by Lisa Oliver
Small hands ran up his arms, stroking his skin, reminding Sean that Caden was probably feeling a bit uncomfortable seeing as his teeth were still lodged in the man’s neck, and his cock still held tight in a snug ass. He carefully released his teeth first, licking over the wound, watching the punctured skin close in front of his eyes. The remaining scabs would be healed within a day. Raising his chest, Sean saw Caden was watching him, his own brilliant blue eyes showing nothing but sexual satisfaction and a calmness that was so rare in the smaller wolf.
“You okay?” Sean didn’t know why he felt compelled to ask. It wasn’t as though he usually cared how his sexual partners felt after the deed was done. But there was something different about Caden and that went beyond their mating bond. Caden’s spirit called to Sean, made him want to be a better man, and his heart filled with pride when Caden nodded. His pretty man was blushing, and that brought a whole new sensation to Sean’s heart, one he was totally unfamiliar with – Gods, he hoped those fluttery signals weren’t a sign he was getting sick.
Unnerved, Sean resorted to practicalities, carefully pulling out of Caden’s body and getting off the bed, heading for the bathroom. Clean his mate up, get the man some food, and then…well, the real world wasn’t going to go away, but at least he would be by his mate’s side, while they faced whatever had to be done.
/~/~/~/~/
The sun had fully gone down by the time Caden followed Sean into his father’s office. The soft lamps in the corner of the room belied the tension Caden felt swamp Sean’s body as his mate got a good look at the occupants. As he stepped into the room, he swallowed his own gasp as he saw Josiah and Matt, leaning up against the side wall. Ian was sitting at his desk and another large man, a wolf shifter, was sitting in one of the chairs in front of the desk.
At any other time Caden would have appreciated the ambience of the Alpha’s office. Ian was clearly a fan of art and books, with both on display in the cabinets and on the walls. The pictures were photos of wolves and Caden wondered if they were pack – he didn’t see Sean’s black wolf form in any of the pictures, but then there were quite a few group shots, and he didn’t have the chance to take a closer look at them.
“What the hell are they doing in here?” Sean’s body trembled, and Caden put his hand on Sean’s back instinctively. Sean had spent a lot of time, before the meeting, reminding Caden of what he had achieved, and Caden was determined to conduct himself in a manner befitting a grown man, a successful man. If Sean lost his temper, Caden wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold onto his vow.
“They are here to apologize to Caden and Felix, and to offer their help if they can,” Ian said. Caden noticed that the man didn’t raise his voice, or seem anything other than calm, but the power in his tone was hard to ignore. Sean still seemed tense, but he didn’t say anything else, simply leading Caden to the other seat in front of the desk, choosing to stand behind it. He heard Felix and Liam take a seat on the small couch that was along one wall. Ian shook his head, a small smile on his face, but he turned to the stranger in the room.
“Mickey, I’m sure you remember my stubborn son, Sean, and this is his mate, the Omega, Caden. The good looking human on the couch is Liam’s mate, Felix. Felix and Caden have been friends for about three years. Caden, this is Mickey Galloway. He’s a good friend, and has been the Omega representative in this area for years. You can trust him.”
Caden looked at Mickey. Unlike Josiah who was all muscles and had a sullen look on his rugged face, or Matt who was movie star handsome but perpetually in heat, Mickey had the look of a shifter who loved the outdoors. His face was kindly, his green eyes sparkled and his long dark hair framed solid features.
“Caden, it’s an honor to meet you,” Mickey said, and even his low voice was soothing. Caden felt comfortable with the man; that was unusual in itself and he found himself relaxing.
“As you can imagine,” Mickey went on, “I have a number of things I need to ask you, but first, I understand two of our finest troubleshooters have shot themselves in the foot and owe you and Felix an apology?” His voice quirked up at the end of his question and Caden got the idea that Mickey was trying hard not to laugh. That endeared him to the man even more, and he turned and fixed his gaze on Josiah and Matt who were both looking decidedly uncomfortable.
Matt shoved his elbow in Josiah’s ribs and the man glared at his partner, but then looked at Caden. “I’m sorry,” he said in a gruff voice.
“Sorry for what, Josiah?” Seems Mickey was determined that Josiah was going to grovel to make things right.
Josiah looked at the wall over Caden’s head and said in a monotone, “I’m sorry I insulted you, suggested that you were a liar, that you were a criminal, and that you were too weak to be bothered with. I didn’t mean to make light of your fated mate status, and I had no right to threaten to lock up your mate.”
“Fuck, you were lucky Sean didn’t take the killing bite, I would have if you’d spoken to my mate like that,” Mickey said. “Now your turn, Matt.”
“What? I didn’t say anything wrong to Caden or Felix,” Matt said, looking at Mickey in shock.
“I know what you’re like, Matt,” Mickey said with a knowing grin. “Cough it out, confess your sins, you know you’ll feel better if you do.” The mocking tone almost made Caden smile.
“Fine,” Matt huffed. “I’m sorry that I wanted to get Caden alone so I could make a move on him, and that I checked out Sean when he was naked after he shifted. Does that make you happy, Mr. Galloway?”
