Page 81 of Alpha Brock
The toes of his boots appear in my field of vision as he stops directly in front of me, and I’m barely breathing as he lowers himself into a crouch. Then his hand darts out, grabbing my chin roughly, yanking my face upwards. My hair falls away from my face and my eyes come to his. Up close, they’re even darker than they were from afar- I feel like I’m staring into the face of the devil himself.
Xavier examines me, his lips curling into a sickening grin of approval. “You’re a pretty little thing, aren’t you?”
I clench my jaw, staring back at him in defiance. Refusing to dignify him with a response.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time, little girl,” he purrs. “Ever since I heard a rumor about a seer with alpha blood.” He rubs his thumb along my cheek and my stomach churns, the moldy bread they fed me earlier threatening to make a second appearance. “You’re the key to everything.”
Chris clears his throat beside me, sitting up straighter. “Uh, excuse me, Alpha?” he ventures hesitantly, his voice wavering.
Xavier flicks him an annoyed glare, dropping my chin. I immediately tuck it back into my chest protectively, watching as Xavier rises back up to his full height and steps over to where Chris is struggling to get his feet.
“We had a deal,” Chris says shakily. “I held up my side of the bargain, I delivered her to you guys. I just want to make sure that me and my mate will be protected.”
I can’t help but glare over at Chris, the fucking weasel. So worried about saving his own skin, even at the expense of his pack.
Xavier chuckles to himself, casting me another glance. “What do you think, little seer?” he asks, his brow ticking up in amusement in response to the way I’m looking at Chris. “Should I free him from his bonds?”
I don’t know if it’s a trick question or not, but again, I’m not going to dignify him with a response. I sink my teeth into my lower lip, looking away.
Xavier shakes his head, snickering as he steps closer to Chris. “You know what I hate, even more than being ignored?” he growls, reaching into his pocket. His lips pull into a cruel grin as he yanks something out, his hand moving so fast that I can’t even tell what he grabbed. “Traitors.”
Hot blood sprays the side of my face as the blur of a silver knife slashes across Chris’ throat. I cry out in shock as Chris makes a gurgling sound, clutching at the gaping wound in his neck, his body wilting against the wall. My hands cover my mouth as I look to Xavier, and he’s just smiling, wiping his blade off on the leg of his jeans.
Tears spring to my eyes as Chris’ body crumples to the floor beside me. My mind can barely process what just happened. There’s so much blood- it’s already starting to pool on the floor around his lifeless body. “Wh… why?” I whisper, staring up at the face of pure evil.
He just shrugs, tucking his knife back in his pocket. So nonchalant, like he just used it to slice an apple rather than someone’s throat. “Traitors can’t ever really be trusted, can they?”
“Sure can’t, boss,” Jake pipes up from somewhere behind him.
Xavier smiles at me, as if he just did me a fucking favor or something. “You’re welcome,” he sneers. “And don’t worry, that mate of his is next.”
My lips part to speak, and I suddenly realize that they’re quivering- my whole body is trembling with fear. “But… she’s pregnant,” I manage, my voice small.
He throws back his head and lets out a laugh in response, the light glittering off of his gold tooth. “You think I give a shit? I’ve killed babies in their cribs.”
A warm sensation slithers across my low back, and I draw a gasp when I look down to see that Chris’ blood is starting to pool beside me. I scoot away quickly, my body now shaking uncontrollably. It’s impossible for me to mask my fear at this point; it’s all-consuming.
“Aww, don’t worry, little seer,” Xavier chuckles, reaching down for me and yanking me up by an arm. I stumble as I try to find my feet, the force of the movement dizzying, especially with the wolfsbane still in my system. He grabs my face with a hand, pinching my cheeks together as he forces me to look up at him. “You’re too valuable for me to dispose of just yet. All you have to do to stay alive is cooperate.”
I stare into his cold, dark eyes, my lower lip still trembling. “What do you want me to do?” I whisper.
Xavier’s smile grows wider. “Simple,” he replies. “You’re going to help me take over the rest of the packs in the region by using that power of yours.”
Despite the fear gripping my chest, I shake my head defiantly. “I won’t.”
“Oh, but you will,” he chuckles, stroking my hair. “And to ensure that you stay by my side and don’t go running off anywhere, you’re going to bind yourself to me permanently as my mate.”
“Wait, what?” Kara exclaims from across the room. She’s obviously taken aback by this part of Xavier’s twisted plan. I hear Jake hush her before she has another outburst.
I narrow my eyes on Xavier, balling my fists in my restraints. “Never,” I whisper.
He snickers condescendingly, shaking his head as he grips my face tighter in his hand. His fingertips are digging in so hard that it feels like they’re bruising my cheeks. “Keep that up. The more defiant you are, the more fun you’ll be to break.”
I grit my teeth, keeping my eyes trained on his. Refusing to back down.
Xavier suddenly releases my face and takes a step back. His expression changes to one of almost boredom as he folds his arms across his chest, examining me. “Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, but here’s the bottom line. If you cooperate, I’ll let your pack live. Maybe even your brother. We can go there together, share the happy news of our union, and give them the option to join us without bloodshed. From what I hear, you’re basically the acting Luna of your pack, so they should be happy to follow you.” He leans in, his lips drawing into a smirk. “Or, if you don’t want to cooperate, I’ll kill them all and claim their territory. It’s really up to you.”
My breath catches in my throat. The thought of any harm coming to my brother or my pack physically pains me. My expression falters, and he just smiles, like he knows he has me. Like he knows he’s already won.