Page 123 of Claimed By the Psychos

It's too little, too late, but the gesture cuts me to the core all the same. He's not even trying to save himself. What kind of alpha does that?

A real one, I realize. Nothing like the ones who tortured us for years. I always thought that was the norm. Anything else was an anomaly. But now…

My vision starts to tunnel, darkness creeping in from the edges. The last thing I see is Evan standing over me, blood still running down his face, that mask making him look like the monster he's always been.

"You were always mine, little brother," he says, but his voice sounds far away now, like it's coming from underwater. "You just forgot for a while. But it's time to remind you."

The darkness rushes up to meet me, and my last coherent thought is that I never got to tell Juniper I was ready to try. Ready to be more than just survival and revenge. Ready to be pack.

Then nothing.

Black.

Silent.

Gone.

Chapter

Forty-Six

ARCHER

My skull feels like someone took a sledgehammer to it, then decided that wasn't enough and brought in the whole fucking construction crew for good measure. The world swims back into focus slowly, like I'm underwater looking up at distorted shapes that might be reality or might be another concussion-induced hallucination.

Concrete floor. That's the first thing that registers. Cold, unforgiving concrete pressing against my cheek, smelling like mold and old blood.

I push myself up, every muscle screaming in protest, and try to take stock. Small room, no windows, single door that looks reinforced enough to survive a nuclear blast. And bodies. Fuck, there are bodies everywhere.

"Juniper!" Her name tears out of my throat before I can think, before I can do anything but react to the sight of her crumpled form near the wall.

I crawl to her, since walking is still beyond me, and press shaking fingers to her throat. Pulse. Thank fuck, there's a pulse. Strong and steady under my touch, even if she's pale as death and breathing shallow.

"Juniper, come on, wake up." I brush hair from her face, trying to ignore how my hands won't stop trembling. "Need you to open those eyes and tell me I'm an idiot for worrying."

She stirs, just barely, dark eyelashes fluttering like she's fighting through quicksand to reach consciousness. A soft groan escapes her lips, and it's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.

"That's it," I encourage, helping her sit up slowly. "Take your time."

Her eyes finally open, unfocused and confused, pupils wide. "Archer?" The word comes out slurred, like she's drunk or drugged or both. "What... where..."

"I don't know yet." I glance around, finally registering that the other bodies aren't random. Carlisle's sprawled near the door, golden hair a mess, one arm twisted at an angle that's going to hurt like hell when he wakes up. Bane's against the opposite wall, looking like someone finally found something big enough to knock him out.

I need to check on them, make sure they're breathing, but I can't make myself let go of Juniper. Not yet. Not when she's looking at me with those hazel eyes full of confusion and fear.

"The gas," she mumbles, memory returning in pieces. "He got us…"

"Yeah, well, apparently he's collecting the whole set." I try for humor but it falls flat. "Stay here. I need to check the others."

Carlisle's breathing, pulse steady if a bit fast. Same with Bane, though he's got a nasty gash on his temple that's going to leave another scar. No Felix, no Elias. That's either very good or very bad, and my money's on the latter given our current accommodations.

The door slams open before I can process that thought further, metal screeching against concrete in a way that makesmy teeth ache. Guards flood in, all wearing gas masks that make them look like insects, guns trained on us.

Behind them, two bodies are dragged in and dumped unceremoniously on the floor. Felix and Elias, both unconscious, both looking like they went ten rounds with a freight train and lost.

"Felix!" Juniper's cry is pure anguish as she scrambles toward him, ignoring the guns, ignoring everything but the need to reach him.

I move to follow but freeze when one of the guards shifts his aim to her. The click of a safety being released is louder than thunder in the small space.