by Emma Knox
“Of course, Alpha,” I replied obediently, referring to him respectfully by title, even though he was my father.
It had taken so much effort to get him to agree to drag me along with them. I wasn’t going to turn around and ruin my chances so carelessly. My Omega father shot me a look and a smile, and we both followed after the Alpha.
My head kept swiveling around as I tried to take in everything at once. It all looked so pretty, the venue as well as the people. You wouldn’t think they were shifter wolves the way they looked, all dressed to the nines in tuxedos and ball gowns. If humans mingled in, they wouldn’t see anything amiss, but by scent alone I knew that everyone present was definitely a wolf. I felt a light flush of embarrassment on my face, because while I was a wolf-shifter, I knew I didn’t exactly look like I belonged.
I had never been to the gala before. My parents had been going for as long as I remembered, and my Omega father would tell me all about the parties later. Because of those stories, I’d grown up fascinated with this event that wolves around the continent would attend every year, and I’d wanted to attend ever since I was a teenager. If it was just my Omega father, he would have let me go with them ages ago, but the Alpha of the family always called the shots.
Because I technically wasn’t supposed to be there, I didn’t have a tux ready and had to borrow an old one from one of my brothers. I was smaller in build than all the other males in my family—hell, nearly all the males around my age in the whole pack—so the fit was a bit awkward. But I tagged behind an Alpha, so no one would think twice about me being there.
“Evan.”
At my Alpha father’s call, I looked forward. My heart skipped when I realized there were a few steps between us, and I hurried forward to stand a step behind him. He looked sideways at me, then gestured with his hand at the waiter stopped standing just to the side of us.
“Hold my drink for me,” he said. “And don’t take one for yourself. You will not be drinking alcohol at this party.”
Though his tone was mild, everything that came out of his mouth when he spoke with me was usually an order. I stepped forward and took a glass from the tray the waiter was holding. He didn’t seem to think anything was strange, dipping his head in a short bow, then going on his way.
There were probably quite a few Alphas as overbearing as mine. When another waiter walked a distance away with appetizers, I was told to go and bring some back. I was to give him his drink when he asked for it, and once he was done with it, I was to dispose of the empty glass and get him another one.
I didn’t even care that I seemed to have gone to act as his personal slave, though, I was just happy that they let me tag along to see the gala. Usually, they would take one of my three Alpha brothers or my prominent Omega cousin. This year, I was lucky enough that they chose me, and it hadn't been easy to get the chance. This much was nothing to me.
My Omega father didn’t have anything. He just followed silently as the Alpha led us around the room.
“Evan.”
My Alpha father calling my name once again brought my attention from wandering. I stood just behind to his left side, because the opposite side was meant for my Omega father, and kept my head facing down. I could feel it when he glanced at me, but he’d already told me several times on the way, that as an Omega attending the gala, I was not to meet any Alpha’s eyes, and especially not his.
“Yes, Alpha,” I murmured, tone respectful.
“I’m going to be talking to some other Alphas now, and I need you to pay attention. While I talk to them, stand back five steps away, and keep your head down. You’ll hear everything, but pretend like you don’t. Do not look up, or say anything, unless you’re called upon. Do I make myself clear?”
I felt a bit confused, but I remained agreeable, because there wasn’t really much of an option for me. And I had heard this part of the stories.
The gala was pretty amazing, unless you were a young Omega, being carted around by your Alpha.
My luck seemed to have run out beyond being allowed to go. There wasn’t anyone there I knew who wasn’t in my pack, and besides my Omega father, the only pack mates that had travelled with us were Alphas. But I could only follow my father, not only because he was my parent, but also because he was the Alpha of our pack. If there had been people I knew, closer to my own age, I would have been allowed to go ahead with them instead of following my parents. Then again, maybe not because my Alpha father would worry I would do something to embarrass our family, and our pack.
Whatever, I thought to myself. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don’t need it to be perfect!
The schmoozing part of the gala took a while. We met Alphas from different packs, situated in various regions all over the continent. We even met some leaders of the Alaskan Shifters Council, and even being steps away from them, I could feel the power flowing from them. I wondered if it was part of the reason why I needed to keep a distance. My Omega father stayed with me, perhaps it had something to do with the influence Alphas had over Omegas, and the possessiveness of an Alpha toward their Omegas.
Hours passed by, and while I didn’t get as much chance to look around as I would have liked, that I got to see anything was a huge plus. No matter what happened, I knew it was going to be a night that I would definitely remember.
Moments after I had the thought, it became real, but for a different reason than what I’d expected.
Out of nowhere, the calm and tranquil air was interrupted by the sound of a large crash. Immediately, a hush fell in the room, every wolf going tense; Alphas getting ready for a fight, and Omegas getting ready to run and hide. There was some confusion, because the people further in didn’t know what had caused the noise, or even exactly where it originated from.
A second later, it didn’t matter. The large, clean, and ornate hall, filled with pretty people dressed in pretty clothes, was suddenly filled with massive amounts of wolf-shifters, who poured in from where the crash must have happened. They rushed in and spread out, covering large ground in a matter of seconds. The crowd had already started to react, growls and yelps of pain littering the air as the attending wolves jumped into the oncoming fray. There was panic, but the room was full of wolf-shifters; so mostly, it was like the Omegas ran around in panic, and the Alphas rose to the occasion to protect their Omegas.
