The Alpha King's Heart novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: Marked and Gray

Emmett was sitting up in the cannery yard with blood running out of his nose when I came back.

"Did you see which way?" he said.

"The union hall."

"Then that's where we go."

"You can't walk."

"I can crawl," he said. "I've done it for you before."

I pulled him up by his arm.

Behind us, the yard gate banged, and Selma came through it at a run.

Her ponytail was loose.

She still wore the silk blouse, and she was shaking.

"The captain of the Keep guard told me," she said. "He said Toby's gone again. I ran the whole way."

"Selma, go back."

"No."

"You can't help. They'll hurt you."

"They already did," Selma said.

She pulled her hair off her neck.

The wolf's-teeth mark showed in the lamplight, ugly and raised.

"I've been scared for four months, Macy. I'm done."

"What are you going to do?"

"Something I should have done at the start." She turned toward the street. "Come on."

She walked out of the yard and started pounding on doors.

She hit the first one with her fist.

"Come out! Everybody come out!"

Lights came on in the gray row of houses.

A man in his undershirt opened a door and stared at her mark.

"I'm not your friend, you traitor," he said.

"I know," Selma said. "I was forced. The wolf who marked me threatened my sister, and I said nothing. And a boy of six is in Strake's truck. Are you coming or not?"

His mouth went slack.

"Forced?" he said.

"Ask any of us."

More doors opened.

Two women with marks on their necks stepped out of the corner house, then three men from the loading docks who had worn silk shirts to the gate for months and never once met anyone's eye.

← Chapter 16 · All chapters · Chapter 18 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend