Page 49 of No Escape

Sighing, I hustle over to the table to grab her a bottle of water. It’s room temperature, but it’ll be better than the alternative. On my way back, I stop at the dresser next to the door where we keep fresh towels, washcloths, extra toiletries, and toilet paper. There’s no storage whatsoever in the lavatory, so we improvised.

Rolling my shoulders back, I venture into the danger zone once more.

Saylor leans against the wall as the toilet flushes. She pulls a hand up, wiping her mouth, and her bloodshot eyes meet mine.

Christ.

She looks rough.

Her cheeks are bright pink, there are dark circles under her eyes, and she has splatters of toilet water on her shirt.

Not that I’m judging.

A very long time ago—three years, to be exact—I got just inebriated enough that I pissed in my mate’s closet, thinking it was the loo. Not my finest moment, by a long shot, but I like to think I’ve grown up since then.

Doing my best to keep my face placid, I slide inside the lavatory and drop the bottle of water onto the sink before wetting the washcloth.

“All right, pet,” I say, keeping my voice low and soothing. “Come here and let me help you clean up.”

“I can’t,” she whimpers. “I think I’m going to be sick again, and everything is spinning.”

Well, that’s no fun.

At least the night of piss-mageddon, I had a grand time.

My old friend, not so much when he woke up to the foul smell…

Right, I have an omega to look after.

It’s only a few steps until I’m at her side.

Holding out my arm, I offer her the wet cloth. “Here. Why don’t you clean your face? Then we can rinse at the sink, and I brought you a fresh bottle of water.” She takes it, and I sidle up to her side, wrapping my arm around her lower back.

Saylor lets me guide her to the sink, but my eyes widen as her forearm brushes mine. She’sburning up, like way hotter than a human being should ever be.

“Holy fuck,” I whisper, grimacing. Alarming her won’t be helpful. I’m sure she knows she’s hot to the touch. “Are you all right, lovely?”

“I don’t think so,” she groans, pulling away from me and planting her hands on the sink. “My eyes are burning, my head throbs, and my stomach is unsettled. Maybe I caught the flu or a stomach virus?”

“Perhaps.” Moving behind her, I wrap her hair in my hand. “Go ahead and rinse your mouth. Try not to swallow. The sink water never tastes right.”

She sways as she leans over, and I brace her hip with my free hand.

Damn.

I thought having an omega was supposed to be glamorous…all pheromones, knots, and heats filled with dirty sex. The other side of things isn’t so pretty, but that’s life in general, I suppose.

ChapterFifteen

Saylor

Ihaven’t been this sick in too many years to remember.

I got norovirus in high school, and I honestly thought I would die before anyone noticed. The next morning when Leo and Shaw found me, I was in pretty bad shape. At one point, I considered calling them. They lived on-site at the time, but I really didn’t want them to see me like that.

I didn’t even bother calling my dad. Mostly because I knew he wouldn’t come home to take care of me, and if I didn’t call, I could pretend that he wasn’t there because he didn’t know.

It was a scary level of being sick, and this actually manages to top that.

---