Resistant Omegas 6
Vencentio
When Vencentio was rescued from his last pack, his life was supposed to get better. In a way , it did, but being locked up in a room in the High Council Estate where his wolf felt trapped wasn’t the new life he expected.
Alpha Carter Whelan shows up to ask Vencentio to j oin his pack after the Om ega rules change, but it’s soon discovered no one in the Om ega Network even knew Vencentio was at the High Council Estate. Terrified and wondering what sort
of trouble he’s in, the Om ega runs with Carter to Denver to seek help.
After fighting with Carter, Vencentio tries to run and ends up crashing into Marlow, a m an with the prettiest green ey es ever. Later that night, he m eets another god of a m an, Galvin, who offers him som ething he’s never had before… A
friend.
But will Vencentio be able to trust any one again?
G enre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Vam pires/Werewolves
Length: 35,492 words
VENCENTIO
Resistant Omegas 6
Joyee Flynn
MENAGE AMOUR MANLOVE
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VENCENTIO
Copyright © 2012 by Joyee Flynn E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-506-9
First E-book Publication: September 2012
Cover design by Sloan Winters
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VENCENTIO
Resistant Omegas 6
JOYEE FLYNN
Copyright © 2012
Chapter 1
I spent a lot of time in my wolf form. Everything was easier when I was a wolf. Though, that still
didn’t chase away the overwhelming depression I felt after years of being used and abused by my old
pack. When the High Council rescued me, I think they thought that would solve everything and my
trauma was over.
Yeah, because giving me a room and ignoring me for months was so much better.
Well, okay, it was really. I didn’t mean to sound like an ungrateful brat but they promised to fix
everything. And they hadn’t. Could they really have just forgotten about me?
Probably not, because every so often someone would stop by and have sex with me. Oh, it was all
very hush-hush since I was an unclaimed Omega again but it seemed that was all I was good for. My
last pack used me that way. Why would I think anyone else would see me differently?
There was a knock on the door and I didn’t even turn to look at it. Lying on the window seat in my
wolf form was about all I ever did anymore, trying to not think about my waste of an existence. I did
glance over my shoulder when I heard the knob turn. Guess he wasn’t going to go away.
“Vencentio?” a handsome man asked hesitantly as he opened the door and stuck his head inside. “Can
I come in?”
I shifted back, not caring about my nudity. “Why? Do you want to fuck?”
“Um, well, that’s not why I’m here,” he answered in surprise, his eyebrows shooting up to his
hairline.
“That’s the only reason anyone comes and sees me.” His blue eyes turned bright with anger and I
wasn’t sure how to take that.
“What do you mean by that?” he asked with a growl. “You’re supposed to be in sanctuary here! No
one should be touching you!”
“It’s all I’m good for,” I whispered in fear, not sure that he wasn’t pissed at me. I wasn’t sure what to
do so I fell back to old habits. When someone’s pissed distracting them with sex kept them from
hurting me. I turned my body to face him and moved my feet next to my hips so he could see what
everyone wanted from me… My tight hole. “I hear I’m a very good lay.”
The man swallowed loudly as he took several steps closer. His eyes were so focused on my body that
I had a moment of wondering how long it had been since he’d had sex. “This isn’t why I came here,
Vencentio.”
“You’d be the first,” I mumbled bitterly. His gaze snapped to mine and I realized my rash words had
broken the spell he’d been under. I quickly recovered and let my fingers trail over my sac and around
my hole. “Are you saying you don’t want me? I’m very flexible and take direction well.”
“I have no doubt of that,” he said, clearing his throat as he loosened his tie. He suddenly looked very
warm even though I liked to keep my room cool. I did like how he looked in a suit. The man was
definitely one of the most attractive men I’d ever seen, and way better than thosethat had touched me.
“And yes, I do want you but it would be wrong.”
“How so?” I was curious now. No one had ever tried to come here and speak with me besides telling
me what position they wanted me in.
“You’re in sanctuary.” He looked shocked that I would ask. The tips of his expensive-looking dress
shoes thunked against the window seat and I stared up at him. Was I losing my touch that he could
stand this close to me and not have his hands on me already?“I’ve been promoted to Alpha and given
a small pack. One of the High Council guardstold me there was an Omega here that needed a home.”
“Oh, so they do remember I’m here besides being a fuck toy.” Wow, that sounded bitter even to me.
“Have members of the High Council been sleeping with you?” he asked, growling again. I stopped
playing with myself and trying to tease him, instead pulling my knees to my chest and making myself a
smaller target. “Answer me, Vencentio.”
“I don’t know,” I whispered as I buried my head in my knees. “There haven’t been many and they
didn’t exactly introduce themselves to me before they started bossing me around.” I glanced up at him
quickly. “Kind of like you.”
His face fell instantly into regret and I wondered if he might be different than everyone else. Then I
mentally smacked myself. No, people were all the same, using others as they could and tossing them
aside when they got what they wanted.
“I’m Carter Whelan,” he said softly as he leaned in closer. He didn’t touch me but I felt his breath on
the side of my neck. “Fuck, you smell amazing, Vencentio.”
“Really?” I turned my head enough so I could see him. “We can have sex if you want.”
“Yes I want but no we can’t yet.” Well, that was a first. I’d never been turned down before. “I’d like
to get to know you and see if you’d like to be my Omega.”
“Like I’d get a choice.” I snorted, lying back down on the window seat and turning away from the
room. “Just let me know when and where I’m moving to. I’ll spread my legs or be bent over whatever
you want without fighting.”
“No one’s explained to you the changes that have taken place, have they?” I shook my head, still not
wanting to look at him. He was gorgeous and it killed me to know that he would never love me,
would hurt me, and toss me aside one day. It was inevitable. I couldn’t hold back the shiver when his
hand moved to my bare hip. “Vencentio, you get to choose now and sign a contract on your own
behalf. You can’t be sold or taken againstyour will anymore.”
“What?” I gasped, turning onto my back so I could see his face and figure out if he was lying to me.
What I hadn’t meant to do was move so his hand was on my groin. We both glanced down and then
back to each other’s faces. His eyes filled with lust and I swear he shook from the force of his
restraint. “Are you saying you want me to be your Omega and I have a choice in whether that
happens?”
“Yes, yes I want you,” he panted as he leaned down as if to kiss me.
“So if I said you couldn’t kiss me or touch me, you’d have to listen?” I blurted out, shocked beyond
belief that someone might care what I actually wanted for once.
“Yes, of course.” He instantly removed his hand and sat back up, shaking his head as if to clear his
mind. “I’m sorry. That was inexcusable of me, Vencentio. I didn’t come here to take advantage of
you.” He quickly got to his feet and turned away from me. “Can I ask you to put some clothes on since
I seem unable to focus or control myself when you’re nude? We do need to talk, though I understand if
the way I acted just knocked me out of the running.”
“Running for what?” I slid off the seat and got to my feet.
“You have to have an inner circle to be grounded. It’s no longer who has the money to buy an Omega
or making deals for them like property. The inner circles now petition directly to the Omega and offer
them what they want in their contract so they’ll pick them.”
“So you’re like old-time courting me?” I thought I understood but I wanted to check. I moved around
him, making sure he was looking at me. “The Alphas have to court the Omegas into signing a
contract?”
“Yes.” He was a little breathy as he stared down at me. “But there are still rules and new clauses in
all contracts that the Omega has a chance to break the contract and return to sanctuary if they’re not
happy after two years. There’s also quarterly reviews on every Omega’s situation now as well so the
same mistakes aren’t made.”
“I really get a choice,” I whispered, more to myself as I glanced down. Wow. I didn’t really notice
the height difference until I was looking as his massive chest. If he hadn’t had his suit on my nose
would have lined up perfectly with his nipples.
“Yes, you get a choice, Vencentio. No one should have been coming in here and taking advantageof
you.” Carter sounded all growly again. I glanced up at him curiously, feeling slightly empowered
now.
“And how does that make you feel?”
“Pissed off like you wouldn’t believe,” he admitted. I glanced up at him through my long lashes,
hesitant to believe him. “You should be treated with respect and taken care of, especially since
you’re in sanctuary. I’m furious this has been going on under the High Council’s nose.” He shook his
head and looked away from me. “I’ll inform them at once.”
“No, no, don’t do that,” I begged, reaching up to touch his face so he’d see me. “I don’t want trouble.
I want to be left alone. You tell someone and they’ll ask me why I didn’t say anything. Then I’ll have
to admit I was pathetic and lonely and offered myself like a whore because that’s all I know and sex
is all I’m good for. That would be humiliating.”
“You’re not a whore and I highly doubt all you’re good for is sex, Vencentio,” he said gently as he
cupped my cheek. He searched my face and came to some internal decision. “I won’t tell anyone if
that’s what you want. But no more. Even if you don’t pick me as your Alpha you need to understand
you have rights now and can say no.”
“Pick you?” I whispered, staring up at him with something close to hope. It was a stupid emotion but
looking at the handsome man before me, touching and talking to me so gently, I couldn’t help but feel
it stir in my belly. “Does that mean you still want to court me after everything I’ve told you?”
“Even more so than when I first walked in here,” he admitted with a smile. “I want to take care of
you, Vencentio, show you there’s more to life and love you one day.”
I shut down when I heard that last part. I stepped away from him, shaking with anger that I could have
been such a fool. “Get out.”
“What did I say that was wrong?” His eyes were wide and he stepped closer.
“You said I could say noso I’m saying it and asking you leave my room.” I pointed to the door and
moved to the side so he could walk by me without touching me.
“Baby, I’m sorry, okay?” he rambled as he knelt in front of me. “I beg you to tell me what I said that
was wrong. I’ll leave then, I swear it,but I can’t fix it if I don’t know what just happened.”
“My old Alpha and pack said they were going to love me,” I answered with snarl. “They promised
me after the claiming ceremony. You know what happened instead?”
“Yes, I’ve read your file,” he whispered sadly.
“Yeah, you got the short version, buster,” I snapped. “They never loved me. I was the pack whore.
Everyone fucked me at least once a week to get power. At least once a week. There were thirty guys
in our pack. And I asked once how they could break their promise to me. You know what they said?”
“No.” He looked torn as to what to do or say.
“They said I wasn’t worth loving, that I was unlovable and not worth anything but for fucking. So
don’t tell me that you want to love me one day because I won’t fall for that shit again.” He opened his
mouth to talk but I heldup my hand. “You said if I told you what was wrong you would leave. You
said I had choices or were you just lying to me?”
“No, it was the truth,” he said sadly as he stood, his head hung in defeat. “I’ll leave because that’s
what you want but I meant what I said, Vencentio. I’m sorry your pack and old inner circle were such
bastards, my old one was too and my Omega got hurt because I was a fool and didn’t pay attention.”
“Just leave,” I whispered. “Just leave me alone. That’s all I want is for everyone to leave me the
fuckalone.” He headed towards the door and opened it, pausing as he took in what I said.
“We don’t always get what we want. And living alone trapped in this room is no way to live,
Vencentio. I’ll leave because it’s what you want but I will be back to court you. You deserve more
than what you’ve been given and I want to show you there’s more to life.”
And with that he left. His words tasted like the truth, not setting off any internal alarms or bells. But
he couldn’t possibly feel that way after just having met me. That was insane.
Right?
Unless it was just pity and he was really lonely. That made more sense. I shifted back into wolf form
and padded over to the window seat. I hopped right back up and lay down as I was before Carter had
showed up. Maybe if I took a nap and put the attractive man out of my mind it would be as if this
never happened.
Hope was a stupid emotion. And I was even dumber to have believed even if it was for a few
moments that my life could get better.
* * * *
Later that day there was a gift brought along with my normal dinner tray. Yeah, I was so secluded
and alone that my meals were brought to me instead of being able to go to the dining room like
everyone else. But that was what I wanted, right? To be left alone.
Sure, that’s what I kept telling myself.
I shifted back and checked it out once the woman left my room. She never even spoke to me in all the
months I’d been there and she’d been bringing my meals. I had tried to say hi to her once but she had
ignored me. After that, I didn’t care enough to try again.
There were a dozen huge, long-stemmed roses in a vase with a small wrapped box on the tray. I
couldn’t help but smile. I’d never gotten roses before, or any flowers for that matter. I opened the box
to find a cell phone with a note attached.
Dearest Vencentio,
I’m sorry I upset you, that was the last thing I wanted. I saw you didn’t have a phone in the room
when I was there and since it seems the High Council hasn’t been taking care of you, I assumed
they haven’t taken you shopping. I hope you can forgive me and see that my intentions are true
and honorable. The phone has been programmed with my number, along with the Omegas Tristan
and Carson. Even if you won’t talk to me, I hope you’ll reach out to them. I swear there’s no way
they knew that you’ve been neglected like this. They’re good people who wouldn’t allow it to
continue.
Please talk to someone, Vencentio. Being so alone isn’t healthy and you deserve more. I hope to
hear from you.
Let the courting begin,
Carter
Could they really not know that I was confined to a room in the High Council building and no one
seemed to care about me? I picked at my food as I thought that over. They were good enough men to
have started the Omega Network and gotten me out of a crappy pack. I couldn’t think this was what
they meant for my life to be.
I looked over the little cheat sheet he’d given me on how to use the cell phone. Carter had
programed his number to speed dial number one, but I picked two for Tristan. I almost hung up when
the call connected and started ringing. I was so nervous!
“Hello?” a deep voice said hesitantly. I tried to speak but what Omega had such a deep voice?
But then I remembered something, that Tristan had grown huge and would have that type of voice. I
must have waited too long because he spoke again. “This is Tristan. Is there an Omega on the line
who needs help? We can trace the call if you can’t talk freely.”
“No, I can talk,” I whispered, suddenly feeling like a fool. “I’m just not sure what to say.”
“You can say anything you want to me and it won’t go any further if you don’t want.”
“I don’t know what I want,” I admitted as I played with the comforter of my bed. “I want to be left
alone but then I’m also tired of feeling all alone. I think the High Council forgets that I’m even here.
But then an Alpha came to my room today saying he wanted to court me as his Omega. He said the
rules have changed. Why didn’t anyone tell me that?”
“I don’t have names of any Omegas currently at the High Council estate,” he hedged. “Everyone was
supposed to be given sanctuary at either my pack or Carson’s unless they needed immediate medical
treatment we couldn’t provide. Will you tell me your name?”
“Vencentio Benson.” This was weird. I heard shuffling of some papers.
“Vencentio, I have that you’re staying with Carson Evans. Are you saying you’ve been at the High
Council estate since you were rescued?”
“Yes, I’ve never met Carson.”
“Shit,” he swore with feeling, shocking me that he would be so blunt. “I bet Carson thinks you’re
here. Are you okay there? Do we need to get you out of there right away? Can you tell me what
happened? How did you come to be there?”
“I–I,” I stuttered, scared I’d started shit.
“Have they been treating you okay? I mean, why weren’t you sent here?” I had a sinking suspicion that
something bad was going on and I was being kept here for a reason.
“Forget I said anything,” I blurted out quickly and scrambled to hang up the phone.
“Vencentio, wait!” he called right before I found the disconnect button.
This was bad, really bad. I yelped when the phone in my hands started ringing, dropping it like a live
snake. I stared at it a few moments, not sure what to make of all of this. There was one guy who came
to my room once a week for sex while the others seemed to just stumble upon me and I never saw
them again. Could that have something to do with all of this?
I wasn’t sure but I also didn’t think I wanted to know the answers to all these questions either.
Sometimes it was better to not know.
And to not have to deal with people because that was the only way I could get hurt again.
Chapter 2
The next day I got more presents from Carter. Chocolate and a new book that had just been
released with a note saying that I deserved a day off to just relax and get lost in fantasy. I smiled and
did as he suggested, eating the whole huge box of chocolates by the time I was done with the book.
Then with dinner there was a used iPod with a bunch of songs on it. I thought it was an odd gift. I
understood when I read the card though. Carter had given me hisiPod to borrow because he didn’t
know if I had one already and wanted me to see what kind of music he liked.
I was listening to it the next morning when I felt power with a capital P coming down the hallway.
I knew who that was. With the plan I’d come up with last night, I quickly scrambled into action. I hid
the iPod in the drawer and set my phone on the ledge on top of the headboard where it couldn’t be
seen. Then I quickly turned on the record option and lay down on the bed as if I was just waking up.
He entered without knocking, sneaking into my room as if he didn’t want to be seen. I turned to
look at him, not wanting to get caught faking sleep and setting him off that something might be wrong.
The man smiled brightly at me and pulled off his shirt.
“Hello, my darling Omega,” he purred and knelt on the bed, drinking in my barely covered naked
body. Carter had looked at me, but not like this. Maybe I had never noticed the difference before or
how people saw me. Carter looked at me like a feast he wanted to worship for hours, taking time and
loving on me. This guy looked as if I was branded his and all the ways he could use me.
I felt dirty and I hadn’t felt that way in a long time. I’d shut that part of my brain off and wanted to
cuss Carter out for being gentle enough to awaken something in me.
“Councilman,” I replied, watching his face closely. His eyes flashed with shock before he
schooled his expression.
“Did you miss me?” He grabbed the edge of the sheet I’d thrown over my groin and started to peel it
away as if unwrapping a present he wanted. Ewwww.
“I don’t even know your name,” I chuckled, fighting to keep my breathing even. “How could I miss
you?”
“I thought the passion we share spoke more than a name could ever,” he answered with the edgings of
anger in his voice. He might have felt passion when we’d fucked. I’d felt nothing but wanting it to
quickly be over. I didn’t have to endure long ever with him. He was a three-pump chump.
“An Alpha came to court me,” I said hesitantly as I held the sheet in place. “He said things have
changed and I can now pick who uses my body. Is that true?”
“Yes, of course it is.” He looked up at my face finally and frowned. “I thought you liked being with
me, being here as my mistress?”
“Your what?” I gasped, my eyes going wide. “You think I’m your mistress?” I was going to ignore the
fact that I thought only women could be mistresses. I waited until he nodded before sitting up and
pulled the sheet over my body fully. “How can I be your mistress when I don’t know your name? You
stuck me in a room, all alone in the High Council estate,and abandoned me. My wolf can’t go run.
I’ve never seen Boston besides the car ride here. I’m all alone without even a television or computer.
“There’s nothing to do, I’ve been so depressed I just stare out the window all day, feeling alone and
unwanted.” I swallowed the rest of my rant when I saw the anger in his eyes. I decided to switch
tactics. “Can we talk more about this later, Councilman? That Alpha said he was going to stop by at
breakfast today to court me. I don’t want you to get into trouble for being in here.”
“Yes, yes, that would be bad if anyone found out about us just yet,” he agreed. I smiled at him and
moved his hand on my thigh, trying to act the part. He groaned and massaged my leg.
“Will you come back tonight and see me after dinner?” I raised my other knee up so the sheet slipped
down, but still covered me. “I need more than what you’ve been giving me but that doesn’t mean I’m
not open to discussion on the topic.”
“Yes, I will do better by you,” he swore and leaned in to kiss me. I quickly moved my hands to stop
him and he growled. I scrambled for a reason that I reacted this way and came up with a winner.
“I don’t want the Alpha to smell anyone else on me,” I lied. “We don’t know how good his sense of
smell is.”
“Too right.” He smiled brightly at me and sat back. “So good of you to look out for me, my darling
Omega.”
“Of course.” I gave him my best seductive look as he got off the bed. “I look forward to our time
together tonight, Councilman. I’ve been so alone.”
“We can’t have that.” He eyed me over again like steak. “I’ll be back after full dark when I can get
away from my mate. Keep this bed warm for me and think about all the ways you want me to take
you.”
I nodded, swallowing back bile until he walked out the door. When I felt his power recede down the
hall I rolled off the bed and threw up in the garbage can. Then I grabbed my cell phone and shut off
the recording. I texted it to Tristan with a note that I was going to call Carter to get me out of here.
