The Wilder Alpha (5 page)

CHAPTER EIGHT

Jay passed the time by tying knots into the frayed strips of his shirt. The guards had rotated and no one had visited him. It was a little disconcerting. Left alone with his thoughts caused him even more troubles.

Kristi was his key to freedom. If he could convince her to meet him and dismiss his guards, he might manage to escape through the unguarded door. Jay shook the thought of his head, as it made its 553
rd
reiterated suggestion. His brows furrowed as indignant thoughts sliced himself in half. He’d be an absolute heel to do that to Kristi, especially after the night they had shared.

Yet, there was still a question on her sincerity. Jay growled at his own pragmatism and paranoia. Whatever happened last night – the dream walking, the shared pleasure – it had been something monumental. No one ever made Jay feel so exhilarated. It wasn’t just good sex; it had to be something more.

A tremble slid down his spine and his cock twitched beneath his pants as memories licked at his thoughts. Kristi’s moans and soft, supple body played against his thoughts. His body reacted as if she were present. His muscles tensed, wishing to have her naked again, soon.

Sandalwood and sun-baked rock danced across his sense of smell. Jay sat up straighter, his eyes snapping to the area where the door was. His ears strained to hear Kristi’s voice, to hear the shear of rock against rock. Sure enough, the grinding lilt sliced through the air, a sliver of illumination spilled into his cell before the lights flickered on.

Kristi stepped in, a somber expression on her lips. The severity of her expression eased as soon as the boulder rolled in place behind her. In her hands, she carried what looked like a small doughnut box. The scent of meat drifted to him, his stomach rolled over and gurgled.

He grinned and stood as she advanced on him. Warmth and electricity bounded through his body, tensing his muscles. Soreness ghosted over his limbs, but it was a delightful reminder of their shared night.

Kristi’s voice echoed in his head,
Stop looking at me like that.

Why?
Jay cocked his head to the side, his grin growing.

Kristi’s cheeks pinked and she averted her gaze. She thrust out the box of goodies and the water bottle she managed to pin to the lid. “Eat and drink.”

He gratefully accepted both gifts. His stomach growled eagerly while his throat ached with dryness. Jay didn’t bother sitting as he ripped open the box. Various slabs of meat – from hunted deer to bacon raided from Goldbridge – smacked him across the face.

As Jay tore into the assortment of scrap meat, which was all she could justifiably bring to their prisoner, Kristi’s mind whined. If he didn’t give her some worthwhile intelligence over Goldbridge, Alpha Gavin would beat it out of Jay. Kristi’s eyes focused on him. She had no clue if the Nameless Sentinels had a ranking system or where he would have fallen on it. The countless scars that riddled his face and body told of experience. However, experience meant little if Jay lost every fight.

After a swig of fresh water, washing down the meat he had gobbled down, Jay realized Kristi stared at him intently. “What?”

“If you don’t talk to me, Alpha Gavin will come down here.”

“So? Why should I care?” Jay snorted, but placed a piece of bacon carefully back into the box. He folded it up, sensing an argument in the air.

As he bent down and placed the box near the wall, Kristi continued, “The alpha isn’t as patient as I am.”

“Oh, you’re patient, are you?” As Jay rose to his feet, his anger bubbled to the surface. The paranoia and uncertainty he had tried so hard to push away broke through his barriers. An intense feeling of betrayal, of being used, swarmed his mind. “Is that what all this was about?”

Kristi stared up at Jay, her eyes widening in confusion. His gaze hardened and cooled. There was no affectionate grin on his lips. The temperature dipped down as Jay took a step closer to her. Uncertain with the turn of emotions, Kristi stumbled backward. “What are –”

Jay backed Kristi into a corner. He loomed over her, his body heat ghosted over her bare skin. His hands came up, pinning her against the juncture. His claws dug grooves into the dirt wall. Kristi’s own claws came out, her eyes narrowing and senses on high alert. Inside her, betrayal rippled in her chest. Had Jay not actually felt anything? Was it all a ruse to use her? The thought brought a heat of mortification and rage to her whole body.

