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29
BROCK
I heard her come in. I’d been laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, going over the events of the entire fucked up day in my head. Replaying everything that went down at the bar. Trying to rationalize why I flipped the fuck out on her. And then I heard the front door swing open and her high heels clacking on the tile in the foyer.
After I left the bar, I shifted and ran back to Riverton. I drank too much to drive, and letting my wolf out helped calm me down. The problem is, once I was calmer, it started to sink in that I was probably rougher on Astrid than I should’ve been. Damaged people only inflict damage on others- and I guess that’s me. When pushed to the brink, I demolish everything in my path.
I don’t even know why I decided to get out of bed and go downstairs. I guess just to make sure she made it back safely? I certainly didn’t have any intention of trying to talk to her about w
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Alpha Brock 30
ASTRID Damn it feels good to be home. As soon as we pull through the main gate and onto my pack’s territory, I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. This is the longest I’ve ever been away from Denver, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad to be back- though I wish it was under better circumstances. When we pull into the packhouse driveway, I’m practically bursting at the seams with excitement, a total contrast to the somber moods of the other three guys in the car with me. I get that we’re here for a battle, and I’m just as nervous as the rest of them for that- but right now, I’m just excited to see my brother. We all pile out of the vehicles and grab our bags- Brock grabs mine- and we’re escorted inside by packhouse security. When my eyes land on Cole waiting in the foyer, I practically tackle him with a hug, earning one of his rare smiles. My brother is typically all business in his role as Alpha; f
Alpha Brock 31
BROCK“I want you where I can see you.”“No. You’ll get distracted.”“Bullshit. I’ll be more distracted if I don’t have eyes on you.”“But Brock…”I shake my head adamantly, tightening my grip around Astrid’s waist. “But nothing. It’s either take a position where I can see you or sit this one out.”“You know I can’t do that,” she sighs.“Then you know what you have to do.”“Ugh!” Astrid groans, throwing her hands up. “You’re exhausting.”I know I’ve won, but the victory is hollow. I hate that she’s going to be on the battlefield at all- but since she’s insistent on it, I at least need to have her somewhere that I can see her so I can protect her if necessary. The thought of any harm coming to Astrid has me see
Alpha Brock 32
ASTRID As I slowly come to, my ears are ringing and my head is pounding. I’m somewhere cold and damp, and a quiet groan slips from my mouth as I force my eyes open. I’m lying on a concrete floor… but where am I? What happened? My whole body feels impossibly heavy, my head throbbing in pain. I try to shuffle to an upright position, but my body is so weak. My limbs feel like they’re made of lead. I try to draw on my wolf for strength, but I can’t sense her at all. I reach for her in the recesses of my mind, but it’s just dark; vacant. My hands and feet are tied together with heavy ropes. It takes a great deal of effort to shift my body upwards, using the cold concrete wall at my back for leverage. My head hurts so bad. I reach behind it to identify the source of my pain and find that my hair is coated in something sticky, though it seems to be mostly dried. I pull my bound hands back in front of me, looking down
Alpha Brock 33
BROCK “They took her.” As Devin’s words register, something inside of me snaps. I’m practically fucking feral as I shove through the others gathered around him while he lays there bleeding out, and all I can see is red. The red of his blood, the red of my anger. The red of our enemies’ blood that I’ll spill to get her back. Cole’s bent over Devin now, using a wadded-up sweatshirt to put pressure on his wound. It’s no use; the guy is clearly dying. Not to be a heartless prick, but we need to know what he knows before he does. “Where’d they take her?!” I demand, my wolf dangerously close to tearing through. Cole turns over his shoulder to shoot me a look of warning. “Give him a second,” he growls. I have no idea how the fuck he’s so calm right now. Devin’s lips tremble as they part. “Chris… traitor…” That’s all it takes. A roar tears from my throat as I shift on the spot, landing o
Alpha Brock 34
ASTRIDI wake up groggy again. I don’t know how long I’ve been here, but I’d guess a few days have passed by now. The wolfsbane that they keep injecting me with to keep me weak also has a side effect of making me drowsy, so I feel like I’m constantly drifting in and out of consciousness. I guess I don’t mind, because as long as I’m asleep, I’m not living this nightmare.I’ve only seen this one room of what I still think is a warehouse. It’s large, piled with boxes and junk that give no clues as to what this place used to be or where it might be located. Kara and Jake take turns sleeping on the dirty couch that’s positioned directly across from Chris and I, and the only time I’m allowed to get up and walk around is when I need to go to the bathroom. Even then, I’m escorted by either Jake or Kara, and they don’t take their eyes off of me the entire time I
Alpha Brock 35
ASTRID “Put this on,” Kara growls, shoving a wadded-up ball of black chiffon at my chest. I’ve been afforded the great pleasure of her company to prepare for the full moon tonight, which so far has consisted of a freezing cold shower in a dirty bathroom and Kara throwing things at me. A towel, a hairbrush, and now this chiffon garment, which I’m assuming is a dress. I hold it up in front of me, turning it around until I can discern what’s right-side-up. Definitely a dress. I slip into it, relishing in the feel of the clean, delicate fabric against my skin. I’ve been living in that disgusting t-shirt for the past three days, so a change of clothes feels like a luxury. Once it’s on, I glance at myself in the mirror, tugging the straps onto my shoulders. I have to admit, the dress is beautiful. It’s simple, but it’s stunning in its simplicity- thin straps, a plunging neckline, and an open back. Somewhat fitted down to the
Alpha Brock 36
BROCK The corners of the room are dark; only the floor in the center is bathed in moonlight. That’s where I find her, lying there in wolf form, honey brown fur soaked in blood. She raises her head weakly, her eyes colliding with mine, and I feel it- the mate bond snaps into place, the strength of it nearly knocking the wind out of me. My adrenaline surges, my hair stands on end- all of my endorphins seem to release at once, bathing me in a feeling of pure euphoria. I found her. My mate. Both of our wolves tuck away almost simultaneously, the air shimmering as we both shift to our human forms- me, still standing on top of the door I knocked down, and Astrid, lying on the concrete floor, struggling to push up on her arms. She’s bleeding, badly injured, but her lips draw into a weak smile as she gazes back at me. “You came,” she whispers hoarsely, and my heart swells in my chest, feeling like it coul
Alpha Brock 37
BROCKDarkness. It’s all-consuming, and it keeps pulling me under. Every time I start to come back into myself, it sucks me into its depths again. Fuck, maybe I’m dying. Maybe this is it for me. Nothing has ever come easily to me, so it’d make sense that death wouldn’t, either. She’s the only thing keeping me anchored. Some part of me can sense that she’s near, and I keep reaching out to tug on the bond between us, trying to pull myself back to her somehow.Peaches. The scent tickles my nose, along with something else- strands of hair, as soft as spun silk. I bury my nose deeper, inhaling her into my lungs, into my soul. My eyes fight to adjust to the light as I blink them open. My limbs feel heavy. I wiggle my fingers and toes, testing their dexterity as my mind slowly clears out the fog, waking up.My left side is cloaked in warmth- Astrid is curled into my side tightly with her head r
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