The Omega's Heart (Wilde Creek Four) Read online

  As quickly as his anger appeared, it receded. Adam drained the bottle and slammed it hard on the tabletop. “I’ll see you at Dade’s at six.”

  Jeremiah nodded, watching as Adam slipped from the booth and walked stiffly to the exit. Dade was Acksel’s father, so clearing his driveway first made sense. Jeremiah wondered what was going on with Adam. At least he was able to shift. Jeremiah would give just about anything to be able to shift, even once. To know what it was like to run in the woods on four paws, feel the wind through his fur. Instead of hunting on the full moons, he was relegated to fixing dinner for the alphas and their guests, running errands, and basically being the pack whipping boy. He should be grateful for what he had, but all he felt lately was bitter. He’d even talked recently about leaving. He could take banishment and find his own way somewhere else, live among humans and forget he was ever part of a pack.

  Luke, Eveny’s human mate and the owner of Poke’s, stopped in front of the table and picked up Adam’s empty bottle. “Is everything okay, Jeremiah?”

  “Yeah, thanks.” He finished the last bit in the bottle and Luke took it.

  “Be careful out there, it’s a mess tonight.”

  “Thanks, you too.”

  Jeremiah tossed a few dollars onto the table as he stood. Tugging his coat on, he wove his way through the crowd and headed outside. The bitter January wind licked at his face, but he ignored it. Fortunately, like most shifters he ran warmer than humans, so he wasn’t as bothered by cold temperatures as they were. He turned on his truck, extracted the window scraper from behind the front seat and scraped the windows free of ice and snow, and then he headed to Wilde Creek Auto to pick up the trailer and snow blowers which were kept in a storage building there. After attaching the trailer to his truck, he covered the blowers with a tarp to keep the snow off them, and stopped to fill them with gas before heading home.

  He lived in the home he grew up in, a three-bedroom Cape Cod on a quiet street. It had been built by his dad as a wedding gift for his mom; they lived in it until Jeremiah turned seventeen, and then his dad left and joined another pack. He said that he wanted a fresh start, that it was time to move on, but Jeremiah hadn’t been asked to join him. He’d been ashamed that he had a son who couldn’t shift. The partial shifting that Jeremiah could do — his body bulking slightly, claws and fangs emerging, and even fur on his arms and legs — was an embarrassment to the family, and his dad chose to walk away instead of staying and supporting him. His mom stayed until he finished high school and turned eighteen, and then she joined his dad. She wasn’t ashamed of his non status, but she missed her mate and Jeremiah didn’t blame her for that. It wasn’t her fault that he couldn’t shift, it was just fate.

  He parked in the driveway of his home and walked up the covered front porch, stomping the snow from his boots as he unlocked the front door. Stepping into the warmth of the house, he shut the door and unlaced his boots, setting them on the rug to dry and hanging up his coat. Passing by the dining room, which he’d converted into a weight room, he walked through the family room to the master bedroom. After dropping his clothes into the laundry basket in the closet, he climbed into bed and set his alarm for five a.m. so he could meet Adam at Dade’s.

  The house was empty. Silent. The room was dark, the bed cold and empty. Not that he’d expected to walk into the house tonight and find the woman of his dreams waiting for him; he was a realist after all. But he did wish that things were different. That he wasn’t alone, an outcast among his people, always on the outside looking in. Adam was clearly feeling the weight of their status too, considering how upset he’d seemed earlier.

  He’d been considering leaving for a while now, and maybe he really would. He hated being thought of as less than just because he couldn’t shift. He’d started working out in his late teens, determined to be a powerful male, but no matter the muscles or the training he had, he was never asked to guard the mates, patrol around Wilde Creek, or help out in any way other than in service of the others. The protectors, those ranked males who were under the alpha in authority but had authority over all omegas, thought less of him because he couldn’t shift. He’d won many fights against them in human form, but it didn’t matter, at least not to them.

