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.”

we rush off,

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

me that Aaron could’ve done this. He could’ve been a force of death, indiscriminately sweeping through.

far more powerful than Ryker.

Is pure.

though they lied and cheated and did everything to break him, he hadn’t set out to destroy it. When faced with his own death, he still

him a

James asks, shaking me from

“Let’s look.”

when we get there, we find that most of the underground level is set up like a

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

voice

then walk down until we stop outside of a cell where a man is locked

lot of it,” the man

eyes and a mess of sandy

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

to who I am,

worried that this confirms my suspicions about my

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

my mate,” I

torn up when

up at the Beta. “We should

can find

idea but nods

no

it,” the

down here, especially after he thought I died,” I reply with a

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 killing to

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

you looking for?” the guy asks

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

nods. “Second