Page 25 of And Omega Makes Four
17
KYLE
The early morning sun streams through the sheer curtain over the kitchen window. The mobile home park is quiet, just like it has been since we arrived last night.
"Here. You look like you could use this." The hunter, Jenna, hands me a mug of steaming coffee. I look up at her warily but take the cup without comment.
It's been a long night, but so far, she's been nothing but kind to us.
I look across the cramped kitchen of the small mobile home to where Frankie is sitting at the table studying a map. He's been staring at it for hours, as if it somehow holds a secret he’s desperate to unlock.
Devon's been asleep on the sofa in the living room for the last few hours. I think the stress has finally caught up to him.
After we arrived last night, Jenna took us in without hesitation. She offered us some food and a place to sleep while she reached out to some of her contacts for news about River. We've been waiting ever since...and the restlessness is starting to get to me.
"I take it you still haven't heard anything?" Frankie asks, looking up at Jenna in exasperation. "What about those wolves from out of state? Do you know anything about them?"
"The truth is, I'm not entirely sure what's going on." Jenna leans against the counter holding a coffee mug of her own. "We've heard rumblings of something going on between the local pack and a bigger one from up north, but nothing concrete. From what you've told me, it's probably some sort of alliance that'll be sealed by pairing up your boy, River, with an appropriate mate from the other pack."
"That would explain why he ran the first time. He was trying to avoid being mated off to some stranger.” Frankie crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the vinyl seat. “And what's your stake in all this?"
Jenna barks out a dry laugh. "River's mother was a friend of mine. We were close. Really close, to be honest. She came to town sometimes and we'd talk. Um, things got...intense between us, even though she had a mate and a pup back home. She told me she was afraid and wanted to run, but she didn't want to leave River behind. Her mate was controlling and wouldn't let the pup out of his sight for more than a few minutes at a time. He was getting increasingly irritable with her and was threatening to remove her freedom to visit town whenever she liked..."
I look sidelong at Jenna, watching her body language and listening to her tone. I like to think I'm fairly good at judging someone's character, and so far, I've gotten no sense of deception from her. She's been nothing but helpful and open with us.
"The last time I saw her, she asked me to keep an eye on River, and that if anything happened to her, I was to try and get him out." Jenna exhales deeply, staring down into her mug. "She was scared, really scared. I tried to convince her to run, to take her son and get out of there, but she said it wasn't that simple. Her mate had too much power and influence. That he'd never stop looking for her. For them."
Jenna falls silent for a long moment. She's clearly not one to lose control of her emotions, but the memory is painful for her. She clears her throat and nods to herself. "Anyway, I couldn't get near the compound, let alone River. So all I could do was try to keep my ears open. I don't know how he managed to escape the first time, but when I saw him with you guys, I knew I had to help somehow."
"And now he's missing again." Frankie sounds heartbroken at the reality of River’s fate. "We don't even know where to start looking for him."
"Well, if he's smart, he'll lie low," Jenna says. "If he can stay hidden, they'll never find him."
"Sure, but you didn't see him when we were camping." Now I have to clear my throat to release the emotion wadding up there. "He was hopeless at even the most basic tasks. He's not cut out to survive in the woods like that."
"He'll be okay." Frankie meets my gaze, trying to reassure himself more than anyone.
Jenna's cell phone rings, and she motions for us to stay quiet as she answers it. "Hello?"
There's a brief pause as the person on the other end speaks.
"Are you sure? Shit, okay. No, no, I'll deal with it. Yes, I'm sure... No, I've got some backup of my own. It won't be a problem." She hangs up the phone.
“Is it about River?”
She looks up at us with a frown. "Animal control has received several reports of a massive, mud-covered dog roaming loose through the campground." She reaches for some keys hanging on a hook by the refrigerator. "Thankfully, the animal control officer who went to the scene is a friend of mine and he's pretty sure the dog is actually a wolf...and not the wild kind. He looks pretty beat up and exhausted, and he’s keeping his distance from everyone." Jenna looks over at me and Frankie. "I don't know if it's River or not, but..."
"It's him." Devon enters the kitchen rubbing sleep from his eyes. "I know it's him."
18
RIVER
I'm so tired. So hungry. So thirsty. I'm barely holding it together. Honestly, I'm not even sure how I've managed to maintain my wolf form for this long. I should've passed out from exhaustion and shifted back a long time ago.
Maybe it's the fear. The adrenaline.
The animal control vehicle is still parked near the campsite I shared with the alphas, obviously waiting for me. The guy inside hasn't made a move to try and follow me into the thicket I've been hiding in, which is good because I'm not sure I've got the strength to run.
