Saved and Savaged

Chapter 9 - Keziah

My knees grind as Gric sets me on my feet, the pain in my thigh growing with every moment.

I ignore the urge to turn around and look at him, forcing my feet to move away.

Carmi needs my help. She sits with her back pressed into the corner and her arms wrapped around her knees.

I limp to her and grab her wrists, tugging her to her feet before pulling her away from the wall. After some gentle prodding, she takes in the fierce look on the other omega's faces. Their determination seeps into her, helping almost more than I ever could.

The scent of alpha wafts from my skin, tainting the air around us and making my fellow captives avoid me.

Gric rises from the bench, his height too much for the low ceiling, so he takes a hunched step toward the tailgate. The motion might look silly on a different alpha, but with his deadly grace a shiver wracks my spine. When he reaches the tailgate, he looks over his shoulder at me and winks before disappearing into the night.

Moths come to life in my belly, the sensation uncomfortable as I envision the ugly insects that invade Gotawe at the turn of each season, but something deep in my chest longs to feel the fluttering again.

What Gric said is true. He owns part of me, and denying it would be stupid, yet my heart quails at the thought. Every interaction I've ever had with an alpha paints them in a negative light.

Except, the memory of Gric's kiss makes my toes tingle and my heart thud.

The first brave omega follows him into the darkness, snapping me out of my ridiculous thoughts.

Fek blocks the exit with his arm, halting the next woman for a moment before gesturing for her to jump. She does, her blonde locks flying out behind her.

Orange scales gleam in the moonlight as he regulates how often we jump, and it isn't until Carmi and I step next to him I realize why. We'll injure each other if we jump too close together. He gives our joined hands a look before shaking his head.

"One at a time."

Before she can argue, I push Carmi out. A second later, I follow her.

Sand scrapes along my flesh and fills my nose and eyes, making me cough as I stumble into the desert.

Carmi's hand finds mine in the darkness, and with her in tow, I set my focus on the horned silhouette in the distance.

Our feet sink into the sand, making our forward progress slow, but we catch up to the woman in front of us and grab her hand. One by one, we find each other until we're all limping onward together.

The further we get from the transporter, the more obvious the sound of the Sky-Flyer becomes. As Gric's scent fills my nostrils, the horizon behind us flashes with fire.

A loud boom pulls a shriek from most of us. Carmi almost throws herself to the ground, but I tug her up and keep trudging onward.

"Come on. We have to keep moving," I say through ragged breaths, urging everyone toward the monstrous silhouette.

Gric's deep rumble eases the tightness in my chest. I ignore the pain in my legs and keep running, eager to reach the safety of the mountains.

Time stretches on until my ears ring and my heart strains to keep up with my demands. Dark swirls dance at the edges of my vision, but I can't tell if it's my eyes failing or our actual surroundings.

On and on we sprint until picking up our feet becomes too difficult. As the immediate threat of the Sky-Flyer wanes, our adrenaline fades and leaves us stumbling up the inclines and sliding down the slopes.