Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Omen
T he hours pass exceptionally slowly when we’re locked down. A telly or access to our phones would be nice, but we have the basics. My bottom drawer is filled with chess, checkers, a deck of cards, and no less than ten fantasy books. I’ve read them all, so I give Saylor the chance to browse through them while I do my evening exercise routine.
Unless the guards are majorly pissed, they should bring the food carts soon.
Not that I didn’t snag half the snack display just to be safe, but omegas need regular balanced meals. They’re prone to a fondness for sweets and other junk foods, but they’re also more likely to end up with vitamin deficiencies and osteoporosis than any other designation. Their system will leach vitamins from their bones to prepare for little alphas and omegas.
Hell, maybe the same is true for all women.
I don’t fucking know.
The bars under my bed are just wide enough to get my legs through. It’s more of a pain in the arse to push the mattress up enough to get situated than it is to deal with their non-rounded edges, but this is a nightly ritual at this point.
Valor has apparently decided the shower is the only safe place for him because he hasn’t left the loo in hours. The water is running, so maybe he’s trying to drown himself. If he stopped up the drain, he could make about two inches of standing water before it started flooding the floor.
I almost snort.
The bond assures me he’s fine.
Okay, physically, he’s good.
Emotionally, that man is a wreck.
He’s been through the whole spectrum of emotions and back again, all while trying to give himself hypothermia. The water we have access to in the cells comes out barely above freezing.
I’m genuinely surprised he’s lasted in there for this long. Other than once or twice when they locked us down for longer periods of time, neither of us have even used that shower.
It’s bloody uncomfortable for even a quick rinse.
I’ve often pondered why they don’t offer us hot water in the cells. Perhaps it would tax the facility’s system to pump it into each room, but at times like these, it’s a right pain in the arse. It’s far more likely that they have the capacity and they just withhold the hot water as a punishment.
Saylor huffs, tossing herself down in the gaming lounger that was here when we claimed the room. Her eyes dance over me as I hang from the bars under my bed.
I smirk and offer a cheeky little wave before starting my hanging sit-ups. It’s uncomfortable, as the metal digs into the soft skin behind my knees, but I do enjoy the way the omega watches each of my muscles flex. Her eyes continue to dance over my flesh, and I vaguely wonder if she’s trying to memorize my tattoos.
She notices I’m watching and grumbles under her breath, flipping open the closest book. It’s an epic fantasy and close to seven hundred pages in print. It should keep her busy for a while if it captures her attention.
I eventually get in the zone and stop putting on a show.
Being trapped in this place isn’t just a mind game. It’s hard not to let it take a toll on my physical health. With a little discipline, I’ve managed to mostly keep myself where I need to be, but the mental aspects are more complicated.
Not being able to step outside and smoke if I’d like to is another. Although Valor has been on my ass to break the habit for years. I’m still undecided if I’ll pick it up again once we make it out of this hellhole. I do love a cigarette after several strong pints.
“I’ve never had to share a bathroom before.” Saylor huffs. “But I feel like it’s common to warn your roommates before disappearing into the only restroom for hours. ”
I laugh and allow myself to fall until I’m once again staring at her upside down. “No couth to be found in that one. Do what I do and just barge in.”
“There’s no shower curtain.” Her face twists into an adorable frown that makes her nose crinkle.
“Right, then, I suppose you’d better hope you don’t give yourself a UTI from holding your urine for too long.” I cross my arms over my chest and curl up. “The medical services here leave a lot to be desired. If I were you, I wouldn’t risk it.”
“Can’t you, I don’t know…” She gives me a look I can’t quite decipher as she closes the book and sets it on the floor at her side. “Knock and tell him to get out or something?”
“Nah, the big guy likes to hang out under the icy water,” I lie, ignoring the head rush that comes from hanging upside down. “The hypothermia reactivates all those damaged brain cells.” I barely hold back a joke about shrinkage , but I’m pretending to be a gentleman, and I think that might ruin the facade. “He’s currently the most docile he’ll ever be.”
