Alpha Rogue 3 (BBW Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance) (3 page)

“
M
ission abort
. I want you out of here, now.” I hear Josh speaking over his headset to the other agents that were with us at the fight.

“What are you saying?” I ask Josh, not wanting to hear the answer.

“We have to get out of here, now. None of us are safe,” he replies.

“But what about Hawes?”

“I can’t risk a whole team of agents in the off-chance that we might be able to do something for him. Once the team is out I’ll…figure out something.”

It’s cold, but the harsh reality of the matter is that Hawes is locked in a cage with Legrand, and none of us could get him out if we wanted to. I just want so badly to help him right now. I feel like all of this is my fault. If only I hadn’t…

“This way,” Josh says, opening up another door for me. I go through and he follows. It feels like we’re under the arena now, winding through a series of maintenance tunnels and hallways.

“We should almost be at the southeast underground exit,” Josh says methodically.

The door is only thirty or so feet from us at the end of the tunnel. I can hear Josh radioing in for backup, but all I can think of is Hawes back in the ring. My mind wanders to earlier today, back in the gym at the mansion, and the things we said. I wish I could take it all back. Maybe then things would be different. Maybe the outcomes would have changed. I want to be back at Hawes’ side.

We’re almost to the exit, a large steel door that opens from the inside. Josh swings it open quickly, and the first thing I feel is a gust of cold night air from outside.

The next thing I notice is that we’re staring down the barrel of a sawed off shotgun that’s held by a woman with long, raven-black hair, and accompanied by a handful of men with guns.

“Going somewhere?” she asks. It’s Alexis, the other person our informants told us was involved with the mob. We didn’t expect her here though. Our only target tonight was Vincent.

Josh tries to reach for his pistol, but she fires a warning shot at the ceiling right above our heads, and Josh drops his pistol on the ground and puts his hands up.

“No funny business. I know you’re thinking you’ll save the day and all that, but don’t think I won’t plug you like a clay pigeon if you try to pull something,” she says, voice sounding dead serious.

Alexis kicks the pistol on the floor out of the way, and motions with her gun for us to turn around, which we do. She pokes Josh with the barrel of her gun.

“
Vaya,
” she tells us. Go, in Spanish.

We walk back down the hallway we came down, and not far from us I can see a large, rusted steel door we must have passed by, but I didn’t notice.

In this sort of situation, I know Josh would normally have just rushed into the melee, relying on shifter reflexes and speed to disarm the enemy. We can be a lot faster, and a lot more coordinated than even exceptional humans. But Alexis isn’t a human. And she has us outnumbered and outgunned. Josh can’t risk someone getting shot.

“Rico, get the door,” she says, probably to one of the men behind her. He walks in front and swings the heavy door open, revealing a small back room. All I see inside is a table, a couple of chairs, and a heavy steel frame bolted to the wall with chains dangling from it. Probably a back room put to use by the mob for interrogations, or even torture.

“You.” She points at me. “Empty those pockets of yours, and go sit over there, but keep your hands where I can see ‘em. This one…” She pokes Josh in the chest. “Chain him. I don’t want Mr. Heroic to get any ideas.”

I put the few things I have stowed away in my hoodie pockets on the table like she asks, then sit at the far end of the room. One of her lackeys comes and stands a few feet away, gun pointed at me. I want to fight back, but I also know that Alexis probably won’t hesitate to kill either of us if we resist.

Her gaze is intently focused on Josh right now, her gun pointed at him while the others chain him to several steel bars embedded into the concrete wall. For a second I think I see her licking her lips, but I figure it must be my imagination.

Once Josh is restrained with the thick, heavy chains secured to the wall, Alexis pulls up a chair a few feet from Josh and sits in it, propping her legs up on the table. She positions the shotgun in her lap, pointing in my direction.

“Ok, you guys can leave. But close the door behind you, I’d like some privacy,” she says. With a wave of her hand, the other men filter out of the room and close the door on us. She picks up a glass from the table and drinks from it. By the smell of it, it’s probably something alcoholic. She turns on a small TV resting on the table and glances at it.

“Bad night for your friend Hawes. Hope you didn’t put any money on him,” she says nonchalantly. All I can hear from the TV is the sound of the crowd. It must be a direct-feed from the arena.

Looking bored, Alexis turns from the TV and begins eyeing Josh hungrily. He replies with a look of disdain, which doesn’t affect her at all. His size is more apparent, chained to the wall like that.

“What do you want with us?” I ask. I can’t just sit here and wait. I can’t stop thinking of Hawes.

“Don’t talk to her, she’s a snake who has betrayed her own kind,” Josh tells me, looking at Alexis.

