Page 119 of Unhinged Alphas

Thane's already got his binoculars out, scanning the chaos below. His jaw clenches, and I know it's bad news before he even opens his mouth.

"They've got them. Ivy, Wraith, and Valek."

I snatch the binoculars from his hands, ignoring his grunt of protest. My hands shake from the unfettered rage and adrenaline as I focus on the scene below, desperately searching for Ivy.

There.

My blood runs cold as I watch them load her limp form onto one of the hovercrafts. Her long auburn hair hangs down, obscuring her face. She's not moving.

"Those fucking sons of bitches!" I snarl, tossing the binoculars back to Thane. I rev the ATV's engine, ready to tear down the valley and rain hell.

Thane's hand clamps down on my shoulder, iron-strong. "Stand down, Whiskey."

I whirl on him, teeth bared. "The fuck you mean, 'stand down'? They've got Ivy! Our fucking omega!"

"I know," Thane says, his voice low and tight. "But we can't just charge in there half-cocked. We need to hang back, follow them. Find out where they're going."

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?" I hiss, gesturing wildly at the scene below. "They're loading her up right now! We gotta move!"

Plague's cold voice cuts through my rage. "Thane's right. If we attack now, we risk losing them entirely. Our best chance is to track them to their destination."

I want to argue, to tell them both to go fuck themselves. Every instinct in my body is screaming at me to go down there and rescue Ivy. But therational part of my brain—small as it might be—knows they're right.

"Fine," I growl, my hands clenching and unclenching on the ATV's handlebars. "But the second we know where they're headed, all bets are off."

Thane nods, raising the binoculars back to his eyes. "Agreed."

We watch in tense silence as the Vrissians finish loading up their prisoners and equipment. The hovercrafts take off in formation, churning up snow as they head deeper into Vrissian territory. We give them a head start before following at a safe distance.

The journey feels like it takes forever. Every second that ticks by is another second Ivy's in danger, another second those Vrissian fucks could be hurting her. My imagination runs wild, conjuring up horrific scenarios that make me want to puke.

Finally, after what feels like hours, the hovercrafts begin to slow. In the distance, I can make out a massive structure jutting up from the snowy landscape. It's all sharp angles and reinforced walls, with guard towers dotting the perimeter.

"Some kind of research facility," Plague mutters, his voice tight.

My stomach drops as I watch the hovercraftsdescend toward the building. A massive door slides open in the side, revealing a cavernous hangar bay. One by one, the crafts disappear inside.

We pull our ATVs behind a rocky outcropping, giving us some cover as we observe the facility. Thane's got the binoculars out again, watching intently.

"They're unloading now," he reports, his voice clipped and professional. "I see Wraith and Valek. They're... they're not looking good."

I grab the binoculars again, my heart pounding. I watch as they drag Wraith's massive form from one of the hovercrafts. He's barely conscious, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. Whatever they hit him with must've been strong as hell to take him down like that. He looks fucking defeated.

Valek's next, and I can't help the savage grin that spreads across my face when I see the state he's in. His face is a mess of bruises and blood, and he's limping badly.

Good.

Hope Wraith tore him a new one before they went down.

But my satisfaction is short-lived as I watch them disappear into the depths of the facility. A fewmoments later, another group of soldiers emerges from a different hovercraft.

And there she is.

My breath catches in my throat as I watch them half-drag, half-carry Ivy toward the entrance. Her head lolls to the side, and I catch a glimpse of her face. There's a nasty bruise blooming on her cheek as she stumbles through the snow.

"Ivy," I whisper, my chest aching with a pain I can't describe.

I watch helplessly as they take her inside, the massive door sliding shut behind them with a finality that makes my blood run cold. The binoculars slip from my nerveless fingers, clattering against the ATV.