At First Blush

Chapter 36

Bailey didn't know how long he'd been in this room. In this crate. He couldn't remember when he'd last breathed fresh air. Seen the sunshine. He missed his mom.

As he huddled in the corner, he buried his face in his arms. He couldn't think about shit like that. He'd never see her again. That was obvious. Thinking about it only made everything hurt worse.

Instead, he focused on whatever was going on outside the room. Banging, screeches of metal, a few thuds. Different from the usual sounds during the day, and the silence at night. Something was happening. The last time there were different noises, four of them had been dragged out of their crates, disappearing through the door. He huddled in on himself. Maybe this time, it was his turn.

Instead of the big Alpha who leered at them or the skinny Alpha who fed them, the door burst open, and in a brief flash of light, Bailey saw bright curls, a slight body, and the sharp, acrid Scent of fear.

The others, who had been shifting, talking quietly among themselves, went still. The door closed again, muffling the thumping and rattling of the door beyond. The new person seemed to have not seen them yet. Bailey's eyes were well accustomed to the darkness, so he watched, curious, as the slim figure backed away from the door, pulling out his phone. A phone.

Just as Bailey was going to speak up, the figure crashed into his crate, startling both of them. They'd stepped in the water bowls. Their phone went flying, skittering over to the side of Bailey's crate. Not even bothering to check if the figure was okay, Bailey dove for it. He grabbed the phone and retreated, shivering with adrenaline and fear. If this was a set up... he didn't know what he'd do.

But as the figure turned their head, their eyes went wide in shock as he locked eyes with Bailey. His gaze travelled across the room, giving Bailey time to inspect him. Young man. An Omega. Bloody. Brave.

He scrambled away, slamming into the door, which was instantly yanked open, revealing the Alpha who leered. Bailey flinched away, curling into a ball. But the Alpha's attention was completely on the strange Omega.

Snarling and grabbing his hair, the Alpha began dragging him away. Bailey watched as the Omega began to scream curses, his nails (paints a soft pink) gouging into the Alpha's skin. He kicked his feet, twisting and turning, fighting like hell.

And then his gaze met Bailey's. The two Omegas looked at each other, and Bailey showed the Omega his phone. The Omega's eyes went wide, and Bailey saw a fire burn in his gaze, and he redoubled his efforts, his gaze never leaving Bailey's.

I want to save you. We can save each other, Bailey thought.

Not knowing how much time they had, Bailey looked down at the phone, mercifully still open. He looked down at the starred contacts. He should call the police. He really should. He hit the contact titled "Love."

He held the phone to his ear, hunching over, gaze falling to the crowbar that had landed near Thomas. Thomas, who was currently stretching his arm through the crate bars, his gaze wild, lip bleeding as he bit it hard. Remy in the next crate started slamming into the side of his crate, using the momentum to try and shove Thomas's crate that scant few centimeters, his fingers, long and pale, pianist fingers, could brush against the metal.

He hadn't even realized the line had connected until a voice, rich and soft, said into his ear, "Baby, God, you scared me. Why didn't you text me?"

Bailey floundered for a second. He didn't know where he was. What could he tell this man, this unknown man who the Omega had saved under Love?

Thomas's fingers closed over the crowbar and Bailey said the only thing he could: "Please. Help us."

Thomas pulled the crowbar in his crate, his arm bruised and bleeding, and he wrenched the bars apart. He shoved the crate open, turning instantly to use the crowbar on Remy's crate. The voice had been talking, but Bailey couldn't hear, couldn't understand, had to get out.

He dropped the phone as Thomas ripped his crate open. He crawled out, his body screaming in agony as the muscles stretched up. He was naked, and he was shy for a moment, before realizing that no one here would give a shit that he liked his doughnuts more than his treadmill or that his cock was maybe a little small. They were standing. They were free. Almost.

"Do we help him or run?" An Omega whispered, rubbing his arms, eyes huge with fear. Bailey didn't remember his name.

"Help him. We have to," Bailey said instantly.

"Remy is in bad shape. We can start to get help." Thomas said, and Bailey saw he was supporting Remy, whose arm hung at a wrong angle, blood dried in streaks along his thighs.

He nodded. "Okay. You see if there's a back door and make an exist. The rest of us, find something heavy."

The Omega who had asked picked up his bedpan, inspecting it. Bailey grinned. "That works too."

The Omega flashed a feral grin in return. As they scrounged for some weapon as Thomas gently led Remy out of the office, leaving Bailey the crowbar, he started to feel something. Something he'd given up on. Hope.