“For now.” The Alpha stepped forward, leaning down to inhale her scent. “Goddess, her scent is divine. I swear I’m hard just smelling that fear. I want her in my special room. Lock her in there for an hour or so and then I’ll go to her. By then the room will reek of her terror.”
“As you wish, Alpha.” Marlon went to walk away but Jermaine stopped him.
“Wait, you can pick one for yourself, Beta, for doing a good job.”
“Thanks.” Marlon snickered just before Maisy heard a shout, the voice familiar but shooting even more alarm through her already horror filled body.
“Wait! You can’t want her, Alpha! I’ll be much better for you.”
Maisy’s head spun around so fast she saw spots as Libby ran forward, her lips pouting as she smiled up at the Alpha. “She’s a fraidy-cat and won’t be much fun.”
Marlon’s hand shot out, halting Libby. “Stop right there, bitch.”
This was the moment Maisy knew both her and her friend’s lives would end. Her insides churning, her blood rushing downwards to pool in her feet, and leaving her so lightheaded that she felt sure she’d faint. The only thing stopping her was Libby’s presence, she couldn’t desert her friend. Not now, not when she was trying to sacrifice herself in her stead. Maisy might be a mouse, a fraidy-cat, and more, but she couldn’t allow Libby to do this.
She. Just. Couldn’t.
“No,” Maisy said, her voice coming out high-pitched and much louder than she’d intended. Staring up at her friend she shook her head. “I’m fine. Honestly, Libs.”
Libby returned her stare, and shook her head. “I can’t, sweets, I just can’t.”
Maisy watched in horror as Libby pushed Marlon’s hand aside. “Alpha, you just know, you’ll have so much more fun with me. Plus, I’m strong, much stronger than this little one here. I’ll give you a good strong son, whereas this one will probably keel over with her first contraction, and you can bet your last dollar, she’s gonna pop out another girl.”
Marlon snarled, pushing Maisy behind him so roughly she went sprawling in the dirt, rushing to grab hold of Libby. Jermaine had retreated up the stairs to his cabin and was watching with one eyebrow raised, as if he was considering Libby’s proposal.
Libby struggled in Marlon’s hold. “Let go of me, you big brute.”
The Alpha chuckled. “Brute, you hear that, Marlon? She called you a brute.”
Marlon’s fist connected with Libby’s jaw so damn fast that none of them saw it coming. Her head jerked back as blood spurted from her mouth, and Maisy was sure she saw a tooth flying out as Libby grunted in pain. Maisy didn’t think, she reacted, jumping to her feet she rushed forward and jumped onto the Beta’s back, pulling his hair and kicking wherever her small feet could land.
A rage burning inside her that she’d never felt before. One that she didn’t know she was capable of . . . not until she saw her friend in danger. Then something just consumed her, took over her in a way she couldn’t control so she kicked, scratched, and god damn it, she even sank her teeth into Marlon’s shoulder to stop his assault on Libby.
Her friend now lay on the ground as the Beta kicked her in the ribs, the sound of Libby’s ribs breaking tearing at Maisy’s heart. Marlon paused in his attack on Libby, focusing on Maisy, his hands reaching over to pull her roughly from his back before throwing her away from him.
She hit the ground, hard, rolling over and over before smashing against the porch of the Alpha’s cabin. Her head spinning, body aching, and tears running down her cheeks to join the blood now pouring from scrapes on her face. Her nose gushed with crimson liquid, making it hard for her to breathe, so she had to open her mouth and draw in short painful gasps.
It took a moment for her eyes to focus and when they did, a soft whine tore from her throat when she saw her Alpha standing with his arms crossed glaring at Libby, who was held up by Marlon’s hand around her throat. Jermaine snarled into Libby’s face, his fangs descended in a show of pure aggression.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You stupid bitch, you’ve made a fatal mistake today. One you won’t live long enough to regret.”
Marlon laughed, shaking Libby who struggled in his grasp and then, Goddess help her, she stared their Alpha right in the eye and ground out, “You’re a fucking perverted, sick son-of-a-bitch and I know I won’t be here, but I’ll be looking down from above when the day comes and you get your fucking throat ripped out, you fucking bastard!”
Then Libby spat in his face! Maisy’s stomach lurched as she crawled forward, desperate to reach her friend. She knew what was going to happen, and she also knew she couldn’t stop it, but she had to try. As it was, she didn’t even make it to Libby.
A roar of anger ripping from their Alpha as he forced a partial transformation. It was agonizing to watch as his hands lengthened into razor sharp claws, fur sprouting from his skin . . . and then he plunged those deadly claws into her friend.
Maisy leapt to her feet, her legs trembling as she dashed forward . . . too late. Jermaine’s arm shot back, raising it high above his head with blood covering it and flowing down to trickle onto the ground. Maisy’s scream tore through the camp when she saw Libby’s heart held firmly between his hand that was now fingers, instead of the deadly weapons he’d used on her friend.
“This is what happens to anyone who steps out of line! Remember that the next time you have thoughts of speaking out of turn!”
Marlon released his hold on her dead friend, Libby’s corpse falling limply
