Page 140 of Unhinged Alphas
Wait. Not an it.
A him.
A man.
I pause, blinking hard. Scars crisscross over bulging muscles, creating a map of pain and suffering.Some look surgical, precise and deliberate. Others are jagged and brutal. A fresh wound blooms crimson on his side-muscled side. Damp black hair matted to his face obscures his eyes, hanging in lank strands.
All I can really see of his face is his straight nose and his mouth. Jaws might be a better word. Where there should be lips and cheeks, there's only scarred, mangled flesh and exposed sinew. His unnaturally sharp teeth are fully exposed in a permanent rictus grin, flashing in the red light. They look more like a monster's than a human's, designed for tearing and rending. My instincts tell me to run like hell. Every fiber of my being screams danger.
But this isn't a monster.
He's just another victim.
He’s clearly an alpha, even if I can’t catch his scent, but I'm still safer by his side than with any of the asshole scientists torturing him. And the warmth... God, the warmth. It calls to me like a siren song, promising relief from the relentless cold eating into my bones.
Before I can think better of it, I press myself against the massive form. A shaky sigh escapes me as blessed heat envelops me. It's like sinking into ahot bath after being out in a blizzard. I nuzzle closer, burying my face in the crook of his neck. His skin is fever-hot against mine, and I drink in the warmth greedily.
So warm.
Another low rumble vibrates through the massive chest I'm clinging to. The sound should terrify me, but instead, it wraps around me like a blanket, soothing the last of the bone-deep chill. I don’t flinch even when his head turns slightly, the side of his jaws pressing against my forehead with a soft growl.
Maybe this brings him some comfort, too.
Then the rattling of chains cuts through the silence. I jerk back, suddenly acutely aware of our surroundings.
The massive form shifts, muscles bunching beneath scarred skin. A deafening crack echoes through the chamber as one of the thick metal links snap. Then another, and another. The sound reverberates off the walls, making my ears ring.
The alpha twists violently, muscles rippling under scarred skin as another chain snaps with a deafening crack. My heart pounds against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat drowning out everything else.
Was he… waiting for me to get closer?
"Holy shit!" a voice shrieks from somewhere behind me. "It's breaking free!"
Panic erupts in the lab. Alarms blare, their piercing wails cutting through the chaos. Red emergency lights flash faster now, casting grotesque shadows that dance across the walls. Scientists scramble in all directions, a flurry of white coats and terrified faces.
"Lock it down!" someone screams. "Fucking lock it down now!"
I should run. Every instinct screams at me to flee, to get as far away from this creature as possible. But my body won't cooperate. I'm frozen in place, pressed against his burning hot skin, unable to look away as the chains tear free like they're made of paper.
A scientist rushes past, fumbling with some kind of control panel on the wall. His fingers shake as he punches in a code, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Initiating emergency containment protocol," a robotic voice announces. "Warning. Lethal force authorized."
The words barely register before a hissing sound fills the air. I look up to see nozzles emerging from the ceiling, spewing the same thick, sickly yellowgas that flooded the Knight's cell. It billows down in choking clouds, filling the room with alarming speed.
My lungs burn as I inhale a mouthful of the acrid substance. I cough violently, eyes watering, vision blurring. Whatever this gas is, it's potent. My limbs grow heavy, and the edges of my vision start to darken.
A roar of pure fury drowns out even the blaring alarms. The huge alpha beside me surges to his feet, dragging me up with him. Now free of the chains, his massive arm wraps around my waist, crushing me against his chest as he lunges forward.
The world spins, my stomach lurching as we move faster than should be possible. Wind whips past my face, stinging my eyes. I catch flashes of terrified faces, of equipment crashing to the floor, of bodies being pulverized and tossed aside like ragdolls.
We burst through a set of heavy metal doors, the impact so forceful it tears them clean off their hinges. The gas is thinner out here, and I gulp in lungfuls of clearer air. My head starts to clear, adrenaline burning away the last of the sedative haze.
"For fuck's sake, kill it!" someone shouts from behind us.
The sound of gunfire erupts, bullets whizzing past us with deadly accuracy. I bury my face in the man's chest, squeezing my eyes shut. His grip on me tightens as he barrels down the hallway, each stride eating up impossible amounts of ground.
A bullet grazes my arm, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. I bite back a scream, tasting blood as I sink my teeth into my lip. The alpha carrying me snarls, a sound so deep and menacing it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.