Page 5 of Alpha's Arranged Mate

"It's been quiet all night," Dax protested, cocking his head, though he started to scoop all the cards back into a pile.

"As it was when the demon wolf escaped," Lottie pointed out, barely able to stop herself from calling him by his name. The last thing she wanted was to let on that she might be friendly with one of them. She shrugged her shoulders and added, "I just want to be certain nothing bad happens on our shift."

"Weren't you the one on shift that night?" Dax asked, his voice more curious than suspicious, but it still made Lottie cringe. She only just managed to hide it, turning her face away from the lantern light.

"Yes," she said through gritted teeth. "And that's exactly why I want to double-check."

The sound of chair legs scraping on the concrete floor told Lottie all she needed to know, and she had to bite her lip to stop from snapping at him.

"I'll come with you," Dax offered.

Forcing a smile, Lottie turned back to face him and shook her head. "I can handle it. Besides, one of us needs to stay here to greet the shift change, or they might think something has happened and raise the alarm."

It was a lame excuse, but it was really all she had. Lottie could only pray he wouldn't notice the way her heart was hammering in her chest.

If he did notice, he didn't mention it. Instead, he simply shrugged and inclined his head for her to go on.

"I won't be long," she promised before pulling back the heavy iron bolt on the door. "Can you make sure I don't get locked down here?"

Dax scoffed with amusement and nodded. "You got it."

Lottie cringed at the mere thought of getting trapped down in the bowels of the earth for even a second. It was already bad enough going down there of her own free will. No wolf should ever find themselves beneath the earth. A cave, sure, but deep beneath the earth in the darkness and the mildew, hell no.

It was dark, dank and slippery on the steps leading down from the basement into the deepest parts of Silverdale Manor, and Lottie had to hold onto the uneven stone walls that were covered in thick, wet moss as she went.

By the time she reached the bottom without incident, she didn't dare to breathe a sigh of relief, for she knew that going from there was no better. The sound of dripping water was already frustrating. She couldn't imagine being trapped down there with it for days and weeks on end as the demon wolves had been. Nor could she imagine trying to sleep on the cold stone floor in the chilling atmosphere that filled the dungeons. Though there were no windows, there seemed to be an almost constant freezing breeze.

The walk down through the cells was most uncomfortable; the smell of warm bodies mixed with rot and decay made Lottie's stomach churn. Holding her breath, she continued on as silently as possible. The sound of snoring told her that at least a couple of the demon wolves were unfazed by the conditions, or maybe just too exhausted to care.

But when she reached the right cell, she knew immediately that her target was not asleep. She could sense it in his breathing and feel it in the tension coming from the room beyond.

"What are you doing here?" came a soft growl from the darkness. Lottie could just barely make out the figure crouching against the far stone wall.

Lottie wanted so desperately to ask if he was okay, but instead she snarled, "What did you tell them?"

There was no response save for the sound of weight being shifted, and the next thing she knew, Braxton was standing before her.

"Nothing."

Lottie flinched at his tone. The way he glowered at her from the darkness was even more uncomfortable.

"You have to have said something," she insisted, shaking her head, unable to look him in the eye. "They wouldn't have brought you back here."

"They did," Braxton said simply. "I didn't tell them a thing. I wouldn't."

Lottie wanted so desperately to believe him, especially when he reached through the bars to gently take hold of her hand. He squeezed for only a second before she snatched her fingers away from his. She couldn't afford to be taken in by him again.

"No, don't try that again! I won't let you get in my head again," she hissed at him, shuffling backwards but unable to turn away entirely. She locked the image of his glowing amber eyes into her mind, certain she would never see them again. "I won't help you again."

It was a vow that she spoke more for her own sake than for his, feeling that if she didn't say it out loud she might change her mind.

"Lottie, I would never betray—" Braxton started, pressing himself firmly against the cell door, reaching for her still.

"No, no!" She insisted, holding a hand up to stop him. She couldn't hear what he had been about to say. He couldn't betray her because they were not on the same side. She had betrayed her pack. He had manipulated her into doing so, and she never should have listened to him. Hell, she never should have been close enough to allow him to. And yet, she had always felt an odd tugging sensation urging her toward his cell, right from the very first night he was brought in.

No, I won't feel it, she snapped at herself, turning away from the cell. I am loyal to my pack.

"If you are so convinced that what you did was wrong, why are you here?"

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