Page 92 of Psycho Pack

I can see the conflict warring in Plague's eyes. He opens his mouth, then closes it again, clearly struggling to find the right words. His fingers drum an agitated rhythm on the polished wood of the table, a nervous tic I've never seen from him before.

"I have... connections in Surhiira," he says with a resigned sigh. "And that's all I'm willing to say."

I expect Thane to push harder, but to my surprise, he just nods curtly. It's not much, but it's something. A foundation we can build on, maybe.

Whiskey's face flushes red as he gesticulates wildly. "Why the hell didn't you just tell us it was 'connections'?" he demands, his voice rising with each word. "That's a hell of a lot less fucking ominous than all your cryptic bullshit!"

I wince at his volume and Wraith's low growl vibrates through me, a warning to Whiskey to keep his voice down. We may be in a private compartment, but who the hell knows what kind of surveillance might be in place here?

Valek's silver eyes glitter. "Yes, how very interesting," he drawls. "Connections in Surhiira, you say? That's quite the feat, considering Surhiirans don't have connections withanyone."

The effect is instantaneous.

Three alpha voices ring out in perfect unison.

"No one asked you!"

I can't help the startled laugh that bubbles up from my chest. The sheer absurdity of the moment—all of them united, if only in their annoyance at Valek—breaks through some of the tension that's been choking us.

Valek, for his part, just grins that Cheshire cat grin of his and takes another delicate sip of his wine. "Just making an observation," he says airily. "No need to get your dicks in a twist."

Whiskey growls, taking a menacing step toward the white-haired alpha. "I'll twist your fuckingneckif you don't shut up."

"Enough," Thane snaps, though there's less heat in his voice now. He pinches the bridge of his nose, looking for all the world like a long-suffering parent dealing with squabbling children."We're all on edge, but fighting amongst ourselves won't do any good."

I nod in agreement, grateful for his levelheadedness. "Yeah. We need to stick together, now more than ever."

My words seem to have a calming effect on the alphas. Whiskey's shoulders slump as he drops back into his seat with a huff. Plague's fingers stop their nervous tapping on the table. Even Wraith's arms loosen further around me, though he keeps me firmly in his lap.

The silence that falls over us is still tense, but less suffocating than before. I take the opportunity to really look at each of them, these broken, beautiful men who have somehow become my family.

They're all watching me now, waiting to see what I'll do. The realization hits me like a physical blow. When did I become the one they look to? When did my opinion start to matter more than hashing things out with orders, barks, and fights?

I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "Look," I start, my voice steadier than I feel. "I know we're all scared and confused. But Plague got us passage on this train when we had no other options. Whatever his reasons, whatever his connections... he did it to keep us safe."

Plague's eyes widen fractionally at my words.

I press on before he can interrupt.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't be cautious," I continue. "But maybe we can try to trust each other a little more? At least until we reach Surhiira. Then we can regroup and figure out our next steps. It's not like we had a choice, right?"

The alphas exchange glances, a silent communication passing between them. Finally, Thane nods.

"Alright," he says gruffly. "We'll do it your way, Ivy.But," he adds, fixing Plague with a hard stare, "if anything goes sideways, your ass is on the line."

Plague inclines his head slightly. It's not quite agreement, but it's not outright refusal either.

I finish my croissant and sag back against Wraith's chest. His arms tighten around me again, but this time it's comforting rather than protective. I let my eyes drift closed for a moment, suddenly exhausted.

The gentle sway of the train and the warmth of Wraith's body threaten to lull me to sleep. But there's still so much uncertainty ahead of us.

So many questions left unanswered.

Chapter

Fifteen

THANE

---