Page 33 of Captured

At least they distracted her from the stinging of her flesh where she’d almost cooked it.

Stepping into the center of the space, Flea turned in a slow circle. She spotted the lock in the wall beside the opening. There was a single cabinet built into the far corner with a sink set into the wall, but a quick twist of the knob showed there was no water to be had. With her temperature soaring on top of their run from the men above, her mouth was dry, but there wasn’t time to go in search of water. She’d have given anything to be able to wash the sweat from her skin and soak her hand, but that was a luxury she’d have to do without.

Finishing her circle facing the doorway, she spotted Gra’ar coming back through the closet toward her. She put up her free hand to shield the candle, but she hadn’t missed the mass in his arms.

Blankets. Even a couple pillows. She had no idea where he’d found bedding that wasn’t disintegrating, but her fingers itched with the need to get ahold of them.

Shaking off the urge, Flea stepped back as he moved into her space. An unhappy hum vibrated her vocal cords but neither of them acknowledged it as he dropped the goods where she’d been standing.

“Lock the door and don’t leave the room.”

He turned and was heading back out before he’d even finished speaking. As unsettling as him striding into her space had been, seeing him leave felt like a hole was being ripped in her middle. She took a step after him and was reaching for his arm before she could stop herself.

“Where are you going?”

Her fingers missed, arm dropping to her side, but he stopped walking and looked back at her. With her hand no longer blocking the light the glint of his golden irises was clear, as was the way his pupils flexed, the alpha warring with his instincts.

“I’m going to check the other house for more supplies. I’ll be back shortly. You should build us a nest.”

He turned and pulled the wall back into place before she could respond, his suggestion making her core clench again as her leggings soaked through. Eyes narrowing, she fought with the automatic reaction to an alpha’s order, her knees willing her to give in and dig through the bedding right then, but she refused to submit that easily.

Slapping her hand on the button that would turn off the outer switch, she checked the locking mechanism. With no power they wouldn’t be able to use the lock if it required energy, but luckily it was manual. There was a small lever set into the wall that moved the tumblers, and after wiggling it loose, she heard them snap into place.

After giving the handle on the movable wall an experimental tug, Flea turned and stared at the pile of fabric. This room wasn’t like some that held a normal bed for the omega to nest on. Instead, the entire floor had a bit of give to it, as if she was walking on a firm mattress, and the lower portion of the wall was padded and slopped in slightly. Not enough to take away much floor space, but enough to make it more comfortable to lean against.

Moving closer, she poked the pile with her foot. There wasn’t any sign of dust and when she leaned down to take a cautious sniff all she could smell was the same staleness the rest of the house held. No trace of mildew or another person except a light hint of Gra’ar’s virile scent.

She wanted to roll in it. To drop to her knees, spread it around her, and rub her body on the fabric till it held nothing but the smell ofher.

Shaking her head, Flea pulled back and scrunched her nose. She may not be able to do anything about her cycle, but there was no reason for her to go crazy over some bedding. The desire to nest was natural, instinctive, but there was no actual need for it. Building one would lull her into feeling safe, and while Gra’ar had proven himself trustworthy to a point, she didn’t want to fool herself into thinking she wassafe.

Kicking the pile to the corner, she tugged off her top shirt and tossed it on the pile. She’d let Gra’ar tend her through her heat because it would help it end faster, and because she wanted him to if she was being honest. She’d always been too curious for her own good, and with the way she’d already been drawn to him she couldn’t resist the idea of seeing what it was like to be with an alpha with the way her senses were already heightened.

Then, when her heat wore off and he was still recovering, she’d slip away on her own. He may have said they’d figure out the rest once her cycle passed but she’d seen enough to know he had a certain sense of honor, and it would prevent him from letting her go. She knew he was still planning to take her back to the Collection Center, and despite the shit life the lower levels offered, it was still her life. She still got to make the decisions.

As long as she could avoid Deacon and his men.

She grimaced at that thought, another cramp stopping the pacing she’d begun. As much as she didn’t want to give up control to a strange alpha, Deacon getting his hands on her again would be worse. She had to admit that it may be time for her to do something a bit more drastic than trying to hide. She couldn’t keep away from him and his men forever.

A thump outside her little room startled her, pulling her away from her circling thoughts as her heart leaped into her throat.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Gra’ar

He told himself his heart was racing from his run, not from leaving Flea alone. He hadn’t wanted to leave the house, but besides the one pack of bedding he’d found stuffed under a bed, he hadn’t been able to find anymore supplies in the house they’d chosen. He’d almost told her to come with him, but the more she was out, the more her scent would lace the air and possibly draw others to them.

The trip to the opposite property turned out to be worth it though. Water had been his main worry since he hadn’t spotted a recycler close enough to get to, but he’d found more bedding as well as two jugs of water in the other house. They were still sealed, so despite the time they’d likely been sitting in the back of the small downstairs closet, they should be safe enough to drink.

And he’d found cream for her burn. Old and outdated, but hopefully it would still work.

Gra’ar tugged the board that had blocked the backdoor into place as well as he could from the inside. It wouldn’t hold up against anyone pulling on it, but it gave the appearance that the house was still sealed.

Making his way upstairs, he tested the air to see if Flea had listened. Telling her not to do something was likely the best way to assure she did, but he figured she was smart enough to know when it really was in her best interest to stay put. Her pheromones seemed to have tripled just in the time it had taken them to find the saferoom, and if there had been a breeze outside, just a minute beyond the door would have been enough to alert any alphas nearby that there was an omega going into heat.

Cutting off the growl that threatened, he kicked the bedroom door shut behind him before moving to the closet to drop the supplies. Going back to the door, he turned the pitiful lock on the handle before walking over to the armoire and pushing it to block the opening as well. Even if it wouldn’t stop anyone from getting in, the noise of having to shove it aside would alert him to an intrusion.

Going back into the closet, he shut that door as well, eyeing it for a moment as he decided if it was worth it to find a way to block it too. Shaking his head, he turned to gather the things he’d dropped before knocking on the back wall.

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