Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 388: Escaped

A young werewolf lay face-down on the table while overhead, surgical lights glared down on him, white and blinding. His wrists and ankles were strapped tightly to the padded restraints.

He was barely conscious, his breath coming in shallow rasps, and his pupils sluggish from the sedative coursing through his system. His spine, however, remained fully exposed, a concise incision running along the lower vertebrae, held open by retractors.

Patrick hovered over the boy with such calm that could unnerve death itself.

"Vitals?" he asked without looking up.

"Stable. BP 112 over 74. Heart rate holding at 58," one of the assisting surgeons replied from the monitors.

"Good. Suction probe."

A second surgeon placed the long, narrow spinal aspirator into Patrick’s gloved hand who held it like an artist cradling his finest brush. The tip was fine, needle-thin, designed to pierce the subarachnoid space without severing any critical nerve branches. One mistake, and the boy would seize, or worse, flatline. But he wasn’t known for mistakes, having performed this procedure several times.

He leaned in closer, his eyes magnified through the loupe visor, the lens attached to the headlight rig strapped over his surgical cap. Every muscle in the room tensed with him as the aspirator descended toward the spinal canal.

The first puncture was clean with barely a bead of blood and the suction tube filled slowly, and steadily, with the pale fluid.

"Harvesting cerebrospinal sample," Patrick murmured, his voice mechanical.

This was Ignis in its rawest form.

The machine monitoring the werewolf vitals let out a warning beep as the heart rate spiked briefly before settling again. Through it all, Patrick barely blinked.

"Almost there..." he whispered, adjusting the suction dial by a hair’s breadth.

But there was a bang and the door slammed open, the metal crashing against the wall with such force one of the retractors slipped slightly. The startled patient let out a muffled moan, still too drugged to thrash, but aware enough to feel it.

Patrick froze.

"Goddamn it!" one of the surgeons muttered under his breath.

Patrick didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Only one person would dare interrupt him mid-harvest and expect to leave with their life intact.

Cynthia.

problem," she said breathlessly, her words

pulled the aspirator free from the boy’s spine, careful not to waste a single drop of fluid. He handed it off to the assistant without a word, then peeled off his gloves with a slick snap. The surgical mask

turned to her with a cold expression. "If you were anyone

into the room, unbothered by the bloody surgical scene. "And I wouldn’t

curt nod to the team. "Close him up. Keep him sedated. Mark this one batch Omega-four-seven. I want it processed in

"Yes, Doctor."

Cynthia, now in his black undershirt, a splash of the boy’s blood still dotting

said as

hesitate. "They have captured the

that isn’t good

Griffin Hale too." Cynthia announced

composure faltered. He asked, body taut. "What did you

Cynthia repeated. "He was with Violet when the

pulsed at

be with her!" he snapped. "And I gave a direct order, take the girl

grinding. Had he known this would go down like this, he never would’ve made such

been watching Violet for a long time now. A girl like her didn’t

found out Asher had gone to District One, Patrick hadn’t needed a psychic to figure it out. Asher’s trip had everything to do with Violet Purple. Her name alone raised questions, but it was her

was a black hole. Not to mention every attempt to get her DNA had been blocked either by Adele, or by those

wasn’t stupid. He knew how Asher Nightshade’s

valuable, or exceptional. And now, all four cardinal Alphas were

he intended to find

time to act. He couldn’t use his own people. No, that would have raised

The Rogues.

was planned to look like a random attack on the West Alpha and his girl. Everyone would believe it. After all, rogues had always

crime. But that was until they went and fucked everything

probably get discovered. Not

right

that already, he’s not answering," Cynthia

tried to think. This

instructed her quickly. "If Griffin was taken, then it’s not long before the others find them. I don’t know how much time we have left, either way, we don’t wait. Take a team and get the girl. Now. And get rid of the rogues while you’re

Cynthia nodded.

deadly murmur. "Even Griffin Hale.

holding his for a beat.