Page 4 of How to Fail at Escaping an Alpha Orc (How to Fail #3)

Chapter Four

Marcus

A n omega. They didn’t say she was an omega. Or that she’d be this beautiful. Not just beautiful but my type. Her skin was like silky butterscotch, so smooth that I wanted to run my fingers all over her. Thick, dark brown, shoulder-length curls framed her face, and I wanted to bury my own face in the mass and inhale that intoxicating sugar cookie scent of hers. My mouth practically salivated. No, I was sure I was drooling. And those curves. She was thick, with full hips and thighs, large ass, and heavy breasts. What I would do for her to allow me to sink myself deep inside her. To push against the softness of her. Knot her. Make her mine.

And the way she smiled at me. She seemed so genuine, her deep, chocolate eyes doe like. I could feel how much she liked her job. Her excitement as she selected cupcakes for me was infectious. I could have folded and bought everything on the menu with no convincing. I only needed to see her full-lipped smile and those large, rounded eyes peeking at me beneath long, thick lashes. I think my heart actually constricted when I looked at her, and I had already seen her pictures. Still, being in front of her felt different. There was a glow around her. It could have come from the overhead lights, but she felt brighter than anything around her.

And fuck, I had to kidnap her, and any thoughts of something more were dashed. Shit, this was cruel. I wondered if they really couldn’t have gotten someone else for the job. Then again, someone else might not treat her the way I would. Since getting the call from Lopez, I’d taken the next few days to get to know this woman. Daria Newman.

Age thirty-four from a family of active necromancers in northern Virginia. She’d done that work for a while before quitting to go to culinary school. She lived alone in the Mt. Vernon area of downtown Baltimore. Her home, which I had broken into, smelled of cookies, but I’d brushed it off as related to her baking. Her apartment was small but bright and cozy, surrounded by bold artwork and several plants. Her bedroom was pastel-colored and frilly, full of pillows holding her scent. Her closet was large and had tons of blankets and pillows on the floor that I assumed, in retrospect, she used to build her nest when she needed comfort or was going in heat. This was a common omega practice when they were experiencing that time of the year at their most primal. Shit, I hadn’t even prepared for that. I’d thought I’d gotten everything she could possibly need when I broke into her apartment. I’d been focusing on everything else.

Like how she loved romance books, her e-reader was full of them. And her saved shows on her TV were a mix of Asian dramas, period dramas, and reality TV shows, especially dating ones. She liked red wine and various flavors of popcorn. She also enjoyed cooking, judging by the various ingredients and cooking utensils in her house. She didn’t seem to have that many friends. I knew her work hours and that she walked to the gym a few mornings a week. She had a routine, but I found it… cute. I’d learned more about her than intended. Something had compelled me to her. And then, when I saw her in person, it was as if all the puzzle pieces had come together. She was everything I expected and more.

Before she dropped to the ground, I caught her and lifted her quickly. I then moved us to my nearby black SUV. It was not fully dark out, but no one would see us behind the backside of a row of stores. I’d taken out the street camera earlier and bought several black-market potions that destroyed wards, would make me invisible, and knock her unconscious. They were pricey, but I had the money. I’d invested well from the money I inherited from my parents and during my time as a henchman for my brother.

Once I got her settled in the back passenger seat, I circled to the front and got in my car. We were heading to a hide-out I had in Bethany Beach, Delaware, north of the city. Well, it was less a hide-out and more an inconspicuous place for me to be on the less populated stretch of the beach. She would be unconscious for a few hours, just enough time to get her to the beach house.

I tried not to feel like shit as I looked through the rear-view mirror at her sleeping peacefully, head resting on the window. However, that was a challenge. She seemed like a good person from my limited exchange with her and the research I’d done. She was an upstanding citizen. Better than my brother. And here I was, about to ruin her life.

By the time we got to the beach, it was dark, and she was still asleep. The ride had been distracting to say the least. Her scent permeated the car, exciting me. I had to shift several times to adjust myself, my dick growing hard at just the nearness of her. Concentrating on driving became a chore, and I wondered if I had time to pull over and jerk myself off to get my mind back to focus. Fortunately, I made it through.

I carefully lifted her in my arms and took the steps to my beachfront house. It took all my might not to bury my nose into her hair and take in a deeper whiff of her sweet scent. I was already a kidnapper. I didn’t have to add pervert.

