Page 111 of The Alpha’s Heir

“Can you believe they live like this?” Jacques whistled as we drove past a mansion with darkened windows and marble fountain out front.

“I wouldn’t be too jealous,” Stone said. “If what LT says is true, this place will be the first under attack in the coming weeks.”

I hadn’t thought about it like that, but the sergeant was right. I never should’ve left Meg here alone. Money only bought safety when credits meant something. Who knew how long that would last?

“There!” I pointed at the next street over where the camouflaged vehicle was parked on the road. It was far enough away from Helen’s house that I could only see the outline of dim lights in the downstairs windows, but close enough to make my skin crawl with sparks of anxiety.

“Curse science,” Marcus mumbled under his breath, continuing to swear as he came to a stop behind the military vehicle.

My heart pounded in my chest as I inhaled to keep steady.

“Open the back hatch,” I commanded. “Jacques and Lutten with me. Stone on the gun. Yemen, be ready to radio for support.”

I slipped the night vision visor over my head as my boots hit the pavement. Crouched low and in formation, we rushed the tank, clearing the sides and immediate area as the two soldiers watched my back.

I had to force myself to focus on the mission, to not look over at the councilwoman’s house and search the windows for any sign of her.

“There’s no one else out here, LT,” Lutten said.

I nodded, moving to the cover of the other Humvee and reaching for the door.

Please, I sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening as I wrenched it open, preparing for the scent to hit, and was met with…

“Are they snoring?” Jacques’s confused face appeared in the window opposite from me.

I grabbed Staff Sergeant Gonzalez by the shoulder, shaking him. “Wake up.”

He snored again.

I shook him harder, ready to chew his ass out, when lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rattled the windows of the vehicle.

All of the unit inside were in some sort of deep, unnatural sleep.

I dropped Gonzalez as if he were poisoned, taking a step away.

“Get back to the vehicle,” I told my men.

“LT?” Jacques whispered, looking up.

Dark clouds swirled and spun across the sky, dancing to a brewing tempest, and causing the hair on my neck to stand on end.

The mark on my chest burned white hot.

In the distance, I heard her scream.

Then I was running, outracing the rapid beat of my heart as my boots smacked the pavement.

“Lieutenant, wait!” Marcus called out.

“Get them back. Keep them safe,” was all I could say as I abandoned my post to find my mate.

40

Meg

“You’re lying.” I panted, sitting on my knees after wrestling my human skin back from my wolf, really, really angry at her for ripping up the only clothes of mine I had to wear as I tied the torn shirt around my chest.

I had to try. She panted too.