2
Xander
The remainsof my latest kill lay picked clean beside me. It was an old buck deer, thin and alone, smelling of fear. A lone deer was an accident waiting to happen, on his part. I decided to put him out of his misery. I was doing him and the ecosystem a favor.
I licked my paws and ran them over my stiff whiskers. I hadn’t had a meal so satisfying in a while, so I took a moment to savor it all. I’d stumbled upon this fenced off area—a wildlife reserve, presumably—a few days ago. I figured with no human interference, the wild animals would be less careful, more likely to make a mistake in the face of a true apex predator. I was right.
Still, despite the ease with which I scaled a fence, I didn’t enjoy the idea of being inside walls, especially when I didn’t know the area. I kept close to the perimeter in case the urge to leave struck me.
And after my post-meal stretch, it did. Being fickle was my prerogative as a cat.
My three-inch claws dug into the chain-link and I vaulted over the top of the fence with ease. Not many animals could boast as much innate athleticism and prowess as a big cat. That was a fact I took pride in. Every day I was glad I took after my alpha father instead of my omega father—a wolf.
Thinking about my parents, even for a split second, made me frown. There was a reason I’d left home as a teenaged cub and never looked back.
I shook them out of my head.
In the twilight glow, I prowled fearlessly across the land. No predator could match my agile speed and raw power. No prey could elude me. I stood alone at the top.
Alone. Always alone.
A single oak tree, turning orange and red at the tips, stood at the crest of the hill ahead. My ears flicked at the sound of loudly beating wings. I stood and watched as a mourning dove returned to its nest, letting out a pleasant coo—a greeting to both its mate and its chicks. A second mourning dove, its mate, snuggled the newcomer before taking flight. The pair took turns keeping their babies warm and hunting for food.
Some sentimentality took hold of me. Slowly and quietly, so as not to disturb them, I clawed my way up the tree. The returning dove fidgeted, trying to find the perfect spot to sit on its young. Then I saw them—two half-bald, long-necked little chicks, squealing for attention. They weren’t the prettiest, as far as baby animals went, but my heart melted when I saw them. I couldn’t help myself.
Their parent quieted the pair by nestling on top on them, burying them in the warmth of its feathers, waiting for its mate’s return.
A sudden ache clawed my heart. I silently climbed down from the tree and sprinted away from the tree as fast as I could.
In the dip of the valley lay a small human town. I generally avoided humans, but I was confident in my ability to stay a secret. Besides, I needed a distraction. I didn’t want to think about those mates and those babies. I couldn’t. Not when I knew that would never happen to me.
Damnit, Xander, you’re thinking about it again.
I growled and ran harder. Soon the burn in my muscles erased all my thoughts. It was a welcome reprieve.
As dusk fell over the land and I approached the town, I slowed. The darkness was an ally to my stealth. I’d stay a while, watch the humans scurry like ants into their little dens, then leave.
A strange dark structure loomed at the very back of town, a shadow in and of itself. I narrowed my eyes. A manor, it looked like, but decrepit. Whoever once lived there had left it behind to rot.
My ears twitched. Over the sounds of human utensils clinking in their homes, I heard the sound of paws. They were too heavy to be a housecat’s and were too confident to belong to a dog.
A wolf? Here?I scoffed a laugh.It must be either brave or stupid.
But upon my next step, I stopped.
My nostrils flared. My pupils dilated.
A sweet scent wafted in the evening breeze, a tendril of the most alluring fragrance in the world. A full-body shudder ran down my spine, right down to the tip of my tail. My throat tightened and I swallowed hard.
It was, unmistakeably, the scent of an omega in heat.
I growled. As an alpha, it was difficult—no, impossible to ignore. As an unmated alpha, it was torturous. It was no fault of the omega, I knew, but being around the scent would only lead to trouble if I hung around. Even if I wasn’t hell-bent on never taking a mate, I would have left anyway. I had too much respect for my fellow shifter to lead an unwanted advance.
But there’s something about that scent…
I didn’t leave. My claws sank into the earth, scoring it deeply and rooting me to the spot. A tingle ran beneath my pelt and butterflies fluttered in my ribs.
The last time I’d scented an omega in heat, I was able to avoid him easily. It felt the same as seeing a fresh-kill on a half-full stomach—appetizing, but ignorable. I was no weakling who gave in to temptation. Once I made up my mind, I never caved. Ever.