“Hey, as I see it, none of ‘my kind’ ever gave me any break. So I made my own way in the world,” she replies with a shrug back at Josh.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“You’re all full of BS. Talk about duty and protecting the pack and helping protect our way of life and all that crap. But take a kid from the streets that happens to be shifter, someone from the other side of the tracks, and all of a sudden all the doors are closed. All those morals mean nothing. Sorry, kid, nobody wants ya,” she says, her voice nonchalant and unaffected, despite the fact that it’s clear what she’s talking about.

“What does all of this have to do with us?” I reply.

“Mostly you, really. Not much for him,” she nods informally at Josh, “Except the fact that I like seeing guys like him squirm.” Josh looks at her uncomfortably, frowning. “Though this one is particularly fun to watch.” She licks her lips openly this time, slowly running her tongue over her upper lip while she gawks at Josh. Josh shifts a little where he’s standing, and just grimaces back.

“What do you need Rose for? It’s me you want,” Josh says, interrupting Alexis’ reverie while she watches him.

“Well, it’s not really about what I want,” she replies with a wave of her finger. “It’s about what Legrand wants. He’s not into dudes. But an unmated alpha female…” She leans her head lazily and looks back at me over her shoulder. “He’s definitely in the market for
that
.”

Josh and I exchange glances, and I see horror in his face.

“So that’s what this whole setup was for?” Josh yells, his voice demanding.

Alexis settles farther into her seat, leaning back and balancing on the two back legs of her chair.

“Maybe,” she says, with a smug look at Josh.

“Why would you even help someone like Legrand? He’s terrible,” I ask, hoping to see some sort of humanity from her.

“Legrand gets it. I may not like the fact that he came into the mob and basically ruined years of work for me trying to claw my way to the top. But he follows the golden rule. Always look out for number one,” she says, pointing a finger to the ceiling.

“Why would you try to kill me then?”

“Oh, the car bomb.” Alexis pauses and chuckles to herself. “Yeah, that. My guys watching the lot waiting for you fell asleep on the job. They were supposed to blow the car when you reached the lot, not when you were next to the car. Then they were supposed to tranq you from the window and nab you then. I guess they panicked when they saw your boy Hawes though. Sometimes they’re real bozos.”

Josh and I exchange glances of confusion, then look back to Alexis.

She’s looking at the small screen next to her, and talking to herself.

“Ouch. He’ll feel that tomorrow. If he sees tomorrow, that is,” she says. “A real pity. Hawes has a great bod too. Not really my type though…” she trails off.

I can’t bear to think of Hawes getting beaten senseless in that ring. I want to go back to the mansion with him, do things all over again, change how we ended things, change the choices we made and not come here at all.

I can feel Josh watching me, my head buried in my hands, trying to think of a way out, while simultaneously wishing that I could change things by simply wishing them away.

“Rose,” I hear Josh say, his voice sullen. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”

I look up at Josh and see sincere sadness in his eyes. His armor is finally cracking, the heavy burden of his decisions finally wearing him down.

“No, it’s not your fault…”

“It is. I’m the only one who should be held responsible for this. I treated Hawes badly, and when I found out you had feelings for him it made me even angrier, more cold toward him. But I’m so sorry, I didn’t think it would go this way. That things would turn out so bad.” He hangs his head limply, eyes sad and brooding. There’s silence for a moment, only the quiet sound of the tiny TV from the table heard in the room.

Then I hear clapping. A slow, intentional, rhythmic applause coming from the woman leaning back in the chair. I look up and see Alexis, her dark red lips turned up at the corners, staring at me.

“Wow, you can’t make this shit up. This is better than a
telenovela
. Bravo.”

Josh perks his head up and looks with shock at the source of the slow clap. Alexis looks over and raises an eyebrow at Josh, then turns back to me.

“Well, how about we make a deal?”

“A what?” I reply, stunned.

She plops her chair legs back onto the ground, picks the shotgun up from her lap, presses it onto the table, and then leans over the table, her forearms crossed. Her eyes are serious now, an intense chocolate brown color, staring at me across the table. They’re cunning and intelligent.

“How’s about I let you go. But on two conditions.”

“What?” I reply.

“Don’t listen to her, Rose, she’s a criminal. It’s probably a trap,” Josh says from his place on the wall behind her.

“You.
Cállate
. Shut up,” she says, putting a finger up in Josh’s direction, but still looking intently at me. “I’m talking to her.”

“I’m listening,” I say, trying not to let my voice falter.

“I can tell this guy Hawes is important to you. From where I stand, he’s a silver spoon-fed brat, but apparently you see something more in him.” She pauses, collecting her thoughts, but not blinking, her focus still squarely on me. “As I see it, I’d just as soon see Legrand dead so he can’t encroach on my turf.”

