Page 16 of Captured

Her head spun as she moved into a sitting position, the darkness surrounding her too complete for her to see anything other than a lighter black spot above her head where they’d apparently slammed through a roof. The working bulbs on the roof of Seventh were few and far between, giving her eyes nothing to work with to make out her current location.

One hand pressed to her head and one braced on the floor to keep her upright, Flea focused on breathing and getting the world around her to stop moving. New aches were awakening as adrenaline left her system, assuring her she really was alive, because she couldn’t possibly hurt that much if she was dead.

A groan filled the air around her, the sound of something scraping the ground jolting her and sending her eyes searching for the source despite knowing she couldn’t see it. Sliding herself backward as silently as she could, she only made it a few feet before her back hit a wall and she was forced to stop.

The groan turned to a low growl sprinkled with curses. As rough a life as she’d led and as vulgar as she could be, the male’s language made her ears burn, and a small portion of her brain began filing away the words for future use.

A future she only had because he’d saved her.

Flush rushing up her chest to heat her cheeks, Flea swallowed the surge of gratitude that threatened to swamp her and sent pinpricks to the corners of her eyes. She reminded herself she’d never have fallen in the first place if the beast hadn’t been chasing her, and just because he’d saved her didn’t make him a good guy. Simply a male unwilling to lose his prize.

Hands groping the wall behind her, Flea pushed herself up on unsteady feet, wincing as pain flared through her back and hips. The flying monster may have saved her from the worst of the impact but falling through a roof and being flung across the room still left an imprint.

Biting back her own whimper of pain, she listened to the sounds of the male, wondering what state he was in since he’d taken the worst of the fall. She wasn’t left waiting for long when she heard a strange crackle and green light flared in front of her. She threw up an arm to shield her eyes as she winced and turned away, blinking away the sting.

“Sit your little ass down before you fall on it.”

It took the gruff words a moment to penetrate, anger flaring in their wake as Flea let her arm drop to glare across the room at the male. He sat with one leg bent and the other stretched out before him, elbow resting on his knee as he held his head. His wings sagged behind him, one tucked close as the other lay half open across the floor.

Flea sucked in another breath to make a retort, but the scent that hit her melted the words away. She hadn’t realized it in the rush to escape him, but she should have known what he was as soon as he gave chase.

Alpha.

Her eyes wandered over him again. He was certainly large enough for his stature to scream alpha, but she’d never seen a creature like him before, even without the wings. He had cuts on his massive arms, his blood so dark it appeared black where it ran down his dull skin, and she was willing to bet his back was in worse shape. The wing that lay stretched out had a nasty hole torn through it, the webbing beneath marbled with the blood weeping from the wound. His other limbs seemed to be unbroken at least, but it was his face that kept pulling at her attention.

Ridges followed his cheekbone and jawline, giving his face a sharpness that reminded her of birds of prey. Small black horns arched over his eyes, growing taller as they marched to his hairline before a larger pair as long as her forearm swept back over his skull. It was impossible to tell the true color of his hair with the green light from the flare, but if her glimpse of him from above was accurate, it was as black as the horns, falling loose from the tie that had held it to tangle among the bony protrusions.

And while his eyes were currently closed as he slowly flexed muscles likely just as sore as hers, the sight of those four golden orbs was burned into her brain.

Shaking her head, Flea pulled herself out of her inspection of him, turning her gaze to the room they were in. Him being an alpha made his pursuit make more sense, and made it even more imperative that she escape. Alphas wanted omegas for one reason, and one reason only.

To fuck.

And to make sure their toy couldn’t be taken away, they would force a bond during the omega’s heat, forever tying her to them. An invisible shackle unable to be broken. An insidious one that would fool her into thinking she was happy, that she wanted it, even when it wasn’t true.

Flea’s lip curled as her eyes flicked back to the alpha before looking for a way out. If he thought she was going to give up now just because he’d saved her, he was mistaken.

“I. Said. Sit. Down.”

The command in his tone made her muscles tremble but Flea had plenty of practice ignoring orders. Eyes locking on the door halfway between her and the male, she didn’t waste any more time.

Chapter Twelve

Gra’ar

The snarl that left him as she darted for the door was savage. He was tired, he was sore, and he was sick of chasing the little thing. Flea had almost gotten them both killed in her mad dash across the level above, and yet she was trying to run again after he’d risked his neck to save her.

He was on his feet and lunging before she passed through the doorway. His wing sent a sharp stab of pain through his back, but he ignored it, reaching for the little female before she could make her escape. Fingers tangling in the back of her loose shirt, he jerked her backwards, letting out a grunt as she fell against his chest.

Her screech brought a feral grin to his lips, but her struggling was making his bones throb and sending a fresh wave of blood spilling from his wounds. Banding one arm overtop hers to squeeze her into him, he moved the other to her hair, gripping and pulling until her head was wrenched back enough from her to meet his gaze in the flickering light of the flare.

“Behave.”

The little omega bared her teeth at him, a pathetic growl fluttering from the chest he crushed to his.

“Never.”

She drew up the foot still encased in the clunky black boot, slamming it back into his shin and wriggling with all her worth. Despite the pain and fatigue pulsing through him he couldn’t help the way his body responded, his cock growing thick where it was pinned between them. Pale blue eyes going wide, he knew she felt it, her hissing and spitting growing wilder as she tried to free herself.

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