I got us to the porch. I tapped in my key code and stepped through the ward, a whole body tingle passing over me. The place was a simple pale blue, three-bedroom house with white shutters, a wrap-around porch, and a second-floor balcony. Upon entering the house, a foyer with a closet was off to the side. From there, it opened to an open kitchen, dining room, and living room, leading to a balcony overlooking the water. Past the kitchen was one guest bedroom and bathroom. On the second floor were two other bedrooms, bathrooms, and a washer/dryer. She’d be upstairs, as far away from the front door as possible. I would at least be kind and give her the room with the ocean view.

When I placed her on the bed and locked her in the room, I went back to my car and took out bags of groceries, a duffle bag I packed for myself, and a small carry-on suitcase I’d found in her apartment that I stuffed with her toiletries, makeup, clothes, under things, her e-reader, and charger. I wasn’t sure how long we would be here, but I got enough to start us off for two weeks.

I got us settled in. Then, I collapsed on the couch. Begrudgingly, I let Lopez know I had her and asked to speak to my brother to ensure he was alive.

Sam’s face appeared on my phone. He was sporting a black eye but otherwise looked fine. “Hey, bro,” he said sheepishly.

“How?” I asked gruffly.

I didn’t need to elaborate. He knew exactly what I wanted to know. How the hell had he gotten himself kidnapped?

He cleared his throat, looking away. “Well, I owed some people a little money from losing a bet. And Harris wouldn’t help me out. I was trying to make payments, but then things fell behind…”

I cut him off. “Are you still on drugs? How’d you get into gambling? I thought you were working.”

“Uh, I’m clean right now. I got into it to earn money. I got fired, but it wasn’t my fault.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wonderful. So now I had to kidnap an innocent woman because of your fuckups.”

Sam visibly cringed, scrunching his face up. “I’m sorry. But thank you for doing this. Harris was fine with letting me die.”

“Well, this woman could die because of you, so I hope you’re happy.”

“What? No, I’m not happy. Who would be happy? This fucking sucks. But I promise I’ll be on the straight and narrow when this ends. You’ll never have any problems out of me again. And, also, I’m sure they won’t kill her. A necromancer’s too valuable.”

He didn’t sound too sure when he said the last bit, but I didn’t have the energy to argue with him. The important thing was that he was safe for now. “Put Lopez back on.”

Sam nodded and backed away; Lopez replaced him. He was bald, with a skeleton head tattoo covering his neck. Not the best work. His irises were red against black instead of the usual whites of his eyes. I hadn’t seen him before but would be committing his face to memory. When this ended, I was going to kill him.

“How long do I have to hold her?” I asked.

“Until we tell you we’re ready. It might be a while, so get settled. Getting the pieces is taking some time, but we’re getting close.”

I still didn’t understand why they didn’t wait until they had all the body parts before bothering to kidnap her. There had to be more to this. Then again, if they hadn’t made the deal, my brother would likely be dead. But I had another question. “If the body’s cut up, how do you think it’s going to be resurrected in any meaningful way?”

Lopez smirked, two rows of yellow, sharp-looking teeth appearing. “He’s a demon. We have our ways. But you let us worry about that and just keep that girl alive and functional.”

He then hung up on me. I gave the now black screen my middle finger and tossed it to the side. Of course, I would keep her alive. I would treat her the best I could. It was the least I could do. Some days, I hated having a brother. I had no doubt he was still on drugs. The brat had everything he could ever want but ignored all his responsibilities. He took no accountability for his actions; my parents just allowed it. He couldn’t hold a job, spent his nights partying and doing drugs, and now gambling with lowlifes. Perhaps I should turn my back on him like Harris did. But that thought didn’t sit right with me. The fucker was still my brother.

I exhaled and went upstairs, stopping at Daria’s closed door. I hadn’t heard her move around yet. Was she awake? Was she hungry?

As if to answer my questions, I heard the doorknob shake and then banging.

“Help! Somebody help! Fire, fire!” she screamed.

Fire? I sniffed the air. I hadn’t smelled any smoke. Had she started a fire in her room? I didn’t recall there being any candles, lighters, or matches. I checked her purse and removed anything that could be used as a weapon.

