Chapter 12
S o, clearly, escaping was out of the question.
I had done my best to find my way away from the cabin, but it didn’t take me long to realise it was futile. As much as I wanted to scream and throw things at the grumpy alpha who had decided to come and get me, I was thankful he had appeared. I wasn’t going to admit that to him, though. It might have only been an hour or two since I left before Dylan found me, but I was already freezing to death.
I should’ve grabbed more jackets. I should’ve worn more shoes. Hell, I should’ve stolen some of their socks. Unfortunately, I was coming to the conclusion that, no matter what, I was stuck with these alphas for a while.
My skin itched with the desire to be free. It wasn’t so much that I was scared of them. While, yes, I was worried about what they could potentially do, it was more that I hated being stuck in one place.
Asher placed a few cookies next to my cup as I drank the hot chocolate. It was quite possibly the best hot chocolate I had ever tasted, and that was saying a lot because my dad used to make amazing hot chocolate. On winter nights, we would all gather around the firepit outside. It was always a good time with family, laughing, joking. The boys would end up wrestling, no doubt, and I would usually cuddle up to Mum as we watched, sipping hot chocolate.
"It's good, isn't it?" Asher asked.
I nodded. "It definitely is, but it’s not as good as white hot chocolate. That is the best, especially when you add a little bit of hazelnut syrup."
Asher cocked his head to the side. "That sounds like a good combination," he said. "I’ll have to try that next time."
I narrowed my eyes at him. Did that mean he had the supplies to make that kind of hot chocolate here? If so, I was definitely going to be asking for that, because if his regular hot chocolate was anything to go by, he would be able to make an elite white hot chocolate.
"I know Dylan’s a grumpy one," Asher said, "but he’s got a heart of gold."
I thought about that for a second, biting my lip. I could see what he meant. Despite his imposing size, the alpha had only ever been gentle with me. Sure, he had been grumpy, and his words were abrupt, but physically, he was careful.
"Why do you guys like coming out here into the middle of nowhere?" I asked, cocking my head.
Asher thought for a moment before answering. "It’s peaceful, we like it. When we’re in the city, everything’s so noisy. We’ve had such busy careers that it’s nice to take some time to stop and be still."
I stirred my hot chocolate before answering. "I suppose I can understand that," I said. "I just feel entirely different because I’ve been still for so long. I’m raring to get out and explore."
Asher grinned. "What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get back to the city?"
I cocked my head to the side. "I don’t know. I’m pretty sure I’ll be going to a Haven. They look really nice from what I’ve seen, so maybe I’ll start doing something like… I don’t know, a pottery class? Or if they’ve got a big area of land, maybe I could go jogging because I am pretty thin and weedy," I admitted with a laugh.
Asher nodded. "You are severely underweight. I can tell that just by looking at you. But give us a few weeks, and we’ll get you well-fed."
"Have you actually got enough food here for me? I assumed if we’re stranded out here, food is limited." The last thing I wanted to do was to take food away from this sweet alpha, when he had been nothing but nice to me. Asher had fed me hot chocolate and didn’t call me a princess. In my eyes, that made him the best of the bunch.
Asher laughed at my comment. "Trust me, we’re big guys, so I prepare well. We’ve got freezers full of meat, vegetables, and all different manners of food. Can you imagine if I didn’t bring enough food for Dylan? Given his sheer size, he would starve to death in a day if I didn’t bring ten times the amount I thought we needed."
I couldn’t help but laugh at that idea. "I thought he was like a bear. I figured he’d just hibernate for the winter and wouldn’t need feeding."
Asher snorted. "That would be nice. Maybe he’d be a bit less grumpy if he hibernated for a bit."
I took a deep inhale of my hot chocolate as I finished the last sip, looking down at the cup with a pout, sad that it was over. Asher, seeing my look, chuckled.
"There’s plenty more where that came from," he said, whisking the cup away and placing it in the sink to be cleaned later. "For now, you’ve been given chocolate, so maybe it’s time to get cleaned up," he said, gesturing to me.
I was still wet, and I looked down, noticing for the first time that I was dripping all over the floor.
"Oh, crap," I said. "I’m so sorry. I’m dripping all over the carpet."
Asher waved off my concern. "It’s no big deal, we can clean it up. Now, would you like to have a shower? We do actually have a bathtub, as well, if you’d prefer a good soak," he said with a smirk.
I couldn’t help but whimper up at the idea. I wanted a bath so badly. I loved a good soak, but I refused to have a bath while I was a captive, despite there being one. I didn’t relish the idea of being watched.
I looked at Asher, dithering for a moment before speaking. "I…"
Asher cocked his head to the side. "What’s concerning you, sweetheart?" he asked. "You can tell me."
"It’s just…” I shifted from one foot to the other. “Is there any way to check that there aren’t any cameras in the bathroom? I know that sounds crazy, but it’s just…"
His face darkened. "Why are you concerned about cameras in the bathroom? We would never put a camera in the bathroom. Do you think I’d want to see Dylan’s ass while he showers?"
