Free Broken Blood by Heather Hildenbrand Page A

scowled.
    “You tell me,” I said, wandering closer to where they stood.
    A table had been set up with various medical supplies strewn about. Several tubes of blood, now empty, lay discarded between torn packets of alcohol swabs and bandages. I gave each of them a once-over and spotted a bandage peeking out from underneath Olivia’s sleeve.
    My eyes narrowed. “What am I doing here?” I asked.
    “Proving yourself,” Steppe said.
    “And either killing or saving your pathetic uncle in the process,” Olivia added, earning a warning glare from Steppe.
    My pulse sped and I glanced to where Astor stood huddled in the corner near the door. Guards stood nearby, awaiting orders.
    “What do you want from me?” I asked, wary now.
    “You need to stop fighting the inevitable and let me in,” Steppe said. He leaned toward Olivia but I could still hear every word as he said, “She’s stronger than her pack mate. Still fighting this losing battle and shoving me out.”
    Olivia folded her arms, obscuring the bandage. Her color was lovely and that fact alone made my jaw ache for her flesh. “Not for long. She’ll choose. Just like the rest of them.”
    “So you say. We’ll see,” Steppe said. He straightened and raised his chin at one of the guards. “Bring her out.”
    A door opened. I hadn’t noticed it before, wedged between a gap in the cages on my left, but now three armed guards stepped through. Their weapons were drawn and the moment they entered the room, they turned and pointed guns at the doorway.
    A moment later, a girl stepped through. Her head was down, both cheeks swollen and red. Her exposed arms were bruised and she walked with a limp. For a second, I couldn’t believe my eyes. But the piece of Steppe that sat in the bleachers of my subconscious applauded and I knew I wasn’t seeing things.
    She stopped just inside the room, eyes aimed at the floor.
    I gasped. “Victoria?” I asked.
    Slowly, she raised her eyes to mine. Her eyes widened, then filled with moisture. It was the only reaction she gave at seeing me. And then, just as quickly, she ducked her head again and stared at the tiled floor. If she saw her father across the room, she gave no indication. No sarcastic remarks, no witty comebacks. It broke my heart—and made me determined to fight Steppe to the very end for doing this to her.
    I growled and took a step, ready to launch myself at the man to blame for this, but the guards swiveled and re-aimed their weapons at me. “Hold it there,” Steppe said and I stopped.
    “Right reaction. Wrong target,” he said.
    “What does that even mean? Why did you do this to her?” I demanded. Before he could answer, I turned to Victoria. “Which one of them did this to you?”
    She didn’t respond.
    “She’s not going to answer you,” Olivia said.
    I rounded on her. “You will, though. I can promise you that,” I said.
    “So quick to point fingers, cast blame.” Steppe nodded at one of the guards over my head and for a second, I thought they were being ordered to grab me. I braced myself for it but instead, they moved away and grabbed hold of Mr. Lexington.
    “What the hell?” he demanded, twisting in an effort to break free, but they held fast. “What are you doing?” he yelled.
    Steppe barely flicked a glance in his direction before his gaze fixed on me. “This is the part where you make that choice you wanted so badly,” he told me.
    “I’m not giving up my wolf,” I said.
    “I wouldn’t dream of asking. This is a different kind of choice but a choice nonetheless.” His gaze slid left to a mute Victoria and then right to a still struggling and now furious Mr. Lexington. “The choice is your friend or her father. You must kill one of them. The other gets to live.”
    “No way. Absolutely not,” I said. “You want me to carry out your orders, distract myself so you can slip in and take the alpha role. Not happening.”
    “You know, I may not have full access yet, but I’ve