The Alpha 1

by Eric Vall

Chapter 1
"They're all out of Mountain Dew." I looked the coolers up and down again and
hoped for a miracle, but no dice. How a convenience store could be out of such a popular
drink was a mystery to me, but it was about to be a real tragedy for the other guy.
The voice on the other end of my phone groaned. "Dude, are you serious?"
I wanted to laugh, but Benji sounded so bummed that I didn't want to push it. "Dead
serious, dude. I've looked all over this Mini-Mart. No Dew."
I heard a snort from the front of the store. No doubt it came from the cashier behind
the register. We were the only two people in this semi-claustrophobic space, so there was
no possible way she couldn't overhear my conversation.
"How are we supposed to play DnD with no Dew, Jesse?" Benji whined, and this
time I did laugh. Benji had such a flair for the dramatic sometimes.
Every Tuesday night Benji, me, and our three friends, Jake, Travis, and Parker, got
together to play Dungeons and Dragons. It was a ritual that had begun in our freshman
year of college, when we'd been brought together on a group project for our sociology
class. The project was extremely tedious, but we'd bonded over our mutual nerdiness and
decided to hang out after class.
One of the members of the group, Jake, was really into DnD, and one day, he'd
mentioned he'd picked up the latest campaign book at the local gaming store and was
excited to run it with a group of friends. The rest of us had never played before, much to
Jake's amazement, and so he made it his personal mission to introduce us to the amazing
fantasy world of the game. We were now well into our junior year, and the DnD tradition
was still going strong. After countless hours and many campaigns, these guys were my
closest friends.
"We'll manage," I promised. "Is there anything else I can grab for you?"
"I guess Mellow Yello if they have it?" my best friend asked hopefully. "If not, I'll
take a Coke. They're no Dew, but they'll work."
I smirked. "Anything for you, buddy. I'll be there soon. Don't let Travis eat all of the
snacks, okay?"
I hung up the phone and carefully slipped it into the pocket of my well-worn jean
jacket. My phone was still fairly new, and I didn't want to drop it again. Aunt Eva would
have my ass, especially after she'd given me a speech about responsibility last week, and
I didn't want to endure another long lecture about "being a mature adult."
The fluorescent lights above me blinked and hummed, as if they were ready to
explode at any minute, and I eyed them with disdain. This convenience store was an
absolute dump, but it was a mainstay in this town. Not much changed in Everleigh, and
this old shop was no exception.
 Now, Everleigh was hardly a wasteland, but it suffered from the plagues of being a
mid-sized college town in a big state. The residents were a mix of townies who'd lived
here for generations and bright-eyed college students trying to escape their own small
towns, only to end up in one of the most boring places in the entire Pacific Northwest.
I couldn't complain much, though. Everleigh had been my home for the past
seventeen years, but it often seemed like I'd been here my entire life. I'd grown up here,
and I was working toward a Bachelor of Arts degree at Everleigh University.
Normally, I would have been one of the first ones at Jake's dorm, but my music
theory class had lasted longer than its usual ninety minutes, so I was running behind.
Under normal circumstances, I also would have dropped my violin off at home with Aunt
Eva after class, but I just didn't have the time.
After all, DnD waited for no man.
Well, it waited for Mountain Dew, Doritos, and pizza, but it still waited for no man.
I gave one last glance up at the flickering lights before surveying the coolers. Thankfully,
they did in fact have Mello Yello, so I grabbed a bottle for Benji and another one for
myself. I didn't have a lot of money on me, so the others would have to fend for
themselves. I wasn't exactly a broke college student, but my hours at my on-campus
tutoring job had lessened after some unfortunate budget cuts, so my wallet was a little
lighter than usual.
After I closed the door to the cooler, I carefully adjusted the shoulder strap of my
instrument case and juggled the drinks in my arms as I did my best balancing act. I
probably looked like a major dork, but I was already used to that assessment.
I wasn't particularly blessed in the coolness department. I wasn't ugly or cursed with
unfortunate body odor or greasy hair like other guys I knew, but I wasn't exactly a lady-
killer, either. One could say I was the typical introvert: when my head wasn't stuck in a
book studying, I was practicing my violin.
Most of the time, it didn't bother me that I was alone. I honestly didn't have the time
for much else, but some days all I wanted was the company of a beautiful girl. Maybe
one day, when I was an accomplished violinist, I would land the woman of my dreams,
but until then, I had my friends, my violin, and DnD.
I was eager to get to Jake's place before I was too late, so I started to make my way
to the front of the Mini-Mart, but my arm slipped, and I dropped one of the bottles of
soda.
"Shit!" I gasped, but thankfully, the bottle didn't fizz up and explode all over the
overly-shiny floor, and I let out a sigh of relief as I bent over to pick it up. Nothing was
worse than breaking something in the store. The poor girl up front would have to clean it
up, and I'd feel bad, and then I'd have to pay for something I didn't even get a chance to
enjoy. But maybe I wouldn't because I hadn't actually taken it out of the store, but I still
would feel bad, so I might offer to pay for it, but then I was sure the owner would tell me
it was okay, but she'd kinda want me to pay for it?
I took a deep breath as my head spun out. Thank God the soda didn't break. I was
anxious enough just thinking about it.
The store suddenly filled with the sound of heavy footsteps, and I craned my neck
around the displays to find the source. Even though I kept to myself a vast majority of the
time, I was usually pretty in tune with people's moods and behaviors for some unknown
reason, and I could tell the energy was off.
"Can I help you with something?" I heard the cashier ask in the same bored tone
she'd greeted me with when I'd first stepped foot in the store, and a deep, masculine,
menacing laugh answered her question.
Uh-oh. That laugh sounded like bad news, so I moved to the end of the isle as ninja-
like as I could and peered around the hot food stand to get a glimpse of the people who
had entered.
Three bulky-looking men clad in all black and face masks stood in front of the
counter. They were all similar in build: extremely tall and muscular, like they lived off a
steady diet of protein shakes and steroids. They were the kind of guys straight out of a
comic book, or an overly-macho action movie, and my blood ran cold in my chest.
They were robbers.
This was a freaking robbery.
The cashier's bored expression changed when one of the men leaned forward. Her
already large brown eyes grew larger, and she shrunk back as he came closer toward her.
"S-Sir, I-I'm going to need you to--" she stammered, but the man cut her off with a
sharp laugh.
"You don't get to tell me what to do, sweetheart."
Then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a gun.
My stomach dropped. Holy shit. I'd only ever seen this kind of thing on television.
Hell, I'd never seen an actual gun in person before. My experience with firearms was
limited to the video games I played with my friends, and even then, I still wasn't prepared
for this kind of situation.
A chill ran down my spine as I thought back to the scenes I'd seen on TV and
wondered what I was supposed to do. Stay on the ground? Call the police? Or just stay
hidden?
I opted to remain as still as possible and did my best to hold my breath. My asthma
was making the effort even more strained than it would've been otherwise, but I didn't see
any other choice. If I didn't stay quiet, I'd find myself on the other end of that gun faster
than you could say "fuck."
The cashier started crying, and her lower lip trembled in fear. "P-Please, I'll give
you whatever you want!"
The two other men flanking the leader chortled at her distress, and despite my own
fear, my blood boiled. How dare they threaten that poor girl? She was just a cashier for
goodness sake. She didn't deserve any of this.
"Shut the fuck up and put the money in the bag!" the leader ordered.
I watched the cashier wince, and her hands shook like a chihuahua as she opened up
the register. She struggled to retrieve the money, and it was obvious she was having a
hard time making nuanced movements, not that I could blame her. I could hardly stand
still myself, and my heart was pounding in my ears.
"I don't have all day!" the leader shouted, and when he pointed the gun right at her
forehead, it was like the blood drained from my body.
"I'm-I'm sorry--" The cashier let out a sob as she pulled a wad of cash from the
register and held it out in front of her. "H-Here, t-t-take this. Please, don't--"
"That's it?" the leader scoffed, and then he raised his voice even louder. "Where's
the rest?"
"That's all of it, I swear!" the cashier squeaked, and her lower lip trembled as tears
streamed down her face.
"Boss, we need to hurry," one of the other men warned the leader in a faux-gruff
voice, and he craned his neck around. "It's only a matter of time--"
The leader whipped around to face him. "Don't you fuckin' tell me what we need to
do! We'll fuckin' go when I say it's time to go, okay?"
Then the leader turned back around and returned the gun to its former place at the
cashier's forehead.
"P-Please," the girl whimpered. "Please, don't do this."
"I'm only gonna ask one more time," he said slowly, as if the cashier were a child.
"Where. Is. The. Rest. Of. The. Money?"
The cashier gulped, and her face paled until it was as white as a sheet. "I-It's in the
safety d-d-deposit box in the back."
"Was that so hard?" the leader commented as he lowered the gun a fraction, but as
quickly as it moved away, he pointed the gun right back at her. "Take me to it."
"O-Okay." The cashier slowly turned and went back to the room behind the register,
and the leader ambled over the counter and followed suit, with his gun pointed at the
girl's back.
Now was my chance.
I'd been lucky enough to not be noticed by the robbers, but there was no way I
would stay that lucky if I remained where I was at the end of the aisle, so I quietly tiptoed
to the chip display closer to the rear and ducked down. Then I glanced around the corner
to see if I'd be noticed, but the robbers remained focused on the register.
Before I could stop myself, I breathed an audible sigh of relief.
Shit.
I ducked back around the display and covered my mouth. Holy shit, how could I
have been so stupid?
"Did you hear something?" I heard one of the robbers ask.
"We're the only ones in here, idiot," another laughed. "Remember? We waited until
the place was empty."
"Should we be, you know. . . taking such a long time?" one of them asked. "Do you
think the boss is having a little extra. . . fun back there?"
 My mouth went dry, and I prayed for the girl's sake that wasn't happening.
"Why should he get pussy if we don't?" the other robber grumbled, and he yelled
out toward the back of the store. "Hey, hurry up back there!"
I gulped. What was taking her so long? I wasn't exactly experienced in armed
robbery situations, but I knew the basics: give them what they need and let them leave. It
was the only way to stay alive.
I feared for the girl. What if the robbers lost their patience? Or what if these lackeys
were right about what their boss was doing? I shuddered and tried to push the thought out
of my mind. I wanted to do something, to sneak up on these assholes, knock the gun out
of the leader's hand, and save the day, but my anxiety was so intense I remained frozen in
place.
What was wrong with me? That poor girl's life was in danger, and here I was hidden
behind some shelves. What could I do, though? I wasn't John Wick, or one of my
characters from a DnD game. If anything, announcing my presence would just make the
situation worse, if that was even possible, and I didn't want things to escalate.
I took a deep breath and tried to remain as silent as possible, but against my better
judgment, I had to know if the cashier was okay. So, I slowly inched up to peek over the
shelf and hoped she'd returned with the cash so the robbers could leave. I hoped to see her
face, but instead, I met the eyes of one of the robbers.
Fuck.
"Hey, there's someone back there!"
I didn't think my stomach could drop any further, but it plummeted at light-speed.
Before I could will my legs to move, one of the robbers sprinted full-speed at me.
He knocked over a case of candy in the process, and the confections flew everywhere on
the ground. Then he slipped on a candy bar wrapper, and I took the opportunity to run.
I stumbled past the coolers and tried maneuvering past the display of auto supplies
as my violin case jolted against my back. If I booked it fast enough, I could easily get
away and call the police.
Unfortunately, I didn't make it very far, and the strong grip of the robber on my arm
wrenched me back like I weighed as much as a puppy.
"What do we have here?" the robber taunted as he tightened his grip, and then he
threw me forcefully to the ground.
"Ooof!" My back slammed into the floor, and my chest ached immediately as the
wind was knocked out of me.
"What's going on?" the leader demanded from up near the cash register.
"Here," the thug who'd thrown me scoffed. "Just some fucking kid hiding back here.
