Page 22 of Truth or Lie

“What the fuck?”That was Flynn in my ear.

I was already moving toward Leona and Kam when the source of Flynn’s shock grew clear. A second alpha across the room snarled and pulled a gun, only to be immediately tackled by several of his fellows. A shot rang out, followed by a trickle of plaster dust falling from the ceiling where the bullet had impacted.

Flynn appeared, his body acting as a physical barrier between the omegas and the threats. My heartbeat thundered. Sudden rage filled me at the idea that he alone should get to gather the pair up and hustle them toward the south door. Goddamn it—Iwantedthose omegas. I was the pack leader. I was the stronger one. Those omegas should be mine. Theywouldbe mine.

My clit throbbed in its sheath as a wave of lust slammed over me. My jaw ached with the sudden urge to bite, to claim. Jax was approaching now with Nikolayev, both of them grim-faced and angry. I needed to act before I was outnumbered. Boiling rage flooded my veins as I reached into my jacket, my fingers closing around the grip of my weapon.

I drew the Makarov and aimed it at my rival. Flynn’s eyes fell on me and widened.

Flynn’seyes.

Flynn.

With a gasp, I flung the handgun away as if it had suddenly become red hot, staggering backward. With a shaking hand, I pressed a finger to my earpiece.

“I’m compromised,” I croaked. “You need to subdue me before I lose control like the others.

My hip impacted the edge of a table, stopping my backward momentum and sending a half-empty punchbowl and trays of glasses dancing. I saw Flynn exchange a wide-eyed look with Jax, before they both converged on me.

As two rivals charged me, my hindbrain rose up and swallowed my rational awareness. I screamed in rage and sprang at them, ready to snap necks and claw out eyeballs. My nails raked dark skin, just missing my assailant’s left eye. The second alpha took advantage of my failed attack and dodged right. Before I could block his swing, something heavy and solid slammed into my temple.

The impact rang through my skull, sending me crashing to my knees. A second blow followed before I could straighten. The darkness swirling at the edge of my vision rushed inward, chasing me into the black.

ELEVEN

Leona

KAM AND I clutchedeach other in shock as Alex drew a gun on Flynn, only to gasp as if in pain and throw it away a moment later. She staggered backward, saying something I couldn’t make out over the shouts and screams of the panicking crowd. Another gunshot shattered the air behind us, and I flinched, trying to stay low.

Flynn had been attempting to shelter us with his body. With a sharp curse, he sprang toward his pack leader. A familiar blond form rushed past us at almost the same instant, yelling at us to take cover. Jax converged on Alex just as she lunged for Flynn, attacking him viciously. Through the bond, I could feel my mates’ utter, confused horror at what was happening.

Before I could react, a tall form grabbed me by the shoulder and bore me down, forcing me roughly to my hands and knees between two tables. Kam landed next to me with a pained grunt. For the barest of moments, I was thrown back to the raid at my apartment—strong hands shoving me to the floor. But then Nikolayev appeared, crouching in front of us—watching the room with a tactical eye.

“Can I assume that your female alpha hasn’t turned traitor voluntarily?” he asked, with acid in his tone.

“Of course she hasn’t,” Kam snapped, evidently forgetting his bone-deep fear of the Russian alpha in the face of the implied accusation against Alex’s character.

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