chapter 6

6 The Alpha's Offer

It was alla dream.

That was Luiza Lazarov's first thought upon

waking. It had all been a dream, the most terrible

dream. One filled with canine teeth and a

muttering red woman. Nika had been there, and

Elliot, and her other friends, too.

But as she blinked away the bleariness, Lu

registered her surroundings. The room was small

barely large enough to account for the single-sized

bed. Thanks to the heavily tinted windows, which

were also fortified with bars, a weak stream of light

tried and failed to illuminate the space.

Lu bolted upright, throwing an old, worn blanket

off her body. Dizziness rushed through her, and she

steadied herself with palms flattened on the

mattress.

Her heart was a storm, so violent that she clutched

her chest for fear of it bursting.

Because this place... It was not a dream.

She carefully rose, discovering that she was still

dressed in the navy blue, pleated skirt she'd been

wearing when it had happened. The confrontation

with Dante Azzara, that red-haired woman

dragging her into the woods. The last thing she

remembered was Nika screaming her name. And

the rest...

"Oh my Oldbloods."

But hailing to the Daemonstri ancestors did little to

soothe her panic. What was going on? Where was

she?

With wobbly knees and bare feet, she crossed the

carpeted floor and gazed through the window. Or

rather, gazed at it, since it was much too warped to

have been any use to her. But at least she could tell

night from day, and it was certainly daytime right

now.

But how long had it been since that dreadful night?

And what had become of her friends? Were they

alright?

Think, she told herself. What would Nika do?

The answer came as quickly as her next heartbeat

-assess your surroundings.

So Lu did, though there wasn't much to observe.

Other than the small bed-which her captor had

been compassionate enough to stock with not one,

but two pillows-there was only wooden walls, the

colorless carpet on the floor, and Lu's outrageously

expensive Oxfords neatly positioned beside a door.

A door, she realized, that was propped open.

After rushing to put her shoes back on-which, in

reality, was not fast at all, thanks to whatever

drugs she'd been given-she took a quivering

breath and pulled on the crystal knob. The hinges

creaked and Lu's first step into the next room was

accompanied by a moan from the floorboards

Outside the bedroom was a narrow hallway. To the

left was a bathroom, complete with a toilet, sink,

and one-person shower, all crammed into five-by-

five-foot space.

Directly in front of her was a kitchen and dining

area, if they could even be called so. After checking

the drawers, she found them all to be empty, apart

from spare linens and towels. And there was no

stove or microwave either.

Smart of them-giving her access to fire or sharp

utensils probably wouldn't have ended wel.

Though Lu had to admit that the thought of

wielding a salad fork as a weapon made her

stomach uneasy.

And speaking of her stomach-there wasa

refrigerator that wasn't even large enough for Nika

to crawl into without losing a limb. Lu wiggled the

handle, holding her breath as she peeked inside to

find two blood bags displayed on the otherwise

empty shelves.

It felt like an invitation for her to help herself. And

although her hands trembled from fear and lack of

nutrition, she was too afraid to dare.

Besides, she knew what Nika would say during this

moment: What if it's poisoned?I don't want to play

nurse or watch you die ofstupidity.

Lu shut the refrigerator and cast her eyes toward

the end opposite to the bedroom. It contained a

table set inside a booth with cushioned seats.

Al the windows were the same as the one in the

sleeping nook-barred with iron and too warpedto

see through. The walls were made entirely of

wooden panels as well. And there was only one

exit. Not even an emergency escape on the ceiling.

With a single glance, Lu knew the main door was

locked from the outside.

Trapped-completely and totally trapped.

Walking back down the hallway with a little more

confidence than before, she realized that the

rooms jostled. Assessing the full size, from the bed

to the dining table, she speculated that this was a

trailer or portable home of some sort.

Great, she thought. A wolf's paradise.

Seconds ticked by, and she just stood in the center

of the trailer. There was deathly silence, apart from

the pounding of her pulse inside her ears. And just

as she was about to break under the pressure of

her own dread, the main entrance clattered open

and slammed shut again. And a man with no

concern for subtlety strode forward.

For a moment, Lu was confused as the middle-

aged man-or wolf-with dark hair and bronze

skin smirked at her.

He clasped his hands behind his back. "If you're

trying to figure out what to call me, Alpha will do

just fine."

Lu didn't reply. Couldn't even try. Her tongue felt

as though it had withered inside her mouth.

"How are you feeling?" He cocked his head. "Don't

worry, the grogginess will wear off shortly. The

sleeping spell was only to get you settled in."

both his gaze and his tone growing darker with

each word. "And there are plenty of Volkari eager

to sink their teeth into a pretty, little halfblood"

Lu gripped the countertop so hard that she

wondered if her bones might snap. "You can't hurt

her" she said, more for herself than for the alpha.

"You won't even be able to get to her."

"I got to you," he said with no shortage of glib

arrogance. He reached out and swept a strand of

hair behind her ear, smiling faintly. She went

momentarily blind with rage and disgust. "And

how do you know I haven't taken her as well? She

could be in a trailer of her own, waiting to be

tortured for your cooperation."

She stiffened, realizing that he was right. And if he

truly did have Nika tied up somewhere, with a

bunch of barbaric Volkari taunting and hurting her

"What do you want from me?"

She forced herself to say the words, despising how

they tasted in her mouth. Despising how he'd given

her no choice.

"The details will be explained only if you agree to

work with me."

Lu felt like screaming. Or crying. Maybe both. She

didn't know what the right reaction was, so she

just stood there, continuing to shake like a lamb

lost in the cold and rain.

"I'l let you think about my offer for a while. Just

remember: if you fail to cooperate, Nika

Dimitrovich will pay the consequences."

"You're despicable."

The alpha shrugged. "I don't care what you think

of me."

He strode to the door and gripped the handle, but

before he opened it, she darted forward ina

sudden wave of courage. Just enough to take a

step.

"Why are you doing this?"

With his back turned against her, the alpha

growled, "Because I've been wronged, Luiza

Lazarov. My people have suffered for the so-called

superiority of the Serafi race."

"We haven't done anything to you!" Lu cried, voice

straining as she struggled to control her fear.

"Don't you see? They lie to you, pureblood. They

lie to everyone.""I don't know what that means."

His eyes glowed golden as he looked over a

shoulder and glared. "It means a blood war is

coming, and the tainted are going to rise."