The Wilder Alpha by Evelyn Glass

pressed against his chest and she leaned forward as he swept down. Warmth gently pulsed through them as their lips met. For a brief second, nothing else mattered. Affection and fondness wiped away their inner turmoil.
     
    All too soon, Jay pulled away from the kiss. He stared down at Kristi, hesitating as his mind recalibrated after the display of affection. Frustration flooded back to his senses, along with a sense of defeat. Jay took a deep breath, licking his lips. He could still taste her. He turned his back on Kristi, on her yellow eyes and the pleasant heat she ignited inside him, and growled, “Tell your alpha he can have his meeting, but I won’t talk. No matter what.”
     
    Kristi stared at Jay’s back for a beat as he crossed the cavern. He flopped down to the floor, retrieving the box of food she had given him. He didn’t open it, though. Loss warbled through her thoughts, heavy and intense. There was no sense in arguing. Jay had made up his mind and would stand by it. – for now.
     
    She forced her gaze to her feet and headed for the door. Determination and stubbornness reared in her thoughts with every step. Temptation mounted to turn around and fight. Kristi squashed it down. If they continued this discussion, someone would be bound to hear them. She had already overreacted enough to raise suspicion.
     
    Open the door. Kristi mentally snarled, trying to shove all sadness away from the words. Glancing over her shoulder, she caught one last glimpse of Jay. He sat there, staring at the box in his hands, the water bottle clenched in a fist. His averted gaze refused to lock on her.
     
    A cold pressure slammed into her chest as the boulder sheared out of the way and she propelled herself into the corridor, head down and expression pinched. Tears bit at the back of her eyes, but she refused to allow them to fall. The guards never uttered a word to her.
     
    Inside his cell, Jay mournfully stared at the food. His appetite had vanished along with his thirst. What was the point? The alpha would swoop down on him and that’d be the end of it. He had encountered the higher-ups of packs before. Arrogant, violent sons-of-bitches. His fingertips dug into the box, making indents, as the lights dimmed and went out.
     

 
    CHAPTER NINE
     
    Jay sulked in the dark as the time ambiguously passed. Exhaustion tugged at his eyelids as worries and concerns consumed his every waking moment. Thoughts of Kristi and Goldbridge fought for his attention. Would she be okay? Was she actually lying or did she sincerely feel everything the felt? Jay wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking or critical thought that kept that concern alive.
     
    On the flip side, what happened in town? Were the packs safe? Were the ferals planning something with or without his intelligence? What if the alpha did get him to talk? Determination pressed down on Jay. He couldn’t, and wouldn’t, give any of Goldbridge’s secrets up. No matter what happened.
     
    Sleep graced him repeatedly, though it drove him further into his time disorientation. It gave him small breaks from the repetitive, ongoing battles in his brain.
     
    When the lights flickered on, intense tension wound through Jay’s muscles. The heavy scent of blood and moss slipped into the room as the boulder was pushed aside.
     
    The blonde man who entered radiated superiority and, right away, Jay recognized him as an alpha. What had Kristi called him? Gavin?
     
    Tall and broad, he strutted into the cavern. His clothes were torn and tattered in a couple places and stank of blood, mildew, and mud. Jay didn’t like the way the alpha’s green eyes surveyed him. There was amusement and derisiveness in his smirk.
     
    Jay stood and glared intently at Gavin, resisting the urge to bear his teeth. The alpha stood half a foot taller and much broader than Jay, but being starved hadn’t helped him any.
     
    As Gavin waltzed to the center of the room, his eyes never left Jay. “So, you’re the