“I’m being nice, darlin’ boy,” the alpha behind me croons, his grip tightening as he attempts to turn my face toward him. “The brutes in prison might not be so nice. We’re almost there, so you should make a wise choice now, before I change my mind.”
The alpha beside me hiccups and closes his thighs tight. Interesting.
With a quick flex of my muscles, I warm my body, and then turn and latch onto the troublemaker’s outstretched arm. With a grunt of effort, I haul him up over the seat and toss him toward the front of the vehicle.
He screeches, the sound smooth in my ears.
But I forgot the guards also chained our feet. The flying alpha jerks up short, boots a handspan off the floor, legs kicking over the back of my chair, and body suspended over the seat in front. The two alphas sitting there roar as he flails his arms into their heads.
A guard at the front shouts and the big vehicle slows, but my senses tingle for an entirely unrelated reason. The bond in my chest heats, and I throw myself against the glass as a crowd appears out the window. People, vehicles on the side of the road, and a triangle house. And in front of the thin house stands Mine and White Mine, waving.
I slam both hands against the glass and grin. They’re here, waiting outside the prison for me.
The alpha behind me thrashes wildly, bumping me as he shouts and swears.
“Be silent!” I roar, heat welling up inside me. Challenge spills from every limb, and I slam my elbow down into his shoulders, sending the top half of his body tumbling down into the recess at my feet. My ribs ache a bit, but I’ve had far worse in the fight ring. The alphas in front freeze, choking on my challenge.
“Too fucking noisy!” I hiss before turning back to the window to wave eagerly at my pack.
The vehicle shifts, swinging toward the big walled building, and my pack mates turn with me, arms held up high. Ri-ckon grabs our ohm-ga around the waist, supporting her as I slide by. My heart aches as the concrete and curled wire shut them out of view.
My foot kicks out a few times in annoyance as my pack disappears from sight and the stuck alpha shrieks in pain.
Guards swarm, dragging the foolish alpha back into his seat and threatening us with raised weapons.
I cross my arms over my chest as much as the metal allows. “He attack me first,” I declare. “Self-defense.”
The alpha beside me straightens, hands forming fists on his knees. “It’s t-true. He grabbed his neck.”
I flash him a grin. Maybe he’s not a complete coward. The guards grumble, and the stupid alpha behind me groans and vomits. When they move away, I reach out and ruffle the dark alpha’s hair, the way White Mine pats my head. “Good,” I say.
He hides a smile by dropping his head.
“Defend. Don’t give no holes or thoughts to fuckers.” I scoff at the idea as the guards get us lined up to leave the vehicle.
“Good advice,” he says. “I’m Owen, by the way. Can you teach me to move like that?”
“Zack.” I stab a thumb into my chest. “Find me in the yard.”
We shuffle forward, and I step down onto the prison grounds. I lift my head, searching for traces of my pack in the wind. Maybe the scents find me, or maybe I just remember them, but either way a solid certainty settles in my heart. I’ll be with them again soon.
But for now, I have a task to complete.
After the usual annoyance of getting naked and squatting over mirrors, I finally reach the main part of the prison. Al beams as the guard lets me back into our cell. “Hey! There’s our wild kindergartner. All patched up now?” he asks.
I scan him, forcing my alpha challenge to retreat after the fun on the trip.
His brows rise. “Oh, count me impressed. The wolf finally hides his musk; well, a bit.”
“Zack learns,” I tell him proudly. Lifting my shirt, I show him my healing wounds. “Almost better, but not wolf.” Wolves are like dogs, and that’s not me. Not anymore.
Al chuckles. “Good. But if you don’t want people thinking you’re an animal, stop referring to yourself as Zack. Use ‘I’ instead.”
I scowl at him, but recent conversations run through my head, and I realize he’s right. Speaking is much more complicated than growling and letting out primal challenges. “Fine. Now tell I truth.”
He groans and scrubs one hand over his face. “No, in that sentence, use ‘me.’ Tellmethe truth.”
A growl shivers through my throat. He just told me to useI.
