Ransom (The Unchained Omegaverse #1) - Callie Rhodes Page 0,27

indiscriminate killers and rapists, while the current administration seemed bent on reversing generations of progress in the human rights arena. Her own newspaper had recently run a series of profiles glorifying local business leaders—the same men accused of unfair hiring practices, sexual harassment, and indiscriminate firing of women.

But just because Ransom wasn't turning out to be a threat didn't mean that she wasn't in any danger. After all, he might be an apex predator that the animals knew to steer clear of, but she most certainly was not.

"Relax," Ransom said as if reading her mind. "Why are you so afraid of the wilderness?"

The answer was in the question. "Because it's the wild. I know it's been a while since you've been around people, but the world hasn't shifted on its axis. We betas still retain our healthy fear of nature."

"Haven't you ever been camping?" He sounded confused.

"God, no." Gretchen's mother had camped as a child, but by the time Gretchen was in high school, the practice had fallen so far out of fashion that the only camping goods store was fifty miles away. The Boy Scouts had become little more than a recruitment arm of the military, and Girl Scouts had gone back to their homemaking roots. Betas were meant to conquer nature, not submit to its whims.

"Hiking?"

"I run," Gretchen said, though her regular three-mile route along the streets of Omaha seemed laughably tame now. It occurred to her that Ransom had missed a lot of the changes the country had gone through during the last two presidents' terms. “Let's just say the few betas who are into that kind of thing are being…persuaded to take up new hobbies."

Ransom shook his head in disgust. "I don't understand why you insist on living your lives in a constant state of fear. There's nothing out here that's going to hurt you."

"First, there's nothing out here that's going to hurt you," she said, throwing his words back in his face. "Bears and wolves and coyotes might be able to pick up on the scent of your badassery, but I have a feeling that to them, I smell like a midnight snack."

To her disappointment, he didn't contradict her. "Then you should probably stay close to me while we're here."

A shiver whipped through Gretchen at his words, and not because of worry this time. There was something all too tempting about his words. Just like there was far too much comfort in the way he held her. A soothing sense of tranquility that went beyond the hypnotizing rhythm of his stride. Even his body heat was seeping into her…and transforming into a sensation that was much too close to arousal for comfort.

Yes—Gretchen could admit it, even if it made absolutely no sense. She was turned on by this alpha, this one-man army who was the only reason she wasn't currently lying in the dirt full of bullet holes. It was probably some sort of misplaced emotional response. Still, she tucked her head down before Ransom could notice the blush creeping up her cheeks. Given his freakishly strong eyesight, she wasn't taking any chances.

For the next few minutes, Ransom moved forward in silence, making his way over rocky terrain. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, Gretchen had to admit he was right—she probably would have injured herself if she tried to walk this path on her own. She could barely see more than a few feet in front of them, and her reflexes weren't half as sharp.

Eventually, they reached a clearing in the trees, revealing a sheer rock face that reflected the pale moonlight. In the center was a vertical crevice, like a jagged tear in the side of the mountain. A sinking feeling clenched Gretchen's stomach.

"Please tell me that's not your idea of a safe place to spend the night."

Ransom gripped her tighter as he sure-footedly walked the narrow path. "Don't tell me you’re afraid of caves too."

"Cave?" Gretchen echoed, horrified. If there was one thing more terrifying than tromping around the wilderness at night, Ransom had nailed it. "Are you kidding me?"

"I saw it from down below when we were on the valley floor. It may not be the Ritz, but it'll do."

Was that supposed to be humor? Gretchen couldn't tell—and she couldn't think of a single argument likely to sway him.

The opening was only about four feet wide, and it narrowed as it went up to a space of only a few inches at Ransom's height. Inside was pitch black. The