I folded my arms over my chest. “There’s no fire in there. If you think that will work on me, you’re wasting your time, and this place is soundproof, so no one will hear you.”

She stopped banging on the door. “What do you want from me? I don’t have much money. I’m no one special.”

Her voice sounded so scared and weak, and when she said that last part, it broke my heart. She was special. How could she think otherwise? No, I had to be strong. “But you are someone special.” And someone beautiful and talented. Stop it, Marcus. Get focused. “If you weren’t,” I continued, “I wouldn’t have grabbed you.”

“What is it that you want from me?”

“I don’t want anything. But you’ve been requested by the gang, Death Mask, to resurrect some freak. I’m supposed to keep you with me until they’re ready. Look, I’ll be honest. I don’t want to do this either, but they kidnapped my brother. If I didn’t do as they said, they would kill him.”

She didn’t respond, and for some reason, that made me nervous. I suppose her silence this whole time would be easiest, but I didn’t want that. I wanted to talk to her. Get to know her. It was stupid, and I wasn’t going to push for it. I couldn’t get distracted by her because when it came time to get my brother, I had to put him first. It didn’t mean I wouldn’t have that desire.

“I suppose you didn’t bother calling the police? I have friends on the force,” she finally said.

“You’re wise enough to know that would not work. My brother would be dead before they got remotely close.”

“There are other necromancers out there. Ones who work with criminals. That’d be easier.”

I rubbed a hand over my forehead, frustrated with this trash circumstance. She was logical but still too na?ve. “And you’re also wise enough to know that necromancers aren’t cheap. And those underworld necromancers keep themselves protected.”

“Unlike me,” she said softly, and again, that sadness in her voice ripped me apart.

“If it’s any consolation, you had a decent security system and alarm. I had the means and access. I’m sorry.”

“You were in my apartment?”

I nodded. “I hope I packed the right things.”

“How long have you been stalking me?”

“Stalking isn’t exactly the word I would use, but a few days.”

“When are you turning me over to them?”

“I don’t know.”

“My plants will die.”

“I hired a plant sitter.” That was true. I was probably going overboard, but I felt guilty.

I heard her sigh. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. They’ll probably kill me when they're done with me.”

“No,” was all I could say in response. I felt like a total piece of shit. I couldn’t promise her any safety beyond her time here. And then I was sure she didn’t consider herself safe. However, there were worst people who could have gotten to her. Done things to her while they waited.

“Can I at least see your face? You clearly know what I look like. Unless it was your idea to leave me in this room the whole time?”

I pressed my forehead against the door. I shouldn’t let her see me. I wasn’t ready to see the look of fear, anger, disgust on her face. She’d seemed so happy at her bakery. I shook my head slowly, trying to erase the memory of that beautiful smile and joyous laughter. And I had taken that away. Maybe I deserved the punishment of seeing her disappointment that one of her customers had done this to her.

I let out a breath and stood up straight. “I’ll open the door but don’t be stupid and try to escape. You won’t succeed. I’m not new at this. Do you understand?” I sharpened my tone. I didn’t want to scare her, but I had no choice.

“Yes,” she replied in that quiet voice.

I opened the door and stood back. I felt that I would be less intimidating if I weren’t towering over her. She was over a foot shorter than me. Although if she tried to run, I would tackle her.

She stood there at the doorway not moving. Instead, she looked around cautiously like a hesitant indoor cat stepping outside. She finally laid eyes on me, and I could see by the shocked look on her face that she remembered me from earlier.

“Well, that’s disappointing,” she said under her breath.

I didn’t know how to respond to that. I suppose it was, although it wasn’t the reaction I expected from her.

“And I sold you my best cupcakes.”

My lips twitched, wanting to smile. That was really not the response I expected. “And they were delicious. I still have a few left. Are you hungry?”

Her dark eyes rounded. “For freedom? Yes. For food, no. The getting magically drugged and kidnapped kind of ruined my appetite.”

I nodded in understanding. She would eventually ask for food. I wasn’t going to let her starve. “Well, I have a lot of food here. I got the snacks you like. You seem to like frozen chicken nuggets. And apple spice tea. Also, bacon and?”

She raised her hand as if to silence me, and I quieted down. “I’m going to ignore the fact you have thoroughly been all up in my life, but I really don’t care about your grocery inventory. Maybe that’s rude of me, but then again, you kidnapped me.”

