Page 70 of Unhinged Alphas
Wait…
Is something going on between Whiskey and Plague?
Fuck, I must be out of touch for not noticing it before. I thought they hated each other. Maybe that's part of the fun for them. Who the fuck knows anymore. What I do know is I don't need the mental images of my pack brothers going at it passing unbidden through my head.
Especiallythose two.
"Alright, enough of this bullshit," I mutter as the sirens continue to blare. "We have a job to do. Valek, you're staying here. You're in no condition to go on a mission."
Valek opens his mouth to protest, but I cut him off with a sharp gesture. "That's an order. Whiskey, you're in no shape to go anywhere, either. Not after that brawl."
Whiskey starts to bitch at me next, but I give him a look, too. A look that tells him to stay here and protect Ivy. There's no way in hell I'm leaving her alone here with Valek.
To his credit, Whiskey gives me a nod and doesn't push back.
"Plague. Wraith. Gear up," I bark, falling into the familiar role of commander. "We move out in five."
Wraith is still standing there, his eyes locked on Ivy. He's nothing if not intense as fuck, but the way he's looking at her is so different from what I'm usedto seeing in his frigid gaze. There's an unfamiliar warmth there. A strange protectiveness, as if he's torn between his duty to the pack and being with her.
Ivy seems to sense his hesitation. She steps closer to him, her small hand coming to rest on his massive arm. "Go," she says softly, giving him a gentle push. Her voice is barely above a whisper, but in the sudden quiet following the initial blare of the sirens, it carries clearly. "I'll be here when you get back."
The tenderness, the soft smile on her lips…
Yeah. I am fucking jealous.
I push the feelings aside, focusing on the task at hand. There's no time for that shit right now. I can deal with my weird emotions about all this later.
For now, we have a job to do.
As I finish strapping on my gear, I catch Ivy's eye.
She's afraid.
It's a startling realization. Despite everything she's been through, despite the way she came to us, Ivy cares. She's worried about our safety, about whether we'll come back from this mission.
"We'll talk when we get back," I tell her, my voice softer than before. It's not a threat, but a promise. We need to address what's happened, tofigure out how this changes our pack dynamic. But now is not the time.
And promising her a conversation might help her believe me when I say we're all going to be okay. Even if I have no fucking idea what's going on.
She nods, biting her lip. The gesture is so achingly vulnerable, so at odds with the fierce omega who was growling at Valek moments ago. "Be careful," she murmurs. "All of you."
I want to say more. Want to reassure her, to promise her that everything will be okay. But the sirens are still blaring, and duty calls. We have a mission to complete. Lives depending on our swift action.
With one last look at Ivy, I turn and head for the armory. Whatever this emergency is, whatever dangers we're about to face, it feels different this time. For the first time in years, I feel a flicker of apprehension. Maybe even fear.
Not because I'm afraid to die, but because I actually have something—someone—to fear leaving behind.
As I walk away, I can't help but glance back one last time. Ivy is still standing there, Wraith's oversized shirt hanging off her, her arms wrapped around her small frame. She looks so small, sovulnerable. Especially in comparison to the two alphas flanking her. Yet there's a strength in her stance, a fierceness in her eyes that speaks volumes.
In that moment, I realize that everything has changed. Our pack is no longer just a unit, a team assembled for missions. We're becoming something more.
Because now, for the first time…
We have a reason to come home.
Chapter
Sixteen