What did an alpha of a large shifter clan want with the lowest of daughters of her birth pack? She’d been nothing but garbage to him. There must be other females with the same pure shifter blood as her. Chen could mate and torture one of them. What made her so special?
She struggled in the guard’s arms, twisting and turning until she sank her flat, human teeth into his neck.
With a cry, he pulled her off by yanking on her long hair, then slapped her across the face hard enough to rattle her thoughts. Such hits had been common in her youth but it had been years since anyone had laid an unkind hand on her. Limp, she wasn’t difficult for him to carry and take away from Chinatown. The place where she’d met a misfit pack of omega shifters. The place she’d felt most at home. The place where Tyler had kissed her for the first time.
She cried out his name one last time as loud as she could. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he’d come for her.
Chapter 2
The floor rocked under Tyler while he tried to sleep. Cracking his eyelid open, pain roared as the light speared through his pupil. A miniature marching band paraded inside his head, going round and round. Every inch of his body ached as if Daedalus, his vampire trainer, had used him like a punching bag.
Damn, it was Eric’s bachelor party all over again. Maybe he was recovering from his own party?
No.
He’d never asked Katrina to marry him. Why not? His stomach somersaulted when he made a sharp turn. Rolling onto his side, his lunch came up in a heaving never-ending wave. It didn’t taste any good the second time around. He coughed and cleared his burning throat. “Gross.” Someone patted his back, but he didn’t recognize the voice. “Let it all out, man.” The stranger gagged. “Open the windows, Aaron, before I die back here.”
Wiping his chin, Tyler looked around. White metallic walls that had seen better days surrounded him. A worn burgundy carpet covered the floor with a brand new puke stain next to him. “Where am I?” Blinking, he tried to clear his vision.
“It’s okay. We’re taking you home. You should heal by tomorrow.” A double-headed man knelt by him.
Heal? So, not a hangover after all. Had he been hit by a car? He sure felt like road kill. “Who are you?” He tried to sit up, but his back protested. With a groan, he slumped back down. Rubbing his forehead, he found a lump the size of a baseball.
The man hovered over his face, appearing younger than he sounded. “I’m Tony. Aaron and I saw the whole thing. Dude, that was un-freaking-believable.”
Apparently, he’d done something impressive.
“We came to help with the fight, but they ran off. Did they ever lay into you.”
Help? He sniffed and recognized Vasi shifter in Tony. “I was in a fight?” As soon as he asked, he remembered. “Kat!” He sat bolt upright and fought the vertigo. “We need to go back. They took my mate.”
Tony slipped an arm under his shoulder as he wavered. “She’s gone. We chased them to a truck, which took off.”
Gone. The pain cleared Tyler’s head. “You let them go?”
“We couldn’t leave you bleeding on the street with the cops on the way.” Tony frowned. “And we’re not exactly built to take on trucks.” He gestured to his thin Asian body.
Tyler glanced at the driver, Aaron, and identified him as one of the Vasi omegas who followed Robert, his roommate, around. His close friend had started a support program for them.
Tony was new to him, though.
The van accelerated around a corner. A high pitched squeal accompanied them. Tyler slapped his hands over his ears so his drums wouldn’t burst. It drilled into his sore brain.
The Asian shifter shrugged and offered an apologetic smile. “The fan belt needs to be changed.”
“Where are you taking me?” Tyler leaned on Tony. The world had stopped spinning, but Aaron’s driving didn’t help the nausea or pain.
“Home, I said.” His packmate stroked his back as shifters did for comfort. “The alpha will find her.”
Their alpha, Eric, would help him tear apart the city to find Katrina. They were more than pack. He and Eric were part of small family, living together in the brownstone. However, where did they start searching for his mate?
The truck carrying Katrina could be anywhere. His heart shriveled and the hollow space in his chest echoed with her loss. Nothing but her return would ever fill it.
“Hey.” Tony shook him. “Don’t give up, dude. I’ve seen those assholes before.”
Tyler winced and grabbed his wrist. “Where?”