The wolves started chasing people down and tearing down the gala. Even as the Alphas moved to stop them, their numbers were too great, and all the wolves in the gala had to shift first before they could be a match in a fight. By their size, I knew they were all Betas, but that didn’t matter as they took down Alpha and Omega alike, some in the middle of shifting, others either attacking or running.
“Evan, go!”
The shout was close enough to penetrate the other sounds bursting in my ears. I whirled widened eyes to my Omega father, who was looking at me with alarm while moving to stand by my Alpha father’s side. I knew what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to leave while they both stayed behind to try and help the situation. He was an Omega, just like me, but a lot braver. My hesitation was slight, and then I stumbled back.
I took one last look at the hall. Some Alphas who weren’t as close to the oncoming Betas had already shifted and were now starting to fight back. I knew they didn’t have much of a chance, though. Quite a few people were down already, and my stomach churned as I caught sight of unmoving, broken bodies lying on the bright, golden floor, the scent of blood rising up in my nose. The numbers against them were just too great.
I was worried about my parents. I hated the thought of leaving them behind, but my instincts told me I had to run. So, I turned around, shoving a few people out of my way and stumbling. Then, I took off running.
When I entered, I’d looked around enough to see the entry and exit points in the room, and we’d pretty much walked around the room, so I had all the information I needed of the layout. Considering there was security around front, and the side the Betas had com
e pouring in from, I guessed that they must have made their own way in through some windows on the east side. On the west side of the room, were a set of wide doors that led to a garden, and beyond that, trees.
I ran out of the large hall and into the woods. The moon wasn’t full, and the trees covered up whatever light it could have given me, but even being an Omega, the lowest on the totem pole in the wolf-shifter world, my eyes sight was good, and my speed was great. Once I was out of the noise inside the hall, all I could hear was my rugged breathing, the loud beating of my heart, and the rustle of my feet as I ran.
The panic hadn't died down even once I was away from danger. Especially since I didn’t even know where I was going. I didn’t know the area outside of the gala hall really well, so I couldn’t tell if I was running to safety, to more trouble, or just getting myself lost.
Then, I heard the worst sound I could have in that moment; the light sound of rustling from the forest floor as two pairs of swift feet came up behind me. And then, growling.
One of the Betas must have seen me leaving the hall and given chase.
Shit! Shit, shit, shit!
I knew I was fast on my feet. I couldn’t win in a race with an Alpha, but Omegas were naturally faster than Betas. This did not, however, hold up when a Beta was in shifted form, and the Omega was in human form, even with a head start. If only I could shift, I would have a better chance, but shifting would mean stopping, and that would mean my death, so I could only keep going, while knowing the outcome of this chase.
I pushed myself harder, forced my body to go faster, until my legs ached and my throat burned. Even then, my stamina wasn’t that weak. I could keep running for a while, but exhaustion would cause me to slow down. Even as I moved I could have sworn I heard the Beta gaining on me. My heart jumped into my throat, and I blinked my eyes rapidly as tears threatened to spill. I couldn’t have them blinding me.
We had moved quite a bit of a distance when I started to feel it, my body starting to slow down, and the Beta behind me gaining even more speed, getting ever closer and closer to me. I let out a whimper as I made my legs keep the same punishing pace out of sheer will alone. This was the most I’d ever had to run in as long as I could remember. My body might be built for it, but I wasn’t used to it, so I couldn’t keep up the speed for long.
I’m going to die.
The words went through my mind like a revelation, and despair hit me when I realized they might, actually, be true.
No!
A part of me rebelled. My life couldn’t possibly end like this! There was still so much I wanted to do. Being allowed to go to the gala was supposed to be a good thing! I was still very much young and I hadn’t even been mated to an Alpha yet.
I did not want to die this way!
Still, no matter how much my spirit cried at the injustice, there was nothing I could do about the circumstances. Death loomed ever closer, and the only thing I could do was prolong it while physically and mentally torturing myself. Still, I held on until the last, when I absolutely thought my body would give. And it did.
One of my legs stumbled. My thigh had all but gone numb, and there wasn’t even anything to trip over, but it happened, and I tumbled. At my fast pace, the trip threw me forward, and I curled my body instinctively so I wouldn’t hit my head, and felt my body go into a roll.
I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut. In the short seconds I’d lost in the stumble, the Beta had caught up. It gave an even louder growl, one of triumph. It might have been part of my imagination, but I felt like it got close enough for me to feel it’s breath on the back of my neck. Death was coming for me, and I did not want to look at it in the face.
Still, though, my eyes stayed wide open. And just as well, or I would have missed the glorious moment that came next.
Time seemed to be moving in slow motion, as I made a turn in the air and managed to look behind me with my wide eyes. The Beta was there, fairly large with dark, shaggy fur and feral yellow eyes. Its jaws were wide open, showing off impressive canines, specks of spit flying out of its open mouth. Our eyes met and held for a second, and I could tell it had already pictured my death in its mind, and it relished it.
