Alpha’s Hybrid Cinderella – Chapter 69

EARLIER:

Evan no longer had Peelle at his side. He had only the counsel of werewolves whose first concern was excitedly throwing themselves into the drama, not saving Claudia. They didn’t understand. This threat delivered over their radio frequency to not attack, that if they did, the enemy would slit Claudia’s throat. Evan would listen to their demands, or he would lose his woman.

The others didn’t understand. They had all shaken their heads and nearly laughed, as if it was some kind of joke. As if they couldn’t believe the audacity of someone to try to threaten their fearsome Alpha Evan with the life of some… some no-account half-breed woman, a former slave no less.

was no mere plaything, nor was she a failed bait.

emy had been that Evan send two additional hostages to the Wellington Federal Bank ten kilometers from the edge of the campus base. Alone. If the enemy sighted anyone else sneaking along with them, they would kill Claudia immediately. If the additional hostages brought weapons, the same result. They had thirty minutes to comply, and cooperation would prove that Evan was willing to negotiate after all. If this failed, there were no second chanc

en the enemy revealed their hand. They didn’t want just any hostages. They wanted hostages from the two most powerful families in the Scarlet pack, aside from Evan’s. They already had Claudia, after all. That meant the Glilies

” he said calmly. “You can’t go, but they’ll take me. I’m the heir of the Joseph

t I go. I can’t put you in danger, and they’ll accept me even more readily as a hostage since I’m the current Alpha.”

“Dad!”

y. In the meantime, I want you to help Alpha Evan track down and identify the ones who took Claudia. We have traitors in our midst, son. We have to sniff them out before they do something even worse. I’ll go as a hostage. I know you can handle things. Tell them I

. He just wanted Claudia safe.

of the rogue answered: “Yes. We’ll take the Alpha. But from the Gl

Flicka?

hter. Hurry up, if you want to make it in time and not see your half-breed slit open from throat to belly. Leave in the next minute and you might not be too late.”

t was selfish to send Flicka. Ev

t someone who can defend herself, not…” She broke off with a dainty cough. “Anyway, you know I’m trained. We’ll wait in position and then move with you when you’re ready to retaliate.”

ituation. This was a game to her with no real stakes, a simulation or roleplay where she would come out the princess or the hero. Things were moving so fast she couldn’t whine and throw a fit.

And Evan, against his better judgment, wouldn’t let her figure it out. He needed to keep Claudia alive. He needed to buy time. No

“Go!”

***

IME:

hen Joseph’s thoughts and relive his memories of what had happened earlier, but at least it gave me insight on what had happened whil

ter how stacked the odds and I knew it, he would get himself killed. More than ever, I wished I could mind-link so I could reach out to him and warn him before he got too close, but chances we

scared me. Who did they think I was? That slave’s life they scorned so much had made me strong. Living in darkened huts, thrown into the basement with no light to see by, even that long night I had spent in the forest when I was young and frightened and utterly lost.

uld be okay. And a seed, a seed of light in me that spread and warmed my fingertips before passing into him, the boy whose face was so familiar…

closed my eyes, abs

rists chafed against the zipties as I rubbed them back and forth over the armrests without stopping. I focused on them first and kept my feet steady, conserving my strength so I could pour it all into freeing my hands first. And there was pain, so much pain as the zipties rubbed and rubbed against raw skin,

y at the armrest without stopping, knowing Flicka or Matthen could return any second and put a stop to it all. I had to do this now.

t know it.

***

ng. You come to us, and we’ll hand over the hostages for you.”

d why would we believe that!”

u don’t have a choice. You have another thirty minutes. Rem

l be no negotiation.”

r woman and the other two live or die.”

inning. The enemy wanted him to bring a fight for some reason, not forcing him to abdicate or even kill himself — not directly, anyway. They wanted him to attack.

oblige.

a Eva

.”