Page 143 of Alpha Awakened

Snow Walkers secured.

Swift Night in hand.

Coeur Amer needs immediate medical.

Coming out with Silent Dusk.

Then it was Jax’s turn again. “Wild Defiance managed to shift as soon as he saw me and nearly bit my head off but we’re on our way down.”

The line went quiet for a moment. Then Ortiz came on.

“Blue Summit councilor secured.”

That left two councilors — the councilor for Ice’s home pack, Mystic Storm, and the shadow lands councilor.

Ice reached the fourteenth floor. He checked the first room, but it was empty. He stepped back out into the hall. But he didn’t move to the next room or call out for the councilor. His nose picked up the scent of rage. And something else. Something familiar that his Instinct recognized. Trusting his Instinct, he ran toward that scent.

In the very last room at the end of the hall, he found the Mystic Storm councilor — a big, redhead alpha. He too was tied to a chair. The councilor was in gray pajama bottoms, barefoot and shirtless. Both of his arms were inked, nearly to the shoulder. When he saw Ice his eyes went wide and he yelled behind the duct tape.

Ice ran over and cut him loose. The councilor stood.

“You’re pack,” he said after ripping the tape off.

Ice nodded, not asking how the man knew he was from Mystic Storm. His tattoos were covered by his uniform sleeves so it wasn’t by sight.

He clapped Ice on the shoulder.

“Lead the way, soldier.”

As they ran to the stairs Ice had half his focus on the radio, waiting to hear that Hazard had freed the final councilor. But the comm link remained silent. They made it all the way to the ground floor and Hazard still hadn’t checked in. In the lobby, Ice glanced at his watch. There were three minutes left.

“Come on, Hazard,” he whispered under his breath. “What the fuck are you doing?”

At the safe point, he quickly scanned the assembled group of soldiers and councilors in case Hazard had sounded off and he’d missed it. But he wasn’t there.

Ice turned back to look at the hotel, heart pounding, waiting for Hazard to come running through the open entrance.

He waited.

And waited.

But Hazard didn’t appear.

“Fuck this.” Ice cursed. “I’m going back in to look for him.”

Someone grabbed his arm.

“No! There’s no time!”

Ice shook them off, determined to go in and bring Hazard out.

But they grabbed him again. When he didn’t stop, they jumped on his back, arm around his throat in a near chokehold in an attempt to keep him where he was.

Ice didn’t bother to struggle to get them off. He simply moved forward with dogged determination, dragging them along as he went. He had to get to Hazard.

The person trying to hold him back was wearing a watch. It started to beep. Ice glanced down at the arm around his throatand saw a countdown flashing zero on the clock’s face. Two seconds later, there was a muffledboom.

The ground shook and the hotel started to collapse with Hazard still inside.