Then I did just that.
“Did you get my presents?” he asked in way of greeting.
“Yes, and I loved them but that’s not why I’m calling,” I quickly answered, feeling panic clawing
inside of me. “You said you’d protect me and help me, right?”
“Of course.” I think he got something serious was going on.
“I need you to get me out of here. I found out why I’ve been secluded. One of the Councilmen has
been keeping me here as his mistress.”
“He’s touchedyou!”
“Yes, but I held him off today saying you were coming for breakfast. I’ll explain everything. Just
please, please get me out of here. I’ll sign whatever you want and be your Omega. You can have me.”
“Vencentio, I’ll help you but I don’t want you to be my Omega just because of that.” I felt the panic
ease in my stomach and smiled. “I’ll be there shortly. Pack everything you have and I’ll sneak you out
and get you to Tristan.”
“Thank you, Carter.” I made sure he could feel my relief in my voice. “I’m just going to shower since
I don’t have anything to pack. I only have the few clothes I came here with.”
“See you soon.” We hung up and I darted into the bathroom. I took the world’s quickest shower and
scrambled to put all my belongings on a pile on the bed after throwing on some shorts. I was cleaning
out the garbage can in the bathroom when I heard a quick rap on the main bedroom door. I froze. Was
it Carter or the Councilman?
“Vencentio, I’m here for breakfast,” Carter said causally as he walked into the room. He turned to
look towards the bathroom when he saw the room wasempty and our eyes met. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I whispered and started to shake. He raced to me and I set the garbage can down. “I should hate
you. I never cared how people looked at me or wanted to use me. But then you were nice to me and
said I was more than sex. Now that guy looked at me and wanted to touch me and it made me sick.
What have you done to me?”
“Hopefully made you see you’re worth more than people have treated you,” he said as he cupped my
cheek.
“Hope is a stupid emotion that always bites you in the ass,” I snapped and started to pull away. He
didn’t let me, instead hugging me tightly.
“We can debate that all you want later, baby. I called Tristan. He got your recording and for sure
knows it’s not his contact on the High Council. He talked to the man and he’s going to get us out of
here while we work this out. We have a plane to catch, okay? Please trust me now and you can chew
outmy ass later.”
“Okay.” I was still shaking but then I suddenly stopped when he kissed my hair tenderly. What was it
about this man? Why did he make me want things I never dreamed of before?
“I bought an extra bag for your stuff that we can carry on the plane,” he explained as he led me out of
the bathroom. He picked up a backpack I hadn’t noticed him drop when he arrived and started gently
putting my few belongings in there.
“Don’t you have to have IDs to get on a plane?” I remembered that when my parents had shipped me
off to my old pack. “I don’t have any of that stuff and I don’t know who does?”
“Tristan’s High Council contact is finding all your IDs and documents. He said they had to have them
on file after you were rescued.”
“Okay, I trust you,” I said nervously, my voice betraying my words. I did, but that didn’t mean I
wasn’t scared out of my mind to leave here with basically a stranger. He smiled at me as he slid the
bag over his shoulder and extended his other hand to me. I took a deep breath and slid my hand into
his. It was warm and strong and suddenly I felt just a little bit more calm.
Why did he affect me like that? And then it hit me as we snuck out into the hall. I had been blocking
my gifts from him, putting my mental abilities up behind a wall in my brain I had to build. But even
still I could sense the goodness in this man. I watched my feet so I didn’t trip but while Carter was
distracted I lowered my shields and let my gift out.
Mine was a truly peculiar gift. I could literally see all the immoral things a person had done. Carter’s
was a short list and nothing that everyone doesn’t do normally. A few white lies, guilt over things that
weren’t his fault but he could have helped if he’d paid attention better. That type of thing.
“Are you paying attention?” He hissed at me. I realized we’d stopped moving and were crouched
behind a car.
“What? No, sorry,” I mumbled, hanging my head in shame.
“Hey, it’s cool.” I glanced up at him and saw he was giving me a lopsided grin. “I think anyone
would be a little distracted and out of it after what you’ve been through.”
“Thanks, you’re really sweet.” I blushed like some schoolboy having his first crush. I’d just never had
anyone be nice to me before… And I was twenty-five. How sad was that?
Carter gave me a wink and explained we were waiting here for Councilman Stratts who was
Tristan’s buddy. A man walked towards us a few minutes later, trying very obviously not to look at
us. Well, it was obvious to me since there was no way he didn’t see us.
“Good luck and I’m sorry we failed you again,Omega Benson,” he said under his breath as he
dropped a large envelope by us, hidden behind the car, and kept walking.
“Thanks.” I wasn’t sure what was in there, but I grabbed the envelope and clutched onto it.
“I’m going to stand and open the door to the backseat as if I hadn’t just been hiding down here,”
Carter explained as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. “I want you to dart in there and cover
yourself with the blanket until we’re off the estate.”
“Okay,” I whispered, shaking with fear. Why would this man take these kind of risks for me? Did he
want me as his own mistress? Oh wait, that’s basically what being an Omega meant anyways, I
thought bitterly.
We jumped to action and everything went smoothly. When we were safely off the estate I sneaked a
peek inside the envelope and bit my lip to keep in my gasp. There were my IDs, license and passport,
my social security card and birth certificate… And a stack of hundred-dollar bills that was bigger
than my hand could hold. Whoa. Now the question became if I told Carter or not. I made a splitsecond
decision and went with no. But where did I hide all this cash? If I left it all in the bag, airport security
would see it when they scanned it. Yeah, that’s what happened in books.
“You okay back there?” Carter asked gently.
“Yes, just thinking,” I answered honestly. Okay, so it wasn’t the full truth. “What kind of plane are we
flying out on?”
“One of the Council’s private planes that they gave to the Omega Network.”
“So that Councilman who wants me can’t call airport security to detain me if he finds out I’m gone?”
That wasn’t why I was really asking but it was a good thing to find out as well.
“Nope. We drive around back to the private planes and someone there will take this car back to the
rental agency.”
“We’re in the clear then?” I asked, reaching for my bag that he had set in the front seat as I sat up.
“Yup and we’re almost there.” I sighed in relief, not just because of his answer but that he didn’t
notice I grabbed the bag. I quickly stuffed the envelope in the big zipper of the backpack behind my
few clothes.
Ten minutes later we were parked and getting out of the car. Carter reached for my bag but I assured
him I could carry it, thank you. He gave me an odd look but then shrugged and pulled his own
suitcases out of the trunk. We boarded the plane and I quickly stowed the backpack under the seat in
front of me.
“Are you okay?” Carter asked me as I sat back in my seat. I gave out a small yelp, not having noticed
he was right next to me again. “I’m not going to hurt you,Vencentio. You don’t have to be afraid of
me.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I admitted with a blush. “You confuse me and I’m not sure what you want
from me but I’m not scared of you. It’s this whole situation that scares me. I was supposed to be safe
but I wasn’t. How many more times can I be promised everything will be okay and then it’s not?”
He nodded thoughtfully as the captain came on the speaker and told us that we were taxiing for
takeoff. “I can’t promise you everything will be okay, no one should have said it like that because
there’s too much in life that we can’t control. I can promise you, your Alpha or not, that I will do
everything in my power to keep you safe until you ask me to leave you alone.”
I stared up into those bright blue eyes and smiled. “Thank you for not treating me like a child or a
victim and giving it to me straight. I appreciate honesty more than you know after so many years of
everyone lying to me or not caring enough about me to tell me the truth.”
“I care enough,” he said and then muttered under his breath as he turned to the window, “more than I
should already.” I don’t think he meant for me to hear it but it made me smile nonetheless.
* * * *
I got a quick nap in and woke when we hit a little turbulence. The captain had warned us that the
normally three-and-a-half-hour flight would be longer because of wind something and avoiding some
storm system. I hadn’t really paid attention… He knew what he was doing or he wouldn’t have been
able to get us off the ground.
Turning my head in my seat, I studied the other reason I couldn’t sleep. Carter baffled me and I
couldn’t figure him out. Granted, I didn’t know him very well but I wanted to trust him and that scared
me.
Also, it bothered me that I already felt indebted to him. I had people ask me for more than I was
willing to give later after they did me a favor. I needed to make things even. It would make me feel
worlds better if the playing field between us was evened out.
Decision made, I undid my seat belt and went through my bag until I found the small bottle of slick
I’d had at the High Council estate. I didn’t need a condom since I was going to have sex with another
wolf and we didn’t get any diseases plus it wasn’t like he could get me pregnant.
Once I was stretched and ready, I unzipped Carter’s jeans and pulled them down a bit. He
mumbled something in his sleep when I started unbuttoning his shirt so we didn’t ruin it. I took a
moment to appreciate the fine muscular body before me. And he had a wonderfully thick and long
cock that most would appreciate. I no longer enjoyed sex really so for me it was just something that
needed to be done… Like clipping my nails.
He started to make noises like he was waking up when I straddled his lap. I froze, not wanting
him awake until he’d already breached me. Carter had morals and as crappy as it was that I was
breaking them without his consent, I had nothing else to offer him to make us even. He was holding off
because he thought it was wrong to use me. I didn’t see it that way so he wouldn’t have a problem
with this once we started.
Pathetic, right?
I had him about halfway in me when his eyes shot open and he gasped. I quickly dropped my weight,
ignoring the burning pain so I was fully seated on him.
“What?” he moaned as his eyelids fluttered. “What are you doing, Vencentio?”
“Fucking,” I answered, not sure what else to say as I lifted myself back up. “You said you wanted
me.”
“Am I dreaming?” His large hands moved to my hips and I had a moment of internal debate on what to
say. No, I wouldn’t lie to him.
“No, wake up and enjoy my body, Carter.” That got him alert. “There you are.”
“We can’t be doing this,” he whispered as he tried to keep my body still. I squirmed and tightened
around him from the inside of me. “Stop that.”
“We’re already doing it and you don’t want me to stop,” I purred against his lips as I leaned forward,
plucking his nipples.
“Why did you do this? You know I didn’t want to until after we knew each other better.” There was a
hint of anger in his tone. I hadn’t expected that and I really didn’t want it.
“Can we talk later or do you want our first time together to be all about words?” I taunted, running my
hands down my body so his eyes would follow.
“Why aren’t you hard?” he asked gently. I covered my groin with my hands and started moving my
hips. He held me still. “No, this I will have an answer to at least before we make love.”
“We’re not making love,” I snarled, slapping his chest with one hand. “We’re fucking so get on with
it.”
“Why aren’t you hard, Vencentio?” he repeated, putting power in his voice that I felt. He moved my
hand away and cupped my groin. “Did they do something to you that won’t let your body react as it
should?”
“Are you asking if I’m impotent?” I asked in shock, chuckling a little. I was way too young to have
that problem. He nodded and then I realized in a way I was. “Physically, I’m sure I can get hard. I just
don’t ever want to. Sex doesn’t do anything for me anymore.”
“Then why are you on my lap?” Oh yeah, it was official… Carter was pissed.
I sighed and shook my head. “You couldn’t just accept some fun and a tight ass, could you? You have
to make this an issue.” His eyes flared with anger and that stirred mine as well so I decided to just go
for broke. “I didn’t want to owe you for rescuing me, okay? I wanted to get out of there and be safe
and you said you wanted me. I thought it was a good deal so you wouldn’t ask for something more
later.”
“Get off of me,” he growled and pushed me. I yelped as his cock was yanked out of me a little harder
than I would have liked before I tumbled onto the seat I’d been sitting in earlier. “I’m not having sex
with someone who thinks that little of me.”
Now I was pissed too and did something I never had done before. Fought back.
“What? That you’ll want payment or a favor later for helping me?” I laughed and it wasn’t a happy
laugh as I yanked on my shorts. “That’s everyone, Carter. I’ve never met someone who did nice things
for people under the guise of helping when the only one they wanted to help was themselves.
Everyone just uses each other.”
“I’m sorry that’s what you’ve been shown of people but that’s not how we all are,” Carter said more
gently now, his eyes filling with sadness. I think he now was realizing just how screwed up in the
head I really was. Fine, I could make him see it even more. If he was going to start pitying me then I’d
really give him something to pity.
“You know every man in the pack was ordered to fuck me once a week, right?” He slowly nodded,
swallowing loudly enough for me to hear as he finished fixing his clothes as I yanked on my shirt.
“There were some nice ones, and I use that term loosely because they were still selfish bastards.
They were never mean to me or too rough, hell, sometimes they brought me gifts. Ask me why I didn’t
think they were really all that nice, Carter.”
“Why?” He looked almost scared to know the answer.
“Because they brought me books or games so I’d have sex more than once that week with them. They
wanted me to ignore my sore and sometimes torn asshole because I was getting fucked by so many
men, so they could have another go at me. Or they wanted me to use my position and have pillow talk
with someone they wanted something from. They just used another tactic to get what they wanted
instead of beating me into submission.
“Is there really a difference when it comes to the morality of it? Sure beating someone is a greater sin
I guess but it’s still pretty twisted to give someone a gift and then say, I’d like you to do this for me.
It’s not really a gift then. And if I returned it to them they’d still want me to do whatever theywanted
from me. I’d still be trapped and at least they weren’t angry and abusive, right? It was okay then.”
“No, no it wasn’t, Vencentio.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Don’t you see that you
were doing almost the same thing to me?”
“No I wasn’t. I didn’t give you something and then demand payment.”
“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” he explained, shaking his head. “I was talking about trapping someone
into something they didn’t want to do.”
I blinked at him a few moments, letting his words sink in. “I apologize. I truly thought you wanted me.
I wouldn’t ever have done what I did if I thought you weren’t interested in fucking me.” I backed
away from him slowly, a little in shock, but he quickly grabbed my wrist.
“I do want you. But I want you the right way after courting you and making you my Omega. I don’t just
want to have cheap sex because you think I’m going to ask for something later for my help. I want to
make love to you after getting to know you.”
“You sound like a girl,” I blurted out, not knowing how to process what he was saying. Maybe that
wasn’t fair and I really didn’t know any women but he sounded like girls I’d seen on TV or read in
books.
“Fuck you,” he said with narrowed eyes as he let go of my wrist so fast I fell back on my ass. “Just
because you have issues and I’m trying to be nice doesn’t make me less of a man. You need help,
Vencentio,and I hope you get it.”
I was so filled with rage at his words, mostly because they were true, that I lashed out. “I’m not the
only one with issues, Carter,” I snarled, getting to my feet. “Talk to Sampson lately?” I saw the shock
and horror on his face and knew I’d struck a nerve so big that it hurt. I’d seen his sin in his mind about
being party to what happened to his last Omega.
Good. NowI wasn’t the only one hurting.
I stormed off to the plane’s lavatory and locked the door. My breathing was panicked and my heart
hurt. I’d never said or done anything quite so mean in my life and I didn’t like the way it made me
feel. I stayed in the bathroom the rest of the flight, bawling my eyes out.
Carter never came to see if I was okay and I didn’t blame him one bit. I was an asshole just as I
accused everyone else of being. And that made me just as bad as everyone who’d used or abused
me… And a little evil.
Chapter 3
When the plane stopped moving I quickly left the bathroom, raced over to my bag, grabbed it, and
headed for the door. Carter gathered his belongings a little bit more slowlyso he didn’t notice when
the captain opened the door. I darted out of the plane, barely waiting for the stairs to lower.
I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going. I heard Carter shout after me and I picked
up the pace. I hadn’t meant to run. I didn’t even realize it was what I was doing until he’d started
yelling.
And where the hell was I planning on running to?
Great plan I had going here!
The moment I stepped into the waiting area for the private flights
through the glass door, I sensed four wolves. No, seven. Shit! This last-minute ditch effort with
absolutely no goal in mind was really doing well.
I found them before they sensed me and I headed in the other direction. Just as I was turning away
I saw the biggest one’s blond head snap in my direction. Double shit! I walked very quickly so I
didn’t attract human attention but then I saw one guy run past me, trying to catch his flight, and I
realized I could do the same.
And that’s what I did. I wasn’t very fast anymore, having been cooped up in that room for months
without any exercise. But I was still faster than humans and hopefully those big guys waiting for me.
My phone started ringing and I let out a small yelp as I fumbled with it. Could they find me if it
was turned on like in the movies? I was so busy trying to turn it off as I raced toward the exit I hadn’t
been paying attention and crashed right into someone.
“Sorry, sir,” I mumbled and tried to move around him. He had grabbed me so I didn’t fall and he
wasn’t letting me go.
“Hello, little Omega,” he said gently. Fuck! I looked up into the lightest, prettiest green eyes I’d ever
seen.
“Please, let me go,” I begged.
“Go where, Vencentio?”
I darted a glance over my shoulder and saw the blond leading the group that was closing in on me.
“Anywhere but here. Vegas? I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas.”
“It’s not safe for you to be alone,” he said gently. “You know that.”
“I’ve not been safe my whole life even when I was supposed to be protected,” I replied with a growl.
I was fighting him now, punching at his large, unmoving chest. “I’ll make a scene in front of all these
humans!”
“You know that’s not allowed and there are punishments for bringing humans into our business,
Vencentio.” He didn’t like my threat but he let go of me. “What if we can come to some sort of
agreement?”
“Like what?” I asked as I started to slowly back away.
“Tristan’s a reasonable guy, aren’t you,Omega Modesto?”
“I am,” the Omega agreed from behind me. I hung my head and knew it was all over.
“Whatever,” I mumbled. “Where’s the car?”
“Vencentio, look at me,” Tristan said gently. I shook my head and walked towards the exit, knowing
my entourage would follow. Escape attempt number two failed, but at least I was out of the High
Council estate. The man with the pretty green eyes fell in step with me.
“He’s a good man. This whole pack is.”
“Right, I’ve seen how great packs are to their Omegas,” I snapped, shaking my head.
“Why did you run?” Carter asked me as he joined us.
“Just forget it,” I whispered, tears burning in my eyes. “Just take me to my next prison and leave me
be.”
“It’s not going to be like that here, Vencentio,” Tristan said.
“Right, because perfect strangers are going to do better by me than my family, my birth pack, the pack
I was sold to, and the High Council.” I stared at him with hate, shaking from the rage that boiled
inside of me. “I’m not fucking stupid so stop trying to act like you’re the good guys and will be nice to
me. I already fell into that trap once today.”
“That’s not fair, Vencentio,” Carter replied, his expression pained. “We had a fight, that’s it.”
“Yeah, because I’m fucked in the head and need help, right?” I shot back at him. He flinched as if I’d
slapped him. I ignored him and got into the car that the man with the green eyes was standing by,
opening the door for me. He got in after me and shut the door. I darted to the other seat, as close to the
window as possible.
“Wow, they must have been pretty bad to you for you to act like this,” he said gently. I glanced at him
and saw that he was holding his hand out to me. “I’m Marlow Gardner and I’ll be your personal guard
while you’re staying in Denver.” I just stared at his hand for a moment. “It’s okay, Vencentio. I’m not
going to jump you or anything. If it helps, I’m straight.”
“Yeah so were a bunch of the men in my pack but that doesn’t mean thata hole isn’t just a hole
sometimes,” I replied, eyeing him over suspiciously. I sighed and shook his hand, thinking then maybe
he’d just leave me alone. “Vencentio Benson, nice to meet you.”
Tristan and another man whose energy screamed Alpha got in the front seat, the Alpha driving. I let
go of Marlow’s hand and stared out the window, waiting for everyone else to load in the other cars. I
flinched when the Alpha turned around and shot daggers at me with his eyes.
“Look, I know you’ve had it rough butwe’re trying to help you. You have no reason to trust us so I can
forgive that little hysterical stunt back there. But don’t you ever talk to my mate like that again.”
“Jared,” Tristan groaned and slapped the other man. “Let it go.”
