Page 140 of All Packed Up

“I won’t,” she snapped, and leveled him with a glare that said, Shut up and get on with it.

The alpha shrugged. “You’re gonna have to face the alphas eventually, you know that.”

Wendy stiffened, her hands dropping to ball into fists in her lap. “Yeah.” She knew that.

“They’re either going to find us, demand we return you, and we’re gonna say fuck that. Or we’ll find them and tell them to fuck off.”

The alphas were nothing if not prim and proper, in the most twisted way. But even so, she couldn’t imagine them just accepting no for an answer. They’d gone through so much to keep her ignorant and scared, to groom her into their version of a perfect omega. They wouldn’t let that go without a fight.

The reminder sent a shiver up her spine and dissolved into gooseflesh. Wendy hadn’t allowed herself to think that far ahead. She guessed a part of her had just assumed that the alphas would magically go away. If she didn’t think about it, it wasn’t real, it wouldn’t happen.

But that…

That wouldn’t be the case.

Wendy couldn’t run forever. She couldn’t hide from the alphas for the rest of her days.

That sounded awful.

So the only answer was the obvious. Grif was right. She’d have to face the alphas, if only so she didn’t have to keep looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life.

Her heart pounded a little harder against her chest.

“And if they don’t take no for an answer?”

Griffith’s fingers tightened on the wheel until his knuckles turned white. “That’s what we’re for.”

Wendy gulped, leaning back in the seat. Suddenly she didn’t feel like talking, and her stomach rolled with nerves.

“We’ll protect you,” Grif said, lowering his hand from the wheel to hover over her knee before he laid his hand palm up in the seat next to her. Letting her choose whether she wanted the contact or not.

“But… why?” Wendy asked, eyeing his hand. With it displayed so near her leg, she couldn’t help but notice how big it was in comparison. His palm would basically wrap around half her thigh.

With a shrug, Grif replied, “Nic said it. We want you to be safe.”

Wendy cocked her head, reached out and held Grif’s hand. Found herself lifting it and bringing their joined hands to rest on her leg. His hand was heavy.

In response, she just hummed and sat back, mulled over her thoughts as the tires finally bumped over the road into town. “Why didn’t we bring help? Arlo and Tate could have grabbed the groceries and stuff while we got clothes and wood stuff.”

“They offered, but I think the less newcomers, the better,” Grif explained. “In the off chance the alphas do track you near here, they’ll be asking around. We don’t need to give them carloads of gossip to share. And Tate’s fancy car would draw attention here.”

Wendy hadn’t thought of that. It was smart. “Good point. Guess we better hurry then, huh?”

Grif wrinkled his nose. “God, please. I don’t wanna be standing in the boutique all day.”

A chuckle slipped out, and she was just as surprised as the alpha seemed.

Griffith didn’t treat her with kid gloves. It was kind of… refreshing.

“Thanks for that,” she said.

“For what?”

“For not pulling your punches. You know, not censoring yourself so I don’t get offended and stuff.” For not treating her like she was porcelain.

He hummed. “Well I’m glad you think of it that way, but it’s really just my fear of intimacy.”

Another laugh bubbled out of her, and she waved a hand at him. “You’re not special, we all have a fear of intimacy.”