Page 8 of The Hollowed
He helped where he could, even if it meant breaking a few rules or leading his team into a little extra danger on supply runs. Maybe that was selfish and Luci would hate it if she knew, butthe risk felt worth it when he saw her face light up at a packet of instant coffee or the familiar scent of the men’s shampoo she secretly loved. They were small comforts in a world that had none.
He’d figured out about the shampoo the day she leaned a little closer than normal and wrinkled her nose, catching the mix of leather and brandy clinging to him after a run. She didn’t say a word, but the look in her eyes had stayed with him ever since.
And yeah, he wasn’t above admitting that that tiny moment had etched itself into his memory, bringing him the kind of pride he could carry with him for a lifetime.
Alex moved quietly as he and Luna slipped out of their room in search of Luci. Technically, curfew was in full effect, but Alex knew every guard on rotation and more importantly, he’d made Luci a promise. He told her he’d find her when he got back, and he meant it.
Besides, he came bearing gifts. Two perfectly intact bottles of Midnight Breeze shampoo, to be exact.
As they rounded the corner toward her lab, a simmer of unease crept in. The corridor was dark, there was no fluorescent glow under the door or signs of life. He crept closer, peering through the thick glass and looking for any hint that she’d been there recently. When the keypad on the wall confirmed no activity since early that morning, his worry grew.
“Change of plans, I guess,” he whispered to Luna, who stood patiently by his side.
They turned back the way they came, but something didn’t feel right. Lucilla was predictable, meticulous, even. If she said she’d be somewhere, she was there. It was possible she simply needed to rest after a long shift but even that explanation didn’t sit right with him. Luci always kept her promises, even when they were inconvenient to uphold.
And then it hit him.
The meeting.
Without another thought, Alex pressed the elevator button, watching the numbers climb until the doors opened on the thirteenth floor. He stepped out and jogged down the hall, slowing only when he reached the corner that led to her apartment.
He paused, one fist lifted to knock but hesitated. There were rules about visiting like this. Sneaking into her lab was one thing but showing up at her door in the dead of night was another.
Still, he typed in the four digit override he wasn’t supposed to use unless it was an emergency, the one that bypassed the hospital’s security grid and unlocked every room on this level.
He probably should’ve thought twice.
But he didn’t.
The door slid open with a soft click, and Luna padded in first, her nails tapped quietly against the floor as Alex followed with tense shoulders. He scanned the dim apartment.
Then he saw her.
Luci was curled up on the couch, fast asleep, though it didn’t look like she’d gone down easily. Tissues littered the coffee table and there were crumpled papers covering the cushions beside her. Her research notes were torn through and scribbled on in frustration. A binder laid open on the floor like it had been tossed there without forethought.
Something must have gone terribly wrong while he was away.
Alex crouched beside the couch, careful not to wake her and brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face. Luna laid down nearby with a quiet sigh, resting her head on her paws like she understood.
He set the shampoo bottles gently on the edge of the coffeetable and stayed there for a few more moments, watching Luci breathe. She looked exhausted and fragile in a way she never let herself look when awake.
Her hair was a cascade of dark curls spread over the throw pillow and her face was flushed from crying, but somehow that didn’t take away from her beauty. If anything, it made her look more real. More human and beautiful in a way that had nothing to do with effort and everything to do with who she was when no one was watching.
Alex reached out again, brushing his knuckles lightly across her cheek. She stirred just slightly under his touch. That was when it hit him, how far he’d stepped into her personal space. The realization made him yank his hand back so quickly he nearly stumbled but he managed to catch himself just in time, leaving his heart pounding harder than it had all night.
Carefully, he rose to his feet and gestured to Luna that it was time to go. As much as he hated to admit it, sneaking in like this probably wasn’t one of his better ideas. He might’ve gotten away with it too, if Luna’s tail hadn’t knocked over one of the shampoo bottles he’d so carefully
placed on the edge of the coffee table.
The bottle clattered to the floor.
So much for slipping out unnoticed.
Luci bolted upright, arms flailing, eyes wide and wild with panic. It took a few seconds before her brain caught up and recognized him.
“Alex?” she breathed, eyes darting between them. Then her voice shot up, “What the fuck?! How did you even get in here?” She ran a hand through her hair, trying to sit up straighter and piece together how he was standing in her apartment with his dog at an ungodly time of the night.
“I, uh…” Alex paused, swallowing the lump in his throat beforehe let out a nervous laugh. “You weren’t in your lab like you said you’d be, so I just…well, I thought I’d check on you. Make sure you were okay.”