by L. C. Davis
“You know, you could always stick around here with me,” Tanner said. “This place was gonna be boring as hell without you, anyway.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Nathan admitted. “I’m eighteen now, so if I stay here, the pressure to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ is bound to set in.”
“I thought your parents were cool about that kind of thing.”
“They are, but I’m still the Alpha’s kid and I’m still an omega. You know how it is these days, an unmated omega past the age of twenty might as well be an old maid.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty crazy,” Tanner muttered. He hesitated and Nathan recognized the look on his face immediately. It was the I know something you don’t know and it’s literally killing me, oh God, please ask look.
“What is it?” Nathan asked, tilting his head.
“I heard my dads talking the other night,” Tanner said in a conspiratorial whisper, leaning in. “They’re both going to testify in front of the Council.”
“What? Why?”
“On behalf of the omegas who were part of the Mountain Ridge Breeding Program, since they were both mated to one,” he murmured. It was seldom that anyone spoke of the infamous program that had been dismantled many years before Nathan was even born, but he knew his Uncle Mel and Angel Teak had both been victims of that hell on earth before meeting their respective mates. “There’s talk of a vote to institute a new initiative in the Council packs. It’d be opt-in at first, but my dads are freaking out about it.”
“Are you serious? Winona would never let that happen…”
“She’s the Mountain Ridge Alpha, but she still only gets one vote in the Council. Omegas and Alphas aren’t having kids at the same rate they used to.” Tanner shrugged. “I guess some of the new Alphas are young enough that they’ve forgotten what it was like, but Hassan wants to make sure they know the truth. Angel’s going, too, I heard.”
“Shit.”
“Hey, don’t sweat it. No matter what the Council does, Mountain Ridge would never implement a program like that again.”
“I guess not.”
“Tanner, there you are!” The female beta’s singsong carried over the ambient hum of the cafeteria chatter and she dropped her designer bag on the table before sliding in next to Tanner. Brittany gave Nathan the same wary nod of acknowledgement most wolves did before turning her attention back to the other beta. “You’re a hard man to find.”
“Didn’t know anyone was looking,” Tanner said with a pleasant laugh. “What’s up?”
“There’s a party in the dorm tonight,” she said, digging through her purse for a bright pink flyer. “You’re coming, right?”
Tanner took the flyer and looked it over. “Is this one of those parties where they lure you in with free food and try to sell you weird kitchen gadgets?”
“No, silly,” Brittany said, leaning into him with a gigglesnort. “It’s a regular party. A bunch of guys from the military unit that’s being disbanded are coming by, so there’ll be drinks,” she said, casting a worried glance at Nathan. “Like, punch and stuff.”
“Relax, just because my dad’s an Alpha doesn’t make me a narc,” Nathan said dryly, taking a sip of his soda. That was the last thing his non-existent reputation needed.
“Eh, I dunno,” said Tanner. “I was thinking about seeing a movie tonight. What do you think, Nate?”
Nathan blinked. “Me?”
“Him?” Brittany squeaked. She plastered a stiff smile on her face. “I mean, yeah, you can totally come, too. If you want. It’s just, you never go to these things, so…”
Nathan sighed. He wanted to go to a dorm party about as much as Brittany wanted him there. When he’d first entered college at fifteen, dorm life had been out of the question due to his age, but while Nathan was fairly sure even his parents would have agreed to let him live on campus by that point, he’d never bothered to ask. Lunch dates with Tanner were more than enough social interaction for the introverted omega’s taste. “I don’t know. I’m not really the party type.”
“Come on, it’ll be good for you,” said Tanner. “You could use something to take your mind off Chase Wesson.”
“You’re going to Chase Wesson?” Brittany asked, her eyes widening. “Wow. I heard they only let the best in, and the campus is gorgeous.”
“Actually, I just found out I didn’t get in,” Nathan mumbled.
Brittany’s face went blank. “Oh.”
“You know what? Yeah. Sure, I’ll go,” said Nathan. “Why not?”
“That’s the spirit,” Tanner said, grinning.
