Page 8 of Omega Shattered
"Don't even think about taking off in this," River told me, as if he could read my mind. "I won't even bother looking for you until the snow stops. You'll be a popsicle and I'll just pop you out of your snowy grave to take you back."
"What if I'd rather that than going back?" I asked quietly.
His keen ears picked up my voice anyway and he frowned, looking at me for a moment. "Just stay put. I'll come around."
River got out of the SUV, nearly disappearing in a flurry of snow before reappearing beside my door. He tugged it open and grabbed my arm. "Let's go."
I was glad he had hold of me when we stepped away from the car and suddenly everything became white shadows through the falling snow. The flakes caught on my lashes and made it hardto see, so I just blindly stumbled after the massive alpha that loomed next to me.
Then we were climbing steps, my feet so numb already that I stumbled. River's grip on my arm kept me from going down and I almost thanked him, before remembering who he was and what we were doing here.
"River! I didn't think you were going to make it." The door was open in front of us and another huge alpha stood there, eyeing us.
"It was touch and go," River responded. "Didn't want to spend the night in a snowbank."
The other alpha stepped back and River pulled me through the door and into a cozy living room. A fire blazed in the fireplace, drawing me in with its heat. As soon as River let go of my arm, I moved instinctively toward the flickering flames.
"This is the omega you were after?" The new alpha asked, sounding sceptical. "Doesn't look like she'd make it halfway across the country on her own."
"Well, she did." Their voices faded as they walked out of the room.
For a moment, I was shocked River had left me alone, then I realized there were two other alphas sitting on the sofa behind me. I'd been so focused on the fire that I hadn't noticed them, though I'd definitely registered their scents at some point. Warm amber and coffee essences surrounded me as I stood in front of the fire, staring at the two men seated at opposite ends of the sofa.
One of them was nearly the same size as River, with shockingly white hair flowing down over his shoulders. His face was a mix of pretty and rugged, with full lips and icy blue eyes that regarded me coolly. He narrowed those eyes when he saw me staring and cracked his knuckles, his stare never leaving my face.
The other alpha was lean and tall, sitting cross-legged on the leather cushion, his head tilted slightly to the side as he studied me. Tousled black hair matched the five o'clock shadow on his sharp jaw and his grey eyes were curious, not hostile like the other alpha's.
"What are you wearing?" the thin alpha asked, leaning forward to study my choice of footwear.
"Whatever I could find," I told him honestly. His voice was calming and non-judgemental. Not like River's rich, harsh tones. It made me want to talk to him.
"Trash," the other alpha said. His voice was lighter, almost musical, but it was filled with disdain. I wasn't sure if he was talking about my clothing choices or me.
"It was cold," I said, moving a little closer to the fire.
"What's your name?" the thin alpha asked.
"Quinn." They probably already knew that if they'd been talking to River. I was sure he had my file.
"I'm Archer," he said. "The grumpy one is Kade."
"We're all grumpy, except for your sunshiny ass," Kade snapped.
"Nice to . . . " I trailed off and Kade smirked.
"Yeah, not the best circumstances, but hey, it's warm here and we have food. You'll be fine until it's time to leave. We don't bite."
Kade snorted at that, but Archer just gave him a sharp look.
"Okay." I didn't know what else to say. Tell them I had no intention of going back to the center? Then they'd be on the lookout for any escape attempts. It was best to keep to myself, get fueled up and rested, then I could take off when the snow let up a little.
"Have a seat. You won't be going anywhere for a while," Archer encouraged.
He was right. I sank into the armchair closest to the fire and tried to relax. The cold seemed to have seeped right into my bones and even the external heat couldn't thaw me. But it felt good to have the heat from the flames scorching my skin. This was okay. Not ideal, but I'd escaped worse, I told myself. This time would be no different.
Chapter 6
Pack
