All Chapters of THE ALPHA'S FORSAKEN SECRET : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Eli’s POV My secrets' weight was finally falling on me. Ava's expression betrayed both fury and loyalty, and I could see why. Believing it was safer that way, I had kept her in the dark for so long. But here she was, putting together the elements of my life I had always sought to divide."I did everything for Ava, all for you. Every danger, every lie—I was attempting to guard you, my voice unvarnished.She gave out a sour laugh. "Guard me?" By driving me into peril without even realizing it?I had replayed this scenario in my brain a thousand times, but now it was far more terrible. "I had no idea how far it would sink. When I initially became engaged with Marconi, it was straightforward. He needed someone on the inside, and I considered it as just temporary—until I had sufficient information to turn him in. But it veered out of control.Ava's eyes closed as her rage flared. Eli, you could have told me. I had a right to know."Possibly. But, as you would know, they would have sensed

Ava's POV From the mansion, the streets melted together. My heartbeat had hardly slowed since we departed; every flicker of headlights behind us made my heart leap. Eli's jacket pocket kept the data firmly in place, but the weight of what we had done hovered about like a dense fog."Are you nice??" Eli's hands grabbing the steering wheel shattered the silence.I nodded, though the fact was far more complicated. "I'm ok." Mostly trying to catch my breath.His eyes went to the rearview mirror in search of any sign of pursuit. "We made it out," he said, as though trying to convince himself. Marconi, though, will not let this slide.I grasp. I found the weight of what we opposed returning to me. "Do you believe he realized?"Not at the moment, Eli answered, his mouth firm. "But he will shortly." The second will come for us; he discovers nothing amiss or even traces of betrayal.I drew hard, the understanding sinking in. We have to remain ahead of him then. Where from here should I be goi

Eli and I staggered along the black lane, our breaths raspy and mixing with the coolness of the night as the wind swept over her hair. Every stride seemed like a curse as much as a success. Marconi was gone, but so was any sort of protection we might have grabbed. My ideas flew, every one darker than the next. I looked at Eli; his face was pallid and his gait was heavy."You have to relax," I advised, sounding worried. Blood flowed across the improvised bandage around his side. You are bleeding way too much.He shook his head, his eyes flashing. Away from here. We have to move farther away.Though it would not make any difference, I knew he was right. Every fall, every grimace that graced his face tightened my heart. We persisted, negotiating tight spaces until we came to an abandoned warehouse. The door creaked open with a reluctance that matched our tiredness, and we stepped into the heavy air gathering in all about.Eli leaned against the wall and slid down till he was on the chill

Eli's POV From the shadow of the safe house, the air loaded with expectancy pressed down on me. We had just recovered our breath after the warehouse attack, yet here we were once more choosing our next move. "They're more powerful than you think," Lucia said, and her words stayed in my thoughts as a grim reminder of the web we had joined. She was not stretching too far. Every victory seemed like a modest ripple against an unrelenting stream.Ava sat across from me, looking grimly and with worn eyes. Benevolent resolution, nevertheless, underlies the tiredness—a powerful light not going to dim. I loved her even though I worried about what it would cost us both.Breaking the silence, Adrian said, "We need to know who their next target is." He was dominating, his appearance relentless. Every action they undertake will be purposeful, a response to what we have done."Which means they will come at us harder," Lucia muttered, sounding low and bitter. "You believe it would be enough to scar

Eli’s POVAva roused across from me, her face pallid and wan. When she saw her injuries, my chest contracted. It was like a sledgehammer as I remembered Adrian's treachery. I battled next to him and trusted him. Trust was ashes at this point."Ava," I said, my voice raspy. Are you alright?She blinked confusedly, then turned to look at me. Eli, we have to leave here."I know," I murmured, pushing myself to sit up. A nasty reminder of our circumstances, the shackles encircling my wrists shook. First, though, we must have a strategy.I stiffened as footsteps reverberated in the passage past the bars. A guard came up; shadows covered his face. Stopped in front of the cell, he wore a weird smile."Comfortable?" he snipped, metal-rod hitting the bars. Your friend will be here shortly.I bit back a response while my mind flew. Adrian was on route. The idea sent out a flash of wrath that briefly eclipsed the suffering. He had answers—answers I meant to get regardless of the price.The guard