It took every bit of his will to walk away from the door. Even with the air outside clearing her pheromones from his nostrils, he still paused at the top of the stairs, staring back at the room before he could force himself to move again.
Stepping out onto the street, he checked the position of the sun. The shadows between the buildings were already lengthening, the approaching dusk turning the sky a kaleidoscope of violet and pink. Beautiful, but nowhere near as breathtaking as the woman in his bed.
Returning his focus to the task at hand, Blaide stalked through the market toward the closest vendor he remembered selling women’s clothing. He kept one eye out for the alphas from earlier, and the other for guards. Provoked or not, he’d have to face the consequences for killing the blond if he was found out.
Growling under his breath at his predicament, he made his way through the others lingering in the market. He’d already half made the decision to slip past the barricade and head home before the fight, and now he should certainly make himself scarce if he wanted to avoid any issues with the guards, but the little omega in his room complicated things.
He wanted her.
Not just because she was an omega. Not even because she was on the cusp of her heat.
Her scent had called to him from the first moment he’d picked it up and seeing her only deepened the attraction. Knowing she was putting herself in danger for her Nana only made him more certain she would be a worthy mate. One devoted to their brood.
One a killer like him didn’t deserve.
If he’d met Liz at the best of times, he’d still have been cautious. The whole point in coming to Jun’gale and living on his own was to protect others when he finally snapped. It was inconceivable that he’d been through the things that happened during his service, that he’d done the things he’d done, and came out undamaged.
And yet he’d waited for it to happen all this time and he was still fine.
He huffed a laugh at himself as he waited for the beta woman ahead of him to make her selection from the offered wares and pay the merchant. Fine was a word with infinite undertones, yet out of the men of his unit he was the only one not carrying his weight in emotional baggage, so he had to assume that meant he was fine.
Or maybe he was the one with the worst problem since he’d been so unaffected. That was a fear he barely admitted to himself, that perhaps he was the one who needed help since all the death they’d seen hadn’t left him a gibbering mess.
And now he wanted to pull a sweet little omega into that. Into the potential mess he could become.
Pointing to the first thing that looked to be her size when he finally stepped up to the booth, Blaide thought for a moment before adding another set of sturdy dark colored clothing. Trekking through the jungle was difficult at the best of times, and if he was going to sneak them out of the blockade and potentially through enemy lines, he needed her to not draw any attention.
Paying for the goods, he turned back the way he’d come, still debating what to do even if his purchase said he’d already made the decision. He wanted to help, he could see her need to get to her Nana and be sure she was safe, but that meant putting Liz herself in danger. While he was sure he could protect one little omega, her heat was a serious complication.
He’d never be able to resist the call of his instincts. Not with her. He wanted her too much to even offer to service her and nothing more. If he put his hands on his little Red, he’d claim her.
The persistent erection he’d had since the fight swelled further, making it difficult to walk with the way it was pinched beneath his pants. Grimacing, there was nothing he could do with traces of her scent lingering on him. Just the memory of her slight frame in his arms brought a fresh pulse of need.
Swallowing a groan, Blaide made his way back up the stairs to his floor, scenting the air to see if anyone else had passed. Too many smells mingled in the stairwell to tell how recently anyone had been through, but the lack of fresh traces along the hall reassured him. If there was anyone else on their floor, they were staying out of sight.
He paused outside his door, sucking in a deep breath and facing the decision before him. He wanted to help, needed to help, his little Red, but there was only one way he was doing it. If she denied his requirement then perhaps it wasn’t meant to be, but there was no way he could turn away after finding her.
He’d find a way to protect her, even from himself if that was what it took.
Opening the door, Blaide’s will wavered again, the scent filling the room almost too much. The sweetness of her pheromones coated his tongue, pulling him to forget everything and fall on the woman snuggled into his bed.
She was lying on her belly with her face buried in the pillow. She hadn’t used the blanket and his shirt had ridden up her thighs until it barely covered the swell of her bottom, teasing at what was hidden beneath.
She wasn’t wearing panties.
The groan that reverberated through his head must have been audible because Liz bolted upright, unfocused eyes turning toward him before they cleared. He could see the fear on her face become something hotter, and he had to turn away before she noticed his own reaction.
Clearing his throat, he looked at the trail of clothing on the floor before turning his gaze back to Liz.
“Here’s the deal. I’ll help you get through the blockade and find your Nana on one condition.”
Blaide straightened his spine and squared his shoulders. He didn’t know if he was trying to intimidate her into saying no or trying to show he was a worthy alpha so she’d accept, but he couldn’t stop his tail from fluffing and standing proud behind him. Tails were a deciding factor when his species’ females took a mate, and he couldn’t fight the biological need to be as appealing as possible.
“I know your heat will last weeks without an alpha’s knot, and this room isn’t safe enough. I’ll get us out of the city and take you to my den where you can nest, then I’ll break your heat. But I’m going to claim you.”
Pouty lips parted, wide eyes staring up into his face. She didn’t breathe for a moment before her chest finally rose on a large inhale. He knew what he was saying was insane, he barely knew this woman, and she certainly knew nothing of him, but his need couldn’t be denied.
“But… Why? You could just knot me and be done with it. You don’t have to claim me.”
Her voice rose with each word, anxiety warring with something else on her face. Stepping closer, he expected her to pull away as he lifted his hand, but Liz remained where she was. Stroking the side of her face, Blaide plunged his fingers into her hair, massaging the base of her ears.
“Because I want you. You’re exquisite. You’re fierce, and loyal, and I don’t want to lose the chance to make you mine.”
He watched her throat work as lids closed over green orbs. She remained silent, sucking in deep breaths as he continued to play with her locks. He wanted to tense, to be worried about her response, but he already knew what she was going to say.
She was as lost in him as he was in her, and she needed him too.