Saved and Savaged

Chapter 11 - Keziah

The swath of material doesn't quite cover my knees, and I don't have panties anymore. The memory of their harsh ripping rings in my ears.

But his rich scent clouds around me, wiping away my worries. His mark will cover me better than my ripped tunic, anyway.

He pulls his vest on with quick, sure movements and pops to his feet, basically bent in half since the ceiling is so low.

An odd note twangs through me as I realize neither of us took our shoes off. I brush the fleeting thought away and accept his guidance as he leads me from the cave.

Each step sends fissures of pleasure-pain throughout my nervous system, awakening dormant cells with every step. By the time we exit onto the mountainside, my head spins and my senses reel. Another two steps later and the rocks disappear from under my sandals.

Adrenaline heightens my awareness until masculine arms secure me to the largest chest in existence.

"Don't worry, tiny fierceling. I have you. You're mine."

Parts of me melt and cheer at his proclamation while others plead for freedom. Both reach deep into my instincts, skewing the rational control I've kept wrapped around me my entire life.

He cradles me to his chest and sets off, angling down and around the mountain while navigating through boulders, steep declines, and rough terrain with ease.

I rest my head on his shoulder, realizing he knows exactly where we're going. He knows where the others camped out, which means somehow he already traversed this part of the mountain, probably all of his teammates did.

They ran circles around the other omegas and me, using the darkness and their stealth to scope the surrounding area. All while we struggled to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

He stops before he steps onto a narrow ledge, using the arm tucked under my legs to reach up and tap his ear.

"Inbound," he says, his voice so low I wouldn't have heard it if it weren't for how attuned my body is to his.

A soft whisper of sound makes me look up. Gric tilts his head, showing me the inside of his ear canal, and I chew the inside of my mouth as I study the little black device nestled there.

"What is that?"

He taps it again before lowering his lips to my forehead, giving me a quick kiss before answering.

"Our comms. We switched to a small range mode which uses a frequency that only reaches a few feet, otherwise we wouldn't be using them at all. Our attackers need to believe we're dead."

I nod in understanding.

"Relax, Keziah. Close your eyes."

When a gust of wind hits the back of my head, I realize how tense I am—the memory of flying through the air, uncertain when I would hit the ground, expecting to tumble down the mountainside, sends fear through me.

He wants me to close my eyes so I don't have to watch him balance on the narrow ledge.

I fill my lungs with his pheromones and close my eyes, willing my body to relax into his. It does so with such ease my mind screams in denial, but I push away the noise. Now is not the time to fight over something I cannot change.

The sun disappears and I jolt to awareness, opening my eyes to see stone surrounding us. My alpha walks deeper into the cave, his strides silent and sure.

Eerie slitted red eyes reflect the dim light. I almost scream but remember seeing the alpha walk from one vehicle to the other last night. He nods before leaning onto the wall behind him and turning his face back to the entrance of the cave.

A few steps later, the sounds of breathing alert me to the group of omegas. I lift my head and push against Gric's chest, silently pleading for him to set me down.

Instead, he takes a few sideways steps and lowers himself to his knees. With his shoulder pressed against the wall, he sets me on my feet, turns me to face away from him, and wraps his long fingers around my waist.

"Keziah?"

Carmi's quiet inquiry sends relief through me.

"Carmi? Are you alright?"

"Yes. You?"

The sudden urge to break down into sobs grips me, but I swallow the lump in my throat and respond.

"Yes. How is everyone?"

Despite the shuffling of bodies and the sound of raspy breathing, no one responds.

Gric's fingers tighten on my hips when Steil speaks.

"One female passed out from exhaustion, but she woke on her own. No one shows signs of needing immediate medical care."

I sense Carmi's need for comfort, so I extend my arm, hoping her eyes are better adjusted to the lighting than mine. She makes a small noise of discomfort, making my hackles rise.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't... he's right behind you."

"Little mite, I won't harm you. I have what I want, and I'm not letting go."

Gric's baritone rumble does funny things to my belly, his proclamation making my soul melt and my brain throb.

"He didn't hurt you before, when he took out your tracker, right? He... he brought me back to you, didn't he? Come here, child, and let me hug you."

Carmi's petite frame crashes against mine, her quiet sobs as I wrap my arms around her twisting my guts. She has been so brave. I'm happy to give her a safe place to expel her worries.

I clear my throat and stroke her hair, asking the most pressing questions tumbling around in my mind.

"What do we do next? Do we have water?"

The mountain presses down on me. I hate the small space yet fear what may wait for us out in the wilderness.

"No water. We'll head south through the mountains until we reach the nearest water source. There should be a town in a few miles," says Steil.

A few miles, without water or protection from the sun. Despair threatens to drown me, but Gric's low rumble soothes my nerves.

Realizing Carmi stands rigid in my arms, holding in her breath, I drop a hand to my lifemate's massive finger and squeeze, silently imploring him to stop.

He doesn't but lessens the intensity of his purr so the omega in my arms no longer resembles the stone surrounding us.

"Time to move out. Fek, take the lead. Lyc, roam the perimeter. Gric, stay with the omegas. I'll follow."

At Steil's words, my alpha's fingertips flex into my flesh, making me feel like a tiny, fragile thing. Soft warmth presses against my nape, his kiss fleeting as he stands.

Deep within my soul, I long to return to the cave with him, but fear for the youngling in my arms and the rest of my fellow omegas keeps me focused on the task at hand.

I tighten my arms around Carmi before releasing her. She takes my hand despite the massive brute standing so close and leans to take the hand of the nearest omega. I recognize her as one of the women who sat in the corner with Carmi last night.

Without words, the rest of the ladies stand and gather closer.

Another trek through the mountains seems too much, yet it's what we must do to survive.

Gric's strength and size comfort me. With him and his teammates as our guide, maybe we will all make it to safety.

Wherever that may be.