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“Naran and Lev are both alphas.”

Isam sent him another soft smile. “You and I both know Lev isn’t a traditional alpha. He feels more like a beta to me, or maybe an omega. He has a little of all three, don’t you think?”

He did, and hadn’t Servas thought the same thing earlier? “True. But it still doesn’t feel good to be considered only because I’m an omega.”

“Well, isn’t that what you do when you approach us to help you through your heat? You only pick us because we’re alphas and single.”

Fuck, this was so not going how he had envisioned. But Isam wasn’t wrong, and Servas sighed. “Once again, fair point.”

“I’m not trying to argue with you that you should feel differently, Servas. I understand how calculated and cold this must all come across, but does that mean you won’t consider even the possibility of the three of us belonging together?”

Servas couldn’t deny the spark of hope inside him that Isam was right. If he felt Mostyn was his mate, and Servas thought Isam was his, it would fit perfectly. And in that case, Servas would’ve found his two mates, and he would have what he’d always dreamed of. A family, maybe even kids.

He couldn’t value his own pride over the chance at happiness, but damn, it still stung. “I’m open to it,” he finally said.

“Thank you.” Isam squeezed his shoulder. “In that case, I will gladly accept your invitation to help you through your heat.”

4

These people were strange. Really, really strange. Not in a bad way, but definitely unlike anyone he’d ever met before.

Mostyn had been at the PTP Ranch for two days now, and he’d slept for most of that time, only waking to eat, pee, or shower. He already looked a thousand times better than when he’d arrived. His color had returned, and he didn’t look like he might keel over at any moment. The dizziness was gone, as was the mental fog, and on day three, he actually woke up energized. Wow, he couldn’t even remember the last time that had happened. All he needed was to gain back the weight he’d lost, and he’d be back to normal.

The fridge in the house he shared with two roommates had contained fresh food for him each day. Sandwiches neatly wrapped in brown paper sealed by a sticker with his name on it. Homemade oats with a note that he could eat them cold or heat them up. He’d had a sandwich with the most amazing egg salad he’d ever had and another one with turkey and bacon that had literally made him moan. He had no idea who had left the food, but he was eternally grateful and had devoured each meal.

The ranch was clearly not affected by the food shortages that had been plaguing the capital for weeks now, which made Mostyn even more curious about where he’d ended up exactly. So, after wolfing down the oats—cold was fine with him, especially with some fresh strawberries added—and another shower, he got dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and headed out.

The clothes had also mysteriously appeared in his closet. Someone must’ve come in while he slept. Maybe Isam? He smiled at the thought. The alpha deserved all the credit for turning down Mostyn’s offer to shower together. He’d been right that Mostyn hadn’t been able to fully consent, as evidenced by the fact that he only had vague memories of what had happened. Props to Isam for doing the right thing.

Or maybe it had been one of his roommates. He’d met one of them, a fellow beta named Lucan, who’d told Mostyn that he worked in the clinic. He had no idea what that meant, but surely Lucan hadn’t referred to something that was part of this ranch, right? Ranches didn’t have clinics.

His other roommate was named Duer, but Lucan had asked Mostyn to not bother him, citing health issues. Mostyn had immediately nodded. Of course he would respect Duer’s privacy, even if it made him curious what the man could have that caused him to rarely leave his room. He’d find out over time, he supposed.

The weather was gorgeous when he stepped outside, the sky a bright blue and the sun already beaming down and bathing him in warmth, even at nine in the morning. The first thing he did was take a slow walk around the house he was staying in, which was really more of a cottage. Simple but effective, it looked exactly the same as the other cottages surrounding it, all built far enough apart to provide everyone with some privacy. How many people were living on this ranch?

All the cottages had a path leading to a small gravel road, so he followed that road, heading to the right first. The path led to fields, all planted with various crops. He spotted grain, corn, potatoes, and countless vegetables. No wonder the ranch had plenty of food. They were growing it themselves.

In the distance, a beta with messy dark hair was harvesting some vegetables, and Mostyn raised his hand in a greeting. The beta waved back but didn’t stop his work, apparently not in the mood to chat. Not a problem for Mostyn, who continued walking.

They also had animals, he discovered as he explored a little more. Horses, cows, a whole bunch of chickens, some goats, and even a few pigs. This was clearly a big operation aimed at being self-sufficient, and he loved it.

Yet the whole place had a strange vibe. Not necessarily a bad one, but definitely something he’d never felt before. Like there was a low-voltage current buzzing in the ground or the air, this hum of power. It made no sense, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something else was at play here that he hadn’t discovered yet.

“Good morning.”

Mostyn spun around, his hand flying to his heart. In front of him stood another beta, a man with kind eyes, short-cropped hair, and a stocky build.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” The beta extended his hand. “I’m Kean Hightower.”

That last name sounded familiar, but Mostyn couldn’t place where he’d heard it before. “Mostyn Stanley.”

“Welcome to the pack.”

“Pack?” Mostyn frowned.

Kean chuckled. “Sorry, I forgot you haven’t talked to anyone yet.”

“I’ve been sleeping, eating, and using the bathroom on a repeat cycle. I was…exhausted.”