Page 341 of Alpha Mates

“I’m good to go,” she says, flashing a thumbs up.

“Wait,” Imrie interrupts, straightening with a frown. “Shouldn’t we wait until nightfall, at the least? We’d have better cover and—”

“There might be a child in there being tortured,” I state, cutting her off before her hesitation spreads.

Eyes widen around me as the air sours with revulsion.

“The alpha said as much before we killed him,” I continue. “He might’ve been lying, but he might not. We don’t have time to risk it.”

The ends the discussion. Resolve cements itself into each of them before they pass on the word to their respective packs, just as we do. And when we all look to Kat, there’s no more doubt.

The majority of the wolves that would be waiting outside spread out to surround the structure, moving taut along the shadows so that the enemies are none the wiser.

When they’re in position, only nine of us remain: Julian and I, Kat, Maverick, and four of his.

Kat steps forward, serious now. “We’re all going up together,” she says, rolling her shoulders. “It’ll feel weird, but I need you to keep your shit in check. Don’t look down until you’re above the rogue I place you over. And for the love of God, don’t scream.”

When firm nods return without comment, Katerina’s eyes fill with that familiar purple as the air around us suddenly goes still. Then she rises intothe air like we’ve seen her do so many times, only this time, she takes us with her.

My advantage of having done this before keeps me the most placid in the bunch. Everyone else? Not so much. You can hear the controlled panic in their breathing while Katerina’s magic strains to see her will done.

We rise into the air, climbing higher until we’re past the trees and well above the rogues littered below. I don’t look down, not trusting myself until the wind rises beneath me and my body draws closer to the ground.

Julian was right—there’s a door, manned by one of the wolves that he’s placed above as Katerina’s magic spreads us out, getting us into position. The only hitch in this plan, I realise too late, is if one of them were to look up now, we’d be fucked.

Get ready,Julian says through the link as everyone takes their stance, claws outstretched.

Closer, closer …

Tension drags out each mocking second before the magic around me dissolves, and I’m free-falling.

I land directly behind a rather stocky rogue with my hands already reaching for his head. One sharp twist, and he’s done. I look around to see that everybody has done the same. Heart pounding, I check over the edge and let out a breath when I see the rogues on the ground, still oblivious.

Kat had already thrown up the barrier, but when I glance at her, I can see sweat dripping down her face and a flicker of the light in her eyes.

“Quickly,” I hiss, grabbing a discarded bow and arrow.

Steady,Julian warns as we all draw our arrows, aiming each at a rogue below.Steady … on my count. Three, two, one—shoot.

The arrows fly all at once, whistling through the air. They pierce hearts, necks, and eyes in unison—sending each rogue to their knees as bodies drop like flies.

Katerina sinks to the floor with a heave a second later, and the visible weight of her magic disappears as she folds over with a wheeze.

“You alright?” I’m at her side before I think about it.

“Peachy,” she rasps before plopping herself down like a starfish. “But I’m done. Good luck with the rest of it.”

“Thank you,” Julian says, right as I do. “For everything.”

She nods, smiling just a little, one of her real smiles.

“Let’s get a move on,” Maverick calls from the door. “Two groups—Griffin, Beth, and Roland, you’re with me,” he states, which leaves Julian and me with Emitt, Beckett, and Isabel.

We station ourselves at the door. When Maverick cracks it open, cold air slaps us in the face, and the dark interior has our eyes shifting to adjust. We file in one after the other, steps silent.

The halls are a patchwork of galvanised steel and tarp, lit only by flickering candlelight, like some fucked-up haunted house. The air reeks of blood and rogues.

Maverick kills the first rogue we run into with a thrust of claws into his neck, and Griffin is right there to catch the body. While he sets it down, we keep moving, running into another pair and ending their lives before they can register their surprise.