Damn, I wonder if she can sense that I’m lying my dick off. Omegas are said to be very perceptive.
I might need to say a few Hail Marys and an Our Father or two for good measure.
“I’ll just wait,” she says, giving a tight smile.
“Fine by me.” I get back to my curl-ups.
* * *
Once I’m done with the curl-ups, I move to the floor and begin to use my resistance bands. While Valor may get the bulk of his exercise in at the actual gym in the common area, I prefer agility exercises and cardio. After all, one of us needs to be able to climb anything and get in and out of tight places. His muscle-bound ass is not scrambling in any security windows, that’s for damn sure.
Saylor lets out something akin to a growl.
Really, it’s more of a puppy chuff, but it’s quite cute, and I smile, shaking my head.
I can find humor in just about anything. It’s a survival mechanism that led to my dark and twisted sense of humor.
The angry woman has finally had enough waiting, and she shoves out of the lounger.
It’s hard to stomp across the floor when she’s only in grippy socks, but she manages to get her point across—she’s not pleased with Valor.
She knocks and plants her hands on her hips as she waits.
I’m a big fan of the way her waist nips in a bit before flaring out to her hips. There’s a certain softness to be found in her form that I find myself intrigued by.
Maybe I’ve just missed women while trapped in hell?
No, there have been other options.
I’ve just not wasted my time because I knew Valor wouldn’t bite.
I nearly chuckle at the unintentional double entendre.
There’s no response from the bathroom.
Saylor plasters her face to the heavy wooden door and tries a new method. “Excuse me, you’ve been in there forever.”
“He won’t be able to hear ya. The water is loud, and the walls are brick. It’s surprisingly well-insulated.” I laugh, shrugging when she glares over her shoulder at me. “If it’s an emergency, just go.”
“There’s no shower curtain!”
“That is still true.”
“I’m in hell,” she whispers, echoing my earlier sentiments.
“Nah, pet. Just the facility, but that means we all have a chance at getting out of here.”
Her shoulders rise and fall, and she reaches for the handle, ripping the door open.
“It’s an emergency.” She rushes inside, pulls her shirt up, joggers down, and drops onto the toilet. “You face the wall, I’ll face the door, and we can pretend this never happened. Oh, God. I forgot to close the door.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Valor growls.
I simply snicker at the wide-eyed omega as her mortified gaze meets mine.
“You don’t have to look, you know.” She jabs a finger at me.
“I’m not the one who forgot to close the door. Are you sure you didn’t want an audience?”
“Omen,” Valor snaps, and it sounds like a warning.
“I’m exercising,” I call back. “By the time I untangle myself and get there, she’ll already be finished. It’s just pee. Also, I’m not the one who spent the last however many hours blocking access to the only toilet. Now, am I?”
Valor mutters something under his breath that I can’t make out.
Life is more interesting with Saylor here.
That’s for damn sure.
* * *
“That might have been more embarrassing than the time I first went into heat, and my bodyguard beat up my boyfriend at the biggest party of my senior year.” Saylor huffs, sitting down in one of the chairs at the table. “And that was pretty bad. My dad’s lawyers were sending cease and desist letters and claiming cell phone footage for weeks.”
Sauntering over, I take the seat at the opposite end of the table. “I feel like there’s an interesting story to be had there.”
She shrugs. “Maybe, but don’t ask me. I can’t remember any of it. My security team dumped me at one of those omega centers, and they knocked me out. The entire night is one big blur. I heard bits and pieces from a few friends, but even they laughed and joked behind my back about it.”
“Not very good mates, by my estimation,” I say, studying the sadness on her face.
“I guess not. Luckily, I only had to make it through the rest of the school year, and I made much better friends in college.”
Emotions are not my forte.
I like to keep things light and carefree if at all possible.
