by Connor Crowe
My shifter side had saved my ass more times than I could think. It kept me safe. Kept me warm on the cold streets before the Black Hands took me in. Helped me find work. Helped me get paid.
If I didn’t have that anymore…what was I?
My hands balled into fists, chest heaving. I could worry about that later, when I was out of harm’s way. Didn’t make the emotion any less raw, any less terrifying, but it would have to do.
I followed the tunnel with a hand to the wall, passing over twists, turns, and dead ends. The air grew less stale as I ascended, switch back after switch back leading me toward the surface. Finally, with a cool breeze and a gasping breath of life, I found the exit.
A small trapdoor, probably just as overgrown with moss and weeds as the original room had been with paint, rested just above my head. I could still see prickles of sunlight creeping through the cracks and hear the chittering sounds of wildlife above me.
Once I got above ground, there would be no hiding any longer. I’d have to get my bearings and get the hell out, fast. There was no telling where I’d surfaced, and even my talented sense of navigation had been muddled by so many turns in the dark.
Once I opened this door, there would be no turning back.
I tried once again to shift, to contact the fox dwelling in my soul. No matter what I tried, however, it remained just out of my reach.
If I ever ran into those wolf bastards again, I vowed, I’d make them pay. I’d make them undo what they’d done to me, and make sure it never happened again.
For now, though? It was fight or flight. That simple.
I took a deep breath and pushed upward, letting the dirt and dust from the forgotten door rain down on my head.
Sunlight.
Bright and blinding.
I squinted my eyes against the sudden intrusion and peered out across the landscape.
Trees, roots, and stumps surrounded me. Rocks scattered across a long-forgotten path. No one was in sight. No one, at least, that I could see.
I turned, trying to get my bearings. Just because I wasn’t surfacing into an ambush didn’t mean I was home free. By the location of the sun I appeared to be facing west, and that meant…
A tall, barbed wire fence stretched tall and ominous behind me.
I blinked, heart racing faster.
I was out.
I was free.
That fence marked the edge of Nox Bay territory, and whoever had built this tunnel had led me right to the pack borders.
I should have been excited. Overjoyed, actually. I’d escaped Nox Bay and lived to tell the tale. There was still the matter of not being able to shift, and I’d attract attention running around as a naked human, but for now, I was free.
They wouldn’t come beyond their lands looking for me—they were much too secretive for that.
But as I stood there, staring at the fence and reveling in my newfound freedom, I realized something even more disheartening.
I couldn’t go home.
Life in the Black Hands had never been easy. In fact, it was downright brutal at times. If they hadn’t brought me in off the streets when I was a kid then I probably wouldn’t be alive today. But at what cost?
The alpha wolf’s features flashed through my memory once more, startling up a new and confusing combination of feelings.
The Black Hands were using me and the other omegas to achieve their greedy ends. I knew that. But at the same time, it was all I had. All they made us believe we would ever be good for. I may have been a celebrated thief, but in reality? I was no more than their slave.
There was another problem, too—I still didn’t have the Eye. The thought of going back to the compound empty-handed—not an option.
So there was really only one thing to do. I needed to flee.
Looked like I’d gotten my wish to get out and start a new life after all.
This sure would be easier in fox form.
My body ached and my soft human skin scratched against the twigs and fallen leaves. I moved as quietly as I could, but it still felt like a cacophony when I was used to moving in fur.
Damn wolves. Damn them all.
I continued to move west, staying beneath the shade and thick clusters of trees. I didn’t see another man for hours, and for a moment I wondered if I’d surfaced into some parallel world.
My mind had plenty of time to stew on things as I crept toward safety. I was completely and totally alone now. No one to look out for me. No one to stand up for me if I got lost or hurt.
In a way, it was exhilarating. Not that I thought I could ever fully escape the Black Hands’ mighty reach, but if I could just get far enough away…
Stupid idea. I know. But I was naked, cold, and hurting. The compound would never take me back after botching such an important mission, and if they did? I had no stomach for the “discipline” my mentor would dole out this time.
So I was lost. Alone. And since I couldn’t access my fox, I was pretty much dead meat.
As if agreeing with me, a single, ear-splitting howl cut through the air. Then another.
The sound chilled me to my bones.
Wolves.
My feet were moving before my brain could fully process the information. Wolves were nocturnal, weren’t they? They shouldn’t be out, not right now…
Nox Bay. What if they were back? What if they were tracking me?
I ran, unmindful of where I was heading. Flee, my omega senses reared up within me. Flee!
So much for being a badass thief. So much for being the Crimson Fox. Sheer terror had taken over my body, and my only goal was self preservation.
Flee, my mind cried. Flee, while you still can!
The word bounced in my brain like a drum until I heard their footfalls behind me.
I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. Their long fangs, drooling maws, fierce muscles would be on me in an instant—if I didn’t trip and break a leg first.
I ran, my legs burning and chest heaving. I ran, until the trees fell away and the ground turned rocky. I ran, until the ground ran out.
