5. Frankie

Job secured.

As if there was ever any doubt.

I grin in satisfaction as I dry my hands on a towel and look over at the diner owner and her head chef. They’re sitting at the counter, still gushing over the pancake breakfast I just served them.

“We’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning,” she calls after me as I make my way around the counter and head toward the front door.

“Looking forward to it,” I reply cheerily, nodding my farewell.

I feel light on my feet as the brisk air fills my lungs. The diner doors swing shut behind me, and I cross the parking lot to the spot where Kyle left the car.

More than once over the years, I’ve considered suggesting we stop moving all the time and settle down somewhere. A little town like this wouldn’t be a terrible place to call home. Especially after such a long time on the road.

I haven’t been around here long, but I have yet to pick up the scent of any other wolves. It could be that they just frequent other parts of town, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there just aren’t any in the area. Most of the packs we’ve run into in recent years prefer the conveniences of big cities and modern living. A town like this would likely be too remote for most.

But, as soon as the thought enters my head, all the counter arguments begin to crop up once more.

All the reasons why we can’t possibly put down roots.

That night...the hunters. The pack we lost.

Staying in one place is too risky. It will always be too risky.

I exhale heavily and shake my head as I catch sight of Kyle. He’s leaning against the car with an expression that makes it seem like he’s been waiting for a while.

“Any luck?” I ask as I approach.

“Some.” Kyle shakes his head slowly and shrugs. “There’s a public campground just outside town where we can stay tonight. I’ve got a few jobs lined up for tomorrow but nothing that’ll get us into a hotel tonight.”

Unfortunately, Kyle doesn’t have a lot of marketable skills. Beyond being strong as an ox and tireless. Sexy as hell doesn’t really get you much employment in a small town like this. So, he does odd jobs, manual labor, stuff that usually pays in cash and doesn’t last more than a day or two.

It’s not steady employment, but the quick payment means we can hopefully stay somewhere with a proper roof while waiting for paychecks to come in.

It’s not the most ideal way to live, but we’ve made it work for this long. There’s no reason why we can’t keep it going for a while longer. Right? It’s not like we have any real reason to put down roots. We’re not a proper pack. Just a bunch of bachelor alphas wandering aimlessly from place to place.

It’s both romantic and complete bullshit in my mind.

But I’m not gonna let that spoil my mood.

“And you?” Kyle nods toward the diner. “You get the job?”

“As if there was ever any doubt.” I wink and blow him a kiss. “But yes, I start first thing in the morning.”

“Nice. Congrats.” Kyle nods in approval. “You’re always at your best in the kitchen.”

I chuckle and shake my head. The thinly veiled flirtations have become a common part of our daily conversations now. The three of us are closer than family. We tell everyone we’re brothers because it’s easier than trying to explain our actual relationship.

Not that we’ve ever tried to put a label on it.

Whatever it is, the bond between us is unshakable.

“Look.”

I follow Kyle’s gaze toward the far side of the parking lot where Devon is trotting back with a broad grin on his face. Just behind him, tagging along like a puppy, is River.

“What’s your take on the omega?” Kyle asks as he pushes off the car and moves to stand beside me.

“I know you don’t like him.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“He’s hard to read,” I admit. “But he’s scared and alone.”

“And whatever he’s scared of, it’s gonna find us if he sticks around,” Kyle adds with a low tone. “I don’t like this.”

“What do you want to do about it?” I look sidelong at Kyle. “You want to turn him away? Tell him he’s on his own against whatever he’s hiding from?”

“Yes.” He says the words to be tough, but I can hear the truth behind them. He’s just as caring as us but he feels the need to put on an alpha front.

I cross my arms over my chest and turn to him. “But?”

“But...I know you and Devon want to give him a chance.” Kyle huffs as if he’s annoyed by that. “So, I’ll keep my concerns to myself. Just remember what I said and be careful.”

I do understand Kyle’s concern. We don’t know exactly what’s going on with River. The entire situation is sketchy, and we could be inviting in the exact sort of trouble we’ve been running from all this time.

But I can’t bring myself to completely turn my back on him either.

“Hey, guys!” Devon beams as he joins us. “We hit up a few different places, dropped off a few applications, and discussed potential job openings with some locals. We’re actually looking pretty good. I’ve got a good feeling about some of them.”

“So, you’ve decided to stick around for a bit?” I look at River with a friendly smile. “I’m glad. I know we don’t have much to offer, but you’re welcome to share it.”

“I hope you don’t mind. Devon said it’d be okay.” River glances at Kyle with concern in his eyes, but the big alpha is decidedly not paying attention to him.

I jump in, relieving us all of the awkward tension that’s suddenly suffocating. “For now, we’re gonna be camping on the edge of town. Hopefully, once we start getting some money in, we can land somewhere a little more sheltered.”

“Shouldn’t be too long,” Devon says, patting River’s shoulder. “One guy I talked to said that people should start flooding the town for the festival here in the next few days. So there’ll be huge demand for extra hands just about everywhere.”

“Come on,” Kyle says after a moment of silence. “I’ve got directions to the campground. I wanna get set up before it starts to get dark.”