Chapter 47
No, it wouldn’t.
Not ever.
He pulled into the lot at Caldwell Cyber Security and parked next to Rafael’s car. With the dead weight of loss pressing on him, he leaned his forehead on the steering wheel and fought to control the tears pricking his eyes.
Time to pull himself together.
Time to bid farewell to his omega. 26
Huddled beneath the blanket, Rafe wrinkled his nose yet again at the lingering smell of moth balls. He’d felt the SUV stop and the engine shut off ages ago, so what was taking so long? And where were they? The alpha had said he was taking Rafe to safety. So, probably not jail. But Rafe needed answers—not some vague alpha don’t-worry-your-pretty-little-head bullshit.
A few more long minutes passed during which Rafe fought the growing urgency to scratch everywhere the rough wool was touching him. He was near his breaking point when the door opened and Grant said, “It’s safe to come out now.” Even muffled, the man’s voice lacked its usual confidence and command.
Rafe flung off the offending covering and scratched his skin in relief. Didn’t anyone appreciate the pleasure of soft, comfortable fabric anymore? He climbed out of the back seat, stretched his cramped limbs, and looked around. What the hell? They were in Caldwell Cyber Security’s parking lot. And his car was still right there parked next to them. Seeking an explanation, he turned to Grant. The alpha had moved far enough away for alarm bells to ring in Rafe’s head. “Why are we here?”
“This is as far as I go.” Grant gestured to Rafe’s car. “You’re on your own.”
“What?” Rafe was stunned. He studied his alpha’s face but saw only polite indifference. “You said you’d get me somewhere safe. Does this look safe to you—for either of us?” He spun around, pointing to the security cameras on the light poles. “You had me buried in the back seat because you didn’t want random witnesses claiming to have seen us together. How about video records?”
With flawless calm, Grant replied, “I asked Janet to cut the feed—there won’t be any record of us here.”
Oh. Janet was helping Grant. That explained a lot.
The alpha dropped his gaze to the ground. With an odd inflection, he added, “As of a few minutes ago, we don’t exist.”
Dark foreboding unfurled at the double-edged phrasing, and Rafe stammered, “But…you’re not…you can’t leave me here like this.”
“You’ll be fine.” The patronizing tone was appropriate for comforting a frightened child. “Your keys are in your car, along with your phone. Your GPS contains the address of a private cabin. It’s yours for the next three weeks.” The man walked to the rear of the SUV and opened the hatch.
Flabbergasted, Rafe followed. None of this was right. He’d been worried the alpha might want him only for a biological booty call. Now the man was showing no interest at all.
Grant reached inside the vehicle, pulled out a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and tossed them to Rafe. “You should change.”
Knowing he needed all his attention to puzzle out what the hell had happened, Rafe wasted no time in discarding the distracting uniform. He’d take any advantage, no matter how small.
Grant gestured to the inside of the vehicle. It held two duffel’s, one Rafe recognized as his own, and three large boxes, two of which were overflowing with fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, eggs, and a bag of ice. The third was too far in shadow to see its contents.
“The cabin is stocked with non-perishables, but you should take the fresh groceries with you as well. It’s a nice place with a beautiful view of the river. The fishing is good.”
A scream of frustration built in Rafe’s throat. Less than an hour earlier, the alpha had been hungry for contact. The tension between them had been electric, zapping Rafe with lightning bolts of excitement.
Now the man was reciting a travelogue and trying to send him on his way—alone. How pathetic was that? A lifetime of hiding and running from alphas only to be rejected in the end? Rafe stifled the urge to laugh at the absurdity of it—he feared it might come out as a sob.
Without another word, Grant walked around the vehicle to a median filled with smooth stones and sat on the curb, his back to Rafe.
Frost filled the omega’s lungs as he watched his alpha turn away from him. It seemed the man couldn’t distance himself fast enough.
Breathing in short, shallow pants, Rafe leaned in and pulled the boxes forward. With shaking hands, he lifted the groceries and set them on the ground behind his car. It wasn’t until he reached for the third box that his brain started working again.