My feet skidded on the gravel and stopped just in time. A sheer drop spread out below me, plunging twenty feet or more into a creek. The ground was soft here, already crumbling under the weight of my approach. My hands grasped out for something, anything to hold on to. Nothing came.
The ground shifted and gravel clattered off the edge, splashing into the shallow water below. One look down at the craggy stone littered bank, and I knew I wouldn’t make it.
And for my other option? Becoming the snack of two hungry wolves.
Just my fucking luck.
I reeled and windmilled my arms, trying to keep from tumbling over the edge. I couldn’t shift. I couldn’t jump. I couldn’t fight them.
Couldn’t fight them and win, anyway.
Another howl rang out, right behind me. My blood turned to ice, but an eerie sense of calm passed over me. This was it. If I was going to go, I’d go out fighting.
I balled my fists. If I was going to meet Death today, I would meet her head on.
7
Felix
A new howl cut through the air.
This one was different.
This one was almost…familiar.
Maybe I was hearing things. Maybe my brain was going haywire in the last moments of my life. But I could have sworn that howl spoke to me.
Take heart, it whispered. You are safe now.
Steeled by that final call, I opened my eyes to face my attackers.
A huge grey wolf launched out from the tree line, fangs bared, claws out. Easily twice the size of the other wolves, he barreled into them without mercy. They yelped and snapped at him, claws and fur flying in a frenzy too fast for my eyes to follow.
The huge wolf had come out of nowhere. I hadn’t heard his steps approach like the others. I watched, frozen and curling into myself at the edge of the cliff as they fought for dominance. The larger wolf growled so deep I felt it in my belly. His fang
s sunk into the other wolf’s flesh and blood flew, spattering the pale, rocky ground.
In another instant both wolves were on him, growling and scratching and biting. Despite his size, fighting off two adult wolves was no easy task, even for this giant.
Time seemed to pass in slow motion as I watched them fight. For a brief second, the newcomer’s huge golden eyes met mine.
Oh my god.
It was him.
I leapt out of the way of the snarling mess just in time. My back scraped against loose stones and I hissed in pain, but it didn’t have time to register. Something else had taken up residence there and outweighed everything else.
My fox surged to the surface, glowing hotter and brighter like a new ember.
Where before there was only silence, now there was joy. There was triumph. There was hope.
The connection reforged in the presence of the alpha, reconnecting as easily as two magnetic links. I didn’t have much time to think or question. I gave myself over to the shift and let the spirit of the fox surround me.
Shifting was always a joyous, almost spiritual experience, but this time, the feeling of turning into my fox was almost orgasmic. After the fear and angst over losing my shift, being able to reconnect was nothing short of extraordinary. Relief, power, hope, and there was something else too…a burning ember that wouldn’t be put out. It burned brighter, roaring to life within my heart and setting my soul aflame.
That alpha wolf was my mate.
A broken whimper erupted from the tangle of wolves and Markus skidded to the ground, his side rising and falling rapidly. A long scratch raked along his neck and blood oozed out onto the ground. He wasn’t moving, and the two wolves surrounded him now, ready to finish the job.
I didn’t think. Didn’t have time to.
I threw myself at the wolves, knowing only that I had to draw them away from Markus.
Luckily, my blood curdling screech took their attention away from their prey just long enough for them to focus on me instead.
Unluckily, that meant I was next on the menu. Didn’t really think that far ahead.
I ran, my back legs pumping and gravel flying. I had an idea, but if I didn’t pull it off flawlessly…
Yeah. Didn’t wanna think about that.
Markus was still crumpled on the ground, his breaths coming slower. His eyes searched for mine and I tried to call out to him as he had to me.
Stay there. I’ll help you.
I moved faster and weaved in and out of the trees, using all of my agility to tire the wolves. They were only steps behind me and I could hear their growls, nearly feel the heat of their breath…
And then I made a beeline for the cliff.
No! The cry rang out in my mind.
I paid it no heed. I picked up speed even more, the wind rushing over my fur and the stones scattering beneath my paws. The wolves were gaining. I pulled my tail close to my body, praying I could avoid those terrible jaws for just a moment longer.
The cliff came into view and rushed up to meet me. I counted down the seconds.
Three.
Hot breath at my back.
Two.
Snarling, salivating wolves.
One.
My mate, broken and bleeding. It was all my fault.
My paws struck the crumbling cliff face and I dove to the side at the last second, tumbling end over end as the world spun around me.
There was a yelp. A crack. A cry.
I curled into a ball. Covered my eyes. The sound of cracking, crumbling dirt and rock echoed over the cliff, along with the sounds of two scrabbling, panicked pairs of paws.
A slow, tense silence stretched out for two terrible seconds. Then a final whimper. A splash. And a bone-crushing crash.
It was over.
8
Markus
Stupid omega.
Stupid, sexy, life-saving omega.
I opened my eyes, my vision still blurred from the blood trickling off my forehead.
