This wasn’t a complication he’d been expecting. Not now. They were days away from beginning their offensive against Eagle Creek.
“We’re ready to go,” Graham said, climbing into the driver’s seat. James walked around the car and got in next to the Omega. If he didn’t give them a name soon, they’d have to pick something to call him.
As they drove off, James watched their guest from the corner of his eye. He sat tensely, hands clasped together in his lap, head bent.
James waited a few minutes, to see if he’d relax a little, but he held that same posture. He tried to coax him out of his shell.
“See that hill over there? That’s Gate’s Hill. Huge deer population. Owned by a trust that doesn’t allow humans to hunt on the land. Great place for a wolf run but it’s a bit like shooting fish in a barrel.”
That worked, briefly, the Omega glancing out the window before ducking his head again.
“You can look out the window if you want. If you see a car coming or someone on the side of the road, just turn your head away from the window, okay?”
The Omega nodded silently but it took a few minutes before he ventured to gaze outside again. But once he did, he couldn’t seem to stop, his body twisted right around, head looking left and right at, from what James could see, was just a normal country roadside; trees and fields broken by the occasional house, farm, or other building. It was early and they met little traffic on the road, but the Omega obediently drew back into his seat until long after each vehicle had passed.
“I’m guessing you don’t get a lot of chances to look out the window, huh?”
Blue eyes turned back to him, the Omega shaking his head.
“Well then, you’re in luck. Plenty more windows where we’re going. Might even be able to get you outside and up close and personal with mother nature. I’m sure your wolf would like to stretch its legs.”
His words distracted the young shifter from the fascination that was the window as he considered James' words.
James thought he’d put his foot in it somehow when the Omega curled up again, hands clasped together tightly. He was trying to think of what to say to reassure him, given he wasn’t sure what had upset him, when the shifter spoke two quiet words.
“I’m Luke.”
Then he turned back to the window and the world beyond.
“Hi, Luke,” James replied. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”
He held out one hand, waiting patiently for Luke to turn back. At first, he thought the Omega was going to ignore his outstretched hand, but his smaller hand reached out, taking James’ in a firmer grip that he’d expected from someone seemingly so fragile.
Chapter Five
Luke was almost sad when the car slowed to a stop and the others got out. No one had given him any instructions so he stayed put, watching out of the windows with interest. But then James was standing outside his door, looking at him with a quizzical expression. Luke ducked his head, tensing as the door next to him opened.
“Are you coming out?” the Alpha asked.
He wanted to say no, but his body was already moving, swiveling around so his feet could reach the ground outside. He jerked out of reach of the hand that moved toward him, his upper body hitting the car door.
James stopped, raising his hand up slowly so Luke could see his palm.
“It’s okay. Come on out and I’ll show you around.”
Skirting close to the door as he moved, he found himself standing a few steps away from the car and only a few feet from the edge of a thick wood. There was a house on the other side of the car. Andrew and Graham were at the door and a third person had come out to greet them.
“Let’s go inside,” James said, his voice friendly. Luke, feeling like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, snuck another look at the forest. It was tempting, and he had to fight down the urge to run, to lose himself out there.
A hand landed on his shoulder before he could take even a step towards freedom.
“Inside, now.”
James’ expression told him he knew exactly what was going through Luke’s mind and it was not happening.
Numbly, he walked around the car and towards where the others were waiting. The Alpha's hand stayed on his shoulder, a reminder that his movements weren’t his own and neither were his choices. But that was nothing new.
“Let’s go into the kitchen,” James suggested as they filed inside.
“Of course, this way,” said the woman who’d let them in. They followed her through the house and to a warm, bright room with a large table.
He was pushed into a seat, James pulling out a chair to sit right next to him.
“Anyone hungry?” the woman asked.
“Sandra, I think I speak for all of us when I say yes,” Andrew joked.
“Well, it’s a good thing I’ve been cooking non-stop all morning. Have you heard from Davy?”
The woman’s voice sounded strained when she asked.
“No, why?”
“We had a safe house breach.”
All three men sat up straight, turning towards her.
“Where?”
“The place outside Hyde Hill.”
Graham cursed loudly and James pressed his fist to his forehead.
“How many did we lose?”
“Five dead, two missing. Davy and a few others managed to round up half a dozen more who’d scattered into the forest.”
“I’ll call him. The rest of you, eat and get ready to move out if necessary.” James stood as he spoke, and stalked from the room.
Graham thumped the table with his fist before getting up and stomping out the other door. The anger and tension were palpable and Luke sank down into his seat, trying not to draw attention to himself. But the woman, Sandra, didn’t seem to notice.
“I haven’t seen your face around before. New recruit?”
Luke shook his head, ducking down lower.
“He’s a little shy, Sandra. Don’t mind him. He’s had a rough time of it.”
“Poor dear.” Sandra’s hand settled on his head and ruffled through his hair. It felt odd and uncomfortable.
“Some food would be great, though, if it’s not too much trouble. We’ve been living on take-out for the past two weeks.”
Sandra stepped away. “Of course, coming right up.”
