Slade laughed. “Another omega.”
Rylee glared at Warner. “What does he mean another omega?”
“While detaining him in Europe, we had an omega try to keep him calm, but…” He sighed.
Rylee’s tone hardened, “Speak, Doctor.”
“The prince bit his ear off.”
Slade snarled. “He probably deserved it!”
Cricket hands felt for her perfectly good ear lobes. “Not cool.” She stared at the muscular alpha, baring recent bruises, bite marks and gashes. The werewolf behavior equivalent of a human on crystal meth. “Did it take a pack of alphas to get him here?” Her fingers ached to tenderly touch and heal each wound. Cricket wrinkled her nose. What was she thinking? The ass would probably bite the hand that fed him.
“The French king had no choice but to order his army alphas to restrain him.” Dr. Warner added, “After he escaped into the countryside.”
“What makes you think he won’t hurt Cricket?” asked Rylee.
Cricket imagined the prince had left the alphas scarred as well. Nonetheless, good thing they stopped mad Prince Slade from running amok, attacking humans and harkening back to the days of werewolf hunters.
“He may still accept her,” said Warner. He leaned in and whispered to Rylee, “Look at her. Harming her would be like harming a cub.”
Cricket suppressed a growl at his insult. A wolf with adult teeth. She sneered. “Why don’t you get him a puppy, then?” She turned to Rylee. “I’m not a trained poodle to cuddle some mad beast.”
Rylee growled at her. “This is an assignment, soldier.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Warner glared at Rylee. “The runt has the bad manners of a human.”
Cricket clenched her teeth. What kind of a shrink allowed the prince to get this far gone? If Slade weren’t royalty, he would have been given him a werewolf lobotomy by now, before he harmed others, especially humans.
Slade sniffed and smiled through the glass, exactly where Cricket stood. She backed away. “Are you sure he’s been fed?” A “Don’t feed the Werewolf” sign should rest over the door.
Warner shrugged. “The prince has always been protective of lower ranked wolves so his violent behavior took us by surprise.”
Rylee turned off the intercom. “I don’t give a shit about his royal status. I will not risk Cricket or any other member of my team on a lost cause.”
Cricket smiled at her alpha boss, but out of the corner of her eye noticed Slade still staring in her direction, as if he could see through the glass. She turned to meet his gaze. Not disrespectful if he couldn’t see her. Her lips parted. Never had she seen a more magnificent alpha. Powerful and feral. A tingle shot through her, not out of fear, but unabashed lust. How stupid is that?
“Allow me to reason with him,” said Dr. Warner.
Rylee nodded. “Go on.”
Warner turned on the intercom. “Prince Slade, you wouldn’t harm a little runt, now would you?”
Cricket frowned. “I’m a beta.”
“Silence,” snapped Warner. He glared at her. She pressed her lips together, but lowered her gaze. “You might be a beta because you are one of Rylee’s agents, but amongst the rest of us you’re still a runt.”
Rylee didn’t help. “You could be instrumental in convincing the prince to join our team.”
Without a pack, the warrior could go rogue, or worse turn killer. Team Greywolf would give him the pack he needed as long as he understood Rylee was in command. A win, win. Rylee wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to add a lone powerful alpha to her team. Especially one with military skills. After all Rylee had done for her, she should return the favor. “Yes, ma’am.”
Slade cocked his head. “I’ve heard rumors about a runt that survived the change, but I never believed it.” He sniffed again. “It’s true, a lowly runt. Most interesting.”
Lowly! Cricket’s face flushed hot. Royal ass. Once the prince realized she wouldn’t put up with his shit, he would either kill her or go rogue as feared. Couldn’t Rylee find an omega from a local pack to help? “If you don’t mind, ma’am, I would be better used looking for the missing werewolves.”
Rylee scowled. “Are you arguing with your alpha?”