Nathan gave him a halfhearted smile. He wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic about the party as his cousin was, but it was better than moping around in his room all night.
“Great,” Brittany said, standing. “It’s super casual. No need to get fancy, but um, Nathan, maybe you could not wear that sweater? Bye!” she called before Nathan had a chance to respond.
The omega looked down at himself and frowned. “What’s wrong with my sweater vest?”
“For starters, it’s a sweater vest,” Tanner said in a matter-of-fact tone. “But don’t worry, I’m sure I’ve got something you can wear. Just come up to my room before the party.” He hesitated. “Your parents are gonna let you go, right?”
“I go to your dorm all the time. They don’t need to know a party happens to be going on in the same building.”
Tanner cocked an eyebrow. “What if they find out you lied?”
“What are they gonna do, ground me from the next party I don’t want to go to?”
The beta chuckled. “I kinda like the new ‘nothing to lose’ Nathan.”
Nathan laughed and did his best to listen as the conversation drifted back to one of the professors who’d been giving Tanner a hard time all semester. Maybe Tanner was right and this party was what he needed. Nathan had spent the last eighteen years being a good kid with his nose buried in his books and all that had gotten him was disappointment. He wasn’t sure who he was without the plan that had been his guiding star for as long as he could remember, but the prospect of being someone else for a night didn’t seem all that bad.
Chapter Four
NATHAN
Nathan made it home before his parents, but by the time he had finished showering and changing for the party, they were waiting downstairs. “Hey, kiddo,” Duke said. “Ready for sushi?”
“Oh. Crap,” said Nathan. “I’m sorry, I forgot we were going out tonight.”
“You have other plans?” The surprise in Duke’s tone was mildly insulting, but Connor elbowing his mate in the ribs just added insult to injury.
“I was just gonna go over to Tanner’s dorm and hang out,” Nathan said, swallowing hard. He’d rehearsed the simple half-truth a dozen times while getting ready, but lying to his parents just wasn’t something he had the stomach or the aptitude for. Apparently, he hadn’t inherited Connor’s genius or his criminal tendencies. “There’ll be a few other people there.”
“Oh?” Connor seemed more curious than concerned. “Like a party?”
“Kind of. Just a small one. That’s...okay, right?”
“Of course it is,” Connor said with a laugh. “You’re eighteen. It’s about time you started having a little fun.”
Duke seemed less enthusiastic. “Just as long as it’s not one of those Alpha fraternity parties.”
“It’s not,” Nathan promised. “Just a thing some girl in Tanner’s dorm is throwing.”
“Sounds like fun,” Connor said, giving his mate a pointed look. “It is a beta-only dorm. Besides, your father and I trust you to keep a level head. Don’t we, Duke?”
The Alpha grunted in acknowledgement. “Sure. Yeah, of course we do.”
“You guys should still go to dinner or I’m gonna feel bad.”
Duke hesitated. “We haven’t really had time to go out on a date recently.”
“No, and I’m starving,” said Connor. “You’ll call us if you need anything,
Nate?”
“Yeah, sure. Go, have a good time,” he said, ushering his parents toward the door before he could volunteer the fact that there was guaranteed to be alcohol at the party--and Alphas. He told himself it didn’t really matter since he himself had no plans of drinking.
“Remember, if anyone gives you a hard time, go for the throat,” Duke said, flattening his hand into a blade with a jabbing motion. “Doesn’t take much to crush a windpipe.”
Nathan rolled his eyes. “Windpipe. Got it.”
“Have a good night!” Connor called, dragging Duke toward the car. Nathan waved and waited until they drove away to head across the unit line. Campus was even busier after most of the classes had let out than it was during the time he was usually there during the day. Looking back over the last few years, Nathan found himself wondering just how much he’d missed out on. Tanner had been at the university less than half the time he had, and yet everyone knew his name and practically begged him to show up at their parties. Nathan didn’t envy the beta’s busy schedule, but he found himself wondering if he really had wasted his teenage years chasing a dream that just wasn’t meant to be.
