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She howled in pain as one of them grabbed her wrists, trying to pull her away from the others.

“Command them, Marlowe, they are yours,” Alaroth called, laughing and drinking his wine.

For the first time since he’d found me, I felt… contempt. He’d hurt me plenty, and I’d never really cared before, because in the end it had only made me stronger.

But the disregard for my sister’s safety. The gleeful indifference at her suffering and pain.

He had promised me he wouldn’t hurt her needlessly.

The blood from the previous Berserker’s victims was streaked across her bare skin, and her voice was quiet and shaky as she asked them to step back.

I hadn’t even heard of these monster alphas before. I’d barely overheard the king explain their origin while I tried to keep the first one from killing the other soldiers, something about bloodbane?

I knew of the plant, it was like a magical steroid for shifters, but I’d never been tempted to use it. And I definitely wasn’t going to now that I’d seen what it might possibly do to me.

Was there even any turning back from that state?

“Back off!” Marlowe finally barked.

The Berserkers each did as instructed, wordlessly watching her. When one tentatively reached for her again, she growled and he smiled. The strange look in his eye made him appear almost childlike, in a creepy way, but I couldn’t move to help her since Alaroth was still using his magic to keep me restrained.

A strong wind picked up, blowing dust into the wounds on my chest and I grimaced. “She’s passed your test, Your Majesty!” I yelled. “Stop this!”

He ignored me.

“Marlowe,” he called sweetly, looking down the platform at where she stood below him. “This will be over just as soon as we finish the test.”

Another unit of soldiers entered, twenty in total, swords drawn. The sound of their approach made the Berserkers circle around my sister protectively, and they growled at their new opponents.

Marlowe swallowed her fear and replied in a shaky voice, “What do I need to do?”

The new alphas rolled their swords in the air, stepping closer and closer, but the Berserkers refused to leave Marlowe’s side. By now her scent had reached the soldiers, and all I could do was watch as their own desire for my sister grew.

“Alphas!” Alaroth cried. “Who wants to bury their knot in sweet omega cunt?”

I snarled as they all beat their chests and cheered. Was Alarothreally going to pimp my sister out to…

My heart stopped as the realization hit me. How was I any better? This was all my fault. Oh Moons, what had I done?

My sister cried pitifully to the Berserkers in front of her, “No… no, don’t let them get me.”

“Whoever lands a killing blow on one of these rabid mongrels will find an omega in their bed tonight!”

Before I could even order the alphas to stand down, I was seized with Alaroth’s pain magic, unable to speak or do much of anything aside from watch out of the corner of my eye as the melee ensued. The soldiers splitting up into three groups to each attack one of the Berserkers, who fought back viciously.

Alaroth leaned over the edge again, grinning as he addressed my sister. “This ends when you order the Berserkers to die for you.”

The air was already thick with screams and blood as the rabid alphas attacked in a fury, easily cutting through the trained, armed fighters.

Marlowe sobbed, “I’m so sorry, but you have to stop.”

The Berserkers froze, and quickly met their end as the remaining soldiers cut them down, stabbing mercilessly. After the first Berserker fell, the alpha soldier who’d impaled him leapt for Marlowe, ready to claim her as his own.

It was too much to watch, too much to bear. These alphas weren’t any better, they were going to tear her apart in their desire to claim her, and she was already injured and hurting.

I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn’t let her suffer alone, so I locked my eyes with hers, keeping them open despite the waves of never-ending pain.

Hers were filled with fear. And then anger.