Heat and tension boiled between them. Jay couldn’t separate the hot, sticky anger from his thoughts. He could only glare down at Kristi, his alleged Mate, as pain echoed through his chest. Even now, her scent tickled deep, passionate parts of him. He wanted nothing more than to catch her by the lips and ravish her, slowly. His fingertips dug deeper into the dirt.

He really had felt all of it, every little bit, but, maybe, Kristi was just skilled in reading others. She was a gorgeous she-wolf and she knew it. Worst of all, Jay had initiated everything last night with the kiss at the dream lagoon. It was his fault.

Jay’s shoulders deflated, slightly, but his voice still held the torn edge of anger, “I won’t talk.”

“But, Jay –” gasped Kristi; a morose cold fingered through her guts. The faint realization that these feelings – this intense sense of betrayal and self-deserved sadness – were
Jay’s
danced across her thoughts. Her own dreary emotions prickled at her thoughts. It was inevitable for Alpha Gavin to see Jay and there was no happy ending in store for either of them.

“I won’t talk. I have a duty to Goldbridge.” He pushed himself away from Kristi, hollowness filling him up. He stumbled back a couple steps, dirt crunching under his heels.

“Why? They didn’t even welcome you into their pack, Jay!” Kristi nearly screamed, tears burning at the back of her eyes. Her feet propelled her forward a few steps, her clawed hands curling into fists. She wanted to ask about herself, wanted Jay to fight for her. The words wouldn’t come out. Even if they did, would he sense her sincerity? Or was he too far gone in his depressed assumption of the situation to feel it? “They haven’t even attempted to save you!”

Jay’s fists tightened, his claws bit at his palm. He had seen the few attacks the ferals waged on the town. Grown wolves, adolescents, pups – it didn’t matter what age they were. They all were targets when the feral pack stormed the edges of Goldbridge. His stomach couldn’t handle the thought of giving the ferals any information. The blood would be on his hands. “I don’t need a pack to protect them, Kristi!”

Taken aback, Kristi attempted to make sense of the emotional flurry in her head – dread, frustration, guilt, anger, and pain. It all melted together in her head, one solid lump of feelings. She couldn’t disentangle how she felt from the emotional waves radiating off Jay. “But what about –”

“Leave!” Jay lunged toward her, emphasizing his demand. Kristi didn’t flinch away. She glared at him with those yellow eyes and her deep frown. Jay’s stomach churned and his heart throbbed. Emotions swirled in his head and he wasn’t certain where they all came from. Her body heat and scent beckoned to him, like tendrils of rope meant to ensnare him.

Without thinking, he grabbed for Kristi. His large hands cupped her chin, beckoning her toward him. Her hands pressed against his chest and she leaned forward as he swept down. Warmth gently pulsed through them as their lips met. For a brief second, nothing else mattered. Affection and fondness wiped away their inner turmoil.

All too soon, Jay pulled away from the kiss. He stared down at Kristi, hesitating as his mind recalibrated after the display of affection. Frustration flooded back to his senses, along with a sense of defeat. Jay took a deep breath, licking his lips. He could still taste her. He turned his back on Kristi, on her yellow eyes and the pleasant heat she ignited inside him, and growled, “Tell your alpha he can have his meeting, but I won’t talk. No matter what.”

Kristi stared at Jay’s back for a beat as he crossed the cavern. He flopped down to the floor, retrieving the box of food she had given him. He didn’t open it, though. Loss warbled through her thoughts, heavy and intense. There was no sense in arguing. Jay had made up his mind and would stand by it. – for now.

She forced her gaze to her feet and headed for the door. Determination and stubbornness reared in her thoughts with every step. Temptation mounted to turn around and fight. Kristi squashed it down. If they continued this discussion, someone would be bound to hear them. She had already overreacted enough to raise suspicion.

Open the door.
Kristi mentally snarled, trying to shove all sadness away from the words. Glancing over her shoulder, she caught one last glimpse of Jay. He sat there, staring at the box in his hands, the water bottle clenched in a fist. His averted gaze refused to lock on her.

A cold pressure slammed into her chest as the boulder sheared out of the way and she propelled herself into the corridor, head down and expression pinched. Tears bit at the back of her eyes, but she refused to allow them to fall. The guards never uttered a word to her.

