Hunter's Alpha (gxg) ✓

10. The Hunt

Say what you want about me, but I won't play the fool twice.

Before Derek can even blink, I lunge towards him. Everything about the martial arts I learned over ten years kicks back into place: my hand on his throat. My knee between his legs. A final strike at his temple.

He slumps to the floor of the elevator, and before I can change my mind, I hop over him and press all the buttons. The door closes―and I hope with all my might that nobody just saw me trample the Alpha's second-in-command.

Panic. Pure panic.

I have no choice. I'm going to have to hide him somewhere. He'll be unconscious for hours, and this . . . is definitely a minor inconvenience.

Okay. Think. Jude, think.

As soon as the elevator opens onto a random floor, I scan the hallway. Empty. Perfect.

Then I lift Derek up by the arms and begin to drag him on the smooth marble floor. If his shoulders dislocate, so be it―I have no sympathy to spare for this sneering, sniveling prick. The moment we reach the women's bathroom, I open it and call out, "Hello?"

No answer.

I pull Derek into a stall and prop him up against the toilet seat. With a strip of my own shirt, I stuff a gag into his mouth. Hopefully it'll keep him quiet―although, probably not for long.

Then I lock the stall from the inside and roll underneath.

You'd think, considering it's a bathroom in gang territory, it would be filthy.

But honestly? With the sleek, reflective floors and the polished marble and the shiny sinks, I feel like I should be apologizing for rolling around.

Christ. A gang who cares about public hygiene.

As soon as every single stall is locked from the inside, I rush back out. If I had a paper and a pen, I'd write Out of Order.

Unfortunately, I have to make do with snapping off the door handle.

Good luck, Derek.

Twenty minutes later, I find myself lost in the middle of a market. Lush, dark green planets are everywhere, wrapping around the stalls of vendors.

I'm finding it hard to believe this place could be called the Underground. For a moment, I can't help but think it feels like paradise.

It feels like I'm wandering the halls of a palace, across granite floors and Roman trellises. What is this place―and how is it possible that it exists?

I don't get it. How is this possible?

Wake up. I pinch myself―just to make sure I'm not dreaming.

I still need to get out of here.

Fuck it. I have to ask someone. Has Anise noticed I'm gone? Has Hunter?

The first woman I see is young, pretty. Her hair is sleek and straight, tied back with a red bandana. Her lips are painted the same shade of red, and she smiles at me.