Page 39 of Stolen By the Alpha Hunter
Gideon gestures to the sofa and I sit down, Peaches glued to my side. She doesn’t say a word—which I’m grateful for, given how these men have treated her so far. Things are bad all over, but this…this is next level shit.
Gideon watches as his son, Ephraim, pours a whiskey. Ephraim didn’t inherit his father’s size; he’s smaller than Abel, who stands guard at the door with another alpha. It’s jarring how much Ephraim looks like Peaches, his freckled face snide and sinister in comparison—but eerily similar. He hands a glass to Gideon, then Gideon narrows his eyes at him.
“Well?” he says. “Pour a glass for your new brother.”
The way he says it makes it sound like a joke—like this is temporary. My hackles raise at the prospect that he’s already scheming against me, that he has some plan in place to get me away from her.
If I want to keep her, I’m going to have to watch her like a hawk. Make sure she’s thoroughly claimed. Bite her everywhere I can, cover her with my scent, fill herwith my…
No.
That’s not why I did this.
Is it?
Ephraim gives me a glass of whiskey and I shake my head, putting my hand up. “I don’t drink.”
It’s not a good idea for a recovering addict, not that I tell them that.
“First you take my daughter, then you refuse my hospitality,” Gideon says. “You need to learn manners, son.”
“I’m not your son,” I seethe.
“But you are,” he says. “At least—you are now. You put your mark on my daughter, and I intend on making the most of a less than ideal situation. You’re a big man, Javier. I’m curious why you’re taking odd jobs instead of leading a pack of your own.”
I narrow my eyes, trying to figure out his game. I’ve met men like this before—men that wanted to wield me as a weapon, who didn’t see anything but the utility I could provide. I’m about to snap at him when Peaches trembles next to me, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.
I need to get her warm.
Fuck…I still need to get dressed. Even though we’re all wolves here, and it kind of comes with the territory, I feel vulnerable when I’m naked as the day I was born in front of these men. They can all see the scars…hopefully not the track marks.
But I can’t let her go, and I have to finish this conversation before I’m allowed to leave. She’s too weak; they’ll use her against me if I let them.
“I’m not cut out for that kind of thing,” I say.
“For being Prime?” Gideon stirs his whiskey, staring into the amber glass. “Hm…you understand then. Being king isn’t for everyone. There’s something in the blood of kings that makes it easier.”
He’s an asshole, but I don’t mind him talking. The more he talks, the more time I have to plan, to listen, to focus on how I’m going to protect us both. Me and Peaches are both in danger right now, whether she realizes it or not.
“We’re always looking for men like you to join the Rig, Javier,” Gideon says. “Men who know what it means to be a warrior—who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. And the perks…?” He gestures at Peaches—at his daughter, the sick fuck. “Well, you can see the advantages.”
A pulse of fury cracks through me. I don’t know who gave him the scar on his face, or who blinded him in one eye—but whoever it was, I owe them a drink. I want toripthat smile off his face. I want to drag my claws across his throat and watch himbeg.
“Do I have a choice?” I grind out.
Gideon chuckles. “Well, that’s a matter of perspective, isn’t it?” He leans back, all faux-casual, like this is a friendly business deal and not a fucking hostage negotiation. “You stay. Join my pack. You fuck your omega and keep your spot here on the Rig. Or—” He lifts a brow. “I throw you overboard and give her to someone else.”
Peaches stiffens in my arms.
“I know what I’d choose,” he adds with a smirk.
My vision goes white-hot for a second. Not just at the threat to me—but toher. To everything we’ve just been through. He’s talking about handing her over like she’s some piece of meat.
And yet…there’s something worse curling behind his words.
He didn’t say we could leave.
He never intended to let us go. I might be her alpha…but he’s the Prime.
