Nodding my head towards the street, I give her a small smile. “Get home safe. You’re not getting any warmer out here.”
She bites her lip. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Counting on it.”
And I’ll be bringing a coat with me.
ChapterTwenty-Four
Gabrielle
Iwait at the bottom of the street for ages, crouched behind a car in case Axel decides to take a stroll. Pressing the back of my hands to my cheeks, I can still feel the heat coming off them.
Little spoon.
It brings all sorts of thoughts into my head. Thoughts about Axel and the sheer size of him. Thoughts thatdefinitelyshouldn’t be there.
I wasn’t expecting him to be so… charming. His bulk might be intimidating, but the alpha isn’t. He was quiet at lunchtime, so much so that I assumed he didn’t really want to be there. But I saw a different side to him tonight.
And I liked it. A lot.
Finally, I edge my way back up the street, keeping a wary eye out in case he reappears. Tugging the hood up on my newly won sweatshirt, I slip back into the dungeon, avoiding the vacant stare of a young beta woman leaning against the wall.
Orange light from the fires dotted around warm my skin as I make my way to my tent. Glancing over, I look for Seek but her blankets are firmly closed, no sign of movement within. Pulling out the package I brought, I set it down outside her entrance so she sees it when she comes back.
Switching on my tiny oil lamp, I pull out my wages, counting them and adding them to the slowly growing pile. A grunt outside sends me scrambling to hide it, shoving it back into the small hole I managed to dig in the ground and covering it with dirt.
“Thanks for the food, girlie.”
Freeing a relieved breath, I don’t respond to Seek’s call.
I’m not here to make friends. But there’s a lot of food that doesn’t get used atIl Piacere, food that Seek and others here wouldn’t see in a month of Sundays. It’s such a waste.
After a few days of solid meals, I can feel the difference in my own body. A little of the much-needed weight I’ve never managed to put on is starting to build, and I feel less shaky. More aware, somehow.
I was definitely more than aware of Axel this evening.
Crawling into my sleeping bag, I stretch out my tired legs with a sigh. The oil lamp flickers and dies, the last of it used up.
At least I can buy some more now.
I might even get myself a couple of toiletries. Maybe a change of clothes.
There’s not enough in that hole to cover a deposit, not yet. But if I can just hold on and keep building it up for a few more weeks, I’ll be able to get something.
I just need to keep going.
* * *
Walking out of the department store the next morning, I take sneaky inhales of Axel’s teakwood scent, reveling in the freshness of it.
My new clothes are tucked carefully into my duffle bag. Just a pair of leggings, a t-shirt and a pretty camisole and shorts I couldn’t resist, but I’m still bouncing with excitement. Between that and the small bottle of body wash I splashed out on, I’m ready to start feeling human again.
Totally worth the glare of the security guard as he trailed me through the aisles like I was going to shove half of the make-up counter under Axel’s sweatshirt.
My shift doesn’t start for several hours, so I walk aimlessly through the park. Winter sun glints off the sculptures lining the smart pavements as I fill my water bottle from the fountain, taking a seat on a wooden bench.
I settle in for some people watching.
