Chapter 12 – GEO
GEO
The train rattles along the ancient tracks, each metallic clack against the rails like the ticking of a giant clock counting down to whatever shitstorm waits for us across the Surhiiran border.
I shift against the wall, adjusting my position for the hundredth time in the past few hours.
My ass is numb, my back aches, and the coffee I drank earlier has gone cold in the mug beside me.
But I don't move. Not yet.
Even with that extravagant lock Raven installed on the door, I don't trust the staff not to get curious about what kind of passengers are worth the small fortune he paid.
People get greedy. And greedy people get stupid.
The lanterns have burned low, the golden glow making everything in the cabin look softer than it is. Including the strange scene in front of me.
Cosima lies nestled in the pile of cushions Raven arranged into that makeshift nest. During the night, she's shifted position, curling into Raven's side with her head tucked against his chest. His arm drapes protectively over her waist, fingers tangled in her silver hair even in sleep.
And on her other side, Knight's massive arm forms a protective barrier around her.
Even in sleep, his metal claws aren't fully relaxed, as if some part of him remains vigilant.
An omega and her alphas. Fucking fairy tale bullshit right there.
But it's been so long since I've seen anything resembling peace in this godforsaken wasteland. Even longer since I've felt it myself.
I tell myself that's the only reason it's getting a reaction out of me.
Across from me, Nikolai sits on one of the built-in benches, his back against the wall, one knee drawn up to his chest. He's barely moved in the last hour, his eye fixed on the trio in the nest with an intensity that would be unsettling if I didn't understand it.
"Even the beast sleeps," he mutters, just loud enough for me to hear over the train's rhythm.
I grunt in acknowledgment. "Doubt he's sleeping deep. One wrong move and we're both missing more body parts."
Nikolai's mouth quirks up at the corner, but his eye never leaves the nest. "She's something else, isn't she?"
I don't need to ask who he means.
"She is that," I reply, the honesty surprising even me. Must be the late hour. Or the rhythm of the train. Or the fact that we're all headed into a deathtrap together.
Nikolai finally tears his gaze away to look at me. "You really think this plan of Raven's has a chance in hell of working?"
I consider my answer, watching the moonlight flicker across the interior of the car as we pass through a stretch of dead forest. "No," I admit. "But it's not the worst plan I've heard. And it's not like we had better options."
"We could have stayed put," Nikolai points out.
I snort. "You don't know her if you think that was an option."
He gives a grunt of acknowledgment.
"Besides, miss the chance to watch her turn this asshole's world upside down? Not a fucking chance."
Nikolai's brow creases slightly, a flash of understanding in his expression that passes quickly enough I could be seeing things. "You're not just going along with this for Raven. It's for her, too."
It's not a question. I bristle anyway, my eye narrowing. "Guess we're both whipped."
Nikolai's lips press into a hard line. "At least I'm honest about it."
"Right," I scoff. "Like you've told her she's your mate."
His face darkens. "That's different."
"How? You're doing the same shit Azarel did. Keeping secrets, making decisions about what you think is best for her. Seems to me that's a pattern she's trying to break free from."
"Says the alpha who put a fucking collar around Raven's neck."
My hand tightens around the gun in my lap. "That's for his protection."
"And that reasoning doesn't sound familiar at all?" Nikolai's tone is acid. "But whatever helps you sleep better."
I lean forward, lowering my voice to a growl. "Listen here, you glass-eyed piece of shit. I don't need life advice from someone who abandoned his own flesh and blood to play warlord in the fucking wasteland."
"See?" Nikolai smirks, gesturing at my face. "Cracks like that are why I took your fucking eye."
Before I can retort, a sleepy grumble distracts us both.
"If you two don't stop bitching, I'm going to have Knight eat both of you and feed the leftover scraps to the wasteland dogs."
I glance over to see Cosima, her eyes still closed, nestling closer to Raven, who instinctively tightens his arm around her, still sound asleep.
Nikolai and I exchange glances, a temporary truce settling between us. Watching her, I feel some of the tension leak out of me. Hard to maintain murderous rage with that silver-haired enigma glaring drowsily at us through half-lidded violet eyes.
"Sorry," I mutter, the word feeling strange in my mouth.
She makes a dismissive sound and burrows back against Raven, who murmurs something incoherent and pulls her closer. Knight shifts beside them, one blue eye cracking open briefly before closing again. Not asleep after all. Just waiting.
The minutes tick by in relative quiet, broken only by the steady rhythm of the train and the occasional creak of ancient metal. Outside, the wasteland becomes a blur of shadows and moonlight, the border mountains looming closer with each passing mile.
My gun is a comforting weight. One of the few constants in a world that keeps shifting under my feet. That, and the dull throb of the scar tissue around my missing eye beneath my eye patch. A permanent reminder of how quickly everything can go to shit.
Thanks to the asshole sitting across from me.
Dawn breaks across the horizon, pale light seeping through the cracks in the curtains.
As the train's wheels start to grind, signaling it'll be stopping soon, the others begin to stir.
First Raven, then Cosima, rubbing sleep from their eyes.
Knight rises immediately, his movements fluid despite his massive size.
Only then does Nikolai finally relax his posture, stretching his arms above his head with a series of pops and cracks.
"Morning," Raven says, his voice still rough with sleep. He smiles at Cosima with such naked adoration that I have to look away. "Sleep well, goddess?"
She nods, pushing her messy silver hair away from her face. "Better than I expected." Her gaze drifts to me, taking in my position by the door with the gun still across my lap. "Did you sleep at all, Geo?"
I shrug. "Don't need much."
A lie, but a harmless one. It doesn't stop the look of concern that crosses her face. Not used to anyone giving a damn about me except for Raven.
