by Zoe Perdita
“You headed to work?” Jake asked as he followed Alex down the stairs.
“Planning on it,” the beta grumbled.
Everything had been so tranquil until that damn lone wolf showed up. As soon as he did, Holden’s focus changed from maintaining the pack’s status quo to incorporating as many different werecreatures into their folds as he saw fit. First the brat omega found his stuck-up Danes- then the enigma that was the Indian werecat showed up (who wasn’t technically a member of the pack, although Danny was his mate). How did they get such worldly animals in their little Idaho town?
“We need to talk before you go,” Holden said and joined them in the kitchen.
Both alpha wolves were dressed for work at the police station, Holden the captain and Jake a detective.
“Have you eaten?” Jake asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
Alex narrowed his eyes at the dark haired man. While Jake won his place as a pack alpha after dominating them, the beta still wasn’t sure if he deserved it. He didn’t act like a proper alpha anyway.
“No, I was going to pick something up.” Alex was the second in command, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to cook. That was an omega’s job or a werecat’s job. Why did Jake demean himself by doing chores meant for those ranked beneath him? Didn’t he have an ounce of pride?
“If you insist,” Jake said and pulled out several packs of bacon and sausage after he placed a pan on the stove.
“Well?” Alex asked and glanced at Holden.
The wolf ran his fingers through his light brown hair and sighed. The crow’s feet around the captain’s eyes tightened. “You know the Pend Oreille pack?”
“Yeah, Timothy’s parents run it.” The beta wolf himself grew up in Sandpoint just a short ways from that pack. As a kid, he’d played with the omega and his brothers and sisters on occasion. They’d even joined Holden’s pack around the same time due to various family ties.
“Well, it’s a bit over crowded up there. There’s a pack of Eurasian wolves and a few lone wolves around Green Bluffs cutting down on their game.”
Alex scowled. “Why don’t they go to war?”
Jake snorted as he placed the meat in the skillet, although he didn’t say anything.
Alex frowned. The former lone wolf didn’t understand pack culture at all- he’d been changed into a wolf not born as one!
“Well, the wolves don’t actually encroach on their territory at all, but you know how deer and elk are.”
Alex nodded. “So, what are you getting at?”
Holden glanced at Jake and the former lone wolf nodded once. “Well, one of Timothy’s brothers is looking for a new pack and he contacted me. Even with the latest editions to our group we still have plenty of resources.”
The beta wolf fought the growl rising to his throat. Another wolf! He knew it! “Which brother?” he grumbled.
“West. He’s a year older than Timothy.”
Alex furrowed his brow. That pack seemed to have so many kids, most of them redheads like their omega, it was hard to remember individuals. Timothy stuck out because of his nature, but the rest seemed to blend together. “I don’t remember him.”
Holden patted Alex on the back, and the beta tensed under his touch. “Well, he’ll be here in a day or two. With the others gone he should have a chance to settle in.”
Alex stepped away from the alpha and spun on his heel. This was just like them! “Didn’t you think about the rest of us? We’re up to our snouts in new wolves and now we’re going to have another one?”
Holden narrowed his eyes, and Jake stepped beside his mate. “Hey, it’s sudden for me too. But according to ‘pack law’ family ties are stronger than any other bond- if I’m understanding this right.”
Sighing, Holden nodded. “He’s not going to displace you, Alex. And I did already talk to Timothy about it. He actually seems a little excited to see one of his brothers again. It won’t be that bad- just give him a chance.”
“I need to get to work,” Alex growled and marched toward the door. He wasn’t sure what was more infuriating- pack law or that Jake was on his side for once. Well, he didn’t have time to think about that at the moment. He had a café to run.
He growled to himself almost the entire drive down the mountain. Signs of spring popped up everywhere, from the tulips and daffodils lining every yard in Kellogg to the buds on the trees ready to burst into bloom. Alex never admitted it to anyone, but it was actually his favorite time of year. Now a stupid new wolf had to ruin it!
