Page 32 of Unhinged Alphas

Oh.

I know I should pull away, should put some distance between us before this goes any further. But I can't seem to make myself move, can't seem to tear my gaze away from the raw, naked longing in his eyes.

"Wraith," I whisper, my voice little more than a ragged exhale. "I..."

But before I can finish the thought, a sudden crash echoes from somewhere outside the room. We both jump, the moment shattering like a pane of glass.

Wraith is on his feet in an instant, his body coiled and tense as he stares at the door. I scramble up beside him, my heart hammering against my ribs as I strain my ears for any sign of what caused the noise.

Footsteps, heavy and purposeful, growing louder with each passing second. And then, muffled but unmistakable...

Whiskey's voice.

"Ivy? Where the hell are you?"

I find myself reaching for Wraith's hand before I can stop myself. He glances down at me, his brow furrowed in confusion, but he doesn't pull away.

"I have to go," I breathe, the words little more than a frantic rush of air. "If he finds me in here..."

I don't finish the thought, but I don't need to. Somehow, even though he's done nothing wrong, I know Wraith will get blamed for this. For being alone with me.

Wraith nods, a sharp, decisive jerk of his chin. He releases my hand and strides over to the door,cracking it open just wide enough to peer out into the hallway.

For a moment, he's perfectly still, his entire body thrumming with a tightly leashed tension. Then, slowly, he turns to me and nods for me to go.

I slip past him through the open doorway, his scent filling my nostrils as I brush past him. He smells like the forest. Clean and earthy and wild. Like so many of my earliest memories, that scent stirs a mixture of peace and longing—as well as primal fear—within me. The knowledge that no matter what I do, no matter how sharp or hard I become, I am prey and there are predators out there in the darkness who could end me with a single bite.

But that doesn't stop me from wanting to get closer. For the first time in my life, I feel an impulse that's at odds with my own survival.

"I'll practice," I say softly, looking up at him as we stand close in the narrow space of the partially open door. I give him a small smile. "So we can talk."

Wraith's eyes widen slightly. Confusion? He gives me a faint nod, then glances in the direction Whiskey's footsteps have gone off to.

My cue to leave.

I shut the door softly behind me and catch a glimpse of Whiskey's back as he rounds the corner,his shoulders hunched and his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He looks... worried, I realize with a start. Agitated in a way I haven't seen him since he found Wraith and me in the cave.

"There you are," Whiskey calls, his voice a strange mix of relief and concern as he catches sight of me. "Been looking everywhere for you."

"I was just... exploring," I lie.

Whiskey's gaze darts to Wraith's room, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. But he doesn't say anything, just jerks his head toward the corridor leading back to the main part of the compound.

"You hungry?" he asks, cocking his head. "Kitchen's closed, but I can rustle us up something. And you already know I'm a world-class chef."

"Debatable," I mutter as I brush past him and head down the hall.

"You sound like fuckin’ Valek," Whiskey groans, but he falls into step beside me.

I can't help the smile tugging at my lips. He's notquiteas bad as I thought when I first met him.

Guess that's one thing he and Wraith have in common.

Chapter

Nine

THANE