Page 28 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

His response made me roll my eyes, but I did get out of bed. I hadn’t felt so filthy in all my life, and I was eager to get the grime and sweat off my body.

But, as I followed him out of the bedroom and into the hallway, I couldn’t help but make a retort. “Maybe after I take a shower, you’ll let me head on home, huh? I think I might have left something on the stove.”

I watched him as I spoke, hoping to get some sort of rise out of him.

For some reason, though I knew my life was at the mercy of this Alpha, I enjoyed getting on his nerves.

His reddening face, the downturn of those thick, dark eyebrows, and the way his mouth quirked as if he was trying to hold back his reaction always made my stomach fill with a tingling warmth.

But this time Night gave me no such reaction. “No,” he said, his voice even, almost casual. “I guess your house will just have to burn down.”

I frowned at him but decided to keep quiet as he led me to the bathroom down the hall.

Inside, the floors and walls were tiled with small white and blue squares.

To the right was a shower with some bar soap and generic shampoo, to the left there were fresh towels folded neatly on top of the toilet as well as a change of clothes, and across from the door was the sink with a new toothbrush and tube of toothpaste.

“You get twenty minutes,” he said. “I’ll be standing outside the door, so don’t even think about trying to leave.”

I whirled on him. “You know, if you weren’t such an ass, I might not even mind being stuck in this cabin with you people.”

He scoffed. “You say that like I want you to enjoy yourself here. This isn’t a vacation, Bryn. You’re here as my pawn. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“I know. You’ve done nothing but tell me as much since you kidnapped me.”

“I’m just making sure you don’t forget.”

“It’d be impossible for me to forget. I know that you just want to use me, like every Alpha I’ve ever had the misfortune of knowing.”

“Don’t compare me to that coward,” Night snapped. There was an underlying growl to his already deep voice. “I would never behave the way he does.”

“No, you’re two very different men,” I conceded. “But I have only known three Alphas in my time on this earth, and every single one of them has been determined to make my life hell.”

He rolled his eyes before giving me a tiny nudge to my shoulder, just to get me out of the doorway, and then closed it behind me.

I balled my fists, glaring at the spot where his eyes would have been before turning back to face the mirror. I decided to brush my teeth first. I started at an aggressive pace, ripping open the package and squeezing a larger glob of toothpaste onto the bristles than was necessary.

“You still there, Night?” I asked, wetting the brush under the tap.

Instead of responding verbally, he knocked on the door hard enough to make me wince.

“Asshole,” I grumbled under my breath.

“I heard that.”

“Good!”

He bumped the door again. “Eighteen minutes.”

I huffed out a sigh and brushed my teeth furiously before spitting in the sink.

With that done, I turned to the shower and got the water as hot as I could stand.

I was pent up with energy, wired from the exchange I’d had with Night.

Now I had to take off my clothing and get into the water, with the man who made my blood rush in my veins standing right outside my door.

I stared at the dark wood as though I could see through it to him.

There was an extra layer of complication to my emotions because I was wearing his clothes.

I took off his shirt, then his pants, and finally my bra and panties.

It was a bit surreal to stand there naked with him less than five feet away.

He could walk in here at any time and see me wearing nothing at all.

Just to be safe, I crept to the door and turned the lock on the knob. It wouldn’t be enough to stop him if he really wanted to come in, but it made me a bit more comfortable.

With that done, I got into the shower and stood in the hot water, letting it seep into my aching muscles.

I grabbed the bar of soap sitting on the side of the tub.

It had rosemary and wildflowers floating in a cream-white bar.

It was likely homemade, unlike the bars that the Kings brought back from human cities.

I took a sniff and found it had a lovely smell—neither a masculine or feminine scent—it was pleasant and clean.

It reminded me of Night. I washed my hair until it no longer felt dirty and greasy, and then I moved on to the rest of my body.

I had never enjoyed a shower more. Hot water and soap had never felt more like a luxury.

I hadn’t forgotten that I was there as a prisoner, but things might not be so bad as long as I had a shower, food, and nice company.

Violet would stop me from escaping, I knew that for sure, but she was a kind woman who made me think of Mom.

I would keep looking for an opportunity to escape, but I figured it was important to enjoy the little things I had access to rather than focus on all the negatives.

Outside the door, I heard Night cough. The reminder of his presence sent goosebumps over my skin.

I moved my hands down from my shoulders and upper back to my stomach, my arms brushing across my nipples.

I bit my lip, my mind flashing back to the dreams I’d shared with the green-eyed man.

Night? I shifted even lower, remembering what the beast behind those green eyes had done to me in those dreams. My heartbeat quickened as my fingers found my core.

They brushed over that sensitive nub, and I accidentally let out a small moan.

Night began to pound on the door, startling me out of the erotic moment.

“Hurry the fuck up,” he growled. “I have better things to do than wait outside for you.”

I showered more quickly after that, my face on fire.

When I finished the shower and dressed in the clothes, another pair of pants and a t-shirt, I unlocked the door and slipped out.

I ducked my head as I walked past Night, hoping he attributed my red face to the heat of the shower and not embarrassment.