“They came to Chinatown last night and took the back room at the restaurant where I bus tables, but I never got close enough to get shifter vibes. Wish I had, now.”
“You didn’t know.” Tyler groaned as he got to his knees and glanced out the windshield between the two front seats. They were close to home. “I need some clothes.” He’d exploded out of his suit when he shifted into beast form. Ah, shit. Squeezing his eyes shut, he punched the back of the passenger seat gently. The ring had been in his pocket.
It didn’t matter, not with Katrina missing. He’d buy her another. First, he needed to get her back. The sound of a zipper drew his attention.
Tony pulled clothes out of a sports bag. “They’re my workout clothes.” He held out the wrinkled pile. “Better than nothing.”
Glancing at his pale skin and lean body, Tyler resisted the urge to cross his legs and arms over his nudity. Better to wear second-hand, stinking garments than walk from the van naked. The last thing he needed was to be arrested by the police for indecent exposure.
Unlike humans, the shifter community couldn’t depend on law enforcement. Even if he called in Katrina’s abduction, they’d make all the right noises and fill out all the right forms, however, he’d probably never see her again. The case would get chalked up as shifter politics, a don’t-get-involved zone.
Tyler yanked on the outfit, embracing the pain. Without it, grief would drown him.
The van stopped with a jerk, flinging him to the floor. Moaning, he untangled his arms and legs from Tony’s.
“Oh my God.” Fear filled Aaron’s words and sent a shiver down Tyler’s back.
He rose to his feet and squeezed between the front seats to get a better view.
An ambulance was parked in front of the brownstone. The front door hung askew as if kicked in.
Tyler stepped out of the van, clinging to the passenger door to stay on his feet. His stomach dropped as if on a bungee cord. Someone had attacked their home. Clutching his side, he shuffled along the sidewalk, past the human neighbors who whispered at the sight of him. He couldn’t give a shit.
Police tape blocked his way while paramedics carried out someone. He wanted to throw up again. A small figure lay flat, strapped to the stretcher, a stiff collar around her neck, and a tube coming from her mouth. The medical professional compressed a bag to help her breathe. Blond curls sprung at odd angles off the victim’s head.
Dearest Virgin Mary, he didn’t seem capable of speech. He wanted to wake from this nightmare. If not for Tony’s support, he would have fallen.
The paramedics hurried to the ambulance, shouting out medical terms to each other.
Sam, another of his roommates, dashed out the front door. “I’m going with her,” he shouted at the paramedics, then spotted Tyler at the edge of the crowd. “What happened?” He paused in front of Tyler, eyeing him head to toe.
“I’m okay. Take care of Sugar.” He tried to keep breathing. Sugar was their token human. She owned the brownstone. She wouldn’t have stood a chance in a shifter fight.
Sam glanced at the ambulance, then back at him. He nodded and climbed into the passenger seat of the vehicle.
“Are you sure that was Sugar?” Aaron’s young voice shook.
“Yeah, Spice is our alpha. You would have sensed her presence. Her twin is only human.” The remaining Vasi, who lived in the brownstone, were escorted out wearing very little, which meant they had shifted rapidly thro
ugh their clothes. Most bore scratches and bites. Daedalus, their vampire trainer and Sugar’s fiance, wasn’t among them, since the daylight confined him. Tyler hoped the locks Daedalus placed on the inside of his coffin had kept him safe during the attack. The pack had enough tragedy for one day.
Cringing, Tyler didn’t want to be around when they told the ancient vampire what had happened to Sugar. She was the center of his universe and he’d been trying to convince her for the past year to cross over. She wouldn’t be so injured if she’d taken his offer. This would only cement Daedalus’s resolve.
Tyler understood Sugar’s desire to stay human. He’d never been given a choice. Some mongrel had made it for him years ago, just after he’d graduated from high school. Since then he’d been struggling to find normal, and almost had it until this afternoon.
“Wait in the van,” he told the boys. “We may still need your help.” Before bending under the blockade, he braced his ribs. Who knew what would happen next. Best to keep as many Vasi around as possible.
An officer intercepted him.
