Page 81 of Alpha Chained
Casey doesn’t argue, simply sweeps an armful of the drives into a nearby crate as I follow suit. Our arms full, we turn and hurry from the room, my pulse racing with the weight of what we’ve just uncovered.
This is it. This is what we’ve been looking for…Sierra, Savannah, their families…
We finally have the answers we need.
We can save them.
Chapter 30
Riot
I can’t believe how quickly things have descended into chaos, but it suits me perfectly. The sound of sirens blares all around me, but I don’t let it distract me from my mission.
I’m rushing back to the cells, desperate to free the others trapped in this place, when a flash of movement catches my eye. A massive dark wolf is cornered by a group of five guards, blood seeping from a nasty wound on its flank.
Fuck!
Without a second thought, I charge toward them, propelled by an instinctive urge to protect my own kind. The guards whirl around, their faces contorting in surprise and fear as they realize who they’re facing.
“Shit! It’s him! The Beast!” someone yells. I brace myself, advancing slowly as I size them up. They’re armed – and I know there’ll be silver in those weapons; it’s probably why the wolf is struggling – but I’m pretty sure I can take them.
One of them, foolishly brave or just plain stupid, rushes me first. I sidestep his clumsy lunge with ease, my body moving smoothly, just as it always does. My fist connects with his jaw, and I feel the satisfying crunch of bone as he crumples to the floor.
The remaining four seem to realize their mistake, hesitating for a split second before attacking me as a unit. I let out a low growl, feeding off the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. These men have no idea what they’re up against.
Sirens wail, and emergency lights flash, casting an eerie crimson glow over the hallway. I duck under the swing of a cattle prod, using the guard’s own momentum to send him crashing into the wall. Another tries to flank me, but I pivot and deliver a bone-crushing kick to his midsection, doubling him over.
A metallic grating sound alerts me to the fact that one of the others is cocking his weapon. Spinning deftly, I reach for the wheezing guard I’d just kicked, wrenching him in front of me just in time for him to take the two silver rounds that were meant for me. They hit him square in the chest, snuffing his life out a moment before I shove him away.
I close the distance between myself and the gunman before he gets a chance to fire off another round. The rifle clatters to the floor uselessly as I get my arm around his neck and twist sideways violently. The resulting crack tells me that he won’t be walking again. He’s still twitching on the floor as I turn my attention to the final guard, who’s backed up against a wall, his eyes wild with fear.
“P-please…please,” he stutters, raising his hands. I’m pretty sure the mercy he’s asking for wouldn’t have been offered to the wolf he was just about to kill. So I don’t give it to him. A sharp punch to the throat crushes his windpipe. I don’t watch him die as I turn my attention to the injured wolf, my chest barely heaving from the exertion of the rapid battle.
The creature is crouched in the corner, panting as it watches me. Our eyes meet, and I recognize the familiar glint of challenge there. When the wolf begins to shift, my suspicions are confirmed.
It’s Jagger, the Alpha from Steel Lakes.
“You fight like a motherfucker,” he grits out. He’s clamped a hand over a gaping hole above his hip.
“You okay?” I ask.
He gives a terse nod. “Winged me. But the fucking silver stings like a bitch.”
Footsteps ring out, and I swivel my head to see a craggy male emerge from around the corner. He’s followed by a pair of huge wolves – a tawny chestnut beast alongside a snow-white creature whose fur is splattered red, gore dripping from his open mouth.
“Jagger!” The shifter eyes me and then the bodies on the floor before moving quickly to his Alpha.
“I’m good, Callum. Had a bit of help.” Jagger’s lips twitch as he looks at me. “What are you doing here, anyhow?” he asks me. “You’re a long way off from the front entrance.”
“Heading back.” I jerk my head. “The cells are that way. Got more inside – shifters, other creatures. I need to let them out.”
Jagger nods, still clasping his side. “We’ll help.” He starts pushing himself to his feet and then sways precariously, his face pale from the blood loss and the effects of the silver. Callum shakes his head, eyeing the gaping wound.
“You’re in no shape to be coming with us,” he says gruffly. “You’ll just slow us down.”
Jagger opens his mouth to protest, but Callum cuts him off with a stern look. The Alpha lets out a resigned sigh and nods. “Fine. But I’m not sitting this one out completely.” He turns to me. “Callum and Gage will go with you.” As he says it, the white wolf steps forward, fur falling away as the man within shifts and emerges.
“Tarkin,” Jagger turns to the red beast. “You get the job of helping my sorry ass out of this hole.” He claps Callum on the shoulder. “Don’t let this one run off on his own,” he says, jerking his chin at me. “We need him in one piece, or Raura will rip me a new one.”