Chapter 26
Chapter twenty-six
Not my Alphas!
Karma
The next time I wake, I know my heat is finally over. I don’t feel the bone-deep need to fuck an Alpha until I can’t take it anymore. No, now I can finally hear myself think clearly, which is the biggest relief I’ve had in days. Well, the multiple orgasms are pretty bad, but still.
My body aches in all the right ways for a woman who's been properly fucked. Good to know my Alphas knew what they were doing. NOT MY ALPHAS! The thought of them being with anyone else but me now sends a wave of pure anger through me. Which then only makes me madder, because I shouldn’t care.
I don’t want or need Alphas in my life. The only good Alpha is a dead one, right?
But the fire is gone, and they helped me survive my first heat, so I suppose I can let them live. For now, anyway.
Lying on the bed for a minute, I take stock of my body when I feel the bed shift beside me.
Turning my head slowly, I find Harrison sitting beside the bed.
He’s leaning forward, forearms braced on his knees, watching me like he’s been doing it for hours.
His shaggy blonde hair is messy, and his eyes are rimmed with exhaustion, but he's ever the cutie.
When he sees my eyes open, his shoulders sag with relief.
“Hey,” he says softly.
My throat is dry when I try to speak. “Hey.”
He reaches over and brushes my hair back from my face, the touch gentle—so different from the desperate, frantic way we were all touching what felt like only hours ago.
“You were wiped out. I've been asleep for almost twenty-four hours.
I was getting worried," he murmurs, and I frown. Has it really been that long? Damn. “Why don’t you go soak in the tub for a while?”
I groan softly, stretching my stiff legs under the sheets. That does sound amazing.
“I’ll make food,” he continues. “A lot of it. You’re going to need it.” His mouth quirks slightly. “Roman ran to the store for more supplies. Theo’s… around here somewhere.” He shrugs before climbing to his feet.
“Yeah,” I say, pushing myself upright slowly. “A bath sounds good.”
Harrison watches me like he’s worried I’ll collapse if I stand up too fast. His hand hovers near my arm, ready to catch me, but I manage to get to my feet on my own like the big girl I am. I swat him away with a roll of my eye.
“I’ll bring the food up in a bit. Take your time," he says.
I nod. “Okay.” He goes to step away, but I add.
“Thank you, Harrison.” I’m not sure what made me add that last bit, but the cute pink that flushes his cheeks when he smiles at me was worth it.
When he finally leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind him, I feel like I can breathe.
I inhale slowly, taking in the saturated room filled with all of our scents and sex.
Lots and lots of sex, but it’s a heady combination that somehow just feels right.
I know I should be wanting to rush to the bath.
At the very least, I soak my sore muscles, but I don’t move right away.
Instead, I replay the last week and a half over in my head.
From the moment I saw Theo and Harris in the club.
To when I saw them with my last target. Harrison knocked me out, and I woke up in this very room.
A room that became the perfect nest. I remember the second I laid eyes on Roman Shaw after so many years and how he saw right through me.
Starting to feel my heat and the guys realizing what all that meant.
That I was their scent match. It only got worse with each day, and finally, the moment came when I gave in to my Alphas.
I told myself it was only to survive. In part it was, and I’m grateful they managed to keep their promise with no bites or claims.
I wait a full minute before finally moving, listening carefully. No footsteps. No voices. No doors opening. Just be quiet. And I’m grateful for the time alone. They think I’m exhausted from my heat and probably need some space for me.
Which… yeah.
I do.
My muscles tremble as I walk, and there’s a dull fog sitting behind my eyes still begging for more sleep.
But adrenaline cuts through it fast. Because this…
this might be my only chance. They know I’m their scent match now.
That alone might make them relax their guard around me.
They might think the heat somehow made me trust them more and them trust me.
That this whole situation with us being fated will change the fact that they still kidnapped me, made me have to go through my first heat, and now set me back from my long-term plan.
So, them trusting me to be like other sweet, docile Omegas after all this is a big mistake on their part.
Quickly I flip on the shower and step under the spray, but the second the water warms my skin, I know I don’t have time for this luxury. I rinse off quickly, scrubbing away the lingering scent of sex and sweat before stepping out and leaving the water to run.
It’s now or never.
I wrap a towel around myself and slip back into the bedroom.
