Page 12 of Bred By the Barge

I spray her wound thoroughly. She cries and bucks, testing my control. It hurts to see her in pain. When I drop the showerhead and pick up the tweezers, she sobs and shakes her head against my leg.

“W-wait, I—”

I use the tweezers to pull a piece of debris from her shoulder, desperate to finish the task as quickly as possible.

Her teeth close over my thigh, but my pants prevent her from breaking skin. I press harder on her lower back in warning. She releases her bite as I pick a sliver of metal from her torn flesh.

I lean down to get another piece of shrapnel. She turns her head to look up at my face. Her wet lashes and big brown eyes strike a fatal blow to my innermost being.

“Will you purr for me? Please?” she asks.

The ground disappears out from underneath me.

“Yes, my tiny treasure. For you, I’ll do anything.”

She doesn’t believe me, but her pupils expand and she relaxes against me as I release a deep, steady purr.

I’d almost given up hope of ever finding an omega, yet in less than half a day, I pulled two from the ocean and lost my heart to the bravest, sweetest female on the entire dystopian planet.

I don’t need to mark her to know I belong to her.

I meant my words: I’ll do anything to ensure she lives a long, happy life.

Even if it means causing her pain.

I strengthen my purr and lean down to finish cleaning her wound.

Chapter 5

Pearl

I sink into the pleasure of his purr, needing the distraction as the needle pierces my flesh. Too exhausted from surviving the worst day of my life and heart sore from my emotional outburst, I lie with silent tears dripping from my eyes to join the red-tinged water dancing toward the drain.

Needing a reprieve, I lean into the fuzzy halo from the alcohol and the warmth emanating from his leg. With more food in my belly than I’ve had in weeks and his purr melting my bones, my fear skitters away, and I find I have no desire to reach for it.

He said his crew would tend to my sister, and after seeing how well-kept his ship and people are, I’m inclined to believe him.

Once the alcohol wears off, my skepticism will probably return, but for now, I relax into the moment and sigh as he tapes several layers of gauze over my wound.

Heat rushes from the tips of my toes to my ears, but the wave dissipates as quickly as it came. I sigh again and nuzzle closer to the delicious smell wafting from his hip.

When he rolls me over and gathers me into his lap, I don’t even think to balk. His bare chest proves too captivating. I need to trace his scars, but with my hands covered in bandages, I can’t, so I brush my cheek over his pectoral.

He leans forward, dislodging me, but it’s okay because the new position mashes us closer together.

I whimper when he cuts the laces of my boots up the center, the sudden appearance of his knife unexpected, but intrigue replaces my fear as he slips the knife back into its holster and wraps his arm tighter around my back to grab my leg. He bends my knee and holds my lower leg steady as he works my oversized boot off my foot.

Dull pain throbs up from my toes, and I grimace as he slowly peels both sets of holey socks off my feet. His grunt of dismay curls around my heart and steals my breath.

He repeats the process with my other foot and makes the same sound, except this time disapproval laces his tone.

Tears prickle my eyes.

He straightens my legs and leans back, but when he reaches for my belt, I place my bandaged hands over his and search his eyes. The tension around his mouth eases and he strengthens his purr.

“You’re alright, tiny treasure. I’m taking care of you.”

They aren’t the words I expect, but they soothe my omega heart in ways I never thought possible. I slip my hands off his and tilt my face toward his chest, helpless against the draw of his delicious scent.

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