Chapter 10
Chapter ten
Gage
Iwait a few moments, taking deep breaths before I knock on the door. I guess I am a big hypocrite, after all. I told my brothers to keep away, but here I am, going against my own code.
The Omega is definitely trouble. And she is definitely hiding something important from us. Something that could be a matter of life and death.
But I tell myself that that’s ridiculous. She is just an Omega. She has to be at least five feet. Not much danger, on paper…
Yet, why was she pierced with arrows when Wren found her along the riverbank? Someone out there deems this Omega dangerous enough to pursue in the woods.
Dangerous enough to capture and kill.
My fists echo on the wood, creating a hollow sound in the hall and inside my chest. I swallow, waiting for a response beyond. Time seems to cease as all is silent in the room, but I know she’s in there.
I can smell her fear through the wood, and something else, too. Something that makes my Alpha rise on his haunches.
Hold on. Could it be...?
To distract myself, I clear my throat, rapping my knuckle against the door again. “Little doe? I know you’re in there.”
And if I listen hard enough, then I can sense her heart thudding against the floorboards. It’s a small, melodious little sound. One that accompanies the bigger thumps of the infernal organ inside my own chest.
More tense silence, and then a faster series of heartbeats from the little doe inside the room. And then, the sound of creaking floorboards and muted footsteps. It seems she is tiptoeing across the room toward the door.
My Alpha relaxes slightly, and now I breathe a sigh of relief. I thought I was going to have to use my bark for a moment.
The door unlocks with a click, and I’m not surprised she felt the need to lock the door with three dominant Alphas around the house.
She really is out of her depth here.
But there is no question about it. The Omega is scared of Alphas, and I am going to find out why.
Eventually.
For now, I will let the Omega settle. Once she is comfortable enough, I will resume my questioning of her.
Now, I spy her big, violet eyes as they find mine through the crack of the door. They take me aback.
They really are bright, and so infinite. My Alpha is spellbound. Her gaze is like the color of a twilight sky, with several stars winking in their velvet expanse. When her scent reaches my nose, I pause.
And then, I growl. Only slightly.
My gums ache, and I wish I could see her throat so I can imagine sinking my teeth into her soft skin again.
It’s just a shame that all I can see of her are those big, big doe eyes. If only I could see more of that body, too, more of that ass.
I could demand entry into her room. I am an Alpha, after all, and I am the lead of Pack Storm.
But I hold back.
I want to build her trust first. Then I can find out about her mysterious origins.
Besides, I have to rectify Malakai’s mistakes. He said she had put up a bit of a fight before he threw her over his shoulder and tossed her inside the pen with Fidget.
And he had said she was good, too. She knew all the footwork, all the ways to dodge the approaching strikes of an Alpha.
Perhaps she is not as innocent and docile as she looks.
I raise a brow at those big eyes. “Well? Are you going to let me in?”
Those twilight eyes enlarge. And then they close as she gives a quick nod. Now she pushes the wood open, moving aside to let me into her room.
My eyes scan the walls as I step inside, the floorboards groaning in protest beneath me. Her room is bare. There is not one ounce of her personality in here, whatever her personality may be.
I don’t even know what she likes. Because I don’t even know her. Yet I allow her inside my house all the same.
But the matter remains. This room... it barely passes for a nest.
Why am I even thinking about giving her a nest? She is not my Omega, just my house guest.
Or maybe prisoner would be more appropriate here.
Quickly, my eyes find the window. Locked. As it should be. We will have to ensure we keep all doors and windows locked from now on.
She’s a flight risk indeed. And that is why we need to keep our eyes on her twenty-four seven. She will not try to escape us a third time.
She will not try to escape me. She’s the most intriguing thing I have seen in a long time. Perhaps in my entire life.
What is she hiding beneath that mop of silvery blonde hair?
Now my eyes roam over her, trying to look casual as I cross my arms. Hopefully, she can’t hear the slight rumbling in my chest. The slight purring.
Focus.
I cut straight to the chase, getting it out into the open. “Lyra... Why exactly do you run from us?”
Lyra just stares at her bare feet, and she doesn’t even have a pair of shoes. It looks as if Wren left her a pair of his boots by the door, but she’ll hardly be able to walk in them.
She needs women’s clothes. Omega clothes, especially.
Malakai can pick some up for her on his next trip into town. We need supplies, anyway. So long as he is smart and doesn’t draw too much attention to himself, then he should be able to get her several shirts, pants, and hopefully a pair of shoes that actually fit her tiny feet.
And tiny they are.
Her toes look good enough to eat.
Focus again.
She takes several deep breaths. Then she whispers, keeping her eyes on her little toes. “N-no comment.”
No comment. Again, that is just not going to do. Now I lean forward, meeting her at eye level. When she doesn’t meet my gaze, I place a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look my way.
Now I get an eyeful of a very beautiful face. My throat tightens at the sight of that perfect heart shape. So fair with a dusting of freckles, yet so, so dangerous.
So mysterious.
Someone, somewhere, is after this gorgeous little creature. And I need to know why. She’s a big puzzle. One I need to solve immediately.
“Look at me, Lyra,” I growl the last, swallowing when a lump sticks in my throat. I think I almost purred.
My voice has never done that before.
The Omega shudders beneath me, and then her sharp scent clouds around her. When her eyes move up to mine, her irises explode, taking over her twilight irises.
The world stills.
Now my voice comes out strangled when I ask, “Who are you running from, little doe?”
Her lower lip wobbles, and now her pupils grow even bigger, if that were possible. When she whispers, brushing my cheeks with her warm breath, my heart stops. “No comment.”
It takes a few moments for my heart to kickstart. Then my jaw clenches as a muscle feathers in my right cheek.
She has an awful habit of saying that, I’ve noticed.
I may not get the answers I want today, but I will. Soon.
Now, I decide to leave, giving her back her space. When I rise back to my full height, she shrinks beneath my scrutinizing gaze.
I back out of the room, saying as I step out of the threshold. “When you’re ready, Lyra, Wren will be waiting for you. He’s determined to spend some time with you. I figured since you’ll be staying here, you can help him do some chores.”
I just hope she understands that she doesn’t have to do chores. It is not a requirement for her staying here. We’re the ones keeping her against her will after all.
So, the choice is hers.
She doesn’t respond, and I take that as my sign to leave.
As I close the door behind her, I linger for a moment, running my hand over my stubbled cheeks. Then I comb my fingers through my hair, trying to ignore my aroused Alpha.
She truly is a mystery indeed.