“Does that make you feel better, Caden?” Mickey asked and this time his tone was sincere.
“They still owe Felix an apology,” Caden said. “There’s nothing wrong with being human, and Felix has been kind to me from our very first meeting. He’s not known about shifters for very long, but he’s been really good about everything, and as soon as he knew that I might be in danger, he wanted to help. He and Liam should be given an apology too.”
Mickey nodded and indicated that Josiah should speak up yet again. This time Caden raised his hand to hide his smile. Josiah looked like he would rather eat shit than apologize to someone he clearly considered inferior, but the big troubleshooter managed to get the words out.
“Right, now that’s done, Caden, do you think you can explain about how you came to be a lone wolf? You have to understand it’s hard for any of us to be lone wolves, especially those who are used to pack life, so I can only imagine how hard things must have been for you, to the point where you felt you had no option but to leave. Can you tell us what your life was like?” Caden felt Sean’s hand on his shoulder, and focusing on that, and Mickey’s kindly eyes, Caden opened his mouth.
Chapter Eighteen
“I didn’t leave so much as escaped,” he said. While the rest of the men sat or stood in silence, Caden explained all that he had told Sean, about his pack position, about how he had lived, and what had caused him to leave the pack. He relayed how far he’d run, and the months he spent on his own before getting to Los Angeles, and then the horrors he faced when he hit town. His voice strengthened when he spoke of meeting Felix and how the kindly man had taken him in, fed him, encouraged his art and eventually introduced him to Marla. How he’d managed to earn enough to buy his own place, and how he was so proud of the work he did, his art something he honestly enjoyed with a passion.
When he had finally finished, the mood in the room was somber. It was Ian who recovered first. “I can’t imagine how frightening it must have been to spend all of those months in your wolf form, running thousands of miles to escape your pack. But you will always have a home in this pack, young man. If anything, and I mean anything happens to Sean, then you will always have a place in this pack. We will keep you safe for the rest of your life, you have my word.”
Caden shrugged and smiled his thanks to the kindly Alpha. He didn’t think it was appropriate to mention that if anything did happen to his mate, then he would be dead too. He hadn’t been with Sean that lo
ng, but he knew he couldn’t live without his Alpha in his life. He just wouldn’t want to. However, a fleeting hand through his hair, gave Caden the impression that Sean knew what he was thinking. He reached up and entangled his fingers in the hand that was still on his shoulder, needing the extra support.
“Unfortunately, Caden, your story is not unique,” Mickey said sadly. “It is surprisingly rare for an Omega to be raised in a positive pack environment. This Williams pack is the exception rather than the rule. Many parents, if they suspect they might give birth to an Omega wolf, leave their packs, and live as lone wolves. Some packs are happy with female Omegas, but won’t tolerate male ones because they always prefer same sex partners. As an Omega representative, I can only check on those Omegas that are registered by their pack, and I have no idea how many are killed by their Alpha before they are registered. It is an attitude we at the council are trying to change, but it’s not easy. You were lucky you were strong enough to escape and survive.”
“Can you tell us more about your Alpha?” Josiah asked, and Caden was surprised at a note of softness in the man’s voice. He had never heard Josiah say anything that didn’t have an undertone of hate. Maybe the guy wasn’t as bad as he thought.
“The Alpha at Cannon Falls goes by the name of Robert Collins.” Caden refused to consider the man was his Alpha anymore. He had Sean in his life, and Ian had offered him a place in his pack. In the safety of Ian’s office, he was confident enough to think he had options. He would question whether or not he was right, later.
“I haven’t got a clue how old the man is, but I’ve never heard anyone speak of any previous Alpha. He doesn’t have parents, or any family. He has a bonded mate, a female wolf and from what I can gather they have been together forever although he’s never been faithful. They don’t have any children, in fact the pack gossip used to say that’s why he insists on taking every pack members virginity. He claims his lady is barren and he’s been trying for kids for as long as I’ve been alive.”
“Are you sure the name is Robert Collins?” Matt asked, sharing a look with Josiah. Caden didn’t know what that was about, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out, but he answered anyway.
“Yes. Big guy, well, not as big as you guys, but a lot bigger than me. Dark hair, dark eyes, big mouth, and he doesn’t believe in bathing. He has a scar that runs from his ear, down his neck, and his left leg looks like he was in a fight at some time, because half of the muscle is missing.” Caden shivered just thinking about Alpha Collins and he felt Sean’s hand run gently down his neck.
“And what’s the name of his bond mate?”
“Rebecca Collins.”
Matt and Josiah shared another look, but then Matt changed the subject. “Do you get many new pack members, lone wolves, that kind of thing?”
“Anyone who’s big enough is welcome in the pack,” Caden said, shaking his head. “It’s like Alpha Collins is trying to build an army. He won’t take in any Alphas of course, but any betas or gammas are welcome, especially if they have mates and children.”
“But once they are accepted into the pack, they can’t leave, right?” Josiah must have some agenda, but Caden couldn’t work out what it was.
“No one is allowed to leave the pack, unless they are Alphas, in which case, they leave when they turn eighteen. At least, I assume they leave, but I don’t know,” Caden said, thinking hard. “Collins has a thing about having to keep our existence a secret from humans, that it’s a shifter imperative. That’s why no one but members of the inner circle can go to town.”
