With a grunt, I ignored Gunner’s hand and stood up on my own. I shot Virgil a nasty glance now that I knew he wouldn’t do anything else to me after his master had told him to leave it. Good to know that I had just arrived here and already made anenemy.
“Fine.” Gunner sighed. “You don’t have to like me, David, but it would be easier for everyone involved if you would at leastcooperate.”
A different alpha lifted his chin and raisedahand.
“Speak, Delta,”Gunnersaid.
“Sir.” He nodded his head respectfully. “May I ask what happened to the rest of the FirstOrder?”
A ripple of discomfort made every alpha surrounding us stiffen. Gunner’s expression was hard to read, but I could tell from the tension in his shoulders that something wasamiss.
“They were slain in combat,” Gunner finally said. Then he turned to look specifically at me. “Some of them byDavidhere.”
All eyes fell on me. My skin prickled with unease. Some of the alphas glared at me with unbridled hatred. Others had completely neutral expressions, which somehow made itworse.
With a horrible sinking feeling, I understood immediately. The shifters I had killed earlier tonight were members of the First Order, comrades and friends of the alphas standing in front of me now. They were probably just doing what Gunner forced them to, whether they liked itornot.
But theyhadattacked us first. I had to do what I did to protect my pack. There was no way I could accomplish my mission by going soft and feeling bad for everyone that got inmyway.
I noticed Virgil staring at me, but his gaze was looking through me, like he was deep inthought.
“Anyway, I hope that doesn’t change the way you all treat David,” Gunner said with a shrug. “If I found out that any of you try to take revenge on him, there will be a deep price to pay. He is a member of our pack now. In any case, he’ll make an excellent addition to my alpha army, and I expect you all to teach him what has tobedone.”
The alphas nodded stiffly, except for Virgil, who was still staringthroughme.
“Delta, take him to your quarters,” Gunnerinstructed.
Delta and another alpha closed in on me and began ushering me down the street. But I stopped and turned furiously toGunner.
“Isn’t there something you’re forgetting?” Isnapped.
Gunner played dumb. He raised his brows and asked, “And what wouldthatbe?”
“My mate,” I growled. “I only came here to see him.” I wanted to add that I had no desire to be a part of his stupid army, but I held my tongue. Getting Niko out of here was moreimportant.
Gunner frowned. “Oh, yes. Are you sure you don’t want to get a good night’s rest first? David, you looktired.”
My wolf exploded. I lunged at him before the surrounding alphas quickly grabbed my arms and held me back. I spat furiously at the ground, glaring daggers at Gunner, who barelyreacted.
He only shook his head. “You’re going to have to behave if you want to see your mate,David.”
Claws raked my heart. It was then that the entire reality of the situation hit me. I was a voluntary hostage. I’d followed Gunner into his own territory of my own free will to find my mate, who I still hadn’t seen, and I still couldn’t believe was alive. My friends had warned me this was a trap, and I brushed them off. Maybe they were rightafterall.
“Please,” I said quietly, forcing myself to meet Gunner’s eyes. I wasn’t afraid to stoop to begging if I could see Niko. “Please let meseehim.”
Gunner considered my plea. I felt embarrassed and ashamed. I’d never begged anyone for anything in my life. I was the most proud man I knew, and here I was, begging the shifter who had just murdered one of my closest friends justhoursago.
He strode up to me. I was still being held in place by his alpha’s, in case I attacked again, and was unable to move. My heart raced with grief and anxiety. I needed to see Niko more than I needed tobreathe.
“If I let you see your mate,” Gunner began slowly, “youwilljoin myalphaarmy.”
I swallowed hard. It clearly wasn’t up fordebate.
I had to choose. My mate, or my loyalty tomypack.
What if Scarlet Ridge chose to attack Indigo Mountain? I would be on the wrong side of thefight.
But I thought of Niko, stuck here in this hellhole for years, alone and afraid. All this time I’d assumed he was dead. I was a coward for never coming back for him, not even to check if he was truly goneornot.