What do you want me to do, boss?"
Boss? What was this, an old-timey cartoon? If I hadn't been in so much pain, I
would have laughed at the robber for using such dated phrasing.
"I dunno," the leader called back. "Fucking deal with it."
I gulped. This was it. My whole life was about to end in this moment, and I hadn't
even had the chance to say goodbye to the people I loved. All because of some fucking
Mountain Dew. I silently cursed at Benji and wished I'd never stepped foot into this
place.
"You aren't going to say you saw our faces, right?" The robber above me pulled a
gun out from the pocket of his bulky jacket and pointed it at my chest. He cocked it and
then looked to my right.
"N-No-no," I gasped. "I mean. . . You are all wearing masks, and--"
"What the fuck is that?" he interrupted me.
Without moving my head, I glanced in the direction he was looking and realized
he'd noticed my violin case.
"It's just a c-case," I choked out. "Nothing to worry about--"
"Just a case?" the robber taunted. "Let's have a look."
He nudged me aside and tried to grab the case, but anger built up inside of me.
"Stop! It's only a case--"
It wasn't only a case, though, like its contents weren't just a violin. The instrument
meant everything to me. It was the most prized possession I owned, the only thing I had
left of my parents' belongings. The violin had been my mother's, and she'd gifted it to me
right before their accident. I'd been a small child of four at the time, not even big enough
to hold the thing properly, but she assured me that one day I'd grow into it and be as good
of a player as her.
I couldn't let him have it. No way. He'd have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands.
So, despite the gun pointed right at me, I found my strength again and pulled the
case inwards toward my chest.
"I don't have time for this," the robber grunted. "Give me the fucking case, you little
pussy."
"It's not even worth anything," I argued. "I'll give you anything else, but you can't
have this case. It's my violin, and I need it for school."
"Just give me the fuckin' thing--" he demanded as he pushed the barrel of the gun in
my chest.
"No!" I screamed at him, and I pushed his hand away.
"Shit!" the robber gasped, and then there was a loud bang.
In an instant, everything went still.
There'd been an ache in my chest from when I'd been thrown down, but I couldn't
feel anything but numbness. It was almost like I was weightless and floating outside of
my body.
Then, slowly, I became aware of the heat building beneath my skin, like a tiny fire
crackling beneath the surface that had first started in my lungs. With every labored breath
I took, the tiny fire grew hotter and hotter, and my skin started to feel itchy. I wanted to
scratch the itch away, but my arms wouldn't move. I was frozen in place but left there to
burn.
As the inferno in my chest waged on, I heard voices and sounds move about me, all
too hazy to understand. The ceiling above me went in and out of focus, and my eyes grew
heavy with the effort. I closed them and hoped even the smallest attempt would keep the
burn from spreading. There was a brief tug at my shoulder, and I realized too late that my
case had been pulled off me. I opened my mouth and tried to protest, but my voice got
stuck and couldn't reach my throat.
I couldn't make a sound. Everything hurt too badly.
My fingertips twitched, and I became aware of the slickness on the floor around me.
Soda? I couldn't remember if I'd held on to the bottles the entire time or if I'd set them
down before hiding, not that it mattered now.
I struggled to open my eyes, and when I did, everything was blurred. I looked to my
fingertips, and a twinge of fear ran down my spine when I saw the carnage on the floor. It
certainly wasn't soda. It was blood, deep red and gooey against the stark-white tile. It
pooled around me and permeated the air with an almost metallic perfume. The smell
filled my nose, and my mouth grew hot with nausea.
This was it. I was going to die.
As the room spun around me, I thought about the people I wouldn't get to say
goodbye to.
Benji, Jake, Travis. . . Aunt Eva.
Aunt Eva.
I owed Aunt Eva everything. She'd raised me after the freak accident that had taken
my parents' lives seventeen years ago, and if it hadn't been for her, I could've ended up in
a foster home or in a much worse situation. She was my only family, and I was incredibly
lucky to have her in my life.
A lump rose up in my throat.
Poor Aunt Eva, who'd taken me in, raised me like a son. She'd given me everything,
and I'd never even thanked her. At this rate, I never would. I'd never get to tell her how
much I loved her, how much I appreciated her support throughout the years when
everything else felt against me.
It wasn't fair. First, she'd lost her brother all those years ago, and now she was going
to lose the last remaining member of her family. All because I was in the wrong place at
the wrong time.
This was so unfair.
Then I realized. . . I was fucking angry.
Suddenly, the fire in my chest seemed miniscule, and the pain in my body shifted to
rage. How dare they? How dare these pathetic robbers get away with this?
As my thoughts grew darker, my vision became more focused. It was like a second
wind was screaming in my eardrums like a banshee. I could feel my senses coming back
to me as I thought about those fucking robbers getting into their vehicle and driving away
with the money and my violin. They were probably laughing at me, the dork they'd just
taken down with ease, and the poor college girl they'd brought to tears behind the register.
They thought they'd gotten away with this, but no. They wouldn't get away with this.
They couldn't. I wouldn't allow it.
I was going to fucking murder them.
The disorienting haze cleared within moments, and I felt myself return to my body.
My vision grew sharper, and the blurs around me took shape. I stumbled to my feet, and
instantly my mouth grew hot and began to water. I spat out the extra saliva that coated my
tongue, only to see it was red-tinged and syrupy. My newfound bravery faded, and the
disturbing sight of it made me vomit. I doubled over forcefully, and as I retched, I began
to feel an ache in my spine, like there were ants crawling in my bones and lightning in
my veins. I tried to move, but the feeling intensified, and the effort was excruciating.
What was happening to me?
The creepy-crawling feeling was spreading rapidly, like my entire skeleton was
filled with bugs. It was a million times worse than the itching feeling I'd had earlier, and
I'd never experienced a sensation this uncomfortable.
What the fuck was going on?
I pulled myself back up, and as soon as I did, a deep strain ran through my chest. I
couldn't tell if it was from pressure or anxiety, but my clothes started feeling tight, and I
yanked off my jean jacket as fast as I could. Once the air conditioning hit my skin, I
became aware of the thick sheen of sweat covering my body. I'd never been this warm
before. Even with my jacket off, I was overheating like I had a fever. For a moment, I
considered where I was and debated whether or not it was appropriate to rip my shirt off,
but that decision was made for me when my chest burst forward, and my shirt tore to
shreds.
"What the--"
It was like something from a horror movie.
What felt like the pressure of a thousand needles spiked beneath my skin, and I
cried out from the pain. Then I weakly held my arms out in front of me and watched in
horror as they began to change before my eyes. My once lanky muscles were expanding
and becoming full and defined, like a bodybuilder's. The veins swelled, too, and became
more prominent and darker against my pale skin.
Another painful stab surged through my frame, and my spine stretched and pulled
my body upwards. My vantage point was now much higher than my usual six-feet, so I
knew that somehow, I'd become taller. I looked down to see my legs had elongated, and
much like my arms, they rippled with muscles and veins, so much that my jeans grew
tighter, ripped, and fell away.
I felt a tearing in my hands and watched the bones bubble and pop beneath my skin,
and my fingernails extended far past my fingertips and hooked down toward the floor.
Then my stomach dropped as I realized they weren't just nails. They were claws, razor-
sharp and deadly-looking. These claws were the thing of nightmares, and looked sharper
than any blade.
But there was something even more terrifying still. My newly ripped arms were
covered with thick, dark hair. It filled in quickly until it covered any hairless space I may
have had, and a closer glance corrected my initial thought.
It wasn't just hair.
It was fur. Dark brown, coarse fur, like that of a bear, or some other type of apex
predator.
Holy shit.
I had become a monster.
A final surge of warmth rippled through my body, and I squeezed my eyes shut to
keep from bursting. The pressure in my head was astounding, like the world's most
intense migraine was laying waste to my brain.
What the fuck was happening to me?
"Ahhhhh!" I yelled out in frustration, but the sound that escaped me could only be
described as a roar.
Startled by the bone-chilling sound, my eyes flew open, and I only had one thought
in my head.
I needed to find those bastards and rip them to shreds.
I glanced around the convenience store and met the terrified eyes of the cashier. She
stood there amongst the wreckage with her entire body shaking and her shirt askew like
she'd been groped or manhandled, and she looked like she was moments away from
losing consciousness.
"Where did they go?" I growled, and my voice was suddenly deep and rumbling.
She shrank back into herself and pointed a trembling hand to the door. "They-they-
they got away--"
Oh, hell, no. Those robbers weren't getting away, not on my watch.
So, without hesitation, I ran in the direction she was pointing and smashed right
through the front door.
Not out the door, through it, like I was some kind of superhero or something.
The glass exploded into a million tiny shards, and I sensed them embed into my
skin, but there was no pain, only pure adrenaline. I had the taste of blood on my tongue,
and I was ready for more. I needed to get those fuckers, and I would have to run fast if I
wanted to catch up to them.
It was evening, and the parking lot of the store was empty save for a few lonely
street lamps working at half-power, but the smell of burning rubber hung in the air, so I
knew the robbers couldn't have gotten far. I whipped my head around and tried to focus
on the smell.
The smell?
With a flash of realization, I became aware of my newly-enhanced sense of smell,
and I took a long whiff. There were so many different notes, so many different scents
hanging in the damp air, but I needed to find one in particular.
Suddenly, something locked into place. A trail.
I had to follow it.
I ran faster than I'd ever run before. My feet struck the ground with purpose, and my
legs propelled me forward into a full-on sprint. I was running at an insane pace, but my
newly-changed body treated the exertion like it was nothing.
I was a machine, agile and built to attack.
Built to kill.
And boy, did I really want to murder these men. I'd never been an aggressive person
before, but then again, I wasn't exactly my usual self.
The scent trail wound down the sloping and pine-lined street and intensified with
every step I took. I had to be getting closer to them. I inhaled sharply, and my nose was
filled with the burnt rubber smell, but there were now other elements: sweat, a musky
cologne, and the musty smell of dirty dollar bills.
Bingo. Those were the guys.
At the end of the nearly-empty street was a pitch-black truck, the kind that was both
unassuming and skeevy at the same time. There was no license plate, no discerning
features, and it sped down the road like a bat out of hell. It took one more whiff to
determine this was their vehicle.
Of course, it was. Criminals always drove the shittiest get-away cars.
I quickened my pace, and I was amazed that I could even get any faster. My strides
lengthened as I ran, and then I bent forward more so all four of my limbs could push
against the street. Then I was really moving, and I could have sworn I was flying over the
cracked asphalt.
In a matter of seconds, I'd caught up with the truck. I focused through the back
windows, and there they were: the three motherfuckers who had messed with the wrong
nerd.
I charged at the truck with ease and launched myself into the bed. The vehicle
grumbled and groaned under the weight of my newly powerful body, and I relished in the
dent I'd left beneath me.
One of the robbers looked back through the rear window, and his face blanched as
he met my gaze.
"Holy fucking shit!" he yelled. "What is that thing?"
The corners of my lips rose, and I gave him the most ferocious smile I could muster.
Holy fucking shit was right.
They were going to regret what they'd done, what they'd stolen from me.
I wound my muscular arms up and punched through the thick glass of the rear
window. Like the front door, the motion was effortless, and the flying shards seemed like
nothing more than confetti against my skin.
The robbers let out shrieks of terror, and the car accelerated beneath me.
I strengthened my stance on the bed, and then I reached a muscular arm through the
window and grabbed the robber in the passenger seat by the back of his head.
He howled in agony, and I yanked him over the seat and started to pull him through
the shattered windshield. Strands of hair fell from the back of his head where my claws
hooked into his skull, and the blood from his scalp was already coating my hands.
 "Rudy!" one of the other men screeched as he tried grabbing his friend, but he was
no match for me.
I yanked Rudy the rest of the way through, and his forehead scraped against the
fractured glass of the window. He screamed as the glass tore into his skin, and the air
filled with the familiar metallic scent of blood.
