All Chapters of Running Wild : The Cruel Alpha Kings: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Jace.I sat back, my legs stretched out on the most comfortable couch I’d ever come in contact with, the show I’d been watching on mute. It was one of those reality shows taking place at a trendy beach, with hot girls in bikinis and more drama than what they are worth.There was probably something better to watch, but I wasn’t sitting this close to the bathroom for the sake of TV.No, nothing beats the sound of Elise’s cries of fury.I had to admit, I expected her to scream for help, but so far, she’d been calling us all the vile names under the sun, and cussing worse than a filthy-mouthed sailor.“It’s been twenty minutes,” Hunter chuckled behind me. “You think she’s going to crack soon?”I sat up, surprised to see him lounging in a black bean bag with a creepy-ass grin on his face. My eyes narrowed on the bean bag that was practically swallowing him whole and arched a brow. “That does not look comfortable.”I had learned to stop asking him where he came from, or how he managed to ge

My eyes flew open, and panic set in like a hard kick to the gut. I shot up in bed, my heart loud inside my ears, my eyes darting frantically across the dark bedroom. The only light seeped in from the full moon through the blinds, striping the walls and floor in pale white lines.I wiped a shaking hand across my forehead, brushing away the cold sweat gathering there. A slow, irritated sigh escaped my lips.It was just a nightmare.The same nightmare that infiltrated my sleeping hours like a ghost out for revenge.This ghost was born the moment my mother died. I didn’t remember what happened that night. Everything I knew came from Dad—or at least the parts he was willing to share.A rival gang had descended on our house, supposedly wanting money and goods from my dad’s illegal stash. If he didn’t comply, they’d kill us all. My dad claimed to have given them what they wanted in order to protect us. But a fight had broken out with one of the guards, and Mom got shot with a stray bullet in

A split second of silence fell over the kitchen like a suffocating, heavy wool blanket. My pulse thundered in my ears, but everything else—the faint hum of the fridge, the ticking clock on the wall—faded into oblivion. My gaze locked on Hunter, his dark eyes inscrutable as they bored into mine. For a moment, I wondered if I’d miscalculated, hitting his thigh instead of the intended target. Panic prickled at the edges of my mind. I glanced down, just to be sure. My knee hovered mere inches from his crotch.Yeah, nothing was lacking when it came to my aim.Then, why the fuck was he just…staring at me? Not moving, nor reacting. Not so much as a damn blink.The tension snapped when his laughter erupted—maniacal, unhinged. He released me, stepping back with an ease that should’ve unnerved me more than his initial stillness. “Dear, little monster,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement that curdled into something darker. “You think you’ve figured me out? You, claiming you know anything

Elise.“This day’s never going to end, is it?” I slumped against the rough wall, its cold surface pressing through the thin fabric of my shirt. At the other end of the dark hallway, Hunter fired shot after shot, the deafening cracks of the gun echoing like thunderclaps as two men tried to scramble through a shattered window.“Technically, the previous day is over,” he replied, not sparing a glance as he reloaded.“How comforting,” I snorted, my eyes darting toward the front entrance. Darius had bolted after another wolf earlier, and the empty doorway now yawned like the mouth of a beast, waiting for trouble to slither in. A flicker in my peripheral vision caught my attention—a shadow moving just beyond the jagged edges of the window, slinking toward the front door. My pulse quickened as I crouched to grab Darius’ gun, the cool steel biting into my palm as I raised it.A man stepped into view, his weapon already trained on me. Time seemed to fracture. My finger tightened on the trigger

The darkness swallowed me whole, deeper and colder than I thought possible. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. The metallic taste of panic lodged in the back of my throat as my nails—torn and bleeding—clawed at the coffin lid above me. Dirt poured through the cracks, cool and gritty against my fingers. My nails kept breaking more and more as I scratched and screamed, my voice raw and ragged, but no one answered.I was buried alive.The air thinned progressively with every terrified gasp, my chest heaving as I struggled against the crushing weight of the earth. My mind was a jumbled mess of dread and fury.Fury at Darius.Fury at myself.And dread that this would be the end. Forgotten. Trapped. Alone.A loud banging sound tore through the suffocating silence, jolting me out of the nightmare.My eyes flew open, and I was met with the sight of cold steel mere inches from my face. My breaths came out heavy, sweat clinging to my skin as I tried to piece together where I was.I blinked ra