Page 309 of Alpha Mates

Flopping down beside him, I drag us to the only dry part of the bed before pulling him onto me. I want to clean him up, but exhaustion is quickly settling in, and there’s no way I could make it to the bathroom.

I can smile, though—and I do. I grin and bury it in my mate’s hair as sleep takes me, carrying only one thought in its wake.

Emitt Smith is a genius.

Chapter 61

Maximus

“Uh … are you there? Wolf … person?” a voice calls as I begin to stir. “Wakey-wakey.”

My eyes flutter open, only to shut as bright light invades. I grunt, lifting a hand before I risk another peek. A blur of green separates into trees, but I do not recognise the patch of land I find myself in. I do, however, recognise one of the figures standing before me.

“Alex!”

Blonde hair shifts in the wind as he lifts his head, bringing those blue eyes to mine. They widen a fraction, but all too soon, familiar hurt returns. It twists his gaze into a pained scowl that batters my heart.

“Good, we’re awake and functioning!” I turn only to stiffen at the sight of the witch girl Aiden was growing far too close to. She grins eagerly at us. “Welcome, welcome, to the seventy-sixth annual Hunger Games—or would this be seventy-fifth?” She frowns. “I’m only on the second book.”

“What the hellis going on?” Alex snaps, aiming his scathing glare her way. “Why can’t I reach Julian?”

I reach for Aiden in my mind, but I meet a cloudy wall between us that hints at his presence, like a fogged outline.

“Listen up, maggots, because I’m only going to say this once,” Katerina says as she ignores us both and starts marching like a general. “You two have been on the outs, and after everything I did to bring this one back”—she glances at Alex with a tsk—“ungrateful. All this infighting is making your owners sad, so now you’re stuck here withmoi.”

“They are not ourowners,” I growl as I track her steps. “What did you do?”

“I only did what I was asked to do,” she retorts while she circles us. “Keep you guys together and at the forefront.”

“Asked?” Alex hazards suspiciously, but his query goes unanswered.

“Here’s how this is going to go,” the witch says, still marching, still crazy. “You’ve got a week to make shit right here. I’ve enclosed you in this space just outside your lands, just like the arena! It has a water source and food to hunt, so you won’t starve.”

“A week?” I echo disbelievingly. “There’s no way Aiden asked for this!”

“Or Julian!” Alex contends as he takes a step forward. “The pack needs us.”

“You two left them no choice,” she argues as she takes a step back before carrying on. “If you try to leave, the barrier will … make that difficult. If you do not find a way to make up in the week, you’ll be stuck here until you do, and there are only so many bunnies out here to hunt, so good luck with that.”

“What about our pack?” I shout. “We can’t just—”

“If you do not stick together, there will be consequences. If you do not work together, consequences,” she drawls before she looks between us. “Easy enough, right?”

“Listen here you slithering little piece of shit, if you don’t let us—” Alex’s threat comes to a forced halt as his eyes suddenly blacken and he screams.

My heart drops before I rush towards him, catching him as he sinks to his knees. Heart pounding, I hold him tight while Alex’s hands shake over his head.

“Exhibit A of a consequence.”

Lifting my gaze, I feel the world shift into a red haze as my canines drop. Katerina’s eyes widen a second before she lifts to the sky, taking herself out of reach before I can sink my claws into her neck.

“I was asked to do this—remember that!” she says from above. She glances between Alex and me, remorse making a brief appearance. “Well, good luck. Oh—and may the odds be ever in your favour.”

Katerina disappears a moment later, and Alex immediately releases a heavy breath as my shoulders slump. I pull him against me, holding him upright as I push his hair from his face

“What was that?”

“A siren in my head,” he grumbles, fisting my shirt as he tries to sit up, but he’s still trembling. “Stupid witches. Goddess, smite them all!”