Cedar and Woodsmoke
“This way, Alpha.”
Addie jerked awake at the sound of her captor’s voice drifting down the hallway towards her cell. His usual gruff tone had been smoothed at the edges, lowered respectfully.
That could only mean one thing. A buyer was here.
She tried frantically to blink the sedative affect of the drugged water from her eyes and sit up. but it was no use. Despite resisting drinking until her throat was parched and her lips were cracked, she’d had to give in and drink eventually.
Whatever was in it made her sleepy and numb - perfectly placid to be inspected when the alphas came around. They did so surprisingly often.
Before she had been captured, Addie had believed, naively, that omega trafficking rings were all but made up. Stories her pack threw around in whispers around the campfire to scare the unmated omegas among them.
And then she’d been taken.
It was so stupid, in hindsight. Almost comically mundane. A simple grocery trip - she had pulled over on the way home to lend her phone to an apologetic beta with a flat tire. And before she knew it she was bundled into the back of the van and on her way here.
Wherever here was. Some kind of warehouse from what she had glimpsed when her blindfold had slipped on the way in, although you wouldn’t guess from the inside. It was a labyrinth of corridors - many of them lined with cells just like this one. Plain brick walls, a simple pallete bed with thin sheets. A water jug.
The only mercy was the small lavatory and sink attached - her captors didn’t want them dirty or smelling bad when their clients came.
Still, she was dying for a real shower. She’d started fantasising about warm water and shampoo when her mind was clear enough to think at all. It had been weeks now. Maybe months. She’d lost count.
The footsteps grew closer, and she curled further into the corner, hoping to stay unnoticed. Addie had seen what happened when a buyer expressed interest - heard the cries and sobs from the other omegas in the adjoining cells as they were dragged from their cells to be inspected like livestock.
“How many of ‘em you keep here, anyway?”
Addie shivered as she heard the visiting alpha reply, the gruff drawl of his voice sending shivers down her spine.
“We’ve got about thirty five right now, but can easily hold up to fifty. We prefer to keep numbers lower to ensure the quality of our stock, of course. Just enough to cater to any specific taste, nonetheless. Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”
“I’d like to see ‘em all first, before I make up my mind.”
Addie closed her eyes as the voices approached her cell, curling her fingers in the sheets and counting her breaths. It took a moment for her to realise that the footsteps had stopped.
With effort, she forced her eyes open just to find the strange alpha staring straight at her through the bars, his piercing blue eyes staring straight into hers. Dread formed in the pit of her stomach.
But something was off. Instead of the predatory look she had seen the other alphas wear, this man looked almost disinterested. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something like shock pass over his face - but she blamed it on the drug. What could be surprising about finding an omega in a cell meant to hold omegas?
It was almost funny. Or would have been, if this alpha wasn’t driving away her capacity to feel anything but fear. Tall, dark haired, and dressed in a navy shirt and cowboy hat, he looked like the kind of man who meant business. Although the more she tried to focus on his face, the more it swam in her vision.
He smelled amazing though. Like cedar and pine and woodsmoke. Breathing him in was like opening a window in her adled mind and letting in a cool breeze. For the first time in weeks, she felt her wolf begin to stir awake in her mind.
“This one,” He demanded.
Addie’s blood went cold.
“This one? You’re sure?” Her captor’s voice was laced with skepticism. “You don’t want to look at the others first? We have much better-“
“I said this one.” The alpha all but growled impatiently, and her captor bowed his head submissively. She recoiled in surprise. She had never seen him do that for anyone.
“Of course, alpha.” He said quickly, removing the keys from his belt and unlocking the gate to Addie’s cell.
No sooner had he done so then the alpha stepped in, his gaze sweeping over her form. She felt suddenly exposed - when she arrived they had made her change into a white slip that did nothing to hide her figure, and that by now was a little ratty at the edges.
Feeling like a cornered animal, she glanced between him and the open gate, wondering if she could convince her sluggish limbs to make a dash for it. But the gap was small, and he was coming closer.
Her breathing picked up. This alpha was here to buy her. For what use, she could only guess at, but none of them were good.
He frowned, pausing. “Don’tt be afraid, darlin’.” He said, his voice surprisingly gentle. And then his arms were around her, scooping her up.
She gave a small yelp as she was lifted effortlessly off of her bed to rest bridal style against his broad chest. The heat emanating from him was strangely soothing, even as she struggled to remain alert, begging her body to fight. The best she managed was to wriggle a little pathetically.
“Hush now,†He murmured to her, before turning to face her captor. “Let’s go,”
Her captor floundered. “You don’t want to examine her first?”
The expression on the alpha’s face must have been terrifying, because her captor paled.
“Yes of course. I’ll just, ah-“
But the alpha was already moving, out of the cell and down the long hallway. Addie’s head lolled against his shoulder, breathing in that cedar and pine scent. She should be terrified - and a part of her was, somewhere deep down - but the sedation wouldn’t let it rise to the surface. So she just lay there limply as she was carried from the building.
The cool outside air was a shock as the alpha slammed through the doors, clearing the fog in her mind slightly.
He marched towards a sleek black pickup, opening the backdoor easily with one arm still wrapped around her, and deposited her inside as if she were no more than a sack of grain.
“Don’t move until I come back, understand sweetheart?” He said gruffly, and as she focused on his face she saw danger writ in his dark eyes, the hard set of his strong jaw.
She nodded, and she could have sworn his expression softened for a minute before he slammed the door shut and marched back towards the warehouse that had been her prison, leaving her alone for the first time in months.
A rush of adrenaline set in as she realised he had left the doors unlocked. Stupid alphas. Always so certain that nobody would have the gall to disobey them.
Her fingers curled shakily around the door handle.