Luke shot Andrew a grateful look and the other man winked at him.
A few minutes later a plate was set in front of him with the largest sandwich Luke had ever seen. Two thick slices of bread, filled with meat and salad, cut neatly into two triangles.
He looked up to find Andrew tucking into a similarly sized sandwich.
“Come on, honey. Eat up,” Sandra encouraged.
“Taste’s great, Sandra. Really hits the spot,” Andrew said, once again taking the woman’s focus away from him.
It made it easier to reach for the sandwich and take a bite. He thought it was the nicest thing he’d ever tasted. Better even than food tasted when Tobias hadn’t fed him for days.
Taking a second bite, then a third, he chewed and swallowed rapidly. He knew he shouldn’t, knew his stomach couldn’t handle it, but who knew when they’d feed him again?
A hand suddenly closed around his wrist, pushing the sandwich away from his mouth.
“Not so fast, you’ll make yourself sick.”
James was back, his eyes flashing with anger. Luke dropped the sandwich back onto the plate, flexing his wrist but not trying to pull it from James’ grasp.
James’ grip loosened, his thumb stroking across Luke’s wrist as his other hand pushed the plate out of Luke’s reach. It was a nice touch, a kind touch, and it didn’t fit with the situation or Luke’s expectations.
“Sandra, do you have some soup or broth? Something easy on the stomach.”
A few minutes later a bowl and spoon were set down in front of him.
“Go on, eat up,” James nudged.
Luke did as he was told, spooning the so
up slowly into his mouth. Around him the others ate, James filling them in on his phone call.
“Some of the survivors recognized the guys who came after them. At least two are definitely on Eagle Creek’s payroll.”
“Those bastards. They think they’re big men going after safe houses full of kids.”
“We need to finalize our plans, and I mean now, this afternoon. This is the perfect time. The Migones have grown overconfident enough to make direct attacks on us. They are not expecting us to do the same.”
As soon as Luke had finished eating, he was ushered into another room. “There are some books and magazines to read or TV to watch if you’re bored,” Sandra offered, closing the door behind her as she left. He didn’t hear a lock turn but wasn’t brave enough to go and check. Tired after the events of the previous day and with a full stomach for once, he decided to give in to the exhaustion. So he sat down on the floor, enjoying the feel of soft carpet beneath him, and curled up to sleep.
Chapter Six
“We need to move on the Pack House, and soon,” James concluded. It wasn’t a secret, they all knew the score.
“But they still have the clear advantage. The house is well defended. They’ve made modifications, cleared the forest directly around it so they’ll see us coming from further away. Even if we attack in the dead of night, we still won’t have that element of surprise. They can just close the place down and pick us off until we run home with our tail between our legs.”
“Unless we draw a large enough group of them away,” James proposed. The idea had been on his mind since they'd worked out who and what Luke was.
“And how do we do that?” Andrew asked.
“We have something they want. We offer it to them.”
“You mean the Omega,” Graham said.
“I’d say he came with a hefty price tag. We send word that we have him, make out like we’re just some rogues with a few brain cells to rub between us. They’ll send enough of a force to intimidate us and, if they’re smart, enough to repel an attack in case it’s a trap.”
“And then what?”
“We move the bulk of our forces against the Pack house.”
“We’re still left with the issue of them being able to see us coming.”
“What if we operated a… a trojan horse of sorts?”
His words piqued their interest and they leaned forward.
“We know the make and model of the car Jeremy and his buddies drive. We get hold of one just like it, pack it full of our people and drive right up to the front door. If we’re lucky, half their people will be off collecting Luke. We’ll have superior numbers and the element of surprise.”
“And the group with Luke?”
“Two, maybe three at most. Their objective isn’t to take out the force, just delay them a bit. Let the deal play out, let Eagle Creek take the Omega. They’ll head back home and we should be ready and waiting for them.”
“I like it,” Andrew said. “Divide and conquer. But if anything goes wrong, it will be Luke who will suffer the consequences.”
“I know the risks. I can’t say I like it, but it’s a trade off between risking one person versus losing a few dozen. We have to take that chance.”
“And if he doesn’t agree?”
“We’re not giving him a choice.”
Neither the words nor the sentiment sat well with him but what else could he do? They needed to act against Eagle Creek and Luke gave them the means to do that with less bloodshed. That was an opportunity James could not pass up.
He was all ready to lay out the situation to Luke until he entered the living room and found the young wolf curled up asleep on the carpet. Damn it to hell. Handing him back to Jeremy was the last thing he wanted to do.
Taking a seat on the couch, he called the Omega.
"Luke?"
He jerked awake at the sound of James’ voice, head whipping around as he tried to get his bearings. Then those blue eyes were aimed right at him, wide and frightened.
"It's okay, Luke. You're safe. It's James, remember?"
Luke nodded once, rubbing at his eyes as he peered around the room.
"Sit up here beside me. There is something important I need to talk to you about."
He patted the couch and Luke climbed to his feet and perched on the edge of the seat. To James, he looked like a wild animal, a heartbeat away from flight or fight.
