Page 59 of Pack of Crooks

“Mine, mine, MINE,” my would-be rapist shouts, growling like a beast or monster that haunts a child’s dreams. It’s terrifying. He’s too far gone in the thrall of the hunt to do much else.

My stomach churns. “I think he’s feral,” I tell them, voice trembling.

Kill’s fingers flex on my elbows before his gaze slowly lifts to look at the guy grumbling behind us. There’s a shift in them, something violent and intangible, but the second it happens, every fine hair on my body rises and my mind screams at me to run from them as well, but my instincts are on hyperdrive, desperate to get to safety.

Without glancing at me, Kill pushes me behind his body. Too shocked to run out of the station and to safety, I dig my fingers into the fabric of his zip-up hoodie, clinging to the only sense of security I have right now.

“Mine. She’s mine!” the feral alpha shouts. He sounds half like he’s in the middle of a roid rage and half like a beast who learned to talk.

“You have one chance to walk away,” Ezra tells him.

“SHE’S MINE!” the feral alpha roars.

“Like fucking hell,” Ezra growls. The pack surges forward, and the sudden movement pulls Kill’s hoodie from my grasp, but I don’t have time to react before they’re on the guy. Kill’s fist pummels into his face and Ezra catches him in a choke hold.

Oh my god.

The guy growls, unintelligible noises ripping from his chest, but that’s the only sounds he can make before he’s eating knuckles again.

Kill punches him one more time before Maddox grabs him by the collar. Ezra releases him and Maddox drags him toward the edge of the now empty platform. Kill and Ezra trail after him, in case he needs help. He doesn’t, though. My breathing falters as I watch Maddox yank the guy around as if he were nothing more than a ragdoll. The feral alpha tries to fight and lash out, mouth almost foaming, but Maddox is too strong.

The guy seethes, spittle flying everywhere as he snarls and flails around like a rabid dog. Maddox draws him to his feet right at the edge of the platform.

The pack is silent.

The ground shakes beneath us, and the tell-tale growl of an approaching subway fills the platform.

Maddox takes a step and with his hold on the guy’s collar, he dangles him over the edge.He’s going to kill him.Kill and Ezra do nothing to stop them. They simply cross their arms and wait for it to happen. Should I stop them? That’s what a normal person would do, right? Stop them. Have some sort of remorse? A conscience.

There’s no sympathy. No regret as I realize this guy is going to die. Just simple acceptance. Maybe I’m a terrible person, but there’s no telling how many omegas this alpha has hurt in his slow descent into full being feral. One death could save countless omegas from him. The rest of his brain isn’t the same. He’s irreparably gone. That’s what I tell myself as the roaring of the subway gets louder and louder.

My heart slams against my ribcage, breath shuddering past my lips.

The guy screams, bucking and trying to land a punch, but his hits don’t even make Maddox flinch.

My alpha turns, casting a glance at me. Perhaps checking to see if I have any final protests, but I don’t. I back toward the exit, out of the sight of the platform cameras, eyes shooting toward the light that spills from the tunnel.

That train is so close now.

He waits another two seconds, then shoves the guy down onto the tracks.

His screams are lost in the scraping of metal on metal. The guy manages to get to his feet seconds before the train plows into him. I pinch my eyes closed, trying to eradicate the splatter of his blood from my mind.

He just burst apart like a balloon.

But he deserved it,the ruthless part of my brain hisses.

An alarm blares, the high-pitched sound rattles against my ear drums and startles me out of my thoughts. Before I open my eyes, someone grabs me. My cry is stifled by a glove covered hand. My eyes fly open, but I already know it’s one of the pack. Kill drags me out of the tunnel. Ezra and Maddox grab my things and follow.

“The security footage,” Kill says.

“I’m on it.” Ezra turns to me. “You’re okay?”

I nod, swallowing emotions. “I’m okay.”

“We should have left with you,” Kill growls, vibrating with tension.

Their features twist with self-blame. That alpha would have been there regardless of whether they were with me or not. He was waiting.