Page 36 of Alphas Never Hide

“Canyou do another tack on a map thing forVan?”Iwhispered.

“Apin?”

“Whatever.Itlooks like a tack.”ThenIremembered his request from last night. “Shit.Youwanted to borrow my phone this morning.Iforgot.”

“It’sfine.I’lldo it later.”Ryleydid something on my phone and handed it back.Itucked it into my pocket again.Ilooked at him.Hewas eyeing the door warily.

“Youdon’t have to come.”Ireached for my phone again, then held it out for him. “Takethis.”

Heshook his head. “We’rea team.Besides,Igot out once.Ican do it again ifIhave to.”

Ididn’t want to waste time arguing with him, but everything in me was protesting the idea of him going back to the place where he’d been imprisoned.Yes, he was an adult.Hecould decide.But, man,IwishedIcould convince him to do whatIwanted.It’dbe for his own good.He’dbe safer up here.Hehad the forest all around him if he needed to escape.Nowthat he knew how to access his magic, he could hide if he needed to.

ButIwasn’t surprised when he wouldn’t listen to me.

Ishoved my phone in my pocket again, thenIwrapped my hand around the cool metal handle.Iexpected a lock, or at the very least, a latch.Therewas nothing.Thedoor lifted easily and silently.Ipeered into the cylindrical hole.Itreminded me of a root cellar we used to have at the old pack house years ago.Ibet that was whereRobbiehad gotten the idea.

Alarge, corrugated metal culvert had been stuck in the ground vertically with a ladder fixed to the side.Thehole was deeper than the average basement, soIcouldn’t see much at the bottom.Thisbunker must have been out here for years, because the land showed no signs of construction.

Ryleystood at my side and peered into the hole too.

“Yep.That’sthe place.”Heshuddered. “That’swhereIwas held.”

Iwanted to hold him close.Iwanted to pick him up and carry him away from here.Iwanted to protect him from whatever was down there.

Instead,Iasked, “Whatcan you tell me about it?”

“Ididn’t spend time sightseeing.Ilooked for a way out and took it.”

“Somore than just the one room?”

Henodded. “Yeah.Thereare a bunch of tunnels.Onlyan ant or a gopher could make sense of the place.”

Great.Well, there was no time like the present to go get lost in a maze. “Shallwe?”

Ryleyblinked at me. “Shouldn’twe wait for the others?”

“I’mgoing in.”

“Iknew you were going to say that.”Heheaved out what sounded like an aggrieved sigh and let his shift wash over him.

Ilifted an eyebrow.Mostsupes preferred to stay in their shifted forms if they were scared.

“It’seasier to go down a ladder when you don’t have hooves.”

Right.Thatmade sense. “I’llgo first.”

Ryleygrabbed my forearm.Hisfingers dug into my skin.Ilooked at him, surprised.

“Just…Justbe careful.”

Inodded. “Youtoo.”

Iwanted to comfort him.Offerhim anythingIcould to show himI’ddo anything to keep him safe.Thebest way to do that was to use my alpha power.Again.It’dbe for a good cause.

Itwas weird how the one thingI’dwanted to get rid of for most of my life was the one thingIwanted to giveRyleyover and over again.

Chapter Fourteen