Raider's Treasure (Alpha Barbarians Book 1)

5

Lyric startled awake when the alpha shifted his weight off of her back. Raising her head to look around, she watched his broad back as he rose from the bed. He obviously hadn't moved for however long she had been asleep and considering that she felt perfectly rested without a hint of a hangover, she must have been asleep for quite a while. Moving her head caused the pain in her shoulder to flair back to life though.

Turning his head to look at her he said, "I must go wake my men and prepare them to move on. You have until I return to wash and be ready."

With that, he strode from the room. Once she heard the front door close behind him, Lyric scrambled from the bed, still clutching the sheet around her just in case he came back. Unable to resist, she crept to the front door and tried to open it, finding it locked.

Sighing, she hadn't really expected it to be open. She wouldn't be able to escape without clothes anyway. Hurrying to the bathroom, she looked around until she found a clean cloth and soap. Laying the sheet where she would be able to quickly grab it to cover herself in case the alpha came back, Lyric used the rag to clean herself as well as she could with one arm and not being able to take a full bath. Finger-combing her hair when she couldn't find a brush, she pulled the dark locks into a twist at the base of her head to keep it from becoming any more tangled than it was.

She had just begun to look for something to eat in the kitchen area when the alpha came stomping back through the door. Clutching the sheet around her with both hands, Lyric pressed her back to the wall as his eyes found hers and he made his way to where she stood. It took a moment for her to notice the bundle in the hand he held out towards her.

"Clothes. Get dressed, we leave soon," he said gruffly to her.

When she hesitated, he let out a huff.

"If you're not dressed when it's time to go, I guess you will ride in nothing but that sheet."

Snatching the bundle from his hand, Lyric raced to the bedroom, closing the door behind her and bracing her back against it. Trying to hear past her thundering heartbeat to be sure he wasn't following; she grabbed the table that had been beside the bed and placed it in front of the door before going to the farthest corner to dress. She knew the table didn't have a chance of actually stopping the alpha, but it made her feel better to have that added layer between her and him while she was in a vulnerable position.

Struggling into the pants while still holding the sheet around her, she didn't drop it until she was ready to pull the shirt on. It took a few minutes to maneuver herself into it without being able to raise her left arm. They were obviously men's clothing and were too large for her, but she rolled up the sleeves of the shirt and tucked the leg of the pants into the top of the long socks he had brought her.

Opening the door of the room to peek out, Lyric noticed the alpha seated at the table with another bowl of food in front of him. Looking to where she had sat the night before, there was a bowl there as well, so she made her way over. The chair in front of the bowl was pulled back and on it sat the boots she had been wearing the night he caught her.

"We have nothing available the proper size for you, so I had those cleaned as well as they could be. They should be dry by now, but if they are not you must say so. Do not risk losing a toe because your feet are wet in this weather," the alpha told her as she sat down to pull the boots on.

Nodding, Lyric attempted to slip her feet into the boots, but wasn't able to with the use of only one arm. Getting up, the alpha came around the table and held the tops of the boots for her to slip her foot into it before lacing them up. The boots were still warm from sitting by a fire, and she sighed as the heat seeped into her toes.

"They are fine, thank you."

Giving her a grunt, he gestured to her bowl and said, "Eat. We leave as soon as I am done."

It looked to be the same thing she had eaten the night before, so Lyric lifted the spoon and began to eat as fast as she could. By the time he stood from the table, her bowl was empty as well. Following him, he poured the last of the mead into a glass before stirring in a packet of something and handing it to her.

"For the pain," he said. "Drink it all."

Downing the mead as he watched her, they moved to the door once she was done, and she began to think of ways she would be able to slip away as they traveled now that she had clothing and boots.

Before he opened the door to the outside, the alpha turned to look down at her. Lifting something from the table next to them, he held out a fur lined coat finer than any she had before. Hesitantly reaching out to it, Lyric met his dark eyes.

"Do not do anything foolish little omega. We may still be in your old clan's territory for now, but I doubt you know this area. I also do not believe you are able to survive in the wild on your own with winter coming. Do not doubt that your village is gone, and anyone you meet from here on would be far worse for you than I am. Consider how generous I have been with you before you make any hasty decisions," he said.

He spoke in an even tone as if he truly thought he was doing the best thing for her. Controlling her face and voice so that her skepticism didn't show, she replied, "I understand."

Continuing to stare down at her as if he knew the thoughts of rebellion taking root in her mind, he finally sighed and helped her slip on the coat before opening the door. Lyric followed close behind him as they made their way out into the cold. The air felt damp and heavy. Uncomfortably cold, like it usually was just before snow fell. Attempting to peer up between the tree branches, she saw a sky that looked dark and unforgiving. Pulling her coat tighter around her, she hurried to follow in the Alpha's footsteps.

Around her were the sounds of people and animals preparing to travel. Harnesses rattled, horses snorted and pawed at the ground as wagons creaked, and men yelled to each other. The rattle of pots came to her from a fire to their left where a few men still huddled over their bowls.

Barking words she didn't understand, her alpha made them jump to their feet, rushing to complete whatever it was he wanted from them. Everyone who saw him coming seemed to move a little faster, work a little harder, but there was no true fear in their gaze like there would be with a cruel leader.

That was, until they passed the wagon in the middle of the line that seemed to be filled with a heap of blankets. Curious as to why they would carry their blankets in a pile in the middle of a wagon that seemed more like a box with spaces between each slat, she peered through the side of the wagon to see frightened eyes staring back at her.