Page 86 of Unhinged Alphas

"I don't know, bro, that's strong shit," Whiskey warns him.

"She can take it," Valek replies, looking at me. "Can't she?"

I hesitate, eyeing the clear liquid warily. Slowly, I reach for the glass. It's cool against my palm, condensation beading on the surface. I lift it to my lips, inhaling the sharp, clean scent.

"Go on," Whiskey encourages, his hand warm on the small of my back. "It's okay. Just, uh… maybe take a sip at first."

I take a small sip, bracing myself for... I don't know what. The liquid burns as it goes down, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. I cough, my eyes watering.

"That's..." I gasp. "That's disgusting!"

Valek chuckles, a low, dark sound that sends a shiver down my spine. "The first sip always is," he says. "Try again."

Against my better judgment, I do. This time, I'm prepared for the burn. It's not as bad as before. In fact, there's something almost... pleasant about it. A warmth spreads through my chest, settling in my belly.

"Well?" Whiskey asks, watching me closely.

I lick my lips, surprised to find myself smiling. "It's... not bad, actually."

Valek nods, looking satisfied. "See? I told you." He pours himself a drink and raises his glass. "To new experiences," he says, his eyes locked on mine.

Whiskey and I raise our glasses, echoing the toast. The crystal clinks together, the sound sharp and clear in the quiet room.

As I take another sip, I notice Whiskey and Valek falling into their usual pattern of bickering. It's almost comforting, the familiar back-and-forth. I'm too dazed and sleepy from everything that just happened to pay much attention to it, other than noticing they're right back to jabbing at each other in spite of Thane's attempt at stopping it.

The vodka burns a fiery trail down my throat, warming me from the inside out. I take another sip, savoring the unfamiliar sensation. The world softens around the edges.

Whiskey and Valek's voices fade into a distant hum as I lose myself in the newfound buzz. Their words blur together, a steady stream of insults and jabs that wash over me like white noise. I lean against the bar, my head propped up on my hand, eyelids growing heavier by the second.

A loud thud snaps me back to attention. Whiskey's glass hits the floor, shattering into a thousand glittering shards. He leans over the bar on his beefy forearms, eyes unfocused and glassy.

"Are you okay?" I ask, reaching out to steady him. As if I have a chance at holding the alpha up at all when he's five times my size. Alarm bells start ringing in the back of my mind. I've seen him drunk before, but never like this.

Whiskey blinks at me, confusion etched across his features. "I... I dunno," he slurs, his words running together. "Jus' had th'one..."

Valek watches the scene unfold with detached interest, his silver eyes gleaming in the dim light.

Whiskey stands from the barstool and takes a stumbling step forward, his massive frame swaying dangerously. "I don' feel so good," he mumbles, reaching out to grab the edge of the bar. He turns slowly toward Valek with a low growl, his arms trembling to support his weight as his legs go to jelly. "What'd you… what'd you fuckin' do to me, you sick fuck?"

"Nothing," Valek says flatly. "It seems you are just a lightweight."

"No… you…" Whiskey groans, mixed anger and betrayal in his eyes as the fightdrains out of him. Time slows to a crawl as I watch Whiskey fall. His eyes roll back in his head, lids fluttering shut as his knees buckle beneath him and he hits the ground with a sickening thud that shakes the entire room.

"Whiskey!" I cry out, leaping off my barstool. My bare feet crunch on broken glass as I rush to his side, ignoring the sharp pain. I drop to my knees beside him, hands hovering uselessly over his prone form. "Whiskey, wake up!"

He doesn't move. Doesn't even twitch. His chest rises and falls in shallow, erratic breaths, but his eyes remain closed.

"What's wrong with him?" I demand, looking up helplessly at Valek.

But for once, Valek isn't grinning or joking. His gaze is empty and devoid of light as he stares straight through me, his face an emotionless mask of stone.

My voice drops to a whisper. "What did you do?"

He doesn't say a word. But he doesn't need to. The blank, unfeeling look in his eyes answers my question better than words ever could.

He drugged us.

Valek fucking drugged us.