Hunger

Chapter Three

Luca was suffocating.

He felt like the blindfold around his eyes was actually around his throat. The handcuffs he wore dug into his skin and his arms ached at being tugged back behind the chair for so long. He wanted to scream, but the assholes who drugged him had clapped a black muzzle over his mouth after he'd bitten one of them.

Too bad they were smart assholes.

Still, he was only able to breath through his nose. Worse still, he only had what? Two days until his heat hit him full force, but he suddenly felt like he was going to sink into the sexual abyss any second. He'd been mostly fine half an hour ago. If you call being restrained to a chair, muzzled and blindfolded, and put on display for a bunch of sickos fine.

Yeah, he was totally fine.

However, for the past half hour, he felt as if a noose had been tightened around his neck. His chest was heaving as he struggled to inhale through his nose. It felt like a pressure had suddenly started in the room and was closing in on him, making him feel claustrophobic. Even worse, a reeking smell filled the air that reminded Luca of petrichor. The rich earthy smell of rain after a dry spell. The smell was oddly nostalgic for him and he wasn't entirely sure why. Something about it made him feel... warm.

Too warm.

It made him hot. Too hot. Horribly uncomfortable.

Holy fucking Mother on a subway, I'm dying, aren't I? This is it. I'm going to fucking die and I haven't even taken that stupid cunt with me, Luca thought in agony. He squirmed a little in his seat, but he felt so oddly numb. Maybe his entire body had fallen asleep, kind of like when a limb fell asleep. Whenever he moved, he got that eerie tingly static sensation throughout his body. He went still, hating the pin prick feeling.

Voices. He could hear voices. There were people talking, but it was muffled by the curtain they'd drawn around him. It sounded like a man's voice... Three men?

Luca moaned. No, no fucking way.

Stay away from me! Fuck off!

No way was he going to let himself be sold to some ugly old alpha who'd probably lost his mate, or didn't give a shit either way and would fuck him if he wanted in front of his own mate. As if he'd let that happen. He'd been doing pretty damn good for himself so far, and he was not about to lose his winning streak.

He squirmed again, wanting to get free, but the handcuffs only seemed to bite into his skin further. If anything, he could feel warm blood trickling from his wrists from the attempt.

Okay, look, calm down. Big deep breaths. Come on. Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale-- Holy fuck. I have to get the fuck out of here. I have to get the fuck out of here right fucking now. Luca cursed inwardly, struggling to maintain some semblance of calm.

Okay, okay, look. Worst case scenario, the guy buys you. So what? He won't fuck you right there in the chair. Nah, he'll take you back to his mansion... or his mother's basement. Either way, you have a shot at escape once you're purchased. What are the chances the guy who buys you is gonna be able to take you on all alone? With that cemented in his mind, Luca forced himself to relax once more, going still in the chair at the same time the curtain was drawn back.

He heard voices, more clearly now, and goosebumps crept along his skin at a few lecherous comments. Except, after a moment, he barely heard them over the roar of blood rushing in his ears. He inhaled deep through his nose and that earthy scent infiltrated every part of him. He felt drunk from it, took a deep breath once more. He inhaled that steamy scent and tried not to moan.

He had no idea why he felt so nostalgic whenever he smelled it. He'd never had any memories that made him feel this way. And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling of warm comfort. Of... home? But that made no sense. He'd never had a home, not really.