Mia figured her knee cap must have cracked against the pavement when Dustin had tossed her to the side of the road like a bag of trash. She hadn't felt the pain at the time, but she sure as shit felt it now.
For the last hour, she'd gritted her teeth and tried to push past the ache and despair. Even from her first step, she knew that escape was a long shot, but she had to do something. Josh and Dustin weren't coming back for her—not until morning, at least, and probably not even then. And no one else knew where she was.
If Mia made it out of the Boundarylands in one piece, it would be because she dragged herself out.
Emphasis on the word dragged.
Even in the pale moonlight, Mia could see a dark bruise swelling beneath the skin. Walking was agony, and speed was impossible. She guessed she'd only traveled a mile and a half in the last hour.
At this rate, she wouldn't make it halfway to the boundary before dawn.
Still, she had to keep going.
What other choice was there? Crawl into the ditch on the side of the road and wait for some alpha to find her?
And when he did…
Oh, God. She refused to think about it. She only hoped when he found her, he would kill her quickly instead of toying with her.
Mia rounded a corner, and the pale yellowish light of a roadside sign illuminated the stretch of the Central Highway before her.
The sign read EVANDER'S BAR. Behind it, tucked back into the edge of the woods, was a nondescript low-slung wood-sided roadhouse, its windows dark. Only one old truck was parked in the corner of the dirt lot.
Mia didn't remember passing the place on the way in. Then again, she'd been focused on other things.
She stayed very still, terrified that there were alphas inside. It was late—past two in the morning—but could Boundaryland bars really be expected to follow beta curfew laws?
Somehow, Mia doubted it.
She inched forward, letting out a ragged breath. The place looked empty, but just to be safe, she crossed to the opposite side of the road as she hobbled by.
She had just limped past the corner of the lot when the sound of creaking hinges stopped her mid-step. The slam of a heavy door followed.
Mia froze. Afraid to breathe, she tucked her arms in tight, making herself as small as possible.
Maybe she'd be okay. She was out of the light, just past the line of sight from the front door. As long as she stayed still and quiet, she might go unnoticed.
She closed her eyes at the sound of heavy footsteps. Wood planks groaned as someone walked down the bar's front steps.
Mia had never seen an alpha before—not a live one, anyway. Very few people had. There was a part of her that wanted to see for herself just how massive the creature behind her actually was, but she didn't dare turn around to sneak a peek.
Curiosity wasn't the same thing as stupidity.
The night was almost unnaturally still, and Mia's heart thudded in time with the crunch of boots on loose gravel. She silently willed him to walk the other way, to get in the truck, to go back inside. Anything except come closer.
"Bad news, lady," a deep voice growled. "You've been left behind."
Mia jumped at the sound and took a few staggering strides as her knee surged with fresh pain. Somehow, she swallowed the cry that threatened to spill out of her lips.
Maybe he wasn't talking to her. Maybe there was someone else in the parking lot. Maybe—
"You must be new. Though you're not going to make it in this profession if you spook that easy."
She was as good as dead.
Mia opened her mouth to beg for her life, but fear had stolen her voice. She could barely breathe.
"Relax." His footsteps grew louder. He was coming closer. "Worrying won't do any good. There's nowhere to go until morning."
Mia didn't know if she could run. Then again, she didn't have much of a choice. If she was lucky, a surge of adrenaline would kick in and numb the pain.
"Next time, make sure you leave a little earlier." The alpha kept talking, his voice devoid of emotion. "Nicky likes to make sure all the girls are out of here by two."
Nicky? The girls? What the hell was he talking about? Mia finally glanced over her shoulder in consternation, and the sight caused her breath to lodge in her throat.
The alpha was huge. So much bigger than she'd imagined. He had to be over seven feet tall, and as wide as Josh and Dustin put together.
But that wasn't the most shocking thin…he was gorgeous. Not pretty. Not movie-star chiseled. But sexy, and virile, and overwhelmingly masculine. The sight of him was both terrifying and intriguing at the same time. Mia couldn't look away.
Unfortunately, he seemed just as interested in her. She could feel his gaze intensify as he cocked his head to the side.
"I don't remember seeing you before," he said, almost conversationally. "What's your name?"
Mia opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
He stepped closer. Too close. Out of the parking lot and onto the edge of the road.
Instinctively, Mia drew back, trying to maintain a buffer between them. She winced as her knee buckled under her weight, and the alpha's gaze went to her injury.
Even from where she stood, she could see his expression harden.
"You're hurt." His voice had taken on an edge, as if the sight of her blood made him angry. "Did someone do that to you? Is that why you were late getting back?"
With each question he took another step closer. At this rate, he'd be on top of her in a heartbeat.
Mia threw her hands out in front of her. "Please, stay back." Her voice squeaked with terror, but at least
