Page 23 of Omega Untamed
It was wonderful. Like a pillow surrounding my whole foot as well as the ankle. These were boot slippers that reached halfway up my calf. I stepped gingerly, balanced, and put on the second slipper to match. I hated to think about getting blood all over them, but I had no choice.
I looked up. Bast was staring at me with a dark, unreadable look, intense enough to make me uncomfortable under normal circumstances. But right now I gloried in the attention, and that he had kept his word and returned for me.
I glanced up. “When we get back to the car, what are you going to do with me?”
“Do with you?”
I nodded.
“You will have to come with me. You can’t be seen. If anyone from Myre’s group sees you, they’ll know I didn’t do my job. If the cops see you, same difference.”
“What do you mean if the cops see me? Shouldn’t I go to them for help?”
Bast shook his head. “Myre has his spies everywhere. They can’t protect you.”
“But I’m no danger.”
“You are correct. You aren’t a danger to anyone and never were. But you areindanger. So I have to be sure you aren’t seen.”
“That sounds like a plan.” I had no other options. I would go with this Alpha over a cliff right now if he told me to do it. Everything about him shoutednoanddanger.His lack of humor, his dark gazes, his black clothes.
He had the look of an Alpha you didn’t dare fuck with. Gruff. No-nonsense. Yet there was an appeal to his stark, angular features and soft black hair greased straight back from his face. His hairline was a neat, curving line into his sideburns, his eyebrows sleek as if painted on, his lips a perfect pink bow.
Unlike Myre, he had no wrinkles, his skin unblemished and taut against his cheekbones. I couldn’t tell his age, but he didn’t look old even though he had a rather jaded air about him. All in all, if one looked through the icy exterior, he was quite handsome.
I was going to stick as close to him as glue. I could have done far, far worse for myself.
“We don’t have time for first aid but here.” From the pack, Bast produced what looked sort of like a Popsicle stick and some tape. He had the thing in place on my flattened and bloody finger before I could take a breath.
It hurt like all the hells in all the worlds. When he touched it, pain shot through my arm and into my head making me taste a metallic coating in the back of my throat.
I gave a little moan.
“Let’s go. We should not spend more time here than necessary.”
Yes! Take me away from here now!Aloud, I said, “I never want to come back here for as long as I live.”
“We won’t.”
The assurance was all I needed. I was going with him even if I had to stumble through thorns and snakes to get there. Even if he was broody and never smiled. This Alpha had saved my life and I would be forever grateful to him.
Bast kept his hand on my elbow as if to steer me, but he was also helping me keep my balance over rocks and clumps of weeds. If he hadn’t returned, and I was left on my own, I don’t know how I would have gotten out of this forest. I was completely turned around.
The slippers cushioned my feet, helping with the pain, but flopped a little, also tripping me up. But it was awesome that Bast had the thought to bring them to me.
My head swam as we walked. The woods were not pretty and leafy and piney, but masses of green barriers, blurred, all looking the same. The air should have smelled fresh, pollinated by old and new leaves and late summer flowers, but instead all I smelled was my own sour fear
I tried to focus on Bast, his scent trailing out, leading me. Despite the hard and dark exterior, everything about him now meant my safety, and so his scent reminded me of clean sheets, a warm fire, and hot cocoa on a winter night. It was completely incongruous with the current heat of the day.
When I stumbled too hard, he caught me.
“I think I need to stop for a second,” I said. I reached up to my face to wipe at my eyes and my hand came away wet. Was I crying? No. Everything would be fine now so I had no reason. Still, my eyes stung.
He stood beside me as I took deep breaths, leaning against him. After a moment, he said, “Ready?”
“Yes.”
“It’s only a few more minutes.”
