Page 19 of Unhinged Alphas

"Whiskey, Wraith, you stay here with Ivy," Thane continues. "Keep her safe, and try to get her to open up if you can."

I know he's talking to me alone with that last part. Wraith's the epitome of a closed book. Pretty sure he's as empty as a sketchpad in there, but it's hard to say. I give a mock salute, a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Aye aye, captain."

Wraith just grunts, a sound that could mean anything from agreement to murderous intent. With him, it's always a bit of a toss-up.

With all of us, really.

I lean back in the chair, my mind already racing with ideas. I need to find a way to get through to Ivy, to break down those walls she's built up around herself. It won't be easy, I know that. She's been hurtbad and trust doesn't come easily to someone with her past.

But I'm nothing if not persistent.

And I'll be damned if I let her slip away from us.

Fromme.

Fuck.

I've never been one for attachments. Easier to keep things casual, no strings attached. It's safer that way. Less messy. But Ivy... she's different. She's gotten under my skin in a way no one else ever has.

I can't help it. There's something about her, a strength and a vulnerability that calls to me on a level I can't quite understand. I want to protect her, to shelter her from the cruelties of this fucked-up world we live in.

And yeah, okay, I want to make her smile too. I want to hear her laugh, to see those haunting ocean eyes light up with true joy instead of being shadowed by pain and fear.

I know it won't be easy. And she'll probably bite me again. Maybe knee me in the gut a few more times.

But I also know that she's worth it.

Worth fighting for, worth bleeding for.

Worthdyingfor, if it comes down to it.

I push up from the table, my boots thuddingagainst the concrete floor as I head for the door. Wraith falls into step beside me, a big creepy shadow that radiates malice like a physical force.

We make our way through the winding corridors of the bunker, and Wraith turns off at the last moment to go fuck off and do whatever the hell he does when we're not on a mission. He glances back toward me, his icy gaze flicking toward where Ivy has sequestered herself away, and for a moment, I think he's going to change his mind.

"You coming, big guy?" I ask.

He hesitates. Then, with the slightest shake of his head, he turns and stalks off like an overgrown panther.

Maybe he's got the right idea.

I should probably knock and let Ivy know it's just going to be her, me, and Wraith for the next few days, but something tells me I should give her some space, too.

She'll find out soon enough, anyway.

Chapter

Six

VALEK

The irradiated desert stretches out before us, a vast expanse of scorched earth and twisted metal as far as the eye can see. The air is hot and dry, stinging my exposed skin with each gust of wind that sends plumes of gritty sand swirling around us.

Beside me, Plague trudges on, his posture stiff and unyielding in the face of these punishing conditions. Even with his face half-covered by the scarf wrapped around his head and neck, I can sense the disapproval rolling off him in waves.

We've both traded our hallmark disguises for more muted face coverings to protect against the harsh winds and toxic dust swirling across the lifeless landscape, but he still looks unnecessarily posh.

"You're sure this underground market actually exists?" he asks, his voice muffled but still managing to convey his patent disdain. So do his pale blue eyes and furrowed brows. "Because all I see is a barren wasteland fit only for the dead."