Page 43 of Captured

Still, the scar would give her one less thing to worry about for a little bit.

And it would give her something to remember Gra’ar.

Her emotions were a tangle, different worries pulling her in different directions, but she could admit the big alpha had grown on her. Maybe it was the hormones left over from her heat, but she was almost more distressed about him leaving once he returned her to the Center than the possibility of the Director not believing their ruse.

Trying to bury all the things she didn’t have the energy to face, Flea gave herself a shake and nodded toward the gate.

“Guess it’s time to go. We’ve got a long walk and a lot of stairs to climb.”

Gra’ar’s look was searching, but he didn’t say anything. She could tell he didn’t believe the chipper act she was trying to put on and resolved to do better. There was no reason to leave him with any lingering guilt over her problems. He’d found an out that met both their needs, her actions with Deacon were her own issue to handle.

“Did you want anything from the house?”

Shaking her head, she moved to step around him, careful to avoid contact. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take, and he was being entirely too sweet for her peace of mind. Just his scent was threatening to break down the fragile balance she’d found.

“Smells too much like slick. If I had more clothes I’d abandon these too but…”

She let her voice trail away with a shrug. She didn’t have anything else, so she didn’t have a choice.

“I could look for some.”

She knew he was trying to help but she was growing impatient. Shaking her head, she reached for the knob on the gate, hoping it would open for her but knowing it was unlikely. She gave it an irritated jerk when it refused to turn.

“No point in wasting the time. I can always grab clothes at the Collection Center. And a meal.”

Her stomach punctuated her point by rumbling loud enough she knew he could hear. She’d been sparing with the bread and cheese she’d gotten from Herelia, hoping to make it last her a while, but she’d lost it in her initial run from Gra’ar and he’d told her the bars she’d eaten had been his last, so there was nothing to fill the empty gnawing in her middle. Hunger hadn’t been a concern with her cycle coming on, but with it over her body was demanding nutrition to replace the energy she’d used.

Gra’ar grunted before pushing through the bush next to her. The gate was vertical metal bars connected by three horizontal ones, and while she could have climbed it, the stone wall would be easier to get over with its flat top.

Following him, Flea reached for handholds on the wall before letting out a squeak as she was propelled upward. Gra’ar removed his hands as soon as she was settled on top of the wall so she didn’t have time to protest, but she sent him a glare anyway. The cocky smirk he gave her as he jumped over and landed on the other side with a beat of his wings wasn’t as intense as some of his previous ones, put it still sent a spasm through her core.

He didn’t hold his arms out to help her down, so she wasn’t forced to ignore him. While landing barefoot was more painful than if she’d still had her boots, it wasn’t bad enough for her to care. She’d spent so much of her life on the move her feet were familiar with abuse.

With walls on each side of them they only had two directions to choose from, and only one seemed to curve along in the direction they wanted to go. Setting off down the path, Flea tried to keep her mind focused and not let it wander to what-ifs. She needed to take care of one thing at a time and keep her thoughts on what she could control.

They walked in silence, continuing west. They passed more large properties like the one they’d used before those gave way to smaller and smaller homes. Buildings grew taller and closer together, becoming a mix of different businesses and structures until they finally paused to drink from the jugs they carried.

“I’m going to fly up and look for the support so we can take a direct route.”

Gra’ar’s voice startled her when he finally spoke, but she gave him a nod, knocking back another drink before capping the bottle of water. Knowing she’d have access to more once they climbed to Fourth-Level, there was no reason to ignore her dry throat and restrain herself.

Plus, she didn’t want to keep carrying the weight.

The alpha sat his jug at her feet, taking a few steps away before spreading his wings. Without his shirt the muscles of his back were clear, the power in his body sending a thrill through her that was hard to ignore. He may not be hers, but she’d had a taste of him, and she got to pretend for a little while that he was her alpha.

Shaking her thoughts away from things she shouldn’t be thinking about, Flea watched as he launched himself into the air. There was no reason to waste time waiting for him when he’d be able to find her no matter where she went, so she picked up his jug and kept moving in the direction they’d been heading. There was no way to track the amount of time they’d been on the move, but she knew they still had a long way to go. Climbing from Eighth to Fourth was going to be a pain, but they didn’t have any other options.

She only made it a block before Gra’ar landed ahead of her, striding back to take his jug of water.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Gra’ar

“We need to move over two blocks, then we’ll be in a direct line to the support.”

Flea gave him a nod, crossing over the next bridge they came to and walking down the sidewalk to the route he’d indicated. They still had a little way to go but they were close, then they’d have to climb the stairs.

He’d remained silent as they walked, giving her time to process and think. She didn’t seem to want to talk, and he was fine with the quiet, but he wished he could help her pensive mood.

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