Page 104 of The Alpha’s Heir

“You’re speaking blasphemy.” He busied himself with separating the food on the counter into piles. “Even if we weren’t under martial law, we never talk about leaving our stations.”

“It’s just a job,” I trod gently, trying to understand his very real worry that tightened his shoulders as he spoke.

Stephen scoffed. “Maybe for the mid-tiers, or the elites, but the rest of us barely make enough credits to get through each day. Do you want to know the real reason she brought him here?”

“Why?” I stood.

He swept his hand over the counter and the slowly rotting food. “If this goes on much longer, at least this house will get extra rations. The people in the lower districts will be trapped there at the mercy of the government without knowing when supplies will be distributed.”

My stomach soured at the thought, and my wolf started to pace.

“Is the chef still here?” I asked.

Stephen shook his head. “That’s an upper-class position. He’ll stay with his family until the power comes back on.”

I nodded, worried as Stephen fumbled with the cartons on the counter.

The scents were already off. I wasn’t sure how long they’d been set out, or why he hadn’t tried to keep it all in the fridge. But if they’d been without power for over a day, most of this was going to spoil anyway.

“You need to toss anything with dairy. That’s already gone,” I told him, touching my nose for emphasis. “Cook up these frozen bags now. Then save the shelf-stable stuff. Any of these fruits and vegetables can stay on the counter.”

Stephen nodded as he got to work.

My mind was already racing as I sniffed the other foods to see what could be cooked or dried for later.

We can’t hunt for them here. My wolf kept pacing. Can’t fish. Can’t protect them.

They’re not our pack, I told my beast.

There was a loud rumble as thunder rattled the windows and the kitchen lit up when lightning struck the sky.

Sometimes pack picks you.

“Stephen!” The shrill shriek of Helen’s voice echoed down the hall. “Bring her to me.”

I met his worried eyes, giving him a stiff nod. “You stay here and finish this. I’ll go see what she wants.”

37

Roman

With the streetlights out and the city on lockdown, the streets took on a deserted quality I’d never seen before. Our headlight beams swept the sidewalks and open road, bouncing off windows in the high-rises where flickers of candles and flashlights lit up the homes inside.

“How was it out there?” Sgt. Lutten leaned across the bench seat in the back of the Humvee, asking Marcus and me about our time in the wild lands. “Are you each going to grow an extra limb or something now?”

Marcus didn’t even crack a smile as he kept the death grip on the wheel. The rest of our unit elbowed each other, making jokes to ease the tension inside the cramped military vehicle.

I turned to look them over, watching as they covered their grins at the scowling look on my face, then settled back against my seat.

“Guess you’ll have to wait to find out,” I said.

The teasing started again.

I’d actually missed working with them, but I could’ve gone another few weeks without the stink of us all crammed into close quarters like this. The time I’d spent doing the council’s bidding must’ve spoiled me.

Being with Meg had spoiled me.

I needed to remember what my job was—and who I was—before becoming a slave to the council.