"We should stretch our legs," Raven suggests, rising gracefully from the nest to look out the window. "The train will be making a brief stop for refueling. Twenty minutes, max."
I check my watch, a gold Columbian piece that survived the war in some rich bastard's bunker. "Sun's barely up. You sure it's safe to be wandering around?"
Raven nods, already pulling on his boots. "The station's abandoned except for the maintenance crew. And they're paid to be blind."
Knight looms behind Cosima as she gets to her feet, his sheer size making the car feel suddenly smaller. I notice how he angles his body, always keeping himself between her and any potential threat.
The door. The windows. Us.
Raven seems to notice it too, his eyes flicking to the massive alpha before addressing him directly. "Knight, it might be better if you stay close to the train. Less chance of someone raising an alarm."
Knight's responding growl is low, but not particularly threatening. More like reluctant agreement.
I haul myself to my feet, ignoring the protest of stiff muscles, and secure my weapon in its holster. "Let's make it quick. I need to take a leak."
The chilly morning air hits like a slap when we step outside, bone dry with the promise of another scorching day even though it hasn't warmed up yet.
The station is just as abandoned as Raven promised.
It's a crumbling shell of concrete and steel, nature slowly reclaiming what man had briefly stolen.
Weeds and thorns push through cracks in the platform, and the remains of the main building have partially collapsed, leaving a skeletal frame against the pale sky.
I head around the side of the building, finding a relatively private spot to piss. Raven had a few choice words to say about my size the last time he caught me with my dick out and I'd rather not hear it again.
When I finish and head back, my first thought is that something's off. Cosima stands near the train with Knight hovering near her like he doesn't know what to do with himself, and Nikolai leans against a rusted pillar. But there's no sign of Raven.
"Where's the golden boy?" I ask, scanning the platform.
"Station building," Cosima replies, pointing to the derelict structure. "Said he was getting supplies."
I frown, but before I can say anything, Raven emerges from the shadows of the old station, carrying several bags. His hair catches the morning light, almost glowing against the bleakness of our surroundings.
"Success!" he calls, sauntering toward us with that easy grace that always makes me want to trip him. "The station master had quite the stash. Clothes, food, even some decent whiskey."
"You went alone?" I demand, keeping my voice low enough that only he can hear as he approaches.
His smile doesn't falter, but his eyes flick to mine briefly. "I can handle myself, Daddy. Been doing it for years."
The familiar nickname slides under my skin, both irritating and comforting in equal measure. I grunt instead of responding, taking one of the bags from his hands.
"If you get yourself killed before we reach the border, I'm dragging your corpse the rest of the way just so I can have the satisfaction of burying you in Surhiiran soil."
He laughs, the sound bright even in this desolate place. "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."
Back in the train car, Raven distributes his finds.
There are fresh and distinctly Surhiiran clothes for everyone, including elaborate robes for Cosima in a deep emerald.
For Knight, he's found an enormous and lightly built tactical jacket that might actually fit him.
The rest of us get the white clothing of the Surhiiran upper class.
I've seen a few pass through the market over the years.
Collected a set myself. There are scarves, too, which will help us blend in more. Knight especially.
Then again, that mask of his is so detailed and finely crafted, it looks like something that might have been smuggled out of Surhiira itself once upon a time. Wonder if he'd be willing to trade it for something else?
There's food too. Bread that's only slightly stale, dried meat, and fruit that doesn't look or smell toxic even if I've never seen it before.
"Did you steal this shit?" Nikolai asks doubtfully, struggling with the robes. He's clearly not used to wearing anything that isn't made with holsters in mind. The sight makes me snort.
"Of course not," Raven huffs. "I bought it all. Now where the station master procured these fine items is another matter entirely."
"I don't care where you got it, this fruit tastes like it comes straight from heaven," Cosima says, taking another bite of the spiky pink fruit in her hand. She throws her head back with a delighted little moan that does more to my alpha brain than I'd like to admit.
Raven chuckles. "I'm going to have to plant a vineyard full of those."
I watch the others from my spot by the door as we eat and rest, taking in the strange dynamic that's formed between us.
Nikolai is still coiled like a snake in enemy territory, his gaze fixed on Cosima every second he thinks she isn't looking.
Raven is making her laugh at some likely off-color joke he's telling in Vrissian while Knight watches her like her laughter is the sweetest music he's ever heard.
He's more man than monster when he looks at her like that.
Can't say I blame him. Cosima isn't like any omega I've ever encountered.
Not like anyone, really, and it isn't just her beauty.
Something about her reminds me of the world before.
Not the one I knew, but the one I've seen in books and videos and pictures.
There's a dignity to her, a presence that demands respect without having to bark for it like alphas.
In another life, she might have been a queen.
Hell, maybe she still will be.
I catch myself watching her more than the others, noting the way she moves, the subtle shifts in her expressions when she thinks no one's looking. The naked irritation that flickers across her face when she looks out the window toward Surhiira, no doubt thinking of this fucking Azarel bastard.
That's when it hits me. I'm getting attached. To an omega, of all things. But there it is. I want to keep her safe. Want to see her get what she's after, even if it means walking straight into my death.
And hell, Raven's already in so deep there's no pulling him back anyway. If following this silver-haired force of nature into the belly of the beast is what he's determined to do, then I guess that's where we're headed.
The train whistle blows, signaling our imminent departure. Through the window, I watch as the maintenance crew scurries around, finishing their work before we pull out.
About a day left now. A day until we cross the Surhiiran border.
A day until we leave this confined space that should feel like a cramped prison, considering I'm sharing it with two alphas I don't trust for shit.
But instead, I think a part of me is going to miss it.
Something about it—about all of us—that feels right.
And that's the most fucked up part of all.