Tyler raised his hands, then pointed to the house. “I live here.” He was dead on his feet. All these strangers streaming in and out of his home meant he probably wouldn’t get to sit down.
“He lives here.” Robert’s declaration carried over the low din of noise and confirmed what he’d just said. His packmate, champion of Vasi omegas, waved him over.
The young officer removed a notepad from his pocket and wrote down Tyler’s name. He instructed him to stay out of the house and remain with the others until they made their statements.
Counting heads, Tyler noticed someone vital missing. He limped toward Eric and Robert.
The whites showed in Eric’s eyes; he panted as if he couldn’t catch his breath, and a sheen of sweat covered his skin. “The bastards took Spice.”
Tyler’s aching ribs turned into a cage of ice. Deep down inside, he knew her absence meant something bad.
Fuck.
“Where’s Katrina?” Eric barked the question.
Tyler winced at his rough tone. “Gone. We were attacked on the street in Chinatown. An Asian pack took her.”
Only then did his alpha really look at him. “Stay quiet, don’t tell the cops. Not yet. We need to get out of here ASAP and start the search.” Eric ran a hand over his face, then glanced at their newest pack member, Esther. “Stay with Daedalus until nightfall. Make sure he doesn’t go vigilante until we’ve more information.”
She nodded. “I know how to take care of vampires.” Esther used to be a slayer. She batted for the monster’s side now that she was one.
“Gather the pack, Robert. I’ll need them once I know where to attack.”
“Got it.”
Taking a deep breath, Eric glanced at Tyler. “We’ll get them back.”
Two females of their pack had been taken and another hurt, all from their inner circle of friends. “How bad is Sugar?”
“Bad. Sam will call with details as soon as he knows something.” Eric gave Esther an impatient look. “We need to go.”
She waved to an older officer, tears suddenly streaming from her eyes. “Can we make our statements now? He’s hurt.” She pointed to Tyler. “We’d like to take him to the hospital and also check on our–” Sobbing loud, she cried into her hands, her shoulders shaking from the effort.
Robert gathered her into his arms.
“Let me get the paperwork and I’ll process you myself.” The compassionate policeman left.
Esther glanced at them, determination replacing her tears. Her ability to change faces always unnerved Tyler. He needed an honest woman…but Katrina kept secrets, didn’t she? Their relationship was founded on lies.
The ex-slayer left Robert’s arms and approached Tyler. “Don’t bring up Chinatown. Tell them you were in the basement when the other pack broke in. You ran out after them and were attacked. It’ll explain why you weren’t in the house, and get us out of here faster.” Esther wore a hard shell on the exterior, but Tyler suspected it was an act, just like the crying. Only Robert knew the real Esther, his mate.
They gave their individual statements as strangers entered and exited their home. Tyler’s heart drummed the whole time. He wove his lies like his pack wanted. It amazed him that the human’s hearing couldn’t catch the sound of his anxiety.
At last, they were cleared to leave the premises, but not the city. The police would call them once the house was processed.
Esther stayed, waiting for the vampire to wake, and Robert left to gather the pack.
Climbing into the van, Eric settled on the floor of the vehicle.
“This is Tony, and the driver’s Aaron.” Tyler sat across from the younger shifter, trying not to grimace from the discomfort in front of his alpha. They’d both been omegas of different packs once, but Eric had found an inner strength that still eluded Tyler. Their compasses didn’t point in the same direction anymore.
“I know who they are.”
“Really?” Tony stared at Eric with something close to worship.
The alpha gave a weak smile. “Sure, I may not know everyone in the pack personally, Tony, but I know everybody’s name.”
Aaron started the van. “Where to?”
“Just drive around the block while we compare notes and figure out our next move.”
The vehicle lurched forward and Tyler swallowed the pain. He healed at shifter speed. An hour ago, he couldn’t have sat like this on his own.
“We were attacked by an Asian pack as well.” Eric glared at the floor. “Can’t be a coincidence. What happened in Chinatown?”
