I don’t care who I have to kill or what it takes. I will get my omega back. Then I’ll burn anyone who hurts her alive and bond her next to their charred bodies. That way, if she ever disappears on me again, I’ll have a bond to track her down.
The longer she’s missing, the more feral I become. The world better pray I find her before I slip into rabid territory, or all bets are off.
Chapter Ten
Laken
Everything goes from fine to me sitting on the shower floor, crying into my hands, in two seconds flat.
My head shakes as I recall the men’s taunting comments of how beautiful I am and how good I smell.
I’m happy they’re dead.
It’s that simple.
I don’t care if it makes me a terrible person, but I’m not even sure about that.
I truly believe there are some forms of evil that deserve to be wiped off the face of the planet.
Those guys are a perfect example. It’s hard to say why I’m losing my shit when I didn’t cry once while I was with them. No matter how terrified I was, my system stayed pretty numb. I couldn’t even force fake tears while I was begging them to listen to me.
I think part of the overwhelming feelings I’m currently experiencing are due to relief, but I’m such a mess that I don’t know what to do with myself. I got so lucky being saved. Honestly, I have no idea who my original kidnappers planned to give me to, but I can only imagine an unbonded female omega would fetch a high price.
“Hey,” Tanner says from the other side of the shower curtain. “You can tell me to fuck off, but I got worried. You’ve been in here for close to an hour. I did knock—a few times, actually—but you didn’t answer, and I got concerned.”
My head tilts up, and I stare at his shadow on the other side of the curtain.
I’m not sure what to say, and it makes me cry even harder as I bury my face in my knees once more.
The crinkling sound of the curtain being moved draws my attention. A tanned hand slides around the edge of the shower curtain and moves through the stream of water.
“It’s freezing cold. I didn’t think this place had the water heater capacity to keep it hot for that long. Why don’t you come out? The food is here.” He keeps his face on the other side of the curtain, but his hand stretches toward me.
It feels a lot like a lifeline.
I push the lever to turn the water off and take his hand. He helps pull me up, and the shower curtain sticks to my skin as he brings his other hand through the opening.
He shakes the towel, and I grab it before wrapping it around my body.
My hair feels stringy as it brushes my shoulders. I did a full scrub of my entire body and hair when I first got in, but somehow, I still feel gross.
“All set?” he asks. I yank the curtain back, and his eyes widen. “I was going to wait outside, so you can get dressed.”
“No.” I grab his forearm for support as I step out of the slippery tub. “I don’t think I can wear the sweats,” I admit, holding the towel in place as I lift my foot to the toilet to show him the angry marks from the zip ties.
“Holy fuck,” he growls, bending to look closer at the slice marks. “Yeah, no, definitely not. That would be right where the band would rub. Okay, you get the shirt on. I’m going to grab the first aid kit and doctor those up.”
“Just don’t shut the door,” I say, swallowing thickly. I sound pathetic, but I feel safe with Tanner, and even the idea of him being out of my sight makes me nervous.
“I’m not leaving,” he says. “If you need me, just call.” He lifts my leg, places my foot on the floor, and stands.
He stripped off his tactical gear while I was in the shower, but he’s still in the same cargo pants and black shirt.
My head tilts as I stare up into his blue eyes. Fifty different things file through my head, the most prominent being that I should say thank you.
He raises a huge hand, running his thumb over the bruise on my jaw. It’s such a light caress that it’s hard to believe it comes from the giant alpha.
He moves my hair behind my ear and grimaces as he stares at the discoloration. “Come out when you’re done. I got a bunch of different foods.”