“No, he hurt your feelings and after everything you’ve done, setting up the Omega Network and saving
all these people, getting different packs and the High Council on board, you are the good guy. His
time at the High Council Estate isn’t your fault, it’s been eating you up that he slipped through the
cracks. I won’t have him treating you badly or making things worse.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I whispered as I turned to look out the window. “I’m sorry,Omega Modesto.” And just
like that I felt trapped again… Or still really.
“No big deal, speed racer,” he said playfully. I put my seat belt on and placed my bag on my lap,
wrapping my arms around it. My head lay on it as I kept looking out the window, tears running down
my cheeks. Why did I even bother trying? The more I opened my mouth I’d get into trouble like I did
with the last pack and they’d just fuck me or beat me into submission.
Thoughts swirled around my head as we drove through Denver. Tristan started out playing tour guide
but then stopped after a while of my not responding.
“Can I ask you something, Vencentio?” Tristan asked quietly after another ten minutes.
“Of course, Omega Modesto,” I answered formally, but not looking at him.
“You can call me Tristan,” he said with a sigh. I knew I wouldn’t but I nodded. “What’s your
powers?”
“I can see people’s sins,” I whispered, hoping that would be enough of an explanation. I knew it
wouldn’t though. People never understood what I meant. “I can sense power levels of people and
know what other people can do.”
“So you know what my gifts are?”
“No, you’re closed off to me because you’re another Omega who’s not letting me in,” I answered
immediately. It was bad form to try and read each other and it pissed people off. I could do it if I
wanted to. It was a rare gift that could be used against other Omegas but I could read Tristan
still.“But like I knew the Alpha was the Alpha the minute he sat down in the car.”
“What do you mean by sins? How do you see that?” the Alpha asked me.
“I don’t know how to say it another way really. It’s like I get almost alist of what immoral things
people have done when they’re near me, snippets of what happened.”
“So you know who’s broken the law?”
“No, not the law.” I sighed, hating to explain it. “Immoral thing, things that people have done that
bother them and they think was wrong. I’ve been around sociopaths who come up almost completely
blank.”
“Because they don’t think they’ve ever done anything wrong or don’t know the meaning of right and
wrong,” Tristan offered and I was glad of the help.
“Exactly.” I was relieved he got it.
“So you know everything I’ve ever done that made me feel guilty or I thought was wrong?” the Alpha
asked me, not sounding very pleased about it.
“No, because I’m shielding against everyone like a mother fucker. People get pissed when they learn
what I can do and what I know about them. And anger leads to me getting beaten, screamed at, or
fucked. So just keep people away from me and we won’t have any accidents of me finding out
anything.” I hatedmy power. It wasn’t my fault it was what I got but people never understood that.
The car was quiet until we turned onto a long driveway, waiting for the gates to open. “What if we
asked you to check out some people and let us know if they’re good people or not?” the Alpha asked
me and I started crying silently again.
Here we go, I thought. Out loud I said something completely different but just as sarcastic. “Like I
have a choice? Yeah, sure, use me like the fucking morality police so no one has any privacy. That’s
how I get to be so popular and everyone’s toy.”
“Jesus,you are a bitter little thing,” Marlow blurted out. “How can one person have that much rage in
such a small package?”
“Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,” I growled as I turned and looked at him. “I
can shield all I want but when someone touches me, I still get images.”
“What did you get off Marlow?” Alpha Jared asked me as he slowed to a stop in front of the house. I
unbuckled my belt because I wanted out of this car and conversation.
“Nothing that affects his job or anyone else needs to know,” I answered quickly and jumped out,
closing the door behind me a little too roughly.
I moved the straps of the backpack over my shoulders when someone offered to take it for me, shaking
my head. Then I had another idea. I quickly pulled out the phone, charger, and iPod Carter had given
me and shoved them in his hands.
“Now you can go since you said you don’t want anything from me for rescuing me. Great to meet you,
thanks for getting me out of there and the mind fuck on the plane. Swell time and I appreciate you
escorting me to my next prison. Best of luck with your new pack and I think you’ll be a great Alpha,
just as superas all the other ones I’ve known.”
I spun on my heel, ignoring all the shocked faces around me and walked upthe porch steps. Once I
was in the house I didn’t know where I was going so I had to wait. Luckily Tristan was the first one
who followed me inside, eyeing me warily as if waiting for my next outburst.
“I get a room, right?” I asked, waiting for him to nod. “Would you please tell me where it is so I can
go lie down?”
“Sure, speed racer,” he answered gently, shooting a look at someone over my shoulder. “Carter says
you haven’t eaten all day though. Maybe we should swing by the kitchen first or have something sent
up to your room?”
“Not hungry,” I mumbled as I walked over to the stairs. “I don’t eat much anyways since I’ve been
trapped in a room for months. No exercise means no need to refuel.”
“Well, you’re welcome to go wherever you want on the property while you’re staying with us,”
Tristan hedged as he led the way up the stairs. “So you’ll need to refuel. We ask that you stay out of
Jared’s study and our main suites unless you need to talk to us and knock first. And the first couple
times you check out the estate grounds that you keep Marlow with you until your wolf gets
comfortable with the lay of the land.”
“Well, that’s better than being stuck in a room,” I conceded with a tight smile.
“You can leave the property, Vencentio. Just not by yourself. It’s not safe and you know it. So if you
need something or want to go somewhere, let us know and we’ll figure something out, okay? You’re
not a prisoner here.” I nodded numbly as he opened a door and gestured me to go ahead inside.
“I hear what you’re saying, Omega Modesto, but that’s really what the life of an Omega is. To be
someone’s prisoner.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way and that’s what you’ve been taught. Maybe some time with us can show
you that there’s more to life than that.”
“Nope, I’m good.” I glanced around the room, smiling when I saw the entertainment unit and computer
set up on the desk. There was also a window seat that looked out to the backyard and that was one of
the things I really liked about the High Council Estate. “The room is great. Thanks, this is much nicer
than where I was.”
“Get some rest and we’ll see you at dinner.” I nodded that I understood, knowing full well I wouldn’t
be joining them for dinner. I waited until he was gone before removing the money the Councilman had
given me and finding a few hiding spots for it. When that was done I undressed before crawling
between the sheets and almost instantly falling asleep.
The bed was even nicer than the last place too.
* * * *
I didn’t go to dinner, not even answering the door when I fel t Tristan on the other side of it
knocking. He’d given up and gone away which was what I’d wanted. But now it was after midnight
and I was starving. The man did say I didn’t have to stay in my room.
I threw on my shorts, wondering if I was actually going to get some clothes this rescue because I
only had a few things and they needed to be washed. Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea too. There had
to be a washer and dryer in the place somewhere. I gathered up my other clothes, frowning when I
could hold them all in one arm easily. Yeah, I needed some more clothes for sure.
Stepping into the hallway, I closed my door again and was glad I had such great night vision so I
didn’t have to turn on lights and alert anyone that I was up. My room was pretty close to the stairs so I
was down on the main floor in no time. I followed my nose to the smell of food and found the kitchen,
and the large laundry room right off of it. I smiled when I saw the machines were empty and dumped
my clothes in the washer.
After they were all set and the wash cycle was going, I investigated the kitchen. Wow, they had an
industrial-size fridge and freezer, each with two doors. How many people lived in this house?
I raided the fridge, standing there stuffing my face like some kind of glutton for a moment. Then I
found they had made real turkeys and snagged one of the massive turkey legs that was about the size of
my forearm. They also had glass bottles of Coca-Cola and after I found a bottle opener, I had one of
those in my other hand.
I could get used to this kind of food! I cleaned up the evidence I’d been raiding the fridge, my
treasures in hand, and went to check the place out. There was a massive library that I knew I’d be
hitting up, along with a media room that had so many movies I almost dropped my turkey leg when I
saw the selection. Wow! Maybe they’d let me use them but watch them up in my room?
Then I saw there was stairs to a lower level and decided to check it out. The first room was for
storage and another washer-dryer set. Sure, with this big of a house it made sense to have a lot of
them at their disposal. Next was a hot room sauna and whirlpool that looked as if it had just been put
in. Nice!
I heard a soft grunting and headed that direction without even thinking about what it could be. It
was coming from a few doors down, and I took notice of the massive home gym I’d passed to get to
this room. This looked like a sparring room with boxing bags and mats all over the floors. I stepped
inside and then froze when I saw what the grunting was.
One of the most beautiful men I’d ever seen was working out, shirtless, beating the crap out of
some hanging bag. He grunted and growled as he punched and kicked it with the precision of someone
who knew what they were doing. I watched as he ducked some pretend adversaryand let loose
another fighting combo. I didn’t know what any of the moves were called, never having fought back
against anyone in my life… But it sure looked pretty when he did it.
“Are you going to share the feast or just stand th ere and watch me?” he asked, a little
breathlessly, startling me out of my staring.
“You want some of my turkey?” I replied, not sure what he meant. I met his eyes in the mirror behind
the bag and held up the leg.
“I’d have a bite if you’re willing to spare it,” he hedged, turning around slowly as if not to spook me.
“I was just wrapping up my workout. I was on guard duty during dinner and I can’t get in a good
workout with a full stomach.”
“I guess that makes sense,” I agreed as I walked closer to him. “You can have this one if you want.
There were more in the fridge.” I was so enamored with his eyes. They were actually orchid purple
and I’d never seen anything like it. They complemented his shoulderlength black hair and with all that
sweaty muscle he had going on shirtless, I couldn’t help but stare.
“You keep looking at me like that and food isn’t going to be what I’m hungry for, little Omega,” he
said in a husky voice, with the edges of a growl to it.
“You can have me if you want, everyone else has,” I blurted out. I wanted to melt into the floor with
embarrassment at what I said, my cheeks even heating up.
He eyed me over for a bit, making me feel very uncomfortable with how much he was seeing of me. “I
don’t take what isn’t freely offered and you seem to have been taught that everyone deserves to use
you. If I thought you really wanted me to bed you then that would be a different story.”
“I don’t notwant you to,” I said with a shrug as I stepped closer. “But you’re right. I don’t enjoy sex
anymore because everyone just took what they wanted from me and I learned to stop bitching or
caring about it.”
“Have you never just had a friend?” His eyes were sad then but he moved closer. He was within
arm’s reach then and leaned towards me. I flinched and he nodded to the turkey leg. I got it then and
held it out. The man took a massive bite from it and moaned in pleasure.
“It’s good, right?” I giggled and smiled at him. He nodded as he chewed and I held out my pop to him.
He took it and chugged the rest of it gratefully.
“You didn’t answer the question, little Omega,” he said gently.
“No, no I don’t think I’ve ever just had a friend. Everyone’s always wanted to use me for something
and didn’t care what I wanted.” I eyed him over as he took another bite. “Are you saying you’d be any
different?”
He chewed while he thought about it, swallowing the food down before answering. “I want you, I
won’t lie about that. You’re fucking fine and I’m dying to see what’s under those shorts. But I want
you to want me too so we havea mutually enjoyable time. So no, I don’t want to use you just because
you’re here. Do you get the difference I’m trying to make or am I making no sense?”
“No, I get the difference,” I admitted, frowning. “I can’t help you with the mutually enjoyable thing. I
only got hard my first time having sex and I didn’t really enjoy being forced in front of the pack to do
my inner circle like that. But at least I got hard then. I didn’t finish and I haven’t gotten hard since. I
just don’t seem to care about sex one way or another.” I frowned even harder, staring at my toes.
“Why am I telling you all of this?”
“Because I asked and obviously you needed to get it out,” he answered quietly. “I’ve finished your
dinner. Sorry about that. Want to take a steam with me and we can keep talking before we raid the
fridge?” I eyed him suspiciously and he laughed. “Just as friends. I’m new around here too and it
would be nice to have a buddy. This pack and the guards are friendly, but tight knit like they’re
waiting for me to proveI’m an outsider.”
“I just got here today and they don’t like my sarcasm much so I think I’ve already shown I’m a
problem. Alpha Jared chewed me out for being a brat. Sorry that I don’t believe them to be the good
guys and my life is suddenly going to get better.”
“That’s fair of you not to be trusting if you’ve been through some shit, which it seems you have,” he
surmised as he grabbed the turkey bone and bottle and tossed them in the trash. “I like Alpha Jared
though he’s a little abrasive sometimes. Normally when it comes to his mates, but that’s pretty
normal. He’s an Alpha and protective of what’s his. He’s also really fair which I haven’t seen in
many Alphas.”
I thought about that as he led me to the sauna I’d seen. “Yeah, it was because I was rude to Tristan.
Carter, the Alpha who rescued me from the High Council Estate, and I got in a fight on the plane and
he said some stuff that really hurt bad. So when the plane landed, I ran. I didn’t even mean to, I swear
it. It was like fight or flight, you know?”
“Yeah, I know the feeling though not like you I’d guess.” He gave me a soft smile as he turned up a
knob on the wall. I grabbed two towels from the stack and handed him one. He pushed some of the
hair off my forehead, staring into my eyes. “How bad did your old pack hurt you, baby?”
“Bad,” I whispered, hanging my head in shame. “I had to have sex with every male in the pack at least
once a week. Some weren’t so bad, mostly just manipulative, but a few were too rough and liked
things I didn’t. Namely beating me up.”
“I’m real sorry to hear that but don’t you ever hang your head because of what you’ve been through. It
wasn’t your fault.” He moved his hand under my chin and made me raise it. “The bastards who hurt
you should be full of shame, not you.”
“I didn’t fight back. I didn’t even try because I don’t know how and I’m…” I trailed off and then
gestured to my body. I was a twerp. “I take part of the blame for not fighting back.”
“I disagree on that but we can talk about opinions when you get to know me better.” I nodded and he
wrapped the towel around his waist and pulled his shorts off underneath. I followed suit. “I’ll tell you
what. I can teach you to fight. I used to teach the pups in my old pack how to tussle.”
“What would you want from me in return?” I asked skeptically as I followed him into the sauna. Holy
mother fucking shit it was hot in there! I had to gasp for air in shock of it. The man didn’t say a word
at my reaction, being a gentleman and not pointing out my discomfort.
“So it was like that in your pack, huh? They never did anything nice without demanding something in
return?”
“Yeah,” I admitted as I sat down on the bench next to him.
“Well, I’m not sure what we can trade for then so you don’t feel uncomfortable.” See, he was being
reasonable instead of jumping all over me like Carter had. But then again, I was too and I hadn’t been
with Carter. He extended his hand to me. “I’m Galvin Nash, by the way. We got so quick into talking
that we skipped that part.”
“Vencentio Benson.” I took his hand and shook, gasping at what I’d gotten from him just from that
touch.
“I guess you have a power of some sorts that works with touch,” he chuckled good-naturedly as he
shook my hand. I nodded, staring into those soft purple eyes. “What are you seeing?”
“That you might be the most moral man I’ve ever met,” I whispered. There were very few things he’d
ever felt bad about doing, small stuff that most people wouldn’t feel guilty about. But he had a code of
honor and lived his life by it. I respected that. Carter was a good guy, unlike most people I’d met, but
Galvin was almost saint worthy.
“I’m not always good, Vencentio. Sometimes I like to be really bad,” he said in a deep voice, giving
me a heated look.
“I think I might want to see what your idea of bad is one day after I get my head straightened out.” I
blushed again, glad the room was dark so he didn’t see it.
“I’d like that but for right now, what can we trade so I can teach you to defend yourself?”
“You tell me.”
“Are you smart?” he asked me after a moment, smiling widely at me.
I wasn’t sure how to answer that but part of me wanted to lie so I could spend more time with the man
in front of me.
Chapter 4
It turned out Galvin wanted me to help him learn how to read better. He thought he had dyslexia
that had never been diagnosed and his old pack frowned on weaknesses so he never told anyone it
was hard for him to learn. I agreed and we talked for a while about how we could help each other.
By that time I felt like a prune from the sauna and we got out. We ate dinner together and then he
walked me to my room. As luck would have it, his was across the hall from mine. Galvin promised to
come get me in the morning so I didn’t have to face everyone alone and that night I fell asleep hoping
I’d finally met someone who didn’t want to screw me over.
A knock at my door woke me the next morning. I called for them to come in, smiling when it was
Galvin. He smiled back and I got out of bed.
“Baby, you aren’t helping my desire for you by being naked and looking so sleeptousled sexy,” he
said in a husky tone.
“Will you do something for me?” I asked, trusting him already more than I should. He nodded as he
stepped closer. “Touch me. I’ve never just been touched like foreplay.”
“You’re killing me,” he groaned as he pulled me in his arms. I gazed up at him, watching as he slowly
lowered his face to mine. The kiss was electric, nothing I’d ever felt before. Then again, no one had
ever cared enough to give me a real kiss.
I gasped for air as his lips moved along my jaw and to my neck. “Please, Galvin? I’m scared
something’s broken in me.”
“Okay, baby.” I could hear the restraint in his voice and it meant the world to me that he was willing
to put his own lust aside and help me. His hand moved between my legs and he fondled my soft cock.
I moaned and let my head fall back on my shoulders at his gentle touch. And then a miracle of sorts
happened… I got hard. “Nothing defective here, Vencentio.”
“Not with you it seems,” I whispered as tears filled my eyes. “I’m not fucked up. Ijust needed the
right person.”
“Don’t cry,” he begged as he kissed each of my eyes. Galvin stroked me faster and I felt my hips
thrust into his hand all on their own. “Do you want to come?”
“Yes, more than anything.” I turned my head up towards his and puckered my lips, hoping to get my
point across. He smiled widely and gave me what I wanted. I moaned as Galvin’s tongue pushed into
my mouth, exploring every inch of me. He tightened his grip and stroked me faster and that was all it
took for me. His mouth swallowed down my screams as I had my first orgasm as a man with another
man.
Lights flashed behind my eyes and it seemed to go on forever. When I was spent I was slouched in
Galvin’s arms, limp as could be, and only his strength kept me on my feet. I stared up into those
gorgeous eyes, shivering at the lust I saw there for me.
“Give me a minute and I’ll do whatever you want to return the favor.”
“No,” he whispered against my lips, giving me another soft kiss. I was confused and let him see it in
my expression. “That was just for you, Vencentio. This is your moment and I didn’t do it so you’d
return the favor. You asked me for something and I gave it freely, no payment needed. Maybe next
time if you want to do this again we can touch each other but right now, I wanted nothing but for you
to experience this.”
“Thank you.” It was the first time anyone had been completely selfless with me and I accepted the gift
he was giving me.
“Baby, I’d do just about anything to see that bliss on your face again, knowing I was making you feel
so good. So don’t think me a martyr or that I didn’t enjoy it.”
“Duly noted.” I smiled up at him. He gave me another kiss before pushing me towards the attached
bathroom to clean up. Five minutes later we were heading downstairs. I had forgotten about my
laundry so I needed to put it in the dryer. Galvin followed me into the laundry room, ignoring
everyone else in the kitchen and all the stares.
“Is this all the clothes you have?” he asked me, not keeping the shock off his face.
“Yeah, I didn’t leave my last pack with much and it turns out no one really knew I was at the High
Council Estate besides a Councilman who wanted to make me his mistress.”
“We’re gonna need to talk about that more later,” he said with a growl. “I’m not liking what I’m
hearing but I can see it upsets you so it can wait.”
“Thank you for understanding that.” He nodded and I quickly set the dryer before we stepped out into
the kitchen. I froze when I finally got a look at everyone at the table watching us. “I’m going to head
back to my room.”
“Come on, we talked about this,” he whispered gently as he took my hand. “I’m going to be right here
with you. We’ll eat, play nice with everyone, and then I think we should ask Tristan if I could take
you shopping for some clothes.”
“You’d do that for me?” I was shocked enough that he would that I wasn’t paying attention to
everyone else or that he was leading me over to the table.
