CAPTURED
Nat began struggling immediately. “Help!”
A fist struck the side of his head, sending a burst of pain through his skull.
“Keep quiet, if you know what’s good for you,” a terrible, familiar voice said.
It was the voice from his nightmares.
Giblin.
Ice plunged into Nat’s stomach. His entire body hurt with phantom pain.
He tried to convince himself that it was someone else. That it wasn’t Giblin who had captured him. But the hands on him were rough and painful; they hauled him off his feet and carried him away.
If Nat struggled hard enough, surely Xannon would notice from the receptionist’s desk?
Raised voices drifted over. Someone was arguing with Xannon, loudly enough that they distracted Xannon completely.
Nat felt his hope dwindle with every second that passed.
“I’ve looked everywhere for you,” Giblin said, his arms like iron bands around Nat’s struggling body. “Imagine my surprise when someone said they saw you headed here. Where I found you cheating on me, you worthless slut.”
“I’m not yours!” Nat snapped before he could think.
Giblin slapped him so hard, he saw stars.
Nat didn’t want this again. He didn’t ever want to see this alpha, didn’t want to hear how useless he was at everything in life. For a while back there, Giblin had convinced Nat that no one would ever want him.
He had said Nat was fat and ugly; he had told Nat to be grateful that he even tolerated Nat as his omega.
Knowing the way Duke cared for him now, Nat could’ve laughed.
The thing was, Giblin was also fast and loose with his punches. And there was a tiny life in Nat’s belly that he desperately needed to protect.
What if Giblin found out about Duke’s baby?
Nat tried not to panic. Giblin was walking fast away from the Brimstone Industries building; traffic rushed by them on the street. Nat couldn’t tell where they were headed, though. And even if he wanted to kick, he couldn’t—Giblin was holding him so tightly that he couldn’t move.
“Someone, h—” Nat tried yelling again.
“Finish that sentence, and I’ll punch you so hard in the gut, you’ll vomit blood,” Giblin said.
Nat’s throat closed.
Oh gods, oh gods!Nat couldn’t stand the thought of losing his baby. Not only that—he could already imagine Duke’s disappointment and sorrow, if he told Duke that he’d failed at protecting their child.
Nat kept quiet and still, trying to figure out if his phone was still on him. It seemed to have fallen off somewhere.
They turned several corners, until the traffic sounds grew quiet. Then Giblin opened a door, and dumped Nat on the floor.
Nat hit the concrete hard, hissing in pain. Giblin yanked the sack off his head.
The sudden brightness hurt Nat’s eyes. They were in some sort of abandoned warehouse, with broken windows and sunlight shining through the dust motes.
“Kylie says you’re whoring yourself out for that demon,” Giblin sneered, eyeing Nat like a piece of meat.
Nat froze. “Kylie?”
