Mala had no idea how long she and Suki struggled against those Alphas' orders to force them to shift back, only that she was now lying on the ground, curled into a ball, tears burning out of her. Which only infuriated her even more, once she realised that was what was happening, for Mala Luca did not cry, not ever. She was not weak.
Pushed herself up off the ground, or tried to, found her arms were shaking and she could barely get up, her whole body ached as though she had been in the hardest fight she’d ever had. It almost felt as though she was covered in bruises. Suki was out cold, it appeared, exhausted from their fight to stay in control and unable to keep it.
Mala nearly collapsed back down on to the ground as she struggled to get up. She’d never felt so weak in all her life, and d
