Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Frowning, I look closer. The blue isn’t going away, it’s still there. I try not to overthink things, since that leads down the path of nervous breakdowns and move back into the living room and grab my phone.
Xavier’s texted.
Oh shit.
I look at the time.
It’s noon.
I was supposed to meet him.
Xavier: You coming?
Xavier: Are you safe? Are you okay?
Xavier: Now I’m really worried, just text or call.
Xavier: This isn’t like you.
I have ten missed calls from Gabe.
A sudden knock happens at the door, I rush over and open it, knowing I look like crap in a white t-shirt and no pants. The minute I pull it open, I realize I made a mistake.
A huge mistake.
Gabe and Xavier are both standing in front of me, arms crossed, wearing black suits and grim expressions.
"Sorry.” I gulp.
"We were busy, and we slept and…”
“Take her.” Xavier sighs and looks away from me, like he can’t meet my eyes or maybe doesn’t want to.
“What’s done is done.”
“You knew it would happen.”
"What?” I start to back away.
“What’s going on?”
Xavier sighs.
“It's not like I had a choice and you clearly…” He inspects my neck, tossing my hair to the side.
“Have already made yours, so now, we have a meeting, and now, you realize what you’ve done, and now…he faces his past and you, you will face a very uncertain future.”
It’s the last thing I remember before something hits me.
It’s darkness.
It’s cold.
I'm no longer warm.
And all I can get past my lips is.
“Eli…”
Chapter 31
The Alpha Games
ELI
"What the fuck?” I’m still blissed out but, that ends really fast when I look around the room and see nothing but darkness and then Ava on her side next to me.
I grab her and flip her onto her back.
“Ava. Ava, wake up.”
She moans.
“I’m so tired.”
God, does she have a concussion and why are we in this dark dungeon like cell?
What the hell?
I want to think I’m having a nightmare, but everything feels real, down to the cold, hard cement beneath my body.
“Ava.” I try again.
“Open your eyes.”
When she does, they’re blue again.
“Hi.”
“Hi? That’s all you have? Hi?”
I'm ready to shake her.
My mate does not look well and already I’m looking for ways to escape and ways to keep us safe, to keep future cubs safe.
Cubs?
Where did that word even come from?
"Ava.” I tap her chin again.
“I need your eyes.”
She finally focuses on me, limp in my arms.
“He hit a bit too hard. You should totally fire Gabe.”
I freeze.
“What?”
"Gabe and stupid Xavier.” She sits up.
“They came to the apartment, I got hit, they said it was already done, whatever that means, but what the hell?”
My blood runs cold.
Gabe’s my best friend, my only friend, my brother. He would never harm her, what’s going on?
I look around the room.
Food and drinks are placed on a table in the corner.
Okay.
So it’s either a kindness or poisoned. Great odds.
I grab her and pull her into my lap.
“Just rest while I figure out what’s going on.”
And I have no fucking clue how to do that.
The door suddenly opens making a creaking sound. Someone steps forward in a mask that looks like it was built in hell, with horns curling above the temples and a black mouth with red painted across it that doesn’t move.
Fuck Squid Games, we’re in our own.
"What,” I say in a clear voice.
“Do you want?”
"Alpha,” the deep voice says.
“We need the Alpha to step forward, but until now we’ve been confused on who it truly is.”
"And that's my problem? I’m half-human!”
He shrugs.
“We’ve been stalking everyone who has a chance for the past ten years and you always were high on our list, maybe a half-breed is the way to go, either way, you have to go to the games.”
"Games?” I repeat.
Ava sits up.
“Like the Hunger Games?”
I pull her closer to me.
“He’s not even that strong!”
I'm ready to defend her when I look down.
“I’m sorry, what?”
She smiles.
“You’re corporate, do you really want to get your nails dirty, Alpha?”
I internally rage.
I pull apart the room piece by piece in my mind.
“Are you kidding me right now? Aren’t mates supposed to be more loyal?”
She presses a hand to my chest.
“That’s why I’m saying this, I’m loyal. I just need you to stay alive so I can love you.”
Well, when she puts it that way.
“Okay, but…” I look around us.
“This is weird, even weirder than being a half-werewolf, and that’s saying something. What do you guys want? Money? I can give you money.”
The guy slowly pulls his mask from his face.
“No, we just need leadership. You both left a long time ago, and it’s time to come back. We’ve been working for you, watching, waiting to see what would happen, and now it’s time to test.”
I can’t see his face yet.
He slowly steps into the light.
I nearly roll on the floor laughing.
“Jim?”
Another figure appears.
“Marvin?”
And then to make it even worse.