ChapterNine
Gabrielle
Ijerk awake, my eyes flying open as a horn blares. Blearily, I peer around. My little makeshift sleeping area is untouched. My hands feel numb, and I tuck them under my arms to try and warm up a little, yanking up my top to breathe against the material and try to warm my face.
This isn’t sustainable.
I pause as heavy footsteps sound, shrinking back against the wall as a shadow falls over me.
I look up… and up.
A viking-sized alpha towers over me. Light blonde hair is scraped back off his face into a knot, matching the beard that covers his lower face. He blinks down at me as a set of keys jangle in his hand.
Inhaling, his deep green eyes move to mine and widen. “You…” he says in a low voice. “You’re the omega from the restaurant.”
A terrified whimper erupts from my chest as I scramble up.
Immediately, he takes a few steps back, hands up.
“Steady, now,” he mutters. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
He easily could, layers and layers of strong muscles barely hidden underneath the colorful tattoos snaking down both arms. I keep my eyes on him as I reach down, my fingers grabbing for the handle of the duffle bag.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he goes on, gesturing behind us. “This is my gym.”
“I’m going,” I say abruptly. “Just let me get my stuff, please.”
His face tightens as he looks over the doorway. “You slept here?”
Distractingly full lips press together when I stay silent. “It was cold out last night,” he says, more gently. “Too cold to sleep outside.”
Clothes shoved haphazardly into the duffle, I take a tentative step out of the doorway. The alpha keeps a careful distance, but I can feel the heaviness of his scent, the earthy, resinous scent of teakwood teasing my nose.
“I know.” Defensiveness coats my words. “It’s temporary.”
The alpha nods. “I’m Axel.”
He pauses, waiting for me to confirm mine. When I don’t say anything, he half-smiles, taking his face from terrifying to devastating in a moment.
Cool it, Gabby. You don’t like alphas.
“Nice to meet you. Hold up. I’ve got some sweatshirts in the back. You’ll freeze in that.”
My cheeks flush in humiliation. “I’m fine, thank you.”
He gives me a look as he moves past me, leaving plenty of space as he unlocks the door, keys jangling. “Stay here for a sec,” he calls back as he pushes the door open, vanishing inside.
It’s almost a command, his tone deep.
I really should go, but my feet stay stubbornly rooted to the floor until he reappears, dark material bunched in his hands as he holds them out to me. When I reach for them, he holds on for a second, and our eyes meet.
“You got a name?”
I shake my head. Five years ago, I didn’t, according to the government.
Just a number. 1028.
Axel slips his hands back into his pocket as I hold the sweatshirts close, a little patch of warmth burning through my stomach.
