I twisted away, my stomach clenching with sickness, bile in my throat.
Get it together. She needs you.
"It's alright now, Luna," I breathed, leaving the underwear in the corner and half wishing I'd brought a lighter so I could burn them. "Here, darling, let's get you dressed, yeah?"
She didn't respond when I gently lifted her arm to pull it into her sleeve, nor as I propped her against me and pulled the soft fabric across her back, buttoning it over her bare chest and trying not to look too hard at the patches of redness all over her skin. They would be purple, blue, and black by tomorrow.
An instinctual purr of reassurance and comfort vibrated my throat as I rested her on the bed and reached for her trousers. Luna burst into movement as if she'd just woken up, and I jumped in surprise.
"Stop," she rasped, her voice hoarse. "Stop it, I don't want to—"
I quickly backed up until I was by the door, blind rage filling me at the terror in her eyes.
I'm your mate,I wanted to blurt out, but she'd just been raped until she was near-catatonic, and the last thing she needed was another alpha expecting anything from her.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Luna. I'm with the Alpha Knights; we're a motorcycle club who get people like you out of places like this."
She glared at me, suspicious, but she grabbed her trousers where I'd left them on the bed and shoved her legs into them. Fuck, she was beautiful. Even shaking and terrified, with tears inher brown eyes, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. My heart ached.
She tried to get up and I realised what I’d missed before: the band of brown leather around her throat, and the chain attached to the back that kept her bound to the bed.
"Fuck," I choked out, and rushed across the room.
She flinched, and I could have cursed myself for the abrupt movement, but I was quick unbuckling the collar from around her throat.
My purr rumbled louder, promising she'd always be safe with me, relaxing her until her eyes fluttered—and then flew open. Her hand snapped out, and a punch hit me squarely in the gut, drawing a grunt. I stumbled back, pain pulsing hard. Fair enough; she was scared and a stranger had touched her.
Butfuck, it hurt. I wheezed for breath, my purr raspy.
"Stop it.Stop purring; I won't do it," she hissed, her eyes shifting from me to the open door when a crash sounded downstairs.
I cut off my purr instantly, the sick realisation that an alpha had used their purr against her … it made me desperate to gather Luna in my arms and protect her from everyone else in this fucked up world.
"I'm not going to touch you," I promised, trying to catch her gaze. "Your sister sent us to find you; we're here to save you, Luna."
She choked on a gasp, her watery gaze snapping up to mine. "You …what?"Her breathing escalated, her face crumpling. "Astrid sent you?"
Her teary gaze searched for the patch on my jacket, the insignia of the knight's helm and red plumage.
"You're Giant's friends," she breathed, dragging shaking hands over her face. "That's the same symbol he wears."
"The Alpha Knights’ emblem," I agreed gently, my voice pitched even quieter than usual. "He's my brother—in the biker sense, not the blood sense. This is what our club does; we hunt abusive alphas and rescue their victims."
"I'mnota victim," she snapped hoarsely, teeth bared on a growl that made me blink.
She wasn't empty and staring like the male omega. Haunted and suffering without a doubt, but her fire was still burning hot. I'd never been so relieved to be snapped at in my life. I sagged against the door frame, watching her frown at me.
"I'm Priest," I offered, grasping for something to say, desperately wanting to purr for her and reassure her that everything was going to be alright.
She blinked, her eyes resting on the clerical collar under my leather jacket. "Priest. Okay. No actual name?"
My lips quirked despite the fist squeezing my heart. "Luke."
She nodded, staring at the open door behind me as another crash came from downstairs.
"That's just my brothers dealing with the Hunters. We'll go out when they're contained."
"Right," she breathed, and clutched her throat as a coughing fit shook her.