Page 16 of No Escape

The door swings open, and I hold my breath.

She tries in Russian first and then switches to English. “Each of us has been in your situation. There is safety found in numbers. If you’re not careful, the guards will drag you from bed and toss you into the common room. They won’t stand for you hiding for much longer.”

My entire body stiffens.

I’m not sure why I didn’t let my mind go there, but if they want omegas to interact with alphas in hopes of bringing them back from the edge of being feral, then that makes sense.

No, wait. They said these alphas are rabid… Not even feral.

“We’ve got one other newcomer. You’ll want to get the lay of the land together. There’s also the benefit of not being the sole new addition.” Footsteps approach, and my heart thunders. “I’m Maggie. Lying around while worrying how awful it’ll be makes everything worse. Come on, then. Up with you before I drag your blanket off.”

I barely have a half second to weigh the pros and cons of what she’s saying before she grabs the bottom of the thin blanket and tugs.

“Hey!” I growl, trying to pull it back over my face.

“Ahh, the other one speaks English too.” Maggie laughs, but my world tilts.

Oh, God.

I never even considered the possibility, but please, God…

Tell me they didn’t get Avery too.

Releasing my hold on the blanket, I sit straight up, shoving my messy hair back from my face.

“The other woman. The newcomer. What’s her name?” I ask, trying not to panic as I hit my socked feet.

“Elyse? Elsie? It was hard to make out through the incessant crying.” Maggie shrugs.

A whoosh of pure relief leaves my lips. Being trapped in here is one thing, but I’m grateful Avery wasn’t caught by the same men who kidnapped me.

“I’ll take it that’s not who you thought it would be.” Maggie is beautiful. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the voice seemed more hardened or possibly mature than the story her physical appearance tells. She has long brown hair that falls around her lithe shoulders, and she’s not in the horrendous outfit they gave me.

I’m unreasonably jealous about that. The pants are especially itchy, and they’ve been driving my sensory issues crazy.

Is there a place to get other clothes?

Possibly an extra blanket or two?

I shivered all night long, but I attributed some of that to fear.

My head shakes as I remember her question, and my eyes widen when I spot the plethora of women standing around the doorway. “I thought they might have grabbed someone important to me when they took me.”

Maggie studies me carefully as her dark eyes narrow.

It’s an unsettling feeling, and I’m not sure what I’ve done wrong, so I take a step back.

“They’re going to have a field day when they get a look at you,” she finally mutters. “How old are you?”

“Almost twenty-one.” I pull my shoulders back, and I have no idea why.

Maybe it’s her tone, or it could be her scent, but my instincts don’t like having another omega in what is supposed to be my private space.

Her scent is a combination of tart orange and brown sugar, and it makes me nearly gag the longer I breathe it in.

Shit.

I might have just made a huge mistake.

---