Page 2 of Alpha Chained
I remain rigid as the man behind me bellows words to the men he’s brought with him. There’s chaos as everyone bursts into action. The rapid sound of gunfire erupts all around us. I’m too stunned to even flinch, utterly bewildered by Franklin’s actions.
What the hell is this man doing?
“Franklin, what are you—?” I begin…as if I can speak sanely to this man. As if he really is the polite professional I just guided through our home. He’s not. He was swallowing my lies while spinning his own.
And now he interrupts me. His voice is low and threatening in my ear. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
The cold steel of a gun barrel presses against my temple. I stiffen instinctively, every muscle in my body tensing as I start to resist his hold.
“You won’t survive this bullet,” Franklin warns darkly. “It’s silver.”
The gravity of the situation crashes over me. This human isn’t just a government official – he’s someone who knows about us, who has come prepared to attack. Dread unfurls as I realize how much trouble I’m in.
I force myself to remain still, my mind racing as I try to make sense of this. How could he have found out? And, more importantly, how can I get out of this nightmare alive?
I dig my nails into Franklin’s arm as he drags me backward, still using my body as a shield against the madness erupting around us.
“We’re getting out of this shit. Don’t try to fight me.” His breath is hot against my neck, the barrel of his gun pressing harder against my temple. “I know what you really are.”
I go cold at his ominous words. He knows we’re shifters. Somehow, this human has uncovered our secret and has come prepared to attack. Fear grips me, but I swallow it down, forcing myself to remain outwardly calm.
Franklin keeps pulling me along, steering us away from the thick of the fighting. I have no choice but to comply, my mind racing as I try to figure out a way to get free. If he really has silver ammunition like he claims, any attempt to shift or fight back could be fatal.
We duck behind a building, temporarily shielded from the gunfire. Franklin shoves me against the wall, his forearm pinning me there as he scans our surroundings with cold calculation in his eyes.
“You’re going to do exactly as I say,” he states in a low, menacing tone. “No sudden movements, no trying to call for help from your little wolf pack. Understand?”
I meet his steely gaze, struggling to keep my expression neutral despite the panic. With a slight nod, I force out the words. “I understand.”
His lips curl into a cruel smile. “Good girl. Now, we’re going to wait here until my men have…collected enough of your kind. And you’re going to be my insurance policy to make sure none of them get any ideas about being heroes.”
My stomach turns at his sinister implications. Collected? Like animals? Whatever this madman has planned, it can’t be good.
Franklin’s arm presses harder across my collarbone, making it difficult to breathe. I grit my teeth against the pressure, fighting to keep my rising fear in check. One wrong move and he’ll pull that trigger without hesitation.
Outside, the sounds of the clash seem to be dying down, but my sense of dread only grows. Franklin was expecting this – he came prepared to capture us. And now, it seems, he’s gotten exactly what he wanted. Me. On a silver platter.
Trapped with a gun at my head and my friends’ lives in jeopardy, I can’t see any way out. All I can do is bide my time and pray that an opportunity to escape presents itself. Because one thing is certain – I’m not going to make it easy for this bastard.
I press my back against the rough brick wall, Franklin’s arm digging painfully into my collarbone as he holds me pinned there. I can sense his frustration with every passing minute. I think he’s struggling with the knowledge that his men are losing against the power of my pack.
“Goddammit! What’s taking so long?” he hisses under his breath as he glances at an expensive-looking wristwatch, then back toward the sound of the fight. I remain dead-still, practically holding my breath, the gun barrel an ever-present reminder of the danger I’m in.
A disheveled man in tactical gear rounds the corner, eyes widening slightly at the sight of his boss manhandling me. “Sir, we’re losing ground. The wolves are too strong; we’re outnumbered and outmatched.”
Franklin’s curses explode from his lips like gunfire, the muscles in his jaw clenching with fury. “Fuck! I underestimated them.”
His eyes burn into mine, blazing with a combination of anger and something darker – desperation. He yanks me forward, the barrel of his gun jamming painfully beneath my jaw.
“You’re my leverage now, sweetheart,” he snarls, spittle flying from his lips to speckle my cheek. “I can’t take your whole pack, but you’re worth good money to the right people.”
Horror washes over me as the implication sinks in. A whimper escapes my lips before I can stop it.
Franklin’s arm tightens like a vise, the gun pressing harder into the soft flesh under my chin. “Don’t make me damage you,” he warns, voice dripping with menace. “I won’t hesitate to put a bullet that pretty head of yours if you give me trouble. There are more where you came from.”
My mind races. I can’t shift, not with that bullet aimed at me. I’m trapped, utterly powerless against this human monster.
“Please,” I manage to gasp out, swallowing hard against the metal jammed under my jaw. “You don’t have to do this.”