The underground basement in Alpha’s office smelled like a mix of defeat and anger.

Alpha Dark sat at his desk, bandages wrapped around his ribs where a bullet had clipped him during the retreat.

His surgically altered face was twisted with rage... with his jaw so tight it felt like it could snap.

Across from him, Maksim Karza kicked back in a leather chair, his recently bandaged shoulder making him look tough, a lit cigar resting between his scarred fingers.

Even with the pain showing on his face, he had a dangerous calm about him, the kind that hints at trouble brewing.

The silence between them weighed heavily.

"Thirty guys," Alpha finally said in a low, dangerous tone. "We brought thirty men, top-notch gear, and perfect intel. And we walked right into a trap."

Maksim blew out smoke, taking his time. "Not just a trap. A show. They knew we were coming. Every step. Every move."

"Someone fed us bad info," Alpha fumed, pounding his fist on the desk.

The sound sent papers flying, but neither flinched. "William wasn’t in the basement. He wasn’t on the third floor. He wasn’t where our intel said he’d be."

"Nope," Maksim agreed, his accent getting thicker with anger. "He was in a bunker three levels deeper than we were told. They made fools out of us."

Alpha narrowed his eyes. "The big question is, who spilled that info?"

Maksim took another drag from his cigar, thinking it over. "Our source said they had someone on the inside. Someone close to HK."

"Either our source lied," Alpha said coldly, "or HK has someone feeding us exactly what he wants us to believe."

"A double agent," Maksim pondered. "Smart, cruel, and effective." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Alpha stood up fast, wincing as his ribs protested. He paced over to the window, looking out at the warehouse floor below, where his remaining men were picking up the pieces of their pride.

"Five men dead," he said quietly, but his tone was anything but soft. "Three captured. The rest were traumatized. HK didn’t just win; he made us look ridiculous."

"He wanted to send a message," Maksim said, flicking ash into a tray. "That we’re outmatched. Outplayed."

"We’re not," Alpha spun around, his voice rising. "We had him! We were so close!"

"And still left empty-handed," Maksim pointed out calmly, his eyes flashing with shared anger. "Because someone, our source, HK’s mole, or maybe both, made sure we failed."

Alpha clenched his fists. "When I find out who..."

The door opened.

Both men turned their heads sharply toward the entrance.

Selina strolled in, moving like she owned the place in a tight black dress that accentuated her curves.

Her bright red lipstick was a striking contrast against her fair skin, and her dark eyes held secrets neither guy could figure out.

She held a silver tray with three crystal glasses and a fancy bottle of whiskey.

"Gentlemen," she said, her heels clicking on the concrete. "Looks like you could use a drink."

Neither guy cracked a smile.

Selina set the tray on the desk with ease, pouring a couple of fingers of amber liquor into each glass. The silence lingered as she poured, fully aware that they were watching her every move.

When she was done, she didn’t pass them the drinks.

Instead, she turned and walked straight over to Maksim.

His eyebrows lifted a bit, but before he could react, Selina plopped down on his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Maksim’s good arm naturally wrapped around her waist, his hand resting possessively on her hip. "Well," he said, his accent adding a touch of dark humor, "what’s this about?"

Selina flashed a slow, sly smile. "You guys look a bit tense. Thought I could help with that."

She grabbed one of the whiskey glasses and brought it to Maksim’s lips. He took a sip, never breaking eye contact with her, then pulled the glass back.

"Trying to get me tipsy, little snake?" he said with a smirk, his thumb tracing lazy circles on her hip.

"Would that work?" she replied, her tone innocent even if her eyes weren’t.

"Not a chance." Maksim’s hand moved higher, his fingers brushing the bare skin of her thigh where her dress had hiked up. "But I like the effort."

Selina leaned in a bit closer, her lips brushing against his ear. "You’re hurt. You should really be resting."

"I’ll rest when I’m dead," Maksim said, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper.

Across the desk, Alpha was fuming.

He watched them, Selina sprawled on Maksim’s lap like a trophy, Maksim’s hands on her body, their whispered flirtations stirring something dark and angry inside him.

He thought bitterly, She was mine. She used to look at me like that, eager for my touch, desperate for my attention.

But now?

Now she was in Maksim’s arms, goofing around and acting like Alpha didn’t even matter.

He tightened his grip on his whiskey glass, his knuckles turning white.

Yeah, he had used her before. He’d taken what he wanted and tossed her aside when she was no longer useful. That was just business; that was survival.

But watching her with someone else sparked something primal inside him, dark and vicious.

Just like your mother, he thought, glaring at Selina with cold frustration. Just like that woman who seduced my father and wrecked our family, he thought bitterly.

Memories he had buried deep started to flood back like bodies from a grave.

His mother was raped and brutalized by Selina’s dad. The assault that shattered her mind. The suicide that came after.

His father’s revenge had been quick; dragging Selina’s mom to the river, drugging her, and watching her sink under the dark water until the bubbles stopped.

History repeats itself, Alpha thought grimly.

And Selina?

She would suffer the same fate. Drugged. Drowned. Erased.

Just like her mother.

Alpha took a long gulp of his whiskey, letting the burn bring him back down to earth. Soon, he promised himself. Very soon.