Alter Arlo

Copyright Alter Arlo Copyright © 2023 Nordika Night All rights reserved The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author. ISBN: 9798367290127 Cover designer: V. Domino with 3Crows Author Services Editor: Jenn Heathers Proofreader: Sarah (sh.editsbooks) Contact: [email protected] Contents content warning 1. 1. threat for threat 2. 2. anger is all I know 3. 3. we had freedom 4. 4. double crossed 5. 5. help! 6. 6. karma and fate 7. 7. I've licked 8. 8. Arlo's captive 9. 9. drug of choice 10. 10. skeletons in tunnels 11. 11. chase the pain 12. 12. bang bang 13. 13. cages are comfort 14. 14. we need Finnegan 15. 15. immunity building 16. 16. showmanship 17. 17. chase the chaos. chase the fear 18. 18. slow death 19. 19. he might be dead 20. 20. to taste that I'm real 21. 21. time to talk, asshole 22. 22. he picked me 23. 23. numb 24. 24. please, don't disappear 25. 25. chained to freedom 26. 26. how's my showmanship? 27. 27. depth. we weren't good at it 28. 28. not-so-missing girl 29. 29. chase death 30. 30. I'll paint your nails 31. 31. cleaning to summon 32. 32. Rosie goddamn Wilson 33. 33. mad. that's what it was 34. 34. my anger would get me there 35. 35. orange moon 36. 36. together 37. 37. one cigarette 38. 38. outrunning death 39. 39. backstage 40. 40. new cages & hard lessons 41. 41. traditional love 42. 42. us and that body what's next? about the author content warning This book contains material that might be upsetting to some readers. It is dark in theme and includes situations inclusive of that genre. This is an MM dark romance with a touch of MF sprinkled in. Includes a happy ending. Psychological themes, dub-con, non-con, captive situations, violence, harmful thoughts, drug use, drinking, smoking, blood, abuse, mental health, grief, traumatic past. A lot of research went into this book, but it is in no way a perfect representation of the professional, clinical or medical diagnosis of the conditions. 1. threat for threat cadoc War cries rang out from the ruined city below. There wasn’t a citizen in sight who would dispute this fight, and for us, that meant trouble. What didn’t mean trouble these days? “We’re going to war, Red River!” their leader, Doom, shouted. What a lame name. “And if they try to throw Arlo Thorne at us, what will we do?” His gathered community chanted the word ‘kill’; their confidence was strong tonight behind the safety of their own walls. I repositioned myself in the tree, leaning against the trunk to settle in for the rest of this shit show. When I reported back to Dante later, he’d want to know every last detail of their council meeting—if it could be called that. More like a pep rally for ruthless criminals signing up for a war they’d never win. I lit a cigarette, but it was slapped out of my hand before I could inhale the tar and smoke. “Do you know how fucking rare cigarettes are?” I barked at Zade. “Do you know how fucked we are if your cigarette gets us caught up here?” he barked back. We were two men spying on the outskirts of a community ready to go to war with ours. Not only were we outnumbered a thousand to two, but we weren’t near armed enough to even make an escape. The roads between Red River and Genesis, our community, were riddled with riffraff, vigilantes, opportunists, and lawless gangs who’d make our retreat risky. Fuck Dante for making us do this. Fuck him even more for making us do it together. I wasn’t someone who gave many fucks about the hierarchy of things, but in this new world, if you weren’t under the protection of someone, you were dead or worse than dead. I pulled the fourth to last cigarette from the pack, lighting it and avoiding Zade’s smack. “Relax. They’re all hopped up on synthetics and war glory. They aren’t looking out here.” I turned my back on him, inhaling the nicotine and easing the shake in my hands. Zade cursed me a hundred times under his breath, always so damn angry. It was no secret that we weren’t friends, but we led the two most notorious crews in Genesis, so Dante rewarded us well to put our crews to good use. Honestly, I’d hated Zaden Enge long before the world turned to shit. Before the governments were overturned, political uprisings took over in most parts of the world and we got pocketed into the grey area where no one ruled us but ourselves, I hated Zaden Enge even then. Being forced to work with him now was a goddamn hit to my pride, but I’d suck it up and deal with it for the sake of an old promise. “They’re weak,” Doom shouted over the megaphone, addressing his town. “Weak-minded!” He roughly tapped the side of his head to emphasize his point. “What kind of scoundrels steal a young girl and murder her in cold blood?” Red River went wild with rage and revenge, believing whatever lies their leader told them. Truthfully, Dante had no idea what happened to that girl or where she was, or so he claimed. She was alive and well, betrothed to Dante himself to unite two communities, and then bam, she fucking vanished. Which meant her village to the west was also at war with ours. “And they think we’re going to stand by and let them come for us next?” Doom continued, silencing the roars from the gathered town. “We aren’t afraid of Genesis!” Cheers.