“Can’t teach you how to fight if you don’t have the right workout clothes. Hell, all you own doesn’t
take up half a dryer, Vencentio. We need to fix that.” I nodded as he pulled out my chair for me and
then took the one right next to me after I sat down.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Tristan said carefully as he glanced between us. “But I’ve assigned Marlow
as Vencentio’s personal guard, Galvin.”
“That’s all right. I can take him as his friend this morning since I’m not on duty until later this
afternoon.” He dipped his head in respect to Tristan. “If that’s okay with you or if you think Marlow
should come as well.”
“I had already asked Tristan that I be able to take Vencentio shopping today,” Carter said as he
glanced between Galvin and me.
“No thank you,” I replied firmly, reaching for some bacon on one of the plates in front of me. Then
Galvin handed me a plate of eggs and I loaded up as well. “I’d prefer to spend time with someone
who I’ve told my issues to and understands it will take me time to move past theminstead of making
me feel bad about them and myself.”
I saw the raised eyebrow Tristan was giving me, along with Alpha Jared as Carter’s face stayed
unreadable. It made me squirm that so much attention was focused on me.
“And I’m not impotent. So there’s nothing defective with me,” I blurted out. Fuck, that was stupid.
“Oh hell,” Galvin muttered under his breath. “Did you have to announce it like that, baby?”
“Sorry,” I answered, letting him see that I felt bad in my expression. “He made me feel bad about it
like I was some fucked-up whore and it hurt.”
“Okay, I can understand that.” He wrapped his arm around me and kissed the top of my head. We both
looked at everyone else and there were several pissed-off looks in our direction, not limited to
Carter, either. “I didn’t break any rules about what was allowed with an unclaimed Omega. Beyond
that, a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell so I’m not saying any more.”
“Oh no, he didn’t breach me,” I said quickly, understanding why they were pissed. “We just made out
a little since I’ve never done that before. I wanted to try it and Galvin’s been really nice to me. We
shared a turkey leg and he’s going to teach me how to defend myself.”
Alpha Jared and one of the Betas went to open their mouths along with Carter, but Tristan held up his
hand and everyone shut it. “Well, I’m glad that you felt comfortable enough with Galvin to explore a
bit,” he hedged carefully. “But you know the rules and we’re trusting you, risking ourselves by
keeping you here safe, that you not put us in danger by misbehaving, okay?”
“I promise, no sex,” I whispered, pushing my food around my plateso I didn’t have to look at him.
“Now that that’s settled. I’d please ask you take Galvin and Carter with you shopping, along with
Marlow as your guard. Denver’s a big city and until we resolve this fucked-up mess with the
Councilman, I’d feel better knowing you have lots of protection when you’re not on the property.”
I stared at him in shock, jaw hanging open as he spoke. “You really do care what happens to me,
don’t you?”
“Yeah, speed racer, I really do,” Tristan said fondly. “I was going to offer to go with you since I
know you and Carter had words yesterday but I do have pack work to handle so if you’re comfortable
with Galvin, we can hang out another time.”
“Thank you, Omega Modesto.” He gave me an annoyed look and I smiled. “Thanks, Tristan.”
“You’re welcome.” He winked at me and we all ate breakfast. There was some tension in the air
from Carter, but I ignored it. Yeah, I liked him until our fight. I was attracted to him and he’d rescued
me. We’d already both hurt each other though and I didn’t think that was the way to start something
with another man.
But what did I know?
I quickly showered and then waited for my dry clothes. Tristan said someone would bring them up as
soon as they were done. In the meantime, I decided to get reacquainted with my cock. I stroked
myself, thinking about Galvin, and got hard as a rock. Pausing my touching, I smiled down at it. It was
nice to have it back functioning.
There was a light rap at the door, but I was too distracted to care much. “Come in.”
“Hey, I’ve got your clothes—what the hell?” Marlow exclaimed. Yeah, I could see it being
uncomfortable for him to have walked in when I was jacking off but I was too happy to care.
“I’m not defective,” I answered, grinning up at him brightly. “I got hard again and this time Galvin
wasn’t even around.”
“How long had it been since you’d been hard?” he asked gently, understanding this was too important
to me to be an awkward moment.
“Four. No, almost five years. I’m going to be twenty-six in a few months.”
“That’s a long time.” Marlow whistled and nodded to my groin. “Glad to have it back?”
“Yeah, I really am,” I moaned and laughed as I lay back on the bed and kept stroking myself.
“I should go.” He cleared his throat and stood, still staring at me.
“Is it just me that screws with your being straight or have there been others?” I wasn’t trying to be a
jerk, though maybe I should have after his snapping at me the day before. I just wanted him to not hide
who he was.
“Only you,” Marlow whispered, not even trying to play it off like he didn’t know what I meant. He
eyes moved from my groin and up my body until he met my gaze. “Why is that? What is it about you
that makes me question which way I swing?”
“I don’t now but I’m sorry that I’m screwing with your head. I don’t mean to.”
“I believe that.” He nodded and stared back at my hand. “Damn, you are just so fucking pretty. Are
you and Galvin together now?”
“I’m an Omega, Marlow. I don’t get to just date someone and mate them. Tristan likes Carter so I’ll
probably end up with him and whoever he picks as his Betas.” Admitting that out loud made my
erection start to deflate.
“Hey, none of that,” he said in a husky voice as he knelt on the bed. “You deserve to have what you
want. You’ve been through enough shit.”
“Yeah, just a bitter little thing, aren’t I?” Him reminding me of it also made me think of his careless
words the day before.
“I didn’t say you didn’t have reason to be bitter.” His eyes met mine as he licked his lips. “May I?”
Just as he didn’t pretend earlier to not understand what I was getting at, I didn’t play that game now
either. “Yes.”
“Thank you.” He took me in his hand and stroked me gently as he leaned over me. “You are like the
most delectable temptress I’ve ever met. I should be freaking out that I’m giving a hand job but yet, all
I wanted was to touch you when I saw you naked.”
“You feel good,” I admitted, moaning and spreading my legs farther. “Kiss me?”
“Oh yeah.” He mashed his mouth down to mine and thrust his tongue into my mouth. He kissed
differently than Galvin, with more desperation. It didn’t take me long to come all over his hand,
crying out his name as I peaked.
It was a little awkward between us when we got cleaned up. I didn’t know what to say as I got
dressed and then we went downstairs so I opted for saying nothing. Five minutes later we were in one
of the pack’s SUVs and driving to the mall.
The shopping was just as weird. Carter did everything he could to make friends with me again. Since
he was an Alpha, Galvin backed off which was the last thing I wanted. And Marlow just kept looking
at me as if I was an alien.
After a few hours of it, I’d had enough.
“Where are you going?” Marlow asked as he jogged after me, both of us carrying enough shopping
bags that we couldn’t stand right next to each other.
“Back to Tristan’s. This isn’t fun and you’re all making me feel weird,” I grumbled and then stopped,
focusing on him. “We made out. Get over it and stop looking at me as if I’m the devil.”
“I’m sorry,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to make you feel that way and I don’t think
you’re the devil. I’m just confused.”
“Fine, but that doesn’t mean I want to be around you while you work this all out in your head.”
“Fair enough.” Galvin and Carter caught up to us then and we headed out to the car.
“I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie with me?” Carter asked once we were all loaded
up and Marlow was driving us back to Tristan’s. “They have a killer media room and I figured
you’ve missed at least the past few months of what’s come out. We could have amovie marathon if
you wanted.”
I stared at him a moment. He was trying so damn hard and I felt the shame coming off of him when he
touched me for what he said. I hadn’t handled things any better so I made the decision to let it go. “We
could do that.”
“You can pick the movies.” His smile was worth it and I was glad I’d let our fight go.
“Speaking of picking,” I hedged as I glanced at Galvin in the front seat. “Do you already have the
Betas you want picked out or are you looking for some?”
“I have friends I trained with that would gladly be my Betas,” he answered cautiously. “But they’ve
been my friends for a while and I know I could never be intimate with them. So they may want to mate
my Omega but I want more than just all three of us with the Omega I pick. I want what Jared has with
all of them being together. Does that answer the question?”
“Yes and no,” I chuckled, looking at his puzzled face. “So you’re still looking?”
“Yes, I’m looking. The Omegas are mostly split between two sanctuary packs, Tristan’s and
Carson’s. Since there are more Omegas there, anyone who is Beta qualified is acting as guards for
them until a lot of packs are restructured and given new leadership.”
“So you could pick Betas from the guards here?” I asked excitedly, glancing at Galvin again. He
turned his head enough so I could see him smiling without making it look obvious.
“Yes and if there was someone you knew you’d want for sure to be one of them that’s something we
could discuss if you were going to be my Omega.” He chose his words very carefully and I smiled at
Carter. I understood what he was saying. He wasn’t offering me a trade, be with him so I could keep
Galvin if I wanted. No, he wasn’t manipulative like that.
Carter was a good guy and simply saying that my input mattered to him and if someone made me
happy that he’d accept them as well. I leaned over and kissed his cheek, not sure what else to do.
“I think that means more to me than you saving me from the High Council Estate,” I whispered in his
ear, entwining my fingers with his. “You really like me, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I really do.” Carter’s voice had gone deep, gravelly in a way that made me shiver. “I’m so
sorry about our fight and what I said. I find myself at a loss as to how to act around you. I’m a solider,
Vencentio. I’m not the best at interpersonal relationships so please be patient with me, okay?”
“I’m not good at them either if you haven’t noticed.” I gave him a wink and he smiled back at me.
“We do need to talk about Sampson later.”
“No, no we don’t,” I said gently, rubbing my free hand up his arm. “I shouldn’t have said what I did
and I saw exactly what happened from your memories. It wasn’t your fault, Carter. It sucks that it
happened and I can understand why it makes you feel guilty but it wasn’t your fault.”
“Thank you, baby.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine. “I’m glad you got over your inability
to get hard. I’d like to see the proof of that one day.”
“Keep kissing me like that and it’s going to be today,” I purred and leaned in for another one.
“No sex,” he panted before mashing his mouth down to mine. I nodded and nipped at his lower lip. It
made Carter growl in my mouth and by the time we stopped at Tristan’s I was ready to blow in my
pants. Marlow and Galvin got out and grabbed all the bags as Carter desperately kissed me. I wasn’t
sure if it was because he wanted me this badly or if he was scared we’d screw things up again and
this would be our only time.
I didn’t like the latter theory but either way I was enjoying his passion. It started to get really hot in
the car and I was getting a little woozy from lack of oxygen. I ripped my mouth away from his,
gasping for air and smiling when I saw his chest was heaving as well.
“We may need to sit on different sofas if we’re going to behave during the movies,” Carter said with
a wicked grin. I blushed and nodded. “You are so beautiful and I love that I can make you blush. You
see me now as not just one of those assholes that used you, don’t you?”
“I’m trying, Carter, but you have to be patient with me too.”
“I will, baby,” he agreed and cupped my cheek. “I’m just a growly ass when I wake up. Should have
warned you of that.”
“Duly noted.” I gave him a wink and we laughed good-naturedly as we got out of the vehicle. I
flinched when we got to the front door and he slipped his hand in mine. I stared at our joined hands a
moment, liking the contact but trying to think of the last time I simply held someone’s hand.
The answer made me sad. Never.
“Let’s make some sandwiches and then I think I’m going to put on some of my new clothes,” I said as
I led him to the kitchen. “I think I’m going to throw out all my old, ratty stuff as a symbol of starting
over.”
“I think that’s great. I have a suggestion of what I’d like you to wear but I won’t behave if you do.” He
gave me a heated look that had me blushing again. He really liked me. It was hard for me to come to
terms with but maybe time would help. Carter pushed open the swinging kitchen door and I walked
through first and what I saw made me whimper in pain.
There was a strange Omega kissing Galvin and practically crawling up the man. It didn’t seem as if
Galvin was into it but he wasn’t pushing the guy away either.
“You’re not who I was looking for,” the blond said as he let go of Galvin. “You belong to another.”
“No he doesn’t,” I growled, tears burning in my eyes. “You can have him.”
“This isn’t what it looks like, baby,” Galvin said quickly after his head snapped in my direction. “I
can explain.”
“That it’s payback? I make out with Carter and Marlow and now you’re locking lips with another
Omega. I hear your message loud and clear, Galvin.” I dropped Carter’s hand and took a step back
towards the door.
“We didn’t make out,” Marlow blurted out, his eyes wide in terror. “I’m straight.”
“Fine, you’re straight,” I seethed, putting as much sarcasm in the one word as I could. “Then all of
you can just leave me alone!” I turned and bolted from the room, ignoring the people calling after me.
How stupid could I be? I kept trying to trust people and having it blow up in my face. When would I
learn that the only person I could rely on was myself? Was I just that much of a glutton for
punishment?
I slammed the door to my room closed when I got there, locking it behind me. I quickly stripped and
shifted into my wolf form. Yeah, I knew I could still cry as a wolf but at least it was easier to process
conflicting emotions that way. I hopped up on the window seat and stared out at the world, hating it
for the way my life turned out.
Moments later there was a lot of banging at my door and threats of breaking it down. I ignored it,
ignored all of them. Eventually they went away and left me alone. Alone was what I needed to be
until I was forced to be with another inner circle. Hopefully they wouldn’t care about me either and
would leave me to sit and watch my life pass by.
It sounded better than having my heart torn to shreds each time I tried to have a life.
Chapter 5
I ignored everyone for days. I didn’t answer Carter’s texts or go down for meals. If I saw any of
the three of them in the house when I left my room, I was childish and pretended they weren’t there. I
acknowledged Tristan and his mates, but did my best to avoid talking to them.
I went for a few runs, not speaking or noticing Marlow when he ran with me for protection. I just
wanted everyone to leave me alone and I think they finally got the hint. It was peaceful but lonely as
hell.
By the fifth day of my seclusion I was informed that I was wanted at Alpha Jared’s study. I
couldn’t ignore that so I sighed and headed in that direction. It didn’t surprise me that there were
seven people there waiting for me with different expressions on their faces. I plopped down in one of
the vacant chairs and just waited for them to start so we could get this over with.
“First of all, you need to know something about Wesley, the Omega you saw kissing Galvin,”
Tristan started. I flinched at his words and stared down at my hands. “When the High Council guards
stormed the Alpha house to rescue him, his Alpha went bat-shit crazy, Vencentio,and tried to beat
Wesley to death. He said if he couldn’t have the Omega, that no one would be able to.”
“I’m sorry for his suffering but I don’t understand what that has to do with Galvin kissing him,” I
replied slowly, glancing up at the man who’d done everything to be my friend. “I mean, he wasn’t
mine or anything, so he’s free to kiss who he wants really, but I feel like I’m missing a point you’re
trying to make.”
“I’m getting there but I need you to promise that this conversation goes no further thanthis room,
okay?” I nodded, wondering what was so important that Tristan would ask this of me. “Wesley barely
survived, Vencentio. His Alpha used a fireplace iron poker to bash his head in. He healed physically,
but something happened or went wrong in thehealing. He’s not all there and we don’t know if it’s
physical brain damage or his brain’s way of dealing with everything.”
“You’re saying he’s messed up in the head the way I’ve got rage and anger issues from my
abuse?”
“Kind of,” Tristan sighed and then shrugged. “We’re not really sure. He can’t seem to remember
anyone or see them unless he kisses them. Every morning since he’s been here he wakes up, comes to
breakfast,and stares at us like we’re strangers. Then he’ll give me a kiss and talk to me likehe knows
who I am. It’s very strange and we don’t know if it’s brain damage, mental walls he’s put up, or
something with his gift going wrong after he was almost beaten to death.”
“So you’re telling me he was kissing Galvin to try and figure out who he was?” I didn’t out rightly
sound as if I thought it was bullshit but I let enough disdain in my tone to let him know I wasn’t buying
it either.
“Seriously, could I make something like this up if I wanted to?” Tristan rubbed his hands over his
face. “It’s the truth, Vencentio. We just don’t know what to do about it or how to help him.”
“Why tell me this now, days later?”
“Because we kept trying to talk to you but you ignored everyone,” Carter answered. “You were hurt
and we thought it best to give you space butyou haven’t snapped out of it. I’m sorry you got your
feelings hurt but you can’t keep going on like this in such deep depression, baby.”
“I started to come out of it, finally feeling like I could be happy. It’s just not in the cards for me and
I’ve accepted that.” I shrugged and got to my feet. “Can I go now? I know the kiss wasn’t Galvin’s
fault. Okay, fine. He’s not mine anyways.”
“No, speed racer, you can’t go yet.” Tristan gave me kind eyes and nodded for me to sit back down.
“Why do you call me that?” I asked, wanting to know but also wanting to talk about anything else
besides my depression.
“Because for someone who’d been abused and then trapped in a room for months after his rescue you
are a fast little shit.” He smiled widely and gestured to his men. “We were all huffing and puffing
when we were chasing after you in the airport. If Marlow hadn’t been at the doors we would have
lost you.”
I flinched at the mention of Marlow, not giving in to instinct and glancing his way.
“I’ve gotten closer to how I used to be able to run now that I’m allowed to run the property. Thank
you for that. My wolf and I are bonding again and for a while there, we were at odds because of
everything going on.”
“It can be tough to be on the same page as our wolf when he can’t help us when we need him most,”
Galvin said quietly. I glanced over at him. “I don’t have the story you do, baby, but I know pain. I was
detained by my last pack and beaten repeatedly for being gay and trying to free our abused Omega.
The Alpha hated that I tried to help Kiefer. It’s a long story and not mine to tell but I wanted you to
know that I know where your rage comes from.”
“I’m sorry you were treated badly too. I wouldn’t want that for anyone.”
“So you good now?” I nodded at Tristan’s question, lying through my teeth,and glanced at my hands.
“You big fat fibber. Either way, there’s someone I want you to talk to. He’s been helping a bunch of
the rescued Omegas, and normally we’d fly him out here but there’s been a development at one of the
packs in Kansas and he can’t leave. Even if you don’t choose Carter and we find a different Alpha for
you, Vencentio, you need to start dealing with this depression.”
“I’m not that bad,” I said defensively, not liking that he made me sound like a freak.
“We never said you were,” Alpha Jared replied gently. “It’s just no way to live your life, buddy and
we want more for you. Will you please just call George and talk with him? If you don’t like him then
we can find someone else or another way to help you. But let us help you.”
“I don’t need professional help.” I crossed my arms over my chest and wasn’t backing down.
“Would it help you to know that I’ve been through counseling with George?” Carter asked me as he
moved to kneel in front of me. “After what happened with Sampson and the guilt that was eating me
from my not knowing he was being abused right under my nose, I needed someone to talk to.”
“I’ve had a few sessions with George as well,” Alpha Jared admitted, much to Tristan’s surprised
look. “You grew huge and we never had a real reason why, Tristan. I felt as if I failed you and hurt
you by saying I missed the way you fit in my arms. It was hard for me to deal with that I was the
smallest of all of us and the Alpha. I just needed someone I could talk to and not worry that I could
inadvertently hurt someone I loved by what I was admitting.”
“Did it help?” I asked cautiously, not sure how much the Alpha was going to share with me.
“Yeah, it really did. George is a good guy and he’s not some judgy doctor who doesn’t understand
where you’re coming from. He’s been working with Omegas since we started the network and he’s
heard about the worst our people can be, Vencentio. Everyone we know who’s gone to him for help
has come out on the other side better off from it. Itwon’t be easy, he makes you really deal with your
shit. But he can help you.”
I thought about it a minute. It would be nice to have someone to talk to and not jump on me like Jared
had said. I nodded. “Okay, I’ll talk to him if you really think it’s best. I’d like one day not to be so
angry all the time or wanting to just wait out my life at the window seat so no one can hurt me again.”
It was hard to admit that but Carter gave me a big hug so at least I felt as if I had some support.
“Are we okay now?” Galvin asked hesitantly as he knelt by the chair I was sitting in.
“Yes, of course,” I answered, blushing furiously. “You’re not mine and I’m sorry I was such a jerk
about what I saw.”
