“I j-just want to go,” I replied, praying this would end.
“You’ll go when I tell you to, omega,” he said, punching me in the gut. I crumpled in pain. It seemed that today I’d be seeing his fists.
But before another blow could hit, I heard my cousin’s voice boom. “What’s going on here?”
Immediately, Tom and the others backed away from me. I was crouched over, holding my stomach. I looked up and saw some of the pack staring at the spectacle, probably wondering what had made the Alpha mad. My cousin’s face was masked with anger, but I saw sorrow in his eyes.
Today’s events, the panic of finding my mate, and Tom’s cruelty flooded my mind. I couldn’t take it anymore. I shifted into my wolf, not caring about tearing my clothes, and sprinted for the woods. I heard James call out to me, but even his alpha voice couldn’t stop me. I needed to get away. I needed to be safe.
I ran through the woods with no destination in mind. My white paws pounded into the mud. As an omega, I was pure white and the size of a medium-sized dog. I panted as I continued to run, pushing forward, running farther and farther. I needed to get away from the pack. I didn’t want a pack anymore. I didn’t want to be weak or to have a stutter. I wanted to say the words ‘I’m gay’ without the fear of a fist. I wanted to be confident enough to join my mate.
I stumbled a little at the thought of him. He was big, gorgeous, and strong, nothing like me. If he knew what a weak, pathetic coward I was, he’d probably deny me. My heart broke at the thought. I wasn’t good enough for him. Fate had to have made a mistake. If I were in my human form, I’d have been in tears.
I finally stopped running. I was on the edge of the forest; I had run a good ten miles. I was only a few minutes from my parents’ house. I stared in that direction. What was I going to do? This couldn’t go on.
I walked toward my childhood home and stopped. I needed to forget I had a mate. I needed to leave the pack. Things would never change.
I let loose a mournful howl.
James
I was furious as I watched the little white wolf speed through the trees. What had these motherfuckers done to my cousin? And today of all days! The Dragon King and his family were visiting, and on top of that, one of their mates had just given birth. This wasn’t the impression of the pack that I wanted to make. I’d been about to go upstairs to view the new pups—or hatchlings as the dragons called them—when little Shana had run in and said these assholes were messing with Embry.
I stepped forward and growled low in my throat. “What did you do to my cousin?”
It had to be bad for Embry to shift and run. Usually, as an omega wolf, he would cower and submit, especially at the sound of his alpha. I worried Embry hadn’t submitted but had run from me. I’d never heard of an omega being able to defy his alpha’s voice. I’d need to do some digging and see if this had ever happened before.
“Nothing, Alpha,” Tom, the more powerful of the three, said.
“Bullshit! If you had done nothing, he wouldn’t have cried out and crumpled in pain. He wouldn’t have shifted and run. I want to know what you were doing. NOW!” I said, allowing my alpha power to blanket the area, demanding obedience. I longed to shift and force their submission or even tear at their throats. My wolf was furious at the disrespect. Chad and Rick dropped to their knees in submission.
Tom tilted his head and swallowed. “We were just talking to him, roughhousing, like guys do, and he freaked out. He’s an omega. They get scared over every little thing.”
I growled low. “You know that Embry is off-limits. He’s a treasure to this pack. Omegas are a treasure—”
A mournful howl sounded in the distance.Crap, Embry. I needed to go find him. I cringed. Damn it. I had the Dragon King here. I couldn’t go running off.
“You will stay away from Embry. If you go near him, you’re banished. You will make restitution for your assault against him; report to Brian tomorrow to learn what that is. Now get out of my face before I kick your asses; the only reason I haven’t kicked them already is because of our guests,” I said, turning away from them.
Brian, my Beta and right-hand man, was behind me. I told him, “I need to go inside and make sure everything is all right with the dragons. We have to be on good terms with them. I want you to go after Embry—”
“Where’s Embry?” my Aunt Toni asked, interrupting.
Damn, I can’t catch a break. I turned to face her. My uncle Danny was by her side, concern shining in their eyes.
“He shifted and ran. I think it was too much for him,” I said, not telling them about the three idiots. Aunt Toni would maim anyone who hurt her baby.
“He’ll be scared of Brian. I’ll go after him. Toni, take the car and meet us at home,” my uncle said as he started taking off his clothes to shift.
I knew he was right. Embry was always scared of large men. He was only comfortable around his parents, Lydia, and me.
“When you find him, let me know. I’d go after him myself, but I can’t really leave right now.”
“We know, James. We’ll tell you when we find him. Go inside and deal with your guests…and don’t think that you’re getting away without telling me about what happened with those bozos later,” Aunt Toni said firmly.
I nodded my head yes and turned to head back inside. This was one fucked up day.
Duty and Desire
