Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 471: Alone With A Monster

The last thing Violet ever imagined was sprinting buck-naked through the woods, dodging branches and praying she didn’t die with no clothes on.

They hadn’t given her a second to breathe, let alone dress. One minute, she and Griffin were lying together, warm and safe, and the next, they were running for their lives.

She didn’t know whether to be terrified or oddly grateful that no gunmen had caught up to her yet. Maybe they were far away, or maybe she was just their prey, meant to tire herself out before the real hunt began.

Violet had no idea where she was, nor how to find the others. And if those bastards found her first, unless her unpredictable power decided to show up, she was fucking screwed!

Still, more than fear for herself, it was Griffin she couldn’t stop thinking about. The only thing keeping her from losing her mind was the bond pulsing in her chest. He was still alive.

But for how long?

Violet heard the distant roar of rushing water and she veered toward it on trembling legs and lungs that were on fire. She broke through the treeline and found a quiet pool tucked between the rocks with no one in sight. The moment she saw the water, her body gave up the fight.

She dropped to her knees and cupped handfuls into her mouth, drinking greedily. Her throat burned and her chest heaved but the cold water soothed her.

But even through the haze of thirst, something prickled at the edges of her senses.

Danger.

Every instinct she had screamed run.

She shot upright, ready to bolt, then cried out as something sharp struck her foot. Violet gasped, staggering backward, reaching down only to find a dart lodged in her skin.

A tranquilizer.

"Oh, no..."

flared in her chest as a cold numbness spread up her leg. She dragged her foot, fighting

dart out, but the weakness was spreading fast. Her limbs had already turned to lead

as her body hit the earth, skin scraping rock and dirt. She couldn’t move and was totally helpless. It was just her heart,

approached her. Violet tried to lift her head to see who it was, but failed until the

Henry Nightshade.

Violet’s blood ran cold.

God, no.

nightmare made flesh. His boots crunched the leaves with unhurried leisure as his

drawled, voice slick with amusement. "Finally, just the

But even the rage

you do to me?" she bit out, each word gritted

Henry cocked his head, then glanced at the tranquilizer rifle slung in his hand, examining it like a trophy. "Gift from an old ally. Patrick. You remember him, don’t you?" His smile

hammered. Patrick the mad doctor. What does he want with her? Was it because

as Henry crouched beside her, close enough for her to smell the metallic tang

going to black out, by the way. No, no." He tapped the gun lightly. "This one’s special. You’ll

Her skin crawled.

slid down her body with perverse slowness. At that point, Violet wanted to scream, to claw his

sees in you," he murmured, his smile turning sleazy. Then

smell," he whispered,

across Violet’s arms and it was not from the cold. That sick