Chapter 53 53
LOIS
We were on the train.
So many things were running through my mind that I tried to arrange them by order of importance. Apparently, it wouldn’t be a long trip, because we hadn’t bought tickets with rooms or any sort of luxury. Instead, we were at the very back of the train, that forgotten car where only those with no other choice dared to go.
Emmanuel wore a hood pulled low, almost covering his entire face. He held my hand with every step we took as we searched for our seats—we’d boarded at the last second, just as the train was about to leave.
We found the numbers for two empty seats wedged between others that were occupied. He stepped in first, taking my backpack without letting go of my hand. Our legs bumped with every step toward the seats because the aisle was so narrow, and the people sitting didn’t even bother to move their legs out of the way. He placed my backpack under his seat and sat beside me. He pushed his hood back, revealing his face, pressed a warm kiss to my lips, and I closed my eyes.
I felt this was so unfair for him.
It would have been easier to listen to his parents, to consider rejecting me and taking another mate more suited to his status. But here we were, running from everything—as if that were even possible.
They were going to find us, and when they did… then they would separate us for real.
It was terrifying. Who would think a relationship could get this complicated?
The only ones who ran away were deserters—and their Alphas always ended up finding them. Most of them were omegas who refused to keep living such miserable lives, especially those from packs where omegas still lived in awful conditions, with no committee to regulate anything, or with Alphas who didn’t give a damn about their packmates’ well-being. Others who fled were those whose rebellion against the Alpha had gone wrong, abandoning their pack for good.
But running away because you’re in love?
I think this was the first time it had ever happened, and of course it had to happen to me.
To us.
The recent events in my life said a lot. What the hell had I gotten myself into?
Before the two of them, I had resigned myself to living a life without my mate, and the idea of looking for someone else didn’t exist—I wasn’t even remotely interested. But now that I had them, the thought of losing them was painful. I had already lost Ezequiel once. At least I still had Emmanuel. I wanted to cling to him with everything I had, but my love wasn’t selfish. His well-being mattered more to me. It had to be just as difficult for him to run away like this, to leave his life behind. His great life.
I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.
I rested my head against Emmanuel’s arm, and eventually, I really did fall asleep.