As admirable as it was for a man to be so tidy, it posed a problem: he would absolutely notice if something went missing. Especially if it was something he wore all the time.
“Shit,” I whispered under my breath.
I needed something of his, so I could fall asleep with the scent wrapped around me. The faint whiffs I got from him at night weren’t enough. Right now, I needed it close, and I wasn’t climbing into the fucker’s bed.
My eyes landed on the dirty clothes hamper, where most of his scent currently emanated from. If I took something from there and returned it before he washed his clothes, there was no way he’d notice. It was a much safer bet than taking something out of his neatly curated stacks.
A little gross, but it’ll do…
I reached into the hamper and dug midway down until I found a black T-shirt with red stripes. It was wrinkled to hell and a little stiff, but it reeked of him in the best way. Sweet, rich caramel infused with savory popcorn. A splash of salty sweat and the faintest whisper of laundry detergent from the last time it was washed.
God, he smells so fucking good.
I buried my face in it and inhaled as deeply as I could. When I pulled away again, my head was swimming. A grin worked its way across my face, and I quickly closed the cabinet again. Then, I dove across the aisle onto my bunk and snapped the privacy curtain closed.
Nestling into the covers, I curled up with Zero’s shirt gripped tightly in my fists and buried my nose in it again. I closed my eyes and breathed him in, pretending that he wasn’t a deranged clown with a knife kink who hated me. If only for a minute, I’d pretend like the universe hadn’t royally screwed me when it came to my scent match, and that Zero was actually a decent alpha who wanted to love and care for an omega.
Then, I tried not to laugh at the absurdity.
Of course, the deranged psycho didn’t want me. But I would indulge in the fantasy anyway until unconsciousness came to claim me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
ARINA
“You look so good on your knees, omega.”
My heart dropped. Someone found out the truth.
They knew what I was.
I froze, whipping my head around to get my bearings. I was on my knees in the middle of a circus tent, and the lights were dim. There was no creepy music playing, but I recognized it.
I’d been here before.
It was the same place where Zero had teased me with his knife, where he’d made me dance with him.
Instinctively, I searched for my scent match, but he wasn’t there.
Instead, Daze stepped into my line of sight, his gaze dark and hungry. I barely recognized him. He was wearing a red button-up and a pair of dark pants, with his face painted like a clown. Still, his rainbow hair was unmistakable.
“Daze?” I gasped, trying to get to my feet. To my horror, my hands were bound behind my back. I looked down to find myself wearing the skimpiest outfit I’d ever seen. It was hardlymore than a bra and panties with a few frills here and there; most of my skin was on full display. My pulse lurched. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t pretend like you don’t enjoy being the center of attention.” He chuckled, and his voice barely sounded like his own. “You love the way your heart races when you have an audience, don’t you?”
“I—” I struggled against the restraints on my wrists to no avail. My breaths were coming faster as my panic soared, but I tried my best to stay calm. This was Daze, after all. He wouldn’t hurt me… would he? “I don’t like being on stage like this.”
He smirked and squatted in front of me, balancing on the balls of his feet with his elbows on his knees. Even this dark, twisted version of him was beautiful, and I wanted to reach out and touch him.
“Let me rephrase,” he said, running a knuckle along my jaw. Heat seared my skin at his touch. “You like whenIwatch you, don’t you?”
I froze, heat licking through my veins at his words.
He wasn’t wrong. I enjoyed his eyes on me, but I still didn’t understand what was happening. What did he expect me to do?
Before I could answer, the lights in the tent shifted, turning a rich blue hue. White lights like stars flickered to life overhead, and a slow, eerie tune began to play.
My stomach pitched.
