Page 23 of Rescuing Red

“Almost there. Just a little further.”

A weak whine was all that met his words. He pushed himself harder. An omega’s heat was extremely taxing on their body and forcing her to trek through the jungle at the start of it would sap her strength. He worried about dehydration as her body continued to prepare for his invasion, and it was a relief to approach the door of his den.

Stooping to let Liz off his back, a moment of worry struck him as he stared at his simple wooden door. It was sturdy and safe, but there was nothing attractive about it, and the inside of his home was much the same.

Suddenly self-conscious, he cleared his throat as he straightened and turned to look down at Liz. Sweat plastered bits of hair to her face, and her drenched clothing stuck to her small body. Her tails hung to the ground behind her as she clutched her belly, though she tried to give him a smile.

“Is this it?” she asked when he hesitated. Nodding, he sucked in a deep breath and shoved his feelings aside.

Turning to the door, he unlocked it and stepped aside to let Liz through first. The inside was dim without lights, but enough sun came through the windows for him to move around her and fumble the switch on. He rarely used the power from the little generator he’d stashed in the closet in the front room, but he had better things to tend to than candles or a fire.

Avoiding looking at Liz to see what she thought of his den, Blaide moved to the kitchen area and pulled out two cups to fill with water. He’d restricted his own drinking during the trip so Liz would have enough, but both water containers had been empty since he’d started his run. He was desperate for a drink and knew she would be too.

Coming back to her with the cup, he finally looked at her face, surprised to see a smile lighting it. Her gaze moved around his foyer, clearly delighted with what she saw.

“This is wonderful. It’s…” She paused and Blaide’s breath caught as he waited for her to find the word she wanted. “Cozy.”

His breath left him on a sigh. That was the way he thought of his den as well, and he was glad to see the small space didn’t bother her.

“I built it when I moved here.”

Her lashes widened further before she gasped in pain and closed her eyes. The scent of fresh slick rose to entice his nose, and his erection returned full force. She didn’t have time to stand around talking about his home. She needed nesting material and sustenance.

Pushing the glass into her hand, he waited until she lifted it to her lips before draining his and turning to open the door to his room. It wasn’t much larger than the bed in the middle of it, but it was all he’d ever needed.

“The, uh, bed is in here. I can strip the sheets and—”

“No.”

Liz grabbed his arm, slipped past him, and drew in a deep breath.

“It smells of you. Leave it.”

She aimed her blown pupils up at him. Blaide fought the urge to tackle her onto the bed and cover her with his body. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to back up.

“I’ll get you more blankets, then.”

Nodding, Liz turned back to his bed, moving toward it as he backed through the doorway. It was almost painful to pull his eyes away from her, but he knew if he didn’t, she’d forever remember how her claiming nest wasn’t perfect. On a visceral level, omegas needed to create a safe, comfortable space to accept their alpha, otherwise, they would struggle to find happiness in the union. Nests were a source of pride, and he’d be damned if he was going to deny her the satisfaction.

Refilling and drinking his glass, he then filled it again before pulling out enough dried meat for the two of them. He doubted she wanted to eat, but she needed the energy and so did he. Digging out the few baked treats he’d picked up at the market, he pulled his extra bedding from the closet before returning to the bedroom with the entire stack.

His Red was kneeling in the middle of the mattress, holding his pillow to her face and breathing in his scent with little huffs of delight. He almost dropped everything and pounced on her but held back by sheer force of will.

Liz startled when he cleared his throat, turning to stare up at him with pitch-black eyes. The moan she released had his own precum soaking into the front of his pants. He groaned in return before moving to deposit the extra blankets on the end of the bed.

“These are all I have. I hope it’s enough.”

He forced the words through clenched teeth, swearing to himself he’d order the softest pillows and blankets before hernext heat came. Just thinking of tending her through another had him glowing with pride, knowing he was going to claim this omega and be there for the rest of her life.

Liz crawled to him once he’d freed his arms of the cloth, running her hands up his chest and making his ruff stand on end.

“It’s perfect.”

Her husky words sent another pulse of need through him, and he almost crushed the little cakes he’d brought for her. Remembering the tasks he still had to complete before he could have her, he stepped back and thrust his glass into her hand.

“Drink.”

Chapter 15

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