The groan of desire that left him as he rolled over sometime later was shameful.
So was the leaking need constricted by his pants.
Pushing himself upright, Blaide grumbled under his breath. The entire time he’d enjoyed solitude in the wilderness, he’d never felt the urge to seek out a female, but the scent teasing his nostrils since reaching the gates had plagued his sleep, bringing dreams of silky skin and wet heat.
Levering himself off the bed, he stumbled to the bathroom, catching sight of his reflection in the mirror. A twig stuck from his hair just above his ear, and when he turned to look, his tail was in a sorrier state. Full of bits of dirt and leaves, it looked like he’d dragged it behind him the entire trip, and it took a moment to realize he probably had during the last few miles.
It took a bit of maneuvering to wedge his body into the narrow shower, but he pulled his tail in behind him and forced the door shut. Tapping the auto cycle, he spread his arms as much as he could and scrunched his eyes closed as water pelted him from all sides.
Ice. Cold. Water.
Followed by scorching hot air that abraded his skin, leaving his fur fluffed and sticking out in all directions.
At least his erection was gone.
Grumbling and shaking his head to get his hair and ruff to settle, he ran his hands through his tail to tame it as much as possible. He much preferred the gentle rainwater shower in his den, but he had to admit the automatic one was faster and did the job efficiently.
Stomach complaining of neglect, Blaide moved out of the tiny bathroom to dig through his pack for the change of clothes he’d brought and his last ration bar. He’d have to find food when he left the room and hope prices hadn’t soared exorbitantly. Judging by the color of the light flooding around the curtain over the tiny window, he’d slept till at least noon.
Curious to see the state of the city, Blaide tugged on his clothes and tucked a couple knives into his boots. Technically weapons were forbidden within the walls unless secured in a case, but he’d been in situations like the one facing Jun’gale, and there would always be people looking to pick on the weak in times of panic. He wasn’t going to be caught with nothing more to defend himself than his teeth and claws.
Finally ready to face whatever awaited him outside, he stepped to the door and paused as it slid open. The first lungful of air smothered him in the scent he couldn’t seem to shake, full of pheromones teasing his senses and calling to his instincts. It was clearly from a female omega, and the lack of another scent accompanying hers told him she was alone.
But who could be that irresponsible?
A flash of motion drew his attention toward the stairs but there was nothing there when he looked. Striding to the banister, he peered down at the street below, watching where the stairwell opened at the foot of the building.
The woman who walked out into the sunlight caused his breath to catch in his throat. Red skinned, the contrast of her black hair made her stand out like a beacon, but that wasn’t what held his attention.
She had a tail.
Vuk’s weren’t a prolific species, and besides his family, Blaide had only met a handful in his life. As varied as the other peoples of the galaxy were, few had tails, and the majority of those were reptilian. Yet he could clearly see this little female’s tail was furred, her tufted red ears rising from her glossy black hair.
Watching her dart across the street towards the gate he’d entered early that morning, he was shocked once again to realize he was wrong. She didn’t have one tail, she had three. Coiling around each other before separating then bunching back together, they broadcast her nervousness to anyone with the sense to pay attention.
Blaide had already taken a step toward the stairs before he realized what he was doing and forced himself to stop. This wasn’t the time or place to chase tail, even if there were more than he’d ever seen on one body, and the body they were attached to was mouthwatering.
Peeling his eyes away from where the female disappeared around the building across from him, he made himself check the rest of the street. There were still too many people moving around below, and the sun told him the last of the transports should have been grounded already. Most of the shops had been boarded shut by their owners, but there was a market sprawled across a few streets with people still doing business. If he wanted to get food before everything turned to chaos, he’d have to head there.
Gaze turning back to where the red woman had disappeared, he spared her one more thought, wondering if she was the one he kept scenting, before bringing himself back to the task at hand. Giving himself a mental slap for not bringing more food with him, he turned back to his room to grab his pack. He’d keep the room card so he’d still have a place to sleep, but he didn’t trust leaving his things unattended. The guards were keeping everyone in line so far, but once the enemy was closer they’d have more important duties to attend than petty theft.
Taking the stairs down to the street, he was once again surrounded by milk and honey and the sweet notes of omega female. It had to be from the red woman with the tails, and once again he fought the urge to follow her. It bothered him that she was moving through the city alone, but chances were, he wouldn’t be able to find her even if he followed the path she’d taken.
Perhaps she was going to meet her lover. Maybe he was one of the guards at the blockade, and that was why she was staying close by.
His growl reverberated through the stairwell, mocking his irritation at the thought of the omega with another alpha. It was ridiculous that he should feel jealous when he’d never even met the woman, only been haunted by her scent.
Pushing the feelings and thoughts away, Blaide focused on his surroundings. There weren’t many who would think him an easy mark, but if he was lost in his own head someone might take the chance.
He walked the entire market from one end to the other, seeing what was available and the types of people going to the stalls. The swindlers were easy to spot, but he marked a few merchants who seemed honest in their dealings. On the way back through he stopped at each, buying small bits here and there to help as many as he could without giving away that he had more means than many of the frantic folk on the street. Prices were high, but so was demand, and without knowing when they’d be able to get more, both buyer and seller were desperate.
By the time he made it back to where he’d begun the sun had crawled further across the sky. There was still plenty of daylight left, but after trekking through the jungle for two days he had no urge to explore more of the city. It would likely all be the same as the situation in front of him, possibly worse in areas further from the barricades where there were less guards to keep things in line.
Not ready to go back to the tiny room, Blaide settled into a small alcove with a good view through the market and pulled out a piece of jerky to gnaw on. The ration bar he’d eaten before leaving his room held all the nutrition he’d need for the day, but it lacked the flavor and salt his body was craving after his trip.
He’d finished the jerky and was hit by a craving for something sweet before he realized the reason why. Narrowing his eyes, he focused on the red woman across the street from him, watching her wring one of her tails between her hands. His own tucked close to his leg, knowing how painful it likely was, yet she didn’t seem to realize she was doing it.
Creeping between the stalls, she didn’t appear to be looking at anything in particular, and he began to worry she was lost. He was about to step out of his alcove when he noticed another alpha come up beside her, causing him to freeze as his hackles rose and a low growl filled his throat.
The alpha smiled down at the woman, saying something to her Blaide was too far away to catch. He could only see the side of her face with the way she’d turned to the male, but he noticed the way her spine straightened, and her tails went stiff, sticking straight up behind her.
Their interaction was short, the little female turning away and stomping off. She either didn’t know the alpha, or didn’t like him, because it was clear she wanted nothing to do with the hulking male.
Blaide felt the tension leave his muscles until he noticed the alpha who’d approached her nod to another male she passed. Turning, new alpha began to trail behind the omega, keeping pace as he pretended to peruse the stalls.
Hands balling into fists, Blaide stepped out to follow her himself as the first alpha slipped down a side street after speaking to yet another male he passed on the way.
Their silent communication and sly movements were clear markers of a slavery ring. Blaide knew these men had decided to kidnap the furry red omega.
It was easy for people to go missing during mass evacuations, and it could be weeks before anyone realized she’d been taken. By then any number of horrible things could have been done to her, and she’d likely never be found again.
But he wasn’t going to let that happen to his little Red.