  Some omegas liked their status, but like Adam, Jeremiah had had the status thrust on him. Maybe now it was time for a change. He shook his head at himself and stared up at the dark ceiling. He’d been feeling off for a few weeks now, and he couldn’t explain it. Maybe he’d just had enough of being an omega, and his inner wolf, no matter how lacking in actual fur and claws he was, appeared to be telling him it was time to move on.

  It wasn’t too much to ask that he be able to find a mate and have a family, was it? He knew that she-wolves didn’t want to be with him because they were afraid that his non-shifting genes would be passed on to future generations. A human woman might not care, though.

  Deciding to think about it more in the morning, he rolled over and closed his eyes, drifting away to sleep.

  Chapter 3

  After the house got quiet Thursday night, Honey slipped silently down to the first floor with her bag slung over her shoulder and her purse tucked under her arm. In college, she’d heard some of the wolves talk about their alpha’s homes as if they were fortresses, with security patrols, and some even with high fences and guarded gates. Her father didn’t believe in guards. In his opinion, he was too much of a badass for anyone to bother coming into his home to mess with him or her. So far, that had proved true. The safest place she’d ever been was within the walls of his home… until now.

  She knew that she could actually go to Redlin and stay with her friends, but that wasn’t far enough away. Her father could send pack members to grab her as soon as he figured out where she was. No, she needed to get far away. Far enough that he wouldn’t know where she was and wouldn’t be able to find her before the full moon.

  To throw her father off a bit, she placed a note on the kitchen counter, telling him that she was going to the bridal shower and that she would be home on Sunday night as she’d said. What he wouldn’t know, though, was that she was going in the opposite direction, as far away from Wyling River as she could get. She’d find a safe place to stay for the full moon and then she’d keep going. She’d thought to come back in a few weeks, but now she wasn’t sure she’d be welcome. She was deliberately going against her father’s word, which as alpha carried a lot of weight. He could punish her severely for leaving.

  Disappearing seemed like a good plan. She’d left her cell phone on her bed before she came downstairs. She didn’t like being without her phone, but she could get a pay-as-you-go phone somewhere for any calls she’d need to make. She didn’t doubt for a minute that she was doing the right thing. Something was up with her dad, and it was happening two days after the full moon. Whatever it was, she sure as hell didn’t want to be there when it went down.

  She slipped through the back door easily and walked to her car, tossing her bag and purse onto the back seat and sitting behind the wheel. Turning on the engine, and without waiting for it to warm up, she backed smoothly out of the driveway and out onto the street. She was leaving Wyling River behind. Maybe for a few weeks, maybe forever.

  * * * * *

  Saturday afternoon, as exhaustion blurred her vision and her back ached from sitting in the car for so long, she pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store and turned off the engine. Resting her head on the steering wheel, she yawned loudly, wondering what her next step would be.

  She’d been sleeping in the car for a few hours here and there, but she really needed a place to stay. As a precaution, she hadn’t used her credit cards and had brought only the cash she’d been able to get out of the ATM in town before she left. That wouldn’t last long.

  “You’re an idiot,” she groaned out loud, annoyed at herself for not planning her escape very well. Hell, she didn’t even know what she was escaping from. Her father could have been planning a party for her,
not something nefarious.

  Snorting, she rubbed her eyes and said, “You’re also hallucinating.” As if her father would do anything nice for her that didn’t directly benefit him. He’d never been the fatherly type; he was all alpha authority, all the time.

  She twisted the key in the ignition to turn on the battery and looked at the GPS screen. Zooming out, she poked around on the screen until a town name about three hours away came up. Wilde Creek. Zooming in, she noticed lots of green areas, which probably meant woods. That was good news for her with the upcoming full moon. Maybe there was a pack in town, and she could pretend to be a road-weary traveler and crash with a single female for a few days until she figured out her next steps. Not that she’d be pretending too much. She really was weary.

