Page 155 of Pretty When She Breaks

“See?” Dax said, nodding at him. “Feral doesn’t mean they’re rabid all the time.”

There was an old-fashioned alpha hook by the cages, a thick ring set into the ground strong enough to hold even rogue alphas. Lars signalled for Ocean to be secured to it. Casey had just snapped his chains into place when Ocean caught the scents of the Lucas pack. His head snapped up to us, and a snarl escaped from between his clenched teeth.

He launched at them, his face a mask of hate, and Jade and Casey hurriedly retreated. The alpha hook held him firmly in place, and even then, there was a wall of bars separating him from us.

“Eh. That one doesn’t like us, though,” Dax said.

I felt a flicker of irritation. Why had they chosen him, then?

I was supposed to be steering the conversation toward buying the alphas, now, but Ocean’s distress was making it hard to focus. Dax signalled Lars, perhaps to return Ocean to his cell?

Instead, Lars stepped away, returning with a long, wicked-looking black stick. Casey’s eyes widened in alarm, and Jade’s face darkened into a scowl as she tried to shoulder forward. Casey gripped her arm tightly, holding her back as Lars jabbed Ocean with the stick.

There was a low, electric buzzing sound, and Ocean howled in pain before throwing himself against his restraints, anger pulsing from him in waves.

“What is this?” I said, straightening and trying to keep my cool, even as every muscle in my body screamed at me to move, to attack.

“We could ask you the same thing, Daniel,” Dax said, folding his arms.

Something had shifted in the last few minutes, and it was making my instincts fray with tension.

“There’s something that’s been bugging us,” he continued, pulling something from his sleeve. It was a long strip of red cloth, and he rubbed it between his fingers. “About Raze, you know? He’s been disturbingly focused on Laurel. Lost his head when Mads touched her. Looking right at her when he does all that posturing in the Sink. Even went into a rut at the smell of her blood. Strange, huh?”

He passed the cloth through the bars, handing it to Lars.

Dax hadn’t looked away from me. “He’s not the only one sniffing around our omega.”

“Don’t think we haven’t noticed,” hissed Prince, the smile on his face gone. “She was gone for hours after the party, and we checked the cameras. We saw you two together.” He was looking at me with pure venom in his eyes.

“Really?” I said, looking between them both. My head was pounding, and I just wanted all of them to shut up. “We’re doing this here?”

“Damn right,” Prince said.

“I wanted you to be here to test my theory,” Dax said, waving his hand at Ocean, who was still struggling to get free.

Dax opened the first security door to the pens.

Lars shoved the strip of cloth at Casey and nodded at Ocean.

Casey swallowed and started to approach. Jade shouldered forward, but Lars tugged her back. Ocean’s eyes were fixed on the cloth. He stilled as Casey came closer, then snatched the cloth from Casey’s hand, causing the beta to stumble back.

Ocean held the cloth to his face, closing his eyes. I recognized the cloth, now. It was the same kind Ocean had brought home. One that had been scent-marked by Laurel.

I took a step toward him, unable to stop myself. Everything was too bright, and loud, and these idiots were pissing me off so much.

Ocean breathed and straightened. His eyes were closed, and his muscles relaxed, the fight draining out of him. “Laurel,” he whispered.

Then Lars jabbed him with the taser stick, and my fingernails dug into my hands as he howled in pain again. It was taking everything I had not to lunge at Lars right now.

“Okay there?” Prince asked again, the stupid grin still on his face.

“This isn’t needed,” I snapped. “For fuck’s sake. So he likes Laurel, you’ve made your point.”

“You seem awful tense there, Daniel. Don’t worry, Raze can’t reach you. He’s at our mercy.” Dax nodded at Lars, who laughed and delivered another agonizing shock to Ocean.

“Stop!” I roared, my aura splitting the air as my vision bled into red.

How dare they treat him like this? I was going to fucking destroy them.