Page 32 of Rise of the Alpha

“I’m good. You can head out. Should be about time for me to be up. I know I’m not the featured fight tonight. Just don’t get trashed; I don’t want to have to carry your ass home.”

“Whatever, man. You know you want to give me a piggyback ride. But now that you mention it, another drink sounds good. Catch you on the flip side after you whoop that fucker’s ass.” He reaches out with his hand, giving my shoulder a firm squeeze before standing and heading out of the dressing room.

Now I can go back to my routine without any further interruptions.

Magnolia

I’m fucking fuming!

The whole way to this crap-looking warehouse, all I could think about was Zeke getting the fucking shit beat out of him. For all I knew, he could’ve already had his fight and be dead. The only moment my anxiety dropped a little was when Blaine gave the giant out front the code word:Petunia. I mean really big bad fight club and that’s what you choose to use?

Stepping inside, we pass a counter with another guy who tosses his hand up in a wave to Blaine while giving me and Wylla an appraising once over. “Who we got here, Blaine?” the guy asks, while he eye fucks us.

“Friends from school,” he says curtly, before taking me and Wylla by the arm and leading us inside. We pass by a hall, that leads to the left and right, and head straight ahead down a small hallway that opens into a massive room that has two-tiered floors. A staircase to my right leads up to the second floor.

The room is packed, and the music is pounding. I’m anxiously scanning the room for the ferret I’m going to kill for being stupid. My poor little guy is going to get killed. There should be a fucking rule in a place like this about letting prey animals fight.

Where the fuck is he?

“Let’s get something to drink, then find a seat?” Blaine yells out over the music as he leads us to the bar. There are tables scattered throughout the room, but they look to be all packed. I’m able to see up to the second floor, which is open in the middle and forms a circle. A large metal cage sits in the center.That must be where the fights are held.From the cheers and boos filling the room, it sounds like there is one going on now.

We make it to the bar, with Wylla jumping around in excitement like a kid in a toy store. “What can I get you, handsome?” the slutty bartender behind the bar asks. Leaning forward, she places her forearms on the counter, smashing her tits together, causing them to spill out the top of her low cut t-shirt.

He looks at me and Wylla to see if we want anything. I shake my head no while Wylla shouts out, “Tequila shots!”

“Shot of tequila and a pitcher of beer. Give me four glasses with that,” he tells her, turning his focus back on us, which infuriates her. She turns away from the bar with a frown and begins to make our drinks.

“Why four glasses?” I ask, confused.

“Well, for the three of us and Jude,” he says with a cheeky tone. “He’s around here somewhere.”

“Here ya go, baby,” the slutty bartender says as she places the shot and pitcher on the counter. She reaches down and writes something before grabbing four glasses and putting them on the counter by the pitcher. “And this is for you. Call me later.” Reaching forward, she slides the folded up piece of paper into the front pocket of his flannel shirt.

My wolf instantly wants to rip her fucking head off for being so bold with him. I shouldn’t care, but I do. “Slut,” I mumble out, sending Wylla into hysterics.

I see Blaine take the number out of his pocket and rip it in half before sliding it back to the bartender. She glares at him in amazement before she shrugs her shoulders, “Your loss.”

“Here, let me take that shot off your hands, Fido.” Wylla picks up the shot glass. She licks the salt lining the rim of the glass before swallowing the liquor down, shaking her head and hollering out, “Fuck yeah! That’s some good shit,” as she slams the empty glass down on the bar.

“Let’s go, I need to find Zeke.” Turning, I head away from the bar into the crowd. They can act like it’s no big deal, but I need to stop him before he makes a mistake. I don’t even care if they follow me or not.

I’m moving through the crowd, making my way to where the cages are, when I feel a hand slide around my waist and pull me into a large body. I stumble slightly, falling deeper into the intruder’s grasp. His body is large, and the smell of rancid cigarette smoke fills my lungs. “Lookie what we have here, ain’t she a pretty little thing,” he says. Looking up, I see his face. His eyes are pitch black, and a long jagged scar runs the length of the right side of his face from the temple to the edge of his angular jaw.

“Let go of me!” I scream out, struggling to push away from him but failing miserably.

“Oh no, little girl. You’re the finest thing up in here. What’s that saying, finders keepers, losers weepers?” His putrid breath blows on my face as he speaks.

“Well, I wasn’t lost, so I can’t be found. Now let go of me.”

“I’d do as she says,” comes from a deep, pissed-off voice directly behind me.

“Fuck off, demon. We ain’t got no need for ya,” he spews, but his grip loosens, and I’m able to wiggle away at the same time muscular arms grab me, pulling me out of the way.Jude!

“Like I said, she's not for you,” Jude says again, standing toe to toe with the man.

“I see we’re causing trouble. You wouldn’t want Bone Crusher to know you’re fucking with his girl,” Blaine says as he steps up, making sure to keep Wylla tucked behind him.

“Aww fuck, she didn’t say she was with him. Sorry about that, we don’t want no beef with him,” the fucking coward says at the mention of whoever the fuck Bone Crusher is.

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