25. Indigo
twenty-five
Indigo
“Did you drive again?”
The three of them shout at once, eyes wide and expression furious. Well, the way they were talking about going back for me seemed like they would be a little happier to know this time I ran toward them.
A few days ago, I hopped in that truck and drove away from everyone and everything. A few days ago, nothing could stop me from being free, yet when danger came, I didn’t run toward solitude. I came to them.
It’s not because I’m scared. Fuck, I am scared shitless, but usually when I’m scared I go into hermit mode and close up completely. I’m not the kind of person who runs into someone’s arms.
Until now.
Well, it seemed like a big revelation for me, but they are watching me with anger instead of the lovesick expressions I was hoping for. What the hell?
“Yes, I drove here! No buses around, I guess.” I cross my arms against my chest and scowl at them.
“It’s fucking dangerous, Indie!” Nash says, but he has the decency to come to me, eyes searching my face and body as if he’s looking for an injury.
“Well, I didn’t have much choice,” I mutter under my breath.
They are not making this reunion cute. Honestly, a prickly girl thinks she wants to be alone forever just to find out she wants them? This is TV gold, but this pack is more concerned about the dangers of driving without knowledge or a license than the romance of it all. They are pissing me off.
“Nothing is more important than your safety, baby,” Hank says as he shakes his head.
It finally hits me. My cheeks turn bright red, and I look down at my feet. They are right. Of course they are. Driving here was a hundred times worse than before in the middle of the night. I had to deal with actual traffic, even if not much. It scared the bejesus out of me.
“I overheard a pack back in the hotel,” I say to my shoes because I’m not feeling all that anymore. “I couldn’t stay there.”
“You what?”
Again with the unison. In a flash, the three of them are around me, hands on my arms and cheeks. It’s ridiculous how much better it makes me feel, but it does. The ache in my heart lessens, and I realize while I don’t have the heat to demand their touch, I have something way worse.
I think I’m falling in love with these clowns.
Not that they are clowns. They are actually the most perfect, loyal, and amazing people I’ve ever met. They managed to make me feel secure and free. I miss them so damn much, and it’s been just a few hours since we saw each other.
Eyes tearing up, I bite down on my lip. “I overheard them looking for Omegas. They were talking about us, but they couldn’t pick up my scent and assumed I left with you. I couldn’t stay there anymore.”
“Fuck.” Nash holds me against his chest, and my shoulders relax.
I bury my face between his pecs, breathing in lungfuls of his scent. I’m nothing like an Alpha and their damn nose, but this is heaven. I’m not running scared anymore. I’m home.
“Why are you here, Indie?” Cassidy asks, taking me away from the moment.
“What are you talking about?” Nash asks over my head. “She just told us what happened!”
I peek at my side to find Cassidy’s famous smirk. Damn, he knows. Nothing gets past this man.
“Oh, I know she couldn’t stay in that hotel. But I also know our Indie. You gave her a car and an unlimited credit card. She could go anywhere she wanted and buy a fucking house.”
“But she’s here,” Hank says with awe in his voice.
Cassidy nods. “She’s here.”
Nash’s arms relax and put space between us, just enough so he can look at me too, a million questions sparkling in his eyes.
I should have prepared a speech for this moment.
I’m not good with feelings, and I definitely am not good with being vulnerable.
Those two things are required right now, but instead, I cross my arms around myself again, as if it’s fucking armor.
“Indie,” Nash practically whispers. “Just tell the truth. Why did you come back here?”
I roll my eyes and look around, finally noticing it’s empty. My attitude drops, and I frown, trying to look over their shoulder.
“Where’s everyone?”
“They left,” Cassidy replies right away. “Now tell us why you came to us.”
“They left?” I shake my head. “What do you mean they left?”
Nash groans. “Just look at us and talk. We can explain everything after.”
Time to put on my big girl pants, I guess.
I lift my gaze to theirs, overwhelmed when I find three sets of expectant eyes.
It’s fair what they are asking. This all started with me running away as far as I could, and now that I had the means to do so, I came back.
They promised to respect my wishes. I could have texted Nash to tell him I left and that danger was looming, but I came here.
“I don’t want to run away from you,” I say, licking my lips. “I got into the car, and I knew I had to run to you.”
Cassidy grips Nash’s arm, almost as if he's holding himself together. It’s so damn cute I have to bite the inside of my cheek not to giggle right there.
“I think I want to be with you, be a pack.” I shake my head. “I know I want to be with you. Ugh, feelings talk is gross.”
Hank chuckles and shakes his head. “You’re doing great. Keep going.”
“More? You want more? Oh god, I love you, okay?”
It’s not one of the most beautiful declarations in the world, but it’s a real one. I sound exasperated, sure, but because I have no idea how they did it. How could they just worm themselves into my life and make me feel this way? It doesn’t make sense to me. Not at all.
“All I’ve ever wanted was to be free,” I continue.
“To be away from people and never be touched again. That was the plan, and then you three came along and fuck…” I brush the hair off my face.
“I know I freaked out this morning, but I regretted not asking you to stay the moment you three left. I don’t want to be alone.
Actually, I do. I want to be alone with you.
So on my way here, I updated my dream.” I tip my chin up, very dignified of me.
“I still want to live away from the other humans, and I still don’t want anyone touching me.
Except you. I want to see you three every day, and I want to be touched only by your hands.
So… Oh god, unless you want to live in the middle of people and hug strangers in the street,” I cringe because I never thought that maybe my dream sounded horrible to them.
Some people are people’s people, and that’s okay. Just not me. Definitely not me.
Nash’s full lips curve, “My family has a ranch back in Tennessee. It’s isolated.”
The possibility fills my belly with excitement, but I don’t want to jump into things. If they need my words, well, I need theirs too.
“And you don’t mind living in a place so isolated?”
“It’s our dream too,” Nash says with a smirk.
My eyes narrow. It seems very improbable that their dream is exactly like mine. “You dream of living in the middle of nowhere with no one around t”
“Baby”—Hank chuckles—“our dream is you.”
Oh. Every fucking butterfly on the planet flutters its wings inside me, and I can’t hold anymore.
I jump on Nash, capturing his lips. It’s not a cute kiss.
It's hungry and needy. He groans against me, but I’m moving away, taking Hank’s lips and tasting him before going for Cassidy.
I wasn’t lying when I said I needed them touching me.
I sigh into their kiss, knowing I’m finally safe.
They gave me everything I needed back in that hotel room.
Safety, trust, and building the self-esteem I thought was destroyed.
It wasn’t just my fear of scent-matching that kept me away.
I can see now. I also never thought I deserved something so good like this.
To be accepted not as a vessel but for who I am. Everything I am.
“Come on, let’s go. We can talk in the truck,” Hank says, nudging us to the exit.
“Okay,” I breathe out the pent-up emotion.
Turns out, I’d go anywhere they lead me to.