“Wrong.” I shake my head. “Zack beat Al any day. Not kill because of deal.”
Al sputters in denial, but I ignore him.
Owen goes pale and looks from me to Al, lots of white in his eyes showing. “Is he serious?”
“Afraid so.” Alhedy wrinkles his nose in my direction. “Killing probably comes more naturally to him than sayingpleaseandthank you. Anyway, how’d a wallflower like you end up in here?” Al cocks his head. “Cybercrime or something?”
“Something like that.”
Al scoffs and pokes me. “You like this kid, Zack?”
I nod. “Good boy. Said truth on bus when idiot alpha touched me.”
Of course, Al wants to know the whole tale, and I let Owen talk since I’m not much good with words. Al’s laughter echoesthrough the open room as he hears about the idiot who wanted to think for me.
I’ve almost finished my meal when a familiar, unwelcome scent washes over me, and I jerk around in time to spot the alpha who hurt my omega approaching from behind. Every nerve in my body snaps to attention, and I vibrate with a low, murderous growl. All the ways I’ve silenced alphas flashes into my thoughts and I picture every method landing on the fucker’s body.
Al rests a warning hand on my arm. “What an unexpected honor to meet the Laversham Tax Collector in this hellhole,” he says, voice dark with unwelcome.
The alpha, Ray, smiles. I clench my fists, dragging back on the desperate need to punch that mouth right off his face.
Every alpha in the room tenses as he glances around and then waves one hand at me. “I just stopped by to see how your injured cellmate was doing. Such a terrible accident to happen, right under everyone’s noses.”
I can’t speak because if I open my mouth, I’ll latch my teeth into his throat. So I sit, quivering with challenge. Restraining myself has never been harder.
“He’s healthy as a horse,” Al says. “You know how these pit fighters are—quick to heal and come back with twice the vengeance.”
One corner of Ray’s mouth lifts in a sneer. “I didn’t have any interest in your situation, Alhedy, but I advise you to be careful about picking sides here. You’re awfully exposed, this far from home.”
My growl rises to an audible note.
Al shrugs and wraps one arm around my shoulder, adding enough pressure to keep me in my seat. “Well, you know the unwritten code as well as I do. Someone went after my cellmate, so I can’t just let it go, can I?”
The bastard alpha opens his mouth to speak more shit, but another prisoner rushes up to him and whispers in his ear. Ray’s face turns pale, and he whips around to his friend. “The lab? When?”
“Early this morning, boss.”
It’s faint, but I catch a whiff of fear leaking from him. Ray jerks as he remembers us, and his glare seems to cut me as he says, “This isn’t over.”
Al waves with loose fingers. “Be seeing you.”
Ray storms down a side hallway, but I can’t bear to turn my back, even after he’s out of sight. Al pats my shoulder. “Well, now I’ve truly signed my death warrant.” He sighs and swivels back to his food. “Good job, Zack. That can’t have been easy.”
“Who was that?” Owen asks.
Al grunts. “Remember I said we were the two most dangerous alphas physically? Well, that special lunatic is the most dangerous because of his influence. And he wants to tear young Zack here to pieces. Fun, right?”
I look over my shoulder to find Owen staring, wide-eyed and quivering from the combined alpha challenges.
I bare my teeth at him and slap my chest. “Don’t shake. Zack bring fucker to his knees.”
Owen gulps.
“Did you catch that fear?” Al asks me, and I nod. “Something happened on the outside.” He cackles like Ri-ckon’s green bird. “Your boy Callisto is tightening the screws, just like he promised.”
I look up, a flush spreading through me that has nothing to do with fighting. Cal-ee is dangerous in his own way, with words and rules, and he’s outside these walls, fighting for me. So are Red and Ri-ckon.
I grab my plate and shovel more green fluff into my mouth, chewing at top speed. “Hurry. Go find camera spots.”
