Chapter Two
Marcus
The pack compound was once a failed American dream: a decaying industrial district left to rot, with its crumbling brick and rusted metal. But with the help of our elders, my late grandfather saved it and made it home.
Overlooking the lush forest was the main building. In addition to its offices, Grandad also masterminded accommodations for the alphas, betas, and gammas—for their long nights spent discussing pack business…
Or making a human come over and over, apparently.
Grandad was probably rolling in his fucking grave.
Even though each leader had a house within the residential area like everyone else, inviting Joanna into my true home would’ve caused confusion. Even more unease within the pack.
She and I had done enough.
As I sulked my way to the cells underground, the silence of the dark tunnels settled my nerves. Thank the Moon my wolves couldn’t see me like this. But I’d even forbidden Maya, my trusted gamma, from speaking to this prisoner.
I paused outside the reinforced steel door.
Cloth rustled from within: the steady heartbeat of the captive werewolf inside churning the contents of my stomach.
Latoya Sullivan.
The name made my hackles rise. She was Joanna’s sister, her death the supposed catalyst for Joanna’s hunting career. Yet here she was, alive and turned, a participant in the uprising that had divided my pack…
A woman whose scent was so tantalizing, it made my wolf bark in confusion.
I unlocked the cell door and pulled it open. As it screamed in protest, Latoya peered up from her cot, her orange eyes meeting mine with a defiant gleam.
She looked so much like her sister. Lean and muscular. Rich brown skin.
Fuck.
“Morning, Alpha,” she drawled, swinging her long legs over the side of the cot.
Her voice was a sultry purr that sent an unwanted thrill through me.
She stood, her eyes never leaving mine as she approached.
The silver-infused shackle around her ankle pulled taut.
“Or goodnight? Hard to tell without windows.”
I bristled. “Latoya—”
“And it’s so damn hard to sleep since I keep thinking about your fine ass.”
“Latoya—”
“Shit,” she interrupted, throwing up her arms. “It was a compliment. Blush, smile, or something. Quit being so damn uptight.”
I stepped into the cell, hearing the door close behind me, the lock clanking back into place.
Latoya watched me as I moved, her wary eyes narrowing as she walked back to her cot and took a seat. “What do you want?” she asked with a sigh. She gathered her thin locs over her right shoulder. “Come to ask me stupid questions again? Or… perhaps you’re here for something else?”
She spread her legs apart, dragging her palms up her thighs. The tunic she wore followed her hands, exposing her smooth skin.
She crooned, “I’d rather the something else.”
My traitorous cock stiffened in my pants. “I’m here to see if you’re gonna talk today, Latoya… About the uprising… About your sister.”
Her eyes widened at the mention of Joanna, but she composed herself in an instant, her face becoming a cool mask of indifference. She adjusted her tunic. “I have nothing to say to you.”
I scoffed. “Really? Because my guess is you’re dying to explain yourself. I think you’re bursting at the seams with reasons for being a poor fucking excuse of a sister. You just need someone willing to listen.”
She rolled her eyes. “Not someone, Alpha. Joey.”
I took a step closer, my patience thinning. “Well, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Latoya’s shoulders slumped, but with the same speed as before, she recovered. “Can’t say I blame her. If I were her, I wouldn’t want to talk to me either.” She chuckled darkly. “Looks like you have your work cut out for you, Alpha.”
My snarl vibrated against the stone walls.
Latoya’s lips curled into a confident smirk. “Bring me my sister,” she demanded, her voice laced with a feigned sweetness, “or I don’t say a fucking word.”
I charged forward, Latoya’s smirk vanishing once I loomed over her. The wolf within me readied itself, a growl rumbling in my chest as I glared down at her, baring my teeth. “It would be hard to talk to her if you’re missing a tongue,” I warned.
A trace of fear tickled my senses, a delicious scent that filled the air between us.
“Let me make one thing very clear,” I barked. “You’re my prisoner. You’re subject to my mercy. And you will show me the respect I am due as the alpha who holds your pathetic life in his hands.”
I held her gaze for a moment longer, letting the weight of my words sink in.
Latoya swallowed hard, her eyes wide. She broke our gaze, and I reveled in the rapid rise and fall of her chest.
I stepped back to give her a moment to collect herself before I continued, “Let’s try this again. You’re going to tell me about the uprising. You’re going to tell me if any wolves besides the ones in the warehouse are involved and where they might be now.”
Latoya’s eyes flicked back to mine. “And if I don’t?” she challenged, a hint of her earlier defiance returning.
“Then you’ll leave me no choice but to take more persuasive measures.”
Latoya’s fearful gaze disappeared, and the manipulative sneer returned to her face. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
My jaw slackened.
Who the hell was this woman?
“Is that the big-bad-wolf voice you used on my sister?” Latoya taunted with a smile.
“Because damn, I don’t know how her little heart could take all of that.
All of… you.” Her eyes drifted down to my crotch.
“And I wouldn’t be so quick to rip out my tongue, Alpha. Not before you see what it can do.”
My wolf growled in response to the challenge in her eyes. But I refused to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.
I kept my expression neutral, my voice cold. “You’re playing with your life, Latoya.”
She shrugged, making herself comfortable in her cot, the chain clanking with the movement. “I’ve always been a fan of living on the edge, Alpha. Besides,” she said, her eyes meeting mine, “what’s the worst that can happen? You’ll kill me?”
“Slowly.”
Latoya’s expression never faltered. “I’ve died once before, pureblood,” she said, her voice steady. “I’m not afraid to do it again.” Her eyes narrowed as she emphasized each word. “Now, bring me my sister.”