Chapter 5
FLETCHER
For the longest moment, I just stood there.
Adam had closed the door gently behind him, leaving me alone, and I was frozen in place.
I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d had a room of my own. In my last foster home, I’d shared a small, office-sized area with three other boys, two metal bunk beds crammed into the space with only room enough for one dresser.
This? This was almost too much.
Taking a shaky breath, I walked over to the queen bed and sat down gingerly on the edge. My hands ran slowly over the comforter. Soft, clean, cozy. Everything I both craved and felt I didn’t deserve.
I wanted nothing more than to crawl under the covers and vanish, but the thought of putting my grimy, unwashed body between those clean sheets made my stomach knot. I hadn’t had a real shower in forever. Even with the stolen stick of deodorant, I still smelled like sweat and street life.
Still, I lay down carefully on top of the blankets, rolling onto my back and staring up at the ceiling. The mattress cradled me, firm yet soft, and it made me want to stay there forever.
And then I was crying.
Hot, silent tears slipped down my cheeks. Small, shuddering sobs shook through me as I clamped both hands over my mouth, desperate not to make a sound. I didn’t want Adam to think I was ungrateful. I was grateful. I just didn’t understand why.
Why was this man, the one I’d tried to rob, going through all this trouble for me? A nobody, a homeless Omega rogue?
I was scared. Still so scared.
I didn’t know what to expect. After Jacks, after everything, who was to say Adam wouldn’t want the same things?
Was I here to become another body to plunder?
Would I let myself be used again, just for a roof over my head?
I had before. With Jacks, I’d done everything he asked, and he’d given me nothing in return.
What did that make me?
Curling onto my side, I tried to sleep, but every little noise set me on edge. The creak of the pipes, the shifting of the house; I’d spent eight months on high alert, watching my back. Now that I could let down my guard, it didn’t feel right.
I woke up feeling even more tired than before.
Scrubbing my hands over my face, I swung my legs over the bed and forced myself up. When I went downstairs, Adam was there waiting.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Yes,” I lied.
“Good. I have more work for you, if you’re ready.”
Of course he did. That’s what I was here for, right?
I followed him into the front room—the same one that had been trashed last night. The stench of piss hit me immediately, sharp in the corner, as if Jacks had whipped out his dick and marked the floor. Some sick show of dominance? I didn’t even know.
I clenched my fists. Had they even planned to rob Adam? Or had they just wanted to make a mess and blame it on me, sending me deeper into the house while they tripped the alarm and ran?
Assholes.
Suddenly, I was glad I’d turned them in. I hoped the police had arrested Jacks, Cara, Themis—all of them. Like the nice officer said: Clean out the bad eggs. Dredge the lake.
I started working. Carefully, I picked up glass shards, knowing my old shoes wouldn’t protect me if I stepped down wrong. I swept everything into the dustpan and emptied it into the trash.
The whole time, Adam didn’t hover. He didn’t bark orders. I cleaned, asking for supplies when I needed them, scrubbing the floorboards, wiping down surfaces.
By the time I was finished, the room looked like the gang had never been there.
The smell of something cooking lured me back into the kitchen, my stomach growling loudly. I washed my hands and arms at the sink, scrubbing up past my elbows. I could still feel the grime clinging to me.
Adam was at the stove, stirring a pot. Whatever it was, it smelled incredible.
“Why don’t you go take a shower?” he suggested, glancing over. “There’s a bathrobe on the back of the door. Just put your clothes in the laundry basket. I’ll wash them for you tonight.”
I tried to keep my face neutral, but the idea of wearing an Alpha’s robe felt strangely personal. Still, I didn’t have much choice. The only thing I owned were the clothes on my back, and they were filthy.
I nodded and slipped away, finding the bathroom. It was surprisingly large, and once I was inside, I locked the door behind me.
Stripping out of my clothes, I tossed them into the laundry basket and cranked the water as hot as I could stand it.
The shower was heaven.
Hot water sluiced over my skin, reddening it. I lathered up a cloth and scrubbed until I felt raw, washing my hair twice, my fingers digging through my scalp until no grit remained. Then I stood under the spray, letting the water pound over me, trying to wash away more than just dirt.
Afterward, I dried off and wrapped myself in the fluffy red robe. It smelled faintly of Adam’s aftershave—cedar and spice. I found myself breathing it in a little longer than I probably should have before heading back downstairs.
Adam was serving dinner when I reached the kitchen. Potato soup, garlic cheese biscuits and kielbasa sausage. My mouth watered at the sight.
“Oh my god, it looks amazing,” I said without thinking.
Adam chuckled softly. “Dig in.”
We were halfway through eating when he spoke again. “So. How long have you been homeless, if you don’t mind me asking?”
The question hit hard.
I froze, swallowing the lump of food suddenly stuck in my throat. I glanced up at him, then looked away, chugging a couple of gulps of water.
“Eight months,” I whispered. “Since I aged out of the orphanage.”
I didn’t know what I expected—judgment, pity, maybe indifference?—but I didn’t expect the flash of compassion that crossed Adam’s handsome face.
“I survived on the streets by joining a street pack. A gang led by an Alpha who offered protection in exchange for…favors.” My voice cracked. “The same Alpha who destroyed your home and left me to take the fall.”
Adam let out a quiet, “Damn.”
I rubbed at my temple. Today felt like it had lasted a lifetime. “I told the police where their hideout is. I can never go back. If Jacks finds me…” I exhaled shakily. “He’ll probably kill me.”
Adam’s voice softened. “You don’t need to worry. You’re safe here, I promise. And if they try anything, I’ll press charges.”
I looked up at him. His golden eyes were steady, warm. He meant it.
A small, tentative smile tugged at my lips.
He smiled back. “Would you like some more? I made plenty.”
“Please,” I said quietly, a strange, unfamiliar feeling blooming in my chest.
Relief.
Maybe, just maybe, my life was starting to turn around.