Page 13 of Filthy Beginnings

A wave of triumph roared through her. Possession and need in quick succession.

Hers? His? She wasn’t sure, but the force of it left her dizzy.

And, for the first time in a long while, she felt truly seen. Her purpose, revealed.

Then, security reached him.

Burly forms launched themselves at the male from both sides. They ripped his hands from the glass. One guard spun him around, fist cocked to strike.

Faster than she would have thought possible, her Alpha dodged the punch, grabbed the shock stick of another guard, stunned the first and then, swinging that guard into the rest, sent them all spilling to the floor.

He sent the next wave of guards flying too.

A spurt of satisfaction bubbled up through her. A righteous victory she hadn’t felt in forever.

Bullies were getting their due.

But her delight was short-lived.

More security arrived. Shock sticks flared. They dragged away the others involved in the brawl. They’d eventually bring him down too.

The consortium had unlimited resources, weapons, and manpower.

There was no way this Alpha—as astonishing a fighter as he was—could win this battle.

A mass of security encircled him from three sides. With her glass display blocking his only other exit route, there was nowhere for the Alpha to go.

They shoved aside the orange-skinned male who’d tried to help.

As if she was his anchor, the mesmerizing Alpha’s gaze locked with hers once more.

Then, he disappeared under a sea of bodies.

Limbs flew as fists struck and boots found their target.

She flinched, pain lancing through her as if it was her body under siege.

She staggered under the force of it, both palms landing on the glass—and noticed the crystal wall in front of her was no longer flickering with the colors of the rainbow, but only a violent black. In the next heartbeat, the area where her hands rested grew hot, warped in on itself. Almost melting.

She lurched back, but the ribbons of black emanating from her palms remained, a shadow of darkness that rippled through the air.

That had never happened before.

Startled, she fisted her hands and tucked them behind her back.

Just as security pulled the Alpha to his feet, his arms shackled behind him, his face bloodied, veins popping in his neck as he thrashed and bucked.

But he was in better shape than most of the guards.

The consortium would not be pleased. Terror stabbed through her. Guilt, too.

She didn’t even know the male, but every cell inside her shrieked in protest at the thought of his death.

She pressed closer to the glass.

The shackles at his wrists broke. The guards holding him flew back.

He flattened himself against the glass once more. “Didn’t mean… to scare you. I’ll do… better.” Even through the thick barrier, the rasp of his voice slid down her spine like a caress.

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