I snorted with laughter. "No, that’s fair," I agreed. "It’s just, the last place I was at…" I trailed off, unable to find the words, but Asher seemed to catch my drift.
"You were somewhere where you were watched at all times, I’m guessing," he said, and I nodded. He cocked his head to the side as he thought. "Well, you’re welcome to check the entire room for cameras. The tub in the main bathroom actually has a shower curtain that goes all the way around, so you’ll be quite well concealed if you’re having a bath," he said. "And there are two deadlocks on the bathroom door."
"Why two deadlocks?"
Asher snorted. "Well, that’s a bit of a funny story. We have several family members who are omegas. Omegas tend to be shorter, as you know."
I glowered at him. "I’m not that short," I grumbled.
He laughed. "Compared to me, you are. But one of our little sisters is tiny. She’s barely four feet tall, and when Dylan installed the deadbolt, he installed it at the top of the door, where no omega could freaking reach. So, we had to install another deadbolt at normal height to stop her from trying to murder us."
I chuckled. "That was probably a normal height for him. He is a giant, after all."
Asher nodded. "I was in complete agreement. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s not to upset the omegas. They are vicious little creatures when they want to be."
My mind drifted back to what I had just escaped, to the knife in Alex's throat. We definitely could be vicious when the moment called for it. "We’re also the best cuddlers," I said with a smile.
Asher pouted. "I wouldn’t know. My only family members who are omegas are my sisters, and they don’t really care to cuddle me. I’ve got some beta and some omega sisters. They would rather cuddle up with each other or with the hot alphas who just moved down the street." He laughed, imitating their girly voices.
"Are they in a Haven?" I asked.
He nodded. "They are now. They moved in when they were fifteen. They love it there. They’ve been there for several years now and are constantly messaging me about all the fun things they’re doing. Though, my elder sister Lucy, now has a family of her own, a pack of her own. I’m expecting the phone call once we are back in the city that she’s pregnant, and we’ll need to go over to her place and decorate the nursery, build all the furniture for her."
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as I listened to him talk about his family. His entire face lit up far brighter than it had been before. The love for them was so evident on his face. It reminded me of my own family.
"Anyway," he said, going back to the topic, "I think we should get you set up in the bathtub. After that, how about some buttered noodles? I’ve got the chicken cooking now."
The groan that escaped my mouth at his words was almost pornographic. "You know what? That sounds amazing. Show me to the bathroom." I smiled.
Asher pushed away from the counter and gestured for me to follow him.
I looked down at the floor with a pointed look. "I’m going to make a mess everywhere," I said. In addition to dripping all over the carpet, I was covered in mud.
Asher just shrugged. "We’ll clean it up. Unless you want me to carry you into the bathroom," he teased, waggling his eyebrows.
I shook my head. "Not today, Prince Handsome," I said, walking ahead of him, even though I had no idea where I was going.
Asher gasped. "She called me handsome!" he said in an excited tone, making me laugh.
Where on earth did this alpha come from? He was just a golden retriever who made amazing food and knew how to heal people. Why on earth hadn’t he been snapped up by an omega long ago? What was wrong with him?
I turned to look at him, my brow furrowed.
"Say what’s on your mind," he said.
"Why hasn’t an omega snapped you up?" I asked. "There’s gotta be something wrong with you.”
Asher laughed, but this time, it was such a large belly laugh that he bent over with it. "Oh, there’s plenty wrong with me," he said. "I’m a mess. Don’t worry, you’ve got plenty of time to figure that out. Now, go have a bath," he said, pushing me in the direction of a room. "I’m going to go start cooking, and I expect to see you once you are thoroughly soaked—and far more friendlier, because everyone’s friendlier when they’re clean."
"Except Dylan," I said.
"Except Dylan," Asher agreed.
I quickly scuttled into the bathroom and closed the door, throwing Asher one more smile as he danced down the hallway. Danced, like actually shimmying his hips like a psychopath. I had lived with an actual psychopath for several years. Asher was the fun kind of psychopath, who was probably just a bit dented in the brain, in my opinion.
"Feel free to use any products you find in the bathroom," he said as he retreated, wiggling his bum at me.
"You're not winning any dance competitions!" I shouted back with a laugh.
"Taste is a matter of opinion!" he declared, turning the corner back into the kitchen and leaving me alone.
Once I was sure he was gone, I turned back to the bathroom, closing the door and locking both deadbolts. I could just reach high enough to lock the top one. What on earth? What was that giant Dylan thinking when he placed the deadbolt so high up? Thankfully, I wasn't too short, so I could reach up and just grasp it with the tip of my fingertips.
