33. Train to Nowhere
Train to Nowhere
T hey'd come for me.
When the guard first threw open my door and told me to shower and dress, I thought I was being punished again. I'd only had the one alpha, but maybe he'd complained about me.
Archer and Kade were standing in a massive, fancy lobby waiting for me when the guard dragged me to the end of a hall I hadn't seen yet.
At first, I thought I was seeing things.
How could they be here? They'd left me behind, let Jackson drag me away.
But I blinked and they were still standing there.
Kade strode forward and without saying a word, he scooped me into his arms, nuzzled the top of my head and carried me out the door.
I looked back over his shoulder and saw Archer laughing and talking to the guard and a tall man who looked very official. He said his goodbyes and ran after us.
"I missed you," Kade told me, inhaling my scent. "You smell funny."
"It's the descenters in there. They pull everything out of you."
"I don't like it." He rubbed his cheek against mine, marking me. "When we get home, I'm bonding you and no one is ever taking you away again."
"Whoa, I didn't say you could bond me. You left me in the ORC!" I glared at him. I was still mad, even if they'd just rescued me.
"We know and we're sorry," he told me gravely. "We've already decided how to grovel."
"What?"
I didn't have a chance to ask any further questions, since a massive explosion rocked the world and we were thrown forward.
Kade rolled as we fell, so I landed on top of him, cradling me carefully against his body. Archer went skidding past us, yelping. Then everything was quiet for a moment, except for the smoke billowing out of the back of the building.
"What was that?" I stared in horror. "All those omegas!"
"Are being evacuated right now," River said from behind us. He nodded at the SUV. "Get in, let's get out of here."
"Wait," Archer looked back at the building. "We said we'd help."
"Oh, we did." Orion gave us a sly grin. "When they get out, they'll discover that all the fencing has collapsed in the explosion. No way to keep those omegas contained if they want out."
"YOU did this?" I stared at him, mouth open. "You could have killed hundreds of people."
Kade got to his feet, still holding me and slid into the backseat of the vehicle while everyone else piled in.
"Don't worry. That was the gym and kitchen that went up in smoke. No one in there. We double checked before setting the gas on the stoves." Orion reached back to stroke my cheek. "We knew you wouldn't want to leave all those omegas in there."
"No, but do you really think they'll run?"
A siren wailed behind us as River pulled onto the road. I twisted in Kade's lap to see figures running through the smoke.
"Looks like they're doing exactly that," River said happily
"Did that help you forgive us?" Kade asked seriously.
"I guess a bit." I frowned at him. "But why are you here? What are you doing with me?"
"We're taking you home and making you pack." Kade kissed my nose. "And you're never leaving us again."
"Whoa there, cowboy, don't rush her into things," Archer said. "Quinn, you have a choice. If you want to be pack, you can. I kind of already filed the paperwork, actually, so technically you're James Pack now, but we won't keep you if you don't want to stay."
"Speak for yourself." Kade tightened his grip around my waist. "I'm keeping you."
"Kade!" River and Archer both yelled.
I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. "You didn't want me."
"We told you we did, but that it was complicated with River," Orion corrected. "Archer and I have been yours since the first day we saw you."
"I took a little longer," Kade admitted. "But I'm 100% team Quinn now."
That left River. He drove, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.
"It took me way too long to admit that the reason I was angry was because you changed my world view. I've always hated omegas and if I admitted that I didn't hate you, who was I? And if you're right about the ORC, then I've been part of the problem, delivering omegas to that place."
"He's trying to say he's sorry and he wants you to be pack, too," Archer said in exasperation, running a hand through his messy black hair. "If you do decide to stick around, get used to roundabout apologies."
"You'd really let me go if I wanted to leave?" I asked cautiously.
Kade's arms tightened around me and I patted his hand.
"Yes," Archer said quietly. "We will let you leave."
"Then drop me off at the train station, please. I'll need to borrow some money, though."
There was silence in the vehicle for a long moment, then River nodded, tapping the train station into his phone and updating the route.
"We'll stop and get you some clothes, too," Archer said. "You can't go anywhere in an ORC uniform, they'd stop you immediately."
An hour later, River pulled into a shopping center and we all got out.
"You don't all need to go with me," I said nervously. "Just Archer."
"You don't want me with you?" Kade asked sadly.
"Just . . . wait here, okay." I stood on tiptoes and kissed his lips.
Inside the store, Archer helped me find jeans and a couple of shirts, plus underwear and a bra. "You'll need a jacket, too, it's freezing. And shoes." He pushed the cart, tossing things in.
"I can't carry all this!" I pointed out.
"You'll be wearing half of it, but we'll get you a bag, too." He scanned the rack of backpacks. "Which one?"
"That purple sparkly one." I'd never had pretty things growing up and in the center, everything had been sad and gray. The backpack was exactly what I loved.
