Page 55 of Alpha Queen
Ares' heart pounded. His wolf clawed at the surface, desperate to make someone pay for what had been taken from them.
The elevator slowed to a stop, and Ares tensed. As the doors slid open, he glimpsed movement in the hallway beyond. He launched forward, shifting mid-leap, and attacking without thought.
Ares' powerful jaws snapped down on the throat of the nearest male, cutting off his cry of alarm. Theo and Santiago were right behind him, their own shifts fluid and practiced as they engaged two more rogues.
Duncan hung back, watching the Lycans tear through Rudy's men with brutal efficiency. Blood spattered the walls, the sound of snarls and breaking bones echoing through the hallway.
Amid the melee, a booming voice cut through the din. "What are you idiots doing out there?"
Ares' head snapped up, his golden eyes locking onto the hulking figure of Rudy at the end of the hall. The rogue Alpha's face contorted as he recognized the intruders.
"You," Rudy snarled, already shifting. "I should have known you'd come sniffing around."
Ares growled, stalking forward as the last of Rudy's men fell. Rudy completed his shift, his massive brown wolf form filling the narrow hallway.
The two Alphas collided in a fury of snapping jaws and slashing claws. Rudy was strong, but he was a shifter, and Ares was a Lycan. A Lycan fueled by desperation and rage.
They tumbled down the hallway, a whirlwind of fur and fangs. Rudy's claws rake across Ares' flank, but he hardly registered the pain. His world narrowed to a singular focus- slaughter Rudy.
Ares and Rudy crashed through a pair of double doors, tumbling into an opulent office space. The stark contrast between the industrial corridors and this lavishly furnished room jarred him, but Ares had no time to dwell on it. He rolled to his feet, snarling as Rudy lunged at him again.
The two powerful wolves circled each other, eyes locked, muscles coiled and ready to strike. Rudy made the first move, feinting left before darting right, his jaws snapping shut inches from Ares' throat. But Ares was ready, twisting away and sinking his teeth into Rudy's shoulder.
Rudy roared, and Ares charged forward, using his superior bulk to slam Rudy into an ornate bookcase. Books and trinkets crashed to the floor as Rudy struggled to regain his footing.
Ares pressed his advantage, his enormous paws pinning Rudy to the ground. Rage pulsed through Ares, fueled by thoughts of River and all she had endured because of Titan and his traitors.
In a blur of motion, Ares' jaws clamped down on Rudy's throat. Rudy thrashed and snapped, but Ares held firm, slowly increasing the pressure, enjoying the terror in Rudy's eyes.
Just as Rudy's struggles began to weaken, Santiago rushed to Ares.
"Ares. We need him alive!"
No. Kill. Revenge.
With tremendous effort, Ares forced his beast to release his grip. His wolf writhed and tried to retake control, his howls becoming more desperate for vengeance. But Ares forced him back and shifted. Rudy collapsed to the floor, wheezing and coughing. He shifted as well but stayed on his hands and knees, blood dripping from the puncture wounds on his neck.
"Where is she?" Ares demanded.
Rudy looked up, confusion mingling with the pain and fear in his eyes. "Who?"
Ares grasped a fistful of Rudy's hair, yanking his head back before punching Rudy in the face. Rudy's bones crunched under his fist. "Don't play games with me. My mate. Where are you keeping her?"
Rudy's brow furrowed. "The High Luna? She's not here."
Ares' grip tightened, eliciting a pained gasp from Rudy. "I know that asshole. Where is she?"
"With Titan, I assume."
"Where?" Ares demanded. "Where has Titan taken her?"
Rudy's eyes darted between Ares, Santiago, and Theo, panic evident in his eyes. "I... I don't know," he stammered. "Titan doesn't share that information with me. I just handle shipments."
Ares exchanged a glance with Theo.
"Then perhaps you'd like to tell us about those shipments," Theo said. "Where are the drugs going?"
Rudy's eyes widened, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "I can't... Titan will eviscerate me."
