Chapter 401
Four hundred and three
Emma POV
Iron clanged down the hallway early the next morning. Boots stomped across the concrete as bodies slammed against the metal bars outside our room.
I sat up. Anita and Haley were already awake, huddled against the back wall.
Lucas was shouting at the top of his lungs. “Get out of my way! Move p>
Through the small barred window in the door, I saw two rogue guards wrestling with Lucas, pinning his arms behind his back. Lucas thrashed, his face twisted with rage. Cherry stood on our side of the iron gate. She could not speak, but angry grunts came from her throat as her hands moved frantically against the bars, signing at him, asking if he had completely lost his mind.
“They took Kamala!” Lucas roared, his voice cracking with hatred. “Alpha Cameron’s family dragged an old woman out of her bed! They carry their bloodline, so they pay for it p>
Anita leaned close to my ear and whispered, “I wonder whose idea that was. I wouldn’t put it past Wesley. I hope they didn’t interrupt his honeymoon p>
I kept my eyes on the door, unsurprised. My father, Uncle Cameron, Wesley, Charlie, and Alpha Kieran teaming up were a force no rogue group could withstand.
Lucas slammed against the iron gate, trying to push past the guards. “I am taking those girls right now p>
A heavy thud echoed down the corridor.
Alexander stepped out of the shadows and slammed the butt of his rifle into Lucas’s ribs. Lucas stumbled back, gasping for air, but the guards held him up.
“Stand down,” Alexander said. His voice was not loud, but its weight silenced the entire hallway.
Lucas spat on the floor, breathing hard. “Why are you protecting them? What is wrong with you, Alexander? You never cared about Alpha scum before. Because you fucked some alpha bitch, you’re putting them ahead of our whole operation. Is this weakness, or do you now realize how ridiculous you’re acting, especially once the others find out you’re complicit in this p>
Alexander did not explain himself or yell. He stepped closer to Lucas instead.
“We negotiate. They give us Kamala, and we return their daughters. If you kill the captives, Kamala dies within the hour. You will not touch them p>
“You are compromising everything,” Lucas snarled. “I will never forgive you if Kamala does not survive this p>
Alexander grabbed the back of Lucas’s vest and shoved him down the hall. “Move p>
The footsteps faded. Cherry let out a long breath and walked back to sit beside me on the thin blanket.
I looked at her, my mind full of questions. “Why is Lucas making moves without running them through Alexander? Isn’t Alexander the ultimate authority here p>
Cherry lifted her hands to sign: Alpha packs run on blind obedience. My brother commands the rogue community, but Lucas brought his own faction here. They are loyal to him. It is a partnership, not a monarchy.
“He is still your lord,” I said flatly. “Whatever Lucas does under his flag belongs to Alexander p>
1/4
four hinged and three
+15 Bonus
Cherry didn’t respond.
Nooked at the armed guards standing outside our door. “How can you live around this kind of violence every day p>
She looked at me: You see criminals. I see people who were thrown out of their packs for minor mistakes, orphans, and mothers who had nowhere else to go. We do what we must to survive. You have a limited view of life outside your pack walls, so I don’t blame you.
Before I could reply, the heavy lock turned again. Alexander walked in alone. Cherry immediately stood and rushed to his side, signing rapidly. Alexander watched her and nodded as his sister spoke.
Anita nudged my arm, a quiet smirk on her face. Cherry left, and Alexander turned to the three of us. His face was a hard mask, but I could tell he was holding back his anger.
“We are releasing one person this morning,” he said, pointing at Anita. “She leaves first. Once Kamala is returned to us safe and sound, the rest of you go p>
Anita huffed. “How thoughtful of you to finally come to your senses. But I’m sorry, I am not leaving without them.
“Anita, go,” I whispered, turning to her. “It gets you home p>
“No,” Anita insisted, glaring at Alexander. “Who knows what he’ll do to you once I’m gone p>
I turned to Alexander. “Why not a simultaneous exchange? Our people see us, you see your grandmother, and everyone walks away at the same time p>
“Because there is no trust between our groups,” Alexander replied coldly. “A meeting at the border will turn into a bloodbath p>
Anita let out a sharp laugh. “Or maybe you should send Emma home first and keep me instead p>
Alexander said nothing to her taunt.