"You've got it."
"You don't need to spend all this money on me," I told him.
"Don't worry about it. We owe you a lot. We fucked up," he said sadly. "I'm going to give you my card when you go and I'll make sure it has money on it for as long as you need."
I changed in the bathroom after we'd paid. Stuffing everything else into the backpack, I slung it over my shoulder and studied myself in the mirror. I looked normal. With suppressants, I might even pass as a beta.
Smiling, I left the bathroom and found Archer nervously waiting for me. "I thought you might ditch us through the window," he said.
"Aren't you taking me to the train station?"
"Of course, but . . . nevermind. I was just worried I might not get to say goodbye again."
"You can say goodbye," I assured him.
When we reached the SUV, the others were all sitting there with the heat on.
"You got shoes!" Kade said delightedly.
"I can't walk around barefoot forever." I stuck my foot up so he could admire the sparkly purple shoes.
"Is your favorite color purple?" Orion asked in amusement.
"Looks like it." I peered down at the black jeans and purple winter jacket I wore over a lavender shirt. "I've never really had a chance to decide on a favorite color, but these just jumped out at me."
"You look good in purple," Kade told me, pulling me close again. "Please don't leave."
"I have to," I told him firmly. "There's never been a moment in my life where I was free. I need this."
He stared sadly into my eyes before nodding. "Okay, but only because I can contact you."
"You can?"
"We got you this." River twisted in his seat and handed me a phone. "Our numbers are already in there and we have your number. If you ever need anything, money, a ride, whatever, you can call. We'll always pick up."
"Thank you." I took the phone and tucked it in my pocket just as River pulled up at the train station.
We all got out and the men stood awkwardly around as I went to the window to buy my ticket.
"Can I help you?" The woman asked.
"Yes, can you please pretend to sell me a ticket? I don't actually want to buy one, but I need them to think I'm leaving."
She raised an eyebrow, glancing at the men standing several feet away. "Okay. Where would you like to imaginary travel to?"
"Anywhere is fine."
The woman tapped away on her computer. "If you pass me your card, I'll pretend to scan it."
Passing the card over, I glanced back. The guys were all talking, but their eyes were on me. I couldn't hear what they said.
"All set. Enjoy your trip to nowhere!" The woman handed the card back along with a blank ticket and a wink. "Hope they give you the response you want."
"They already have. Thank you."
I put the ticket and card away and walked back to the men. "The train leaves in fifteen minutes, so we have a little time to say goodbye."
"Are you sure about this?" Orion asked, hands on my shoulders.
"Goodbye, Orion."
He sighed heavily and wrapped me in a tight hug. " Cuidado, carino. Be careful. Call us if you need us."
"I will."
Next was Archer. He picked me up and kissed me on the lips, his tongue teasing me just enough that my panties dampened. Then he set me down. "Just a reminder of what's waiting if you decide to come back to us. Have a good trip."
"Where are you going first?" Kade asked.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," I told him gently.
He frowned, not liking my answer. "Are you coming back?"
"Yes."
"Do you know when?"
"Kade, let her go. Say goodbye and let her live her life," Archer sighed.
"I just want to know what to expect," Kade snapped. He wrapped his arms around me, inhaling my scent. "Please come back. And don't stay away too long. And text us every day."
"Oh my god, Kade, stop smothering the poor girl!"
"Goodbyek, Kade." I kissed him lightly and turned to River, who stood watching us. He looked unhappy, but he gave me a careful smile.
"I'm sorry I fucked everything up so badly," he said quietly, stepping closer. "I know I don't deserve a second chance, but I promise I will make it up to you if you ever give me the chance. You're all I want in my life."
"Too little, too late?" I stared into his dark eyes. "You pushed me away and you hurt me. You called the director and forced me to go back to the ORC. You have no idea what they did to me there."
"We have an idea. Kade found the camera for your cell. They locked you up in the basement."
"Yeah, then they shipped me off to this heat den. That was going to be my life. And you were okay with that. With sending me to be repeatedly knotted by strangers every day for the rest of my life."
"Did they . . . did you . . ." he trailed off, looking at his feet. He didn't look remotely like the confident man who had thrown me over his shoulder that first day.
"Did I have to service alphas? One. But they had more scheduled. It was only because you showed up that I didn't have to be with dozens." A tear slipped down my cheek. "I don't know how to forgive you for subjecting me to that."
"I wouldn't forgive me if I were you," he said brokenly. "But I really am so, so sorry. If you want to be with my pack and not with me, I won't stand in your way. You can have them and I'll go or stay, whatever you want."
"You'd leave your pack to let them be happy with me?"
"I would." He turned tearful eyes to me. "I know I can't fix this. But you all deserve the happiness you can have together."
"Thank you, River."
Pulling the blank ticket out of my pocket, I lifted it to show him. "I'm not going anywhere."