Page 10 of Where There's Smoke
What the hell?
“Oh, god. I’m sorry. Am I not supposed to be here at all? I mean, this is my place, and I?—”
“You were sleeping in the car.” My tone was iron, giving no room for argument. “What the hell are you doing sleeping inyour car? You informed the others that you had a place to stay. Did you…did youlieto them?”
Shock played over her face, but annoyance quickly replaced it. “You’re one of the firefighters? Where I sleep is my business, and please, lower your voice. You’re scaring her.”
“Her?”
But before I could ask more, Melody held up the tiny puppy in her arms. She’d apparently taken it with her. My jaw flexed, irritation drilling into my brain. There was a slew of supplies next to her on the passenger seat, which meant this woman was planning on caring for the puppy while she, what? Lived in her fucking car?
Absolutely not.
“Get out. You’re not sleeping in a car with a dog.”
“Excuse me?” Melody reeled back, and just then, the puppy stirred, growling lightly as its sleep was interrupted. “I’m not just leaving somewhere with you. Do you think I’m insane?”
The rumpled mound of fur nuzzled in deeper into Melody’s arms, trying to get away from the noise, and I could see it shaking slightly as the cold wind hit it. The woman, who I was beginning to think reallywasan omega, tried to stifle her own shiver.
“No. But you’re not staying in here. Exit the vehicle. We’re leaving.”
Melody glared. “Look, buddy, you can’t just?—”
But I didn't have time to argue, so I reached inside and unlocked the door, pulling it open. Strings of curses and complaints left the omega’s mouth as I scooped her out of the car. Carrying her around to the other side, I opened the passenger door and reached in for the bag of supplies while balancing Melody on my leg, quickly turning the key so the car powered off.
“What are you doing?!” She squirmed, and I was damn tempted to smack her on the ass to settle her down for a second. “You can’t just kidnap me!”
“Kidnap seems like a stretch, Melody. Now hold still, or risk getting dropped on your ass. I’m taking you to the station, and there’s nothing you can say that’ll change my mind. So, deal with it.”
Melody gaped again, but she didn’t argue this time, resigning herself to accepting the situation.Good. Because there’s no way I’m letting this omega sleep in a damn car.
Chapter 6
Melody
The nerve of the stupidly hot firefighter!
“You really should leave me alone,” I grumbled as he dumped me in the seat of his spacious SUV. “I’m not your property, and I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
Maybe he was compensating for something? Like, he felt bad for the shelter, and I was sort of friends with Rune, somaybe…
“You aren’t sleeping in a car. Do you have no regard for your safety?” he growled, before stalking over to the driver's side.
For a brief moment, I considered getting out, but I had no doubt that he would chase me down and force me back into this car. I had a feeling I’d end up regretting that. Mr. Firefighter didn't seem like he was in a playful mood—like, ever.
Quite the opposite. In fact, he was acting like a dick.
Now that I wasn’t dealing with my shelter being on fire, I could take a second to appreciate him. Dark waves of hair, brown eyes and a sharp jawline. He had a small scar on his left cheek, but it was almost hidden by the thin smattering of stubble that made it seem like he hadn’t shaved in a day or two.
“Of course, I have regard for my own safety,” I mumbled, fussing with the puppy in my lap. She was so upset and confused. I needed to get her settled into a proper bed with a bottle.
The alpha looked over at me, his expression utterly baffled and infuriated. “Well, clearly not. You're sleeping in a car in one of the worst parts of town. Next to a building that just burned down. Do you have any idea what sort of lowlifes burned buildings attract?”
That hadn’t really crossed my mind, but I didn’t want to admit that to the alpha. I’d already had plenty of the pity in his eyes.
“My car has good locks. I was fine. I mean, I used to sleep in the building, and I never ran into any trouble.”
The guy rolled his eyes. “You areinfuriating.”
