Page 27 of Ruin

“Me either.” Alex’s face was dark.

“So what have you found out about this camp and all this expense, my many-faced friend? Anything useful?”

“Nah, not really. Drake’s not saying where all this equipment came from. I mean, I know he has the money, but this stuff…” He gestured with a dip of his chin to where more weapons were being unloaded from the crates that had just been dropped. “It’s insane.”

“Hmm.” I had to agree. Now that it was light, I could see the extent of the camp. Not only that, I saw the live electrical wires that ran around the edge of what was now a military style camp. A generator hummed in the distance and cables ran along the ground taking electricity into the caves. I was glad the people here, particularly the women and their babies, at least had decent light and food. “So who’s in charge?”

Alex’s brows dipped. “It looks like Owen is. Drake hasn’t challenged his role as alpha and no one else has, either; not that many men came with Drake. Maybe a force of about thirty. But one squad of ten look military to me. They’ve kept to themselves while the others have all been setting up the camp.”

“Do they wear a uniform?”

“No, not really, well nothing that would identify them or their allegiance.”

I remained silent and watched people moving around. There seemed to be teams, all led by people I didn’t know. Each team was doing a different job either moving equipment, food, or other supplies.

“Where are Drake and Owen, now?”

“That cabin.” He pointed to one which stood apart from the others. “It’s the ops centre. Just watch your ears as we get close.”

My brows dipped and I turned my head to look at him. “Why?”

Alex grimaced. “It won’t bother me but you’re not gonna like it.”

I gripped his arm and raised my brows, my nerves already stretched. “Alex.”

He stopped walking at my growled warning. “It’s okay,. It’s nothing dangerous, just uncomfortable to shifters. They've set up radio frequency and acoustic disturbance equipment. I guess they don't want anyone listening in on the conversations going on in there. It doesn’t hurt me like it will you, but I still can’t hear through the noise it makes.”

I raised a brow. I shouldn’t expect any less from Drake, the clever bastard. “So this will hurt?”

“Yep, like a bitch. But according to Stone it gets better. When you’ve done it enough times, it stops feeling uncomfortable.”

“Oh great, encouragement from the most miserable and unfeeling of us.”

Alex grinned. “Yeah, sweet, isn’t it?”

“Come on. Let’s get this over with. We need to deal withthat...that issue.” I wouldn’t use Connor’s name again unless I had to. It wasn’t him.

Two soldiers, that’s all I could describe them as, watched us approach, their attention unnerving. One narrowed his eyes at me. I met his gaze, my hackles immediately rising. Prime jumped into the mix. I snarled.Shit, shit, shit.I needed Prime to back down from this male if I was going to keep his presence in me a secret.

“Ember, now’s not a good time to let that wolf play alpha,” Alex mumbled.

“I bloody know that. But he doesn’t know these wolves and he wants to kick some arse.”

“Jeez, now really isn’t the time. These guys don’t mess about.”

“Yeah, well, neither do I, and he’s a Prime.”

“Damn, Ember, have you ever met another Prime?”

I slowed my steps, not relinquishing the soldier’s gaze. His brow dipped and his top lip curled into a challenging snarl. “What’s your damn point,” I snapped at Alex.

“Together, he and Connor arethePrime. Don’t take this guy on, please, Em. It will give away the power that you're carrying, and I don’t just mean Prime; they will wonder how a female shifter is carrying the only alpha Prime known to be in existence, to people who we can’t trust.”

I could feel my need to take this guy on being fuelled by Prime. He was trying to burst from my skin and take this guy’s throat out if he didn’t submit...

“Pull me away! Now, Alex!”

Alex grabbed my arm just as another presence registered in my head. I fought Prime, not willing to let him burst through my skin. Prime snapped and growled, his claws pushing through my nail beds.

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