Page 67 of Alpha Hunt

“I am serious. Our superiors have exacting standards when it comes to the quality of our inventory. They want to see a sample, and he’s it. Any harm done to this one,” he gestures towards me, “will result in severe consequences.”

Crag is nodding. I can see that he’s scaling back his enthusiasm to hurt me. I’m guessing that the smooth guy’s already given him a taste of what “severe consequences” might be.

“Good luck, wolf.” The man gives me a last once-over. “There’s a whole new future ahead of you.” He turns away, heads for the door, and leaves without a backward glance. I’m not longer watching him because my attention is focused on where one of Crag’s men is walking toward him, holding out a silver tray. On it, a row of darts are lined up, much like the ones I saw used on the wolves in the enclosure, the ones with me now.

“Hold still, pooch. This is only gonna hurt a little.” Crag is grinning as he slots a dart into a rifle. “Or maybe a lot. Can’t say for sure.”

“Fuck you,” I growl, eyeing the dart. Are they going to tranquilize me again? “Keeping me asleep isn’t going to make this any easier for you.”

“Oh, we’re not going to make you sleep again.” Crag draws back the bolt on the rifle. “We’re going to make you just like them.” He jerks his head at one of the nearby wolves.

I frown.

Like them?

What the fuck does that mean?

I don’t need to ask the question because he goes on to explain – he’s the type who can’t resist this kind of thing. “We can’t have you lot putting your heads together and plotting to get out of here. We need you under control.”

This still doesn’t make sense. I recoil as he raises the rifle and lines up the sights.

“This little cocktail,” his forefinger taps against the side of the weapon, “is going to suppress your human side.” His eyes fix on me as he aims at me. I spin to the other side of the cage, and he tracks my movement with the barrel of the gun. “You’re going to become the animal we need you to be.” His finger curls over the trigger. “And pretty soon…” he starts to squeeze, “you’ll have no memory of who you ever were.” As if in slow motion, I see the moment he pulls the trigger, and the dart spins toward me.

“Say goodbye to your humanity, wolf.”

Chapter 25

Casey

I burst into the gym, my heart pounding with a sickening mix of fear and frustration. Jagger’s in the middle of a set, his muscles straining as he lifts the heavy weights. He looks up at me, annoyance flickering across his face.

“We need to talk.” My voice is tight, barely controlled.

He sits up, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his brow. “What now, Stone?”

“It’s Edirn. He’s in trouble. I can feel it.” I pace back and forth beside the bench he’s sitting on, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides.

Jagger sighs heavily. “Seriously? First, you want him gone, now you’re worried about him? I can’t keep up with your moods, Stone. Pick a goddamn line.”

I whirl on him, my eyes flashing. “This isn’t about my moods, Law! This is about my mate. He needs us.”

Jagger stands, tossing the towel aside. “And how exactly do you know this? That psychic bond you were complaining about?” His tone is mocking, and it sets my teeth on edge.

“Yes, actually.” I step closer, my voice low and intense. “I can feel it, Jagger. Deep in my gut. Through our…through our mate bond. I know something’s wrong.”

The words “mate bond” seem to trigger something in him because he searches my face for a long moment, then nods slowly. “Alright. Let’s try to reach Barrett, see if he knows anything.”

Relief floods through me as Jagger pulls out his phone, dialing Barrett’s number. But as the seconds tick by with no answer, my stomach twists into knots. Jagger tries again, his expression darkening.

“He’s not picking up.” Jagger meets my gaze, concern etching his features. “That’s not like him.”

“I told you.” My voice is urgent, the reality of the situation crashing over me. “We have to do something, Jagger. We have to find them.”

“Fuck,” he mutters, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You’re right.”

I watch as Jagger’s expression hardens, his jaw clenching with determination. He meets my gaze, and I see the shift in his eyes – the decision’s been made.

“We’re not waiting around for this to sort itself out,” he says firmly, already reaching for his phone again. “I’m calling Callum. We need a rescue team assembled now.”