Inside his cell, Jay mournfully stared at the food. His appetite had vanished along with his thirst. What was the point? The alpha would swoop down on him and that’d be the end of it. He had encountered the higher-ups of packs before. Arrogant, violent sons-of-bitches. His fingertips dug into the box, making indents, as the lights dimmed and went out.

CHAPTER NINE

Jay sulked in the dark as the time ambiguously passed. Exhaustion tugged at his eyelids as worries and concerns consumed his every waking moment. Thoughts of Kristi and Goldbridge fought for his attention. Would she be okay? Was she actually lying or did she sincerely feel everything the felt? Jay wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking or critical thought that kept that concern alive.

On the flip side, what happened in town? Were the packs safe? Were the ferals planning something with or without his intelligence? What if the alpha did get him to talk? Determination pressed down on Jay. He couldn’t, and wouldn’t, give any of Goldbridge’s secrets up. No matter what happened.

Sleep graced him repeatedly, though it drove him further into his time disorientation. It gave him small breaks from the repetitive, ongoing battles in his brain.

When the lights flickered on, intense tension wound through Jay’s muscles. The heavy scent of blood and moss slipped into the room as the boulder was pushed aside.

The blonde man who entered radiated superiority and, right away, Jay recognized him as an alpha. What had Kristi called him? Gavin?

Tall and broad, he strutted into the cavern. His clothes were torn and tattered in a couple places and stank of blood, mildew, and mud. Jay didn’t like the way the alpha’s green eyes surveyed him. There was amusement and derisiveness in his smirk.

Jay stood and glared intently at Gavin, resisting the urge to bear his teeth. The alpha stood half a foot taller and much broader than Jay, but being starved hadn’t helped him any.

As Gavin waltzed to the center of the room, his eyes never left Jay. “So, you’re the Sentinel my Beta wasn’t able to break.” He continued to advance on Jay, circling him.

Had Jay been in lupine form, his scruff would have raised and a growl would have echoed from his throat. As it were, he kept a tight rein on his abilities. Being denied food and water for his captivity had weakened him. Being away from the moon had taken its toll, too, though, vaguely, Jay wondered if the dreamscape revitalized him when it came to lunar recharging.

Gavin, from behind Jay, picked up a strip of Jay’s shirt. He chuckled approvingly before letting the cloth drop back into place. “Looks like she got rough with you.” The alpha continued another silent revolution around Jay before wandering to the far side of the cell.

Jay eased some tension from his shoulders, but still leered at Gavin. The green-eyed man wandered closer to the pits Jay had dug in exploration and boredom. He wrinkled his nose as the whiff of a latrine hit him. Jay couldn’t help but smirk to himself.

“Kristi tells me you’re loyal to Goldbridge, to a fault,” Gavin continued his conversational tone. His boot scuffed a bit of dirt into the makeshift latrine, as if to cover the scent of bowel movements. The alpha turned on his heel, retracing his steps back to Jay. He listed his head to the side, eyebrows furrowing. “Do you really want to die for wolves who never cared for you?

Jay swallowed his words. Gavin only wanted to bait him into action, then beat the snot out of him – not that the alpha needed a reason to bloody his knuckles on an interloper. However, silently rebelling against the alpha thrilled Jay.

As the silence strung out, longer and longer, Gavin seemed to bristle more. “It probably doesn’t matter to you.” Gavin stopped suddenly a few feet away from Jay. “No protection, no pack, no family. You’re a detached lone wolf, aren’t you?”

There was a beat of silence, as Gavin waited for Jay to fill it. When Jay made it clear his lips were clamped shut, a vague irritation prickled across Gavin’s features. His fingers crooked, almost imperceptibly. A challenge electrified the air and Jay prepared himself for a sudden physical onslaught.

“Then again, you seem to have a thing for my Beta, eh? I can see it in your eyes,” Gavin laughed. The preparation in Jay fizzled, his eyes widening just slightly. He hadn’t considered what would happen to Kristi should her alpha find out about their situation. He must stink of her, especially after mating. Gavin didn’t seem to notice Jay’s sudden distraught. He grinned and shrugged a shoulder, overexerting an air of ease. “Can’t blame you, there. She’s a beautiful, capable bitch.”