  If she drove to Wilde Creek and just waltzed into town, they’d probably be suspicious of her. But if she was in distress, they’d be more inclined to help her – at least she hoped. She looked out the windshield at the fast-falling snow, not relishing the idea of making herself relatively helpless and reliant on the kindness of strangers, especially not when the sun would be setting soon and the already frigid temperatures continued to fall. But if she wanted to be able to hunt on the full moon, she knew she needed to strand herself to buy some time. Then she could keep moving on. Or who knows, maybe she’d find something in Wilde Creek worth staying for.

  She snorted loudly as she turned off the battery and extracted the key. “Now I know you’re really hallucinating. You’re not that lucky.”

  * * * * *

  Acksel watched from the kitchen at Luna’s as his mate and several omegas packed up the bridal shower gifts. She’d told him that males weren’t allowed, but of course that was only until she needed someone to schlep the gifts out to the truck. Then she was very happy to see him and the males he’d brought to help.

  “She got quite a haul,” Zander, one of the pack protectors, and son of the owners of Luna’s, said as he refilled Acksel’s coffee.

  “The females really came out in force for her,” Acksel agreed, nodding.

  “I’m patrolling in town tonight,” Zander said, leaning against the metal counter.

  “Why did Sam take you off guarding our house?” Acksel used the pack protectors to keep watch over his own house and Brynn, his mate. He trusted himself to be able to keep her safe at all times, but she had been kidnapped by his enemies before they mated, and with her pregnancy, he’d become a little more nuts about her safety.

  “He said he wants to try everyone at all the protector jobs for a while and then figure out where our strengths are so we can be utilized effectively. I like guarding your house; patrols have to deal with humans.”

  The protectors who patrolled in town looked out for pack members to ensure their safety. That meant keeping an eye on Poke’s, among other things. Some protectors enjoyed the patrols, while some preferred to be stationed in one place, guarding a home. It wasn’t only Acksel’s home that had guards, the elders did as well, and anytime a mated male was away from his female overnight, guards watched their home for him.

  Acksel knew that Sam was feeling out the protectors for specific jobs. “I’m sure that Sam will put you where you’re most comfortable, but if it helps I’ll mention it to him. Brynn enjoys seeing the same protectors; she gets nervous when rotations are changed.”

  Acksel’s phone beeped and he reached into his pocket and extracted it, seeing Mia Slattery’s name flash across the screen. She and Malachi’s mate, Nila, had left the bridal shower already.

  “Mia?”

  “Hi, Acksel. There’s a broken-down car on Radial Road and a she-wolf is behind the wheel. I called Ren to come get her, but because she’s a stranded wolf I wanted to let you know.”

  He frowned. “Was the car in a wreck? Does she need Doc?”

  “No for both. She said the car just stopped, but the battery is working so she’s in her car and Nila and I are in mine just ahead of her. We’ll leave when Ren shows up.”

  “Tell Ren I’ll meet him at the station. Thanks for calling, Mia.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Ending the call, he finished his coffee and walked out to see Brynn. Bending over the back of her chair, he kissed her and rested his hand on her swelling stomach. “I’m running up to the auto center to check on a stranded she-wolf.”

  “I’ll bring Brynn home for you. You can borrow my car,” Zander said, stepping from the kitchen with his keys in his hand.

  “Thanks,” Acksel said, taking the keys.

  “Is the she-wolf okay? You said she’s stranded?” Brynn asked.

  “According to Mia, yes.”

  “Where will she stay?”

  “I haven’t thought that far yet, love.”

  “There’s an apartment over the auto center; maybe Ren would let her stay there, at least until he gets her car fixed,” Brynn said.

  He smiled at his mate and kissed her. “I’ll check in when I know what’s going on.” He looked at Zander. “Be careful with my mate.”

  “Of course, Alpha,” he said seriously.

