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“No. We’re good,” River said gruffly, as he started stacking bigger branches over the twigs and dried leaves Ryder had bundled in a cleared space on the ground. I’d watched them do this so many times. They had their own rhythm when they were working together. Moving without words in each other’s space. Never bumping into each other or fumbling. As if they were one consciousness in two bodies, flowing together. Ryder started twisting a stick between his hands, rubbing it against another stick he had wedged between two rocks. It wasn’t long before it started smoking.
I could sit and watch them for hours, entranced, still hardly believing they were actually here, and I wasn’t dreaming. But I was hyperaware of Wolf gently cradling me in his lap right now. I looked up to see Wolf watching River and Ryder as well. He seemed intrigued by them, but he quickly dropped his gaze down at me, as if he could sense me watching him. His eyes were the deep brown of rich earth. He seemed about a thousand years old, as I looked into them.
His eyes had been different last night, more wild. There was still a predator lurking there, but they were a little clearer now.
“Thank you.”
Wolf’s brow furrowed, and he tilted his head at me.
“For saving us last night, and for calming me down just now.”
He shrugged, as if it was no big deal. But his eyes seemed puzzled as they searched my face.
“You make me calmer, too. You and Cary. Can I keep holding you?”
It was the most I’d heard him say since we’d met, and his voice slid over my senses like honey.Was it only last night we’d met?
“Of course.” If my being in his lap helped him too, I’d happily stay here all night.
It felt as if I’d known him an eternity, yet he was also a complete mystery. He pulled me in closer and subtly breathed me in. I didn’t mind. It felt comforting to know he was craving my scent as much as I was his. Touching him, and breathing him in, brought me peace and an uncomplicated sense of connection I hadn’t felt since I was a kid. I felt no boundaries with him. My instincts were telling me he was mine and that he would never hurt me, couldn’t hurt me. I had questions that were tugging at me, though. Pushing their way through the cloud he had me wrapped in.
“Last night, you seemed afraid of me. What changed?” I kept my voice low and soft, not wanting to spook him out of this moment.
His dark eyes flared. “You screamed.”
His answer took my breath away. He seemed to see the world in the simplest terms.
“Why were you afraid of me before that?”
“Your scent,” he grunted, before he paused for a moment. “They used it to control me.” Horror filled me, tightening my throat. I was speechless.
“To calm you or threaten you?” River asked without looking up from where he was still tending the fire.
“Both,” Wolf growled, as darkness shadowed his eyes
“How did you end up here?” River asked.
“Can we not talk about that right now?” Wolf asked, as his gruff voice lowered and his brows pinched.
“Of course.” I said, jumping in before anyone else could. I got the guys would be curious, and also concerned about my safety with him, but I didn’t want to push him right now. We all had things that were painful to talk about. I was just relieved he was actually talking to us. My instincts were telling me the rest would come when he was ready, and it would be hard to hear. I wanted to stay in our comforting bubble a little while longer.
“Why did you break free and run when they tried to move you last night, and not before?” Ryder asked.
“Her scent had faded. She was gone. When I got outside, I tracked her.” He kept his gaze firmly on me while he answered, as if he was afraid I’d suddenly disappear. The longer he held me, the clearer his eyes seemed to get, but there was a haunted look creeping in, too.
Even this tiny part of his story made me want to cry, but I didn’t want to burden him with any more tears tonight. I reached up and twisted a strand of his shaggy hair around my finger. In the fading sunset filtering through the tree branches, the hint of deep red in the dark strands stood out even more. He shuddered lightly as I played with his hair.
“Is this okay?” I asked, suddenly unsure. I was luxuriating in every touch from him right now, but he might not feel the same.
“Yes,” he groaned and closed his eyes. I wanted to explore him more. His reaction to my simple touch was thrilling. After being denied touch for so long, I knew the feeling. So I ran my hand through his beard, then traced the line of his cheek as he leaned into my caress.
Every omega at the Palace had a handler, but the Palace forbid them from touching us. It was another way of breaking us. Taking away something an omega needed to flourish. We naturally craved touch. As did alphas.
A twig snapped nearby, and I stiffened, but Wolf just tightened his arms around me. “It’s Cary,” he said.
A moment later, Cary appeared out of the descending darkness, laden down with giant laundry bags full of blankets and pillows. He started spreading them out next to us. Wolf effortlessly picked me up and plonked us both back down onto a soft comforter. As if it was his job to keep me in his arms. I wasn’t complaining.
Nick appeared shortly after, with a mound of pillows, a picnic basket in his arms, and a guitar strapped to his back. I had no idea where he’d gotten it from or if he could play. He settled down next to the fire and pulled a large cast-iron pot out of the basket.
