PART 1
1
FLETCHER
The night air was muggy,my T-shirt sticking to my skin as the gang and I crept through back alleyways. The half-full moon hung heavy in the sky above, and my inner feline arched his back. My shoes crunched over loose gravel, their bottoms worn thin—just like my soul.
Up ahead, the pack leader, a brutish dog shifter named Jacks, spoke in low tones to his second-in-command. Cara was a short, wiry girl with hair the color of fire. Several of the other pack members trailed along behind. I brought up the rear.
I was their newest recruit, having been kicked out of the orphanage eight months ago when I turned eighteen.
Eight long months of being homeless led me to Jacks’s pack—though it was more of a street gang, really. A bunch of strays pickpocketing strangers and stealing old ladies’ purses. That’s all we really were, when you got right down to it.
I did what I could to fit in with the group. When Jacks said jump, I asked how high. But it was never enough. The man had it out for me. Maybe it was because I was just an Omega, and I needed to learn my place.
Or maybe it was because he was an asshole. I didn’t know which.
Tonight, we were technically breaking and entering, launching an assault on some rich guy’s house. Our goal was to steal whatever shiny objects we could grab, then get the hell out.
It had my stomach tied up in knots. Snatching people’s wallets was one thing, but breaking in and stealing luxury items? Jacks was out of his mind.
Yet here I was, going along with it. Because I had nothing better to do. Because Jacks said I had to. Because I was part of the pack, and I needed to earn my keep, because, apparently, being on my knees wasn’t good enough for him.
As we approached the small mansion, my eyes widened. Even in the darkness, it was impressive—a two-story manor whose tall, white pillars gleamed in the moonlight. They matched the white brick exterior and set off the stone veneer accents. The lawn was immaculate, bright green and groomed short, with flowerbeds surrounding the property. Even the hedges were perfect squares.
“The Sinclair Estate,” Jacks said, sounding smug as I sidled up beside him, still staring in awe at the manor. I’d never seen a house so beautiful in all my life. “What do you think, newbie?”
I pursed my lips and glanced over at him. Was that a rhetorical question? Cara looked at me, one brow raised. I couldn’t really tell, so I shrugged it off and said, “It’s nice, I guess.”
“Bet you wish you lived here,” Cara said. “Bet the owner of this place is some smarmy rich Alpha who doesn’t even have to hold down a job. Men like thatdeserveto be robbed.” She scoffed, tossing her hair.
I frowned but said nothing. Jacks, on the other hand, let out a soft laugh. “That’s for damn sure. Can I pick ‘em, or can I pick ‘em?”
As Jacks gestured us all a little closer, we huddled together and he laid down the law.
“Alright, this is what we’re gonna do,” he began. “We get in, we take whatever we can carry—jewelry, art, electronics, anything we can pawn off for cash—and we get out. We move fast. No hesitation. If it looks expensive, grab it. Guys like this gotta be loaded. He won’t miss a few items. Besides, he probably hasgreatinsurance.”
My stomach churned. This felt like a bad idea, and it had jail-time written all over it. I wasn’t even nineteen. I couldn’t go to jail.
On the other hand, itwouldbe three-hots-and-a-cot. Someplace away from Jacks and the gang. Off the streets, with a roof over my head…
Don’t think like that,I told myself.That isn’t what you want.
“Cat.” Jacks reached out and grabbed a hold of my shirt collar, yanking me closer. I nearly stumbled into him before righting myself. His bushy eyebrows narrowed dangerously in a glare. “Listen up. I want you to scout for bedrooms. Look for valuables. Rings, watches. Jewelry boxes. Got it?”
I nodded quickly.
He growled under his breath, “Don’t fuck this up, cat.”
Cara got busy picking the lock on the front door, and when it creaked open, the rest of us carefully crept inside. I held my breath, awaiting the shriek of an alarm system. None came. Just a deep, steady silence and thethump-thumpof the pulse whooshing between my ears.
All around me, my packmates leapt into action. Jacks’s words rang through my mind: A bedroom. I needed to find a bedroom. This place was massive. I could easily get lost here.
Swallowing around the lump of nerves wadded in my throat, I slipped through the darkness. I walked quietly down the halls, careful where I put my feet.
The further I got from the group, the quieter it became, but I found a line of rooms down the east hall. I held my breath and opened one of the doors. I peeked inside, keening my ears.
I didn’t hear the sound of breathing. That was a good thing, right? It meant I was alone. I slipped inside, sealed the door behind me, and began searching for anything valuable.Shinies,as Jacks called them.
