Page 17 of Pack Owned
The door opens, and I jerk back, clutching the sheets. Standing in the doorway is a seriously huge guy, like a human mountain or something, his muscles practically ripping through his skin-tight black tee.
Hello, stranger danger!
He stands there all casual, but there’s this vibe about him like he could spring into action any second. The air shifts as he saunters closer inside, filled with this smoky, intense scent that screams ‘Alpha.’ It’s the same smell that’s all over these sheets, and it’s messing with my senses, making me purr without even thinking about it.
“You’re awake.” His voice is all rough and gravelly, sending these weird shivers racing down my spine. It’s like when you step out into the cold air, and your skin just wakes up. My tongue darts out to wet my dry lips before I can stop it.
He clutches the red first aid kit, his knuckles draining of color as his gaze fixates on the movement.
I try to act tough, holding my head high. I’m super aware of everything—the cool air on my skin, my dry mouth. And yep, he’s noticing, too, jaw tightening as he grips a first aid kit like he’s gonna break it. The air buzzes between us, and I shift slightly, trying to push down the desire to crawl across the bed to him. I’m super aware of everything—the cool air on my skin, howdry my mouth feels, and the way my heart’s beating super-fast. His jaw tightens even more, and his eyes go darker.
“You gonna tell me your name?” he asks, eyebrow cocked, voice sharp, but his eyes are kinda... brittle?
I swallow, hoping my voice doesn’t give me away.
“Kayla,” I manage to say.
He gives me a curt nod and gestures at me. “You’re hurt. I need to check your injuries.”
Why is his voice making my body hum with desire and imagining his hands on my skin?
He leans on the edge of the bed. Right now, this room feels way too small, the air way too thick. The vibe between us is so intense, it’s almost as if I can touch it. Inside my head, I chant, ‘don’t pass out, don’t pass out.’
“Um… thanks for…” My mouth dries out, even though he hasn’t even done anything except open the first aid kit.
“Don’t thank me.” The muscle in his jaw works as he pushes my hair off my forehead, then pulls out an antibiotic wipe from the kit. “I just gotta get you ready. Can’t have a bleeding, bruised Omega. They might reduce the amount they’re offering for you.”
Oh God, no! He’s going to sell me… like on the black market?
Everything in me goes cold. He opens the antibacterial packet, and the sterile scent burns my nostrils. My hand trembles as I reach for the first aid kit, not to be soothed but to use it as a weapon.
But against him? This Alpha, this stranger, this terrifying reality I never saw coming? The world shrinks to the glint of the metal clasp on the kit, and a single, desperate thought hammers in my skull—I have to get the hell out of here.
CHAPTER 5
KAYLA
My fingers are practically frozen around the first aid kit’s metal handle, a dead giveaway to the jitters coursing through me. Not that I need to broadcast them—this Alpha’s already eyeing me like I’m some skittish rabbit he’s backed into a corner.
The low growl rumbling from his throat sets my nerves on edge, the vibration worming under my skin in a way that’s far too familiar. It’s just like Dad’s tone when I was little, and he was gearing up to knock me down a peg. As if getting loud and scary was the answer to everything.
But this looming stranger doesn’t know a damn thing about me. He hasn’t seen the nights I lay awake at my glorified prison called home, plotting my escape down to the last detail. Doesn’t know how many times I had to choke back the urge to scream until my throat was raw.
Faking obedience is an art, one I carefully cultivated behind perfectly tamed smiles and downcast eyes. All while rebellion thrummed through my veins, unraveling my life from the inside out.
Even now, with my heart smashing against my ribs, it reminds me not to trust too easily, too soon. That everyone has darkness in them. A reminder that no Alpha, no matter how brutish, can smother the flame I’ve kept alive.
My gaze is glued to the Alpha, but my brain’s doing a high-speed scan of every exit, the window, and how fast I can bolt. So, let this Alpha think he holds all the cards for now. The game’s only just begun, and I don’t fold that easily. The first aid kit is still in my hand, ready to use against him as a weapon.
“Just patching up the merchandise,” he says, and those words cut deeper than they should. A hot flush of anger burns its way up my neck. I’m not some object to be bartered, no matter how much they think they’ve got me cornered. But my glare is wasted on the back of his head.
I catch Ryker’s gaze, and a frown is etched between his brows that almost looks like... what? Disapproval? It’s hard to tell with these Alphas—they’re as unreadable as stone.
Without a word, he turns and leaves, and seconds later, a door slams, leaving just the two of us in a silence that feels like it’s closing in.
“Come on.” Dane nods toward the door he wants me to go through. “Time to get some food and water. You look like you could use it.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” I don’t want to show any weakness, not to him, not to any of them. Except my stomach takes that second to make noise.