My mouth grew thick with saliva. The smell was utterly intoxicating and all-
consuming, like the greatest meal I'd ever smelled. I brought Rudy's flailing body closer
to me, and before I knew it, my teeth sunk into the fragile skin of his throat. It was like
biting into butter, soft and easy. His blood gushed into my mouth, hot and tangy, and I
gulped a large mouthful of it.
Delicious. Way better than Mountain Dew. A cruel joke rose to my brain, and I
barked out a laugh.
This gave a whole new meaning to Code Red
Rudy shuddered beneath me and let out a gurgle. As I sucked down his blood like a
parched man in a desert, I debated on how long I wanted to play with him, but he wasn't
my only target. I had two other men who needed to pay, and I couldn't let Rudy have all
of the fun. So, in one swift motion, I tore through his fragile throat, and blood splashed
everywhere.
Rudy fell limp in my grasp, and I let him hit the bed of the truck with a thud. The
sound combined with the sight of his lifeless body filled me with a satisfaction I'd never
experienced before, and an almost primal victory growl rose up from my chest as I
studied him.
The moment faded quickly when a cry rang out from in front of me.
"Rudy!"
The truck beneath us accelerated and then instantly braked, like the leader was
trying to buck me from the bed, but the motion was nothing.
I was solid and unshakeable.
Gunshots rang out, and bullets started to fly from the inside of the vehicle, but they
were feather-soft against my hardened form.
I laughed, and the sound was another low, rumbling growl. How cute of them to
think their guns would do anything to me. I was an untouchable predator, lasers set to
kill. Their guns were little more than toys against me, but if they wanted to play, I would
play.
I breezed right past the flurry of bullets, pulled myself up on top of the speeding
truck, and let out a roar. The roof buckled under my weight, and I sunk my claws into the
metal as I braced myself for my next maneuver. Now that I was grounded, I swung
myself forward over the entire vehicle and used the downward force to burst through the
front windshield.
The truck came to a stop as the driver slammed on the brakes and met my claws
face-first. My movements were a blur of shreds, scratches, and tears, and I felt the
driver's face become putty in my clutch. I frantically tore at his skin with no purpose
other than destruction, and my vision became white-hot with anger. His screams filled my
ears, and my smile deepened at the sound.
The driver pushed against me as hard as he could, but even that wasn't enough. I
wasn't going anywhere.
"Like picking on girls?" I growled as I slashed at his chest. He cried out, but the
sound was garbled and warped as I beat him. "Do you like feeling pain?"
The driver whimpered a nonsensical reply, and I took his head in my hands. Then I
held it there for a moment, and my breath was a steady stream of snarls. Saliva dripped
from my mouth, and I studied my handiwork. The man was in ribbons, blood sprayed
everywhere, skin hanging from his cheeks and mouth, wholly unrecognizable from the
robber I'd met before. He hardly looked human, but then again, I probably didn't, either.
I heard the passenger door open and turned to see the other man jumping out of the
vehicle, but I'd catch up to him later. For right now, I wanted to play with the leader.
"I bet you think you're so tough," I rumbled like a freight train tearing up a hill.
"Such a big fucking man for threatening a woman. I'll bet you felt so big and mighty,
standing there with your gun in her face."
"I-I-I--" the man whimpered.
"You're fucking pathetic," I laughed. I brought my face to his throat, with my mouth
skimming his ear, and the man shuddered beneath me.
"Please--" he whispered.
"You don't deserve mercy," I snarled like a garbage disposal chewing on rocks, and
with that, I tore into his throat, and he fell limp in my arms as his hot blood sprayed
across my face.
I remained there for a moment, with my heart throbbing in my chest and my breaths
fast with adrenaline. I'd never experienced this feeling before. I was strong, mighty. A
badass. I relished in the victory and gazed into the glazed eyes of the dead man.
There was nothing there but the reflection of my new form. I remained fixated on
my reflection in his irises, and I was mesmerized by the creature I'd become.
My once weak jaw was long and sharp, extended outwards in front of my face to
make room for the set of pointed teeth and deadly fangs that curled down from my
mouth. A broad brow sloped downwards over a set of brilliant orange irises that glowed
with feral energy, and my skin was covered in the same coarse fur that covered the rest of
my body. Pointed ears rose from the fur at the top of my head, and they were utterly large
and undoubtedly canine.
I was somewhere between man and wolf, a creature of nightmares straight out of a
midnight creature-feature.
My introspection was interrupted by the blast of a gunshot. My ears perked up at
the sound, and I pulled myself from the body of my victim. I turned toward the direction
of the noise and met the eyes of the third robber, the one who I thought had gotten away. I
was struck by his audacity. He could have escaped easily, I'd all but let him, and yet here
he was, stupidly attempting revenge for his lost buddies.
 I'd teach him a lesson in revenge, alright.
I leapt out of the hole I'd made in the windshield and landed hard on the ground, but
my powerful legs absorbed the shock with no difficulty. The robber stood a good distance
away, with his arms held out in front of him to brace the gun in his hands. The weapon
shook in his unsteady grip, so despite the shots he'd taken at me, he was a coward just
like the rest of them.
"F-Fuck you, you f-freak!" he shouted as he raised the barrel of the gun, and I
prepared to spring.
I leaned back, with my knees bent and my spine pulled toward the ground. I
counted to three and then threw myself forward, too fast for the man to react.
The gun fell from his hands as he stumbled back a step, and I roared with laughter
as I tackled him to the ground. I held his wrists down against the pavement, and he
writhed beneath me as he tried to get loose, but my body was too heavy to push off.
"I've never met such a spineless fuck before," I growled.
The man whimpered and tried to push me away, but I was an unwavering wall
above him. I snapped my jaws and gave him a good glimpse of my deadly teeth.
He let out a scream, and I licked my lips.
"Scream all you want," I growled. "It won't make a difference."
I saw the fear in his eyes, and it filled me with the pleasure I'd been craving for.
Then I let him release one final yell before I bit into his chest, crunched past his ribs, and
ripped out his heart.
Blood exploded in my mouth, and my vision grew hazy as I chewed through the
organ. With every satisfying chew, the world grew blurrier until everything went dark,
and I drifted into an abyss.
Some unknown time later, I woke up to light in my eyes. As the painful rays bored
down on me through the clouds, I squinted and blinked, and my eyes were sore and
aching.
Where was I, and how did I get here?
I sat up slowly and looked at my surroundings. The light was dim but brightening
around me like the dawn, and I saw. . . Grass? I touched the earth beneath me and spread
out my fingers, and the motion sparked an image.
Claws?
My heart sped up in my chest as I was flooded with other mental images: blood,
shattering glass, red eyes? My brain went into overdrive as I tried to piece the pictures
together. It had to have been a dream, an insane nightmare brought on by exhaustion and
too much caffeine. I'd been pushing myself too hard lately, and this dream had been a
sure sign of that.
But if it had all been a dream. . .
Why was I sitting in Aunt Eva's lawn?
And why was I covered in blood?
Chapter 2
I pulled myself up off the lawn and wiped my hands on my. . . boxers? Holy shit.
Not only was I sitting out here, covered in blood, I was sitting out here in only my
underwear.
I looked around and prayed none of my neighbors were watching. Everleigh was a
pretty small city, and if anyone saw me, I'd be plastered all over the town's social media,
and Aunt Eva's voicemail would be flooded with nasty messages about her perverted
nephew flashing his junk in front of their children. Fortunately, it was early, so I couldn't
see anyone, but I didn't want to push my luck any further.
I practically sprinted to the front door and was ready to book it up the stairs before
Aunt Eva could see me, but I froze when I realized my keys had been in my jacket, which
was mysteriously gone along with the rest of my clothes.
How was I supposed to get in without a key?
As my mind scrolled through a quick consideration of my options, I briefly
pondered the idea of climbing Spiderman-style up the trellis and onto my balcony, but
then I remembered the spare key Aunt Eva had hidden under the doormat.
Phew, crisis averted.
The faster I got in, the faster I could get to my room and try to piece together
whatever the fuck was going on, so I shakily put the key in the door and unlocked it, only
to be greeted by a very surprised Aunt Eva on the other side.
Shit.
Aunt Eva gasped, and her jaw dropped as she took in the sight of me. Her always-
expressive light-blue eyes were huge with concern, and she was so pale she looked like
she might faint.
My aunt had been pretty young when she'd taken me in, and the stress of raising a
child on her own reflected in the fine lines around her eyes and the gray streak at the front
of her hair. Appearance-wise, she reminded me of a feminine version of my father, since
they shared the same icy-blue eyes, strong square jaw, and thick dark-brown hair. On my
father, those features had looked intense and sometimes harsh, but on her, they were
softer, more nurturing.
At least, they usually were. At this moment, she looked like she'd seen a ghost.
"J-Jesse, what on Earth happened to you?" she gasped, and with a surprising
amount of strength, she pulled me inside the house.
"Heyyy, Aunt Eva--"
"What happened to you?" she demanded the moment the door closed behind us, and
her nails dug into my shoulders as she shook me slightly. "Is that your blood? Are you
hurt? Who did this to you?"
"No, it's-- it's not-- not mine," I stammered as I tried to keep up with the rapid-fire
questions. "At least. . . I don't think it's mine."
"Where have you been?" Aunt Eva asked. "You didn't come home last night, and
you didn't call. You know my rules, Jesse. I know you're an adult now, but you promised
me that if you aren't going to be home, you'd call me and let me know where you were.
I've been worried sick! I even called your friend Benji, and he said you never came
over--"
"Um, something came up," I mumbled as I moved my hands in front of me to try
and conceal the crotch of my underwear a bit.
Aunt Eva took notice of my stance and rolled her eyes. "It's nothing I haven't seen
before. But let me grab you a towel, you're dripping blood all over my freshly-cleaned
floor."
Without another word, she took off down the hallway and left me alone in the drafty
hallway with nothing but my pounding head and my growling stomach. Thankfully, I
wasn't alone too long, and Aunt Eva returned promptly with a fluffy towel. She all but
threw it at me, and then she crossed her arms against her chest.
"Thanks." I looped the towel across my shoulders like it was a cape. "Sorry about
your floor."
"We can deal with that later. . . In the meantime, we need to get you cleaned up,"
Aunt Eva ordered and started to head back down the hallway toward the bathroom. Then
she ushered me onto the edge of the bathtub and started running the water, just as she had
countless times when I was young. The gesture was familiar and sweet, but unnecessary
now that I was old enough to do it myself.
"I'm fine, Aunt Eva," I sighed, but she wasn't satisfied by my response and held a
finger up to shush me.
My aunt's intensely pale eyes trailed over me with concern, and her weary
expression tugged at my heartstrings a little.
Eva had never once called herself my mother or expected me to address her as such,
but she was the closest thing I'd ever had to one, and I hated worrying her like this. She
was going to freak out when I told her what happened, but I also couldn't keep a secret
like this from her. Maybe it was because we were the only family each other had, but
we'd always been extremely close, and I'd never kept anything from her.
I took a deep breath and tried to figure out where to start. The anticipation would
surely kill me, but that would be nothing compared to how I would feel if I kept the
events of yesterday tucked away.
"Aunt Eva, I--"
"I'll let you wash up first," she interrupted, and her tone was a mixture of comfort
and commanding. "But then I want you to come and tell me everything. I think it'd be
better for the both of us if you weren't covered in blood while doing it."
I opened my mouth to ask why she wasn't asking about all the blood, but then I
decided to nod instead. I needed a moment to properly gather my thoughts and retrace my
steps.
"Okay," I agreed, and Aunt Eva gave me one last look-over before leaving me to it.
For a moment, I wondered if she had any clue about what happened to me, but I decided
not to linger on any conspiracy theories. There was no way in hell Eva would know that
I'd turned into some kind of wolf-man thing and slaughtered three men out on the street.
There was no way.
But. . . why hasn't she freaked out about all the blood?
