Page 24 of Stolen By the Alpha Hunter
And that’s making it real hard to breathe.
I drag a hand down my face, trying to shove the thought away, trying to push her away. I shouldn’t be thinking about her. Shouldn’t be picturing how small she looked, how fragile she felt under my hands, how fucking warm she was.
Not my problem.
Boyd drops into the seat across from me in the mess, Lila—the girl we took from the bar yesterday—tucked against his side. She’s gripping his jacket like a lifeline, small and quiet, her dark eyes darting between every alpha in the room like she’s waiting for someone to snatch her back.
I don’t know if she actually likes him or if she just doesn’t have another choice.
Boyd doesn’t seem to care either way.
He’s always been good at picking up strays; I should know. I was one of them once. Three years ago, he bought my contract out of the fighting pits in Miami—not because he gave a shit about me, but because owning a good fighter was useful. I worked off what I owed him, and now we stick together because it’s easier than going solo.
But watching him tuck Lila against his side, pressing a lazy kiss to the top of her head, I feel that familiar curl of disgust in my gut.
He likes to act like he saves people.
But it’s all a game to him.
"This place is gonna get us killed," Boyd mutters, picking at his food.
"I thought you were eager to stay," I reply.
Boyd shrugs. "Sure I was—until you picked a fight with one of the top alphas on the Rig."
I narrow my eyes, not bothering to respond.
Lila tenses beside him. "Please don’t leave me," she whispers. "I don’t think I’ll be safe."
I glance at her, at the way her hands shake, at the way she curls in on herself, like she’s already waiting for the worst.
Something inside me twists.
"Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’re safe," Boyd murmurs, stroking her back. "I’ll buy you off Gideon if that’s what it takes."
Lila melts into him, a relieved sigh escaping her lips.
I cringe.
"We have to stay at least one more night for the weather to break," I say, my voice gruff.
Boyd gives me a look. "And here I thought you were the one who wanted to leave?"
I glance at the storm clouds again, feeling the weight of the air pressing down on my skin, heavy with the scent of rain.
"I want us to live," I grunt.
And in the back of my mind, I know that’s not all I want.
I want to know where she is.
I want to know what they’re doing to her.
I want to know if she’s crying or fighting or curled up small and trembling, her scent filling the air like something delicate and overripe, waiting to be crushed…because I’m becoming more convinced that she is definitely about to be crushed.
Ever since we stepped foot outside our bunks this morning, there’s been rumbling all over the Rig about something exciting happening tonight. I’ve caught snippets of conversation around it—the traitor finally being punished, a gift from Gideon. It seems like it would be silly for them to execute her right away, and I know it’s none of my business, but if the storm is keeping us here anyway…
I clear my throat. “What’s the ceremony?” I ask Lila.