“I am yours,” he whispered and leaned in to kiss me. “I’ve offered Carter my services as his Beta if
you accept him as Alpha, Vencentio. I don’t want to be separated from you. These past days without
you around have broken my heart. Somehow you wiggled your way into my very soul in only a little
time. I’m not sure how you did it, but I will fight to keep you there.”
“So you really weren’t trying to get revenge on me for kissing Carter?”
“No, baby.” He smiled at me as he cupped my cheek. “Carter and I have been exploring our chemistry
and we find we have it. So we’re not trying to pressure you but we discussed it and decided if you
sign a contract with him, I’ll be right there with you and the three of us can be together.”
“I’ll think about it.” I turned my head enough to kiss his hand before glancing between the two of
them. “I want to say yes and let’s go home and make this official, but I do have issues. I need to go
slowly on this and work through some of them or my shit could ruin this before we even start it.”
“We’re just glad you care enough to do this right,” Carter said gently. “And so you know, we’re not
going to give you space next time something happens. We made a mistake handling it that way and I
think it hurt you worse and seemed we didn’t care enough to explain and fight for you.”
I thought about it. “I didn’t realize I felt that way, but yeah, kinda.” They both grimaced at the idea
they could have made things worse. I didn’t want that. “Is that offer for a movie marathon still on the
table? I’d really like to just hang out with both of you.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Galvin agreed. They moved so I could stand and I walked over to Tristan and
hugged him.
“You’re welcome, speed racer,” he whispered in my ear, not even making me say the words. “But we
still have to deal with Marlow too.”
“He can go fuck himself,” I growled, finally looking at the man. Marlow looked like shit I realized, as
if he’d lost weight and hadn’t been sleeping. “He wants to be embarrassed with me and be a big fat
liar, that’s his shit.”
“I deserve that,” Marlow agreed, bobbing his head as if he was numb inside or something. “I
shouldn’t have said what I did. We did make out and I enjoyed it more than I thought possible. It
scared me, you scare me, but that’s no excuse for lying and acting like you weren’t worth admitting
the truth for.”
As far as apologies went… It was a damn good one. “Okay, I forgive you.” He sighed in relief. “But
that doesn’t mean I trust you to be my guard or want you anywhere near me. I’m too fragile and have
enough self-esteem issues of my own to risk you treating me like that again.”
He nodded, glancing at his feet. I glanced at Tristan,who didn’t seem like he agreed with my decision.
Tough cookies. I was tired of giving people so many chances. Marlow denied me in the most basic
way and made me feel like a dirty little secret and liar. I wouldn’t let him back in.
Galvin, Carter, and I raided the kitchen for food and then headed to the media room. We had a blast
simply hanging out and getting to know each other. Okay, so there was a very heated make-out session
that I enjoyed immensely. But other than that, we mostly behaved ourselves.
Tristan came in before dinner and said George would be calling me in a bit to get introductions out of
the way and set up some times to talk. I nodded and headed up to my room to get my phone. Marlow
was sitting by my door waiting for me, but I held up a hand, told him I had to take a call, and ignored
him as I closed my bedroom door in his face.
My phone rang then I rolled my eyes as I dove for it. Tristan probably talked to George a while ago
and got interrupted on his way to tell me.
“Hello?”
“Why did you run, my darling Omega?” I felt my blood run cold at the voice I hoped to never hear
again.
“Because I wasn’t supposed to be there with you and what you were doing to me was wrong,” I
answered, trying desperately to control my voice. It didn’t work. I couldn’t hide how badly this shook
me. I ran back to my door and opened it, holding up a finger for Marlow to be quiet.
“If I weren’t on the High Council, then what I was doing would be wrong,” he said, his tone annoyed.
Marlow’s eyes got big at what he heard, leaning in closer to listen. “There is more to the laws than
you know, my darling Omega,and you shouldn’t have betrayed me.”
“You scared me,” I admitted, trying to at least keep him from getting angry. “I was cooped up there
too long, not knowing what was going on or why I was there and then you said I was your mistress. I
don’t want to be someone’s mistress.”
“It matters not what you want or have you not figured that out yet?” he snapped. “I will be seeing you
soon, Vencentio. No one takes what is mine and you should warn that Alpha as well because I plan on
ripping his heart out of his chest for his treachery.” I heard the click of the line being hung up.
I felt the blood rush to my head or drain out my body, whatever happens right before someone faints,
as I stared at the phone as if it was a snake. Someone shook me and time seemed to slow down as I
turned to look at Marlow.
“Shit, you’re going into shock,” he growled and lifted me into his arms.
“Shock?” I whispered, not sure if that was the same thing as feeling faint. His heart thumped against
my arm, seeming louder than I’ve ever felt another person’s heartbeat. Maybe I was in shock because
I knew Marlow was running but everything seemed to be moving in slow motion but as if I was
missing moments here and there. Like I saw the walls of the hallway, but they weren’t in right time
with Marlow’s pace, but then I don’t remember going down the stairs at all.
Then suddenly we were in the kitchen and people surrounded me as Galvin moved a wet towel to my
forehead.
“No more rage,” I mumbled, feeling numb and cold inside as I snuggled against Marlow. “No more
anger, just acceptance.”
“Oh no, you’re not accepting what that douche said to you,” Marlow shouted and gently slapped my
cheek. “Stay with us, Vencentio. Snap out of this.”
“You’re scaring us, baby,” Galvin whimpered as he turned my face to him. “Your heart is slowing
down to dangerous levels. It’s like you’ve lost too much blood but there’s no wound. Focus, okay?”
“It’s all about power and I can let go of some of mine,” I explained. I knew what was going on. The
power of my fear was overruling the power it took to beat my heart. Impossible, right? Oh yeah,
totally, but since my gift was all about power levels, I felt things differently than others. I felt
people’s power like cotton rubbing against my skin.
Maybe calling it someone’s life force was a better way to explain it. Whatever it was, mine was
being eaten alive by fear and tired of working so hard to keep me alive when I didn’t care.
“Warn Carter,” I whispered to Marlow. “Warn him that the Councilman is coming for him and will be
pissed when I’m dead.”
“You’re notdying,” Carter growled, shoving his face in mine so I could see him. Then he kissed me
quickly and I felt his tears on my cheeks. “You stay with us, baby.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on! What is causing these symptoms?” Tristan exclaimed as they
laid me down on the kitchen table.
“It’s power,” I explained as I reached over and grabbed his hand. I dropped my walls that we all had
mentally as Omegas and let him see everything and what I was talking about.
“My gods,” Tristan gasped and held on tighter to my hand. “You’re going to eat yourself alive,
Vencentio.” I simply shrugged. So beit, I didn’t care anymore. “No, speed racer, I won’t let you go
like this. You’re going to be pissed at me later, but I don’t know what else to do.”
I didn’t know what he meant and I was just about to ask when I felt a jolt from Tristan’s power and
everything went dark.
* * * *
Galvin
“What do you meanhe wasn’t trying to commit suicide but was at the same time?” I asked, ready
to strangle Tristan and his confusing explanations. I was falling in love with Vencentio and something
was so wrong, so scary to him, that his heart almost stopped beating. If Tristan hadn’t used his gift to
knock Vencentio out and interrupt the process, he might be dead.
“He didn’t realize he was doing it, or didn’t mean to start the process,” Tristan answered, his tone
frustrated. “It’s not a black-andwhite explanation of what happened. I can’t just say he’s got a heart
valve problem and that’s what happened.” He waved his hand back and forth as if trying to find the
right word. “It’s more about mysticism.”
“Well if a complicated answer is the only one you got, lay it on us,” Carter said as he leaned
against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest. I wasn’t sure I was going to
understand a complicated answer but I needed to know someone knew what the fuck was going on.
“Look, there’s a certain magical component to us as werewolves, right? I mean, yes, it’s genetics
that gets passed on that makes us this way, but you feel the magic and power around you when you
shift.”
“Yeah, I get that. It’s not fairy dust or witch spells kind of magic, but there’s magic involved in
what we do. I can accept that,” I agreed, trying to reason this all out. Tristan waited until everyone
else nodded as well.
“Omegas a re different in that we can tap into that magic, or spiritual energy. We can do things
other werewolves can’t. Just like some of you are faster and stronger, we use parts of our brains that
give us other gifts.”
“Okay, still with you,” Carter said and I nodded. We knew this much.
“From what I saw in Vencentio’s head one of his gifts is the breaking down of power, but think of it
like auras. He sees Jared, an Alpha, and sees a really strong aura, which he equates the same thing
when he talks about power.” We all nodded again and Tristan went on, looking as if he was ready to
yank out his hair. “So he sees and feels the auras, and they react to him. What I saw was the energy of
others surrounding Vencentio.
“It’s not like he feeds off the power or auras, but they can feel him and affect him. Other people’s life
forces affect him. A person’s aura can change if they’re upset, or feeling guilty, or sad. I think that
changeseeks someone out if it can and finds Vencentio.”
“Like how you and Dewey can be upset if everyone around you is upset because you feel people’s
emotions?” Jared asked his mate.
“Yes, but more than that. I think he absorbs the emotions we’re feeling, mostly negative ones.” He
glanced over at me. “You weren’t very upset that Vencentio was brokenhearted about Wesley kissing
you. Why didn’t you go seek him out?”
“I don’t know,” I answered, thinking about what Tristan was trying to get at. “I felt dread when I tried
to go see him, like a gut feeling to turn around and go away. But you’re right. Why wasn’t I devastated
that he was hurt? I mean, I felt bad, but not as bad as I thought I would have.”
“Because he absorbed it. I know I went to go see him, distressed and confused as to how to help him.
I knocked on the door and he didn’t answer, but then as I stood there I started to feel better. I thought
maybe I’d calmed down and realized he needed space and I shouldn’t crowd him. But now I think it’s
because he was absorbing out my bad feelings and taking them away like a sponge.
“And then he was so full of our negative feelings, even a normal wolf like you,who isn’t able to tap
into their mysticism, felt it. I think that’s why he’s so alone. Whatever he absorbs is great enough that
we all feel it and avoid him to a certain extent.”
“So that’s why he’s so filled with rage and depression? Years of absorbing negative emotions?”
Tristan nodded at what I was saying. “Can’t he absorb good feelings too?”
“I think he can or could if someone worked with him, but he has been around too much negativity and
bad feelings for years, maybe his whole life. He might absorb it and simply not know what to do with
it,” Tristan surmised.
“Okay, so how does this explain why his heart almost gave out?” Carter asked and I felt myself
wondering the same thing. I was missing how Tristan was getting from point A to point B on this
explanation.
“So much negative energy or whatnot to his own life force has worn him down. It probably takes a lot
of energy to fight what he absorbs. He doesn’t understand it but with the scare he got from the
Councilman, he simply gave up fighting. The negative energy, his own fear or whatever, was
overwhelming everything else inside of him. I can’t think of how else to explain it besides he gave up
the fight.”
“He wouldn’t need a therapist then but like a witch to help him control this energy and learn how to
use the good energy instead of being overwhelmed by the bad?” I asked, not sure I had a grasp on
what was going on. Everyone stared at me with shocked expressions and opened mouths. “What? Am
I totally not getting this?”
“No, you very much understand it,” Tristan answered with a smile. “You figured out how we could
help him when I had no clue what to do next.”
“And you think you’re not bright,” Carter praised and then shocked me by pulling me in for a kiss.
We’d played a bit to test our chemistry behind closed doors but nothing in public yet. “Intelligence
isn’t just how well you can read, Galvin. It’s being able to work a problem and figure things out.
You’re smarter than you think.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, unused to someone praising me using my brain. I turned and leaned over
Vencentio, hoping he could hear me even in his sleep. “We’re coming up with a plan, baby. We want
to love you and treat you right, okay? Just hang on for a bit longer and we’ll figure out a way to make
this all better. I promise.”
What else was there to say? He might have given up the fight, but I’ll be damned if I gave up on him.
Chapter 6
Vencentio
I woke up with a pain in my head that made me wonder if someone tried to stick my brain on a
skewer and grill it while still in my skull. In other words, I had a massive fucking migraine and my
head throbbed in a way I’d never experienced before. I cracked open my eyes to see a concerned
Tristan staring down at me.
“You douche,” I grunted and grabbed my head. “Does it always hurt like this when you knock
someone out?”
“I don’t think so,” he answered gently as he helped me sit up on the kitchen table. Good to know I was
still lying where I had blacked out at. “Your body was already in shock and I think maybe because I
used it on another Omega. You’re my first though because I just picked up how to use the gift from
another Omega.”
“Stop talking,” I groaned as the kitchen teetered a bit. “I’m gonna puke from the pain and you’re
rattling on.”
“There’s that bitterness we love,” someone chuckled softly. I didn’t even look up to know it was
Marlow. He got a pass because he basically rescued me after the phone call I got from the
Councilman. Just thinking about it made me start to breathe funny. “Hey, cut that out,okay? That
asshole can’t hurt you and we have a plan.”
“Deep breaths, baby,” Galvin whispered in my ear. I felt his strong arm move around my shoulders as
he handed me a couple of pills. “We called the doc about the headache just now and he said you
could take two of these every hour since we burn off drugs faster than humans.”
“And I think I’d feel lessnauseous if I ate,” I mumbled as I took the sports drink he handed me and
swallowed down the pills. I realized then I was dying of thirst and chugged half the bottle. “Jesus,
what happened to me? Did I get run over with an imaginary truck or something too? I’m so
exhausted.”
“Well now I think I can help you figure that out,” a very pretty lady said as she stepped into my line of
sight. “My name is Helen and I’m a witch.”
“I’ve never met a woman who admittedthat before,” I quipped before finishing the drink. I glanced up
at the nasty looks people were giving me at my comment. “I apologize, Ms. Helen. That was uncalled
for and I’m sorry. I’m not adjusting well here to whatever happened and I don’t like strangers.”
“That’s alright, kiddo, neither do I but that’s because we have the same issues.” I saw understanding
in her eyes and I felt like a heel.
“Witches have covens, right? Was yours horrid to you too?”
“No, I didn’t mean that issue, though I’m sorry you had to live through that. I mean the gift you have. I
have the same one and Tristan called Edric, another Omega like you, but also part witch, for help. I
was visiting him in Cheyenne and when Edric explained to me what was going on, I drove right
down.”
“I don’t understand. I’m not part witch, I’m wolf.” I stared at her blankly, waiting for the headache
medicine to kick in because it was one hell of a migraine. And it didn’t help that everyone was
huddled around me. “Okay, I’m fond of all of you, but go away. Please? I’m not a science
experiment.”
Several of the guards nodded and left, along with Tristan’s mates, but he stayed. Galvin and Carter
refused to leave… I expected that. I didn’t plan on Marlow plopping down on a chair at the table and
announcinghe wasn’t going anywhere.
I didn’t have the energy to debate it so he stayed.
Galvin brought me another drink and a sandwich that I practically inhaled. After the second one I
started to feel better and told everyone there so they’d relax. I also listened to what Tristan and Helen
had surmised about my gift or power.
When they were done they let me have a few minutes to mull all this information over. “So if I’m
hearing you right, I’m a ‘Negative Nancy’ because when people’s auras change, that energy is drawn
to me and I suck it up like a succubus does sex?” Wow, that was a sentence I never thought I’d say.
“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Helen agreed. “The only difference is a succubus feeds off the sex and
needs that feeding to survive. You don’t need the energy you gain to live. It actually hurts you if you
don’t use it the right way or channel it. It’s been eating you up inside for years.”
“That explains a lot,” I hedged, glancing at the men I’d come to care about to see if they were freaked
out yet. Nope. That gave me hope. “What do I do about this? Can you make it stop?”
“I can’t take it away but I can help you learn how to not let it affect you so,” Helen admitted with a
sad look. “It’s not an easy gift to have, Vencentio. I won’t lie to you. Some days, no matter how I’ve
learned to channel the energy, it’s hard for me to get out of bed. The depression is always there on the
outskirts of my mind.”
“I can’t even imagine how you’ve stayed sane,” I whispered as I took her hand in mine. “I’ve had my
wolf to help me cope. Everything’s a little bit easier when I’m in my animal form. I simply am sad as
opposed to all the feelings we can have as humans, swirling about.”
“It’s a way to cope in the moment but handling it that way really hasn’t helped you much.” She
reached into her pocket and pulled out a small charm that was on a leather necklace. It was very
pretty. There was a glass orb that shined a deep blue that was held in a swirling metal setting. “This
will help draw the energy out of you until you’re ready to use it. I can show you how to cleanse it
when the emotions start overflowing again.”
“What is it?” I took it in my hand, studying it closely as if there was some secret compartment on it
that was going to pop open and say boo.
“It’s just glass and metal really,” she chuckled as she held up one just like it she was wearing. “It’s
the magic on it that will help you. My coven has spelled it to be a channeling stone. I brought one with
me in case it could help Edric but his power is of a different sort than ours. His is inside of him,
where ours is more about absorption.”
“This is really confusing,” I grumbled as I rubbed my temples. “I appreciate the help, but I’m not sure
I’m grasping all of this.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to right off the bat. You’ve had quite a shock and have been struggling with
this for years. Wear this for a while and you’ll see the difference and understand better what the
charm will do.” She gave me a slight nod. “Go ahead and put it on.”
I glanced between her and the charm for a moment before turning to Galvin. “Promise me if this turns
me into a toad or something you’ll eat her and call the Omega that’s half witch.”
“Deal.” He gave me a wink as he bit his lip to keep from laughing.
“You don’t trust me?” Helen asked with a raised brow and a sarcastic smirk.
“Lady, my own mother basically sold me into slavery. I don’t trust anyone. Suffer fools lightly and the
only fool you can blame is yourself.”
“And yet you’ve given your heart to at least two men in this room after all you’ve been through,” she
said gently.
“I didn’t say I was good at taking my own advice, just that I didn’t trust people.” She shook her head
at my antics and I took a deep breath before slipping the necklace over my head. It felt warm, which I
thought to be weird butthen again, it had been in my hand so that… That wouldn’t make it this warm.
“How do you feel?” Galvin asked me. I stared at him a moment and then closed my eyes. I felt
something but it was hard to clarify what it was exactly. Then it hit me.
“Relieved,” I whispered before my eyes popped open and I stared at Helen. “I feel relief almost like
when you get hurt but then you realize you’re not as badly hurt as you thought.”
“You have some interesting analogies,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “But yes, that’s exactly what I
would say you should feel. Relief as if all the energy and feelings around you are not eating you alive
and no longer on your shoulders.”
“Yeah, exactly like that.” I nodded, feeling lighter down to my very core than I ever thought possible.
I never thought I was much of a believer in spells and magic… But I was now. Strange how a little
piece of glass could make me feel so much better than anything else I probably could have tried.
“How do I clean it and take care of it?”
“Not clean as in soap and water, but cleanse it when it fills up.” I must have showed the confusion I
was feeling on that one in my expression because she elaborated. “Think of it like a battery, storing
the energy so it’s not inside of you.”
“But the battery isn’t unlimited capacity is what you’re saying.”
“Yes, exactly. When it needs to be emptied, you can cleanse it and it will work like new.”
“Can’t I use the energy for something instead of just washing it away?” I wasn’t really a power-
hungry jerk as my question made me sound but it seemed silly to just throw away power when
someone could use it for some good.
“Some of it will be used when you find a new inner circle and start being intimate with them.” She
blushed and made a point to not look at the men I’d probably end up with. “Edric seems to be a
battery all on his own being an Omega wolf. It’s as if he’s his own power plant and when he shares
himself with his mates, they gain that power and then he recharges on his own.”
“So this channeling charm will give them extra than if I was an Omega with a different gift?”
“Yes. There are other ways to use the power. I help my coven with spells that the energy can be
converted to positive spiritual energy for. Tristan said he has the gift of being able to freeze people. If
you learned such a talent you could freeze a whole room of people channeling that power in the charm
instead of say a few people.”