The dormitory lobby was already filled with people, most of them setting up under Brittany’s frenzied orders. Nathan ducked under a streamer hanging over the bottom of the stairwell and went around a few sophomores who were already drunk on the stairs. Tanner’s door was propped open, which was no surprise, since there was always someone coming or going from his room. The beta was dressed in a sleek blue button-down that had Western accents on the shoulders with his shaggy hair slicked back. He was the spitting image of Toval.
“Hey,” he said, grinning at Nathan. His face fell as he looked over the omega’s outfit. “Oh. I see you dumped the sweater vest.”
“I thought that was a good thing,” Nathan said, looking down at his plain white polo. He’d been convinced it was a neutral choice.
“There’s nothing good about polyester,” Tanner said with a grimace. “Come on, off with it.”
Nathan sighed, reluctantly peeling the shirt off over his head. “I still don’t see what the problem is w--” He froze when he saw the way Tanner was gawking at him. “What?”
“Dude. When did you get abs?”
Nathan looked down at his stomach and frowned. “I don’t know. I think they’ve always been there?”
“They haven’t,” Tanner scoffed. “Who knew that’s what was hiding under those nerd clothes?”
“Hey!”
“I’ve got the perfect thing,” Tanner said, darting over to his closet. He rummaged through the dozens of shirts hanging up on the rack and Nathan found himself wondering how Tanner would have managed if he’d been assigned a roommate. Good thing the beta had lucked out with a single room. Tanner finally pulled out a small black sleeveless shirt and when he turned it around, Nathan realized the back was sheer.
“You’re kidding. I’m not wearing that.”
“Come on, it looks great! I got it on a whim and it’s not even remotely me, but it’d look great on you.”
“I’m not going to walk around with a back window.”
“It’s not a back window, it’s a front window.”
“Even worse.”
Tanner sighed dramatically, tossing the shirt on the bed before turning back to the closet. “Alright, we’ll find something a little more conservative for the sheltered boy genius. Here,” he said, plucking out another sleeveless black shirt. At least this one had two opaque sides with a band print on the front.
Nathan took the shirt and pulled it on. “It’s tight.”
“Yup,” Tanner said unapologetically. He reached out and ran his hands violently through the hair Nathan had just combed. “There, now you look like a proper twink.”
“What does that make you?”
Tanner paused as if to consider it. “An otter.”
“A what? Is that a thing?”
“Oh, you sweet, sweet child,” Tanner said with a heavy sigh, draping an arm around Nathan’s shoulder to lead him downstairs. Bass-laden music pulsed through the hall from the lobby with a rhythmic thump thump thomp.
Nathan stopped just shy of the bottom of the stairs, feeling like he’d drown in the ocean of partygoers if he took that last step. The lobby was filled with twice as many people as when he’d come in, soldiers still in uniform mingling with the college crowd. The dancing involved far more swaying and grinding than the formal pack affairs Nathan was used to attending with his parents. Some of the dancers looked like they were a slip of fabric away from mating, but there wasn’t a waltz in sight.
Tanner settled his hands on Nathan’s shoulders and leaned in. “Welcome to college,” he said with a laugh in Nathan’s ear as he took the omega’s hand and led him past the dancers toward the refreshment table on the other end of the room. Nathan glanced warily at the suspicious looking bowl of communal punch.
“What the hell is that?”
“Probably a little of everything,” Tanner said, straining to be heard over the music. “Vodka, rum, schnapps…”
“I’m more worried about the corn syrup.”
Tanner laughed and handed Nathan a beer before taking one for himself. “This is probably more your speed.”
Nathan hesitated, staring down at the bottle. He hadn’t planned on drinking at all, but he told himself he was probably the only college junior who hadn’t so much as tasted a sip of alcohol. Just one beer couldn’t do anything. It was a right of passage. Hell, it was practically a graduation requirement, wasn’t it?”
“Need some help with that?” The low, husky voice seemed to cut through the music effortlessly and Nathan recognized it as the voice of an Alpha even before he turned to face the owner. Clad in camo with three shiny bars on his breast pocket was an Alpha who looked like he’d come out of a Federation soldier mold with dark hair, piercing green eyes and a crooked smile that made Nathan all the more aware of the fact that he wasn’t straight.
