Chapter 6

Blaide

His groan of desire as he rolled over sometime later was shameful.

So was the leaking need constricted by his pants.

Pushing himself upright, Blaide grumbled under his breath. The entire time he'd enjoyed solitude in the wilderness, he'd never felt the urge to seek a female, but the scent teasing his nostrils had plagued his sleep, bringing dreams of silky skin and wet heat.

Levering himself off the bed, he stumbled to the bathroom, catching his reflection in the mirror. A twig stuck from his hair just above his ear, and when he turned to look, his tail was in a sorrier state. Full of bits of dirt and leaves, it looked like he'd dragged it behind him the entire trip, and it took a moment to realize he probably had during the last few miles.

It took a bit of maneuvering to wedge his body into the narrow shower, but he pulled his tail in behind him and forced the door shut. Tapping the auto cycle, he spread his arms as much as he could and scrunched his eyes closed as water pelted him from all sides.

Ice. Cold. Water.

Followed by scorching hot air, leaving his fur fluffed and sticking out in all directions.

At least his erection was gone.

Grumbling and shaking his head to get his hair and ruff settled, he ran his hands through his tail to tame it as much as possible. He much preferred the gentle rainwater shower in his den, but he had to admit the automatic one was faster and more efficient.

Stomach complaining of neglect, Blaide moved out of the tiny bathroom to dig through his pack for the change of clothes he'd brought and his last ration bar. He'd have to find food when he left the room and hoped prices hadn't soared exorbitantly. Judging by the color of the light flooding around the curtain over the tiny window, he'd slept till at least noon.

Curious to see the state of the city, Blaide tugged on his clothes and tucked a couple of knives into his boots. Laws forbade weapons within the walls unless secured in a case, but he'd been in situations like the one facing Jun'gale before, and there would always be people looking to pick on the weak in times of panic. No one would ever catch him with only his teeth and claws to defend himself again.

Finally ready to face whatever awaited him outside, he stepped to the door and paused as it slid open. The first lungful of air smothered him in the scent he couldn't seem to shake, full of pheromones teasing his senses and calling to his instincts. It was obviously from a female omega, and the lack of an alpha's scent accompanying hers told him she was alone.

But who could be that irresponsible?

A flash of motion drew his attention toward the stairs, but he saw only an empty stairwell when he looked. Striding to the banister, he peered down at the street below, watching the exit at the foot of the building.

The woman who walked out into the sunlight caused his breath to catch in his throat. Red skinned, the contrast of her black hair made her stand out like a beacon, but that wasn't what held his attention.

She had a tail.

Vuk's weren't a prolific species, and besides his family, Blaide had only met a handful out in the wild. As varied as the other peoples of the galaxy were, few had tails, and most of those were reptilian. Yet this little female's tail was furred and tufted red ears rose from her glossy black hair.

Watching her dart across the street toward the outer gate, shock roared through him. He was wrong. She didn't have one tail; she had three. They coiled around each other. Spread apart. Bunched back together. Their fidgeting broadcast her nervousness to anyone paying attention.

Blaide took a step toward the stairs before he forced himself to stop. This wasn't the time or place to chase tail, even if he'd found a mouthwatering, gorgeous female with more tails than he'd seen in his entire life.

Peeling his eyes away from where the female disappeared around the building across from him, he made himself check the rest of the street. There were still too many people moving around below, but the position of the sun told him it was past the cutoff time for the grounding of transports. Most shop owners had boarded their windows and locked their doors, but a market sprawled across a few streets with people still conducting business. If he needed food before everything turned to chaos, he'd have to head there.

Gaze turning back to where the red woman had disappeared, he spared her one more thought, wondering if she was the one he kept scenting, before bringing himself back to the task at hand. Giving himself a mental slap for not bringing more food with him, he turned back to his room to grab his pack. He'd keep the room card so he'd still have a place to sleep, but he didn't trust leaving his gear unattended. The guards were keeping everyone in line so far, but once the enemy was closer, they'd have more important duties to attend to than petty theft.

Taking the stairs down to the street, the sweet notes of milk and honey filled his nostrils from the omega's lingering pheromones. Once again, he fought the urge to follow her. He didn't like her moving through the city alone, but chances were he wouldn't be able to find her even if he followed her path.

Perhaps she was going to meet her lover. Maybe he was a guard at the blockade and that was why she was staying close.

His growl reverberated through the stairwell, mocking his irritation at the thought of the omega with another alpha. It was ridiculous that he should feel jealous when he'd never even met the woman, only been haunted by her scent.

Pushing the feelings and thoughts away, Blaide focused on his surroundings. There weren't many who would think him an easy mark, but if he didn't pay attention, someone might take the chance.

He walked the entire market from one end to the other, seeing what was available and studying the people going to the stalls. Swindlers were easy to spot, but he marked a few merchants who seemed honest in their dealings. On the way back through, he stopped at the honest shops, buying small bits here and there to help as many as he could without giving away that he had more means than many of the frantic folk on the street. Prices were high, but so was demand, and without knowing when they'd be able to restock, both buyer and seller were desperate.

By the time he made it back to where he'd begun, the sun had crawled further across the sky. There was still plenty of daylight left, but after trekking through the jungle for two days, he had no urge to explore more of the city. It would likely all be the same as the situation in front of him, possibly worse in areas further from the barricades where there were fewer guards to keep things in line.

Not ready to go back to the tiny room, Blaide settled into a small alcove with a good view through the market and pulled out a piece of jerky to gnaw on. The ration bar he'd eaten before leaving his room held all the nutrition he'd need for the day, but it lacked the flavor and salt his body craved after burning so many calories.

He'd finished the jerky when a craving for something sweet hit him. He narrowed his eyes as he realized why. The red woman stood across the street from him. He watched her wring a tail between her hands. His own tucked close to his leg, knowing how painful it likely was, yet she didn't seem to realize she was doing it.

Creeping between the stalls, she didn't appear to be looking at anything specific, and he worried she'd lost her way. He was about to step out of his alcove when an alpha came up beside her, but he froze as his hackles rose and a low growl filled his throat.

The alpha smiled down at the woman, saying something to her Blaide was too far away to catch. He could only see the side of her face with the way she'd turned to the male, but he noticed the straightening of her spine as her tails went stiff, sticking straight up behind her.

After a brief interaction, the little female turned away and stomped off. She either didn't know the alpha or didn't like him, because it was clear she wanted nothing to do with the hulking male.

Blaide felt the tension leave his muscles until he noticed the alpha who'd approached her nod to another male as she passed. The second alpha turned and trailed behind the omega, keeping pace as he pretended to peruse the stalls.

Blaide balled his hands into fists as the first alpha nodded at a third alpha before he slipped down a side street.

Their silent communication and sly movements were clear markers of a slavery ring. Blaide knew these men planned to kidnap the furry red omega.

Missing person reports skyrocketed during mass evacuations, but if no one was waiting for the tiny omega, it could be weeks before anyone even reported her as missing. The alphas wouldn't waste a minute before destroying the beautiful female. She'd likely die underneath them in a few hours.

They wouldn't get the chance. He wouldn't let them.

He'd protect his little Red, even if it meant fighting every alpha on the planet.