I cast a brief look in Joe’s direction, and his brows furrow.What’s going on?I ask him through our mind link, but he doesn’t respond.
The Alpha hasn’t exited the vehicle yet. Why the hell is this taking so long? The air thickens with anxious energy. Silence covers the area like a thick wool blanket, everything and everyone frozen in its place. Waiting. Watching. My hands tremble, and the rapid beat of my heart echoes in my ears. My throat suddenly becomes dry.What is wrong with me?
When the Alpha finally steps out of the limo, I gasp.
Shadow stands to his full height, hesitating as our eyes meet.
I’m immersed in a dark blue sea of shadows and secrets. A sharp pain stabs my brain, and the ground tilts on its axis. My entire world turns black.
Chapter 8
Not His Commanding Officer Anymore
SHADOW
I’ve been sitting in this car for what feels like an eternity. The red leather upholstery squeaks every time one of the men shifts in their place. The air conditioning is on full blast, but it’s not enough to stifle the heat radiating off the large bodies sitting side by side or across from one another. Dust particles shimmer in the light penetrating through from the sunroof, reminding me every time I take a breath that I’m sharing the same air as five other Alphas.
Marcus Greystone sits in the same car, breathing in that very same air. His very existence annoys me. It took everything in me not to kill him when he slid into the limo, pretending he and I are friends. Everyone sighed in relief when he was the first to leave. All Alphas in one car do not make a delightful combination. Alphas are territorial, competitive, and a little asshole-ish in nature, especially when they all want the same thing.
The two Young Alphas across from me make small talk. The third one sitting next to me is too pretty to be an Alpha as hepicks at invisible lint on his sparkling iridescent suit. How the fuck is he an Alpha?
“That fucking prick!”
Owen Kaminari sits directly across from me. He leans forward, his hand clenching at his side. I glance out the window to find Marcus Greystone hugging Jessica. Owen leans back in his seat and runs his hands through his black hair. “That motherfucker just jerked her to him.”
I look around at first, not sure whom he is talking to in particular. Maybe it’s me, but I don’t respond. Out of sheer curiosity, I take another look out the window. Marcus releases Jessica from his embrace. She looks irritated and… something else. She angles her chin, a gesture I am all too familiar with. She’s silently accepting his challenge. What the fuck is she doing?
I swirl the amber liquor in my glass as the pretty Alpha leaves the car. I haven’t spoken to anyone the entire time we’ve sat here. Other than Owen’s angry outbursts, he hasn’t either. I’m not here to make friends. I finally drink from my glass, letting the cool liquor burn down my throat.
Owen shifts, preparing for his exit. His attention remains on Jessica. I don’t know why he’s torturing himself.
Owen Kaminari... I remember him. I conducted his entrance interview for the guard recruit program seven years ago. I study him. Back then, he was a scrawny, nerdy-looking kid, nothing like he appears now. The aura around him is different. He carries himself differently. His hands clench and unclench, as if he tries to stay in control.
If memory serves me correctly, he was very much in love with Jessica back then. I might have even given him shit a time or two, mostly out of jealousy, when I noticed he was getting a little too close to her, but he took it and didn’t complain. I’m nothis commanding officer anymore. In this game, we are equals, competing for the same girl.
When Owen’s time comes, he exits the car. I’m finally alone. I roll my shoulders back, run my hand through my hair, and rub the back of my neck. I look out the window. Jessica laughs, and her cheeks turn pink. I hold back the urge to jump out of the car and rip them apart. Fuck, this is the very reason why I wasn’t supposed to look out the window.
I tug at my tie, straighten my jacket, and start to pick at fucking invisible lint on my clothing. Fucking hell! I don’t remember feeling this fucking anxious in a long time.
The announcement chirps from the walkie-talkie in the main cab. “Alpha Tyler Larson, Obsidian Pack of the Luna Solar Territory.”
The limo door opens, my cue to climb out and meet the Alpha Princess. A wave of fear and anxiety hits me, but it is not my own. Something is wrong. I can feel it. Jessica fidgets, and her brows furrow as she looks at her brothers and then over to Joe.
She’s afraid of me. Despair engulfs my heart.
Suddenly, I second-guess my decision to participate in this game. But it’s too late now. I have no other choice but to get out of the car now.
The moment our eyes collide—my dark to her light—I know this won’t go well. Color drains from her face, and her hand flies to her chest. I rush toward her, catching her before she hits the ground.
“Princess,” I whisper. Her face is pale, with a sheen of sweat on her forehead. Beneath the makeup, a hint of shadow darkens the skin below her eyes. I gently rub my thumb there, all too familiar with those shadows. She hasn’t been sleeping again.
I trace my finger down her left cheek, skimming over the scar hidden beneath a thick layer of foundation. An ache stirs deep in my chest, filled with longing and regret.
She doesn’t respond. I gather her in my arms, cradling her close to my chest as I stand, and a disapproving Anders rushes toward us.
Chapter 9
Shadows and Light