I lingered on the edge of the bathtub for a second and stared at the crusted blood on
my arms. I picked at the dried brown flakes, and then the smell of it hit my nose.
It wasn't nearly as appealing as it had been before.
A wave of nausea came over me, and I beelined to the toilet. I'd barely made it to
the bowl before I started retching like I'd never retched before. Blood always made me
feel woozy, and here I was, practically encrusted in it.
I heaved once more and sat in front of the toilet in case I needed to do it again. My
head pounded with the effort of my illness, but I waited patiently for it to clear. Once my
nausea passed, I flushed the toilet and went to the sink to wash my hands, but I purposely
avoided looking in the mirror. I was certain I looked pretty awful, and I wasn't in a rush to
see what made Aunt Eva so terrified when she'd answered the door.
After drying my hands, I decided it would be best to drain the bath and opt for a
shower instead. It had been kind of my aunt to fill it up for me, but I was afraid soaking
in blood-tinged water would only set off my stomach further, so I turned on the shower
and let the room fill up with steam before I stepped in.
I stood there in the hot water, closed my eyes, and let the water scald my body and
soak away the grime. The steam felt nice on my sore muscles, and the knots that had built
up in my back started to unwind.
"Ahh. . ." I sighed in relief. I picked up a washcloth, rubbed it vigorously on a bar
of soap, and started to scrub at my arms. A good amount of the blood had been scalded
away by the hot water, but the rest would need to be wiped away, so I went to town like I
was scrubbing some particularly dirty dishes. The smell of the mint-scented soap Eva
kept in the bathroom filled my nose, and I started to drift into a haze.
Before I could feel too relaxed, though, the stark image of snarling fangs and the
sound of screams reverberated in my mind. I snapped back into reality as my brain kicked
into overdrive, and I was flooded with all of the things I'd convinced myself I'd only
dreamt. Only, it wasn't a dream. I knew this now. If my bloodied body hadn't been enough
evidence, my torn-off clothing also clued me in to the circumstances.
It was all real. I'd turned into some kind of monster.
After another minute or so, I shut off the water and carefully eased myself out of the
shower. Part of me wanted to delay this conversation for as long as possible, but the other
part knew I needed to talk to Aunt Eva.
Something about the calm way she'd taken me into the bathroom, and the way she
hadn't demanded an explanation straight away seemed off. Any normal person would
have totally freaked out at the sight of so much blood, but Eva's reaction was miniscule
compared to what it could've been.
Had she just been in shock?
 I quickly dried off and grabbed the robe Aunt Eva had left hanging up on a hook on
the door. I wasn't usually one for robes, but I hadn't grabbed any other clothes, and it
didn't really feel appropriate to tell my aunt I'd gone on a killing spree while only wearing
a towel. Before I threw it on, I took a look at myself in the mirror.
I'd definitely seen better days.
My dark-blue eyes, which were a more saturated version of my dad's and Aunt
Eva's, looked bleary and tired, like I'd just pulled an all-nighter. The white parts of my
eyes were slightly bloodshot, which only made my normally fair skin seem even more
washed out. I pushed my floppy black-brown hair out of my face to get a better look at
the indigo bruise that had blossomed on my left cheekbone. It was like an ink splotch
against my ghostly pallor, and it spread out like the roots of a tree. I couldn't lie to myself,
it was pretty gnarly.
I gently pressed down on the tender skin, winced at the slight pain, and let out a big
sigh. I often likened myself to a semi-decent-looking guy, but right now, I just looked
worn down and defeated, like I'd just played the world's most epic three-day long DnD
game.
I turned away from the mirror, and after I took a deep breath to gather my courage, I
hastily threw on the robe, tightened the fabric belt, and moved down the hall.
Aunt Eva was sitting at the kitchen table with her hands braced around a steaming
mug of tea, and her pale eyes were absent, like she had something she didn't know how to
tell me. I'd seen that look many times as a child and knew it meant bad news was coming,
so I pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.
"Aunt Eva--"
"Are you feeling better?" she interjected, and when I nodded in response, she
offered a small smile. "Good. I picked up that mint soap at the farmer's market. The girl
selling it said it was relaxing, so I was hoping it would bring you some comfort, or at
least make that room smell a little bit less like old blood."
"I'd, uh, say it did the job," I said. We fell into a brief silence, and I awkwardly
fidgeted with my hands as I searched for the right words to say.
"Are you okay?" my aunt asked me after a while, and when she reached out a hand
to comfort me, I considered taking it, but I knew once I started telling her this insane
story, she might not want to hold onto it anymore.
"Physically, yeah, I think so," I gulped. "But the rest. . . Aunt Eva, something
happened to me, something that's going to sound absolutely insane."
"Hmmhmm." Aunt Eva looked up from her mug and met my eyes. "I think I know
what you're going to say--"
"No, Auntie," I laughed abruptly. "There's no possible way you know what I'm
about to tell you."
"Okay, try me."
"Well. . ." I took a deep breath before I began. "After class last night, I stopped by
the Mini-Mart to grab a drink before I headed to Jake's room, but things got. . . a little
complicated, to say the least. These guys, they came in and tried to rob the place--"
"What?" Eva demanded, and her eyebrows nearly jumped off her face.
After another deep breath, I stumbled through the entire story and filled her in on all
of the gory details.
Well, at least most of them anyway.
I told her about my class running late, how I'd stopped into the store at the worst
possible time, and when I told her about the gun in my face, she gasped.
"Jesse, you could have been hurt!" she practically shouted. "Or even worse--"
"I know, Aunt Eva--"
"I know how much that violin means to you, but what were you thinking?" she cut
me off. "I understand it's sentimental, but the instrument can be replaced. You can't. You
could have been shot!"
"About that. . . "
Aunt Eva's already incredulous face bugged out, and I swore her eyes were going to
pop out of her skull like one of those dollar store squeeze toys.
Still, I told her about how I'd been shot, and she looked me up and down for a
gunshot wound.
"This is going to sound crazy," I warned.
Aunt Eva composed herself and waited for me to continue, so I inhaled sharply and
then began to explain the horrid transformation process. As I filled her in on every last
detail, her eyebrows raised higher and higher, and when the story came to its climax, my
tongue was heavy in my mouth, and my heart was pounding in my chest. I was so scared
to tell her what I had done, what I was apparently capable of.
"I, I think I-I think I killed-- "
Oh, god. I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell her what had happened. I didn't even want to
think about how she was going to look at me. She was going to think I'd lost my fucking
mind.
Maybe I had lost my mind.
"I'm going to stop you right there," Aunt Eva interrupted, and my stomach dropped
into oblivion.
Great. Here it comes. She was going to have me arrested, committed, or worse, if
that was even possible.
Aunt Eva leaned forward in her seat like she was bracing for impact, and then she
took a long, deep breath.
"I was afraid of this happening," she said, and her voice was surprisingly calm yet
frustratingly ominous.
"Of what happening?" I asked after a moment or two of silence, and my eyebrows
pinched together in confusion.
"You, changing into. . ." Aunt Eva picked at the side of her coffee mug nervously,
and I waited for her to finish her sentence, but she looked like she didn't want to spit it
out.
 "Changing into what?" I demanded, and I repeated myself when my aunt didn't
respond. "Changing into what, Aunt Eva?"
She was taking way too long to get to the point, and I couldn't handle it anymore. I
was getting twitchier by the second, and I could feel sweat building up on my forehead as
my heart raced into light-speed.
"Into the alpha I always feared you would be," she whispered after what seemed
like an eternity, and I eyed her carefully and tried to make sense of what she'd just said.
"The alpha?" I repeated, since I wanted to make sure I'd heard her correctly. "What
are you talking about, this isn't making any sense--"
"If you would let me finish speaking and stop interrupting me with so many
questions, I'd tell you," Aunt Eva quipped as she arched an eyebrow.
I then realized I'd leaned forward onto the table, and I took a moment to sit back.
"Sorry," I muttered.
My aunt waited patiently for me to settle, and once I did, she continued on.
"I'd really hoped the genes had skipped over you," she sighed and rubbed her
temples in semi-circles "It doesn't happen very often, but every once in a while, there's a
family with a few members who are. . . out of the norm, so to speak. There's nothing
wrong with them, but for some reason, they never manifest the gift, no matter how potent
their bloodlines are. I waited for the telling signs, but as you grew older and remained the
same, I figured you were one of them. "
"One of them?" I repeated in confusion.
"A human, of course," she replied, as if that was a perfectly normal thing to say.
"As opposed to what exactly?" I scoffed. "The Wolf-Man--"
"I don't care for that foul nickname," Aunt Eva cut me off, and her blue eyes
flashed. "It's crude, barbaric, and makes light of our species. We aren't some Halloween
special or children's action figure, we're a proud people who have endured countless
hardships for generations."
"Wait, we?" My mind was spinning as I tried to digest my aunt's tirade. What in the
ever-loving fuck was she talking about?
"You're not as dumb as you're pretending to be," she shot back. "If what you told
me was true, then you saw yourself for what you are when you looked into that man's
eyes. What we are. "
Aunt Eva let out an impatient sigh, and when she sat forward and stared at me, her
ice blue irises shifted and became a bright golden-orange.
"Holy shit!" I gasped as I jumped back, and my chair scraped loudly across the
kitchen floor. "Y-You're a-a--"
"A werewolf," she finished. "And you are, too."
I sat there in silence, jaw dropped, and tried to absorb the information she'd just
given me.
I was a werewolf?
She was a werewolf?
 I felt like I was starring in a live-action version of a DnD campaign.
I was mesmerized by Aunt Eva's spooky eyes, but after a moment they faded back
to their original blue, and I snapped out of my trance.
"W-What--" I tried to articulate one of the million thoughts spiraling through my
brain, but I couldn't form the right words. What the fuck was I supposed to say, anyway?
"Unlike you, however, I'm merely a beta wolf," she continued on as she absently
raised her cup of tea to her lips and gently blew on it. "I don't hold nearly as much power
in the hierarchy of the pack. Your father, however--"
"My dad was a werewolf, too?" I breathed.
Aunt Eva rolled her eyes, and I could tell she was annoyed at my interruption. "Yes,
and your mother was as well."
"T-This is insane," I muttered as I buried my fingers in my hair. No way. There was
no way this was happening. My calm, reserved aunt wasn't a werewolf, and neither was I.
I was just a nerd, for crying out loud. A college student just doing his best to
survive.
I couldn't be a werewolf.
I had midterms next week.
"Your mother and father were the most powerful pair of mates I'd ever seen," my
aunt continued like I hadn't spoken at all. "They led our old pack with such strength and
dignity, and I was certain we were on the verge of a peaceful era. Unfortunately, that's
probably what put a target on their backs. . ."
Eva paused, and her face paled as if she'd just said something she shouldn't have.
Then she glanced down at the floor like she didn't want to give herself away, but I was
the king of evasive looks and knew something more was going on.
"Aunt Eva?" I pressed, and when she remained silent, I repeated myself. "Aunt
Eva? What were you going to say?"
"You know, on second thought, I really should let you get some rest," she said
suddenly as she sat up in her chair. "You've had a long day, and the first shift takes a lot
out of a wolf. We can continue this conversation after you've gotten some sleep."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, uh-uh," I scoffed and got up from my seat, and then I started
pacing since I was far too overwhelmed to continue to sit there calmly. "You can't just
drop 'you're a werewolf, Jesse' like this is Harry Potter or something, and then tell me to
go take a nap, Aunt Eva. This is serious. I killed someone, three someones, actually, and I
can't just. . . go to bed and nap it off."
My voice grew louder as I spoke, and my skin grew hotter with every breath I took.
I'd never been the kind of guy who struggled with anger issues or anything beyond the
normal irritation experienced during a good gaming session, but this was different than
that. My emotions felt like lightning, or lava, and as it boiled closer to the surface,
everything began to make less and less sense.
"Jesse, calm down--" Aunt Eva pleaded with me.