“Wait, you want Legrand dead?”

“Yeah, he’s only been in the mob a few months, and already the higher ups are basically his bitches. I’ve been a part of this organization for a long time, and I’m not going to just roll over and see him run it when I’ve worked so hard to make a name for myself. That, and the guy’s a real asshole,” she says plainly.

“What’s the other thing?”

“He stays.” She points at Josh behind her.

“Why?” I ask, confused.

“I need collateral. I know this place will be crawling with cops and with Tribunal brass any minute now. I want him here in case I need a hostage to make a break with.”

“Do it, Rose,” I hear Josh call across the room.

“Hey, what did I say about you talking?” Alexis raises her voice and turns around to glare at Josh. Josh doesn’t move, just glares back.

“What will happen to my partner?” I question.

“I can’t make any promises, I’m sorry,” she replies, raising her hands with a shrug.

I’m not sure I can do it. I know if Josh was in this position, he’d never put me in danger to save himself. And I don’t even know yet what I’ll do to help Hawes. But I know I’ll do whatever it takes.

“Rose, I know what you’re thinking,” I hear Josh say. “Just go, don’t worry about me.”

Alexis throws a glass at the wall in Josh’s direction, purposefully missing him, but making her point all the same. “I swear, I’m coming over there when I’m done!”

I look up at Josh, whose face is resolute. I nod at him, and he nods back, a wordless exchange between us. In that moment, I’m grateful for a partner like him.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” I tell Alexis.

“Good. Now get your ass out of here, your man looks like he could use some help,” she replies, standing and picking the shotgun up from off the table. She swings it over her shoulder, and gives me a sarcastic salute.

I get up and move toward the door.

“Just take the way back to the arena that you came from. The halls should be pretty clear, but if you come across any of my boys, don’t kill them, or I’ll come after you.” She turns and faces Josh, chained to the wall and looking down at her. “Now, you. We have to do something about that mouth of yours that just can’t stay shut.”

I open the large steel door and peek into the halls, which are completely empty. I turn to shut the door, and the last thing I see is Josh looking disdainfully down at Alexis, and her looking back at him with a sultry grin, working on the top button of his shirt. I put the sight quickly out of my mind. I’ll just have to trust that Josh can handle himself. I bolt down the hallway toward the arena. I have to save Hawes.

I just don’t know how yet.

I
’m not
a huge fan of having Legrand on top of me like this. Especially because it basically gives him free reign to punch me in the face, when in reality I would prefer to be doing that to him instead.

He’s starting to wear down as well though. I’m sure this match has lasted longer than he anticipated, and it’s probably the most fight he’s gotten from any of his victims before. The only problem is his technique is better than mine, and pound for pound we’re about the same strength. So the outcome is bleak.

From his position on top of me, Legrand throws several more jabs. I block, but my arms are screaming from blocking repeated impacts like that. I try again to buck him off of me, arching my hips quickly and trying to grab him so his center of gravity falters, but he’s determined to not give up the ground he has on me.

Here, laying on my back, there’s not much in the way of things I can do offensively except jab him in the side. But the last time I tried that, five seconds ago, I got a pounding. So for now, I’m strategizing.

Legrand is doing the same. While my arms are up, blocking my vision, he grabs one of my arms and pulls it above my head, hoping to anchor my arm to the ground, snake his arm under it, and twist so it breaks at the elbow.

I can feel my trapped arm extend the limits of its normal range of motion, and I act quickly. While Legrand is leaning over my hand, I push off the ground and ram into his exposed side with my free arm. He loses his balance and topples forward, but locks his legs around my midsection. We roll several times, both trying to gain the higher ground.

For a split second Legrand loses his grip, and I try to scramble free. If I can get off the ground and put some distance between us, there’s a shot I can land a strike on him that gives me the upper hand. Trying to make a break for it exposes my back though, the worst position to be in, but I figure it’s worth a chance, since I won’t be able to last much longer if I’m pinned.

I’m getting pretty good at this whole “planning” thing by now. It’s probably just too little, too late.

Legrand jumps, and I can feel his arm around my neck in an instant, pulling me backwards. Damn, that backfired in a bad way.

He’s behind me now, kneeling.

“Just give up already, Hawes,” I hear Legrand say behind me, a hint of frustration behind the veneer of his perfect control sounding in his voice.

“Ha, your 90 seconds were up a while ago, you creep,” I manage to choke out with a cough. I probably should have saved that last breath though.

He deepens the choke, one arm firmly wrapped around my neck, the other on top of the first, locking it in place and keeping me from being able to pry it free. I struggle against his arm, but the pressure in my head is building, and I’m starting to see stars.

