There was something a little rehearsed about Matt’s words as if he were repeating something he’d heard over and over.
“You father was big on that? Being respectful?”
Matt nodded. “To him, as our father and Pack Alpha, and to my Alpha brothers.”
“Your Pack follows the Asenian doctrine?” Zack recalled learning about them in Pack history lessons. Asenians were traditionalists whose Pack structure was even more hierarchical than the average Pack. Alpha’s were seen not just as default leaders but as those to be afforded the highest respect. Omega, on the other hand, were deemed to be subservient.
“In my great, great grandfather’s time, the Pack were strict followers. My grandfather was more moderate and a lot of the harsher rules were done away with during his reign. My father is more of a traditionalist. Once he took power he began to reintroduce closer following of the old ways by encouraging arranged matings and shows of respect. He believed my birth was a sign that things were returning to their proper order.”
An order where Omegas were highly sought after but treated like third-class citizens. That explained how easily Matthew’s father could agree to a mating that gave his child so little chance of happiness. Zack couldn’t imagine his father making that kind of decision.
“Sounds like a lousy place to be an Omega.”
“It could have been worse. I was lucky. And, I think maybe they do love me, it’s just sometimes the good of the Pack has to come before the happiness of your children.”
Zack didn't think they'd done much of a job as parents if their own son was unsure of their love.
“Well, I guess we all have to make hard choices,” Zack said, then cast his mind for something to lighten the dark mood they’d fallen into.
“Do you feel up to coming for a run? Full moon tonight, the forecast says no snow to fall until morning.”
Matt perked up, bounding to his feet. “I haven’t got to go on a run in ages. Father was worried it would trigger my first heat before they’d finished the arrangements.”
“Well, too late to worry about that now. Let’s go.”
He opened the door and stepped outside, gesturing Matthew to follow. “We'll close the door to keep the heat in and change out here.” Pulling off his clothes, he tossed them inside, waiting for Matthew to do the same before he shut the door.
Catching sight of faint bruising on Matthew’s hip, he held the Omega’s arm and turned him around. Using one hand, he trailed fingers across the marks, aware of their origin.
“Sorry. I guess I was a little rough.”
Matthew, who’d stilled at his touch, green eyes watching where Zack’s hand lay, shook his head.
“It was nothing I didn’t want. Besides, I kind of like having them. Otherwise, I might start to believe our night together was just a dream.”
Zack understood what he meant. There was a dreamy, magical quality to their mating. It had been more than just sex.
“We’d better change. You’re not too long after your near-death experience so you’re not as impervious to the cold as you’d normally be.”
Nodding, Matthew was slow to move away from Zack’s touch. But he did, turning his back to Zack and crouching on the ground. Zack flexed his fingers, wondering at the odd sensation that had come from contacting Matt’s skin. As he watched the Omega, ripples appeared beneath the younger wolf’s skin. Zack turned to attend to his own change before Matt’s transformation completed.
When he looked back, Matthew’s wolf stood looking out into the forest. He was eager to go but he waited for Zack’s lead. The Alpha wasn’t one to disappoint. He knew if Matt hadn’t been on a run for a while, he’d be keen to stretch his legs and what better way to do that than hunting?
He took off into the forest, hearing Matthew follow in his wake. The scents and sounds drowned out his worries, his human problems left far behind in the cabin.
Matthew kept close as they explored. Zack understood. This was unfamiliar territory. He’d probably never been outside of Pack territory, especially being an Omega. He was also quite far down the pecking order when it came to hunts and so he doubted Matt’s father had taken the time to sharpen Matt’s skills.
The scent of rabbit had him diverging off into a denser area of trees, Matt a few paces behind him as he stalked slowly forward. But the loud hoot of an owl scared the rabbit away, stymieing their hunt.
They moved on, Matt beginning to make some advances. He was subtle about it, at first. Brushing his body against Zack’s as they stood side by side, then laying his head across Zack’s back. Zack shook him off the first two times. The third time he growled and let out a sharp bark that startled Matt.
