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She takes a moment to think, then shakes her head sadly.

“Not much. He doesn’t let me around anyone else, but I did overhear them through the vent.” She swallows thickly. Her eyes are shiny with tears, and her lower lip starts to tremble. I want to take her in my arms, but I make myself stay where I am.

“I heard Alexander tell my father that he has something, some drug, to jump-start an Omega’s heat. Artificially.” She shudders, and more tears pool on her lashes. “I think he wants me for something, but my father said he’s considering what he wants to do with me.”

My blood turns to ice.

“He wants you for what?”

There is no fucking way he’s getting his hands on her. I’ll die first.

“I don’t know.” Her fingers twist in her sweatshirt nervously. “I think—I think he wants to sell me. I overheard him asking about genetics, but I don’t know why. He mentioned that selling my heat would help fund my father’s research.”

Fuck. This is so bad.

“We need to get you out of here.” It’s a struggle to keep calm. I don’t want to scare her, but every cell in my body is on alert.

My Omega is in danger, and there’s not shit I can do to help her right now.

Her lower lip trembles harder, and she wraps her arms around her middle. Watching the way she tries to comfort herself is quite possibly the most painful thing I’ve ever seen.

“I tried to escape a few days ago,” she admits. “He caught me.”

That unfamiliar pressure from earlier once more builds behind my eyes. “Sweetheart…”

Something brushes against my chest, and I nearly spring to my feet, reaching to my hip for my blade.

When I see the cat staring up at me like he’s embarrassed by my reaction on my behalf, my shoulders sag in relief.

It narrows its eyes at me in a way that’s far more judgmental than I’ve ever seen from a house cat and jumps on the mattress, curling up next to Idril. A purr springs to life, vibrating loudly through its chest.

Idril smiles softly, running delicate fingers through its thick fur. I raise an eyebrow and gesture toward the feline.

“That is the largest cat I’ve ever seen. Did it get hungry and eat all the other cats, or…”

She laughs. It’s a soft, tinkling sound that’s full of joy.

My chest tingles. I’d do anything to hear that sound again.

Anything.

“He hunts outside, I think.” She shrugs. “He’s not really mine. He just shows up when he feels like it.”

Before I can respond, the feeling of Dax viciously beating against the block on our Bond startles me. Realizing I have no idea how long I’ve been sitting here, I glance at my watch and curse. It’s been twenty minutes. No wonder he’s losing it.

Idril’s expression falters. “You have to go.”

“I do.” I reach out, taking her hands in mine once more. They’re so soft. So small and delicate. I bring them to my lips and press a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

“I’ll be back, alright? I promise you.”

The last thing I want to do is walk out of this room, but I’m fighting a losing battle. I can’t stay here, and I can’t take her with me.

Not yet.

It doesn’t matter how badly I want her; I can’t bring her to HQ until this shit with her father is resolved. Which means I need to up my game.

“I don’t understand why I feel this way.”