Page 61 of Alpha's Claim

I can hear Teddy turn to lumber after Matthias. They’ll get Wren out. I trust them.

I’m halfway down the tunnel when I get a hit of Paloma’s scent.

And then I have to brace against the mold covered wall to fight my bear from bursting forth.

Let me out. It’s my turn now, my bear demands.

“No.” I grit my fangs and almost fall to my knees. “No.”We’re wasting time!

There’s fresh air wafting towards me. I’m almost to the end of the tunnel. I fight the bear every step of the way, my spine hunched and muscles straining. I emerge doubled over.

Thompson’s forces are waiting for me. A flurryof darts hit my body. I pull one out, snarling, and the silver tip burns my fingers. I toss it away and brush at the rest of the darts, but my bloodstream is on fire. I take a step, and a wave of weakness overtakes me. My limbs turn leaden, and I stumble.

A silver net knocks me down to the ground, and the poison in my veins drags me into darkness.

Chapter Fourteen

Darius

I swim in a sea of pain. Shouts and screams sound in the distance, then I hear the clank of bars slamming down.

I come to again when a soft hand closes around mine. I jerk and Paloma shushes me. “Shhh, Darius. I’m here.”

“Princess?” I slit open my eyes, but the world is blurry. My head aches like someone pounded it with a sledgehammer.

“Oh, thank God you’re awake.” Paloma’s soft hair falls on my cheek, and I turn my head to drink in her sweet scent.

My skin burns where the net touched it, but the pain is nothing to the fire raging inside me. Whatever was in those darts is poison. I feel incredibly weak.

“Where–”

“They took us somewhere. I overheard one of the guards say we’re on a private estate, but I don’t know where. They drugged me. They drugged us both.” Her breath hitches. She’s been crying.

I want to raise a hand to comfort her, but I can’t lift it more than a few inches. She grabs it and holds on with both hands.

There’s something important I have to tell her. I reach through the fog to find it.

“Wren,” I mumble.

“I know,” Paloma’s voice cracks with a sob. “Thom poisoned her. I can still sense her, but she must be dead…”

“No. Matthias. Medicine.” My lips feel heavy, but I force them to shape the words. “She…alive.”

“Ay, Dios mio,” Paloma gasps. “Oh, thank you.” She presses my hand to her face. I feel the rain of her tears.

“It’s okay.”

“We’re going to get out of this. I promise.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” someone rasps. A sharp, clove smell hits me. A heavy thump of boots brings the scent closer. “Give him another dose of tranq. He’s awake.”

“Stop,” Paloma snaps. “What are you doing?” She drops my hand, and I sense her standing, defending me. “Leave him alone!”

My chest rumbles as my bear voices his wrath. There’s a whoosh and another dart pricks my chest.

“It’s just a knockout drug,” the guy rasps. “Special blend for shifters. It’ll burn but there’s not enough silver in there to kill him.”

I hear Paloma fighting, and my bear pushes to the surface, making me surge upwards. But the dart has done its work, pumping the tranquilizer into me. I’m fading.