“You can give me your jumpsuit. I’ll put it in with the clinical waste.”
She holds out her hand, and I reluctantly peel off the garment. It’s not like I have any attachment to the jumpsuit, but Iwould be in so much trouble for throwing away a slick-soaked specimen like this at the center.
But I’m not there now. The center is behind me, because I’ve found my mate, and I don’t need them or their collections anymore.
“There’s a change of clothes there.” She points to a neatly folded pile on the bench. “But get clean first and make sure you use plenty of descenter. You can’t walk around smelling of blood and slick.”
I flush at the censure in her voice, but she’s bundled my jumpsuit into a tight ball, and as her footsteps die away, I approach the shower stall at the end. I’d feel better if Dex was in here with me, and I’m tempted to go and ask him for help, but that would mean going back past the reception desk.
It’s just a simple shower, Diana. You don’t need someone to hold your hand – or scrub your back, no matter how much you love Dex’s touch.
With a rueful smile, I turn the shower on, but as I shut the stall door, I catch a whiff of alpha. Unlike Kane’s scent, it’s repellent enough to make me gasp, and I realize it’s coming from the towel hanging on the hook. I take an abrupt step back, then quickly open the stall door, searching for a replacement. But the only thing in the cold, dark room is the little pile of clothes on the bench.
Forget it. I can wash when we’re somewhere safe.
I grab the blue cotton pants and pull them on, tightening the drawstring waist. They’re long in the leg, but I fold the cuffs up a couple of times and decide they’ll do. The matching shirt is made of the same crinkly blue fabric which feels harsh on my skin, but it’s better than standing naked in the cold air. I realize it’s some kind of uniform, maybe for doctors when they’re performing treatments. No underwear, but I’m used to that, and when I’m dressed, I cast a quick glance at the bathroom mirror.
The uniform is barely noteworthy, but large blue-gray eyes watch me warily from behind a curtain of messy brown hair. I step closer, peering at my reflection. It’s the same nose and cheeks I’ve seen in mirrors for years, but my mouth looks thin and tight, and there are deep creases between my brows. I sniff the air and almost recoil from the sharp edge to my scent. There’s also a strange flutter in my chest, and I rub at it, trying to make sense of what I’m feeling.
I need to talk to Dex.Until we collect Kane and make a plan together, I don’t think I’m really going to feel safe. How can I? Everything is so unfamiliar, the thought of just putting one foot in front of the other is almost overwhelming.
But that’s what I do, leaving the bathroom and heading back towards the reception area. I’m still a few steps from the door when I hear the low rumble of a male voice, and the scent of alpha floods my senses. But instead of making my mouth water, like Kane, it reminds me of that towel on the stall door, and everything in me recoils. I think about fleeing back towards the bathroom, but I need to see Dex, now more than ever.
I peek around the corner, but there’s no one at the desk. I can see a pair of shadows moving behind the thick layer of plastic and hurry across the room, trying not to breathe in the alpha’s scent. It’s dark and potent, like old sweat and uncooked meat, and my stomach clenches as I tiptoe to the opposite door. But before I can duck down the corridor, I hear the alpha say, “You’re sure it’s her?”
I freeze, every atom locked up tight by that ugly bark.
“I wouldn’t have called you if I wasn’t sure.” It’s the woman from the desk, her voice clipped with annoyance. “She was covered in alpha blood and seed.”
The man snorts. “That could be any bitch after a Friday night at a bar.”
“And,” the woman draws the word out into a frosty syllable, “when she stripped, I saw the property ink on her back.”
“Right.” The alpha starts towards the plastic barrier. “Good job, Beta.”
“Wait!” I watch as the smaller shadow plants itself in front of the larger one. “When do I get my reward?”
“When we return the Carrillos’ slick sleeve, safe and sound.”
“Then maybe you can explain why there’s a note on her file, directing enquiries to Sultry Studios?” I can almost see the woman bristling through the plastic film. “A slick factory is one thing, but if you’re pimping her out for porn…”
The alpha surges forward and there’s a horrible squeak, the two shadows now merging into one. I don’t wait to see what the alpha does to the woman, bolting down the corridor towards Dex. He’s lying exactly where I left him, head back and mouth open.
“Dex!” I grab his arm, holding him tight so he doesn’t roll off the bed in his panic. “Wake up! We have to go!” He doesn’t respond, his head lolling strangely, and my heart thuds against my ribs. “Dex!”
“He’s out for the count,” a voice drawls behind me and I whirl to find the alpha blocking the doorway. He’s big and broad, with a square jaw and a bulbous nose, but it’s the smug grin on his face that makes me take a step back. “The nurse slipped him something before you woke up.”
“Why?”
He tilts his head, his small, dark eyes flicking around the room before settling back on me. “Because you’re worth a lot of money, and you’re a long way from home.”
“That place isn’t my home.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I’ve found my alpha and I’ve retired from that life, but he suddenly stalks towards me and my throat clamps shut.
“The Carrillos say otherwise,” he drawls, grabbing my wrist in a huge hand. I cry out at the way he squeezes the delicate bones, but Dex doesn’t stir, and when I try to twist away, the alpha pulls me hard against his chest. His meaty scent is so overpowering, I almost gag. “You give me grief, and I’ll snap his neck, just like I did to that nosy nurse.”
The threat drains the fight out of me, and I’m suddenly so lightheaded, I almost sink to the floor. But the alpha’s brutal hold on me only tightens, and he shoves me towards the door. I glance back, catching one last glimpse of Dex’s sleeping face, and then he’s marching me down the corridor towards the front room. When he drags the plastic sheeting aside with an irritated swipe, I give a low, desperate moan. The beta nurse is crumpled in a pile, her head twisted at a strange angle. “You killed her.”
“And like I said, I’ll do the same to your friend back there if you give me any trouble.”