"For tonight, you're going to stay here with us. You can sleep in one of the rooms upstairs."
He waited for Luke's nod of acknowledgment before he continued.
"First thing tomorrow morning, Sandra and Tom are taking you to meet with a group from Eagle Creek to return you to the Migones."
Luke's weight shifted forward to the balls of his feet and James wrapped a hand around his arm. He could easily read the expression on the Omega's face, a look of disappointment quickly swallowed up by resignation.
James hadn't planned on telling him any more but those sad blue eyes drew the words from his lips.
"It's not permanent. We need to distract Jeremy. By the time you return to Eagle Creek's Pack house, we'll already be there."
It wasn't much of a guarantee but it was the best he could do.
A hand stroking his back woke him and he mumbled something incoherent, wrapped in the warmth of a deep sleep.
“Mattie?”
“Zack?”
“Yeah. Can you wake up for me?”
Zack’s hand rubbed circles across his back and he pressed a kiss to his shoulder. Matthew sighed sleepily.
“James called. They’re moving on Eagle Creek this morning. We need to be on standby.”
That woke him as neatly as a cold shower. He turned over so he and Zack were face to face.
“This is it?”
“This is it.”
He peered over at the cot where Rosie slept.
“She hasn’t stirred,” Zack said, rubbing a hand across Matthew’s protruding stomach. “How is this little guy?”
“Sleeping, too. But he spent the first half of the night kicking like it was going out of fashion.”
He was over eight months along now and just counting down the days until their second child would be born.
“I know you weren’t keen on the idea, but I’d really like you and Rosie to go to Glenoak until this is over.”
Matthew looked down at Zack’s hand, interlocking their fingers.
“I want to be here, with you, whatever happens.”
“I might have to go wherever our people need us. I’d feel better knowing you were safe.”
“Who’s to say Glenoak will be safe? They’re much closer to Eagle Creek than we are here. What if the fighting spills over? Rosie and I would be safer right here.”
Zack groaned. “I thought you’d say that. But what if you go into labor while I’m not here?”
“There are others who’ll help. Birth is natural.”
“But not without risk.”
“We’ll be okay. I’m stronger than I look.”
Zack leaned in and kissed him, then rested his forehead against Matt’s.
“I don’t doubt that. I’ll call Alicia, ask if she can be on standby to come here if we need her.”
Matt yawned and stretched. “Good. So, what do we do now?”
Zack lay down beside him. “We get some rest while we can, and wait for the phone to ring.”
He yawned again, turning back onto his side as Zack spooned against him.
“That sounds like a great idea.”
They were just dozing off when Rosie stirred, letting out a small cry that seconds later became a wail.
“There goes that plan,” Zack grumbled, climbing out of bed to pick her up. Matthew sat up again, watching as Zack rocked her, trying to settle her.
“Da, da, da,” she said, waving one hand in the air.
He groaned, letting his head fall back onto the pillow. “She’s up. Once the babbling starts, there’s no getting her back to sleep.�
��
Zack carried her to the bed, settling her between them. She tried to stand, using Matthew to prop herself up, but she couldn’t contend with the bouncy mattress and looked surprised to find herself sitting down. Her lower lip started to tremble and Zack was quick to pick her up, engulfing her in his arms.
She quietened, contenting herself with biting down on his shoulder.
“What if it’s another girl? Will you mind?”
Zack looked at him with raised eyebrows, cradling Rosie’s head in one large hand. “Who wouldn’t want a second one of these?” he joked.
“I’m being serious. What if it’s not a boy?”
“Then she’ll be just as beautiful and bring just as much joy as Rosie does.”
Matthew lapsed into silence, stroking a hand across his belly, before voicing the question he really wanted to ask.
“What if he’s an Omega?”
His mate's expression went from serious to sad.
“Oh, Mattie. Is that what's been on your mind? I won’t love him any less. In fact, I think I’ll love him more. He’s part of me and, more importantly, part of you, and I love you with every fiber of my being.”
The weight on his heart lifted and he smiled at Zack’s heartfelt words. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Seven
It was still dark when James woke him with a hand to his shoulder.
“Time to get up. Sandra has some breakfast for you before we leave.”
He didn’t reply, getting to his feet, and following James down to the kitchen, rubbing his tired eyes with his hands.
A bowl and spoon were set in front of him on the table. Oatmeal. A lot of oatmeal.
He glanced around furtively to see if it was some sort of trick. Were they just waiting for him to make a mistake? But the others were tucking into their own food.
“Eat up,” Sandra urged. “You have a long day ahead of you.”
He took up the spoon, digging into the bowl, and filling it. He tensed as he brought it towards his mouth, waiting for someone to slap it from his hand or take his bowl away.
His first taste was a surprise. Oatmeal had always been cold, wet, and bland. But not this. It was warm, creamy and covered in something sweet. He spent a long moment just letting the taste wash over him. What was that? How could anything taste so good?
The Alpha's Heart: Lost Omegas Book Five: A M/M Shifter Romance Page 3