“They confronted us on the street. They treated one of the males like an alpha. He kicked my ass and took Katrina.” He omitted the stranger’s declaration about being Katrina’s mate. The truth was branded to Tyler’s heart and stung too much. Admitting it meant he believed the asshole. Once he found Katrina, then maybe the pain could be soothed.
“The alpha attacked you, but not me? Then it can’t be a territory thing. Do you think this is Katrina’s old pack? The one she ran from?”
“I know it is. She knew him. He must be her old alpha.” The abusive one, the ass had used her like an object, passing her around to other males. How could they be mates?
Eric bowed his head, staring at the floor. “Why are they here? Why take Spice?”
“Katrina’s never told me much about her past. I know she’s from Northern China and raised in a pack. They turned her into a shifter at sixteen. With her being submissive and female, I assume the rest was bad.” He leaned his head against the wall. Maybe he knew more than he thought?
“Do you think they’re trying to get a foothold in America by taking control of Chicago?” Eric asked.
“A foothold? They already have one.” Tony said.
That was right! The stranger had said something similar. How Chinatown had never belonged to the Vasi.
Tony leaned forward, a frown creasing his forehead. “Chinatown’s always been divided between old-country and new. The old world packs have ties throughout this country.”
This information gave Tyler a seed of hope. “Then we need to go back to Chinatown and question people. Someone’s got to know where they’re hiding.”
Tony shook his head. “It won’t work. They won’t talk to you.”
“What the fuck? What do you expect me to do? Sit here and let him hurt her?” Tyler never shouted. He was the jokester, the one people turned to for a laugh or a good time. “I want that bastard dead.” His beast rose close to the surface, the change a millisecond under his skin. “I–I want to mash his face into the ground. Pound the living crap out–”
The air squeezed out of his bruised lungs as Eric pinned him to the van’s wall. Stars flashed in his eyes as if the paparazzi were in the vehicle.
His alpha’s eyes glowed amber, his beast responding to Tyler’s. “Shut. Up.” Eric breathed heavy, their faces too close for comfort.
Tyler’s beast retreated
at lightning speed, and cowered. Unlike his animal half, he didn’t have that option. He had to stay and face their pissed-off, half-crazed alpha.
“We.” Eric knocked Tyler against the wall again for emphasis. “Are in no shape to be in public.” After a long, shaky exhale, Eric released his hold on Tyler’s neck and eased away. He cleared his throat and rested his arms on bent knees. “Robert will lead the search until we can get our shit together.” He hung his head, letting his chin rest on his chest. “Tony, who will the people in Chinatown feel comfortable talking to?”
“Me.”
Chapter 3
A bell rang in the distance. Its inconsistent rhythm, as if riding on waves, jarred on Katrina’s nerves. She opened her eyes and stared at an unfamiliar wall. The paint had once been white, but time and abuse had dulled it to a miserable shade of gray. The scents of dust and mold greeted her awakening senses. She wasn’t home. The hard floor under her back provided no comfort or warmth.
Turning her head to the side, she found a female lying next to her. Katrina rolled onto the balls of her feet, crouching low. Something tightened around her neck.
She reached for her throat and touched a solid metal collar. Reflexively, she swallowed.
A chain ran from her collar and she followed it with her gaze. It was bolted to the wall. Secured like a rabid dog? She’d been having lunch with Tyler. She’d wanted to surprise him. She’d been so proud of him for winning…
Chen.
She pressed her hands to her stomach, trying not to vomit. He’d found her.
He’d revealed the truth to Tyler. Chen had told her love they were mates. Why couldn’t the truth stay hidden? She hadn’t made that choice. It hadn’t been a true mating. She’d been forced.
As a useless, submissive female, her only function was to breed. Only her bloodline made her valuable. At least, that’s what she’d been taught and believed until she met the Omegas. She rubbed her lower abdomen to ease some cramps.
Katrina crept closer to the other female. The scent of fresh blood grew stronger when she approached. Upon closer examination, she noticed tangled, strawberry blond hair. She rolled the female on her back. Katrina’s heart went into suspension.
Omegas In Love Page 2
