3
David
My fingers itchedto bash someone’s skull in. Fire burned underneath my skin. I’d never been this overwhelmed with fury and grief in myentirelife.
The initial shock had passed, and now my entire being was encompassed with rage. Somebody was lying to me. Gunner had the gall to stand there and tell me he held uphis end of the bargain. What a fucking lie. Somebody had donesomethingto Niko, that much was clear. He wasn’t the same man I knew and loved. He wasn’t the same Niko that was torn away from me that night on thebattlefield.
The anger surging through me made my muscles stiffen. I was ready for a fight, but that stupid alpha Virgil still had a death grip on me. I couldn’t help the growl that rose from my throat, and for a moment I thought he would hit me again, but he didn’t react. He stared coldly and calmly ahead as usual. I wondered if he had any feelingsatall.
“Where are you taking me?” Isnapped.
“Alpha army quarters,” Virgil said coldly, “just like Gunner said, if you were payingattention.”
“Shut up,” I muttered before I couldhelpit.
Virgil stopped walking. I stiffened, ready for a confrontation. He glared at me with his dark,narroweyes.
“Do you have a death wish?” he askedsimply.
“Is that athreat?”
“No. I’m asking you aquestion.”
I wanted to punch him in the face, but thankfully for him, he was stillrestrainingme.
“No, I don’t,” Igrowled.
“Then stop acting likeyoudo.”
Without saying anything else, Virgil turned back and continued pulling me along. I fantasized about wrenching myself out of his grip and smacking him in the jaw, but I knew nothing good would come of that inreallife.
We walked in cold silence until we reached our apparent destination. Unsurprisingly, it was another drab concrete building. This one had some windows, but they were barricaded. I rolledmyeyes.
“This is where you’ll stay for the remainder of your time here,”Virgilsaid.
The remainder of my time here? What the hell is that supposedtomean?
He unlocked the door and pushed through. Inside, the overwhelming scent of alpha wolves hit my nose. Even in my human form, it was eye-watering. I’d never smelled anything this concentrated before. I wrinkled my nose and tried nottogag.
Virgil’s grip never faltered as he dragged me through the halls. Surrounding us were alpha wolves in their human forms, hanging out on ratty old couches or having loud conversations. But as soon as they spotted me, they all stopped. Their wary eyes followed me. The air grew thick with tension. I stiffened, ready for a fight, but Virgil herded me through the crowd withoutafuss.
We reached a staircase and he finally let go of mywrists.
“I trust you can climb stairs without me holding your hand,” he saidcoolly.
I raised my lip in a snarl but said nothing. I was glad to be free of his claws clamping down on my skin. Besides, it wasn’t like I had anywhere to go. Virgil wasn’t stupid. We both knew that if I caused a scene now, I’d be torn to shreds by all the surrounding Scarlet Ridge alphas. It was best that I kept my mouth shut and my hands to myselffornow.
When I reached the next landing, I got off, but Virgil cutmeoff.
“Not yet. Keepgoing.”
I frowned, but listened. We ascended another set of stairs and reached the next floor where the same thinghappened.
“How many fucking floors does this place have?” Igrowled.
“Many.”
“And you couldn’t be bothered to build anelevator?”
