Page 123 of Pretty When She Breaks

Wasn’t expecting that.

No wonder Hugo sounded strained. After a second, Julius turned back to me and started ripping the side of the dress he wore, tying it up out of the way. His face had settled in grim determination, as if he was planning to put up a fight. It didn’t matter, though. I was a rogue. Once I got into a rage, there was no stopping, even if I wanted to. There was only the urge to win.

The buzzer sounded, and I clenched my teeth as electricity sparked through the ante-cage, the pain rippling through my body like fire. My aura exploded out without conscious effort from me, and my alpha brain took over. The door to the cage opened, and I surged into the bright lights of the Sink.

I could taste blood in my mouth, and rage was clouding my vision.

I needed to prove myself.

Dominate.

My aura flared, demanding action, the energy almost burning as it urged me for an outlet.

My target.

A beta, tall and slender, with blond hair tumbling into his pretty face.

Challenger.

I was beside him in seconds, but he’d anticipated me, and I tripped over his foot, crashing into the ground. Pain burned across my face and arm, and I snarled as I turned on him again.

I couldn’t touch him. He was fast, calculated, and I found myself crashing into the walls or floor again and again.

I had slowed, prowling, trying to figure this puzzle out.

He was panting, a flush on his chest and face. Sweat had stuck his hair to his forehead, and he had dark makeup smudged around his eye. I had been pushing him, and he couldn’t keep this up forever. I just needed to get hold of him once, wound him enough that he’d be incapacitated, then my game would begin. So we danced again, continuing until he stumbled, missing his footing.

I was on him in a second, pinning him to the ground.

His eyes had been wild as he’d snarled beneath me. This close, though, I breathed in his scent.

At that moment, I’d stopped.

His pain and terror was so visceral beneath me, so real, it could have been my own.

I paused, simply holding him as my rage dissolved into horror, a whine tearing from my lips as I realized something.

I shouldn’t be destroying like this.

I should be protecting.

Julian took his advantage, slamming a blade into my shoulder. One he must have snuck in, or perhaps someone had slipped it to him. It didn’t matter.

I let him kick me off him, blood flowing from the wound in my shoulder.

I didn’t want to fight him.

The last thing I saw was his foot flying toward my face, and the world went black.

SIXTY-SEVEN

KAOS

I stayed in the nest for a long time, lost in the fog. The memory had left me buzzing, head pounding, world spinning with my breaths coming in pants.

They’re wasting their time trying to save you.

It’s all your fault Ocean’s here.