Page 141 of Unhinged Alphas

He skids around a corner, nearly smashing us into the wall. I hear shouts and pounding footsteps behind us, growing fainter as we put more distance between us and our pursuers.

Another set of doors looms ahead, even more fortified than the last. Warning signs plastered across their surface scream "DANGER" and "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY" in bold red letters.

The alpha doesn't slow down. If anything, he speeds up, lowering his shoulder as he charges straight for the obstacle.

"Wait—" I start to say, but it's too late.

We hit the doors with earth-shattering force,his huge arm shielding me against his chest. Metal shrieks and buckles, giving way under his tremendous strength. Chunks of concrete rain down as the ceiling collapses above us and the world caves in.

For a heart-stopping moment, we're airborne, sailing through the ruined doorway. The alpha's momentum carries us forward, smashing through equipment and scattering terrified personnel in our wake. Sparks fly as severed electrical cables whip through the air.

Then we're falling.

The world tilts crazily as we plummet. Wind rushes past us, whipping my wet hair into my face. My stomach lurches into my throat, and I can't tell up from down anymore. The sound of collapsing infrastructure echoes around us. Metal groaning, concrete and glass exploding.

I want to scream, but no sound comes out. All I can do is cling to the alpha's massive form as we hurtle through open air, leaving a trail of destruction behind us.

We hit water with a thunderous splash. Icy water closes over my head, shocking my system. Panic claws at my chest as I thrash wildly, desperate for air. Strong arms wrap around me, pulling me up.We break the surface, and I gasp greedily, coughing and sputtering.

The alpha treads water effortlessly, holding me above the surface with one arm, keeping my face buried in the crook of his neck to shield me from the falling debris crashing into the water. When I try to glance up at him, he holds me closer, forcing me to look away.

We're in some kind of underground cavern deep beneath the lab. Phosphorescent algae and mushrooms cling to the rock walls, casting an eerie blue-green glow over everything. The water stretches out in all directions, disappearing into shadowy tunnels. Pieces of the destroyed facility continue to fall, splashing and echoing off the cavern walls.

Shouts echo from above, growing closer. I crane my neck to see figures silhouetted against the jagged hole we made in the ceiling, far above us. The opening is massive, a testament to the alpha's raw power and the devastation left in our wake.

"There!" one of them yells, pointing down at us. "In the water!"

The alpha snarls. Without warning, he dives, dragging me back under the frigid water. I barely have time to take a breath before we're submerged again. The sound of falling debrisbecomes muffled, but I can still feel the vibrations of the collapsing facility above us.

We slice through the water with impossible speed, the alpha's powerful strokes propelling us forward. I cling to him desperately, my lungs burning as we swim deeper and deeper into the darkness. Behind us, I catch glimpses of search lights piercing the water, growing fainter as we put more distance between us and our pursuers.

Just when I think my lungs will burst, we surface again in a small air pocket. I gulp in oxygen greedily, my chest heaving. The space is tiny, barely big enough for both of us. Our bodies press together in the confined area, and I'm acutely aware of every point of contact between us.

His breath is hot against my neck as he holds us both up, treading water silently. I can feel the tension in his massive frame, muscles ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Even here, the rumble of the collapsing facility reaches us, a constant reminder of the chaos we've left behind.

We stay like this for what feels like hours, hardly daring to breathe. Muffled shouts and splashes reach us from time to time, but they grow fainter and more distant as the minutes tick by. Gradually, the sounds of destruction fade away,replaced by the gentle lapping of water against rock.

Finally, when the only sound is our own quiet breathing, the alpha moves. He pulls back slightly, but keeps his face turned away, refusing to meet my gaze. His scarred jaw clenches, and I can sense the shame and self-loathing radiating off him in waves.

A nagging feeling tugs at the back of my mind. There's something familiar about him, about the way he holds himself, the gentleness of his touch despite everything. My heart races as I start to piece it together.

I reach up, gently cupping the side of his jaw, trying to turn his face toward me. He resists with a low, soft growl, but there's no threat behind it. His eyes dart to mine for just a second before quickly looking away, as if the sight of me pains him.

But in that brief moment, I catch a glimpse of bright blue.

A shade I know all too well.

"Please," I whisper, my voice trembling with hope and disbelief.

Slowly, reluctantly, he allows me to guide his face back to mine. His eyes finally lock onto mine, filled with a mixture of fear, resignation, anddesperate longing.

Those eyes. Soft and gentle, despite his scarred grin full of razor-sharp teeth. I'd know them anywhere. Relief floods through me, so intense it makes me dizzy.

All I can breathe is his name.

"Wraith."