####Chapter 38

Book:Stuck Between Two Alpha Brothers Published:2024-11-27

Sarah’s POV
The grip on my throat tightened, squeezing the air from my lungs, making my vision blur at the edges. I gasped, clawing at Marcus’s hands, but it was useless. His cold eyes stared down at me, void of emotion, as if my pain was a mere inconvenience to him.
“We already know the location of your sister,” Marcus hissed, his voice a cruel whisper. “So, very soon, you’ll be reunited with her.”
A violent cough tore through my chest, and I doubled over, fighting for breath as my lungs screamed in agony. He loosened his grip just enough for me to catch a shallow breath before shoving me backward. I stumbled and crashed onto the bed, the impact jarring my body. Tears sprang to my eyes, more from the hopelessness of the situation than the physical pain.
Marcus stood over me, his gaze predatory as he slowly began unbuttoning his shirt. A sickening grin spread across his face as he tossed his clothes to the floor. I trembled, backing away until my back hit the cold wall, but there was no escape.
“After I finish with you,” he said darkly, “you’ll wish you had just died.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing for an end, but none came.

The moments passed in an agonizing blur. My body ached, my soul felt shattered, and as I lay there on the bed afterward, tears silently spilled down my cheeks, soaking the pillow beneath me. I bit my lip to keep from sobbing, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.
Marcus stood at the side of the bed, pulling his pants back on. He didn’t look at me as he spoke, his voice low and dripping with disdain. “Get yourself dressed. Sentinels will be here soon to take you back to the prisons.”
I didn’t move, barely able to process his words. He walked to the door, but before stepping out, he turned back and spat at me. The saliva hit my leg, a final act of disgust that made my stomach churn.
Without another word, he walked out, slamming the door behind him.
I stayed still for a moment, letting the cold air from the room wash over my bruised skin. Then, slowly, painfully, I dragged myself off the bed. My body protested every movement, but I forced myself to stand, to gather the scraps of my dignity.
I found my torn clothes on the floor and dressed as quickly as I could, wincing with each pull of fabric over my wounds. The sound of boots marching down the hallway grew louder, and just as I finished straightening my shirt, the door burst open, revealing two sentinels.
“Come with us,” one of them barked, his voice void of empathy.
They didn’t give me time to respond before one grabbed me by the arm, dragging me toward the door. The other sentinel followed closely behind, his eyes scanning the room, but it was clear he didn’t care about the state I was in.
As they hauled me through the corridors, I kept my eyes down, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze. Inside, my mind raced. If they knew where Stephanie was, it was only a matter of time before they found her. The thought of my little sister, innocent and scared, falling into their hands filled me with dread.
I had to hope they wouldn’t get to her.

John’s POV
The steady hum of voices in the pack’s main house was a constant background noise, but I couldn’t focus on it. The situation with the Lycans was getting worse by the day, and every second we waited felt like one step closer to disaster.
I sat behind my desk, my fingers tapping impatiently on the polished wood. Across from me, my brother Jake leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression mirroring my frustration.
“We need to act now,” Jake said, his tone clipped. “The Lycans aren’t going to wait for us to make up our minds. If we don’t put a plan in place soon, they’ll strike.”
“I know,” I replied, pinching the bridge of my nose. The tension in the room was thick, weighing down on my shoulders. “But we can’t make a move until we’ve secured our alliance with the Lords. We’ll need every resource we can get.”
Jake pushed off the wall, his eyes narrowing. “Then why are we delaying the meeting? Let’s get the Lords here, hammer out a strategy, and be ready when the Lycans come for us.”
“I’ve already sent out the summons,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “They should be here by the end of the week. But in the meantime, we need to make sure everything is fortified. Double the sentinels. We can’t afford any mistakes.”
Jake nodded, but before he could respond, there was a knock at the door. Two sentinels stepped into the office, their expressions grim.
“Alpha,” one of them said, bowing his head slightly. “We have news.”
“What is it?” I asked, sitting up straight, my senses immediately on high alert.
The sentinel shifted nervously. “We noticed a figure leaving the estate earlier. It took the opposite direction, heading into the woods. We believe they might have come to visit someone in the pack.”
Jake frowned, pushing off the wall. “And you didn’t catch them?”
“We didn’t want to act without your orders, Alpha,” the sentinel replied, his tone cautious. “But we thought it might be something important, so we came straight here.”
My mind raced. If someone had managed to slip past the estate’s defenses, it could be dangerous. Especially if they had come to visit someone without our knowledge.
“Check the CCTV cameras,” I ordered, rising from my seat. “I want to know who that was and what they were doing here.”
The sentinels nodded and quickly left the room, leaving Jake and me in tense silence.
“If it’s someone who’s working with the Lycans…” Jake trailed off, his jaw clenching.
“We’ll deal with them,” I said firmly, pacing behind my desk. “But first, we need to know who it is. Whoever came here is hiding something, and I want to know exactly what it is.”
Jake crossed his arms again, his gaze dark. “We can’t afford any more surprises.”
I nodded in agreement. The attack from the Lycans was coming, and if there was a traitor in our midst, we needed to root them out before it was too late.
As the minutes ticked by, I felt the weight of leadership pressing down harder than ever.