Zack could see the Omega was beginning to weary, so led them home.
Matt had offered to cook after their run but Zack shooed him from the kitchen.
“Go sit by the fire and warm up. There’s lasagna in the freezer, it won’t take long to cook.”
They ate on their laps by the fire. Matt, reluctant to stir the Alpha’s temper again, twice stopped himself from asking questions that might be too personal.
“Spit it out, Mattie, I won’t bite, I promise,” Zack said as if he’d read Matt’s mind. The nickname brought a smile to his face.
“How long have you been out here?” he asked.
The Alpha took another bite of lasagna and Matt thought he wasn’t going to get an answer as he slowly chewed and swallowed.
“Since early March. Got exiled from my Pack in February. Tried to join the Enforcers but my Pack put paid to that plan. Came here, found the cabin, and got some work.”
“Why…” It was on the tip of Matt’s tongue to ask but again he stopped himself.
“Why did they exile me? That’s a long story. But I guess I can give you the short version.”
Zack set his plate down and sat back against the couch.
“Derek and I had been seeing each other for three years. He was one of our Pack Alpha’s sons but wasn’t an Alpha himself. Our family holds the secondary Alpha line. Or, at least, we did.”
Zack sighed and stretched his legs out towards the fire.
“We kept our relationship quiet because the Pack isn’t so accepting of same-sex relationships being out in the open. But I guess, after three years, we’d grown complacent. We weren’t careful enough. Someone found out and informed Derek’s father. We were told that we’d have to leave the Pack. While I was talking to my parents, before I even had time to speak to Derek, they came for me. Derek’s brothers and cousins, and Derek himself. I did my best to fight them off but it was seven against one and they weren’t playing by Pack rules.”
Pack Law would have meant one challenger and a fair fight, Matthew guessed, rather than seven on one.
“It turned out Derek had made some kind of deal with his father to stay in the Pack. Agreed to a mating with a female of his father’s choosing and to have no further contact with me after helping enforce my punishment and exile.”
“He took part in the beating?”
“Threw the last punch, while two of his brothers held me up." Zack smiled bitterly. “It must have been true love, huh?”
“Pack is everything to us. Leaving it is leaving a part of yourself behind.”
Zack was nodding in agreement. “Yeah, but I guess I thought our love counted for something. Three years, you know? And the Pack stripped my family of the secondary Alpha line. A lineage we’ve carried for generations.”
That explained Zack’s anger at the mention of Derek’s name. He’d been wronged in a terrible way and would always suffer because of that.
Zack changed the topic of discussion and Matt let him, knowing he had no true words of comfort to offer.
Two days later, Zack was returning from a call out. A car had hit a patch of black ice, spun off the road and careened into a tree. Thankfully, the only damage done was to the vehicle but it had taken a few hours to get everything sorted.
He drove back towards the cabin, parking
at the end of the access road. Trying to drive further wasn’t worth the risk of his car getting snowed in so he went on foot the last mile.
He hadn’t traveled far before he caught the scent of an unfamiliar wolf. Since he’d arrived, a handful of rogues had passed through. Most he never saw and he guessed they moved on once they knew another wolf was there. But it had been weeks since any had crossed his path. He wasn’t so worried about himself but was very conscious that Matthew was vulnerable and he’d left him alone.
The closer he got to the cabin, the stronger the scent trail became. While most rogues passed by once they knew the area was occupied, some came looking for a fight. His instinct was to run straight for the cabin, tackle the rogue head-on, but he knew that wasn’t the smartest option. He forced himself to stop and listen.
Voices, in the distance, from the direction of the cabin. Words he couldn’t quite make out, then, without warning, a cry of pain.
He saw red, instinct overcoming reason. Shifting, his clothes tearing from his changing body, he howled loudly and raced towards the cabin.
Chapter Nine
Matt heard footsteps crunching through the snow. Zack was returning. Odd that he hadn’t heard the engine of Zack’s car, though his hearing wasn’t the most acute.