"No! I won't calm down." I shook my head. "I need answers!"
 My arms suddenly started to itch like I'd just ran through some poison ivy. I
scratched at the sensation with an aggressive amount of force, and my skin began to turn
red with irritation.
"Take some deep breaths." Aunt Eva got up and tried to reach out to me. "Jesse,
you're going to hurt yourself. You need to settle down."
"Settle down?" I shouted as my heart began to race, and everything she'd just told
me started to settle into my brain. "How am I supposed to be calm right now?"
She tried to reach out to me again, but I moved away from her. I didn't want her
affection right now. I was caught up in a storm cloud of emotions I didn't know how to
handle.
"Did my parents actually die in a car accident?" I demanded as I whirled to face her.
My aunt pulled away, took a breath, and then she shook her head slowly.
"No," she admitted softly, and she pressed her trembling lips together for a moment.
"They were hunted down by a rival pack of wolves up in Washington."
"Is that why we moved?" I asked.
Aunt Eva nodded. "And that's why I never told you that you were a wolf. I wanted
you to remain hidden here so you wouldn't suffer the same fate. I figured if it all
remained a secret. . . well, maybe you'd get to have a normal life after all. It was naive of
me."
She tried to reach out again, but I moved to the other side of the room to avoid her.
Then I turned away, stared at the wall, and tried to find my next words, but all I felt was
pain.
My entire life was a lie, and a bad one at that. This was all so much to process, and
Eva was expecting me to take in the information just as easily as if she'd revealed a minor
divergence in our family tree.
Sometime later, I heard footsteps creak behind me and knew it was Aunt Eva
inching forward.
"Don't touch me," I growled as her hand touched my back, and I yanked away.
"Jesse, I know it's a lot to take in," Eva murmured, and my face was hot with anger
when I whipped my body around to face her.
"There are plenty of things that would be considered 'a lot," I scoffed, "but this is
far beyond that. We're talking about monsters here, monsters that have existed this entire
time without me even knowing about it! How could you keep all of this hidden away
from me?"
"Sweetheart, I didn't do this to hurt you--"
"You lied to me, Aunt Eva," I cut her off. "I went my whole life thinking my parents
had been in a horrific car accident, and now I'm finding out that not only were they
werewolves, but they were also killed by another pack? This is beyond 'too much.' This is
fucking insane."
"I only lied to protect you--" she pleaded.
"That's easily the most cliched line in history, Aunt Eva," I groaned, and I hung my
head back until I could see the ceiling.
"It's the truth!" she asserted. "If I hadn't taken you in and gotten us away from
Washington, you would have been hunted down just like your mother and father. They
would have come after you just like they did to them and killed you for being their son,
regardless if you were a wolf or not."
"I can't believe this," I murmured as I tangled my fingers in my hair.
"Jesse, I was following your father's orders," my aunt explained, and her blue eyes
grew distant and sad. "He had a feeling he was going to be betrayed and told me that in
the event of his passing, I was to take you and run. I had no choice in the matter. We had
to leave."
"I'm not angry at you for moving me here," I stated firmly. "I'm grateful that you
took me in. But I'm angry about the rest of this. I've been a werewolf this whole time, and
you only told me after I killed three people! Do you realize how fucked up that is? What
if this had happened anywhere else? What if I'd turned into a wolf at school and killed
someone else?"
"Jesse," she tried, but I turned away from her again.
My head started pounding, and I could feel tears starting to form in the corners of
my eyes. I had to get out of this room.
"You know what, I'm gonna take your advice and go lay down," I decided. "I need
some space after all."
Before Aunt Eva could reply, I walked out of the room and headed upstairs to my
bedroom. I closed my door a little too forcefully, and it slammed shut louder than I
intended. The pounding in my head spiked up from the sudden noise, and I grimaced in
response.
This couldn't be real.
I went over to my unmade bed, flopped down, and caused the wooden bed frame to
creak noisily. Then I rolled over onto my side, curled my legs inward, and stared at the
poster-covered navy-blue wall.
Part of me wanted to close my eyes and try to sleep away this nightmare, but the
other part knew the second I did, the events of the day would replay again. I didn't want
to see the faces of those robbers cut to ribbons, and I certainly didn't want to remember
my reflection.
A chill ran down my spine.
A werewolf. I was an honest-to-god werewolf.
No matter how many times I tried to let it sink in, I still wanted to deny it and
pretend it never happened. Deep down, though, I knew I couldn't.
What would happen now? Would I become a wolf every time the moon was full?
Would I start craving raw meat, or maybe some of the woodland creatures that skittered
around the backyard? Would I randomly wolf-out in the middle of class?
Class. Shit.
I suddenly remembered my missing violin, and my anger was eclipsed by sadness.
I'd gotten my revenge against the robbers, but I was too caught up in my rage and
bloodlust to get my case back from those men. It was probably still in their truck, most
likely smashed to bits after the pounding I'd put that vehicle through.
I knew Aunt Eva was right: in the grand scheme of things, the instrument was
replaceable, but that violin meant so much to me, and its loss felt like my mother had
passed all over again.
And what was I going to do about class? I didn't have the money to replace my
violin, and it was kind of a mandatory thing to have for a music major. I couldn't just
walk into my music classes empty-handed.
On top of that, my mind struggled to comprehend the big reveal about my parents,
and the anger I felt toward Aunt Eva was still hot in my chest.
As a kid, I'd asked her to tell me the story about their accident many times, and
every time she'd kept it simple and straight-forward until finally, she told me not to ask
about it anymore, and that was that. It had taken me years to realize she hadn't wanted to
relive the accident anymore and didn't want to traumatize me any further than I was, but
now I knew the story had been a lie.
Mom and Dad had been werewolves. Hell, my whole family, as far as I knew, were
wolves. And they hadn't been in a crash. They'd been murdered, probably in a much more
terrifying way than I could imagine, if Aunt Eva's expression was any indication.
I laid there for a while and let my emotions wash over me. I needed a moment to
just exist without any of these whirling thoughts, so I cleared my mind and let it all fade
to nothingness.
After a while, the anger began to subside, and my headache started to clear away, so
I sat up, took a deep breath, and contemplated my next moves.
I was long past the age where I could just run away from my problems, but not old
enough to know what to do in a crisis. I felt completely stuck.
Normally, in an emergency situation, I'd text Benji or one of my other friends, but
the crazy events of today had left me phoneless. Again. Of course, even if I did have my
phone, what the fuck would I have said?
Hey, dude, sorry I didn't show up last night, I was too busy turning into a werewolf!
Lol.
Yeah, right.
Benji would think I was doing some type of role-playing thing and try to chime in.
Or he'd think I was nuts.
Most likely the second option.
I would have to figure out an excuse to give to Benji later, but for now, I needed to
talk things out with Aunt Eva. I still had a lot of unresolved questions, and as much as I
didn't want to admit it, I couldn't get through this alone, so I pulled myself out of bed and
decided to get dressed.
I'd been in nothing but the robe the entire time, so I reached over to the pile of
clothes next to my bed and pulled on some clean underwear, my favorite t-shirt, and a
pair of sweatpants. After I pulled on my socks, I headed to my adjoining bathroom to get
a much-needed drink of water.
I caught sight of my sorry self in the mirror above the sink and decided to pull a
comb through my still slightly-damp hair to try to get some sense of order back. My
reflection looked completely worn out and wilted, so I didn't linger for much longer. The
longer I stared, the more I'd envision myself in wolf-form, and I wasn't quite ready to
handle that yet, so, with my hair combed and the rest of me finally clothed, I decided it
was time to apologize to Aunt Eva.
I slowly headed back downstairs and peeked my head into the kitchen. To my
surprise, Aunt Eva hadn't even moved from her spot at the kitchen table, and a twinge of
guilt settled in my gut. This wasn't all her fault, but she certainly looked upset. I had to
make things right. We were all we had left.
I trudged into the room, sat down in my usual seat, and braced myself for her wrath,
but thankfully, it never came.
"I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark for so long, Jesse," Eva apologized in a quiet
voice, and her blue eyes remained glued to the kitchen table. "I thought I was protecting
you, but I know now it did more harm than good. Leaving you without information
wasn't my best move. Now that you've had your first shift, there's a lot I need to tell you,
and I'm sure you must have a lot of questions for me. I'll do my best to answer anything
you want to know."
"You've got that right," I awkwardly laughed, and I offered her a small smile, which
she quickly returned.
"So, what would you like to know first?" she asked, and I pondered the right thing
to start with.
There were so many things I needed to learn, but I couldn't just dive into the thick
of it, could I?
"How many of us are there?" I wondered.
"Oh, goodness, I have no idea," Aunt Eva admitted as she sat back with a sigh.
"More than I can count, but not nearly as many as you'd think. As you can imagine, our
numbers are nowhere near the number of humans in the world. If I had to guess, I would
say about one percent of the population are shifters. Of that one amount, about seventy-
five percent of us are wolves."
"Shifters?" I echoed. "Wait, so does that mean there's more than just werewolves?"
"Oh, of course," Aunt Eva said as she nodded vigorously. "There are so many other
species of shifters. There's cats, foxes, coyotes, birds. . ."
"Werebirds?" I laughed. The image of a half-man, half-flamingo popped into my
head, and it made me chuckle.
"They prefer to be called avians," Aunt Eva corrected, and then she rolled her eyes.
"Pretentious fuckers. You'd do best to avoid them as much as possible. They aren't worth
the trouble."
I gaped at her, surprised to hear such language from my aunt. Aunt Eva was not one
to drop an f-bomb, so she must have really hated those werebirds.
"So, the wolves are the biggest group?" I inquired. "Why is that? Aren't there a lot
more of those other animals out there in the wild?"
"We aren't just regular animals," my aunt clarified. "Our other forms are similar
enough that humans can't discern the difference, but there are physical traits that set us
apart from the creatures you see in a zoo or out in the woods. Wolves happen to have the
biggest numbers because we usually produce more offspring."
Aunt Eva smirked proudly at this last line, but I grimaced.
Gross.
"So, how does this work from a technical standpoint?" I asked. "I shifted without it
being a full moon, so I'm guessing we aren't bound to it?"
"That only happens in the movies," Aunt Eva stated with an annoyed scowl. "Unlike
those fairytale monsters, the moon doesn't influence our change. After a wolf's first initial
shift, they can control when and how much they change."
"So, like what you did with your eyes. . . "
"You'll be able to do that as well." She nodded.
"Will I always shift into that. . . wolf-man?" I asked and swallowed sharply.
Aunt Eva cringed a little but didn't snap at me like she did earlier. "No. You can
shift into a hybrid state if that's what you prefer, but most of us are partial to our full
wolf-forms. They're a little less conspicuous, especially out in the woods."
I was relieved to hear that. I wasn't looking forward to seeing Wolf-man-Jesse any
time soon. Sleek, powerful, Regular Wolf-Jesse, though. . . I could get used to the idea of
that.
"Soon enough you'll be in control of your change, but there are some new side
effects worth mentioning," my aunt continued. "You'll notice some physical changes--"
"Oh, god, please don't tell me it's a second puberty," I groaned and dropped my
head back. "That was bad enough the first time."
"No, no, no, not anything like that!" Aunt Eva assured me. "No, I meant an
improvement of your senses. You'll be able to smell, hear, and see better than you ever
did as a human. It's definitely a perk of being a shifter, but it can take a little bit of getting
used to. For example, the headache you experienced before? It was a side effect of your
senses awakening. Your brain was overwhelmed by it all."
"Wait, how did you know my head was hurting?" I frowned.
"I used my own heightened senses," Aunt Eva said in a mysterious tone. "I'm a lot
more intuitive than you would think."
"Is that also a wolf thing?"
"Nah." She smirked. "That's just an aunt thing."
We laughed, and it felt nice to share a normal moment with Aunt Eva amongst all of
this weirdness. Once our laughter faded, Eva got up, walked over to the fridge, and pulled
out a couple of sodas. Then she returned and handed one to me.