Parking his car in front of the Full Moon Café, Alex glanced down the street at Cloud Nine, his biggest rival in town. Gunner, one of his pack mates, stood out front writing the daily specials on a chalkboard sign. When the Eurasian wolf spotted Alex he put a hand up in greeting.
Frowning, Alex walked toward him. It was still slightly too early to open shop, and his stomach had grumbled in protest all the way down the mountain. Maybe he should have had breakfast with Jake and Holden after all.
The beta nodded at the Dane and narrowed his eyes. While the Eurasian wolves never tried to advance their place in the pack, Alex still didn’t trust them. They were far too dominant to take lightly. At least Gunner wasn’t taller than him, although the Danish wolf did have a slightly stronger build.
“Did you come to spy on us again?” the wolf teased.
“It’s not spying if I do it out in the open. You’re my competition- I’m not going sit back and let you take my sales.”
“Have you made less money this quarter than usual?” Gunner asked, his forest green eyes sharp.
In truth, Alex hadn’t. While it was always slow that time of year, he hadn’t seen a dip in sales since the new café opened. But that didn’t mean he had to like it. It’s not like Cloud Nine improved his sales either. “I actually wanted to talk to Timothy. Is he in yet?”
Gunner grinned knowingly. Great! Besides Danny, he was officially the last in the pack to hear about the new wolf. “He’s in the kitchen, like always.”
Alex nodded and walked inside.
Christian took down the chairs in the dining area, his long pale blond hair tied back in a braid over his black turtleneck. Even if the beta didn’t care for these new pack members on principle- he couldn’t deny how fucking gorgeous they were. And Timothy, the tiny redheaded omega, caught their interest somehow. Well, he wasn’t about to ask what they saw in the little wolf. It was none of his business.
“Timothy?” Alex grunted.
“He’s fixing breakfast right now,” Christian said, his pale blue eyes shining the dim light.
“I thought so,” Alex said as he glanced around. While he’d gone for a rustic, laid back feel to his café- the Eurasian wolves went in another direction. Cloud Nine wasn’t all out fancy, but it had the charm of old Paris with its checkered black and white floor, the crisp white tablecloths and the photos of European cities at twilight. Somehow, it reeked of sophistication Alex had only heard about and never experienced until he met them.
He’d never admit it to another living being, but those damn Eurasian wolves made him realize how little of the world he’d seen. How little he’d experienced. And now, all his pack members had mates and he had yet to experience that too. Well, he couldn’t let it bother him. Having a mate didn’t seem like much fun- besides the sex.
Timothy looked up from the stove when the beta walked into the kitchen. He didn’t smile, but he didn’t flinch like he used to either. “I’m making poached eggs with avocado and bacon served on whole wheat toast,” he said.
“What’s wrong with eggs and bacon?” Alex grumbled as his eyes trailed over the shining stainless steel appliances. How did Gunner and Christian afford all of it?
“People can make that at home. Kellogg is becoming an international town. Our dining options have to keep up,” the omega said as he cracked a dozen eggs into a pan of simmering water.
“You sound like the tourism board.”
The tips of Timothy’s ears tur
ned bright red, and Alex frowned. “The tourism board? Really? What did they come to you for?” he growled.
“Not me! They approached Christian and Gunner about posing for a picture in their pamphlet. It’s no big deal. You were in the pamphlet last year!”
Alex scowled at nothing in particular. The board hadn’t contacted him at all this year. Out with the old and in with the new- that’s just how it went around here.
“You better put extra bacon on mine,” Alex said as he leaned against the counter. Ever since Danny and Nalin left, he’d come to Cloud Nine for breakfast to avoid eating Jake’s cooking. Neither alpha seemed to notice. Showed how much they paid attention to the pack!
“Of course,” Timothy said, the color slipping from his face slowly.
Ever since the little omega started working with his mates he’d seemed happier. Had the Full Moon Café really been that bad? Well, Alex couldn’t ask him. “So, why didn’t you tell me your brother was joining our pack? Family ties, huh?”
