Enraging the Alpha

Ch. 6: Destruction

BROOKE

I never knew hunger like this. My whole life, hunger had been a growling belly. At its worst, a headache, or perhaps a bout of lightheadedness. Starvation was more than that. My stomach had devolved into an acidic volcano, threatening eruption at all hours of the day. My chest hurt. My throat burned. Dirty water was a blessing when it came. I measured time by the ray of sun that filtered in through the high, barred window, watched it move down the wall, and across the floor, deepening to orange, fading away.

I no longer wished for the moon's arrival. Not now that she brought a different man—a volatile man.

Titan was a walking wound, and no amount of alcohol could stop the rot from spreading. He was teetering on the edge of killing me, but instead, he just made me watch him destroy himself. Night after night, he took me to his office, and I was locked in the room with a storm. He drank. He sobbed. He raged, tearing down shelves and throwing their contents—most of the time at me.

He was late tonight.

I stared up at the window, my joints stiff from their still position, clinging to Huck and wishing he'd appear like he had so many times before. If only that was the reason for Titan's absence.

"Perhaps he won't come," Mother said. She'd lost all hope of reconciliation, and her genuine concern magnified my own.

"Perhaps," I said, but I didn't believe that anymore than I did my wishful thoughts.

As if he'd been waiting for us to comment, the door above flew open, and boot steps pounded down the stairs. Titan stumbled off the bottom step, barely catching himself against the wall.

Mother and I both stood, but he didn't turn to address us. His body was slumped slightly, shoulders heaving around deliberate breaths. Then he retched, and vomit splattered the toes of his boots. His arm swiped across his mouth. "Your mate just cost you dearly."

A chill raced down my spine.

He pushed off the wall and staggered to the gate, swaying slightly as he inserted the key and twisted. "Don't just stand there. We're going for a drive."

I swallowed. It was bad enough being locked in a room with him, I couldn't imagine climbing into a vehicle. He'd kill us both. "Titan, I—"

"Now!" he roared.

I flinched and took a step forward.

Mother held me back.

I met her gaze, and a silent conversation passed between us. We both knew I couldn't refuse him. We had no power, not anymore. Even if we took him down, there were sentinels at the top of the stairs.

"Come!" he roared.

I pulled free from her grasp and reluctantly joined him outside our cell. Rock bottom had a way of forcing forgiveness. Despite everything, she was my mother, and for the majority of my life, it'd been us against gravity. From the moment I entered her womb, she'd carried me, and I looked back, feeling like it was the last time I'd ever see her.

Titan slammed the gate shut and strong-armed me upstairs, through the castle, and out the front door. A silver Porsche idled without a driver.

I released a shaky breath. "Are you sure you should drive?"

Titan forced me into the passenger's seat and slammed the door closed.

My eyes locked onto the driver's seat. How easy would it be to take off? How far would I make it before they caught me? My wolf rose, but even she was afraid.

Before I could find the bravery to act, Titan dropped into place behind the wheel and threw the gear into first. The engine roared. The tires spun. We took off like a missile, and I gripped the door with a white-knuckled fist as the road blurred beneath us.