Thankfully, it wasn't Mello Yello.
 I was pretty sure I'd never be able to look at it the same ever again.
I cracked the frosty Coke open and took a good long chug. Within seconds, I had
drained the whole can, and I smacked my lips with satisfaction. Then I crinkled the can in
my fist, and broke into a gleeful smile at how easy the effort was.
Meanwhile, Aunt Eva popped the top off her can, took a much more delicate sip,
and sat back down in her chair.
"How long does it take for everything to settle down?" I asked, since I was worried
I would always feel itchy and crazed. "Will it always be so overwhelming?"
"It'll take some time," Aunt Eva promised me. "The first month of being a shifter is
always the most difficult. Your senses are still adjusting, and your body is undergoing a
huge change. Soon, it'll all come so naturally, you won't even notice the sensation. It'll be
as easy as breathing."
"Having my vision improve sounds pretty great, but I don't really know if I want to
be able to smell things even better," I admitted and wrinkled my nose. "That just seems
kinda gross to me. "
"It'll come in handy later when it comes to hunting or identifying other shifters,"
Eva pointed out to me, but I wasn't convinced.
"What about the rest of the time?" I groaned. As much as I loved my friends, the
thought of sitting around and playing video games with a bunch of guys while having an
enhanced sense of smell did not sound appealing.
"Your sense of smell will also help alert you to any danger," Aunt Eva insisted. "If
something is amiss, you'll be able to detect any changes in your environment."
I suddenly remembered the scent trail outside the convenience store and how easy it
had been to track down the robbers. If I hadn't had that sense, I never would have found
them, and they'd have gotten away.
They'd also still be alive, but that was a thought to unpack at a later time, so I
decided this conversation needed a subject change.
"Okay. . . earlier, you mentioned 'alphas and betas,'" I began. "What exactly does
that mean?"
"Within packs, there are three different classifications of shifter," Eva said after a
long moment, and she settled back in her chair as if she was trying to gather her thoughts.
"You could think of it like a hierarchy, if that makes it easier. The head of the pack, clan,
flock, whatever, is called the alpha. They're faster, stronger, and more powerful than the
rest of the group, and they're considered to be the leaders of their territory."
"Huh," I mused. "So, the alpha is like the king, then?"
Aunt Eva moved her head back and forth in contemplation.
"Essentially, but they only preside over their territory, and defend their pack if they
must," she explained. "Usually, though, the different packs keep to themselves, so there
isn't much defending to be done. Turf wars were a lot more common back in the early
days when territories were much larger and undiscovered."
"Is Everleigh its own territory, or part of a larger one?" I wondered.
 "There are a few packs here." My aunt nodded. "The town is just big enough to split
into different factions. There are wolves, cats, and a couple of other smaller groups that
keep to themselves even more than the others."
A few packs? Huh. Guess Everleigh wasn't as boring as I thought. It was wild this
sleepy little college town was actually home to a bunch of monsters.
I mean, aside from the college students.
"And you said earlier you're a beta," I remembered with a slight tilt of my head.
"What does that mean?"
"Betas are beneath the alphas on the chain of command," Aunt Eva explained. "The
betas, for lack of better wordage, are the followers, the normal members of the pack. We
make up the majority of the pack, follow the orders of the alpha, and defend them at any
cost. "
"I thought the alpha defended the pack?" I questioned with a furrowed brow.
"Yes, they do," Aunt Eva agreed. "But the betas defend the alpha. We're the fighters,
the army. . . whatever the alpha needs us to be. We may not have the power, but we have
the determination."
"Kind of sounds like the better end of the deal to me," I laughed.
"In some regards, yes, in others, no," she admitted. "Betas don't have the pressure of
ruling, but they do have the pressure of making sure everything else is carried out."
"This is all making my head hurt," I groaned. "Okay, so that's two. But what about
the third?"
"The third type of shifters are omegas," Eva explained. "Omegas are extremely rare
amongst our kind, but a very necessary part of any strong pack. Omega females are
incredibly fertile--"
"Fertile?" I made a face, and Aunt Eva made one right back.
"You can make that face all you want, but this part is incredibly important, so you
may want to pay attention," she huffed. "As an alpha, you should be the most concerned
about mating, because that's how you get your power."
"I still haven't fully gotten past the 'I'm a werewolf' part, so forgive me if I'm not
jumping for joy about having to attract a woman," I sighed.
"It's about more than that--"
"Aunt Eva, I've only ever had one girlfriend in my life, and she moved out of
Everleigh the first chance she got, remember?" I sighed. "I'm not exactly a stud. How am
I supposed to get one girl, let alone handle more than one girl?"
"As an alpha, it is absolutely essential for you to take multiple mates," my aunt
insisted. "And as for omegas, you don't have much choice in the matter."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"When you come across an omega in heat, you'll have no choice but to have
intercourse," Eva replied as if it were obvious. "It's in your DNA. You see, every wolf has
a unique scent. You'll be able to smell it on every shifter you come in contact with. Our
scents are how we communicate our rank to one another."
 "Really?" I questioned as I blinked in surprise.
Aunt Eva nodded and leaned forward. "For example, my scent as a beta wolf is
entirely different from your scent as an alpha, and an omega would have a specific scent
as well. When a beta smells an alpha, they know to either stand down or stay away. But to
an omega. . ."
"What, do we smell gross or something?" I asked and casually turned my head
toward my armpits just in case I still reeked.
"The exact opposite." Eva shook her head. "To an omega, the scent of an alpha is
completely irresistible, and her scent will be irresistible to you. In fact, your scent will
send an omega straight into heat, and when it does, you'll need to have intercourse with
her so she gets pregnant. Pretty much immediately."
"Well. . . okay, then. . . " I cleared my throat.
"What do you mean by that?" Aunt Eva cocked her head to the side.
"Uhhh. . . I mean. . ." I tried to figure out how to respond without coming across the
wrong, but there was no way around it. "Doesn't that sound a little. . . you know. . .
rapey?"
"There are plenty of things in the world that can be considered 'rapey,' but I can
assure you, this isn't one of those things," my aunt scoffed. "Alphas and omegas can't
fight the attraction between each other. It is the call of nature, Jesse."
"Uh, what?"
"The attraction between an alpha and an omega is so intense that often omegas will
take things called suppressors," she sighed. "They're kind of similar to human birth
control, but their main purpose is to mask an omegas scent and help them blend in with
the betas of the pack. But when an omega isn't taking her suppressors. . . Her scent is
biologically impossible to resist. Not that you would want to resist anyways. Mating with
an omega is essential for an alpha. You'll want to couple with as many as you can if you
want to be strong--"
"There aren't any other ways to get power aside from collecting women?" I cut in.
Aunt Eva's face became stern. "Not in our world. Don't look so disgusted, Jesse.
You're not 'collecting women.' They aren't trophies, they're partners. Besides, your mother
and father were an alpha and omega pair, and they had one of the most endearing bonds
of any mates I've ever seen."
"My mom was an omega?" My eyes widened at the idea.
"Yes, she was." Eva nodded.
"Wait," I gasped as a thought occurred to me. "Did Dad have more than one mate?"
"Yes," Aunt Eva admitted reluctantly.
"And Mom was okay with that?" I gaped at my aunt.
"There was nothing she needed to accept." She shrugged. "As I said, it's well within
the norm for a powerful alpha to take many mates, and your father was no exception."
"Okay. . . and. . . I will, too?" I grimaced.
"Yep," she snorted. "There's nothing gross about it. It's our way of life. Humans
choose to have one mate for life. We choose to not limit ourselves to just one. Your
father's other mates didn't take away any of the love he had for your mother."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," I agreed as I thought back to my earliest memories of
my parents. My mom and dad had always been so affectionate toward each other, so full
of love. The dad I remembered would have done anything for my mom, and she would've
done the same for him.
Aunt Eva smiled, and the expression was sad and wistful. "She was always his
greatest love. They looked out for each other, and they were good for our pack. We
wouldn't have flourished without Ivan and Miranda's bond. One day, you'll find your own
mates and understand what I mean."
My own mates? I barely had time to eat breakfast in the morning. How was I
supposed to juggle school, being a werewolf, and relationships with multiple women?
"Anyways." My aunt cleared her throat. "I think I've given you enough to think
about for today. I'm sure you're still beat, and we'll have plenty of time to continue later.
There's still a lot to discuss, but I can see you're overwhelmed. "
"Thank you," I muttered as I sat back in my chair.
"I'm going to go ahead and get started on lunch," Eva decided. "I'm sure you're
starving. Do steaks sound okay?"
My mouth watered at the thought, and I nodded. Aunt Eva was an amazing cook,
and steaks were only for special occasions, so I wasn't about to turn down the offer.
"Perfect." She grinned. "I'll go ahead and get those going. Why don't you go lie
down? Maybe go read one of your books or something. I'll come up and get you when it's
ready."
I nodded again, since my head was too clogged to come up with a better response.
Aunt Eva smiled, got up from her chair, and started getting things out to make
lunch. I lingered for a second, then got up from my seat, pushed it in behind me, and
started to leave the room when a thought crossed my mind.
"Hey, Aunt Eva?" I turned back and leaned against the doorway. "I have another
question."
Aunt Eva set down the towel she'd been holding and looked at me, with her brow
creased with concern. "What's up, Jesse?"
"After Mom and Dad were attacked. . . what happened to your pack?"
Aunt Eva's face dropped, and her blue eyes were full of sudden sadness.
"You don't have to answer that question," I whispered.
Aunt Eva shook her head. "It's alright. To be perfectly honest, there wasn't much of
a pack left after that. The few betas who remained either joined the rival pack or. . . they
were killed. I didn't want to join their pack, so I fled as fast as I could. I had to make my
way back to you and make sure you were safe. One day, I'll tell you more about what
happened, but today isn't that day."
She turned back around, picked up her towel again, and started to wipe off the
counter, but I remained in the doorway and just watched her. There was a lot more to
Aunt Eva than I'd ever imagined, and I wanted to know more, but I needed to give both
her and myself space.
"This has been a strange twenty-four hours," I murmured.
"It's only going to keep getting stranger," Aunt Eva said over her shoulder. I didn't
think she'd heard me, but then again, she did have werewolf senses. "As much as I wish
we could go back to the way things were, we can't. You're one of us now, Jesse. And
while I'm glad I no longer have to keep so much of my life a secret. . . I'm worried for
you. Being an alpha isn't an easy burden to bear."
"If my dad could handle it, so can I," I said and lifted my chin.
"That's true." Aunt Eva smiled. "Ivan was a great alpha, one of the strongest there's
ever been. . . And, Jesse, I'm not saying this to scare you, but as I mentioned before, betas
can sense the power coming off an alpha just by their smell."
"Great," I sighed. "Were you lying before? Do I smell bad?"
"No," Aunt Eva laughed. "Jesse, I can sense great power in you. I should have
known Ivan's son would inherit his greatness, but I think you have the potential to even
surpass him."
The words bore a disturbing ring of prophecy to them, so I decided to excuse
myself and finally go hide upstairs again. I needed to relax a little, play a game or
something, do anything I could to distract myself and feel like a normal person again.
When I got to my room, I laid back down on my bed and opened up a science
fiction book I'd been reading. Robots, aliens, pretty girls. . . the perfect distraction.
I picked up where I left off, but the chapter wasn't holding my interest. I couldn't
relax or get my mind to slow down.
Because Aunt Eva was right. There was no normal anymore.
I was a werewolf.
And not just a wolf, but also an alpha with a destiny.
The only question was what was I supposed to do with it?

Chapter 3
The next morning, I awoke to the steady sound of rain.
It was soft at first, but as I became more aware of my surroundings, the sound grew
louder and more specific. It was like I could hear the individual droplets as they fell onto
the grass below like tiny individual plops as they hit the plush lawn.
