Page 15 of Rescuing Red

Stepping inside, he let the door slide shut and braced for her reaction.

Chapter 11

Liz

The closing of the door snapped Liz out of the fog clouding her brain. She didn’t know this alpha any more than she did the others, so she had no tangible reason to trust him other than his willingness to put his own life in danger for her. At least he hadn’t immediately fallen on her, but taking her back to a room that smelled of him was suspicious enough to send a twinge of discomfort through her belly.

“Put me down!”

Her voice emerged hoarse and unsteady, but the panic she expected wasn’t anywhere to be found. A small, logical part of her told her to scream and fight, to get away from this alpha and find a place to hide, but most of her just wanted to stay cuddled against his warm chest. As he set her down on her feet, his hands were gentle and he made no move to grope her. She found she had no panic to fight off.

The scent wafting up from his shirt made her want to melt into a puddle at his feet, but standing next to him without the overwhelming panic and fear made her realize just how massivehe was. His thick fur and muscular shoulders towered over her head, making her feel tiny and helpless, which shot a touch of unease up her spine.

“Th-thanks.”

She tried not to flinch when he shifted, but she wasn’t as over the ordeal as she thought she was. When he merely brushed her hair behind her ear before stepping to the side and sitting in the one chair the room boasted, Liz straightened her spine and pivoted to face him.

“I couldn’t let them hurt you.”

His deep rumble arrowed to her womb, which cramped hard enough to make her press her palm over her abdomen. Still too shocked over what had almost happened and how quickly this dark alpha had dispatched the others, Liz fought to find her voice as her entire body shook.

Heat wafted up from her toes, and she realized she’d stubbornly ignored the initial signs of estrous. She’d been so set on finding her nana that she’d refused to think about herself. Now she found herself on the cusp of heat, locked in a tiny room with a mammoth, lethal alpha, in a city on the verge of being attacked by Krantor forces.

She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, using the same stubbornness to pretend she wasn’t shaking like a leaf in the wind.

“I have to go.”

“Go? No, you need to rest.”

Just the hint of a growl made her want to drop to her knees and worship him, which wasn’t fair considering she’d never met him before and had no clue what kind of man he actually was. He could still have hidden motives for saving her, even if he seemed decent for the moment.

“Yes. I have to go. Now.”

“Go where? Back out there with hordes of corrupt alphas? No.”

She wasn’t saying what she meant to say. She knew she wasn’t, but she couldn’t make her tongue form the words to tell himwhyshe had to go.

He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees, which should have made him seem smaller, but his hunkered silhouette only made him seem more imposing. More dominant and sure of himself.

“Every male in a two-block radius will attack and hurt you if they don’t know how to control themselves. You’re in heat. You can’t go back out there.”

Between her fury at her own inability to articulate and the adrenaline rush from the attack, Liz lost her temper. She stomped her foot and curled her hands into fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms.

“Ihaveto!”

His eyebrow quirked, but otherwise, he remained unmoved.

“Why? What’s so important you’d face a mob of alphas during your heat? You don’t have long before it’ll be too strong to resist.”

The last of her strength burst from her mouth, her heated words almost a jumbled mess as they came out so fast.

“Nana is out there! She’s in the wilderness, all alone, and I have to help her! I must get her to safety!”

Watching as surprise flared in his eyes and shivering as he rumbled out an instinctual, quiet purr, Liz dropped onto the nearest surface and stared at the male who sat as still as a statue, worrying over his response. She knew she couldn’t reach Nana on her own, but she didn’t know how to ask the male for help.

He lifted his shoulders, removing his elbows from his thighs and propping his palms on the arms of the chair. His purr tookon a warning edge, and with a start, Liz realized she sat on the bed.

“Stop hurting yourself,” he growled, confusing her until she recognized the telltale zap of pain from her hands wringing her favorite tail. She loosened her fingers but couldn’t pull her hands away from the comforting softness.

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