“Can I pass that energy on?” Her eyebrows scrunched up as if she didn’t understand. “Could I take the
charm off and hand it to Tristan so he could freeze a whole room of people?”
“No, the spell is only for you,” she hedged and then bit her lip. “I suppose we might be able to adapt
the spell so you could hand it off to someone but only if you trusted them so that another person who
would use it for evil couldn’t harness that power. I would have to discuss it with my coven.”
“That’s okay. I just really asked to understand what I have here better. I don’t think I should be able to
decide who could use the energy,” I said quickly, not wanting people to get ideas to use me as their
battery for power. Well, any more than I already was as an Omega.
I thanked Helen and everyone said good-bye to her since she had to get back to Cheyenne. She gave
me her cell number and told me to call her anytime and if I had any questions later. As she left she
promised to e-mail the instructions on how to cleanse the charm and then she was gone.
“Now that we have one crisis averted, let’s talk about Councilman douchebag,” Tristan said with a
sigh when we were all back in the kitchen. I glanced around at all the sullen faces, none of them
wanted to go up against a member of the High Council.
“I choose Carter to bemy Alpha and Galvin to be our Beta,” I blurted out, a half-assed plan forming. I
ignored two gasps and focused on Tristan. “Can we sign the papers now?”
“I’m glad you’ve made your decision, speed racer, but can I ask what brought this on all of a
sudden?” He eyed me over suspiciously and if anyone would figure out what was going on… It was
Tristan.
“We’d have gotten there eventually anyways,” I hissed under my breath at him, waving everyone else
away. “Just let it go this time, Tristan.”
“I can’t do that.” He shook his head and sighed before running his fingers through his hair in
frustration. “I’ve been charged to make sure the Omegas were placed with the right inner circle,
Vencentio. I can’t just let you sign a contract because you’re worried about them going up against the
High Council so you’d be safe. We’d have to do it anyways.”
“Why? If I’m claimed the Councilman can’t take me.” I crossed my arms over my chest stubbornly.
How come they got to protect me and I couldn’t do the same for them? Granted, it made me happy
they’d want to protect me, but it should be a two-way street.
“But he’s nuts and might take another Omega if we don’t handle this now,” Tristan explained gently.
Just like that my argument deflated.
“You were going to let us claim you so we didn’t try to go against the Councilman?” Carter asked as
he glanced at Galvin. I nodded as I looked down at my hands. It sounded stupid when he said it out
loud like that. “Baby, that might be the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“Really? You’re not pissed?” I was shocked and I’m sure they saw it in my expression. I looked at
one and then the other, relieved when I saw their bright smiles. “Can we sign the contract anyway?”
“Is that what you want?” Tristan reached for my hand and held it tightly. “Is that really what you want,
speed racer?” I took a moment to stare into Carter’s eyes. I saw only love and compassion for me.
When I saw the same in Galvin’s eyes, I nodded. I wanted them and they would be good to me.
“Okay, I’ll get the papers drawn up. You can find another Beta later or since it’s a small pack in
Santa Fe you really don’t need to have a second.”
“I want to be the second,” Marlow blurted out. Now I was really shocked. Was he on crack?
“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “You’re straight.”
“I think I’m bisexual actually,” he admitted with a blush. Damn. I didn’t know someone’s cheeks
could even get that red. “I want you more than I can put into words and when Carter kissed Galvin it
made me feel funny in a good way.”
I glanced at my men who seemed to be considering it. I sighed when I saw they were going to say yes.
I liked Marlow, I just couldn’t say that he wouldn’t be more drama than he was worth. If that made
any sense. But then I felt the charm warm against my skin and glanced down at it.
Was I really so different? I highly doubted I was worth all the drama I caused but yet there were three
men who wanted to love me. It gave me pause and a little guilt how quickly I jumped to deny Marlow.
“If you can kiss me right here, right now like you mean it, even in front of all these people, my vote is
yes,” I said quietly. I let out a yelp as I was picked up from behind and spread out on the kitchen
table. Marlow inserted himself between my legs and moved his hands under my shoulders.
“Gladly,” he growled before mashing his mouth down to mine. I moaned and wrapped my body
around him.
Damn, for a supposedly straight guy he really liked kissing a guy if the hard-on I felt against mine was
any indication. He nipped my lower lip before diving in for more. I opened for him, shivering when
he made happy noises as he explored every inch of my mouth.
When air became necessary, he pulled off of me enough that I could stare into his eyes. They were
glazed over with lust and brighter than I’d ever seen them.
“I’m getting over my shit,” he whispered as he cupped my cheek. “Catholic or not, God wouldn’t
want me unhappy because I was too scared to admit I wanted another man. I talked with my priest at
home and he said it’s not the package the person comes in, but the person themselves that God would
care about. He said if you’re a good man, then God would bless our union. Otherwise he’s not a
loving God worth worshipping.”
“Very forward-thinking priest,” I replied, still panting for air. “Do you believe that?”
He thought about it for a moment and nodded. “I prayed about it when you were being distant and I
agree with him. When your heart slowed down and you were basically dying in my arms, all I kept
thinking was ‘please,God, don’t let him die when I’ve not even gotten the chance to fall in love with
him.’”
“Then my answer is yes as long as Carter and Galvin agree.” He smiled at my reply and glanced at
the other two men as I did. They were nodding with big grins on their faces. “Then we have a full
inner circle.”
“Yes we do,” Carter agreed. “Let’s sign the contract and check out our new pack.”
“Sounds good.” And it did. Maybe it was the charm helping me see what was right in front of me
instead of focusing on the negative all the time. But it simply felt right.
* * * *
That night after we signed the contract and it was time to consummate it, I had a case of nerves.
And I don’t think I was the only one. The three of them knelt on the bed of the room I’d been given,
naked, and not hard. I was lying in the middle with the same condition, pulling the sheet over me.
“Why does this feel so awkward?” Galvin as ked, breaking the ice. “I want this and this is much
easier than having to do it in front of the whole pack but it’s like I’m scared frozen and don’t know
what to do.”
“I feel the same way,” Carter agreed as he sat back on his heels. “Signing the contract was one
thing but now it’s like we have to have sex and I feel pressured.”
“Welcome to my world,” I chuckled, shaking my head when they all glanced at me with
questioning looks. “Look, I’ve never had sex because I’ve wanted to but because I’ve had to. Now I
want to and you guys don’t.” I started to get upset. “Guess I was only wanted in theory.” I threw back
the sheet and started to crawl out of bed.
I didn’t make it. Carter grabbed my wrist and dragged me back in front of him. “No one said that.
I want you very much but this isn’t something I’ve done before. I had a claiming ceremony with
Sampson but I wasn’t Alpha so I didn’t go first. I’m not used to taking the lead.”
“I’m stretched and ready to go, Carter. All you have to do is kiss me and want me,” I said gently,
seeing the situation for what it was now. They were nervous and that wasn’t a reflection on me. “Kiss
me and touch me, make me hard, and the rest will fall into place, yeah?”
“I can do that.” He lowered his head slowly as his hand moved between my legs. We knelt in
front of each other and his strong arm wrapped around me as he fondled my dick. I moaned into his
mouth and then gasped when another set of lips kissed my shoulder.
“He’s so damn pretty,” Marlow mumbled against my skin. Then he sucked on my earlobe, driving
me wild. “You are gorgeous and responsive to us in a way I never thought possible.”
“Someone fuck me already,” I whimpered as I humped Carter’s hand. I’d never wanted sex before
but these men really cared about me and I wanted what they offered. I wanted to make love and not
just fuck. Marlow wrapped his arms around me and lay back on the bed, taking me with him.
“Hold his legs wide and I’ll jack him off as Marlow teases him,” Galvin suggested. I watched as
Carter did just that, moaning when Galvin used his slicked-up hand to get Carter ready. He pushed
inside of me, spreading my ankles even wider.
“Are you okay?” Marlow asked gently, holding up a hand for Carter to wait when he felt me
shivering.
“Just give me a second,” I whispered, trying to breathe deeply through the bite. “I wasn’t thinking
about how huge you were when I stretched out and then we danced around for half an hour or so. I
think I tightened back up some.”
“I hate that I’m causing you pain and dying to fuck you even harder you’reso damn tight,” Carter
said with a moan. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, visibly restraining himself from moving.
“I have an idea,” Galvin announced before leaning over and swallowing my cock. Yeah, the pain
was gone after that, moving into that hazy line between bite and bliss.
“Move your cock to my lower back,” I demanded of Marlow. He did and moaned as his pre-cum
and my sweat made his dick move perfectly against me when Carter thrust forward.
“I want to come inside of you,” he quibbled e ven as he pinched my nipples mercilessly.
“Come on me first and we can fuck later.” I hadn’t realized that’s what I wanted until we started, but I
did really want it. “Galvin, stop.” He turned towards me and popped off my dick. “Feed me yours and
then whenyou’re ready blow on my face.”
“Shit, you are a kinky little fuck,” Carter grunted, his cock twitching inside of me.
“I think I am.” I smiled brightly as Galvin crawled closer. “I’ve never felt I could ask for what I
wanted before. I like this.”
“We do too, baby,” Marlow said gently, realizing why this was important to me. I howled around
Galvin’s cock when he pushed it in my mouth, Carter hitting that perfect spot inside of me. I sucked
my man’s dick like I’d never sucked before… Because I wanted to.
Marlow was the first to blow, his warm cum coating my back. That set me off and Galvin pulled out
of my mouth just in time to shoot all over my face as I did on my stomach. Carter cried out my name
and filled my ass up to the brink.
“Holy shit was that hotter than anything I’ve ever done,” Carter panted when we were done. He
pulled out of my hole and rubbed his fingers over it. “You’re covered in our seed, baby.”
“I like it,” I admitted with a blush. Maybe it was a wolf thing? They’d marked me with their scent and
everyone would smell them on me.
“If only I had a camera,” Galvin grunted as he sat back on his heels.
“My phone has one,” I offered as I pointed to the nightstand.
“You’d let us take pictures of you like this?” I could hear the surprise in Marlow’s tone.
“Sure as long as it’s just for you guys and you’re not planning on sharing them or posting them to
Facebook,” I teased. Carter and Galvin exchanged a glance and scrambled off the bed. Guess they
liked the idea too?
It turned out they really liked it because they even posed me so they could see what was covering my
back as well. I couldn’t help but laugh at their antics. When they were done, the three of them carried
me to the shower and cleaned me up as if I was the most precious thing to them in the world.
And that’s how I felt.
Then we did it over and over again, each of them taking their official turn and biting me, leaving their
mark on me and claiming me inside and out.
Chapter 7
The next day we were on the road to Santa Fe. It had been hard to leave Tristan and all my new
friends for an unknown pack but they promised to check on me and I could always call.
Currently I was bent over a picnic table at a deserted rest area in the middle of nowhere though
with Galvin plowing his fat cock in me.
“We wondered why you guys swerved and then pulled over,” Carter said with a chuckle as he and
Marlow walked up to us.
“The little imp tried giving me road head without any warning,” Galvin grunted. I moaned and opened
my mouth as an offering to whoever wanted me.
“Fuck, I’ll take head anytime you want to give it, baby,” Marlow agreed and undid his fly. I greedily
swallowed him down, giving Carter a wink to let him know he was next.
“I had another idea,” he mumbled and moved behind Marlow. “I know you said you’re not ready to
be taken but can I play a bit?”
“Yes, I trust you,” Marlow whispered, his eyes filling with fear as he swallowed loudly. He might
trust us but I wasn’t sure he was ready for more. But then again, maybe it wasn’t something somebody
was ready for. Rather, it was just jumping into the deep end of the pool and crossing over that
imaginary line.
“So tight, so wet, and hot,” Galvin moaned in my ear as he fucked me with everything he had. Marlow
gasped and I glanced up at him, seeing pure bliss on his face.
“I’m just going to play with one finger,” Carter told him as he kissed along Marlow’s neck. “You like
that, my sweet Beta?”
“Yes, yes I do,” Marlow gasped. I hadn’t even seen Carter grab the lube but it wasn’t on the picnic
table anymore so I was guessing Carter had already slicked up his finger. “Deeper, Carter. I want to
feel more of you.”
“Are you sure?” he teased and then Marlow cried out and came in my mouth. I’m guessing two of
Carter’s fingers was all it took. I swallowed down his cum, moaning at the sweet but salty taste of it.
I screamed just as he pulled out of my mouth when Galvin wrapped his hand around my dick. He
stroked me fast and hard, just like he was taking me.
“Coming!” I cried out and shot my load all over the ground. My hot man grunted and followed me
right over, filling my body with proof of how I pleased him. He knew just how to move to draw out
our pleasure. But like all good things, it couldn’t last forever and I collapsed when I was spent.
“Fuck. How did it get even better today?” he whispered in awe as he pulled out of me and flopped
onto the table.
“I’m not sure, but I like it,” Marlow agreed with a big smile. He was lying on the other side of me and
only Carter was still standing there, looking as if he wasn’t sure what to do next. Or whom maybe?
“Show me how big and strong you are,” I purred as I stared up at him.
“What did you have in mind, baby?”
“Stay standing and fuck me. I love how you can lift me as if I weigh nothing.” It was true. My men
were so damn strong that it was such a turn-on.
In a flash I was off the table and in his arms being lowered onto his cock. How he got himself
unzipped and ready that quickly was a mystery to me.
“Wrap yourself around me and hold on,” he ordered. I nodded as I shivered, loving when he went all
Alpha on me. Carter lifted me up enough to thrust hard right back into me. I gasped and then cried out
at the sensations. All that power and strength focused only on me and having sex was amazing.“I want
you to wear a ring, Vencentio. We all do.”
“What?” I gasped, my mind muddled from sex and hormones.
“We decided we want not just wolves to know that you’re ours because of the mating bites. We want
even the humans you’ll see when you’re in town to know you’re taken.”
“Possessive bunch much?” I teased as I looked into Carter’s blue eyes. I saw a desperation there that
I wouldn’t have thought possible from a strong Alpha. Granted, a new Alpha, but what did he have to
be insecure about? “Okay, but it better have pretty things that glitter in it.”
“Really? You’ll wear it?” Galvin asked from behind me. “You’re okay with this?”
“Of course,” I gasped, as Carter nailed my prostate over and over again. Guess he was happy I said
yes too. “I love that you want everyone to know I’m yours in a good way. I’d get your names tattooed
on my ass if you wanted.” Carter’s dick twitched inside of me. “You do want that!”
“Yes, fuck,that would be hot,” he growled. I yelped as he pulled me off of him and bent me back over
the table. I knew why. He wanted to see his mating bite on the nape of my neck. Then he smacked my
ass hard before plunging back into me. “One name there.” He smacked the other side of my ass. “One
there.” Then I felt his fingers trail softly over my lower back. “And one there.”
“I’ll get it done,” I swore, watching the other two heated expressionsfocused on me at the idea. “After
we hit six months from the time you claimed me, I’ll tattoo all your names on me.”
“Deal,” they all agreed. Carter sank his teeth into my neck then and I moaned in bliss as I came. He
thrust into me, pumping more seed into my body. It felt so good that spots danced in front of my vision
and I passed out right as he slumped over my back.
* * * *
Standing outside the falling-apart house that was the “Alpha Estate,” I realized there was
something Carter hadn’t told us… Or yet, maybe?
“Santa Fe’s never had an official pack before ,has it, Carter?” I asked as I pinched the bridge of
my nose.
“No,” he answered, glancing over at me. “I thought you knew that.”
“Nope. You never mentioned it.”
“Yeah, he did actually, but I don’t think you were paying attention because you were pissed at him,”
Galvin threw right back. “He did leave out the fact the place was a fucking dump.”
“Then just go because we don’t want you here anyways,” a man called out from behind us. Oh goodie,
let the games begin.
“I didn’t say the town was a dump, just the house the High Council got for the Alpha Estate,” Galvin
grumbled as we all turned around.
“Either way, we moved here so we wouldn’t have to deal with an Alpha and pack. Now you’ve come
here to take that away from us,” the man shouted, looking pissed as could be.
“Don’t look at me,” Carter said when we all turned and glared at him, hands held out in surrender. “I
didn’t know that part. I was told that there were now fifteen wolves in Santa Fe and that was too
many to not have a pack structure.”
“Wait, allof you moved here for that reason?” I asked, shocked because it was a very specific theme
to find in fifteen different people.
“Pretty much,” another man said as he stepped forward. “I had the choice of four different cities my
company was opening new branches in and I picked the one that didn’t have a pack.”
“Why?” I made my tone softer, less defensive, and nonthreatening. I had a feeling they weren’t
disgruntled because they couldn’t all be king of the mountain in a pack.
“Because it’s bullshit to have three or four people rule a whole group without a goddamn say in
what’s going on. No one should have the right to force someone to do things they don’t want to do.”
He was upset, but in that panicked oh shit, I’m so screwed kind of way.
“I agree,” Carter and I said at the same time. I gave him a nod and let him continue. “Look, I was Beta
in a pack where the Alpha was crazy as a cat on catnip. It was all about power and his wants, screw
the group, and toe the line. I don’t want that. I’ve seen packs that are like a family and the Alpha is
like the head of the family. That’s what I want.”
“Pretty words, but you could be lying,” the first man threw back. That one got me.
“You should be able to tell if he is lying or not,” I hedged and then cursed under my breath. The only
reason he wouldn’t have been able to is because he wasn’t strong enough. I slipped the charm off my
neck and handed it to a shocked Carter.“I can’t sense their power if that thing is drawing the energy
away from me so it doesn’t hurt me.”
“Is this a good idea, baby?” Galvin asked. None of my men seemed to like the idea actually.
“Probably not, but I need to test what I can and can’t do.” I moved forward towards the first man who
spoke. He was so angry and scared, I felt the power of it flowing over him. He’d also basically been
beaten into submission and that made a wolf weak. “You used to be able to tell when someone was
lying to you, didn’t you?”
“I’m not weak,” he growled and I felt the air around me move, that my men were coming to pull me to
safety. I waved them back.
“I never said you were weak,” I said gently, laying a hand on his arm. He flinched but didn’t pull
away. “My whole pack used me to gain power, but no one cared that their gaining power hurt me. All
their negativity hurt me and my wolf to where I wanted nothing but to live my life in my wolf form,
staring out the window. There’s a difference between being weak and having lived through abuse.”
“Could you help me get my power back?” he asked and I heard three deep growls. The guy finally
broke a smile and shook his head. “I didn’t mean sex. I know he’s an Omega but they have more gifts
than just sex.” He met my gaze again. “I think these guys will treat you right.”
“Yeah, they seem to really like me.” I blushed as I glanced back at them. “Doesn’t hurt that they’re all
hot.”
“I can admit when a guy is good looking, but they’re missing breasts to be my type.”
“What’s your name? Mine’s Vencentio.”
“Denis. Nice to meet you.”
“And you.” I eyed him over for a moment before closing my eyes and reading his power. It’s hard to
put what I saw into words, but it’s almost like a candle flickering because it’s burning out instead of
shining bright. His power was hurt by his past. I bet it wasn’t easy for him to shift into his wolf.
I wanted so badly to help him. I knew what being the victim could do to someone. I stared into his
very soul basically and something snapped inside of me. There were no words for it, more an aha
moment. I quickly grabbed the charm from Carter and went back to Denis.
I gave him a wink as I slipped it back on, his confused expression staring at me. “Trust me.”
“It’s safer not to trust anyone.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” I snickered as I placed my hands on his chest. “But it’s no way to live life I’m
learning.” I took the power that the charm had collected, molded it, and thrust it into Denis. It was like
giving a slowing heart an electrical shock.
