Page 342 of Alpha Mates

It continues like that until we reach a fork inside that forces us to stall.

“Split up?” Julian whispers, and we all nod.

Wordlessly, our groups diverge, mine and Julian’s heading right while the others go left.

The entrance was barely lit, but the further we get, the more candles there are—until there’s not an inch unlit by some well-placed candle. Shadows stretch around us, but the visibility cuts down our time.

What?I ask Julian as I watch him eye a room ahead.

They don’t know we’re here yet. If something strange happens, they’ll only think to investigate it.

So, what are you thinking? Make a ruckus, bait them, and when they come running, we take them out?

Exactly that,he replies as we all glue ourselves to the walls.Push that candle down, Emitt. You’re bait.

What? Why me?he whines as his eyes fill with panic.

Because you’re most bait-like,I reply, earning his scowl, but he doesn’t waste time arguing.

Emitt tip-toes into the light, keeping his movement subtle before knocking the candle over. It crashes to the floor and almost immediately, heavy footsteps follow. The door swings open to reveal a cluster of rogues. Emitt gives them a shaky wave.

They start towards him—cautious, but it’s already too late. We rush them, taking them out before a single shout can rise.

We’re moving towards the next door when a shout booms from deeper in the cavern, in the direction Maverick went.

The pack link blares with a notice, and a second later, the front door is forced open.

I mutter a curse as I watch our thundering horde of wolves rushing in from outside meet the tidal wave of rogues that creep out from the building’shidden alcoves. There are more of them inside than us right now, and not enough space to fight, but everyone seems to … make do.

“We’re in it now,” Julian grumbles, vaulting over the barrier, calling his shift mid-jump so he lands in the crowd of rogues with his canines already out.

Beckett is already behind him, and soon, so are the others. I leave them to it while I face the rogues that spill into the upper halls with me.

My canines drop; my claws follow. Then I charge.

In every rogue I cut down, I look for him. He’s here, I know he is, and I pray to Goddess he’s still the coward he’s always been—hiding from the fight—so that I’m the one who takes his life.

I carve through bodies like they’re already dead, moving through the dingy halls until I reach the end, where no light shines—just one more door.

Heart in my throat, I race towards it and wrench it open. And there he is, standing in the same spot he was eleven years ago.

The only light comes from behind me, spilling over the room to reveal a pup on the table. Reon stands above him. A needle juts from the pup’s chest, the tubing empty.

My vision goes red.

In the moments when fear made me believe he was still out there, I fantasised—down to the bloodied detail—what I’d do when I found him. Sometimes the kill was quick and painless, just so I could be free of him. Others, it went on until every inch of his skin was peeled from his body.

I had things to say—things to scream. I had revenge to see through. I’ve never had tears, and I don’t have them now. I had plans to see through, though.

But now that the moment’s here, and Reon turns to face me, the same man who’s haunted me all my life, I don’t think about myself at all.

All I can think about is getting him away from that boy.

I rush him in a blind haze of rage, restraint gone.

My claws dig into his stomach, sinking and curling in to drag him to me, so he connects with my fist as it crashes into his jaw. Bones crack, and the sound has never been so satisfying as he reels to the side, but I keep him upright by my internal grip on his organs.

Then, I can’t stop.