Page 3 of And Omega Makes Four: A Wolf Shifter Reverse Harem MMMM Romance (Alphas Plus One Book 1)
This omega is trouble.
I glance in the rearview mirror at him from time to time as the miles slowly fade away behind us. He seems pleasant enough, chatting happily with Devon about random things. It’s not a particularly deep conversation, just surface-level stuff. The weather, the scenery, food, music…
Nothing about who he really is, why he’s out here alone on the highway, or why he looks like he’s been through hell and back again. My instincts are telling me he’s hiding something, and it’s probably gonna bite us in the ass. Hard.
My grip on the steering wheel tightens as I focus on the road ahead.
Frankie keeps glancing my way, and I can sense his concern. He’s worried I’m gonna kick the kid out on the side of the road. Or that I’ll lose my cool and snap at him. Again. But he doesn’t need to worry that much.
I’m not an asshole.
Whatever River’s hiding from us will come out eventually. Or it won’t. Either way, he’s an omega wolf traveling alone. I’m not just gonna leave him to fend for himself. But if it comes down to choosing between him and my pack, well…
It’s an easy choice.
Unclenching my jaw, I take a deep breath and roll my head across my shoulders to try and loosen up a bit. These long car rides have been hell on my muscles. I’m looking forward to stopping for a few weeks and getting the chance to really stretch out. It’s been so long since I’ve shifted that sometimes I can’t even feel my wolf anymore. I hate it.
“So, you’re all brothers?” I hear River ask Devon.
“Sort of,” Devon says with a light chuckle. “I mean, we grew up together. We’re all from the same pack. We’ve been together for as long as I can remember.”
“But you all have different parents?”
“Yeah, we did.” Devon has a slight touch of melancholy in his tone.
“Oh...” River falls silent for a moment as if turning the thought over in his head.
“Oh, look.” Frankie speaks up, pointing to a road sign. “Only ten more miles. We’re almost there.”
“Good,” Devon says with an exasperated sigh. “I need to pee.”
“You should’ve gone at the gas station.” The trees along the sides of the road are beginning to thin out, and the number of visible houses increases. Hopefully, this sleepy little town is just that and there are no surprises waiting for us. I’ve had enough surprises to last a lifetime. “Where are we heading exactly?”
“Ummm...” Frankie pulls up his phone and begins looking up directions, calling them out to me as we enter the tangled streets of the little rural town. It’s a quaint locale, busy for a town its size, with people hanging banners and buntings advertising an upcoming festival.
“Seventy-seventh annual Spring Flower Festival,” Devon says, reading off a banner as we pull up to what seems to be one of the only stoplights in town. “You think this is why they’ve got so many help wanted ads up?”
“If it’s the sort of event that people travel from out of town to see, then probably.” Frankie looks around and shrugs. “Do you know anything about it, River?”
He glances back at the omega who seems surprised to be called upon.
“Oh, um...n-no.” River blinks in momentary confusion. “I mean, it might be the kind of thing people travel for. I just...I’ve never heard of it. My pack is kind of, um, isolationist, I guess? We’ve never really mingled with human events much.”
“Isn’t that hard to do?” Devon frowns as he looks at River. “I mean, with the way technology and stuff is now, if you don’t adapt...”
River’s brow furrows, and he shakes his head. “I-I don’t know. What does it matter, anyway?” The omega bristles, suddenly defensive.
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.”