“Don’t eat me,” I cringe as his wolf puts his face so close to mine that our noses are touching. Hesitantly, I reach up and brush the fur on his shoulder.
“Nice, Zarek, good puppy,” I tell him. He huffs at me calling him a puppy. I wonder how much control Zayn even has in this form.
His giant wolf then licks my cheek and drops to the ground beside me. I watch him for a second and see him roll his eyes, making me realize Zayn must have more control than I thought because that is clearly a human trait. He sets his giant paw across my lap and drags me against him, pulling me close. Despite his harsh words earlier, I snuggle into his thick, soft fur, welcoming the renewed warmth of his giant body.
Right now, the important thing is to survive. The warmth gives me hope that perhaps we’ll make it, and someone will find us before I die down here.
I know Dad won’t give up until he’s found me.
Wrapped in Alpha Zayn’s wolf’s warmth, I somehow drift off once again into an uneasy sleep, one filled with rogues, bloodshed, and dead bodies.
It is only when I hear a loud explosion that I’m snapped out of my sleep, making me shoot up, and the Alpha growls. A second explosion blasts more debris into the already tight space, forcing him to shift back.
At that very moment, light seeps into the freezer room, and I turn to see none other than my father standing there in wolf form. Several men are with him, but his eyes are on us, a look of pure rage in those burning eyes of his. A terrifying growl leaves him, echoing off the walls and trembling through me.
“Get off my daughter!” Dad roars, making me stare up into the eyes of Alpha Zayn; his lush, dark locks cover his forehead.
It is then, with pure horror, that I realize not only am I in my skimpy bra, but the Alpha is on top of me, straddling me butt-naked.
“Wait! Dad, it’s not what it looks like!” I scream. My father moves to grab him. Zayn, however, is much quicker. I find myself precariously caught between two Alphas wanting to rip each other to pieces as Zayn pulls me up with him.
But it is too late; Alpha Zayn’s eyes narrow at my father as he stands to face him, with me caught between them.
“She was freezing to death. I was trying to keep her fucking warm,” he spits out in a cold voice that surprises me. Dad doesn’t seem to care and steps closer, pushing the Alpha away from me.
“You may be the Alpha of your pack, but you have no right to touch my daughter!” His voice booms through the room as they square off against each other. Both are huge Alphas full of power and might, though only one could win this battle for supremacy.
The tension in the air is so thick, you could cut it with a knife. My dad and Alpha Zayn are at each other’s throats, both exuding menacing auras, their eyes locked in a challenging stare.
“You’re making out like I am hurting her. I’m not interested in hurting your fucking daughter, Joseph. Now get out of my way!” Zayn snarls furiously.
Dad, however, refuses to bow down to him, and I find myself caught between the pair of them.
“Don’t push your luck with me.” Zayn’s voice is menacingly low as he looks Dad straight in the eyes.
Standing tall between them both seems futile. They are both so much bigger than I am, and their anger is only escalating with each word being spoken.
“She’s my daughter!” Dad roars, his voice echoing through the confined space.
“And you had no right to touch her, regardless of the circumstances!”
“As I said,” Zayn retorts, unyielding, “she was freezing. What was I supposed to do? Let her freeze to death?”
The two Alphas look like they are mere seconds away from lunging at each other when I hesitantly set my hand on Zayn’s bare chest. His heart thumps beneath my palm calmly, and his eyes fall on me.
“Please,” I mouth to him, needing him to back off. I know my father’s temper, and if Zayn doesn’t back off, I know this will turn into a bloodbath. Zayn’s brows furrow briefly, and he grips my hand, moving it off his chest. But he doesn’t let go like I expected he would, even after I turn to my father.
“Can we go, please? It’s cold, Linda and Lydia are probably worried,” I tell my father, knowing his mate is most likely the only person to distract him or stop him from causing a scene.
My father pauses briefly, considering my words at the mention of his mate. “Fine. I will deal with you when I get home. What is wrong with you? How could you allow him to be all over you like that!” he snaps angrily, grabbing my arm. Great! I hoped to use his mate to distract his attention away from Zayn, only to get it pointed right at me.
I glance at Zayn, who presses his lips in a line but nods to me; he doesn’t look impressed about letting my father walk away with his life. He squeezes my hand and lets me go just as my father yanks me toward the exit where debris has been clearedaway, not that there is much left of the place. Then I see the source of the explosion; the huge gas tanks for hot water and kitchens.
“We’re leaving,” my father snaps as I limp along behind him. My leg burns violently as I try to keep up with my father.
As I’m led out, I spot Lydia standing next to Alpha Samuel’s car. She’s in the company of Samuel and two of his men. Samuel is her biological father. He’s on the phone, and I catch the tail end of the conversation.
“Yes, Linda, Lydia is fine, and so is Joseph. Oh, and Cleo is safe, but you should come right away.”