He’d been pacing the living room, trying to plan his next steps. If Zack didn’t change his mind about completing a bond, Matt would need other options. He guessed his next heat was likely to be soon, accelerated because his first heat had resulted in a mating without a bond. That wasn’t supposed to happen for an Omega. In fact, everything he’d read said it couldn’t happen. Well, he knew better now.
He got up and went to the door to let Zack in, relieved the older wolf was back. It was lonely by himself, with only the echo of his own heartbeat to keep him company. As he neared the door, an unfamiliar scent stopped him in his tracks. A second later, there was a knock on the door.
Whoever they were, they knew he was here. They’d have heard his heartbeat, scented him. They may also know he was an Omega. His scent had changed since his heat, though it wasn’t all that obvious according to Zack.
The knock came again, louder this time. Maybe they were a friend of Zack’s? It’s not like a rogue would knock, would they?
Taking slow steps, he neared the door, pushing down the handle and letting it swing slowly inward.
A man stood there, with dirty blonde hair and a scraggly beard. He looked Matt up and down, whistled slowly then grinned.
“Well, look at you. You are not what I was expecting. Here I am looking for a good fight and a warm place to sleep. But you’re a little young, and a little small for what I had in mind.”
He stepped towards Matt, who took a step back, moving to shut the door. The rogue's hand caught the door, holding it in place.
“You’re also not the Alpha whose scent is all over these woods.”
He stepped closer, scenting deeply before his eyes narrowed.
“Now there’s a scent I haven’t smelled before. Not an Alpha, not a run-of-the-mill Beta. I guess that leaves one option. Which makes this my lucky day.”
His smile turned predatory as he took another step, shoving the door inward. When Matt stumbled back, he reached out, snagging the Omega’s arm.
“Ah, ah. Now where do you think you’re going? You and I have some things to discuss before your Alpha comes back.”
The rogue’s hand tightened.
“Let go,” Matt said, trying to pull his arm from the other wolf’s grip.
“Oh, you don’t really want me to do that, do you?”
“Yes, let me go,” Matt insisted, using his free hand to pry the rogue’s fingers away.
The rogue yanked hard, pulling Matt towards him, and knocking him off balance. He grabbed Matt by the back of his neck and pulled him closer, pushing his nose against Matt’s neck and inhaling deeply.
“How is it,” he asked, breath sour on Matt’s face, “that a beautiful Omega like you, living out in the wilderness with an Alpha, isn’t bonded? If I were him, I’d have jumped your bones the first chance I got. I mean, an Omega, that’s got to be something special. I’d probably be smart like him, too. A taste is one thing but think how much a morsel like you is worth. Some rich Alpha will just snap you up.”
He pushed Matt to arm’s length, looking him up and down again. “Damn, I have hit the jackpot here. And all I was expecting was a fight to the death and a warm bed to see me through the holidays.”
When Matt turned his head, tried to look away, the rogue caught his chin with one hand, dragging his gaze back to meet the rogue’s face. Matthew spit at him then sank his teeth into the rogue’s arm.
The rogue grunted and backhanded him, sending him stumbling to the floor with a cry. There was a heavy silence, broken by the powerful howl of a wolf that grew louder as the seconds passed. Zack.
Zack’s wolf burst through the door, growling loudly. Matt stayed down, watching as the rogue turned, seeming to grow larger in stature as he took in Zack. Zack didn’t wait for the rogue to make a move, he surged forward, launching himself on top of him. The other wolf raised an arm up to protect his neck, the move saving him from having his throat torn out.
Zack didn’t stop, attacking again and again. The rogue didn’t have a chance to shift but he tried to fight, kicking at the exposed area of the Alpha’s stomach.
He made the mistake of using his hands to try and shove Zack away, leaving his throat vulnerable to Zack’s teeth. Only the rogue’s quick reflexes stopped Zack’s jaws closing around his throat as his fist struck, punching Zack hard in the neck. The force of the blow knocked Zack off the rogue, who twisted, getting his feet under him and stumbling for the door, blood spilling from his arm and stomach.
