Page 5 of And Omega Makes Four
My senses prick at his change in mood. He’s not a direct threat, obviously. I’m not worried about him harming any of us. But his attitude is yet another warning bell ringing in my ears.
I pull the car into the parking lot of the local diner where Frankie has his interview and find a place to park. We’re all a little nervous about what comes next, but we’ve done it dozens of times now. This time will be no different.
“Alright, we meet back here in two hours.” I open the door and climb out from the car. My legs are stiff, and I briefly feel my wolf ripple beneath my skin. He wants out. But the sensation passes quickly...too quickly. Every day that I ignore my wolf, I grow more afraid that I won’t be able to call on him when I truly need him.
“What are you gonna do, River?” Devon asks as he stretches to his full height and smooths out the wrinkles in his hoodie.
“I, um…” River glances around at his surroundings, seemingly overwhelmed by everything. “I guess I’ll be off.” He squares his shoulders with an emphatic nod. “Thank you, guys, for giving me a ride. It’s really appreciated. A lot.”
“Yeah, no problem.” Frankie frowns, leaning against the hood of the car as the three of us watch River withdraw across the parking lot.
“That is one strange omega.” I snort and shake my head.
“I’m a little worried about him,” Frankie admits. “He seems really out of his depth.”
“You’ve got more important things to worry about.” I tap an imaginary watch on my wrist. “Your interview should be the only thing you’re concerning yourself with for now.”
“Yes, absolutely.” Frankie checks the time on his phone and takes a deep breath. “Okay, wish me luck.”
“You don’t need luck,” Devon and I answer almost in unison.
The three of us share a grin. Those words have become almost like a mantra for us ever since...well, ever since we started all this traveling.
Frankie nods. “Right back at you.”
4
RIVER
Everything is new to me. I’ve never seen this many non-wolves in one place before. The sights and scents of the town flood my senses, and my wolf is anxiously waiting to be free.
I don’t feel safe here. I’m exposed. Alone.
Pausing on the sidewalk near a small shop, I cautiously glance over my shoulder toward the parking lot behind me. Fear is pushing me to go back the way I came. At the very least, the three alphas I traveled with have proven their goodwill by delivering me safely to an actual town and letting me go my own way without a fuss. Maybe they’d be willing to let me hang out with them for a while.
No.
I need to do this on my own. I need...I need to save myself.
Clenching my jaw for strength, I grasp the strap of my pack a little more tightly and force my feet forward.
“So…” Devon’s voice is in my ear, so close I scream in surprise.
Tripping over my feet, I stagger backward and nearly fall, but his strong hand catches my arm and steadies me with ease. He might be the smallest of the three alphas, but he still has that alpha strength.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he says with a light laugh.
I frown as I regain my balance. That playful grin on his lips tells me he absolutely did mean to scare me. “Why did you sneak up on me like that?” I throw in a little bit of an exaggerated huff to mask my relief that it’s him.
“You look like you could use some company.” He shrugs as he releases my arm and shoves his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “You’re completely new to all this, aren’t you?”
All this? I’m not even sure what that means. I scuff the toe of my shoe against the pavement and sigh. “I guess.”
“So, what’s your plan exactly?” He’s smirking like he knows the answer. “It’s obvious you’re trying to get away from something. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna pry. Just saying, hitchhiking probably isn’t gonna get you as far as you want.”
I nod and look away. “Look, I appreciate your help, and if you want to walk together for a bit, I don’t mind. But I don’t need any more help. I can figure this out on my own.”
“Right, sorry.” Devon bobs his head in agreement. “I’m supposed to be scouting around for job opportunities and like...places to stay, stuff like that.” He pulls out his phone. “I’ve got a list of places from Frankie that I’m supposed to check out. Figured if you need money, some of these might work for you too.”
