Page 176 of Psycho Alphas: Part Two

No…

They shoved Knox to his knees, slamming him against the marble between Rogue and Ace. I tried to keep my breathing in check.

“You don’t have to hurt them.”

“The others, no. But this one?” His scent twisted, charring as he exhaled. “The Ring’s traitor will find no mercy.”

I swallowed, desperately searching for any way out.

“We have him managed,” Ace said flatly. “She claimed him.”

“I’m sure you do,” Carrion said. “But I’m more concerned about revenge. You’ve disrupted my project. I’ve known for a while something was wrong, and I’ve finally tracked it back to the source. Detective Doyle doesn’t have long on this earth, and neither do you.”

Knox’s eyes flickered up to Carrion, something dark in them. He didn’t say anything, but his jaw was set, hatred burning there stronger than I’d ever seen. Carrion was the Alpha he’d spent every waking moment of the last few years chasing.

“Why don’t you tell them what I want, Thistle,” Carrion said.

I looked between them, mind working desperately. But the bracelet was gone.

Ace… I met impassive ice-blue eyes.

He had a way out, right?

He had to. He always did. My chest burned waiting for him to prove it.

I shook my doubt away as Carrion dug his gun into my waist. The press of cold steel sent a shiver up my spine.

“He wants the pack,” I whispered.

Ace’s eyes flickered from me to the man in the mask.

The silence was suffocating, every second stretched so thin it felt like my bones would splinter under it. Even the lights seemed too loud, their faint electrical buzz gnawing at my ears.

“I only intended to get rid of the irritant at first,” Carrion said. “But once I heard what Bella Morgan was saying about you, Knox, the last puzzle piece fell into place. But in my investigation I came across the footage of her party.” Carrion tilted his head, hand brushing my arm. The casualness of it made my skin crawl—like I was already his. His fingers were warm, and it was as if I could feel his scent of burning iron clinging to my skin like a brand. I straightened, forcing the growl back down. “It turns out your pack might be a solution to another of my issues.”

I could see the strain in all of my Alphas as Carrion touched me. Every muscle coiled tight. But the guns were waiting for just that, and one wrong breath and I’d lose them.

“I’ve never found myself interested in an Omega. It’s inconvenient. There’s only so much money can buy—drugs and slaves don’t quite make for a smooth ride when my instincts become unmanageable.”

“What are you saying?” Ace asked.

“Would you like to be a part of another kind of Empire?” His eyes were fixed on Ace. “I could provide your Omega with as many playthings as she wants—for our entertainment. And you’d have enough to do to pass the time. It’s hard to find true competence when it comes to managing an empire like mine, but you just might be the right fit.”

The words made bile rise in my throat.

Ace cocked his head.

Was heconsideringit?

My pulse picked up.

He couldn’t… right?

But what if that was the way out?

It couldn’t be—this Alpha was the beginning of every nightmare Knox had ever had.

FORTY-SEVEN