Page 27 of And Omega Makes Four
"Kyle and Devon are getting the car from where we left it last night. Jenna's picking up some supplies to help us on our way." He reaches for my hand and holds it in his. "They should be back soon, then we can hit the road and put this town behind us."
I breathe a sigh of relief, grateful they found me. "Why are you guys doing all this for me?" It takes a moment before I finally meet Frankie's gaze. "None of this is your problem. You could've stayed out of it and been fine. You probably should have."
"We care about you, River." Frankie speaks slowly, making sure I absorb every word. "And we don't want to see you hurt."
"But why? I'm just some omega you met on the side of the road."
"You're not just some omega." Frankie reaches out to cup my cheek. "You're special. I don't know how to explain it, but we all feel it. You belong with us."
I withdraw slightly, frowning at his words. "I'm not just some puppy-making factory to help rebuild your pack or something. I barely escaped one alpha who saw me as nothing more than a way to continue his bloodline."
Frankie looks appalled by my words. "River, you're so much more than that. The three of us have spent the last two days on the verge of storming your pack's compound to free you. The thought of you being miserable, unhappy, trapped...” He shakes his head as if trying to knock out the image. “It was driving me crazy. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you..." His gaze glides across my body from head to toe, and I flush in response. "But your happiness means more than any of that."
"I just...I don't know what I want right now." Other than safety and freedom, I haven’t thought about my future much. "This is all insane, right? I just met you guys, and now I'm running away with you?"
Frankie chuckles. "Life has a way of taking unexpected turns that land us in insane situations."
I glance toward the window at the sound of a car pulling up to the trailer.
"Looks like Kyle and Devon are back." Frankie rises from the sofa and stretches.
For the first time I take a moment to appreciate him as more than just the kind man who convinced his friends to give me a ride. Maybe I was too blinded before, caught up in my flight and fear to notice him as an alpha. But now, in the quiet of the trailer, I can't help but acknowledge how handsome he is. How strong and capable.
I swallow hard as my cheeks heat up, and my dick twitches in response.
But the arousal quickly fades as reality comes crashing back in. We're not out of the woods yet.
19
DEVON
"They've got Jenna." I snarl as soon as I step into the trailer. "Some snitch in town must've told them we were with her."
"Wait, what?" Frankie snaps with concern in his eyes.
"We saw it ourselves." Kyle confirms my story as he follows me inside. "We were gonna meet her at the gas station, and several big wolves bullied her into an SUV just as we got there. We didn't even have a chance to help her."
"Fuck." Frankie swears under his breath and looks away. "We can't just abandon her. She's gone out of her way to help us."
"Yeah, but that's what they're expecting us to do." Kyle tosses a bag onto the counter. "That's why they took her. They want River back, and they're not above using Jenna to get to him."
"So what?" I look sidelong at Kyle. "Do we just run? Tuck tail, grab River, and get out of town?"
"They have no reason to hurt her." Kyle sighs, furrowing his brow. "She's a hunter. If they kill her, they'll be starting up a conflict with the hunters that they really don't want to get into right now."
"I don't like it." Frankie leans against the wall with a shake of his head. "We can't just leave her to fend for herself."
"I know." Kyle seems in full agreement on that. "But I'm not willing to risk our lives just because it's the right thing to do. Now that we've got River back, we need to get out of town. Besides, that's the entire reason Jenna helped us to begin with. If we go and help her, and it puts River in danger again, then what was the point of any of this?"
"I hate to say it, but he's right." Jenna would probably agree, which really sucks ass. "We need to get out of here. Now."
"I'm sorry." River’s voice is small and timid. "This is all my fault."
"No." Frankie turns to face him. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. You didn't ask for any of this."
"But if I hadn't run away—" River’s voice cracks with emotion. "If I hadn't gotten involved with you guys, Jenna would be safe. She wouldn't be in danger."
"I'm telling you, she's not in danger. They can't afford a fight with the hunters," Kyle repeats.