  Acksel walked toward the front door, snagged his coat off the hook and put it on as he walked out of the restaurant and got into Zander’s car. It took only a few minutes to drive to the auto center. The lights inside the center were on, and a lone female stood shivering next to the reception desk. Acksel drove around the side of the building and found Ren unhooking an older-looking sedan from the tow truck.

  “Need any help?”

  “Nah, thanks though. I’m going to get it on the lift and then take a look at it tomorrow. It’s too fucking late.”

  “What’s her story?”

  “She almost bit off her tongue telling me her name because she was so cold, so I didn’t press her for details. Her name is Honey.”

  “The full moon is Monday. Think you’ll have any problem getting the car running so she can get back to her pack?”

  “I haven’t looked at the engine, but I don’t see why not, unless something really serious is wrong with it. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Is the apartment in your garage in decent shape?”

  “Yeah. It was the old owner’s. After his wife left him, he liked to stay late and work on cars. You want me to put her up?”

  “It would be the neighborly thing to do.”

  Ren snorted. “Sure. I’ll make sure it’s decent.”

  “I’m going to chat with her for a few minutes. Keep me posted.”

  “Sure thing, Acksel.”

  Acksel got back into the car and drove around to the front of the building, parked and got out. Honey stared at him as he walked into the building.

  “My name is Acksel Moore, I’m alpha of the Wilde Creek Pack.” He walked toward her slowly and extended his hand.

  “I’m Honey Williams.”

  Her hand was cold when she met his, and he wondered how long she’d been stranded at the side of the road before Mia happened to drive by. He also wondered about her being away from her pack so close to the full moon.

  She shivered, but he didn’t think it was from still being cold. She seemed nervous. His first thought was that she might be banished from her own pack and just looking for a place to settle for the full moon. He didn’t allow banished wolves around his pack, so she’d have to get on her way out of his territory before Monday night.

  “What’s your story, Honey?”

  * * * * *

  Honey knew she had just one chance with the alpha. If he was anything like her father, then he wouldn’t give second chances and expected the truth at all times. It was tempting to lie and pass herself off as an innocent victim of circumstance, but it would just be a matter of time before the mechanic opened the hood of her car and saw the damage she’d done.

  As night fell, she’d stopped her car at the side of the road in Wilde Creek, popped the hood, got out into the blistering cold, and started pulling wires. Fortunately she hadn’t disengaged the battery; she knew enough about cars to leave th
ose wires alone.

  Then she’d sat in the car and waited. Even with the heater going she was still cold, and by the time the she-wolf Mia stopped by, she was downright frozen.

  Steeling herself against the tears that threatened, she lowered her eyes to the floor and said, “I left my pack.”

  “You were banished?”

  Her head jerked up at the implication, but then she returned her gaze to the floor. “No. Things were getting strange at home and I wanted to get away for a while.”

  “Does your alpha know you’re gone?”

  She swallowed hard and blinked a few times against the sting of tears. “Yes.”

  Acksel was quiet for a long moment and she could feel him looking at her. The front door swung open and they both looked, watching as a woman strode inside, a young male trailing behind her.

  “Brynn!” Acksel admonished, rushing to her and keeping her away from Honey.

  The woman shoved out of his arms and tugged off her wool cap as she closed the distance to Honey. Without a word, Brynn hugged Honey and said, “Welcome to Wilde Creek. I bet you’re hungry. I brought dinner; I’m freaking starving.”

  Brynn stepped back and Honey blinked in surprise. “Um, thank you?”

  “My name is Brynn. Acksel, stop growling! She’s a guest.”

  Honey had never seen anyone talk to an alpha like that. She tensed, ready to step between Brynn and Acksel if he raised his hand to strike her. But instead of getting angry, he just snarled, his eyes full of affection.

  “Woman,” he groaned.

  Brynn laughed. “I’m the alpha female of the Wilde Creek Pack. Zander, why don’t you set up our food over there and then you can stand guard. As long as it’s okay with your alpha male,” she added sweetly, batting her eyes at her mate.