Timothy glanced at him. “Holden didn’t tell you first?”
Alex glowered at his feet. “I guess being a beta doesn’t mean what it used to. Are you really as excited as he said?”
The omega shrugged. “I haven’t seen West in ages, not since we formed this pack.”
Alex nodded. It’d been just as long since he’d last seen his family too. Their ties might be strong, but that didn’t mean they visited very often. “Did I ever meet him?”
“West spent a lot of time with cousins in Roosevelt so maybe not,” Timothy said and flipped the bacon. “Do you think he’ll like it here?”
He rubbed his stomach and shrugged. “I don’t care if he likes it- I just hope he learns his place.”
The omega glanced at him, his visible brown eye large. Timothy’s other eye was blind and covered with an eye patch. Alex often wondered what he’d done to deserve the punishment, but he’d never asked.
“Yeah, you should get along with West just fine.”
Somehow, Alex doubted that.
Alex smelled the other wolf before he saw him- the rich musk of a fellow beta flooding his nose. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he glanced at the front doors of the café. Cammy stood next to him, helping one of their regulars and chatting about the end of winter. A few other customers sat in the shop, drinking their coffee and reading the newspaper, but all of that seemed to vanish when Alex laid eyes on him.
The wolf stood outside of the shop, but he turned as if he felt Alex’s gaze. Tall and well toned, he moved with an easy grace. He wore simple clothes, jeans and a gray T-shirt with a well-worn blue hoodie thrown on top and a bulging bag hanging off one shoulder. His coppery red hair was straight, short and mussed with a few pieces sticking stubbornly in the air.
When their eyes met, the wolf smiled and opened the door, the sharp points of his fangs glittering in the late afternoon sun.
He walked up to the counter like he knew Alex. “Hey, I’m looking for Timothy. Do you know where he is, friend?”
Alex’s skin prickled as he looked at the other beta. A light dusting of golden freckles graced the wolf’s nose and his brown eyes were round and expressive, just like Timothy. If he was looking for the omega he had to be West. Fighting a nasty comeback to the man in front of his customers, Alex frowned. “Down the street. He doesn't work here anymore.”
“Oh, are you related to Timothy?” Cammy asked suddenly, her face lighting up.
The smirk West gave her made Alex’s stomach lurch. “As a matter of fact I am. He did used to work here, right? Do you need any extra help? I’m new to town and looking for a job,” he said smoothly and his eyes landed on Alex.
“Timothy works at Cloud Nine.” No way in hell would he hire this intruder. He might have to live with West, but he didn’t have to help him!
The redhead raised an eyebrow. “Noted. I’m West, by the way, Timothy’s brother. You must be Alex. You sure have grown up. Don’t you remember when we played as kids?”
The beta wolf gritted his teeth. “Did we? I don’t recall.”
Cammy grinned at him, but she grinned at just about everyone. “Oh, Timothy never said he had such a handsome brother! Are you really moving here?”
“For good,” West said to her before turning his attention back to Alex. “Really? No recollection? I might have to jog your memory.”
The blood rushed between Alex’s legs and he had the sudden desire to bend the stupid new wolf over one of the tables and fuck him silly while everyone in the café watched. What the hell was he thinking? Claiming this wolf wouldn’t solve his problems- it would only make them worse! But the desire flowed through his veins like blood.
“Yeah, maybe,” he grumbled. “Are you going to go see your brother or what?”
West’s lips turned up into a smirk, and he shifted the bag on his back. “Maybe I’ll wait here until you close. Holden said you’d give me a ride to the lodge.”
Narrowing his eyes, Alex took a deep breath. “Really? He didn’t run that past me. But if you want to stay you’ll have to order something.”
“Fine by me. I’m assuming this cutie will get me what I need?” he asked and winked at Cammy.
The woman giggled and smoothed her hands over her barista apron. “Sure thing. What’ll you have?”
