Chapter 9: Theodore - Marked By Love

Not even a week in town and he’d been kidnapped by an alpha claiming to be his fated mate. That must be some sort of record.

How had this happened?

Was he cursed with terrible luck?

Rethinking the events of his life, Theodore thought that must be it.

He glared from the still door to the plate of food the alpha had brought him. Steak and potato, slathered in dairy. Figures. It was okay; he didn’t have an appetite anyway.

Popping a peppermint in his mouth and clanking it, he glared at the door. When the alpha didn’t burst through it after an hour, he got up from the bed. Tiptoeing to the window, he looked out. No trees were close enough to the window for him to leap to, and the condo was on a hill; the back end of the basement was exposed, meaning it was a three-story drop from his room—cell was a more accurate word.

He sat in a huff. What the heck was this alpha’s problem? Theodore had been taking his juiced-up suppressor on top of the alpha birth control—that wolf shouldn’t have been able to smell anything on him. Let alone enough to scent him as his mate. Ugh, a mate. This was the last thing Theodore needed right now.

He idly replayed the events in his mind. It must have been when he’d started to cry. The violent influx of pheromones and fear must have been too strong for the meds. That and every few months Theodore needed to increase his dose of each medicine. After all, it wasn’t meant to be a permanent solution for daily use.

He winced, hands flying to his stomach. He curled into a ball and panted. A sharp stabbing pain shot through his abdomen. It wasn’t a hunger pain, it was worse, and this was the second time it had happened today. The first one was in the middle of a spay, and he’d almost dropped to the floor for the overwhelming onslaught.

Falling to his side, he scooched until his back was against the wall. He did his best to breathe through it instead of yelling. His forehead broke out in a cold sweat, and his ears rang. At long last it subsided, and the room was cast into silence. Well, almost silent.

Someone walked down the hallway. That was the first time Theodore had heard the alpha since he’d vomited before going back downstairs. Serves you right, Theodore thought bitterly.

This was why he loathed alphas. Even if he weren’t on the run from him, Theodore would have still used some sort of suppressor and worn a Coureque neck barrier. He didn’t need some alpha-hole laying claim to him and taking all his choices away. Omega or not, he was a person, damn it.

He had a degree, and patients, and his own thoughts and feelings. In no way was he eager for some bat-crap mate claim to ruin all that. Oh no, his patients … would this insolent brute let him go to the clinic tomorrow?

Technically they were closed for appointments on Sunday and Monday, but he had a room of surgery patients that needed to be checked on. Margarette had explained they typically did surgeries on Wednesdays or Thursdays, but since their regular appointments were backed up, they’d shuffled things around.

Gerald and his sister were spending the night at the clinic to keep an eye on the dog the alpha had mowed over. But Theodore should still go into the clinic and do rounds. If he didn’t show, maybe Gerald would raise the alarm, and someone would find Theodore—eventually. Hopefully before the alpha lost his patience and got violent.

Theodore didn’t have his laptop or phone, so he couldn’t call Gerald or emergency services for help. Would their enforcers come to his rescue? This alpha was one of them, so probably not.

A knock came at the door. Theodore jerked upright and crammed himself in the corner, curling his legs up to his chest and clutching his neck with his hands. The door creaked open, and the alpha poked his head in. If Theodore didn’t know any better, he’d say he looked bashful with his eyes downcast and a red flush painting his cheeks.

“I, umm, I forgot your backpack in the car.” The alpha set the bag down, then frowned at the full plate of food. Rather than commenting on the plate, he sat at the small desk chair and said, “Your cell phone is in there in case you need to call anyone. The ah, clinic is closed tomorrow, right?” Theodore didn’t answer. He simply glared until the alpha continued to babble.

“Right, so, I mentioned before that I’m an enforcer. I haven’t always lived in Elk Cove. I have a decent amount of experience: small towns, cities. I was actually deployed a few times. Once during the Canadian invasion of Mexico in ’52 during the War for the North American Union. So, I’m fairly confident I can keep you safe no matter who’s looking for you, but your pistol is in there. You probably feel better being armed yourself. I get that, just um … don’t shoot me okay?”

Theodore glared. He’d shoot the imbecile if he darned well thought he needed to.

“Ah, so … you can, you know, walk around. There’re movies, some novels, just don’t go outside alone. The bathrooms and pantry are stocked, but if there’s anything specific you want or need, let me know. I don’t want you to feel confined.”

“Why would I feel like that?” Theodore snapped. “Because you kidnapped me!”

“I didn’t—okay, I did, but if you’re running from traffickers, it’s going to be a lot easier for me to keep you safe here than at that cabin. And like I said, I have alpha neighbors, some that share a wall. They’ll help keep you safe too.”

Theodore narrowed his eyes. Once an alpha scented their mate, they were typically overbearing morons who only thought with their genitalia. They’d attack and posture at any alpha that got near their omega. This wasn’t adding up.

“Why are you being so … logical right now?” Theodore asked. “Aside from the kidnapping, that is.”

“My best guess is the suppressor you’re taking,” the alpha said. “It’s not normal over-the-counter suppressor, is it? Yeah, that’s what I thought. I know you’re my mate, but I can’t scent you properly. You’re taking the suppressors to hide from the traffickers, aren’t you? And the alpha birth control?”

Theodore turned away from the alpha.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” the alpha asked. “I mean, there have to be some negative side effects for an omega taking alpha pills.”

“What’s it to you?” Theodore snapped. “You just want me to stop taking them so you can scent me and get your alpha dick on.”

The alpha frowned. “I won’t lie, it would be nice to be able to scent you, but I can’t force you to stop using them. That’s not even what this is about—I would never force you to mate with me—omegas have the right to reject—you’re hurting yourself.”

“And what, you’d rather be the one to do that?”

The alpha sighed and rubbed his brow line. “Okay, let’s try a different approach.”

“A different approach?!” Theodore screeched. “You kidnapped me! All I know is some wolf alpha—who apparently is battle-hardened—has stalked me, broke into my home, attacked me, and kidnapped me. I don’t even know your name. And you’re dense enough to just now think you need a different approach?”