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“Like fuck she is.” Ash scoffed, baring her teeth at Jackson, though he only held up his hands and put his body in her way.
There was no way for Devin to reassure Ashley. Not with her face looking like someone had used it for a punching bag, the smeared white stains all over her face and chest. No doubt she looked as terrified and broken as she felt.
“We made an arrangement,” Rey said through a low growl. “She agreed to it.”
“The fuck she did.”
“Ask her yourself.” Beau added a vicious laugh, waving an arm that didn’t move quite right at Devin.
“Dev, I’m going to get you out of here, okay? Whatever the fuck they’ve done—”
“He’s right,” Devin whispered.
Horror filled Ashley’s fine features, making her high cheekbones stark as she blanched to a pasty gray. Disbelief followed close on its heels as she took another step to threaten Rey.
“She came here for a dancing spot, and when we told her we don’t put Omegas on the floor, she made other arrangements with us,” Rey said, lowering Devin’s weight, ready to drop her should he need to take on Ashley as the female Alpha continued to posture.
“Bullshit,” Ashley breathed, though she sought Devin’s gaze for denial when she remained silent.
“Tell her,” Beau said through a commanding growl.
“Don’t coerce her!”
“It’s true, Ashley,” Devin shouted as they all began talking at once. Understanding Rey wasn’t going to put her down unless he needed to use his fists, Devin burrowed deeper in his arms. Clenching the front of his shirt, she put her cheek against his chest. “I did. I’m sorry, I know you’re disappointed, but—”
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Ashley roared, slamming her palm into the nearest bouncer, sending the poor man flying backwards. “You refused my help at every turn and then you-you… With a couple of… Fucking Gods, Devin.”
“I’m sorry, I—”
“That’s enough.” Rey rumbled a warning, hefting Devin higher on his chest. Recognizing the threat was gone as Ashley’s chest heaved though she made no move forward.
Rey’s every muscle twitched in readiness as he became anxious to be gone. Devin didn’t have to be smart to realize what that would mean, what he was so eager for. Didn’t take a genius to understand what it would mean if Ashley waylaid him much longer.
“I thought you were different,” Ashley hissed, backing up a step. Flinging a haughty middle finger in Beau’s direction, she shook her head at Devin. “You’re just like the rest of them.”
“I’m so sorry,” Devin breathed, the apology left unheard as Devin buried it in Rey’s chest. It didn’t matter now. He was moving, stalking past the enraged woman. Ignoring Ash with the singular focus only another Alpha could manage.
Fate sealed, there was nothing more she could do. Bide her time, wait for another opportunity. They wouldn’t give her many more of them after this, though.
Darkness reached for her, and Devin went to it.
* * *
Soft. Smooth and fuzzy, textures played under her fingertips. Nothing hurt for a breathless second before it all came rushing back, but she didn’t seem to care. Drowning in syrupy lassitude. A creaking sigh tumbled free of cracked lips, throat closing in on the raw torment that confused Devin.
Was she dead? Dying, maybe. Had she been successful and not realized it somehow? But no, that wasn’t possible. Not with Ashley’s horrified rage still playing through Devin’s mind.
Darkness swept over her again, but it wasn’t the murky black of unconsciousness. Cool hands cupped her skull, pulling her upright for cloudy softness to be beaten into submission, offering something firm enough to prop her up. Tepid liquid splashed over her lips, wetting them and soaking her chest. Trickling down flesh that burned.
“I know, sweetheart. Just open for me.”
Midnight dark, the whispered words sent a chill down her spine. Something was wrong. Her mouth opened without her say so, allowing the water to spill down her throat. Muscles too tight through her back, she arched and twisted to relieve the tension, or tried to. The same hands that had been so gentle now pushed her down, burying her into great swaths of bedding. Meaningless sounds, maybe words, tried to cajole and convince, but it was on a rumbling growl that Devin stopped resisting.
Another sip of water. Sense tried to return, enough that she grabbed the arm offering the cool respite. She could barely fit both hands around the wrist she gripped as she gulped down more water.
“Easy, now.”
Lashes fluttering, Devin pried her eyes open and hissed at the glaring light. She tried to curl into the safety of the shadow lurking above, her cheek rubbing against warm, bare skin. Her tongue darted out, tasting the peculiar staleness of bottled water and so much more. Luscious espresso, sweet-tart strawberries. Devin groaned, abandoning any attempt to hide in favor of licking at the salty sweat collecting on the male’s chest. Saturated in his scent, overpowering every other sense, she needed it like air. Craved more of it, high on his taste as she gripped broad shoulders to reach more.
