Page 58 of Alpha Chained
“On how bright you are.”
There’s a collective gasp from the others.
Shit!
“
Chapter 21
Riot
“What did you say?” The towering male before me looks like he’s about to burst out of his skin.
“You heard me.” I refuse to be intimidated. This place is nothing like what Raura described. All that talk about a warm welcome… For her, sure. For me? Not so much. But it’s my own fucking fault for letting myself fall for that kumbaya bullshit.
I can feel my hackles rising as this asshole gets in my face.
Who the fuck does he think he is?
“Listen, pal,” I growl, “I didn’t ask to be here. Raura said we’d be welcomed with open arms. Guess she was wrong about you people.”
Jagger’s eyes flash dangerously. “You’ve got some nerve, coming into my territory and throwing insults around. I don’t know you from Adam, but I sure as hell don’t trust you.”
“Trust me? That’s rich, coming from an Alpha who can’t even keep his own pack safe.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
Jagger snarls, baring his teeth. “You fucking dare—”
“Stop it, please!” Raura tries to insert herself between us, but I barely register her presence. All I can see is red.
“Stay out of this, Raura,” Jagger warns, not taking his eyes off me. “This is between me and him.”
“What’s the matter, Alpha?” I taunt, letting my lips curl into a sneer. “Afraid of a little competition?”
That does it. Jagger lunges for me with a roar, but I’m ready for him. We collide in a tangle of fists and fury, trading blows with ruthless abandon.
I can hear Raura screaming at us to stop, but it’s too late. The beast inside me has taken over, and all I want is to make this fucker bleed.
The taste of blood fills my mouth as Jagger’s fist connects with my jaw, but I barely register the pain. All that matters is the thrill of the fight, the rush of adrenaline surging through my veins.
It’s just like I remember – all those years in the cage, doing what I’ve been trained for for a decade. The moves come instinctively, my body responding to each of Jagger’s attacks with a counter of my own.
Snarls rip from my throat as I duck a vicious roundhouse kick. This alpha may be big, but he’s not as seasoned as I am. I plant my feet and launch forward, driving him back with the relentless barrage.
Jagger blocks the last few blows and counters with a spinning backkick that grazes my ribs. I grimace, the pain flaring hot, but shake it off. Advancing on him again, I feint left before whipping my right fist toward his jaw.
At the last second, the crafty bastard dodges and grabs my wrist, trying to yank me off balance.
Nice try.
But I’ve been in too many fights to fall for that old trick. I twist my body and wrench my arm free, then snap my elbow back toward his face.
Jagger jerks his head aside just in time, my elbow whistling past his ear. He sucks in a breath, nostrils flaring, and I can see the fury blazing in his eyes.
“That all you got, pretty boy?” I smirk.
Jagger responds with an inarticulate growl of rage. He feints right, then explodes into a flurry of punches and kicks from the opposite side. I deflect the first few strikes, but he’s relentless, not giving me an inch to counter.
One vicious kick slips past my guard and slams into my ribs with a dull thunk. I stagger back a step, gasping for air as fiery agony lances through my side.