Alex didn’t bother to excuse himself before returning to his office. If he stayed out there with West for one more second he couldn’t be held responsible for his actions. God dammit! Another beta? That’s just what their pack needed!
He picked up his phone and nearly bruised his fingers navigating to Holden’s number. He’d call the cell- that way the alpha knew he meant business.
“Alex, what is it?” Holden asked when he answered. His usually laid back tone took on a slightly worried air ever since Danny got shot. Even six months later the alpha still sounded like that whenever he answered the phone.
“West arrived. He says you told him to get a ride from me,” Alex said as neutrally as possible. Yelling at Holden got him nothing besides bruises.
The alpha sighed. “Jake and I are working late tonight. You know we’re short staffed with Danny out of the country. I’m sure Timothy would make you something for dinner at the café since I know you’re not going to cook.”
Alex trembled with a bizarre mixture of rage and anticipation. What the hell was he anticipating? Killing West? “Great. So I have to babysit him? Did you know he’s a beta?”
Holden coughed- or was that a chuckle? Damn, it was impossible to tell! “Well, Jake’s an alpha and we get by fine. You’re a grown man, Alex. You can handle a little competition now and then,” the police captain said and hung up before the beta could argue further.
Alex almost threw the phone, but then he’d have to spend his money to buy a new one. Carefully, he sat the cell on his desk and took a deep breath.
So, he was going to be stuck with West at the lodge. They’d be all alone and just thinking about that asshole made Alex want to hit him or fuck him. He was a grown man, true. But he was also a wolf and he couldn’t keep his dominant side under wraps any longer.
If West didn’t know his place in their pack, Alex would happily teach him.
True to his word, West hung around full moon café and until closing. He ordered five straight cups of coffee and flirted mercilessly with Cammy until she gave him a free cookie.
Alex wanted to argue, but he knew she'd pay for it out of her own pocket like she always did. West obviously didn't mean a damn word he said. He was using her attraction to him to get what he wanted just like any typical asshole. Well, it was her money and she could do with it what she liked.
Seven p.m. finally rolled around and the beta wolf slipped on his coat as Cammy wiped down the tables.
"Do you want me to open tomorrow?" she asked him.
After Timothy quit they both worked longer hours to keep up with everything. Was it just pure stubbornness that kept him from hiring any new workers? Maybe. But he needed to find
people he could stand being around all day long and that wasn't easy in their little town.
"If you don't mind," Alex said and glanced at West's smirking face. "We’re going to Cloud Nine for dinner then we'll go back to lodge." And when we get there I’ll teach you a lesson, he thought and glared at the other beta wolf.
"Sure thing," West said and followed Alex out of the café.
A chill wind picked up that evening and ruffled Alex's hair. He tucked a long piece behind his ear as he marched down the street towards Cloud Nine. West stayed on his heels and whistled an unfamiliar tune as if he was perfectly content with their situation. Alex’s skin prickled just thinking about it. How could that intruder be content before he even met the whole pack? Stupid cocky bastard.
Like usual, the place bustled with business. Even on a Monday night almost every table was taken. Luckily the beta wolf caught Christian's eye, and he led them back into the kitchen.
"You must be West," he said hastily as his ice blue eyes traveled up and down the newcomer.
West nodded. "You smell like my little brother so you must be his mate."
The smile that crossed Christian's lips was just short of mocking. "One of them."
West eyes widened, and Alex silently congratulated the Eurasian wolf for eliciting such a look. The new beta needed to be knocked down a few pegs.
“Has he grown up any or are you just into little guys?” West asked.
Christian’s stare remained icy. “When you meet your mate you’ll understand,” he said neutrally and pointed at the table in the back.
The clangs of pots and plates filled the kitchen, and Alex settled at the table and sighed. He’d hardly eaten since breakfast, but with how busy the café was it’d probably take a while for Timothy to feed them too. Just great!
“So how many mates does my brother have?” West asked and leaned against the wall.
