Before being thrown down here, the only alphas I’d seen were the ones with combed hair wearing suits to Sunday Worship. In contrast, every single alpha in this place was rough around the edges, sometimes topless, covered in scars, with charred tinges to their scents.
I took a breath, jaw clenched painfully tight.
This could work.
He looked mad, but I didn’t want to damn any alpha in here. If they dark bonded me, though…
A dark bond was safer. They might not be aChosenpack, but they’d have a better shot.
I shoved back the fear, but then another alpha appeared at his side. He looked older, and much less wild. He took one look at me, then at his packmate, then began dragging him back into their cell.
Oh…
Okay.
I wrung the floppy sleeves together in my fists, glancing behind me. That was okay. Yesterday, there had been a whole brawl. I’d find more. Alphas were just sleepy in the morning, it seemed like.
I reached a huge dome-like room, though, and I knew I’d hit the jackpot. Anarchy was one floor, but the ceiling in the square was high enough that the stone walls reached a few stories up,and there were balconies with more cells that overlooked the vast space in the middle. It was like a little town, and there were alphas in here—loads of them.
The whole place seemed to still as I hurried out into it.
Okay.
Shoving back another flutter of terror and grief, I steeled myself.
This had to work.
I didn’t have much time.
I balled my fists as I looked around. A few nearby packs were staring at me.
Gosh… They were intimidating, with hard eyes, and scars, and knives glinting from belts.
Yesterday, I’d been so filled with adrenaline I hadn’t really understood how big this place was—and how many alphas there were.
Either it would work in here, or it wouldn’t work at all.
I clambered up and sat onto the tabletop of a bench, swinging my legs nervously as I waited.
I saw an older alpha leaning against the door of a busy cell a ways off. His arms were folded and he was staring at me intently. Beside him, another alpha sat on a small stool, occupied with drawing.
I was getting strange looks. Many of the alphas had halted, but still, none had approached.
I didn’t understand. Yesterday had been a bloodbath. They looked suspicious, now—wary as they watched.
I swallowed.
They thought it was a trick…
Time was ticking on.
I slid my sleeve back and tugged on my hair tie. I quickly tied my hair up so my neck was more visible. The looks I was getting definitely became more intense. I heard a growl from behind me.I didn’t spin in time for an alpha to step around the table before me.
Oh—this suddenly felt very real, and a part of me considered fleeing.
But—no. This was good. And I was running out of time.
They’d have noticed I was gone.