Just before it could get me, though, a force crashed into it from the side, and all I got to see was a large, dark shape rolling off to the side.
I let out a yelp as my body finally hit the ground. I wrapped my arms around my head and did my best not to curl into myself, letting my body roll. The trees in the woods weren’t too densely packed, but after rolling about a couple feet, my body knocked into a tree. It stopped my momentum, but the flash of pain that went through my body left me paralyzed on the ground for a moment, whimpering, not sure I could even move. If I had been a human, it would have been enough to snap my spine, or my neck.
Then I heard it. Loud snapping and snarling coming from the direction the Beta had been knocked to. That was enough to get me moving, thinking that I had a chance to run away, now. When I looked in that direction, though, I got a bit of a shock when I realized a wolf had knocked into the Beta, and it was quite a bit bigger.
An Alpha!
Now, for an Omega, the safest place to hide, is behind a strong Alpha, whether they were of your pack or not. If they were willing to protect you, even better. Seeing an Alpha there fighting the Beta, was enough to spread relief through my entire body, and with it, a renewed vigor. I shot to my feet, grimacing, but ignoring the pain in my body as it slowly died down on its own. This meant my life or my death; I wanted to see it. My instincts demanded it of me, so I could be sure when the danger was past.
I watched the two of them rolling around, each trying to get the upper hand, not minding even as they tumbled into trees and rock.
In the end, though, it was as predictable as my chase had been. The Alpha won, and relief once again spread through me, enough to send me to my knees. Tears I’d held back dripped out of my eyes, my chest heaving as I was breathless from the run, and from the fear that I really could have died.
Thank God…someone was there!
Chapter 2
Max
I rolled off the Beta’s body and shook my wolf form, stretching out my limbs. I had aches here and there from the fight, though with all the fur, it was hard to tell the extent of my injuries. I’d taken the Beta’s claws and teeth a few times, but in my wolf form, the damage wouldn’t be as much, and a lot of it would be taken care of if I shifted to human form.
I didn’t shift immediately, though. I stood completely still, sensing out any other possible threats. This might not be the only Beta that made it out of the hall, and that Omega was lucky I happened to see him get run down or he would have died.
Right…the Omega.
I’d almost forgotten about him. I turned my head, and saw him kneeling on the ground with his head bowed, his whole body shaking. Shit. I couldn’t take my time at the moment, not with him there. I turned my head to the downed Beta, and after making sure he wouldn’t be getting up, I forced my body into a shift. I’d done it so many times it was as simple as breathing; one moment I was standing on four legs, and in the next, I was standing on two legs. The only regrettable thing was that I was naked, but for a shifter, it wasn’t so big a deal.
My human form didn’t have nearly as much damage as my wolf form had. There were a few scrapes and scratches here and there, but nothing that required medical attention. With the Beta incapacitated and no one else in the vicinity, I finally turned to the Omega. He hadn't moved his position.
He was probably scared shitless. At least, though, from where I stood, he looked like he was in one piece. I’d had my focus more on the wolf, but I did hear a loud sound and a yelp of pain.
“Hey,” I called softly, walking closer to him.
His whole body went tense, before he started shaking up again, even harder. It made me pause for a bit, then hurry over. I kneeled beside him, keeping one of my knees bent out of courtesy so he wouldn’t see me naked. I raised a hand out to him,
wondering if I should smooth back his blond hair or rub his shaking shoulders. But I hesitated and decided not to touch him just yet. He didn’t need me to spook him again.
“Are you okay?” I asked gently. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
For a long moment, he didn’t speak or move, and I waited for him to get himself together. It must have been scary for him being so close to dying. I flattened my lips, thinking of how many wolf-shifters had already been taken down by those damn Betas. I was anxious to go back and check the damage, but I couldn’t leave the little guy alone here, either.
“Can you please let me know if you’re injured?” I asked, my patience running out. “If you’re not, then we should move.
“…I’m fine.”
His waive, when it came, was low and reluctant, hoarse and a bit shaky. But, at least he’d talked. Feeling encouraged, I placed my hand on his back and rubbed in slow, soothing circles. As an Alpha, it was instinct to comfort a distressed Omega. The scent coming off him was enough to make me restless, but I was used to Omegas, so it was simple enough to keep my cool.
Some comfort turned out to be all he needed. In a minute, his body had stopped shaking, and he let out a heavy sigh that left his shoulders slumped. Then, he looked up, and my breath caught.
Shit.
Even in the dark, he had these expressive deep blue eyes that I was tempted to fall into, and for a moment, they left me mesmerized. I came back to myself pretty quickly, though, clearing my throat.
“Do you think you can get up?”
He stared at me for a moment before he nodded.
I pulled my hand back, but held it close in case he needed help, and waited for him to try and stand. Sure enough, when he tried to stand, his legs trembled and he fell back on his knees. The shaking was a little more pronounced, and he let out a short laugh.
“Um, sorry,” he whispered, keeping his head down. “This is really humiliating. Can you give me a minute?”
