Page 34 of Claimed By the Alpha Wolves

Instead of speaking, he grabs a fistful of my hair and drags me into my room, letting my door slam behind us. Sealing me in with this monster.

“You willneverembarrass me like that again, do you understand, Faye?” he asks, bending down and grabbing my chin hard between his fingers.

I whimper as his breath fans over me—stinking of booze—and he turns my head so I have to meet his eyes. Earlier, they were cold and calculated. Now, they’re brimming with fury. It sends me hurtling through time, back to the day he killed Miles, that dullcrackof my brother’s neck breaking echoing again and again though my head.

I retch, but nothing comes out, and Kurt pulls his hand back in disgust. His face is a mix of loathing and arousal, and fear courses through my body.I prefer his loathing, his temper, to his arousal.

Thisis why omegas aren’t supposed to return to their rooms alone. This is why we’re supposed to stay in the event space with everyone else. Because there are just some alphas who believe they can do whatever they want, and nobody tries to stop them.

When it’s clear to him that I’m not actually going to vomit, he reaches down, grabbing me by the front of my dress. I hear several of the stitches pop, but I don’t even care about the wardrobe people. He could shred the whole dress if it means I get out of here alive.

“Did you think it was cute? Dancing with another man like that? Right in front of me?”

I open my mouth to speak, but Kurt’s other hand closes over my throat. Stars dance in my vision, my body already going hot and limp. If he doesn’t let up, I’m going to pass out.

“Do something like that ever again, and I won’t hesitate to kill you like I killed your littlebitchbrother.”

Kurt raises his other hand from my dress, and I flinch, wondering whether I’ll feel the blow or pass out first, but neither of those happens. The door to my room flies open and Kurt drops me. I fall heavily to the floor, my outstretched hand and wrist taking the brunt of the impact. A sharp pain shoots up my arm. I roll to the side and hold my wrist against my chest, looking up and seeing Ezra as he thunders inside, grabbing Kurt by the front of his shirt and bringing an elbow squarely to his nose.

Blood spatters all over Kurt’s face, and Kurt stumbles back, his hands to his face.

“What the fuck?” he cries, the words wet and warbled through the blood in his mouth. I move at the last second to keep from getting stepped on by him, crawling back until my back is against the wall.

“My question exactly,” Ezra says, rolling up his sleeves and waiting for a moment, a small smile twisting his lips for a brief second before disappearing.

It’s like he can predict what Kurt’s going to do, because when Kurt launches toward him, catching him on the jaw, it’s like Ezra wanted it to happen. Ezra moves with a swift motion, grabbing him and bringing a knee to his stomach.

Kurt lands hard on the floor.

Blood is everywhere. Kurt is coughing it up, and it’s smeared on his face and hands, although I notice that, somehow, Ezra doesn’t have a single drop of it on him. Kurt screams and runs at Ezra again. Ezra’s hand flies out, punching his already broken nose.

Kurt lets out a very unmanly wail.

Ezra circles him, waiting for him to stand again. Kurt does, trying to punch Ezra. This time, Ezra rains down blows on the other man. His shoulders, his arms, his back. Kurt crumples face down on the ground.

“Putting your hands on an omega,” Ezra murmurs, before kicking Kurt in the side. “Fucking unbelievable.”

Kurt rolls onto his back, and Ezra stands over him, watching and waiting to see what he’s going to do. And although Ezra’s face is calm, there’s a dare in it. A dare for Kurt to try to come at him again. It’s… hard to believe it’s real. Kurt is so big, so strong, it feels like nobody and nothing can hurt him.But maybe that’s just because I’m an omega.

I watch in stunned silence as Kurt peels himself off the floor and gets shakily to his feet, before turning and limping out into the hallway. Every second I expect him to turn around and run at me, to take Ezra down and finish what he started with me, killing me just like he killed my brother, but he doesn’t look back, just continues limping out.

As soon as he’s gone, Ezra turns and looks at me, his face full of empathy and pain. “Faye…”

As though waiting for the right moment, a sob rips out of me, and Ezra is there beside me on the floor. He wraps his arms around me gently, and his scent is soothing, calming, bringing me comfort until my sobs slowly subside. It’s strange, like magic, what this man can do to me.

I don’t understand it at all.

I glance up at him as I wipe my tears away, wincing at my bruised cheek, I look into Ezra’s sapphire eyes.How can such a strong alpha be so gentle?And then my gaze moves to his face.

“Oh, gods,” I say, touching my fingers to his jaw, where there’s a bruise dusted over the skin. “I’m so sorry this happened—it’s my fault?—”

He wraps his fingers around mine, gently pulling my hand back.

“Faye,” he says, “it isnotyour fault. And besides, this little thing will be healed by nightfall. I’m more concerned about the fact that you keep accumulating injuries from this guy. We’re going to have to do something about him.”

I shake my head.There’s nothing we can do. No way to stop this.

He gives me a pointed look. “I’m guessing this is the same man responsible for killing your brother?”

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