Zack growled, low and threatening, following the rogue to the door but no further. The rogue kept moving, picking up his pace to a faltering run. Matthew got to his feet, wary and watchful.
Once the rogue was out of sight, Zack turned to him, tail swishing dangerously, blood dripping from his fur. Then he crouched and changed, Matt watching as bones and muscles rippled and shifted beneath the Alpha’s skin. Then Zack was crouched there, human Zack, on his knees. He wiped the blood from his face and stood.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay. He hit me, but I’m okay,” he repeated. “What about you?”
“I’m fine,” Zack replied, eyeing the blood on his skin with distaste before turning back to the open door.
“That’s probably the last we’ll see of him. He’ll have trouble healing those injuries. I’ll go after him in a few hours, make sure he’s cleared off or dead.”
Closing and locking the door, he turned back to Matt.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Matt nodded again.
“Alright. I’m going to wash up.” He turned to leave, then paused. “Let’s err on the side of caution. You’d better stick with me.” He gestured for Matt to follow him.
“Did you know him?” Matt asked, perching against the bathroom sink as Zack started the shower.
“No, never seen him before. Didn’t recognize his scent.” Steam began to billow through the cold air.
“He said he was looking for a fight but then he found me and…”
“… he figured out you were an Omega. Yeah, that’s gonna happen now. Your scent has grown more striking over the past few days.”
Zack stepped under the water, letting it run over his face. The water tinged pink as it washed the blood from his skin. Matt couldn’t tear his eyes from the sight as Zack ran his hands across his body, showing his muscled arms, his flat, toned stomach and a trail of dark hair that led downward. It was enough to make Matt's mouth go dry and his heart speed up. He wished, more than anything, that he could override biology right that second, will his heat to come, give them both an excuse.
A shiver ran through him from head to toe as the warm steam contrasted the cold air of the bathroom.
Za
ck leaned forward, bracing himself against the open shower door.
“You’re shaking. Get in here, let me take a closer look at you.”
Matt pulled off his t-shirt and pants, then stepped inside as Zack moved back.
“Adrenaline’s a funny thing,” the Alpha murmured. “Blocks pain, hides injuries.”
He ghosted fingers across Matt’s bruised cheek, then turned his attention to the rest of the Omega’s body, trailing hands down his arms as he surveyed his chest, abdomen, and legs.
“Turn around,” Zack nudged.
Matt pivoted on the spot, breath catching as the cool air on one side buffered the heat from the shower on the other.
Zack’s hands started at his shoulders, brushing slowly downward. He stopped at a point halfway down Matt’s back.
“Does this hurt?” he asked, pressing gently.
“Not much,” he breathed.
It was maddening; every touch of the Alpha’s fingers on his skin burnt a path of pleasure downward.
“How about this?” Zack put pressure on a lower spot. The pain forced a grunt from Matt’s throat and had him jerking forward.
“Hold on,” Zack said, catching his shoulder. “Not so fast. You’ve strained a muscle, it’s in spasm. Needs a bit of effort to work it out.”
He guided Matt forward to lean against the tiled wall of the shower. “Brace yourself against the wall. That’s it,” he encouraged as Matt held his arm against the wall and leaned his forehead on it, holding his second hand flat against the cool tile.
Matt turned his head to see Zack kneeling behind him.
The Alpha was focused on his back, both hands coming up around his waist, his thumbs pressing in, gently at first, then firmer and firmer. Matt gave into the touch, letting his head rest against the cool tiles. It hurt but felt so good at the same time.
He bit his lip to hide a low groan; half pain, half pleasure.
Finally, Zack’s hands stopped their relentless pressure.
“How’s that feel now?”
“Better,” Matt mumbled.
The Alpha's Wish: Lost Omegas Book Three: A M/M Shifter Romance Page 4
