Bad Love an Alpha’s Regret by Elise Sinclair

Chapter 281

LEAH

My breath catches in my chest as Ryker and Aaron rush at each other, clashing in the middle of the room in a flurry of splintering furniture, savage snarls and slashing claws.

I’m terrified for Aaron, but I can’t just stand there and watch him fight Ryker. I need to trust he can take care of himself.

James and I hurry around the perimeter of the room to reach the remaining Councilmembers who are cowering in the corner. These are older wolves, delegates. Not warriors or fighters like my husband or his adversary.

We urge them to run, keeping ourselves between them and Ryker.

He sees what’s happening at one stage, and rushes toward us, but James steps in and shoves Ryker back, while Aaron catches him and flings him into a nearby bookcase.

The whole thing comes crashing down on top of him, and for

a second we all pause, watching as Ryker drags himself from

beneath the pile of books and splintered wood.

Us can react, Ryker fully shifts and goes

streaking out of the room.

Aaron growls and then shifts as well, sprinting off after him.

I want to chase after them as well, if only to keep Aaron in my sight so I know he’s okay.

I’m terrified of losing him yet again, and for some reason my brain thinks as long as I can see him, I can stop that from happening.

But I don’t have the luxury of doing that.

We came here for a reason, and it’s time we took care of that.

I turn to James. “Come on, we need to find the tech.”

and we rush off, deeper into the

more carnage and dead bodies, but don’t turn up anything

me that Aaron could’ve done this. He could’ve been a force of death, indiscriminately sweeping through. these hallowed halls and killing everyone in

far more powerful than Ryker. Far

Is pure.

though they lied and cheated and did everything to break him, he hadn’t set out to destroy it.

him a little more for

James asks, shaking me

“Let’s look.”

we get there, we find that most of

was down here?” I ask James in confusion, then wonder if this is where they were

voice

we stop

on up there? I can scent blood, a lot of it,” the man says with a southern accent, glancing

a mess of

the Council,” I reply. “Who are you? Why does the Council have

wasn’t willing to give. As to who I am, that’s not real important. The question is,

know Aaron?” I ask, worried that this confirms my suspicions about

nods. “He had the cell across from me for a bit over a week. Now,

I reply,

the guy says. “Aaron was real torn up when

up at the Beta. “We should

you can find

thinks this is a good idea but nods anyway and then goes

got no idea

the

owe you for helping Aaron stay sane and not going rogue while he was down here, especially after he thought I died,”

notice how they’re slippery with blood. No doubt James had to take them off one of the bodies of the Enforcers Ryker had slaug tered. Or maybe James had to do some

opens the cell and then turns to me. “We need to get back to

looking for?” the

tech my family’s company built that a faction within the Council stole,” I

“Second floor, restricted