Page 93 of Unhinged Alphas

"I think I've got it," Ivy murmurs. "Just a little more..."

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. My entire body is taut with tension, caught between pain and arousal. I'm achingly hard now, my cock straining against my tactical pants.

Ivy makes one final cut, and I feel something small and hard pop free. "Got it!" she exclaims.

Relief floods through me, followed quickly by a wave of dizziness. I sway slightly, and Ivy steadies me with a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

I nod, turning to face her. Our eyes meet, and for a moment, everything else fades away. Her sea-green eyes are wide, pupils dilated. Her lips are parted slightly, and I can see the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

She's affected too, I realize. Whether by fear or something else, I'm not sure.

I reach out, cupping her face in my hand. She flinches but doesn't pull away. My thumb traces her lower lip, and I feel her shudder.

"Valek," she whispers, her voice trembling. "What are you doing?"

I don't answer. Instead, I lean in, pressing my lips to hers. She gasps, and I take the opportunity to deepen the kiss, my tongue exploring her mouth.

For a moment, she's frozen. Then, to my surprise, she kisses me back. Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer. I groan into her mouth, my cock throbbing painfully.

I break the kiss, trailing my lips down her neck. She tilts her head back, exposing more of her throat to me. It's a gesture of submission that sends a thrill through me.

"We shouldn't," she gasps, even as she presses closer to me.

"No," I agree, nipping at her pulse point. "We should not."

But I don't stop, and neither does she. My hands roam her body, exploring every curve. She's so soft, so warm. So different from the violence I'm used to.

I push her back onto the floor, coveringher body with mine. She wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me closer. I can feel the heat of her core through our clothes, and it drives me wild.

"Valek," she moans as I grind against her. "Please..."

I reach between us, fumbling with the button of her pants. But before I can undo it, a sound breaks through the haze of lust.

A groan. From across the room.

We freeze, both turning to look. Whiskey is stirring on the floor, his eyelids fluttering.

"Fuck," I curse, quickly pushing myself off Ivy. She scrambles to her feet, her face flushed and hair disheveled.

Reality comes crashing back.

What the fuck was I thinking?

I hold out my hand, palm up, and she drops the bloody chip into it. Hard glass with blue circuitry and copper wires. My ticket to freedom.

Ourticket to freedom.

I crush the chip between my rough fingertips and rub the shards until I isolate the silver-tipped copper wire in its core. "Turn around," I say to Ivy, grabbing her shoulder and making her obey before she can argue with me. I lift away her auburn curls, exposing the thin silver collarthat so prettily and cruelly decorates her slender neck.

"What are you doing?" she asks warily, her hand flying up like she thinks I'm going to stab her.

"Hold still," I growl, pinching the thin wire between my fingertips.

Ivy tenses as I slip the wire into the lock of her collar. The silver band gleams in the dim light, a constant reminder of her captivity. It bothers me how natural it looks on her, how she barely seems to notice its weight anymore.

I work the wire, feeling for the tumblers. A skill learned long ago, in a different life. The lock clicks open, and the collar falls away.