I was completely hypnotized by the amazing sound. As a long-time resident of
Everleigh, I was no stranger to rain, but it had never sounded this beautiful and
interesting before. This must have been what Aunt Eva had meant by enhanced senses.
This was like going from hearing audio from a walkie-talkie to listening in surround-
sound with a pair of thousand-dollar headphones.
I laid there and let the soothing sound crash over me until the shriek of my alarm
cut through the pleasant noise and ripped into my ear drums.
 "Urgh!" I growled as I rolled over to hit the off button. With my newly-enhanced
hearing, the alarm sounded even more hostile than before, which was pretty impressive.
Irritating. But impressive.
I hit the button with as much force as I could muster, and it crumbled to pieces with
a dying, stuttering blare. I blinked in bleary shock for a moment, but then I remembered.
"Right," I muttered as I sat up in bed. "Super strong now. Just call me Peter Parker, I
guess."
I would deal with finding a new clock later.
I'd had some really strange dreams, and my twisted-up bedspread was evidence of
my poor sleep. I straightened up the comforter and went to stretch out my arms. I
expected them to feel achy and tense after everything I'd put them through yesterday, but
was pleasantly surprised by no soreness at all.
Huh. I twisted my torso around to crack my back, and once again, I was blessed
with no pain. Wow. I'd really come out of this fairly decently. I'd half-expected to be a big
puddle of wimp this morning, but I was feeling pretty damn good.
I pulled myself up out of bed and decided to check my body for bruises, just in case
this excitement was premature, so I stepped into my bathroom, flipped the lights on, and
pulled off my shirt to take a look at my chest. I was fully prepared to see some battle
scars, but instead of gore, I was greeted with the type of muscles I'd only ever seen in
video game characters, or the cool protagonists in anime.
I'd always been a pretty lanky guy, not too incredibly skinny, but just thin enough to
earn nicknames like "Scarecrow" and "Noodle" as a child. As I'd gotten older, not much
had really changed on that front.
Until now.
To my amazement, my chest was slightly broader, and where I'd had no definition
before, there were now visible muscles.
"Holy shit," I muttered. I was still far away from looking like the Rock, but I
definitely looked like the type of person who hit the gym. I flexed and admired the way
my arms tensed up. This was insane. My eyes traveled from my torso up to my face, and
my jaw dropped when I saw that there were some changes there as well.
It was like looking at myself with an appearance-enhancing filter or something. I
wasn't a whole new guy, but my looks were certainly improved. My eyes were brighter,
the blue of my irises closer to sapphire than navy, and they appeared larger on my face.
My skin tone was no longer the pale, ghostly shade it'd been my entire life, but golden-
brown, like I'd just gotten back from a beachside vacation. The blue-and-purple bruise
that had taken up the entirety of my cheekbone was completely gone, and the skin was
smooth and clear against my newly sharpened facial structure. Even my hair looked
shiner and darker as it laid messily around my face.
Damn. I was actually kind of handsome.
For the first time in my life, I actually thought I looked like my dad.
That thought brought a smile to my face, and I stood there in admiration for a
moment. Yesterday morning, I'd been a total dork, but now, I might actually have a
chance at getting a date with a girl.
"Whoa, hold your horses, Jesse," I muttered. I might be more attractive, but there
was still the whole issue of me actually being a werewolf.
Ugh.
Suddenly, I remembered the time and pulled myself away from the mirror to get
dressed for the day. I threw on simple clothes: jeans, a plain black shirt, and a pair of
dragon-print socks Benji gave me forever ago. One glance out the window reminded me
that the weather warranted boots and a jacket, so I went into my closet and pulled my
most worn pair of boots and a leather motorcycle jacket Aunt Eva had gotten me for my
birthday earlier this year.
I'd never felt cool enough to wear the jacket, so it'd hung neglected at the bottom of
my closet for the past few months, but now that I was Jesse Rafe 2.0, werewolf
extraordinaire, it might not be a bad thing to try to change up my usual style.
As I sat on my bed and laced up my boots, there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Jesse?" Aunt Eva called on the other side of the door.
"Yes?" I said as I cleared my throat and tried to pull myself together.
The door creaked open, and Aunt Eva poked her head into the room.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she greeted me softly. "How did you sleep?"
"I had some crazy dreams, but other than that, I slept decently." I smiled at her.
Aunt Eva nodded, and when she came into the room, she noticed my jacket right
away.
"Oh, you're finally wearing the jacket!" She grinned excitedly." I was beginning to
think you didn't like it or something."
"Of course, I like it," I assured her. "I was just saving it for a special occasion, and
today seemed like the perfect time to take it for a field test."
Aunt Eva smirked at that, and then she walked over and sat on the edge of my bed,
like she had when I was a kid. "Good. So, how are you doing today, kiddo?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still freaking out about my family being a bunch of
werewolves," I admitted.
"You know what, why don't you take a sick day today?" she suggested with a warm
smile. "We can spend some time together, I'll make us some more good food, and you can
relax a little bit. . ."
"Wait, you're actually encouraging me to skip class?" I joked, and I narrowed my
eyes at her. "Who are you, and what have you done with Aunt Eva?"
"You've been pushing yourself so hard lately, and I feel like we haven't spent time
together in a while--"
"That sounds really great, Aunt Eva," I admitted. "But I'm a week away from
midterms, and I can't skip class in case one of my professors has important information
for the test."
I pulled myself up out of bed before she could reply and went over to my desk to
gather my school supplies. I had three classes today, so I grabbed a couple of notebooks,
a pen, and my textbooks, but as I crammed my things into my backpack, Aunt Eva snuck
up behind me.
"There's always email," she persisted. "Or if it's important enough, you could
always message your professor, or get a hold of Benji, since you two have so many
classes together."
"Okay, what's really going on here?" I asked, and my voice was full of suspicion as
I tried to read Eva's expression. "Why are you trying so hard to keep me home?"
"Look, I just think it might be best for you to lie low," she finally said. "You had a
big day yesterday, and you need to get your strength back."
"Aunt Eva, I feel just fine," I pressed. "Actually, I feel better than fine! I mean, just
look at me! I haven't felt or looked this good in my entire life."
That part wasn't a lie. I felt extremely awake and hyper, like I'd chugged a whole
case of energy drinks in one sitting. I was practically electric as I zoomed around the
room, but Eva seemed less than thrilled.
"Jesse--"
"What's really going on?" I asked her directly. "Why do you want me to stay
home?"
Aunt Eva ran a hand through her dark hair and smoothed a thick strand behind her
ear before she finally spoke up.
"Your presence on campus might be. . . Dangerous, to say the least," she warned as
she picked at her nails nervously.
"Dangerous?" I repeated. "Because of me?"
A lump formed at the back of my throat at the thought of turning into Wolf-man-
Jesse while walking to one of my classes, or worse, in the middle of a lecture. Was that a
possibility? I wasn't bound to the moon, but was there a chance I could wolf out again if I
lost my cool?
"No, not because of you," she sighed. "Jesse, I'm more worried about how the other
werewolf shifters will react to having a newborn alpha in their midst."
I froze and realized I hadn't thought about the possibility of other shifters on
campus. Holy shit. I'd probably walked past some of them numerous times on my way to
class without even knowing what they were.
"How many shifters are in Everleigh again?" I asked shakily.
"More than you can handle on your own," Aunt Eva replied in a knowing voice.
"Which is why you need to lie low for now. The werewolf alpha of this territory will be
able to sense your presence, and he probably won't take too kindly to you being in his
turf."
I gulped at the thought of having to fight another werewolf. While I'd been a badass
yesterday, I didn't think I'd be able to take on a more experienced shifter who knew more
about their powers than me.
"So, what am I supposed to do?" I asked as I ran my hands through my hair
nervously. "Am I just supposed to hide away forever? Lock myself in a tall tower and
hope another werewolf doesn't find me?"
"Jesse, don't be so dramatic," Eva sighed. "I'm not asking you to stay away forever. .
. Just for a little while."
"Aunt Eva, I can't ditch out before midterms," I contradicted her. "This week is
really important to me, and I have to do well, or I'll fail my exams, which means I'll have
to repeat classes, which puts off my graduation date. I can't let that happen, I have a
whole plan--"
"You're a great student." Aunt Eva assured me. "I know you'll be just fine if you
miss a class or two. Please, I'm begging you to stay home today."
"Aunt Eva--"
"Your classes won't matter if you're killed!" Aunt Eva shouted so loudly it echoed
around the room. Then she pulled herself up from the bed, walked over to the door of my
balcony, and stared out the window intently.
I knew from the way that her chest rose that she was trying not to cry, and it broke
my heart. Aunt Eva was only trying to keep me safe. I didn't want her to be upset, not
over something like this.
I walked over and joined her at the door, and we stood there and watched the rain. It
had picked up and fell in thick drops onto the glass and filled the room with the gentle
sound. It was peaceful and calm. After a minute or two, I looked at Aunt Eva and gave
her a small smile, and her lips pulled up into a small half-smile that vanished as quickly
as it had appeared.
"I'm sorry for raising my voice," she said quietly.
"It's okay," I replied, and then Aunt Eva pulled me into her arms and gave me a
huge hug. I hugged her back, and I noticed she was wearing some kind of really nice-
smelling perfume. It was something herbal, like rosemary and mint, and the scent was
really comforting.
When we pulled away, Aunt Eva gave me a more genuine smile.
"I love you, you know that, right?" she reminded me. "I'm only saying all of this
because I worry."
"I know, Aunt Eva," I said. "I understand, and I love you, too."
Suddenly, there was a loud buzzing sound, and my aunt pulled her phone out of her
pocket. When she glanced down at the screen, her nose crinkled, and I struggled to place
her expression.
"Everything good?" I asked as I wondered what the face was about.
"Yes, I just have to make a call," Aunt Eva said. Her fingers flew as she typed
something out, and she glanced up at me absently. "Why don't you go ahead and hang out
for a bit? I'll get breakfast together after I make this call."
I nodded, and Aunt Eva gave me a smile before leaving my room. I waited until I
heard her bedroom door close, and then I grabbed my backpack off my desk.
I knew my aunt cared about my well-being, and I felt bad for what I was going to
do, but I couldn't skip class right before midterms just because some other werewolf
might want to throw hands in the quad. I'd been working too hard this semester to just
throw it away, so I pulled on my jacket and my backpack and went out through the door
of my balcony. The rain fell strong against my face, and I knew my plan wasn't exactly
smart, but I had to get to class without Aunt Eva seeing me.
I'd gone up and down the balcony quite a few times over the years, mostly to go
hang out with Benji in his treehouse at night, but I'd never attempted it while it was
raining like this. The water added an element of danger that was a little scary, but I had
no other choice, so I delicately lowered myself over the edge and angled my foot to find
the trellis beneath me. It wasn't a super stable surface, and I hoped my new muscles didn't
add too much extra weight to my frame.
I managed to hook my foot into one of the slats, and I carefully started to climb
down. The rain made the surface a little slippery, but luck was on my side, and I made it
onto the yard with no trouble.
I thanked whatever guardian angel was looking out for me, and then I bolted as
quickly as possible before Aunt Eva could realize I was gone.
As I speed-walked down the sidewalk and toward the campus, I was feeling pretty
victorious, at least until yet another realization crashed over me like a heavy blanket.
Oh, no.
The Mini-Mart.
While there were a ton of convenience stores in Everleigh, that particular Mini-Mart
had been there for years. It wasn't as busy as some of the others, but it'd been there the
longest, and people were probably talking about the damage.
And oh, god, the cashier. She went to school with me, and I had no idea what I was
going to say to her if I ran into her on campus.
"Hey, sorry for changing into a werewolf and destroying the store. Hope the rest of
your shift was good!"
Nope. That was not going to go over well. She'd been held at gunpoint, robbed,
almost raped, and watched a random dude from her class get shot and then transform into
a terrifying monster all over the course of a few minutes. If she wasn't completely
traumatized by that whole experience, then she had to be some kind of monster herself.
