Virgil’s eyes glinted. “Maybe if we were weaklings like you, we would actuallyneedone.”
I snarled but Virgil just raised a hand to calm me, as if I was a dog. That just made me even more pissed off, but I knew he was trying to rile me up. And unfortunately, it was working. But I couldn’t help myself; it had been a long, tortuous night. I was at my limit, mentally andphysically.
As we continued up the seemingly endless stairs, the muscles in my thighs burned with effort. It was embarrassing; out of all the alphas in our hunting party in Indigo Mountain, I was the most fit and muscular. But the events of the day had completely worn me out. I found myself wishing, to my dismay, that we would hurry up and get to where we needed to goalready.
When my legs screamed in agony and felt like they were going to fall off, Virgil stopped at the next landing and grunted. It was then that I realized it was the very last landing; we were at the top of the stairs. I didn’t know how many flights we’d climbed, but it was no smallnumber.
“What is this place?” I muttered, trying to hide the fact that I wasbreathless.
“The elite floor,” Virgilstated.
He didn’t explain any further. He ushered me to an empty room where a musty old bed awaited me. It didn’t strike me as veryelite; it had the same atmosphere of the cell where Niko and the other “miscellaneous” omegas were kept, except with some extra decor. A scratched-up wooden table sat beside the bed, and there were a few shelves nestled in the corners oftheroom.
“And this is…?” Iasked.
“Yourroom.”
I crossed my arms, glaring at Virgil. “Okay. And what if I decide towalkout?”
He sighed in exasperation. “It’s a one-way lock, the same as the one at the omega house. This is a special room for… what’s a nicer word forprisoners?”
“Is that what I am now?”Ispat.
He ignored me. “It’s here on the top floor so I can keep an eyeonyou.”
A moment later, I saw another alpha walking around on our floor. I recognized him as Delta, one of the alphas holding me hostage fromearlier.
“So the alphas on the lower level floors would do a bad job of keeping me here?” Iasked.
Virgil played along with my sarcastic remarks. “Yes, actually. The floors ascend with rank. The bottom floors house our recentrecruits.”
“Recruits? You mean to thealphaarmy?”
“You ask too many questions. But yes.” Virgil crossed his arms. “And I’m only explaining this to you so you don’t run your mouth to someone less tolerant thanIam.”
If he’s supposed to be tolerant, I’d hate to see theotherguy.
“And just so you’re aware,” Virgil began, watching me with his beady black eyes, “this is not the only building housing alphas in Gunner’s army. There are not so few of us. So don’t get any smartideas.”
I growled at him. “Wouldn’t dreamofit.”
The gears were turning in my head. Whether he knew it or not, Virgil was giving me a lot of information to work with. The more I knew about my enemy, the smarter I was. Every piece of knowledge I gained would help Niko and I’s eventualescape.
He was about to close the door and leave, but I stoppedhim. “Wait.”
“What now?” hemuttered.
I crossed my arms. “Gunner said I would be an important addition to his army, but I can’t very well be if he doesn’t trust me. I’m assuming he’s going to give me a room that doesn’t lock from the outsideeventually.”
For a while, Virgil said nothing. He just stared, unblinking. Finally, he said, “We’llsee.”
Then he closedthedoor.
I stared at the wall as every single emotion and exhaustion finally crashed into me like a tidal wave, sweeping me off my feet. I collapsed into the strange smelling bed with a groan. Everything here was alien. I missed my home and myfriends.
My heart clenched with grief. I missedmymate.
*
