My room is still saturated in darkness. Usually small slivers of light peek through the edges of my blackout curtains during the day, but in this moment, there is nothing.
Someone’s in my room, I realize with a start. Even though I can’t see anything in this dark, I feel a looming presence at my bedside.
I smell…
“Archer?” I whisper in question, even though his earthy fragrance gives him away. “What time is it?”
“Three,” he whispers back. “Now come quietly so the others don’t hear.”
“Wha-what?” I push myself into a sitting position and lean against the heavy wood bed frame. “Why? Where are we going?”
“Shh,” he reminds me. “We’ll get coffee on the way, but we have to leave now.”
“Now?” I squeak.
“Seems like maybe I should have brought the coffee with me,” he mutters, then puts one arm behind my back and the other under my knees and hoists my sleep-logged body into his arms. “Anyway, let’s go.”
“Archer! Stop, put me down,” I protest, but don’t struggle. I am far too tired for whatever this is.
“I don’t think so,” he says as he flings open my closet.
I hear the hangers shuffle along the closet rod.
“What are you wearing? Is this dress good?” he asks.
I can’t see anything. I’m also still having a difficult time understanding what’s going on.
“Good enough, I guess,” Archer responds when I don’t, relieving the hanger of its garment. “You can change when we get there.”
“Get where?”
“You’ll see,” is all he offers in response.
“What are you, a caveman now?” I whisper indignantly. Yes, he is an alpha, and I’m an omega, but even so, this is beyond the pale. “Me, Archer. You, woman. Me like. Me take. Oonga boonga.”
He laughs under his breath, then stoops down to grab a pair of my sandals from the closet by the front door.
Outside a sleek black sports car idles in the driveway.
“Where’s the truck?” I ask as he deposits me onto the heated leather passenger seat. There’s a slight chill in the air whenever the sun goes down, and the warmth on my backside feels good. It might even lull me back to sleep if I wasn’t in the midst of getting kidnapped.
Archer slips into the driver’s seat at my side and wastes no time putting distance between us and the house.
The engine purrs at his touch, and moments later, a happy robotic voice greets us. “Good morning, Alpha Archer. Would you like driving directions to work?”
“Today isn’t about work,” he tells the Siri-Alexa impersonator before shifting his gaze toward me. “It’s all about play.”
“I see. Then would you like to go to the hangar?” the virtual assistant asks perkily. She’s way too energetic for this early in the morning, and she sounds far too human for my comfort.
“Not now, BB. It’s a surprise.”
“All right, Alpha Archer. Please let me know when I can assist you.” BB announces her departure with an upbeat chime.
“You don’t have to be jealous of her,” Archer assures me, but I’m too tired for his attempts to be playful.
“Why would I be jealous? That thing was weird. Kind of gives me the creeps. Not as bad as being kidnapped at three in the morning, but you know.” I cross my arms over my chest and close my eyes. Oh, sleep. You were taken from me far too early.
“Beta Bot isn’t on the market yet,” he explains, navigating the quiet roads of Anchorage. “I’m doing a live test before deciding whether I want to extend the pack’s capital.”