Before Nathan could formulate a response, the Alpha had taken the beer from his hand and popped the top open. While Nathan had never had much difficulty with soda bottles, he felt himself suddenly and inexplicably grateful. “Thanks…”
“Are you new around here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” the Alpha said, offering his massive hand. “I’m Vance.”
“Nathan,” he croaked. “And no, I’m not new. I’m --”
“He doesn’t come to parties much,” Tanner interrupted, giving Nathan a look.
The omega breathed a sigh of relief, realizing his cousin had just saved him from outing himself as an Alpha’s kid. That was the fastest way to send any soldier running. “Yeah. What he said.”
“That’s a shame,” Vance said, making no attempt to hide his perusal of Nathan’s body as he sipped the drink in his hand. “I’m leaving on Monday.”
“The night is still young,” Tanner said in a dry tone. “I’ll let you two crazy kids get to know each other. Nathan?”
“Yeah,” he said, unable to pull his attention away from the Alpha in front of him. “Go have fun, I’m fine.”
“That your boyfriend?” Vance asked in a tone that made it clear he knew it wasn’t.
“Cousin,” said Nathan. “I um, don’t have a boyfriend.”
“No? That’s a surprise. I heard your pack doesn’t mate omegas off as soon as the others.”
Nathan gave a nervous laugh. “No, the Alphas don’t really believe in that. We get to choose.”
“Mountain Ridge,” Vance said with a laugh that made Nathan’s heart flop over in his chest. “Too bad I’m not staying longer. And here I thought I’d seen everything there was to see.”
Nathan gulped and found his throat dry. When he went for another sip of his beer, he realized he’d finished it out of nervous habit.
“Here, I’ll get you another drink,” Vance said, disappearing only to return a moment later from the refreshment table with a pair of red plastic cups in his hand. Nathan thought of turning i
t down, but he didn’t want to humiliate himself by looking like a total lightweight--even if he was one--in front of a seasoned soldier.
“Thanks,” he said sheepishly, taking the cup in his hands. “So, where are you from?”
“The Union Valley Pack down south,” said Vance.
“Oh, I’ve heard of your pack,” Nathan said, recalling a visit the Alpha had paid his unit a few years earlier. “I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”
“It’s not quite as sophisticated as all this, but it’s a nice place to grow up. Nice place to raise a family.”
Nathan gave a nervous laugh. He told himself he was reading into the Alpha’s forwardness. After all, he rarely interacted with an Alpha who wasn’t related to him or so close he might as well be. “You must be excited to get back to it.”
“I was,” Vance said thoughtfully, his gaze sweeping over Nathan once more. “Now I’m not so sure.”
Holy shit. Nathan saw Vance leaning in and knew logically what that meant, but he still couldn’t quite bring himself to believe it until the Alpha’s lips met his own. His eyes fluttered shut and sparks flew as Vance deepened the kiss and wound an arm around his waist. Nathan melted into the embrace and returned the kiss earnestly. Eighteen years of watching romance happen around him and he’d never so much as let himself dream of having it for himself, but in that moment, Nathan felt he understood more about the world than he had in all those years combined.
He wasn’t an atypical omega, after all. Not if the way he responded to that kiss was any indication. All it had taken was a single Alpha showing interest in him and in the span of a few seconds, Nathan had become someone he didn’t even recognize. His head spun and he couldn’t even blame it on the strange elixir in that cup. Everything about Vance was intoxicating--his scent, the warmth and solidity of his body pressed against Nathan’s--and the omega wanted more of it.
Vance was the first to break the kiss and Nathan knew he wouldn’t have been able to remain upright if it wasn’t for the Alpha’s firm grasp on him. Lust burned in the soldier’s eyes, but the fire in Nathan’s belly matched it. It was a foreign sensation, but it was every bit as strong as it was unmistakable. Was this what it felt like to imprint on someone? Was Vance feeling the same way? The way the Alpha held him like he was as afraid of letting go as Nathan was of falling away made it seem like a possibility rather than a delusion.
