“Faye,” he hums. “So that’s her name.” I glare at him, and he raises his hands. “Put away your claws, pussycat. I’m not planning on stealing your omega.”
I march ahead, hoping to run into a bunch of alpha knuckleheads to release some of my building frustration. This is all her fault. Why did she have to come into our lives? We were doing fine without her. Cole’s dad would have found us an arranged match. It would have been a business arrangement—nothing more—and I’d have been happy with that, knowing I’d never lose control.
It doesn’t matter how many times the guys tell me that the Roxanna incident wasn’t my fault; I still won’t believe it. Yes, she used Ruttcol. Yes, she specifically targeted me. Yes, she tried to use instincts against me. But none of that matters. None of them know how it feels to lose control or to be so close to biting a stranger. My inner alpha is a beast, and I won’t bring that on Faye. She’s too precious for someone damaged and broken like me.
Our boss, Orin’s, voice crackles down our radio—we use walkie-talkies to communicate around campus. I check my cell phone while Rook speaks to him.
“We’re wanted down on Bonded Beach,” Rook informs me. “The alpha football team has been spotted trying to crash a party.”
Brilliant. This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.
It’s unusual for there to be trouble at the beach. Usually, we spend our nights circling between Club Knotty, the beta dorms, and the alpha quad. In fact, in the years I’ve worked as security, this is the first call I’ve had about the beach houses. Bonded packs don’t tend to have wild parties, and alphas rarely hang out there as they know the omegas are already claimed.
“On it,” I reply, striding to my motorcycle and jumping on. “See you there!”
“Hey, what about?—”
My engine roars as I kick off and leave Rook behind me in a cloud of dust. It serves him right for asking about Faye.
The campus is abuzz with activities. I speed past a bus of packed students and a few tipsy ones who are being helped into golf carts by sober driver volunteers who escort students to and from their dorms.
As I near the lake, I get a good look at what’s unfolding. It looks like about ten alpha football players—easily recognizable by their bright-red jerseys—have descended on a party. From their aggressive body language, they’re facing off with a small group. Judging by how the players are swaying, they’ve hit the punch bowl too hard.
I keep driving, pulling to a stop on the road, back from the sand.
That’s when I smell her.
Reflexively, I draw in a deep inhale.
Faye.
Everything else fades into insignificance as my protective instincts jump into gear. Unbonded alphas are here to cause trouble, so my omega is in danger. Instantly, I forget about my job and the fight that may be breaking out, only looking for her.
“Where are the rest of you?” an alpha woman with a Spanish accent storms over. “I hired extra guards to cover this party, but they’ve all disappeared!”
I barely look at her, scanning the beach. “Backup is on the way.”
When I see Kady’s white-blonde hair and Sabs and Delilah huddled together, anxiety floods my bloodstream.
Where the fuck is she?
The sun has set, the half-moon casting an ominous glow on the lake. Suddenly, the music cuts out, and drunken slurs ring through the air.
“Come on!” one football player shouts. “What’s one omega to you?”
“You’ve got plenty to go around!” another adds, sniffing the air. I can detect his arousal from here—a sickening stench of fried onions and raw meat. My eyes follow to where his finger is pointing. “What about that one?”
There she is.
Faye’s face drains of color, then she turns and runs. He takes the chase as an invitation and launches after her.
I spring into action, sprinting across the sand, not caring who I knock into or how many drinks I send flying. There’s a crash to my right that could be the barbecue toppling over, but I don’t care.
I catch up with the alpha in no time, barging into him at full force and tackling him to the ground. He lands face first in the sand, coughing.
I turn him over then raise my fist. His eyes widen in panic as I pin him in place with just one hand. However, beyond him, I see Faye. In her haste to escape, she stumbled, and I can smell her fear.
“Break it up!” Rook’s voice booms. “Any uninvited alphas must leave. Now!”