“Then how does anyone meet their mates?” Sean’s voice was soft above him, but clearly everyone wanted to know the answer if the looks he got were any indication.
“The children,” Caden said. Everyone in the room gasped. “No, sorry, not like that.” Caden took a deep breath and tried again. “When any child, male or female, reaches the age of eighteen it’s the Alpha’s right to take that person’s virginity, which he does. Then a mate is assigned to that person and that’s that.” Caden shivered as he thought about what the beta had told him, when he’d turned eighteen. “Apparently, as an Omega I wasn’t fit to be a mate to anyone, so the Alpha was going to…” His voice broke and he trailed off, trying to get his thoughts together.
“Oh fuck, precious, you’re safe now.” It seemed that Sean had gotten tired of standing behind him, because Caden felt himself lifted out of his chair, and then Sean sat down, keeping Caden on his lap.
/~/~/~/~/
Sean thought he’d behaved admirably so far. He hadn’t killed Josiah or Matt. He’d stood solid and silent as he listened to his mate share his heartbreaking tale once again, even when every fiber of his being told him to hold the man close and never let him go. But when his little mate’s voice broke, after being so strong, Sean couldn’t stop his instincts a minute longer. Now he glared at Josiah and Matt – they knew something, and they were trying to hide it from the rest of the men in the room.
“You’re hiding something. Those names, Robert and Rebecca, they mean something to you. Now spit it out.”
Matt and Josiah stayed silent, and after a long minute, Ian spoke up. “I’ve met a Collins before, decades ago, when I first took over the pack. It was a courtesy call; the guy was in town for a conference or something. Seemed like a nice guy, now what was his freaking name?” Ian sat, clearly trying to remember, while Matt and Josiah fidgeted and wouldn’t look at anyone in the room.
“Bevan,” Ian said triumphantly. “Bevan Collins. He said he came from a place not far from Hampton…”
“Hampton, Minnesota,” Josiah said. He gave Matt another undecipherable look and then said, “Bevan Collins, Alpha of the Randolph pack, married to Becky Collins, a human woman. Four children – Robert, 18; Rebecca, 17; Rachel, 12; and Ryan, 8. Killed in an apparent rogue attack which took out all known members of the Randolph pack approximately thirty years ago.”
“Robert is mated to his sister!” Liam and Felix, who had been silent until now, spoke together, clearly shocked by the whole idea.
“Well, that would explain why Robert never had any kids by his mate,” Mickey said in a droll voice. Sean could understand where the man was coming from. It was physically impossible for one wolf to impregnate the other if they were from the same family.
“It can’t be the same people. What you guys don’t understand,” Matt said fiercely, “is that all of the members of that family are listed as dead. The council sent investigators there by the dozen and no one could find out what had happened to the pack. It’s not possible for this Alpha of Cannon Falls to be the same person.”
“Were all the bodies found?”
“Well, err…” Matt fell silent and Josiah answered.
“The bodies of Bevan and his mate were found outside of the pack house. The pack house had been set on fire and there were a number of charred bones in the wreckage, including those of children. When a tally was done, it was assumed that the bones were of the four children, plus the other eight pack members. They had shared the same house.”
“Bevan and Becky – were they found with whip marks on their backs, and then their heads removed?” Caden’s voice was so quiet, but Sean wasn’t the only one who stiffened at his question.
“Why do you ask, Caden, do you know something?” Mickey said, his voice just as soft.
“It’s how Alpha Collins takes care of any rogues that come into the area who don’t want to join up with him. He ties them to a post, whips the skin off their backs and then takes their heads off with an old machete he carries around with him. Then he burns the bodies.”
Sean looked at Josiah – the man’s face was white. “So all this time,” he said, keeping his focus on Josiah, “the council has been looking for some random rogue killer, when the people who actually took out the Randolph pack were the son and daughter of the Alpha. And those sick fucks have created their own pack?”
“We honestly thought they were all dead,” Josiah said. “My fathe
r worked on this case – he drove himself to death trying to find out what had happened to the whole pack. Every time any mention is made of shifters in the area, the council investigates.”
“But you haven’t found anything, have you?” Sean said, looking down at Caden. “Because no one is allowed out of the pack, once they get within the area, and if they try to leave then they’re killed, and you’ve got your reasons why the Cannon Falls pack hasn’t been registered right there. The man who founded it and calls himself the Alpha is a stone-cold killer.” His arms tightened around his mate. Fuck. How close had he come to never meeting his sweet Omega? Caden had recounted the abuse he’d clearly seen perpetuated on others in his pack, without flinching. Because it was normal for him, his brain supplied helpfully. Was it any wonder that Caden had worked so hard to make sure his picture would never hit the internet, or any publication?
“Caden can you show us where the pack grounds are?” Mickey said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
“It’s by the lake, Lake Byllesby,” Caden said.
“It’s a big lake, Caden,” Matt said. “Can you be any more specific?”
“I was in wolf form when I left, and I never even got to go into Cannon Falls – I headed in the other direction.”