I dropped my shoulders. I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t know why I thought me telling her about food would cheer her up. She knew how serious this was, and she was no child. “Well, if there’s anything you want, just ask.”

“Cool, I would like my free?”

“Except that.”

She narrowed her eyes and walked out of the room. Instantly, I tensed. Would she try to escape? I didn’t want to have to hurt her. Not that I was worried she’d get out. Instead, she walked past me, down the steps, and into the living area, sitting on the couch.

I followed in her direction and sat down at the wooden dining room table diagonal from her, keeping my distance. Her scent trailed behind her, and I inhaled, still not having gotten enough. I wasn’t sure I could.

She glared over at me, her lips in a pout. “Your plan won’t work, you know. To raise the dead.”

I titled my head, studying her. She seemed so certain then, less scared than before. I didn’t assume it was because she was fine. She was smart enough to know the seriousness of this situation. If she was calm, it was most likely because she was trying to control her emotions. Be logical about it all. And perhaps she was trying to convince me to change my mind. I respected that and was mildly intrigued that she hadn’t begged or cried yet. Not that I would think less of her or blame her if she did.

“This isn’t my plan.”

She gave a dry laugh. “Right, you’re as much of a victim as I am.” Her tone was dripping in sarcasm.

“Why won’t their plan work, Daria?”

“Because even if I could raise the dead, the person won’t return to normal. I don’t care what he or she is. It’ll take work to keep them functioning. Especially if they’ve been dead a long time and gone on to whatever realm they were sent in the afterlife. Most likely hell. Their body may come back, but their brain may not fully. Even if they got a healer to return the body back from a rotting corpse, I’d have to maintain control through my magic on them. It would be draining. I could die.”

I wasn’t sure if she was lying, but her reasoning was compelling. “They think because you are an omega, you will have an easier time giving him back his self-control.”

She shook her head. “That’s incredibly rare. Ever since that documentary where the necromancer brought back that human boy, folks think we can all easily do that. Yes, a non-human could have a longer life, but we don’t know how much longer.”

“Maybe all they need is a few years.”

“And that boy’s mind developed slowly.”

“I saw the documentary. That was because he transitioned to the afterlife. His spirit wasn’t truly attached to this plane anymore. And maybe this guy with the Death Mask gang wants to bring back didn’t transition. He could be a ghost.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “What do you know about ghosts?”

I shrugged, curious that this part of the conversation concerned her. “Enough. Look I don’t pretend to know the answers. I don’t even know who the gang wants to bring back. Maybe they don’t even want him mentally fully back. Maybe they want to control him for his magic.”

She sighed, dropping her shoulders. “So, I’d be helping them do evil. Or maybe I can’t do anything at all. Think they’ll let me go?”

I wasn’t na?ve and was beginning to believe she wasn’t either. Instead of responding, I looked away. I couldn’t make any promises to her. It would be cruel. If I could figure out a way to keep her safe and save my brother, I would. But I didn’t want to get her hopes up.

“Right,” she began. “We both know you are delivering me to certain death. If I can’t raise this guy, they’ll kill me. If I can, they will need to keep me around and will drain me dry. Maybe get me to raise others. Give them a zombie army to help terrorize the city. That’s happened before.” She chuckled to herself. “Here, I thought becoming a baker would be a safer life. I could see this happening to another member of my family who’s heavily in the necromancy life. Then again, I put myself on the radar for helping the cops. Are you some kind of henchman?”

I winced at the words. That was not the life I wanted, and I was back at square one again. I raised my upper lip in a silent snarl and looked away from her, irritated by the whole matter.

“I’ll take that as a yes. But you don’t work for Death Mask. Guess there really is no honor among thieves.” She got up, and I once again tensed as she moved about. Except this time, she went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She didn’t seem angry or sad, more like resigned. Was she giving up already? I expected a fight. I’d prepared for one. Perhaps she was deceiving me into believing she was giving up. That would make more sense. I would not let my guard down around her. Not that I had any fear she could escape my security.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Making something to eat. Might be my last meal,” she replied, not looking at me.

I shook my head, disgusted with myself. This was different from the way it should be. She was an omega, and I was an alpha. I should be protecting and cherishing her, not putting her in harm’s way.

I had to save my brother, but maybe I could also find a way to save her.