Page 54 of Alpha Games

This hit me out of nowhere. I wasn’t prepared for the spiral of rage that welled inside me. Darkness edged at the corners of my vision.

I gathered Aspen against my chest and ran.

My heart was pounding in my ears as my beast howled his fury. I held Aspen close, breathing in her essence. Her poppies and sage fragrance was tainted, mixed with the bitter scent of burned chemicals. They said ketamine had no smell or taste, but that was for shifters who hadn’t grown up around drugs and learned to distinguish them from other wolf tranquilizers.

I struggled to push back the demons of my past–to keep them away from the soft woman in my arms–when all they wanted to do was rip apart this entire resort and bring the world crashing down.

How the fuck is this happening?

My beast snarled in response; snapping his jaws at imaginary ghosts and begging to be let out.

I stepped into the elevator, looking at my image in the mirrors as the doors slid shut behind me. It was the perfect reflection of deadly calm despite my insides shaking in fear and feral rage.

“I need you upstairs,”I mind-linked Ivan.

Aspen was so small. Her delicate fingers were clasped around my arm and her snores came as little gasps of breath. But she was still breathing. I held to that fact, pushing back the wild possessiveness of my beast.

I didn’t know.

How had I missed this?

My thoughts were spiraling. Control slipping.

Ivan met me in the hall, out of breath, as the doors to the service elevator slid open.

“Search her room,” I commanded. “Find the gear in case she needs it.”

He took one whiff as his eyes widened in shock and backed up slowly, shaking his head in disbelief. I didn’t wait to see if he’d follow orders.

“Find it. And then find the supplier,” I bit out through clenched teeth, slamming the keycard against the lock and kicking open the door to my penthouse suite.

There were no signs. I’d been watching the cameras faithfully. But I hadn’t thought to look for this. She’d gone to bed early every night. Was this why? How? How could I have missed it?

A bitter laugh escaped my chest.

This was fucking fate.

“I’m going to be sick,” Aspen mumbled. Her sweet breath was hot against my chest as she clung to my shirt.

“Almost there.” I pressed my lips to her forehead, turning toward my bedroom.

“What’s happening?” Fallon came storming out of her room. Her eyes widened when she saw Aspen in my arms. “Oh no. Oh shit. Ranger! I was kidding when I said to kidnap her. You have to put her back!”

“Fill the ice bucket,” I growled at my sister while Aspen dry heaved in my arms.

Fallon clutched her hands into fists. Her nails dug into her palms as she sniffed the air.

“Move!” I barked.

Fallon nodded, snapping out of her daze as she ran to the kitchen.

I kneeled on the tile floor of the bathroom and gathered Aspen’s soft brown hair into my hand as I tilted her head toward the toilet.

“Get it out.” I rubbed her back encouragingly, holding her steady, and kept the anger from my voice. My wolf had gone quiet.

Later.

I’d process what this meant another time and figure out how to cope with it later. Right now, I would handle what was in front of me. I’d continue to rub her back. To get her what she needed.