Page 3 of A Real Alpha
Just then, a shout tore through the air, loud and angry. Harry's voice, echoing through the alley.
“Shit,” I muttered and turned, considering running before I realized that it would work better if I just blended in.
Never had I been gladder that his apartment was in Downtown where there was always life. For a while, I used to sit at the window, looking down at everyone, wondering whattheirlives were like. Wondering if there were other alphaswho had omegas locked inside their apartments. And now, I was suddenly among them.
I turned, keeping my head down, sticking too close to a group of guys who were walking at a brisk pace, talking about sports or something too irrelevant to matter right now. I couldn't even hear them. All of my focus was on Roscoe now, stroking his face, trying to calm him.
“Shh,” I whispered, “it's okay, my love.”
My reassuring voice soothed him a little bit straight away, but he continued to sniffle and fuss until I tucked him against my shoulder.
I needed to find somewhere I could sit, feed him, and soothe him even more, but our safety came first.
Despite myself, I glanced over my shoulder and nearly lost it at the sight of Harry behind me, searching through the crowd and all thepeople casually going about their day.Normalpeople who had jobs and friends and lives... it was surreal considering all I’d lost because of him.
Keeping my head down, trying my best to suppress the fear clawing up my throat, I dove through the nearest doorway.
A bell rang and the smell of warm baked goods and the sound of quiet music greeted me.
Glancing around, I realized I'd entered a lovely little cafe.
It was like stepping into a different world. There were dark walls, wooden tables and pretty desserts behind the glass display. The workers wore clean white aprons and the patrons read or worked on computers.
I didn't think I'd seen such a peaceful space in years.
Swallowing, I forced my legs to move, carrying myself as far back from the windows as possible to take a seat in the far corner where a high-backed booth felt like it shielded me a little bit. I could still see the front door—just in case.
Ignoring the couple of glances Roscoe's crying drew, I reached into the bag still slung over my shoulder and pulled out the blanket, using it to cover us as I unbuttoned my shirt and offered him my swollen nipple.
He latched eagerly and began sucking. That settled him at once, but I still couldn't relax, my gaze fixed on the front windows and the door.
Harry had been behind me.
If he'd seen me come in here?—
My breath caught in my throat as suddenly, his large frame passed in front of the window, a focused scowl on his face.
He still was looking for us, just as I'd thought. As far as Harry was concerned, we were his property. He probably considered this escape to be theft.
Heart pounding, breath caught in my lungs, I watched and waited. To my amazement, he continued on his hunt, soon moving out of sight.
Only once a full minute had passed could I finally breath again.
While I realized our freedom might be short-lived, knowing Harry was off searching elsewhere allowed me a tiny bit of relief. It was like all the energy in my entire body drained out at once, leaving me exhausted.
I sagged against the seat, eyelids suddenly drooping as I fought to stay awake. My body was already starting to feel stiff and a bit sore from the fight but even so, as Roscoe began to fall asleep it was impossible to keep my eyes open. I gave in, allowing them to close until the overwhelming scent of an alpha suddenly had them shooting open again.
My gaze flew up. For a moment I was sure that it was Harry. Slowly, I realized that I was looking at someone else and the scent was all wrong. It wasn't as raw and abrasive as Harry's was, and likewise, this alpha had a friendly smile on his face. His hairwas a soft, messy brown and his eyes were just as gentle. The apron helped, too.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked.
“Uh...”
I glanced at the front counter where people were clearly meant to order from. That meant he'd approached me to see what I was doing here, I guessed. Maybe only customers were allowed to sit and relax. But in my rush to escape, I'd completely forgotten about taking any money...
“Is it okay if I sit here for a bit?” I asked hesitantly.
His curious smile shifted a bit, something else flickering through his eyes that he hid seconds later.