My mind starts to wander. I think of Rose. I see her standing in a field full of blossoms, wearing a long white dress. White, like the color of her wolf. She’s so beautiful, so perfect. She turns to me and smiles, and I see her gorgeous blue eyes and her silvery hair, shining in the sun.

A world with Rose would be wonderful. Beyond what I could fathom. I think that’s why I let it slip out of my grasp. The pain of acknowledging my loneliness, my sorrow, my stupid stubbornness at not moving on from the past and embracing the future. I couldn’t bear to think of losing Rose, so I let all of this come between us and bring us apart.

I know there’s a lot more to learn. Healthy ways of coping with pain, for starters. But more than anything, I want to get to know Rose even better. I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know her. I want to go back to the hot spring with her. I want to make her smile and hear her melodious laugh every day. I want to make love to her. For her to be mine, always.

You’re crazy
, I hear the one remaining part of my consciousness that’s sane and not passing out from loss of circulation. Shut up, you.

“Just die already,” Legrand says. I can hear him just barely, as if his voice is swimming underwater. Everything is turning black. My cheeks feel flushed and full of blood, and there’s a throbbing in my head that’s going to the rhythm of my heartbeat.

I try to hit Legrand in the face behind me, my actions feeble and sluggish. I can’t even tell if I hit him, the darkness has almost completely consumed my consciousness.

Once I’m out, I know Legrand will probably break my neck, or something even more horrific, but I can’t stop it. I’m just not strong enough, Rose. I’m sorry, Rose. I’ll miss you, Rose.

Then a funny thing happens.

A sound pierces through the blackness, coming through my ears but filling my mind, even my being, if that’s possible.

“Fight, Hawes! Don’t you dare give up!”

As if acting on their own accord, my eyes open and somehow focus in on the source of the sound. There, at the end of the ring, looking at me on the other side of the fenced cage, is Rose. Her hands are grasping the cage, and I can only see her from the shoulders up because of the raised arena. But it’s still her.

I can feel an incredible power surging through me at the sound, and the sight, of Rose. Somehow, from somewhere, strength fills my body, and with both my hands I’m able to pry Legrand’s arm free just a hair of an inch. I suck in air and let my head clear with the second of time I have before Legrand repositions his arm and locks it around my neck again.

Somehow, it’s bought me more time. I look at Rose again, her face worried and scared, but a ray of determined hope shining through.

I’m coming, Rose.

I hear Legrand grunting, trying to twist his arm even further around my neck, but every second I continue to feel my strength returning. Adrenaline from an unknown source courses through my veins, and my body is coming back to life.

I look at Rose and smile. She returns with a tentative smile, and nods, as if to reassert her previous statement.

Legrand is still holding me tightly, so I start to work at his hands, his arms, anything I can reach, trying to pry them and loosen his hold. It feels like trying to move a steel reinforcing bar, but he’s not immovable. I make a little headway, and I can feel him fighting against me. I bring my legs close to me, plant my feet on the ground, and stand with great effort. Legrand is still behind me, but thankfully in the hustle he forgot to position his legs properly to prevent me from being able to get up.

I’m still working at the hold, and though I’m far from out, it’s getting looser. Loose enough, at least, to do this.

Exerting the strength in my core, I pull in toward myself, bringing Legrand up and over me. His arm, once loosened, comes off my neck altogether with the motion, and he hits the ground with a loud thud. I hear a cry of joy that sounds like Rose, but I’m unable to see for a moment. Blood is rushing to my head and my body is returning to normal after being choked for a prolonged period of time. I can see her with my mind’s eye though, and the thought of her standing there, watching me, continues to grant me renewed strength.

I kick wildly at the ground, hoping to connect with Legrand’s face, but I miss, my vision still blurred, and he moves away from me and comes back up to his feet.

“How the hell did you…” Legrand asks, his face bewildered and, for the first time, a little shocked.

“Tsk tsk. You didn’t think you were the only shifter who… is an alpha with… strength powers that are strongerer than yours,” I reply, trying to sound witty.

“That didn’t make any sense, Hawes,” I hear Rose shout out to my left.

My head is swimming still, and only now does it recall the words that just came out of my mouth.
Why you make no sense, brain?

I see Legrand’s face, once shocked, now stunned and confused. Rather than try to come up with something new to say, I let my legs, with their newfound strength, do the talking.

I open up with a flurry of kicks. Legrand, suddenly realizing the fact that I’m on the offensive, blocks, but I can feel my feet making contact with his arms.

He raises an arm and catches my foot under his arm, trapping my foot there. Normally, this would be a bad position to be in since he could pull me to the ground and lock my leg. But I’m not worried, I have something special in store for The Chainsaw.

Let’s finish this, Legrand.