.

“Name’s Brock. We’re overwhelmed since it takes hours to shift one batch of them.”

He waves to indicate the room. “According to witnesses who are cooperating, these guys belonged to the Grom Kennels, one of the top ranked groups in the ring. They had odds of two to one to win the big fight yesterday.” He throws me another look. “You ever handled ferals, Agent Colt?”

I nod, cool adrenaline waking in my veins. “I’ve handled Alphas who’ve gone feral, but not ones raised from young.”

Brock pops one hand on his hip and glances at the snarling men. “Then keep your wits about you. They’re wicked fast, play dirty, and they’ll go for your eyes and throat. We’ve got sedatives, but we need to subdue them first. Gear up.”

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