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He looked back at the window. If he wrapped himself in a quilt and held onto a few pillows, the fall might not be too bad. He’d have to leave behind most of his bags; they would weigh him down, and he’d need to be fast.

Theodore deliberated for a time before making a decision. He wouldn’t make a run for it tonight, but maybe tomorrow. If he pretended to go along with Royce’s idea to play house, maybe the alpha would let his guard down.

Once the domicile went still for an extended period, Theodore concluded it was safe to explore. At least enough to relieve his screaming bladder. Tiptoeing on socked feet, he hurriedly snuck down the hallway in the direction of the upstairs bathroom Royce pointed to during the oddest house tour Theodore had received in his life.

He shut the door with a light ‘click,’ then peed in the dark. It was absurd beyond reconning, but that’s what he did to feel safe. While washing his hands, the water turned warm. His eyes slid longingly to the shower in the corner of the shadowy room. Royce’s condo did seem to have some perks, like central heat and hot water.

Maybe Theodore could sneak a shower? A quick one. With the heat turned all the way up. Closing his eyes, he recalled the last time he’d showered; it had been in a dusty, rundown motel where the shower insert had been covered in hard water stains and mildew with terrible water pressure.

Theodore bet Royce had good water pressure. And that the shower was clean. And warm.

Flicking on the light, he inspected it. No mildew or stains, and pleasantly enough, there was a row of various shampoos and soaps inside and some lotions and creams on the sink countertop. He sniffed one.

Holy cow.

Honey, clover, and mixed berries filled his nose. He sniffed another; it was herby with a floral undertone. The third was citrusy.

Okay, maybe he could take a shower, and Royce wouldn’t beat down the door and attack him while he was naked. He locked the door handle and jammed spare towels into the crease under the door—just in case.

He cranked the water lever and steam enveloped him. After watching the door and nothing happening, Theodore stripped and went under the hot water.

Clean, scalding hot water rained down on him, and it was amazing. Breathing in the vapor, his muscles relaxed, and he let himself stand limp under the onslaught. After allowing himself a few moments of bliss at the sensation, he grabbed the soaps and started scrubbing, torn between being speedy and reveling in the luxury of heated indoor plumbing.

With his hair coated in shampoo bubbles, he doubled over with a gasp. The shooting pain was back, stabbing him through the stomach as he fought to breathe. Only it was worse this time, radiating out from his abdomen down his legs and up his ribcage. Another wave sent him to his knees. Air left his lungs in a gasp, his body tensed and contracted.

Theodore didn’t know how long he crouched on the shower floor before the pain started to ebb. Almost as quickly as it arrived, it vanished.

Sudden and violent internal pain was never a good sign, but right now he had bigger issues. Like one alpha hunting him and a second alpha who’d recently kidnapped him.

Not for the first time in his life, Theodore wished he’d been born a beta.

When he left the shower, the steam lingered, mixing with the fragrant soaps he’d used. It was like an aromatherapy sauna. Theodore would have basked in it longer if it weren’t for the impending doom looming over him.

He found a bundle of clean, fluffy towels and wrapped himself securely in one before returning his spectacles to his face. Gathering his dirty clothes, he made a beeline for the room Royce dumped him in.

He blanched. The plate of steak and potato had been removed. Now the desk was lined with multiple bottles of water and soda with a bag of pretzels. There was also a pair of clean sweats folded at the end of the bed. Theodore inspected them, freshly laundered by the looks of it, and Royce’s own, given they were two sizes too big for Theodore.

He couldn’t resist bundling himself in the clean clothes. He hadn’t been to a laundromat in a while, and clean laundry was a luxury he couldn’t deny. Theodore crawled under the blankets. His body felt heavy and his bones hurt; still he knew sleep would avoid him. Lately he’d been lucky to get two hours of rest an evening.

His medical training kicked in, and he was having a hard time not analyzing his symptoms. It was bad. Theodore honestly didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up before his body broke, and that terrified him almost more than what lurked in the shadows, searching for him.

Almost.

The first thing he did when the sun was up was call Gerald. He picked up on the second ring.

“Hiya, Doc.” His voice carried through the receiver.

“Hey, Gerald, I wanted to call and see how everyone is doing.”

“Doing great!” Gerald said. “The volunteers are going to be here soon to pick up the spays and neuters that have homes lined up. If it’s alright with you, I was hoping to keep some of the strays here a little longer. I’ll just keep sleeping here and watching them. If that’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay.”

“Oh good. Also, I wanted to ask, I have an omega friend, Courtney, she’s interested in getting her vet tech license, but she’s worried about going into a professional line of work as an omega. She’s been taking some online classes. I was hoping it would be okay if I showed her some of the stuff in the clinic? And I think her being around both of us would help give her the push she needs.”

Theodore hummed. Omegas hadn’t been barred from universities in over sixty years, perhaps this small town had been slow to catch up? Now that he thought about it, Theodore had no clue where the closest omega college was to Elk Cove. “How about this, you call Margarette and get your friend on our schedule part-time for shadowing.”

“Great! Thanks so much, Doc.”