Stretching a hand across the table, I grab hers and give it a squeeze. “Please tell me you aren’t about to have a breakdown over peeing with the door open. I’m not emotionally equipped to deal with that.”
Saylor snorts.
The light above the door turns yellow, and a low buzz fills the air. It’s not the same sound that notifies us when the cells lock or unlock, but that will be coming soon.
Giving her hand a final pat, I shove myself out of my chair. “Where are your clothes and would you like them washed?”
“What?”
“They’re making their way around the block, delivering trays and picking up laundry. If you’d like it included, I’ll need to add it to our bin.” I swipe a hand through the air and stomp over to grab our laundry from the container at the end of my bed. Once that’s done, I pop into the bathroom and collect Valor’s clothes. “Dinner is on the way, and you can’t hide in here forever.” I frown at his pale ass as he leans his forehead against his arm on the tile.
Shite.
I hope he’s not having another migraine.
They come so regularly, it’s scary at times—another side effect of his deteriorating condition.
“I’ll come out to eat,” he says, cutting off the water. I grab one of the older towels and do my best to clean up the water that ricocheted out while he was showering, but we only get thirty seconds to pass them our laundry and collect our food.
Tossing everything into the laundry bin labeled with our cell number, I stride out to find the yellow light blinking, which means we’re next up.
“Can you swap to the side farthest from the door?” I ask Saylor.
She nods and pops up, scurrying around the table. “I left my clothes on top of the pile to the right of the sink.”
“I got them,” I assure her as the light switches to green.
The movement of bodies in the hallway becomes visible in the two glass panels on either side of the door. It must be a royal pain in the arse for them to drag along so many food carts, but our boss paid a ridiculous sum of money for us to be here. The least they can do is provide us with the basics, like fresh laundry and three meals a day.
The alarm buzzes, and the light on the handle turns green.
I don’t bother to check on what Saylor is doing, because experience tells me we have a tight time limit to make this exchange.
Yanking open the handle, I keep the door propped open with my foot.
I don’t even flinch at the multiple guns pointed at my forehead. Instead, I lean forward, slide our labeled laundry bin on the bottom shelf of the cart, and begin plucking off the supplies.
Spinning around, I drop the first two trays onto the table, but I’m used to having Valor here to assist. The door almost closes from the heavy hinge and one of the guards slams a gloved hand against it.
In all the months I’ve been here, I’ve never seen one intercede.
If we don’t get what we need and the door closes?
It’s tough luck, see you at the next pass in about six hours . During lockdowns, they leave trays at eight, two, and eight. Other than that, we’re left completely to our own devices.
“Glad to see you’re in one piece,” the man at the door says, sounding muffled from the full tactical helmet all the guards wear when out on the block. That’s not overkill or anything . “And it appears you took my advice.”
“Yes, thank you,” Saylor replies.
“Keep your chin up.”
She nods, and my jaw clenches.
“I’ve got the door. I need you to move so I can get the rest of the items,” I say, wondering if that’s the man she mentioned earlier.
Hmm, if he’s fond enough of Saylor that he’s willing to break long-standing protocol, maybe he did alert her family.
That means there’s a chance they could try to take her from us .
Grabbing the last tray, I balance it on one hand and collect the reusable shopping bag left on the top shelf.
It’s equally unusual that we’re given anything outside of food and drinks during these lockdowns, but I grew up poor. I’ll never turn down free shite.
“We’re clear,” another of the guards growls. “Shut the fucking door.”
They’re always so pleasant to deal with.
I roll my eyes, release my foot, and spin to face the little omega as the hinge does its job.
I truthfully thought there was no chance any of the guards would do anything to help her.
I now believe there’s a slim possibility someone could be coming with the intent of rescuing Saylor, meaning I need to move up my timeline significantly.
It might be underhanded, but Valor is my number one. Getting him back to his old self has always been my priority, and I won’t make any apologies about that.