Page 97 of Alpha Queen
"Strong sedative." She touched her split lip. "Enough to take down a bull elephant. He'll be out for hours."
Kane nodded, limping to what remained of the liquor cabinet. He extracted a miraculously unbroken bottle of whiskey, uncapped it, and took a long pull before passing it to Vanessa.
"What now?" Her eyes never left Titan's prone form.
Kane stared down at the man who had been his brother in all but blood. The man whose vision had once inspired him, whose strength had been a cornerstone of his life. Now that man lay twisted by his obsession, consumed by madness that had been growing for months. The same madness and obsession he'd watched Titan's mother succumb to.
"We evacuate," Kane said, his decision crystallizing with each passing second. "We get everyone to safety. Now."
Vanessa's eyebrows shot up. "Evacuate? The entire compound?"
"Yes." Kane turned to face her fully. "The twins are close. It's only a matter of time before they find us."
"But we have defenses. Security systems, armed guards-"
"Against two royal Alphas and whatever force they've assembled?" Kane shook his head. "They won't be taken by surprise a second time. They'll be prepared and with as much backup as they can get. We'd be slaughtered."
"But we have guns. Ammunition."
"But only a handful of the rogues even know how to use them. Titan called in reinforcements, but they haven't even arrived yet, and who knows when or if they will. Most of the rogues here aren't fighters; they're scared wolves who wouldn't win against other rogues, let alone Alphas, Betas, and Lycans."
Vanessa shook her head. "You're right. Most of the rogues here don't have what it takes to fight." She glanced at Titan's unconscious form. "Okay. We get everyone ready to leave. But what about him?"
Kane stayed silent for a long moment, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. Not that there was anything to decide. "We take him with us. Contain him until he's... himself again."
"If that's even possible," Vanessa murmured.
"It has to be." Uncertainty tinged his voice. "The Titan I know is still in there somewhere."
Vanessa shrugged. "I wouldn't be too sure. I know you want him to be, but from where I stood, he would have killed you if I hadn't intervened."
"What? Do you want me to thank you or something?"
"No. I just want you to face the truth that it is very well possible he won't come back from this."
Kane growled. He didn't want Vanessa's words to be valid. But even he had his doubts about what Titan would do when he woke up.
It didn't matter, though; that was the least of his worries at the moment.
He moved to the intercom on the wall and pressed the button that would broadcast throughout the compound. "This is Kane. All persons, begin evacuation procedures. This is not a drill. Secure essential documents and equipment per protocol. We move out in one hour."
Releasing the button, he turned back to Vanessa. "We need to stabilize him for transport."
"And the others?" she asked, gesturing toward the door. "Some of them are loyal to Titan, not to you."
"They'll follow orders or they'll be left behind," Kane said. "I won't sacrifice everyone for his obsession. But you can't help those who won't help themselves."
Vanessa nodded and hurried from the room. Kane knelt beside his brother. Blood had congealed on Titan's face. For a moment, Kane rested his hand on Titan's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, brother. But this ends now."
Rising to his feet, Kane surveyed the destruction around him. The shattered furniture, the splintered walls, the blood-soaked floor. A fitting metaphor, he thought, for what Titan's obsession had done to their cause.
He would salvage what he could. He had to. Even if it meant betraying the man he had followed for so long.
Austin rushed in. "It's too late. The estate is surrounded."
"What? By who?"
