Page 19 of Captured

Shaking away the fog of fuzzy, half-remembered, lusty dreams, Flea glared up at the towering alpha. Without the boots to help protect her from the cold her feet and toes had gone numb from sitting so long, and now they burned with the crawling sensation of being awakened.

“Let’s go.”

If his grunted words were any indication he’d slept no better than she had. Straightening her spine and rolling her shoulders as much as she could with her arms pinned behind her, she huffed her irritation.

“Maybe you can jump up and take off after a few minutes’ sleep with no food or water, but I can’t. I’m sure you’re supposed to be returning me in good condition. How are you going to do that if I die of dehydration?”

The blank stare he gave her told her she wasn’t convincing. Bracing her shoulder on the wall so she could stand, she pushed herself up, grimacing at the tingling in her feet.

“Can you at least uncuff me long enough for me to go… You know?”

She raised her brows, dipping her eyes downward in suggestion. She didn’t like the idea of baring herself near an alpha, but she really did need to relieve herself, and if she was smart, she might be able to slip away while she was uncuffed.

Her captor’s eyes narrowed. With the flare nothing more than an ember most of his face was cast in shadows, but she could see the gleam of his golden irises fixed on her. He had both sets open again, the glitter of them almost mesmerizing as she waited for his response.

Grabbing her arm, he turned her to face the wall. A grin crept across her face as she felt him take hold of the cuffs, but she was sure to wipe it away before he noticed. She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped as one wrist was freed and her arms fell forward, the muscles in her shoulders and chest screaming at the sudden shift after being pinned so long.

Clutching her arms around her to rub at the irritated flesh, she turned back to face the alpha. Her personal shadow demon. He still loomed over her, standing so close she couldn’t help but draw his scent in with each breath. It was a decadent musk that coated the back of her throat, even the saltiness of his sweat doing nothing to diminish the appeal of it.

When he continued to stand over her Flea raised her brows and moved to sidestep him, but his arm shot out to block her.

“A girl needs a bit of privacy to take care of business. I can’t pee with you breathing on me like a panting mutt waiting for a taste.”

The golden gleam narrowed further and a rumble left his chest. Raising his head to glance around the room, he dropped his arm before stepping back.

“You have one minute.”

With that, he spun and walked to the door, exiting before Flea could take her next breath.

Eyes darting around the dark room, she searched for anything she could have missed when they first crashed through. Besides a few larger pieces of wood from their decent, there was still nothing for her to use to make her escape. Moving to the blocked window she tried her last resort but wasn’t able to pry the window open, much less knock the boards loose enough to climb through.

Grumbling under her breath she went to the corner and did her business, barely getting her pants back up before the door swung open again. Glaring at the dark shape of the alpha standing in the doorway, she crossed her arms over her chest. Attempting to stomp past him, she was once again blocked with a thick bicep.

“Be a good girl and turn around.”

The shiver that ran down her spine had nothing to do with the cold permeating the room. It was impossible to miss the purr in his voice.

Pretending not to notice, Flea kept her head up and did as directed, not fighting when he pulled her arms behind her once again to lock the cuffs in place. She had to save her fight for when she had a real chance, and if she played along she might lure him into being careless.

Once her hands were secured he let her go, taking a few steps away to peer over the balcony in front of them. Flea couldn’t see any further than the railing that ran along the edge and another doorway on each side of them, but she had to assume he had better night vision than her.

The idea to run at him and knock him over crossed her mind but he was beside her again before she could decide if the risk was worth it. Since he had wings to catch himself, it likely wouldn’t have done more than piss him off.

“The building appears clear, but I still expect you to remain silent. We’ll take the stairs down, then find a way out.”

She gave a short nod to show she’d heard him. He apparently trusted her not to try anything since he turned and headed to the left where she assumed he could see the staircase. With the dead flare still lying in the room behind them there was no light for her to see by, and she hesitated for a moment before following. He was nothing more than a deeper shadow moving in the darkness, and she’d lose him if he got more than a few paces ahead.

Trying to ignore the wiggle of worry in her belly, Flea lengthened her steps to keep up until they reached the top of the stairs. They spiraled down the center of the building, her only clue they were there the gap in the railing and the change in her captor’s footsteps.

Flea hated admitting to a weakness, but the thought of falling down the stairs had her skin crawling with unease. Pausing when her toes curled over the top step, she had to swallow twice before her dry throat allowed her to speak.

“Wait.”

The alpha had continued at his previous pace so he was beyond what she could see, but she heard him stop.

“Aren’t you going to light another flare?”

Her voice came out weaker than she’d have liked. Clearing her throat, she waited as she pictured his raised brow.

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