The guy’s clothes are still scattered everywhere, and I figure their scent will be the easiest to cover mine when I make my move.
Plus, it helps that the walls seem to have soaked in the Omega-in-heat scent as well.
It will probably take a whole other week just to air out the house.
I grab a pair of his gray boxers, black sweatpants, and a rather large shirt from the floor. Each item smelling of a different Alpha, making me grin. They swallow me whole, the fabric hanging off my frame, but their scents bring me comfort even now.
For a second, my chest tightens at the thought of what I need to do, but I ignore it.
Focus Karma. You have a plan. Stick to it.
Knowing I’m running out of time, I move to the door and creep it open.
Listening for any movement around the house.
I don’t have the layout of the house since I was brought to the room unconscious, but before the heat took over, I listened and have a decent idea of where things can be.
I know I’m on the second floor, and the stairs are to the left.
Peeking around, I don’t see or hear anyone.
Stepping out, I move to the stairs on my tiptoes.
If I’m caught, I’ll just say I got tired of waiting for food.
When I make it to the top of the landing, I peek down for a second before taking each step one at a time.
The house feels too quiet, but never look a gift horse in the mouth, and what not.
When I reach the bottom floor, I have to be more careful.
I have no idea what this layout is or where any of the doors might lead.
The only noise I can hear is coming from the left: Harrison’s humming under his breath.
It’s also the direction I can smell food, making my stomach do a flip with interest. So that way is a no-go.
To my right is a small hall with a few doors that I’m guessing are offices.
Since right in front of me is an open living space.
Which means I go out the window and take my chances towards the kitchen.
Most places I’ve seen have the garage near the kitchen, so that’s now my best bet. Shit.
Taking a second to weigh my odds, I move.
Years of working on my skills have me moving silently.
Only pausing to peek into the kitchen when I need to pass the doorway.
Harrison’s bare back is to me as he flips something on the stove.
It smells amazing, and I almost want to linger a bit longer, admiring the view, but time is of the essence.
Rushing past the doorway, I breathe a sigh of relief when he doesn’t notice.
There’s another door a few feet away with a small side table beside it.
As I approach, I almost squeal in excitement at seeing a glass bowl filled with keys.
How dumb are these guys? Maybe I should stay and teach them a thing or two about keeping someone captive. Nah, they did this to themselves.
Grabbing what looks like a set of bike keys, I move towards the door. I know I won’t have much time if anyone hears a garage door open or a bike rev to life. But as I go to move, I find a small notebook and a pen tucked into the side. I stare at it for a moment.
I could just leave without a word. Race out into the world and disappear again. I can take precautions now that I know they know about me. I’m not stupid enough to think they will just let me leave, no questions asked. But something in my chest twists.
Before I can stop myself, I grab the pen and scribble a quick note.
It was fun.
I pause, chewing the inside of my cheek before glancing towards the hall, then continue.
But I’ve got shit to do.
Don’t look for me.
—Karma
For a second I just stand there, staring at it. A weird, soft feeling flickers through my chest. Is this what guilt feels like? Eww, gross. I don’t like this. Days ago I would have killed these men without hesitation.
Now…
I shake my head sharply. Not the time. I slip out of the hall and into the garage. The garage door creaks softly when I push it open, but now I’m in fast mode. I hit the jackpot when I see the garage door is already open and sitting off to the side; I spot two sportbikes.
Maybe I should head straight to a casino and try my luck there.
When I still don’t hear a rushing of footsteps or a roar of anger, I decide to play it safe.
Matching the key to the bike, I throw it into neutral and roll it out of the garage.
Flinching as rocks dig into the bottom of my bare feet.
As I head further down the gravel driveway, I glance back at the two-story house.
It’s perfect. Something I’ve always dreamt about having with my own pack, but this isn’t a fairytale, and I don’t get a happy ever after.
Not after everything that’s happened and not when there is more blood to spill.
When I think I’ve walked far enough, I swing my leg over onto the bike, ignoring the way my sore muscles protest. The engine roars to life when I turn the key.
Cold air slams into me as the bike rockets down the road, wind ripping through my damp hair. I send a silent apology into the night air as the house disappears behind me within seconds. My heart pounds hard in my chest. But I don’t look back again.
Because if I do…
I might hesitate.
And hesitation is how people like me end up dead.
They will forgive me one day.