Once the door was locked, I looked around the bathroom. It was a fairly simple cabin bathroom, with a freestanding bathtub that was big enough to swim in. The small inner omega part of me danced at the sight of that tub—it looked like the best place to relax. On the other side of the wall, there was a gigantic window that looked straight out into the forest. If I was confident this place was safe, I would have loved soaking in a bubbly tub, watching the wilderness out the window. Unfortunately, I wasn’t 100% sure where I was, so I grabbed the shower curtain that was pulled to one side and spun it so the entire tub was enclosed.
Looking around, the shower curtain provided a good amount of coverage, and the only place I could see was the ceiling, which was clear, solid wood. There were no cameras in here, so with a smile, I opened the curtain again and started turning on the faucet. How are they able to get hot water in such an isolated place? I wondered, mentally filing that question away for later. As the bath slowly filled, I padded around the room, looking in the cupboards.
They had a shocking amount of bath products, including some lavender-scented bath oil. I assumed it was left by one of the omega siblings that Asher had mentioned, because none of the alphas smelled anything like lavender. I lifted the bottle to my nose, taking a deep inhale. The scent was comforting—lavender always had been—and it reminded me of the omega who had freed me only a few days prior. Nodding to myself, I poured a generous amount of the bath oil under the running water, and it quickly foamed up, creating large bubbles.
After I’d put enough in, I took a step back, stashing the bottle back in the cupboard and turning to my body. I had several bandages on still, and my clothes were damp and clinging to me, so ever so slowly, I started extracting myself from the fabric. Once I was down to my underwear, I stepped into the bathtub and closed the shower curtain. The water was already up to the middle of my calves, and I pulled the shower curtain so I wouldn’t be visible to any hidden cameras in the bathroom—even though I highly doubted there were any. I shimmied out of my underwear while standing in the half-full bathtub and threw them out of the bath area. There was a towel nearby that I could reach, so for now, I was happily enclosed in the shower curtain’s privacy.
Quickly sitting down, I sighed in happiness as the hot water coated my body. The relief was almost instantaneous. My muscles started to relax, and my entire body sagged. There wasn’t much that could beat a good bathtub, and despite the fact that I had been through the wringer recently, I felt comfortable for the first time in a long time. My stomach was full of hot chocolate, and I was sitting in a warm, lavender-scented bath.
Part of me was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Surely, there has to be a catch. Then again, I was thinking like a beta. Alphas wanted to look after omegas. I had very few times heard of an alpha mistreating an omega. I had heard of betas mistreating people—just like Alec had mistreated me. But it was literally engraved into alphas’ DNA to protect omegas. So, maybe, just maybe, I could trust these guys to look after me until I could go home.
As I leaned back and started scrubbing at my skin with a body scrub I had found in one of the cupboards and brought with me, I thought to myself that I would have to tell them what had happened to me. What if Alec was nearby? Sure, I had run for at least a day and I hoped more than anything that Lavender had escaped him as well. But what if Alec came to the cabin? The guys needed to know he was a threat. Well, he was a threat to me . He wasn’t a threat to them. Alec was a bully, through and through, and he would not cope well with going up against someone who was a lot bigger than him, and every member of this pack was bigger than him. It would have been immensely satisfying to see any member of this pack—especially Dylan, given his sheer size—pummel Alec into the ground.
But I’d rather not have Alec within twenty miles of me.
Dunking my head under the water, I cleaned every inch of my body. They had clearly given me a quick sponge bath while I was unconscious, but they had been respectful and hadn’t touched any of the more delicate areas. So, I took my time ensuring I was thoroughly clean.
I stayed in the tub until the water turned cold, staring at the ceiling, considering everything that had happened to me. Where is my family now? What are they doing right now? Lavender had told me a bit about Kane, and it was amazing to hear that my brother was doing well, though he’d turned slightly criminal. I hoped she had gotten back to them.
Once I had topped up the water and it had gone cold several times, I finally accepted it was time to get out. Sticking my arm outside of the shower curtain, I grabbed the towel blindly and pulled the plug. Standing up, I dried myself off in the isolated area while the water drained out. Once I was certain I was dry enough, I wrapped the towel around me and jumped out, limping over to the counter where I had left the clothes Asher had given me.
Grabbing them, I darted back to the bathtub, probably looking like a lunatic, but hopefully, no one was watching. I stood in the tub and pulled the shower curtain again, so I could get dressed in peace. I was pleasantly surprised to find the clothing Asher had left were a baggy pair of jeans, that must have belonged to an omega because they were too small to fit any of the alphas, and a large, long-sleeve black T-shirt that I was practically swimming in. But it felt so comfortable and soft.
I sniffed it, but it mainly smelled of clean laundry detergent. Once I was fully dressed, I hopped out of the bathtub and checked myself in the mirror. My hair was a tangled mess, but thankfully, there was a comb on the side that I used, taking my time to undo every tangle. My hair was long, obnoxiously long now. Alec had never let me cut it. He liked the idea of me having princess hair. I hated it.
With a final glare in the mirror, I pulled one last tangle roughly and made my way back out of the bathroom to find one of the alphas. There was a delicious smell emanating from the kitchen, so, going to find Asher, it was.