He gasped and then screamed as we fell to our knees. I didn’t stop, knowing now what I had to do. I
thrust more of it into him and felt him vibrate with the energy. He didn’t just shift, his wolf practically
leapt out of the man’s body. The explosion of my power and his working together like that knocked
me back on my ass.
I blinked up a few times from the grass, a handsome gray wolf staring down at me. Reaching up to pet
his fur, I smiled when I got a wet lick across my cheek.
“Better?” I asked and he gave a yip. “Then go run around and be happy with your wolf. He’s missed
you being on the same page.” He didn’t need any more encouragement than that, taking off over the
extensive land of the Alpha Estate.
“What did you just do, baby?” Carter asked as my men knelt down by me.
“I found another way to use the energy that bogs me down.” I smiled widely up at him, waving off his
hands when he went to help me up. “Give me another minute. That was quite a rush, like an orgasm
and getting decked in the face at the same time.” Then I wiggledaround on the grass as if doing a
victory dance. “Go me. I helped him. I rock.”
“Goofball,” Galvin chuckled and pushed my hair out of my face. “Can you do it again?”
“Yeah, I can help everyone here now that I understand better what Helen was saying about channeling
the power. I just don’t think I’d want to do that more than once a day. It was, fuck, a lot of effort.” I
groaned as they helped me sit up.
“What did you do to Denis?” the second man who had spoken asked as he eyed me over.
“I’m not sure how to explain it really,” I answered, shaking my head and trying to clear it. “The short
version is I fixed what was broken by his abuse that did damage to his aura and his relationship with
his wolf.”
“You always were such a giver, Vencentio,” a familiar voice said and in a flash I was up on my feet,
hanging on to Carter as if he was my crutch. “I’ve missed you.”
“What are you doing here, Micah?” I whispered, shaking from the emotions seeing him stirred inside
of me.
“I ran away from the pack after my father sold you and decided to hide in a town with no pack. And
here you are.” He smiled as if that was a good thing.
“Sold me?” I squeaked. “I was rescued by the High Council.”
“No, my father sold you to a Councilman to be his mistress,” he said slowly, his eyebrows scrunched
together. “That was the last straw for me. It was bad enough to watch our pack use you but then to just
sell you like that? It was wrong.”
“Your father’s still alive and in power?”
“Yeah. How did you not know that?”
I felt the blood rushing my brain too fast. I turned and landed on my knees in time to vomit
everywhere before I blacked out.
* * * *
“Look, Tristan, I’m telling you I got a kid here who ran away from Vencentio’s old pack, the
Alpha’s son who said Vencentio wasn’t rescued. He was sold to be that creepy Councilman’s
mistress. That Alpha who abused Vencentio is still in power.” Carter growled quietly and I knew
something he heard was bad.“I’ll call you back. Vencentio’s awake.” He snapped his phone closed
and I felt him move near me.
I opened my eyes slowly, my whole body hurting. Marlow’s light green eyes were the first things
I saw. “Go slow, baby. You’ve had quite a day, passing out twice on us like that.”
“The first one was because of fun though,” I groaned, licking my dry lips. I felt Galvin help lift me
up before Marlow moved a bottle of water to my lips.
“Just a little for now.” I nodded and drank until he had me stop.
“There’s one thing we have to know before—” Carter started to say but I cut him off.
“I never slept with Micah,” I swore as I sat up. “He never abused me, he was just as much a victim of
his father as I was. Though, his father thinks I’ve been sleeping with him for years. I couldn’t do it. At
first I refused, saying he was underage, but his dad didn’t care. I took the beatings. There are some
lines a person can’t ever cross and doing a fifteen-yearold was one of them.”
“But he’s eighteen now,” Galvin hedged.
“He was seventeen when I was rescued, or sold I guess.” I swallowed loudly, trying to keep calm in
the face of this new information.“After one of the worse beatings we both got because Micah refused
to rape me as well, we came up with a plan to pretend. He’d sit in my room once a week and we’d
make all the noises. No one ever came to check for real because no one wanted to watch me take a
kid or him rape me.”
“So he’s one of the good guys? You just got upset at seeing him because he brought up bad
memories?” I nodded, Carter’s questions hitting the truth right on the head. “Okay then.” He opened
the door and Ismiled at Denis. He’d been waiting in the hall, holding Micah prisoner until we got
everything cleared up I guess.
“How do you feel?” I asked Denis as I leaned back against Galvin’s strong chest.
“Wonderful,” he whispered as he knelt down in front of me, bowing his head. “I swear my allegiance
to you, Omega Vencentio and the leading inner circle. You showed me love and compassion when
you used your gifts to help my wolf and I overcome our past and gain back what was taken from us. I
will never forget it and will help you in any way I can.”
“Aww, Denis, you’re going to make me blush with all that sweet talk.” I clucked my tongue and did
blush. I’d never had anyone thank me like this before or even respect me enough to formally thank me.
Well, besides my men and my friends I guess. But Denis was basically a stranger and it meant a lot to
me the way he was stepping up.
“You really don’t know how special you are, do you?” Denis asked hesitantly as he glanced at my
men. “He doesn’t get it?”
“No, he doesn’t but we’re trying to show him,” Galvin answered. I looked between them. “Baby,
most people wouldn’t have tried something risky to help someone they just met. Hell, I can’t think of
most wolves who would help someone they knew if it meant sharing their power.”
“It’s my job as an Omega and I couldn’t not help if I could.” I thought that one through with the double
negative. Yeah, I’d said it right. I shrugged becausethere wasn’t really anything else to say. “Your
wolf is happy then? You guys get back on the same page?”
“Yes.” Denis smiled widely as he sat on the floor. There was no furniture in our new house, or at
least this room. That would be changing right away. “It’s been years since I’ve been able to shift right
back from being a wolf without pain. It made me feel weak and pissed at him. Then he was pissed at
me for not giving him a chance to run as often as I should.”
“Well, I’m glad you guys are doing better then.” My phone rang then and I pulled it out of my pocket. I
heard Carter’s go off as well. I saw it was Carson,who I’d talked with a few times since I’d met
Tristan. “What’s up, Carson?”
“That Councilman who bought you from your old Alpha fled,” he said gently. “We called our buddy,
Councilman Stratts, and the head of the High Council, Councilman Johnson. They were going to skip
having a formal hearing and take the guy into custody because he lied about punishing your old Alpha.
He left his mate and ran.”
“Does he know where I am?” I asked, moving the phone enough so Galvin could hear as well.
“No, but he knows where you’re not,” Carson answered with a sigh. “He was on the High Council so
he knows which packs have leadership and which were still trying to restructure. There’s maybe a
dozen of them and some other places where new packs were forming like Santa Fe. He probably
knows you’re not in Denver anymore but just in case we’re sending extra guards there as well. Yours
should be there in the morning.”
“What about my old Alpha?” I whispered after a moment of letting the news sink in.
“Councilmen Johnsonand Stratts have assured us they’re sending in a team immediately to have your
old inner circle arrested. If there’s anyone else who you think in that pack that needs to have charges
brought against them, we need to know soon.”
“I’ll have to think about it,” I mumbled. “I know I’m not much help but I thought this was all handled
already. I had no clue my old pack was going on as business as usual.”
“Neither did we, Vencentio, and for that I am truly sorry. Your old Alpha put in a request for a new
Omega. Ihadn’t even gotten to it yet or seen it until today. He’s not even hiding that he’s still in
charge.”
“You’re not going to give him one, right?” I squeaked and then wanted to smack myself in the
forehead. Carson said they were going to bring him to justice.
“No, buddy. Worstcase he’s going to spend his life in a High Council prison. Best case, they’re going
to fry the fucker for what he’s done. We’re going to need you to testify on camera.”
“Okay,” I agreed, taking a deep breath. “His son should as well. I’m not sure if the Alpha knows
where Micah is but he did a lot of things to the kid as well and it’s only fair he gets to say his piece.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself. Get some rest and we’ll talk in the morning. You guys should be
safe tonight.”
“Okay, thanks,Carson.” I disconnected the call and put my phone back to sleep before sticking it in my
pocket. I glanced up at Carter, who had just ended his call with Tristan, not looking any happier.
Their conversation must have gone as well too. “I’m so sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?” Marlow asked with wide eyes. “This isn’t your fault, Vencentio! I’d love to get
my hands on this Council douchebag for all he’s done to you.”
“Because you’d be safe if I wasn’t here,” I whispered and then did something I thought Iwasn’t
capable of anymore… I cried. Silent sobs wracked my body as Galvin held me tightly. Then when
Marlow and Carter knelt in front of us, kissing my forehead and whispering calming words to me, I
let out a wail.
I cried my heart out, tired of being scared, and the victim. I was supposed to get a chance at being
happy and now I had some nut-job Councilman probably coming after me. It just wasn’t fair. There
were people out there that never had a single drama or trauma in their life. So why did I get so many?
Couldn’t I just get a little fucking peace? I wasn’t talking about happiness really, just a moment’s rest.
I didn’t even mean to do it but the next thing I knew, I was shredding my clothes and shifting into my
wolf. My wolf was safe and uncomplicated. My wolf knew there was danger coming and would fight
till his last breath to protect me.
“We can’t hold you and love on you when you’re in this form, baby,” Galvin said gently as he petted
me, scratching behind my ears. I stared up into those orchid-purple eyes of the man I loved and
struggled internally. “We would do anything to keep you safe. He won’t hurt you while we still have
breath to fight.”
But I didn’t want that, did I? I wanted them safe and not talking about fighting to help me. It would kill
something inside of me if one of them died protecting me. Hell, even if they got hurt it would make me
feel guilty.
“Baby, don’t go,” Carter begged as I turned and left the room. I needed a moment to think… Alone.
I’m sure that made me a horrid partner to walk away when they were being so good to me, but it was
what I needed.
“Don’t go far at least,” Marlow called after me. Okay, that I could do. That was a fair compromise. I
went out the front door and circled the house, taking in all the new scents and checking the place out.
Moments later I felt all three of them in their shifted forms trailing me. I turned back and headed right
towards them. I knew why they were there.
To make sure I was safe because they put me first.
I licked each of their faces and then took off, knowing they’d chase me. We had a good run, something
we all needed it seemed, and then collapsed together in a big puppy pile. It felt right to handle what
was going on like this with them, even if it was in wolf form, than to do it alone. And isn’t that what it
means to be in a healthy relationship?
Chapter 8
The next morning we all woke up early with nervous energy to burn. We were getting guards by
tonight, sent to help us in case the Councilman showed up. It made me leery because he was just one
man… How strong could he really be? But then Carter assured me it was just so we had extra eyes
and ears on the lookout.
“Fuck this,” I growled and slammed down my mug of coffee. I wasn’t going to sit on pins and
needles and wait to be attacked. “We’re at least going and getting a bunch of cleaning supplies and
getting this house in better shape.”
“Yeah, waiting around is going to drive us crazy,” Galvin agreed. We took his truck with the
extended cab and ended up buying enough items to fill up the whole bed. It turned out they were total
guys. Of all the stuff they had brought with them, and Carter had shipped here from his old place…
None of them even owned a vacuum. So we got a nice one of those and everything else we would
need.
As Carter paid for our purchases from the money the High Council had given him to get the house
in order and the pack running, I realized there was something I needed to tell them. Shit, I’d totally
forgotten about it actually.
“Councilman Stratts gave me a bunch of money in the envelope when you helped me escape the
High Council estate and I never told anyone,” I blurted out once we were back in the truck.
“We know, baby,” Carter said gently as he took my hand in his and raised it to my lips.
“You knew?” I whispered in shock. “How? Why didn’t you ever ask me for it?”
“Tristan asked me if the cash was safe after we got there and I admitted I knew nothing about it. He
said maybe it was best if we pretended not to know about it so you felt you had a way out if you ever
needed it or could buy what you needed without running to one of us. You were entitled to part of
what was paid for you like the other Omegas received. So that money is yours.”
“I wasn’t going to tell you but then after I would have trusted you all enough to tell you, I kind of
forgot about it. I mean, I packed it when we left, but I wasn’t thinking about it. It wasn’t a big deal
anymore but now that you were buying stuff for all of us, I thought I should tell you.”
“We’re glad you trusted us now, but Carter’s right, that money’s yours,” Galvin agreed.
“But we’re together in this so we share, right? Or is it not the same since we’re not mates?” I asked
quietly. They’d claimed me but we weren’t together like Tristan and his men were since I didn’t bite
any of them.
“That’s up to you,” Galvin hedged, glancing at Carter in the rearview mirror. “I know that Carter and
I discussed whether we’d be open to all of us mating eventually and we agreed that’s what we
wanted. But there hasn’t been time yet to talk about it more.”
“So it’s something we can talk about later because none of you have decided it’s not what you want?”
Again, I was talking in backwards land instead of just coming out with it. Go me.
“I’d be open to discussing it when I feel we’re ready for that step,” Marlow said, phrasing it much
better than I had.
“Okay. I can deal with saying we can talk about it later,” I agreed. I hadn’t realized I wanted all of us
to officially be mates until I brought it up. But I really did. It would be nice to have more than just the
contract and tie of being an inner circle. I wanted it to be a real mating.
“And we’ll open a checking account for you at one of the banks around here so you aren’t carrying
that much cash around.” Carter gave me a smile that I returned. I felt much better about the whole
thing and the guilt was gone too.
When we got home I somehow got the job of vacuuming so Galvin quickly put it together for me as I
went upstairs to change. Fine, I was going to be the cleaning person, I decided to dress the part. Well,
my version of it. I put on my skimpiest boy shorts and Carter’s iPod and flounced down the stairs,
right past all my staring men and into the front room.
By the time I plugged it in and started vacuuming, I had three sets of eyes watching me. I danced to the
music, pushing the Dyson around and getting way too much shit up from the carpet. I barely got half
the room done before the vacuum needed to be emptied. Gross.
“Do you guys need anything?” I asked innocently as I bent over and pulled out the canister. They
shook their heads and I walked right by them to one of the big outdoor garbage cans we set up in the
foyer. “Don’t you have work that you should be doing?” I raised an eyebrow at them and chuckled as
they all nodded with open mouths. “Then get to it or no one gets sex tonight.”
I couldn’t help laughing as they bumped into each other, trying to get out of the doorway and back to
work as fast as possible. I realized for the first time in my life I felt sexy. They wanted me so badly
that they were having trouble focusing.
Go me!
I vacuumed the front room and decided the carpeting was basically shot. Yeah, I’d still clean it since
it would suck to pull up dirty carpeting, but it had to go. I made a note in the notebook we’d deemed
as the improvements list and got back to work. After I finished the dining room I decided I was
sweating enough to deserve a water break.
“We need some fucking air-conditioning or at least fans,” Galvin bitched as I walked into the kitchen.
“I agree.” Carter nodded as he wrote it down in the notebook. “Denis should be here in a bit with
some of the guys from the pack. I asked them to come and list all the jobs everyone had and, if they
had mates, what they do as well. I don’t want to hire other people if we can hire pack.”
“Good call and a good way to show that we’re going to be loyal,” Marlow agreed as he tossed me a
bottle of water. I blew him air kisses and chugged it down.
“You guys got a hose and some grass seed, right?” I asked, staring out at the backyard. We had dead,
burntwhite grass like I’d never seen before. I wanted a plush yard if we were going to have one.
“Yeah, I checked that the spigot is working too,” Galvin said with a smile. “Are you going to be a
lawn boy, baby?”
“I can set up the sprinkler and then push the cart thing around to spread seed.” I rolled my eyes. They
were such dirty men… I loved that about them. We discussed our next jobs and headed to work. Now
that our backyard was in the shade from the house, I could water and seed. I read the instructions on
the bag and switched that. Seed then water. Good to know and I was glad I read the instructions since
I’d never laid down grass seed before.
I laughed at how easy the Snap Pac dispenser was. I really did just snap it in and hold the lever as I
walked around, seeds shooting out the front of the little cart thing. It took me about ten minutes to
spread the seed where there was shade and I found myself at peace again. I was outside, working on
our new house, surrounded with people who cared for me, and for once in my life, not afraid of the
people I lived with.
It was a new feeling. A good feeling that warmed my heart and helped heal my soul.
I set the dispenser off to the side, already having read that the spotsthat got full sun I couldn’t do until
early morning or the seed and grass would get fried. Then I attached the hose, cursing when it was
harder to do than I had figured. Then the sprinkler got twisted on the other end. I set it up and turned
the spigot on. Wasn’t the greatest of waterpressure, but I’d done it.
I, Vencentio, previously used and abused Omega, did something as normal as taking care of my lawn.
Maybe it was stupid to feel pride about that. Maybe I was being a child about it. But I didn’t really
care. It was normal, something normalpeople did, and I hadn’t had a lot of normal in my life.
“I can do this. The grass will be my project,” I said to no one in particular, smiling at the lawn that
was now my baby.
I went back inside with renewed faith that we could get this house in shape and be happy here. I still
didn’t like vacuuming though. That job sucked when everything was this dirty. As I headed to the
hallway with the vacuum, I saw Galvin and Marlow washing the walls.
“Yeah, so not going to bitch about vacuuming again,” I mumbled as I plugged it in.
“See, and we’d rather be doing this,” Marlow chuckled. “Glad we can divide the chores so it’s not
that everyone is doing their most painful job.”
“Amen to that,” Galvin agreed.
It was a normal discussion like we were a normal family. I know, I was focused on the normal in a
big way. But it felt good. As stupid as that sounds about chores, it was easy, uncomplicated, and not
traumatic.
A couple hours later we were sitting down for lunch when I swayed and almost fell over from the
power I felt coming towards the house even when I had the charm on. “He’s here,” I whispered as I
stared up at Carter. “Councilman Douchebag is here.”
I didn’t wait for them, deciding I was going to meet this asshole head-on. What could he do? Shoot
me? Fuck him. I raced down the hall to the front door and threw it open, not even flinching when I
saw him just about to step onto the porch.
“You’re not welcome here, asshole. You leave at once and maybe my inner circle won’t tear you to
shreds!” I shouted as I tried not to let the power affect me. He was so damn angry. I felt it flow
through me and into the charm. So much power!
“What are you doing to me?” He growled, eyeing me over suspiciously.
“You’re not the only one with power anymore.” I gave him an evil smile.
Galvin moved to my back and plastered himself against me. “We need to stall him. Carter’s on the
phone with Denis to get more help here and Marlow’s calling Tristan,” he breathed in my ear so the
bad guy wouldn’t hear.
“You don’t need to die, Galvin Nash,” the Councilman said easily, rallying for something. This
couldn’t be good. “Your contract isn’t valid with this Omega since I’d already bought him as my
mistress. It’s legal and still on the books as a law that a Councilman can buy an Omega outright. We
used to all have them.”
“I don’t care if that law still exists because our contract was approved by Councilman Johnson and
that voided all deals before that,” Galvin replied just as calmly. He leaned against the doorframe and
wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
I felt the flare of anger from the douchebag and leaned against Galvin before stepping forward. “Why
me? What’s so important aboutme that you’ve abandoned your post as Councilman and risked
everything just to come find me?”
“Come, come, feigned ignorance isn’t flattering on you, my darling Omega,” he chided, clucking his
tongue as he stepped up one porch step and stopped.
“I really don’t get it,” I screamed, completely fed up. “The powers I have as an Omega? Seeing
people’s sins and reading power? Is that what this is all about?”
“You do more than just read power, Vencentio.” He narrowed his eyes and I realized he knew more
about what I could do than I probably did. “You’re a power sponge. Unless you are tied to the people
around you, you leach off their energy and absorb it.”
“But only if their aura has changed like when they’re upset,” I hedged, tilting my head and studying
him like a dog might a stranger. Could I even trust a word that was coming out of his mouth?
“Correct, but you still take that energy, that anger or fear inside of you,and that’s draining on them.