Though it was technically the correct term, Jay bristled at Gavin’s usage of ‘bitch.’ His hands curled into fists. His nails digging into his palms reminded him to calm down, before the alpha got what he wanted. One thing Jay despised was giving alphas what they wanted.

“I suppose you’ve considered wooing her, or whatever it is domestic dogs do, but you know she’d never accept you.” Gavin studied his long, pointed nails. Jay noticed the tips were stained a pinkish hue while swallowing down his smug smirk. Gavin continued, not bothering to look at the Sentinel, “If you talk, that might win her over, though.”

Gavin’s light tone and side-eye glance agitated Jay. He was trying to gauge his interest in the subject. It made Jay’s mind roil with clashing thoughts. Partly, he was smug and relieved. Gavin hadn’t picked up on Kristi’s scent all over him. Another facet of Jay’s thoughts flared and flamed. The way the alpha spoke about Kristi roused Jay’s possessiveness and protectiveness. That was the point, though. Jay inhaled slowly through his nose, forcing the inner chaos to calm down.

“Well, mutt, I gotta say, Kristi has better prospects.” Gavin’s lips curled into a sneering grin. “For example, she’d happily give me virile pups.”

The mere suggestion that his Mate, his Kristi, would cave to this snide, obnoxious alpha filled every crack of Jay’s brain. His self-restraint exploded, blasted aside by indignant rage. Snarling, Jay propelled forward, hands outstretched and crooked, claws glistening in the light. He swiped at the alpha’s chest, but his only reward was the rending of fabric under his strike.

Gavin danced out of the way of Jay’s claws, amusement dancing in his green eyes. His teeth elongated and sharpened as his pupils narrowed to slits. Hair sprouted along his cheeks and jaws while bristling along his tough, sinewy arms. “Oh, did I hit a nerve, dog?”

Jay clamped his mouth shut before any more words couldn’t weasel out of his mouth. He didn’t trust his mouth to not betray him. Though the look that would cross Gavin’s face would be worth it, Jay couldn’t do that to Kristi. Her pack could shun, exile, or kill her for the very association. The very thought made a coldness grip at Jay’s guts.

Instead, he continued slashing his claws at Gavin in a chaotic attempt to land a blow. The alpha easily dodged every movement. Just as Jay wondered if his opponent would ever retaliate, Gavin’s hand shot out and snapped around his extended wrist. Claws bit at the underside of Jay’s wrist as he was forcefully spun. A thick arm clamped around his neck, blockading air from his lungs. Gavin wrenched his arm painfully back while Jay scrabbled at the limb wrapped around his throat.

Jay struggled and grunted against Gavin as the alpha leaned forward. An infuriating grin sounded in Gavin’s tone, taunting and smug, “No wonder you’ve got no pack. You’re absolutely useless.”

Blunt pain blossomed in Jay’s side, Gavin’s knee firmly connecting right below his ribs. Jay grunted and gasped, his suddenly-released hand instinctively going to block more blows. With his hand free, Gavin slammed his knuckles into Jay’s temple, releasing the chokehold at the same time. A hissed obscenity left Jay’s lips as he stumbled forward, catching himself from falling.

He turned, glaring at the smirking Gavin. Hunger pinched at Jay’s stomach and in his head, as if sensing excessive exertion. Thirst clawed at Jay’s throat and, at the sudden realization, his lips burned from dehydration. The isolation from the moon ached in his very bones as his body demanded retribution against the alpha. The itch of a transformation crawled over his skin. Jay couldn’t do it, though. He had been away from any lunar light much too long.

And Gavin knew it. “Aw, is that all you had left in you?”

Jay huffed, trying to swallow down the feeling that ached in his lungs. He let out a snarl and launched himself at Gavin once more. The alpha easily hauled him from the air and flung him against the packed wall. Pain drilled through Jay, to his very bones, as the air escaped his lungs. His throat and chest burned, his sight blurred.

As he slid to the floor, the alpha’s crunching footsteps drew closer. Jay didn’t need to see his opponent’s face to know the malicious grin he used. He’d seen it enough times in other faces. A boot slammed into his side, something cracked, and Jay’s lungs screamed for air. He grunted, curling up in a tight ball as more blows rained down on him.