I looked at Alexander’s hard, unreadable face. Now that I knew the truth, that he had not ordered our kidnapping and had rushed off that night to save a dying woman, my anger toward him was turning into something far more dangerous.
The bond tightened in my chest. We were running out of time, and I realized I needed to be alone with him before this ended.
My feet moved before my brain could stop them. I stood and walked straight over to Alexander. I did not ask if we could talk. My pride would not let me sound weak.
He looked down at me, reached out, and took my hand. His skin met mine, and heat shot through me, sending a shiver down my spine.
He pulled me along, leading me past the iron security gate and the two guards outside, into a room off the main corridor. It looked like an eating nook. A refrigerator hummed in the corner. In the center, a table covered with a bright cloth stood surrounded by chairs.
I sat down. My fingers felt icy, so I rubbed my hands together in my lap. Alexander pulled out the chair across from me and sat. He was not right next to me, but close enough for me to feel the heat from his body.
I looked at the refrigerator, the tablecloth, and the floor, anywhere but his face. When I forced myself to look up, I found his eyes already fixed on me.
2/4
Four hunged and three
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“Cherry told me you didn’t abduct me,” I said, keeping my voice flat.
Alexander let out a bored scoff. He leaned back in his chair and said nothing. The silence stretched between us, irritating me. He hid behind it, waiting for me to break.
“That doesn’t change much,” I added, my tone sharpening. “It doesn’t change the fact that you are still a rogue p>
He sighed.
“As you can see, I am dealing with a lot right now, just trying to keep you alive. I do not have time for games. Say whatever it is you came here to say p>
His words cut through me. He gave me no softness.
“Do you even care about the effect of a severance?” I asked quietly.
Alexander did not hesitate. “I will survive it. People go through severances all the time. We won’t be the first ones.
His words hit my chest. An ache spread through my heart. He was not trying to convince me to stay. He was not telling me what being mates meant to him. We were just two proud people sitting at a table, trying to hurt each other before the other could strike.
“So you are just going to let me leave?” I asked. I tried to sound distant, but the meaning came through anyway.
“I didn’t abduct you,” Alexander said, his eyes meeting mine. “I don’t keep hostages. Anyone who wants to be here stays. Anyone who wants to leave goes p>
He was talking about the mate bond without saying the words. He was giving me the freedom to walk away. That freedom hurt more than being locked in a cellar. Deep down, beyond my logic and family duty, I wanted him to drop his armor. I wanted him to say, please stay. I wanted him to ask me not to break the bond. But he was too proud to beg, and he did not want me badly enough to fight for me.
I stood up. “So this is it p>
Alexander looked up at me and shrugged. “What else do you want me to say p>
Frustration and hurt rushed through me. Before I could stop myself, I took two steps toward him. The distance between us disappeared.
As I moved closer, I saw his mask crack. His breath caught. He stood until our faces were inches apart.
The air between us grew hot as the scent of our bond filled the space. Alexander lowered his head and brushed his lips against mine. I gasped and shivered.
He pulled back slightly, a dark look in his eyes. “I shouldn’t do anything else. I don’t want you crashing out and crying about it afterward p>
I did not think or plan. I reached out, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled his mouth down onto mine.
Alexander growled against my lips and wrapped his arms around my waist. The kiss turned messy and frantic. We pressed against each other, desperate to close the space between us.
He lifted me off the floor. I hooked my legs around his hips. His hands moved over my back, pulling me against his chest.
He moved from my lips to my cheek, then down my jaw and neck. He breathed in my scent as he kissed toward my throat and collar, then kissed me again. My hands gripped his hair, frustrated by the clothes between us.
3/4
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Desire clouded my mind and drove me wild. But as his mouth moved over mine again, reality broke through.
What am I doing p>
I gasped and pushed against his shoulders.
Alexander stopped at once and set me back on the floor.
I stumbled back, clutching my chest as I tried to catch my breath. I opened my mouth to speak, to explain what had just happened, but no words came out.
I turned and half-walked, half-ran out of the eating nook, rushing down the hallway toward my room before I lost the last of my sanity and tore my clothes off for him.
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Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.