1
OTTIS RUNS AWAY
Runningwith the pack used to be Ottis’ favorite thing.
All the pack wolves would gather in their forest to howl at the moon, before taking off at a run. Leaping over ditches, stretching out their limbs, feeling the wind brush their fur like an old friend.
It had filled Ottis with an intoxicating rush.
After he had presented as an omega—the only omega in his dads’ two litters—Ottis had taken special pride in keeping up with his alpha brothers. Alpha wolves were bigger, stronger, faster. Ottis had run with them, pushing his body so no one would call him weak.
Not that his brothers ever did, but it was a matter of pride.
Then the attack happened.
These days, pack runs were something Ottis hated. He now ran with a limp. No matter how hard he tried, his bad leg slowed him down; he could no longer keep up with his brothers at their fastest.
They ran slower to match his speed, but it was humiliating.
In any case, he had tried running with the elderly wolves and pups, but that made his stomach squirm.
He shouldn’t have come back.
“Will you run with us tonight?” His older brother Titan looked at him beseechingly. “It’s been a while since you joined us. We miss you. And we’re worried—”
“Don’t. You promised me you wouldn’t say anything,” Ottis growled.
Eight-month-old Marcie whimpered and burrowed against him, a tiny ball of fur under his hand. Ottis rubbed her back guiltily.
Titan made a face. “I just thought it would help you feel better. Get your blood pumping, get a few howls out of you. You’re looking better than you did when you first came back—”
“I don’t want to talk about that.”
That had been a bad part of Ottis’ life. Actually, it still wasn’t over.
Somewhere out there, Sevrian was still tracking him down.
Sooner or later, he would find Ottis on pack territory. The pack would do their best to chase away that vile scum, but in the process, someone would get hurt. Multiple someones.
Ottis needed his pack to be safe, and that meant leaving. Already, he had stuck around for too long.
His pulse raced. “I should go.”
Titan frowned and glanced at Ottis’ chest. “What do you mean?”
“I need to leave the territory again.”
“Is someone after you?” Titan bared his teeth.
Ottis scowled. “Ti, I don’t want you jumping in to defend me. You have an omega and a pup—and another on the way. I don’t want to put you and your family in danger.”
“Fuck.” Titan rubbed his face. “So someone’s after you. Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”
“There’s no one!” But Ottis’ heart skipped, betraying him.
Titan heard it. He narrowed his eyes. “You know we’ll all step in to protect you, right?”
“I don’t want to be protected!” Ottis yelled. Not at the cost of his pack’s lives. “Just leave me alone, please.”
