Pledge to Me

Chapter Seven

The gifts didn't stop but I didn't bother fighting it anymore. The closer the time came for my heat, the less time I spent outside. Instead, I was stuck inside with the compulsory need to den.

All the items they had gifted were perfectly placed around the sea of clothing I had stolen and the blankets. I didn't care that they wouldn't have anything to sleep with tonight, what I needed it for was more important. Besides, I left them a towel...they could share.

The den was safely tucked into the back corner of the room and while the door didn't exactly lock, I pulled one of the chairs inside so I could stick it underneath the knob to keep it closed and any unwanted visitors out.

I wasn't completely unaware of the fact that that would do nothing to keep anyone out who used even the tiniest bit of force to get inside, but the anxiety of not doing anything at all had kept me from progressing in building the den.

The den had to be perfect. It had to.

There was a knock on the wall next to the door. Most likely an attempt not to destroy the half-rotted wood. As I said before, if anyone really wanted to get in they certainly could, with little to no effort at all.

I hesitated to open it, not wanting to smell the Alpha I knew would likely be on the other side.

It wasn't that the smell would be unpleasant. I just didn't want it to push me further into denbrain. I had to keep some level of sanity or I'd end up going into heat early without a complete den. That would be...catastrophic. And I'm not exaggerating. Some Omegas went batshit if they didn't finish denning before the heat came on. Not even an Alpha could calm them.

I'd experienced it once before when I was away at school and wasn't able to prepare because of the Holy Day of Trinity. The Betas wouldn't allow any of the Omegas to leave until all the decorations were put up around campus. Typical selfish Betas. Their lack of understanding is always outshined by their utter lack of care.

I had fought it as long as I could, trying to manipulate myself into believing the den was complete and once I finished this task I could go to it. I could be safe within it.

But that only worked for so long. My body knew as well as I did that there was no safety back in the dorms. I would be exposed and without the protection of an Alpha.

By the time my heat hit, I had gone feral. It was nothing like I had ever experienced before. A mix of flighty instinct with adrenaline overload. It had taken several sedatives to calm me down and after that, I spent my heat in a drug-induced haze. It wasn't something I ever wanted to experience again.

Not even for the lack of safety, but the utter loss of control. I had no control of my surroundings let alone my own bodily functions. It was like being a prisoner in my own skin.

After a few moments of silence, curiosity got the best of me. The desire to add to my den ultimately won any battle of hesitation as I opened the door a crack scanning the floors in front.

The gift wasn't on the ground and the Alpha hadn't walked away. Instead, a brown hand held out a bunched-up ball of clothes.

Glancing up at the bright green eyes that watched me, I quickly snatched the clothes and slammed the door shut.

My fingers trembled as I leaned my back against the door, slowly untangling the heap to stare at the thermal and undershorts that smelled so potent my knees buckled.

Shivering, I brought the fabric up to my nose and inhaled the woodsy musk that was so uniquely Leo.

He'd given me his clothes, fresh off his back if the strength of the scent was any indication.