Page 67 of Unhinged Alphas

But I know I can't. I have no right.

And it's clearly not what Ivy wants.

The sound of a door opening draws my attention. I turn to see Ivy and Wraith emerging from the hallway. She's wearing one of Wraith's shirts, the fabric hanging off her small frame all the way to her knees like a dress. Her hair is mussed, her cheeks still flushed. There's a softness to her expression I've never seen before, a vulnerability that makes my chest ache.

Wraith hovers protectively near Ivy, his massive frame angled toward her as if drawn by an invisible force. He's watching us carefully, his blue eyes hardened shards of ice.

Guess I'm not the only one who came close to attacking.

I'm not the only one affected by the sight, either. Beside me, Whiskey lets out a low growl, his eyes fixed on Ivy with an intensity that makes me want to smack him upside the damn head. The sound seems to startle Ivy. She moves closer to Wraith, eyeing him warily.

"Down, boy," Plague mutters dryly, shooting Whiskey a warning look. The tension in the room ratchets up another notch, the air thick with simmering alpha aggression.

I clear my throat, pushing down my own conflicted emotions. "We need to talk," I say, my voice gruffer than I intend. The words hang in the air, heavy with implication. Glancing around, I notice we're one alpha short. "Where's Valek?"

Plague shrugs, his mask hiding whatever expression might be on his face. "On his way," he says, his tone carefully neutral. "Should be here any?—"

As if on cue, the door bursts open and Valek strides in. His eyes scan the room, taking in the tense atmosphere. "What is this?" he demands, his accent thicker than usual, a sure sign of his agitation.

Ivy shifts uncomfortably, tugging at the hem of Wraith's shirt. The movement draws my attention to her bare legs, and I have to force myself to look away.

"Is this really necessary?" she mumbles, not meeting anyone's eyes.

Valek opens his mouth to respond, but then he pauses. His nostrils flare, and suddenlyhe's moving, closing the distance between himself and Ivy in three long strides. He leans in, inhaling deeply, and I watch as his expression morphs from confusion to shock to rage.

"You," he snarls, whirling on Wraith. "You fuckinganimal!"

Before any of us can react, Valek launches himself at Wraith. The two alphas collide with a thunderous crash, snarling like feral beasts. Valek's fist connects with Wraith's jaw through his mask, the impact echoing through the room. But Wraith barely flinches, his massive frame absorbing the blow as if it were nothing more than a love tap.

Wraith retaliates with frightening speed, his huge hand wrapping around Valek's throat. He lifts the other alpha off his feet with one arm, muscles bulging as he slams Valek into the nearest wall. The concrete crumbles under the force of the impact.

Valek gasps for air, clawing at Wraith's iron grip. His face turns red, then purple, but Wraith shows no signs of letting up. The raw power radiating from him is terrifying to behold. He's not just choking Valek, he's crushing him.

"Wraith, stop!" Ivy screams, her voice cutting through the chaos. "You'll kill him!"

For a split second, Wraith's grip loosens. It's allthe opening Valek needs. He brings his knee up hard, catching Wraith in the stomach. The larger alpha grunts, stumbling back a step. Valek follows up with a flurry of punches, each one precise and brutal.

But it's like hitting a brick wall. Wraith takes each blow, his eyes blazing with fury. Then, with a roar that shakes the room, he charges forward. Valek tries to dodge, but he's not fast enough. Wraith's shoulder catches him in the chest, sending him flying across the room.

Valek crashes into a bookshelf, the wood splintering under the impact. Books, bullets, and beer bottles rain down around him as he struggles to his feet, spitting blood.

"That all you have, freak?" Valek taunts, his accent thick with rage.

Wraith's response is a guttural growl that sends chills down my spine. He lunges forward, his massive fist cocked back. Valek ducks at the last second and Wraith's punch goes straight through the concrete wall behind him.

The sound of concrete exploding and rebar bending is deafening. When Wraith pulls his hand back, there's a gaping crater in the wall and his knuckles are dripping blood. But he doesn't even seem to notice the injury.

Whiskey tackles Wraith from behind, wrapping his huge arms around Wraith's neck. My brother snarls and wraps his hand around Whiskey's forearm. In one impossibly swift motion, Wraith rips Whiskey off his back and slams him into the floor as if he weighs nothing. The air whooshes out of Whiskey's lungs with a wheeze.

Before Wraith can curbstomp Whiskey through the floor, Valek uses the moment of distraction to tackle Wraith, driving him back into the center of the room. They grapple, muscles straining, neither willing to give an inch. Furniture topples around them, reduced to kindling.

Ivy screams, trying to get between them, but I grab her and pull her back.

"Stop it!" she yells, struggling against my grip. "Leave him alone!"

"That's my favorite fucking couch!" Whiskey bellows, scrambling back to his feet. He charges Wraith like a damn bull and slams into his back from behind, knocking him off balance. I seize the opportunity to shove Wraith up against the wall. The only reason his fist doesn't cave my face in is because Whiskey pins him, too, but I know the two of us can't hold him back for long.

Then Ivy is there, her small hand on Wraith's arm.