Faith & the Dead End Devils (Sweet Omegaverse, #8)(5)

"No!"

Too loud. They'll hit now. Shrink, be small. Whine.

The alpha didn't strike. A big hand reached out, cupped my calf, warm and steady, and I sucked in a relieved breath, bringing a lungful of his safe scent along. He remained still as I found myself crawling toward him, a magnetic pull to that scent. Safe. Home. Soft.

Thick arms wrapped around me as I settled myself into the alpha's lap. He turned, shifting into the closet, and I sighed as the darkness swallowed up everything but the heat and bulk, the scent of the alpha.

"No?" he asked, and the question was gentle.

"No," I repeated.

We were quiet for a moment. My perfume was growing, and it almost took me by surprise. I'd grown so used to the smell of my own stress, and before that I'd been on suppressants for so long, I'd forgotten how sweet my perfume really was. It'd come in a couple years ago, late but not unexpected. My brother Adam and I had been on the run, and finding suppressants for us both had been a necessary challenge.

Does the alpha like my scent? I wondered. I'd been avoiding alphas for years. Knowing how I might affect one came with the risk of attracting their attention.

"You didn't like the smell of the club," the alpha said. "Too many scents?"

I nodded.

"We don't have anywhere else to put you, Butterfly. Omega Center—"

"No!" I snapped again, shuddering, still expecting punishment for arguing. But no hit came, and I swallowed up another soothing fill of this man's scent. "They'll find me there," I whispered.

"The Western Wasted?"

I blinked at the name. My buyers. But they didn't have me, and I shook my head.

A big hand rested on my left thigh, and there was a scratch against my skin. I picked the hand up and traced the scabs of dried blood left from my bite.

"The people who sold you?"

I dug my fingernails into his skin without thinking, and he flinched and grunted but didn't stop me. Just like he hadn't hurt me when I'd bitten him. Or thrown me off when I'd grabbed him. Or punished me when I'd fought him on the way in.

And he'd helped me bathe, but hadn't touched me or grabbed at me like the betas who'd guarded me.

This was a good alpha.

"Yes," I whispered, petting over the bite before releasing his hand and snuggling deeper into his chest.

"What's your name, Butterfly?"

I was tempted to tell him, but I shook my head. If he didn't know my name, he couldn't share it with the wrong person, and Omikron would be less likely to find me.

"Hmm, suppose we don't really do real names around the crew either. They call me Bear," he said.

I found my lips curling at that. Bear. Teddy bear? Or was he fearsome too? He was certainly huge.

"Bear," I said, breathing him in. Soft like fur.

"This isn't a good place for you, Butterfly. You smelled other alphas? They live here too. And some of them aren't much different than the ones who paid for your delivery," Bear warned, but he soothed the words by stroking my back.

And we were alone in this little nest. And the room only smelled of him.

"You can't leave this room. You can lock it yourself from the inside. And you can decide if you wanna open it to me. I'll give you the key," he said.

I wrapped my arms around his chest, protesting the idea of him leaving or not returning.

"I'll have to talk to King. He's in charge. I don't think you can stay here. I don't think you really want to. But we won't take you to the Omega Center."

I licked my lips. His taste was still on my tongue, and close to my mouth now. I wanted to bite him again.

Don't wanna leave. Safe here.

I whined, and Bear sighed, shifting and pressing me into a pillow. My arms tightened around him, and he didn't pull away. The floor was hard beneath us, coarse sheets tangled around my legs.

"Whatever happens, you're gonna be okay, Butterfly."

I chewed on the words, and Bear dragged the pillows I'd stolen from the other end of the closet over to where we were smashed in. He stuffed them around me until I was fully surrounded, extricating himself from my grip. I was drowsy and while I wanted him to stay, his scent was still surrounding me.

I was free of Omikron. I'd found an alpha to protect me.

My alpha. The thought rang in my head.

Adam had a plan. Find the biggest, scariest alpha around. Bear wasn't scary, but he was huge and he belonged to some kind of gang. A pack?

Gunshots and screaming, the cage rattling around me, my shoulders crashing into metal as the van screeched to a stop. And then he had appeared in the ringing quiet minutes later. Bear.

Yes. Bear was dangerous. Dangerous for others, but safe for me.

I knew what Adam wanted for me. What I'd wanted for myself. Someday, after he and I had made sure other omegas were safe from Omikron, we would find our homes. Our packs. Pretty houses, nice nests, good alphas.

But I didn't know where Adam was, and I wasn't going to survive if I believed that I would magically find my way to some safe fantasy. Adam didn't trust alphas enough to seek their help before, and I wasn't going to take my chances with others when I had one right here who smelled like home and felt safe. What would a pretty house and a nice nest and good, normal alphas do to keep me safe from Omikron?