Page 26 of And Omega Makes Four
My stomach growls loudly, and I wince, trying to ignore the gnawing pain in my gut. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning. I'm not at risk of starving to death just yet, but my stomach apparently didn't get the memo that we’re in a life-or-death situation here.
Motion draws my attention as a new vehicle approaches. It's a beat-up old pickup truck, and as it pulls to a stop by the campsite, three familiar figures hop out of the back.
My heart leaps at the sight of them. The alphas. My alphas. They came for me. They found me.
But as they approach the animal control officer, I realize they're not alone. There's a woman with them—someone I don't recognize.
I can't help but panic a little. Uncertainty roots me in place. How well do I actually know these guys, after all? What if they negotiated some sort of deal with my father? Or what if they plan to hand me over to someone worse?
I want to trust them.
God, I want to run to them and throw myself in their arms. But I'm afraid. So afraid that I can barely breathe, let alone move.
Devon looks directly toward my hiding spot. He's picked up my scent. Or, well...the scent I've masked myself with. He glances at Frankie and says something I can't hear.
The woman who was with them hangs back and talks to the animal control officer for a moment as the three alphas slowly approach my thicket. They stop a few yards away, waiting and watching until the guy from animal control climbs back into his vehicle and drives away.
"River?" Devon calls softly. "Are you there?"
I hesitate for a moment before stepping out from the brush. I'm still covered in mud and excrement, my fur matted and filthy. I must look like a nightmare.
"Oh, thank god." Frankie rushes forward to greet me. "We were so worried about you."
He reaches out to touch me, but I flinch away. I don't want him to touch me. Not like this. Not when I'm so filthy.
"Hey." Kyle steps forward, his voice soft and soothing. "It's okay, baby. We're not gonna hurt you. We're here to help."
I look up at him, my eyes wide and uncertain.
"We're gonna take you somewhere safe," Devon says, looking at me with a pleading gaze. "Somewhere no one will ever find you."
Frankie kneels and holds out his arms toward me. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you cleaned up."
I hesitate for a moment, then step forward and lean into his embrace. He wraps his arms around me, holding me close as he strokes my fur. Before I know it, I've shifted back into my skin. Naked, shivering, and sobbing into Frankie's shoulder as he holds me.
"Shh, it's okay," he whispers, his voice low and soothing. "It's okay, River. You're safe now."
Kyle drapes his jacket over my shoulders. It's big and warm, and I'm surrounded by his scent. Next thing I know, I'm being carried back to the truck and bundled into the cab with blankets and the heater on full blast.
All of this feels like a dream. Like I passed out in the thicket, and any minute now, I'm gonna be woken up by the growling of my stomach as I shiver from the cold.
But I don't.
Instead, I'm driven back to a trailer and ushered inside. Then I'm cleaned up, fed, and given some clothes to wear.
It's all a bit of a blur.
When I finally fall asleep for real, I'm lying on a sofa with my head on Devon's lap. Finally, safe again.
I don't know how long I sleep for, but when I wake up, I'm still nestled on the sofa with a blanket draped over me. The trailer is quiet, and the sun is low in the sky.
Frankie is standing near one of the windows, peering between the curtains with a watchful eye. He notices me stirring and his expression softens, immediately replaced by a warm smile. "Hey." He comes and sits beside me on the sofa. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired." I rub my eyes and force them all the way open. "Hungry."
"I bet." Frankie chuckles. "You've had a rough few days."
"Where is everyone?"