The sounds of crumbling stone and the distant splash below brought me out of my haze and panic took hold.
Felix!
I tried to get up. My back legs cried out—yup, something definitely injured back there—but my heart raced faster regardless.
Something moved out of the corner of my eye. I nearly swiped out my injured paw on instinct, ready to fight to the death if need be.
His fluffy red snout came into view. A fox, I realized in awe. He was a fucking fox! To my surprise, he didn’t run. He didn’t take off for the trees and freedom.
He limped closer and lay down beside me, curling his tail close to his body and warming me with his body heat.
It didn’t make any sense. Every bit of rational thought told me that the fox was nothing but trouble. That I should have let him go. That I shouldn’t have cared that the ferals cornered him, and that I definitely shouldn’t have thrown myself into the fray to save a prisoner’s life.
But he was more than just a prisoner.
He was my mate, and denying it wouldn’t change a thing.
My energy waned and I knew I couldn’t stay in this form much longer. Slowly I felt the wolf side of me melting away, reverting back to my human form.
And there was my fox, also changing. He came back to himself in a fetal position, his knees clasped to his chest and his bare skin pebbled with goosebumps.
For a moment, my injuries didn’t matter. My omega did.
“You stayed,” I said. It was the first thing that came to mind, the first thought playing on repeat without end.
He opened his eyes and looked up at me. There was almost the hint of a smile at the corners of his lips.
What I wouldn’t give to see that smile every day for the rest of my life.
“You could have escaped,” I continued. “That’s what you were trying to do, wasn’t it?”
Felix looked away. “Yeah,” he said, staring at the ground. “I mean…yeah, I wanted to get away. I didn’t want to be trapped. But if you hadn’t come…” he trailed off. “Your pack probably isn’t going to be too happy about this, are they?”
I grimaced. Arric was right. How would a disgraced fox shifter fit in with a pack such as ours? Especially when everyone thought he was a criminal?
“Let’s not worry about that,” I said, propping myself up on an elbow. I didn’t miss the way Felix’s eyes raked down my naked body. “You’re hurt.”
“You’re hurt worse,” Felix interrupted me. “Can you make it back to pack lands?”
I huffed out an amused breath. “Well aren’t you just full of surprises.”
“What?” He asked, tilting his head.
“You want to go back to the belly of the beast? Thought that would be the last place you’d want to go right now. They know you’ve escaped. They don’t know I came after you, but they’ll be looking, and they won’t go easy on you this time.”
“But you’re the Pack Alpha. Surely you make the rules?”
Felix turned that over for a moment. At last, he shrugged. “I want to help you.”
The words swelled in my heart, but I shook my head. “Why? What’s in it for you?”
He winced. “You saved my life. I’m gonna save yours.”
I barked out a laugh. “So we’re even.”
Was that all it was?
“Can you stand?” Felix asked, changing the subject. He stood and offered me his hand.
I knew that the moment I touched him, the need to mate him would consume me once more. But I also knew that if I didn’t let him help me, I could die.
The sacrifices I make, right?
I wrapped my hand around his, and his warmth flowed into me, filling me up from the inside out. It was like I had been freezing all my life without even knowing about it. Now that he was here, I knew real warmth. I knew what it was like to feel alive.
My body screamed out in pain as he helped me to my feet and we took a few shaky steps. I tried to keep a straight face, but the pain from the
cut on my thigh only heightened. Each step felt like walking on glass, and finally I had to tell him to stop.
We sat, panting, as I inspected my feet.
There was a gash there too, and now I’d gotten dirt all in it. No wonder it hurt like a bitch.
“Stay here,” Felix commanded. “I’m going to get something to dress that for you.”
I reached out. “What? You’re a healer?”
He laughed. “No, but let’s just say I’ve spent a lot of my life outdoors, and a lot of time looking out for myself. I can make do.”
He disappeared into the brush, and even though I knew he wasn’t going far, I counted the seconds until he returned.
Damn it all, I was falling. Falling fast.
“Owww!” I hissed for the fifth time as Felix pressed the healing poultice to my wounds.
“If you’d stop flinching, it would hurt a lot less.”
“But…owww!”
“Guess you’re not the mean growly alpha you try to be in front of the pack,” Felix teased.
“Why do you care?”
“Cause I think there’s more to you. You treated me like a human, which is more than I can say about my previous employer. And I just treated you like shit.” His face fell, belying some hidden sadness. My heart broke for him in that instant. What had happened to him? What was his life like, that being imprisoned would be a better treatment?
“That should be it,” Felix said, cinching the last makeshift bandage around my shoulder. “Now just don’t do anything crazy, and those cuts should heal up in no time.”
He stood and wiped his hands, regarding me. Thing was, we were both still naked. And he was still an omega.
As the tension and pain began to fade away in my limbs, I realized something else. I didn’t just want to claim this man in some primal frenzy. I wanted to know him. Understand him. And maybe, the secret part inside of me hoped, show him a life above whatever horrors he’d endured.
