THE RICH ALPHA

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The doctor led her to a closed room that lay in the far right corner of the hospital. He opened the door and she stepped inside. The lights were off and the windows opposite the door were blocked by thick curtains, but she could make out the white sheets on the bed.

The bed was empty.

Maggie frowned and turned to the doctor. "What's going on? Where's my father?"

The man stepped inside and locked the door. He turned to her with a crooked grin as he flicked on the lights. "Did I tell you I was going to take you to your father? How stupid of me. I meant to say I was taking you to have a private chat with me."

Maggie's pulse quickened. Her eyes flickered to the door behind him. He chuckled and strode around the room until he stood opposite the door with Maggie between them. "Go ahead, try to escape."

Maggie lunged at the knob and tried to wrench it open, but the door was stuck. She pounded her fists against the entrance. "Someone, please! Let me out!"

The man's quiet chuckle forced her to look over her shoulder. He folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. "You're a sorry excuse for a werewolf, aren't you? You can't even sniff out a silence spell that blocks all noise in and out of this room."

Maggie turned and pressed her back against the door as she frowned at the man. "A werewolf? I don't know-"

"Don't lie to me," he snapped. He grabbed the head scarf and yanked the cloth off him. "I know what you are."

Maggie's eyes widened as she beheld the red eye that was embedded in the man's forehead. It was the same eye as the one worn by the wizard killed by Adrian.

The fake doctor chuckled again. "I'm glad to see you recognize the eye." He reached up and brushed his fingers over the eye. The thing didn't blink. "It's a symbol of our brotherhood, you know. A way to watch over one another, and to exact revenge."

Maggie pressed her back against the door and shook her head. "But I didn't kill him!"

The man dropped his hand to his side and glared at her. "No, but your mate did, and that's close enough for me. The Brotherhood may look the other way, but I won't let my brother's death go unavenged." He pulled a scalpel from his pocket. The silver blade shimmered against the weak fluorescent tube lighting. His shadow crept across the floor as he moved toward her. The red eye on his forehead glowed with a hellish light. "Now hold still and this will soon be over."

Maggie yelped when there came a knock on the door. Both she and her captor froze. The young man frowned. "What the hell. . ."

There came another knock. Maggie spun around and pounded on the door. "Please help me! Get me out of-"

"Shut up!" the man snapped. He stalked toward her and wrapped one arm around her neck. The man pulled her back against his chest and pressed the blade against her throat. "I told you nobody can-"

"Hear you," a voice finished on the other side.

The man's eyes widened. "How the hell-" The door burst off its hinges and into the room. The entrance hit the man in the shoulder. He dropped the scalpel and stumbled backward.

Maggie yanked herself free and dove against the wall to the left of the doorway. She spun around to face him, but glanced to her left as someone entered.

It was Adrian, and he had a sly smile on his lips as he studied the fake doctor. "Did I interrupt your malpractice?"

The man sneered at the werewolf. The third eye in his forehead narrowed. "That's rich coming from a mad dog that pretends he's human."

Adrian stepped deeper into the room. The man backed up. The werewolf's yellow eyes glistened as he curled his lips back to reveal sharp fangs. "I admit I was careless in judging the eye's use, but you are far more stupid than I to challenge me."

The man laughed. "My brother was careless, but I see you don't have your servant with you and this girl is a worthless b***h of a-" Adrian moved so fast he was a mere streak. One moment he was six feet away, and the next he stood before the man.

Adrian wrapped his hand around the man's throat and lifted him off the tiled floor. The man choked and futilely pawed at Adrian's hand. The werewolf drew their faces close together and the fake doctor saw his terrified face reflected in those deep yellow eyes.

Adrian curled back his lips in a snarl. "Your insult is one mistake you will not live to regret."

Adrian opened his mouth and revealed two rows of long, sharp teeth. Maggie's eyes widened and she covered her face, but she was too late to miss all the goriness as the werewolf bit into the man's throat. A gargled scream poured from the stranger's mouth. He flailed around for a few moments before his body went limp.

Adrian pulled his face away and opened his hand. The man's lifeless body crumpled to the floor. He turned and showed off his lower face that was covered in blood.

Maggie gasped and slid out the door. She raced down the hall, not heeding in which direction she went in that rat maze of a building. The young woman rounded a corner and collided with a woman in a nurse's outfit. She threw herself at the normal human and pointed at the way she'd come.

"Someone. . .someone's been murdered!" she gasped.

The nurse's eyes widened. "Murdered? Ma'am, are you sure?"

Maggie grabbed one of the woman's hands in both of hers and nodded as she dragged her down the hall. "Yes! You have to come with me! Please! You have to see it!"

"Ma'am, wait a minute!" the nurse protested, but Maggie dragged her down the hall.

They arrived at the room a few moments later. The door leaned against the frame and partially blocked the entrance.

"What in the world happened here?" the nurse wondered.

Maggie let go of the nurse's hand and hurried to the doorway. She looked inside the darkened room and froze. The room was empty. There wasn't a speck of blood on the floor.

The nurse walked up to the door and inspected the broke entrance. "I wouldn't say this door was murdered, but it was certainly abused. I'm going to have to call this in to security."

Maggie turned to her and shook her head. "I wasn't talking about the door!" She pointed at the interior. "There was a man murdered in this room! I saw it myself."

The nurse studied Maggie and pursed her lips. "Are you here with a family member? Is there someone I can call for you?"

Maggie started back and blinked at the woman. "You. . .you think I'm crazy, don't you?"

The nurse shook her head and set her hand on Maggie's shoulder. "No, it's not like that, but I really should get you back where you need to be. Come along now."