“Alec, let me fucking go.” I stomped on his foot as hard as I could.
“Fuck, that hurts!” Alec squeezed me into him tighter. “Stop moving. You’re going to make things worse.”
“Please, Alec,” I pleaded. None of my usual tricks to get away were working with him. Alec was much stronger than any of my old bullies.
Ace threw a paper sack at Alec’s feet and it tipped to the ground, revealing stacks of hundred dollar bills. “I think you’ll find it’s all accounted for.”
“What are you going to do with her?” Alec asked.
“That’s not your concern,” Ace said.
“Alec?” I looked over at the man I’d thought was my friend. “How could you?”
“It’s nothing personal,” Alec said. “I did what I had to.”
“How can you possibly say this isn’t personal?” I growled, the sound coming from somewhere beyond my control.
“Hand her over,” Tyler said. “We gave you your money.”
“I am not going anywhere with you,” I hissed.
“You don’t have a choice,” he said.
“Be grateful for him, darling,” Ace said. “I could have killed you in that tent where you were sleeping, but Tyler wanted you back alive.”
“You were there?” I looked at Alec. “They were there and you didn’t tell me?”
My heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces. How long had he been planning this? “You are such an asshole.”
How does someone have sex with the person they’re preparing to betray? At least Tyler was always up front about his hatred of me. Alec made me feel safe, earned my trust, then took it all away.
Tyler walked closer to us and I lashed out, trying like hell to break Alec’s hold on me. “Let me go, you piece of shit!”
“Hold her still,” Tyler said.
“What are you doing?” Alec asked.
“Your job was to deliver the merchandise, not ask questions,” Tyler said.
Something sharp bit into my arm and I hissed in pain, then everything went fuzzy. I swayed and my knees gave way.
“What did you do to her?” Alec asked.
“She’s not your problem anymore,” Tyler said.
I fought to keep my eyes open but my body was giving way to whatever Tyler had injected in me. My head lolled to the side and my jaw went slack. Eyelids heavy, I finally gave in and let them close.
My tongue felt like sandpaper and my head throbbed. I opened my eyes and tried to sit up, but my legs and arms were bound. The floor below me was soft and as my eyes adjusted, I realized I was laying on a bed. My limbs tied to the headboard and footboard.
There was minimal light coming in through what looked like thick curtains. It was likely day, but I had no idea if it was morning or afternoon. Memories came flooding back and my chest tightened as I recalled Alec’s betrayal. How could he do that to me? He knew how my pack treated me and he knew I didn’t want to be with Tyler, but he brought me back. He never had any intention of breaking the bond. He used me to get the information about the toxin, then sold me to my vicious mate.
I fought against tears, knowing that whenever my captors walked in, they’d think I was emotional over getting caught. I probably should care that I was tied up but my stupid broken heart was causing more discomfort than the familiar threat of Tyler’s violence.
Until this moment, I hadn’t realized how much I gave to Alec. It wasn’t even about my virginity. That wasn’t all that special growing up in a pack like I had. Sex was fun and partners changed often unless a mating bond formed. I’d held off, though. Not that I had offers, but I wanted to be with someone who cared for me. At least cared for me at the time we had sex.
But it was all a lie. He’d used me and turned me over to the people who nearly killed me. Had he even cared about me at all?
I trusted him.