Page 149 of Omega's Flight

"I know."

We were quiet for a moment, and then Holland cleared his throat. "We should get going if we want to make it there before dark."

Quin still hadn't come to say goodbye, and I wondered how bad their argument about this trip had been. Bax gave Taden a last kiss and turned him over to his sire before walking over to open the front passenger door.

I'd volunteered to sit in the back, since I didn't know how to drive, so I ducked myself into the car and got comfortable. A cardboard box full of food and bottles of water had been placed in the back too, and it was my job to keep the two in the front supplied with snacks and drinks. I double-checked the supplies, then sat back while we fished out our seatbelts.

Holland put the keys in the ignition and started the car. His expression was perfectly serene, but his eyes kept turning toward the door of the building, then back again to fiddle with something in the car. I ducked my head to play with my own seatbelt, pretending I was having more trouble with it than I really was, just so I didn't have to watch the slow crumbling of his hope.

Someone knocked on one of the windows. Not the one I was next to, and when I looked up, Holland was taking off his seatbelt with a blazing grin on his face.

Quin had come to see us off.

I smiled and leaned back in the seat, carefully keeping my gaze turned away from them as Quin pulled Holland close and they bent their heads together. Bax was doing the same thing, only he had pulled out a book and was busy reading, or at least looking like he was. But I couldn't miss the little glances that danced in Quin's and Holland's direction and the satisfied smile that curved his lips. When I managed my own discreet peek out of the corner of my eye, Quin had Holland in his arms, Holland curled up against his chest and their faces so close as they talked that they looked to be on the verge of a kiss the entire time. Holland looked happy and Quin wore an odd mix of exasperation and pride that made the depth of his love for his mate unmistakable.

"You'd better go," Quin said eventually, and bent his lips to Holland's. They kissed, long and deep and so full of emotion I imagined I could feel the heat of it from inside the car, then Holland stepped reluctantly away from his mate.

"You could come?" he offered tentatively. "Maybe it would be good to have that talk, Alpha to Alpha."

Quin shook his head and raised a hand to trace Holland's lower lip with one finger. "This is better. It won't be at first, but I never found a mission went any better for hanging back and hiding behind the other soldiers. You'll be fine."

Holland took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll call you when we get there."

"Please."

They stood silently in place for another minute, then Holland turned back to the car and ducked into his seat. He closed the door and rolled down the window. "Don't let the pups stay up all night eating junk."

"Once was enough," Quin said solemnly and I hid a grin.

Holland snorted and leaned out the open window to kiss his mate again. "Enjoy your bachelor time. Don't burn the house down."

"Go," Quin said and stepped back from the car. "You're going to get there just before curfew if you keep talking." He slapped the top of the car and went to stand in front of the doors. Holland put the car in gear and we started moving. I could see Holland's eyes in the rear-view mirror and when I glanced over my shoulder, I saw Quin had moved out into the road to stand and watch us go.

C H A P T E R 1 0 3

I t wasn't actually dark when we got to Jackson-Jellystone, but the sky had taken on that strange electric appearance, where the blue had become so intense it felt like it was hovering just over the enclave walls. Holland pulled up in front of the Alpha's house and turned the engine off. The silence fell like a hammer on my ears and I barely contained the flinch.

"Well, we're here." Holland let his hands rest on the steering wheel and stared out the windshield. "Sorry you have to keep coming back here, Bax."

Bax shrugged. "I don't care. This place is nothing to me now." He glanced around and frowned. "Someone should have come out to meet us."

"Did you really expect that?" Holland asked him. His lips were pressed together and there was a gleam in his eye that I didn't trust.

"Holl, you can't go upsetting the Alpha if we're going to get Raleigh's pups back," Bax warned him, undoing his seatbelt and hastily gathering up his books.

"Watch me," Holland said, and got out of the car.

"Oh dear," Bax said in a low voice.

I'd been gathering up my own belongings, getting ready to get out myself, but when Bax said that, I decided I might just stay in the car for a few more minutes.

"Alpha Jackson-Jellystone," Holland called in a voice that carried despite it not being all that loud. "Is this how you treat an envoy from another pack?"

"Damn," Bax sighed. "Well, this should be fun." He twisted in his seat and winked at me. "I'm going to go help my cousin stir up shit. You coming, or do you want to stay in the car?"

"Uh—" I knew I should get out and support my Alpha's Mate, but I wasn't a wolf in good odor in this pack.

"Don't worry," Bax said and reached back to pat my knee. "Might not be a bad idea to have someone stay in the car, in case we need to make a quick getaway." He winked and laughed at my open-mouthed surprise, then slid out of the car.