Although he sat quietly, Aidenâ€™s mind was spinning. The expectation leading up to the escape, the terror of passing under the guardâ€™s rifles, the freezing cold river, lack of sleep, the thrill of his newfound freedom, thoughts of the futureâ€¦ all of these things were too much to process. To boot, he now experienced a subtle sense of anxiety about being outside the prison walls â€“ something he never expected. Apparently life on the outside was going to take some mental adjustment.<br/><br/>All of those emotions were drowned out, though, by a profound sense well-being that came from being so close to Carina. He had always found her attractive, brilliant, clever â€“ but an Alpha. He never thought she would ever see him as anything other than a friend. As such, he always had been careful not to give her any other indication of his attraction to her. Up until that moment he saw her as untouchable, unreachable â€“ on a pedestal forced upon her by society. It was a pedestal that she hated, but nonetheless was stuck with. It was the same with him, except that he was trapped beneath that same pedestal as a fourth-class citizen.<br/><br/>Aiden always prided himself on being a realist, and he compartmentalized her as being out of his league. Now that they sat right up against each other, his arm around her â€“ her head on his shoulder â€“ perhaps that was not the case. The softness of her hand and the warmth from her body were intoxicating. He was simply overwhelmed by the suddenness of their closeness, and the unexpected feelings that had sprung up inside him. Oddly, it felt as if he had known her his whole life.<br/><br/>Her breathing became rhythmic, and he could tell she was asleep. That simple act struck him as an intensely intimate sign of trust, and perhaps shared feelings. Her breath on his neck eventually calmed the chaos in his mind. He positioned his head so that he could feel her forehead on his cheek. He threaded his fingers through hers and gently pulled her closer. In that moment no one else in the world existed, and all was right. Her gentle presence lulled him into what was a formerly unimaginable state of calm. Entwined, lost in her, he finally fell asleep.<br/><br/>Aiden slept until the bus finally lurched to a stop. His eyes opened sleepily to see they were at the Greyhound terminal on 8th avenueâ€¦ in New York City. He was finally home. Through the low hanging fog and diffuse morning light he could make out the tall buildings of Lower Manhattan. The thrill at being back was instantly tempered by what he knew had to happen next.<br/><br/>They were the last ones off the bus. As it pulled away, Aiden took Carina by the hand to slow her pace. â€œWe need to talk,â€ he said simply. â€œOut here, where we can be alone.â€ Aiden knew that outside in the rain was the only place they would have privacy in the crowded bus terminal area. Rain soaked his hair and ran down his face.<br/><br/>â€œWe need to split up. Togetherâ€¦ weâ€™re too easy to spot. Iâ€™m so sorryâ€¦â€  He could not have looked sadder than he did in that moment. â€œIâ€™m sorryâ€¦â€