His heartbeat becoming steadier, he walked closer and clicked his tongue in dismay when he saw the cuts on the alpha’s body. They looked worse up close. “I was here last week,” Jules said, pulling out the supplies from his first aid kit. “I helped you, remember?”
“No.”
The alpha’s muscles tensed a little but he didn’t make a sound as Jules applied an antiseptic to the deepest wounds, even though it had to be painful.
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” Jules said, applying the blood stancher. “Don’t be such a suspicious grump. By the way, it’s convenient that you’re suddenly talking, but couldn’t you talk to me last time?”
“Don’t remember,” the Xeus said, boring a hole in Jules with his eyes. “Who are you? Did they send you?”
“No one sent me,” Jules said, applying the blood stancher to the cut on the alpha’s stomach and trying not to blush. He resolutely didn’t look below the alpha’s waist. This close, he could smell the Xeus’s scent: something rich and dark he couldn’t quite identify. The scent was… it wasn’t unpleasant. Jules cleared his throat. “In fact, I’ll be in a world of trouble if they find out I’m here.” He poked at the alpha’s ribs. “Do you want to eat? I brought food.”
The Xeus didn’t say anything, still watching him warily, but his stomach growled.
Jules smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes. Here.” He pulled out the food he’d brought—chicken—and then paused, glancing at the manacles. Oh. “I’ll have to feed you.”
“Free me,” the alpha said, flexing his clawed hands.
Jules laughed a little. “Do I look like someone who has keys to those things? Sorry, but I’ll have to feed you. And I forgot to bring a fork I’m afraid. Promise not to bite my hand?”
The Xeus just stared at him for a long moment before nodding with obvious reluctance.
Feeding a grown man, especially a naked one, was… strange. Jules found himself blushing as he brought chicken pieces to the Xeus’s mouth. He watched his mouth as he chewed, watched his muscular throat work as he swallowed.
Jules found himself inhaling deeper, breathing in the alpha’s scent—he smelled so good. He was a little disturbed by the sudden warmth in his nether regions. Well, this was just embarrassing. But maybe it was a normal physiological reaction. He’d never been this close to an alpha unrelated to him. Maybe it was totally normal.
Except he was becoming hard between his legs.
Hard and slick.
Fuck. Maybe all the debasing things people said about Dainiri omegas were true. Jules had always scoffed at them, but for the first time in his life, he wondered if omegas like him really would gladly spread their legs for any virile alpha. Because there was no other explanation for why he was suddenly getting wet just from being close to an alpha. A very ugly Xeus alpha. The Xeus’s body might be that of a large, muscular man, but his face should have repulsed Jules. It didn’t.
His cheeks hot, Jules couldn’t bring himself to meet the alpha’s eyes. Could he smell his arousal? Judging by his flaring nostrils, he could. Thankfully, the Xeus didn’t comment on it, eating ravenously. When he was done, he licked Jules’s fingers, and Jules had to swallow the whine that threatened to leave his mouth. Fuck, what was wrong with him? He was trembling, his crotch aching and needy.
Those glowing eyes fixed on him. The alpha’s fangs nipped on Jules’s finger.
His underwear uncomfortably wet, Jules snatched his hand away and cleared his throat, trying to push away the mental image of sitting on the Xeus’s face as the alpha licked him between his legs. What the fuck. Where was this even coming from?
Focus, Jules.
Turning away swiftly to hide his flushed face, Jules walked to the computer and put on his gloves—he didn’t want to leave his fingerprints anywhere, just in case. His fingers were still trembling as he turned the computer on. There was a password, of course, but that didn’t bother him. His uncle wasn’t very imaginative. It took Jules only several attempts before he guessed the password—his uncle’s birthday, pfft. He pulled out his flash drive and started copying anything that looked remotely interesting.
“What are you doing?” said the hoarse voice behind him.
“I want to find out what’s going on here,” Jules said, trying to sound casual and not at all like he still had a boner. “Why he is keeping you here.”
“He? You mean that alpha?”
Jules didn’t need to turn around to sense the hatred in the Xeus’s voice.
“Yes. Do you know him?” He nearly smacked himself. Why hadn’t he thought of it? In his defense, he hadn’t expected the Xeus to be talking. “Do you know why he’s keeping you here?”
“No,” the alpha said gruffly. “I don’t remember. I don’t remember anything until the past few days.”