Sure, you don’t hurt anyone, and they recharge naturally, but all that energy stored in you comes out
when you are being fucked.” He gave me that creepy leer I hated. “And you are such a good fuck,
Vencentio. You don’t even bother to pretend you like it and yet you don’t fight. Such a willing
victim.”
“Stop! I’m not a victim anymore,” I yelled as I went to step closer. Galvin pulled me back towards
the house. “There was no point in fighting because I had no place to run to or anyone to ask for help.
That’s changed now. I’ve changed and I won’t just bend over and take it anymore.”
“Good, I like a fight.” He licked his lips and stared at my groin. Wow, suddenly I wished I had
beenwearing more clothes. “Enough talk. Come with me and I won’t kill your men.”
I stared at him, assessing how big of a threat he really was, and then smiled as I saw cars come
whipping down our driveway. “You might be a powerful wolf after having used Omegas for your
psycho purposes but you’re still just one wolf.” His eyes flared with anger and faster than I could
even see I was away from Galvin and down the porch stairs with the Councilman.
Shit. Yeah, taunting the bad guy was always a smart plan.
“I’ll be leaving with my Omega now,” he taunted Galvin. Carter and Marlow stepped out onto the
porch as well, shaking with anger. “Get a good last look because you won’t ever see him again.”
“We will rush into hell itself to rescue him. This is sonot over,” Carter said with a snarl.
I struggled against the douchebag as they all traded insults. And then it hit me. I had a weapon of my
own. I knew how to use my gift now. Wrapping my arms around the Councilman’s one holding me to
him, I fed off his energy.
“What are you doing?” he cried out. “Stop that now or I’ll kill them all!”
“No,” I whispered, my voice full of power. “You’ve taken this power that was not freely given to you
and used it to harm people. I’m taking it back!”
“You can’t do that!” He tried to pull away from me, but I spun around and wrapped my body around
his like a monkey. We fell back to the ground and I kept pulling his energy into me, his very life force.
He screamed in a shrill, desperate voice but I didn’t stop, didn’t flinch in the task I knew I had to do.
I opened my eyes and saw his skin lose moisture and start to crumble. His body started to shrivel and
it took every ounce of strength I had deep inside of me not to freak out and scamper away. I kept
going, feeling as if I was going to explode with power and not in a good fucking way. I didn’t stop
until I knew he was dead, a creepy mummy and nothing more now.
“I don’t know whether to be freaked the fuck out or glad he can do that so no one will screw with us
ever,” someone said.
“Have to share it,” I screamed as I rolled off of him. “Can pass it back to the pack!”
“But the pack is technically only Denis because he’s pledged his loyalty to us,” Carter said, his tone
sounding panicked.
“Then get them to fucking do it because I can’t hold this in for very long,” I whimpered, clutching my
head. “Too much on top of what I had.”
“This is a trick to get us to join the pack,” someone bitched.
“Vencentio would never do that,” I heard Micah say clearly. Then I felt him drop on one knee right by
me. “I swear my allegiance to Alpha Carter and the leading inner circle as dictated by the High
Council.”
“Hurry,” I gasped as I felt cuts ripping open on my skin. The power was coming out one way or
another.
“Holy fuck. He’s not faking.” I wasn’t sure who said what but then I heard several voices repeat what
Micah had said.
“It’s done, baby,” Carter said gently, tears in his voice. “Let it out.”
“Has to be through you,” I whispered. I wasn’t sure how I knew this but he was Alpha. To share this
much power through the pack I had to go through the head of it. I didn’t even know if that made sense
really but it was like knowing how to breathe… I just did. “Take me now.”
“Take you where, my love?” He was confused and I growled in frustration.
“You heard him, my power disperses through sex,” I answered and pulled off my shorts. And then I
sighed because I’d put in a plug when I’d gone to change. Never had I been so glad for a fucking toy.
“I’m ready. Take me before I split open so I can share the power with you and the pack.”
“Oh fuck,” he whimpered and I opened my eyes then, fighting the pain to see what was wrong. He had
undone his pants but he was far from hard. “I’m sorry, okay? You’re bleeding and almost dying,
again.It’s not exactly conducive to sex.”
“Come here, my Alpha,” I whispered and spread my legs. He nodded and moved where I wanted him
to. “Close your eyes, Carter. It’s just you and me and you love my body wrapped around yours,
okay?”
“I do love that,” he moaned as he kissed along my face. Seconds later he was hard and pushing inside
of me.
“I don’t know how to do this gently,” I warned as he thrust faster and faster.
“I can take it, baby. Give me this burden,” he begged into my neck. I let go of the power with a loud
scream. Carter did the same as he slammed into me over and over again until we both peaked, riding
our orgasms and more power than one person should ever have.
I heard several shouts as the energy moved throughout the pack and then I slumped to the ground,
Carter collapsing on top of me.
“We alive?” he asked me quietly.
“Yes, but I’m going to pass out now,” I slurred before everything went black.
Chapter 9
I woke to a very strange feeling… One of people surrounding me and lying all over me. And when
I say that, I’ve adapted quickly to sleeping with three large men. So, I was used to that. I cracked open
my eyes and wondered who else was in the bed! I blinked a few times, glancing all around at the
kingsize comforter that we hadn’t had before, and changed my question.
Who didn’t we have in the damn bed?
“Please tell me I didn’t have some blacked-out orgy,” I grumbled as I shoved two different arms off
of me. Denis pushed up so he could see me from one side, and Galvin on the other. “Denis is straight
and what the fuckhappened?”
“Healing puppy pile,” he mumbled as he wiped his hand over his face. Even sleepy and exhausted
looking, Galvin was one of the bestlooking men on the planet.
“I didn’t know those really worked,” I said quietly, searching the bed. “Who got hurt?”
“Um, you did,” Denis answered as he stared at me as if I had grown another head.
“I passed out from channeling that much energy but I didn’t get like hurt, hurt.”
“Baby, that power was trying to rip you from the inside out,” Galvin said gently, his hand moving
over bandages I had on my arms. I remembered that though I didn’t think the cuts were all that big of a
deal. Guess I hadn’t been focused on that at the time. “The wounds wouldn’t heal, we couldn’t get you
to wake up, so we panicked. I called that witch and Carter called Tristan, while Marlow called
Carson. We conferenced everyone in and came up with a plan.”
“Of everyone sleeping with me in a really big bed?” He nodded and I glanced around, most of the
people awake now. “Thank you for helping me heal. I’d like to have known some of your names first
before you layall over me naked, but I appreciate it just the same.”
The joke got me a few smiles because shifters were used to nudity and were very touchy-feely, even
the guys.
“You feeling better, Omega Vencentio?” one guy asked me as we all started sliding out of the bed.
“Tired like I could sleep a week but yeah, I’m okay.”
“You want to sleep another week?” another guy said and I slowly turned to look at him.
“How long have I been out?”
“Eight days,” Galvin answered as he rubbed my back and pulled me close.
“Shorts,” I whispered as I held out my hand. He gave them to me and I slipped them on, my legs
feeling a little gooey. He put his on in a flash and then I pulled him closer. “I don’t think I can make it
down the stairs. I’m so dehydrated and starving. Love me enough to carry me down there?”
I hadn’t meant to say it like that but when he gave me a wide smile, I realized the words I’d chosen to
use. “Love you enough to carry you around forever.”
“I love you too, Galvin,” I admitted with a shy grin as he lifted me into his arms.
“Glad we got that settled then.” He strutted out of the master bedroom and I could feel how happy he
was. I sighed and soaked that up like sunlight as I held on to him, my head on his shoulder.
“You keep being this happy and I’m going to feel right as rain by tomorrow,” I said and kissed his
neck.
“Yeah, Helen said you would get better quicker if you had happy energy to absorb but it was hard to
be happy when we were all scared shitless.”
“I’d imagine so.”
He set me down on the counter when we got to the kitchen, more smiling faces all around us. Then he
leaned in and whispered in my ear, “And just so you know, we’ve been telling you all week how
much we love you and each other. We figured we couldn’t do happy but we could do love with how
we feel about you.”
“Thank you.” I blushed and smiled as he gave me a nod and walked over to the fridge. I giggled when
four hands and two sets of lips were touching me all over. “I missed you guys too.”
“Are you okay? How are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?” Marlow rambled as he kept kissing
my cheek and then my shoulder. Then back to my cheek as if he figured those were the only two safe
places.
“Tired, but I’m okay, I swear.” He gave me a firm look as if checking to see if I was lying and then
smiled. Carter turned my head and brushed his lips over mine.
“I love you, Vencentio,” he whispered and lifted me into his arms.
“And I love you.” I pulled his head back down for another kiss before I got passed to my other man.I
stared up into Marlow’s hesitant eyes. “And I love you.”
“Love you too,” he sighed and then kissed me. It was a great glad I didn’t die greeting from all of
them but I had too many questions to simply bask in it.
“Catch me up with what happened?” I asked as he sat me down on one of the kitchen table chairs.
Yeah, we had a kitchen table now. That was new.
“Well, I carried you inside while Marlow helped Carter because he was kind of shaky,” Galvin
explained as he made me a sandwich. Carter had already gotten me my favorite, though not the
healthiest, cream soda. “We thought you had just passed out at first so Carter called Councilman
Johnson and we found out there was a detain or kill on sight for Councilman Se—”
“Douchebag,” I interrupted, giving him a firm look. “I don’t ever want to know his real name after
what I did. He was the douchebag who threatened our family and I took care of it.”
“Alright, if that’s what you want,” he agreed with a nod. “So a detain or kill on sight had been
ordered for the douchebag and he wanted us to know. Carter then had the fun time of explaining we’d
already killed him.”
“Surprisingly he didn’t ask too many questions besides whether they needed to send a cleanup team
and if the guards should turn around and come home,” Carter added with a relieved smile. “I think the
High Council is mortified that this guy was right under their noses when they’re working so hard to
remove bad Alphas and inner circles. The quieter this was all handled, the better in their minds.”
“So I’m not in huge mother fucking trouble for killing a Councilman?” I asked in shock. If Marlow
hadn’t been right there to grab my pop I would have dropped it. “Holy shit!”
“That’s kind of what we said,” Galvin chuckled. “But we weren’t about to ask more questions or look
a gift horse in the mouth. We told Councilman Johnson to tell his guards to turn around and go home
unless they wanted to hang out and help us get this shit-hole house in order that they bought for the
pack.”
“We weren’t shocked when they never showed.” Carter rolled his eyes as he took a seat on the other
side of me. “We went to dispose of the remains and he was basically ash, so we had some fun
stomping on what was left of the fucker since you did all the heavy lifting.”
“That’s one way to phrase what I did,” I whispered and stared down at my hands. “I was thinking you
guys wouldn’t want to be near me after you sawfirsthand what a freak I am.”
“Let’s get one thing straight,” Carter growled as he grabbed my chin gently and made me look at him.
“You are nota freak. You’re an Omega with lots of power, baby. And you used that power for what it
was meant for, protecting yourself and helping this pack. There isn’t anything wrong with that and no
one felt anything but grateful about what you did.”
“Really?” I asked, glancing around the room. Our whole kitchen was filled with most of our pack and
my men. They all smiled and nodded. I sighed in relief and went back to my drink.
“About an hour passed and we realized that you weren’t going to just wake up like before so we got
on the phone to everyone,” Marlow said gently, patting my knee.
“I called Helen and she walked me through how to cleanse your charm because that much power and
energy running through it would short it out,” Galvin explained. “And then she e-mailed me
instructions on how to care for it and signs that it needs to be cleansed again. So that will be my job. I
told her I didn’t have a problem keeping both eyes on you at all times.”
He waggled his eyebrows at me and I couldn’t help but smile even in the midst of such a serious
conversation. I really did love my men.
“And Carson told me that their wolf doc has other wolves lie around a hurt wolf because something
about healing pack energy. So Denis raced out with his truck and brought back a huge bed, and
everyone who could piled in bed with you.” Marlow looked a little unnerved by it and I realized he
thought we might be mad that they ordered a bunch of naked men to lie with me.
“Hey, it worked and I’m grateful that you called for him to save me,” I said gently as I patted his leg.
I’d hit the issue right on the head because he smiled and relaxed.
“Tristan said the same thing and to make sure that we talked with you because we’d claimed you and
even unconscious, your soul knows us and something as simple as hearing us might keep you here,”
Carter added with a relieved smile. “So we read to you and talked to you pretty much constantly,
taking shifts as the pack did trying to heal you. Those who didn’t have to rush off to work stayed and
helped us with the house.”
“I noticed the improvements to the kitchen,” I said with admiration as I glanced around. I couldn’t
believe the difference in eight days. All new tile had been put down, new counters, cabinets, the
walls painted, and some new appliances. And it was great to have furniture. “Did you hire a
contractor or did someone in the pack help?”
“I own a contracting business,” Denis answered from against the back wall. “Turns out you made a
lot of loyal friends with what you did, Vencentio, and they were all willing to help in any way they
could.”
“What did I end up doing?” I whispered, almost scared to hear the truth. “I just remember needing to
send out the energy because it was too much.”
“I don’t know about everyone here but you repaired my connection with my wolf and showed me
what a real pack, caring and working together,can be like,” a man said quietly and cleared his throat.
“I’m Charles, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you too.” I blushed and didn’t meet his gaze. Why did I feel so shy suddenly? Oh yeah,
because I was almost as scared about the different ways the pack could hurt me just as they were.
“They’re not like your last pack, Vencentio,” Carter said gently as Galvin set a plate with two huge
sandwiches in front of me. “None of them have done anything but show concern for you and offer to
help. These are good people.”
“I don’t doubt they are,” I agreed and then took a bite, chewing while I thought of how I wanted to
phrase what was going on with me. “It will just take me a little time to see the proof of that. My birth
pack sucked because they just didn’t give a shit about anyone but themselves and the pack I was sold
to wanted nothing more than to use me in any way that helped them. I guess I always believed there
were good people out there, I just hadn’t met any yet.
“So for now, I just need to get to know everyone slowly until I start feeling comfortable interacting
with the pack. I’ve never been good with strangers because I see too much and that either pisses them
off and they hate me. Or I see something inside of them that scares the living hell out of me. Does that
make sense?”
“Yes,” Denis answered for me with a smile. “For now it’s better that none of us are alone with you
until you’re more comfortable with us. I think that’s completely fair and understandable after what
you’ve been through.”
“Thank you,” I sighed, letting him see the relief on my face. “I don’t mean to sound like a brat.”
“No, you sound like someone who has been hurt before and learned how to guard himself,” Charles
finished for me with a smile. “Nothing wrong with that but we just wanted to make sure you knew that
we appreciate what you did for us and we’re here for whatever you need.”
“That means a lot to me.” I blushed and looked out the window as I ate some more, smilingwidely.
“Someone took care of my baby!”
“Try that one again?” Galvin chuckled and I realized I’d been talking with my mouth full so no one
heard me right. I quickly chewed my food and swallowed before attempting to speak again.
“The grass is looking better! I decided that was my baby now and my project. Who took care of it
while I was out?” It wasn’t great grass but at least there was some green and mostly brown instead of
friggin white grass.
“We’ve all been taking turns watering it where you put down seeds,” Marlow answered as he
gestured for me to keep eating. “We didn’t know the method to your madness or reason so we just
kept turning on the sprinkler. Other than that, we knew it was your project and you’d finish it when
you woke up.”
“You were so sure I was going to wake up?” I asked in between bites. I wasn’t trying to rub dirt into
an open wound and something that so obviously bothered them, but I needed to know where this faith
was coming from.
He blinked at me a few times as if shocked how I could even ask that. “You had to wake up. You’d
never leave us like that. Our story couldn’t end like that. You couldn’t die after defeating the bad guy
and saving the pack.”
“But this isn’t a story, Marlow, it’s real life,” I hedged, not sure where he was going with it.
“Everything in life is a story, baby. It’s just a matter if someone wants to tell it or not.” I thought it
was a beautiful sentiment made by a beautiful man.
* * * *
For the next few days I was on restricted dutyas Carter put it… Always my hot Marine. I sat
there like a spoiled brat as everyone else worked their asses off, not even allowed to walk around
and offer water when we didn’t have any air-conditioning yet. Though I was promised by Denis that
they were putting it in next week.
And to top it off, no one would touch me. Sure I got quick kisses here and there but that was it. I
caught the three of them having sex in the living room so they didn’t disturb me or have to deny me.
This shit sooo had to stop. I took matters into my own hands after the first day, borrowing Carter’s
credit card knowing full well I’d pay him back. I was doing a happy jig when the package came,
smiling evilly at the plan I had.
“What did you get?” Galvin asked as he eyed over the box. “Come up in five minutes and find out
if you want.” I shrugged, playing it off as if I was the most innocent person in the world before racing
up the up the stairs, cutting off any more questions.
I kicked the bedroom door closed and hopped on the bed, tearing into the package. When it was all
open, I kicked the packaging off the bed and opened the special lube I ordered and the vibrator. I
slicked it up and my fingers, pushing two right into my ass after I was naked.
“Yes,” I hissed, shocked at how much I’d needed something now that mymen had gotten me addicted
to hot sex. I don’t think I’d ever stretched myself so fast before and minutes later I was riding the
vibrator and turning it on. “Fuck!”
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Carter called out as I heard them racing down the hall towards the room.
Guess they’d heard me.
“Oh shit, that’s good,” I screamed, making sure my voice would carry. The door barged open and all
three of them flew into the room, freezing in their tracks when they saw what I was doing. “I’m going
to come!”
“Holy fuck,” Galvin whispered as his eyes glazed over with lust. “You got a toy?”
“My men wouldn’t touch me so I took matters into my own hands,” I answered with a purr as I jacked
myself off faster, fucking myself with the toy. It was so erotic to have the three of them watch my
every move like this. I cried out as I came, shooting my load all over my stomach. I barely registered
some growling and bit my lip to keep from smiling as I felt the bed move.
“We could have taken care of that for you,” Carter said in a husky voice, pulling the toy out of my ass.
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I havebeen telling you,” I panted, not opening my eyes yet. “You guys said I needed more time to get
better. I’m better. I’m great except my mates keep ignoring me.”
“Your mates?” Galvin gasped. I opened my eyes and smiled when I saw all three were naked.
“If they’ll have me,” I answered quietly, my cheeks heating up. “I want all of us to be mates now that
we’re in love.”
“I’m in,” Marlow agreed as he moved between my legs. He used the slick to lube up his cock and got
into position.
“Promise no more neglecting me and you’ll trust I know my body well enough to decide what I
need?” I asked him, moving my hand over my hole so he couldn’t enter me.
“I promise, my love.” I searched his eyes and saw he meant it. Giving him a quick nod, I moved my
hand away. He lifted my legs and thrust inside of me. “When we g et close, I want you to bite me.”
“Gladly,” I moaned as he pushed in deeper. I glanced at Carter and Galvin. “Are you just going to sit
there?”
“Fuck no,” Galvin growled as he moved to my head.
“I want you inside of me again,” Marlow told Carter as he took me slowly, drawing out the fun. I was
glad he’d moved on and gotten past his fear of being taken. If nothing else, watching them was hot.
Carter agreed and got both of them ready as I gave Galvin a blow job. We were all connected and I
loved every second of it. This is where I belonged… In the middle of all of them, sharing our love,
and lives.
Oh, and it didn’t hurt that we all claimed each other that day. We were all true family with a great
pack. It didn’t get any better than that!
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joyee dreams of one day living on enough land to have a few horses, and find a couple of
cowboys or pool boys of her own. A lover of men, Joyee is all about them in any form in her books;
vampire, werewolf, shape-shifter, military...It’s all good! She loves to get lost in fantasy that only
books can bring. Her wide interest in reading is reflected in her writings, whether short stories,
romance, or mystical. Currently Joyee lives with her dog, Marius, named after a vampire from Anne
Rice’s Interview with the Vampire series.
For all titles by Joyee Flynn , please visit www.bookstrand.com/joyee-flynn
Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com