Not only that, but I could only imagine what she had said to the cops.
I didn't even want to think about the legal ramifications of what happened the other
day. Not only had I damaged property, but I straight-up murdered three men. Sure, they
were criminals, but cops weren't exactly understanding when it came to vigilantes. They
fucking hated Batman, and he was just a cartoon, for crying out loud. I couldn't even
imagine what they'd do to me if I were caught. I'd be thrown in jail, or taken to some
government lab to be experimented on.
Maybe I should have stayed home after all.
I suddenly became paranoid as I neared the edge of campus, and I swore I could
feel people looking at me, so I ducked my head and quickened my pace. Even though I
knew I was almost late for class, I couldn't shake the image of running into the Mini-Mart
cashier on campus, her taking one look at my face, and then screaming her head off.
I needed to see what information was out there and if I was in serious danger of
being slapped in handcuffs or shipped off to some lab to be experimented on. I wouldn't
be able to focus in class if I didn't know, so I beelined for the closest computer lab,
practically sprinted inside, and collapsed dripping wet in a chair in front of one of the
monitors.
I only had a minute to spare, if that, so my fingers flew across the keyboard as I
googled "Mini-Mart" and "Everleigh." If I wasn't so on edge, I'd be more impressed with
how fast I could suddenly type now, but the thought subsided as my eyes started scanning
the first article that popped up.
I held my breath as I skimmed through the paragraphs at lightning speed, and a few
moments later, all the air left my lungs in a great whoosh.
"No fucking way," I muttered as I clicked to a different article, but it said much the
same thing.
The official report was that a group of men tried to rob the Mini-Mart and held a
cashier hostage, and the men were apparently felons with outstanding warrants from
various states for other violent crimes. But then there were little to no other details. The
cashier said that after she gave the robbers the money, she closed her eyes and tried to
hide, so she didn't see what happened next. All she heard were loud noises, which the
articles attributed to the broken windows and other destruction found inside the store.
The robbers were found dead not far from the Mini-Mart around a destroyed pick-
up truck. The men seemed to have been ripped apart by wild animals, and that was the
lead the police were currently pursuing.
The articles all ended with warnings about local wildlife and a hotline number to
call in case a potentially dangerous animal was spotted within city limits.
I sat back in my chair in a state of shock. Was I really in the clear? I knew the
cashier had seen me before I left the Mini-Mart, we even spoke, but I could understand
why she hadn't told the truth. I wouldn't want to be called crazy, either.
So, it sounded like I didn't have to worry about her, or the police either for that
matter. They'd declared it an animal attack, and even if they found evidence to the
contrary, I didn't think they'd be working overtime to find who brought a few violent
felons to justice.
My head was still spinning with all this information, but then I caught a glimpse of
the clock, and I cursed as I jumped to my feet and sprinted out of the computer lab.
As I ran, I pushed the dark thoughts of the Mini-Mart out of my mind. Those were
all things I would have to think about later. If I didn't book it, I was going to be late for
my first class, and Dr. Chase was a stickler for locking the door the second the clock hit
ten.
I sprinted the entire way there and was surprised by my newfound stamina.
Normally, I'd be out of breath and drenched in sweat, but my newly-changed body
handled the exercise with ease, and my legs actually felt good after the run.
I shook the rain off my jacket and then stepped into the building. The classroom
was just to the right of the door, so I made it to my seat pretty quickly.
Seats weren't assigned, but there was a general understanding when it came to
where you sat, and people tended to stay in the same seats all semester. I preferred to
remain invisible in the back of the room. It was nice and quiet back here, and I didn't
have to worry about anyone distracting me from the lecture. I hated that I was such a
goody-two-shoes bookworm, but I genuinely enjoyed learning and wanted to excel in my
courses.
As I pulled my textbooks out of my bag, I heard footsteps approaching my table,
and I frowned. No one ever came back here.
Then I looked up to see a beautiful girl smiling at me.
Her name was Hannah Pierce, and we'd gone to the same high school together. As a
former cheerleader, she was drop-dead gorgeous, with straight pale-blonde hair that hung
down to her curvy waist, big dark-brown eyes framed by long eyelashes, a perfectly-
sloped nose, and an amazing figure that made her completely unattainable.
Today, despite the rain, she wore a thin, light-blue sweater, but it barely covered her
midriff. The slightly damp fabric clung to her perfect body in ways that made me feel
warm and highlighted the assets that set her apart from all the rest. Hannah Pierce was
like a model, or a gorgeous angel sent to Earth to bring mortal men to their knees in
adoration.
So, what was she doing back here with a nerd like me?
"Is this seat taken?" Hannah asked, and her tone was breathy and irresistible as she
gestured at the seat next to me.
"No, go ahead. . ." I breathed, and before I could even finish, the beautiful blonde
pulled the chair out from the table and sat down beside me.
"Thanks," Hannah said, and when she smiled even wider, she revealed two rows of
perfectly pearly-white teeth straight out of an advertisement.
"No problem," I managed as I watched Hannah's eyes trail over me. Was she
checking me out?
What the fuck was happening? In all of our years together in school, she'd never
once acknowledged my presence, so why was she sitting next to me all of a sudden, a
week before the semester was over?
Hannah tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and bit her lip slightly, and I did all I
could not to stare at her perfect body as she leaned it closer toward me.
"So, are you new here or something, cutie?" she wondered as she twirled a strand of
hair around her finger. "I've never seen you back here before."
"No, I'm not new." I frowned in confusion. "It's me, Jesse Rafe? We went to high
school together?"
"I think I would have remembered you," Hannah laughed, and she tilted her head
slightly as she twirled her pointer finger through her long hair.
 "Uhhh. . . We sat next to each other in homeroom our senior year."
"No, I don't think so," she said, and when she shook her head, her golden hair
waved about her like she was some kind of princess in a fairytale. "I think I would have
remembered being in the same room as such a hunk."
"A hunk?" I repeated back, and Hannah's plump lip-glossed lips curled up into a
smile.
Before I could get another word in, Dr. Chase walked into the room.
"Cell phones away, please," she barked out in greeting, and the rest of the class
scrambled to put their phones away.
Dr. Chase was known to be a little bit of a hardass. I'd heard a rumor that she was
ex-military, and it showed in her terse, no-nonsense way of instructing. She was a stern
middle-aged woman with a perpetual frown but deceptively soft green eyes. It was easy
to look into the eyes and feel at ease, but the second Dr. Chase opened her mouth, you
could tell you'd made a mistake. She ran a very tight ship, and we all had to be as
attentive as possible in order to keep up.
I pulled out my notebook and pen and got ready to take notes. We were covering
one last section before our final exam next week, and I wanted to make sure I wrote down
everything I could. If I didn't pass, I would have to repeat the class, and I really didn't
want to have to face the humiliation of seeing Dr. Chase's disappointed face for another
semester.
Dr. Chase launched into the lecture, and my hand practically flew across my
notebook as I kept up. Yet, just as I'd noticed after running, I realized that my
coordination had improved, and speeding through the notes was a breeze. Normally, I'd
have been scribbling and crossing out every other word, but my hand kept pace, and my
focus had never been better.
That is, until Hannah started to mess with me.
As the lecture went on, she took notes much more slowly, and every so often I
would catch her as she peeked through her hair at me. Every time she caught me, she
would wink one of her pretty chocolate-colored eyes, and the blood would drain from my
brain to go to my crotch.
I vowed to not be distracted by Hannah and pushed my chair away slightly, but that
didn't do any good. Hannah gave a tiny frown, but it was replaced quickly with a flirty
smile. Then she let out a long, low breath and pulled her hair back into a bun. Now that
her hair was out of the way, her neck was fully on display, and my notes became less
important, and my mouth actually started to water.
Hannah grinned. She knew exactly what she was doing. God, she was so sexy.
She took long deep breaths, and every time she did, her impressive breasts pushed
against the thin fabric of her top. I realized she wasn't wearing a bra, and it took all of my
strength to look away from her and pay attention to the lecture. I resumed my notes and
kept my eyes away from Hannah, but as I listened to Dr. Chase, I started to feel hot and
uncomfortable, just like yesterday in Aunt Eva's kitchen.
 It was as if all of my senses had gone into overdrive. I could hear almost every
movement around me, from the guy two rows up who tapped his foot on the floor, to the
girl at the front who was picking at her nails. Even Hannah's innocent gum chewing
sounded oppressive in my ears.
It wasn't just sounds that rang in my ears, either. I began to notice scents lingering
in the air, a conglomerate of different odors that made me feel like I was trapped in a
candle store. There were so many different smells my head started to pound, and I wanted
to throw up.
I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to focus on the lecture. I just needed to get
through the next half hour, and I'd be okay.
As class dragged on slowly, I started to notice people looking at me, like they'd
never seen me before. To be fair, I'd always sat in the back, and most of them had never
interacted with me before, but today they especially took notice. I felt like a zoo animal
being gawked at, and I counted down the minutes until I could be free.
Is this what it felt like to be popular?
After an eternity of sounds, smells, and stares, class finished, and I couldn't have
shoved my stuff into my backpack any faster. I scrambled to get out of my seat, but
Hannah stopped me and put her hand on my arm.
"So, what're you doing after this?" she asked in a sultry voice, but I shook her hand
off. Hannah was all kinds of beautiful, and it was amazing she was even giving me the
time of day, but I had to get the fuck out of here and get away from everyone, or I was
going to explode.
"Gotta go!" I barely gave her a polite smile before I dashed out of the room.
I took off down the hall with no direction. I just needed to calm the fuck down and
get my senses under control. Aunt Eva warned me things would get intense, but I hadn't
realized it was going to be this bad.
I made it to the exit door with little difficulty, and I stepped outside into the fresh
air.
The rain had finally let up, but the sky was still gray and gloomy. I welcomed the
darkness. Any type of sunlight would be way too overwhelming in my current state.
I walked down the sidewalk until I reached my favorite bench outside of the fine
arts building. The long metal bench was tucked back and surrounded by thick green trees
that provided just enough privacy to feel safe, and it was my favorite spot to hide away
from everything.
I set my backpack down, let out a big sigh of relief, and flopped down onto the
bench with no regard for how wet it was from the rain. At this point, a little water
wouldn't hurt.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sound of the wind through the trees. It was like a
symphony all its own, and my nerves untangled with every note. Everleigh University's
campus could be a pretty chill place if you knew where to hide, and I certainly kept to
myself enough to know all of the best spots.
 I'd started to drift off into a relaxed slumber when I heard footsteps approaching.
Ugh, now what? My eyes flew open to see who'd found me, and I groaned when I
realized it was Benji.
Benji had been my best friend since first grade. We'd become friends after Matt
Jensen threatened to kick my ass, and Benji stepped in to defend me. From that point
forward, we'd been practically inseparable, and our bond had only gotten stronger when
we met Jake and the other guys.
As music majors, we spent most of our classes together, with the exception of a few
general studies courses. Usually, we were pretty bummed out if our classes didn't line up,
but today I was especially glad Benji wasn't in Dr. Chase's class.
"Dude, where the fuck were you the other night?" Benji asked as his hazel eyes
rolled playfully. Benji was almost always in a great mood regardless of the
circumstances, and even when he was giving me shit, he was chipper about it.
"Something, uh, came up," I muttered.
"Well, you sure did miss a quality session," he said as he ran a hand through his
dark-blond hair. "Though it would have been better if the person bringing the beverages
had bothered to show his face."
"Oh, fuck off," I laughed. "I had to, uh, help Aunt Eva with something."
The second the words left my mouth, I remembered Aunt Eva called Benji to ask
where I was. Shit. I'd really fucked this up.
Benji furrowed his brow and looked as if he were going to say something, but he
shrugged.
"It happens," he said, and I had to fight to keep from sighing in relief.
That had been way too close of a call. I prayed Benji wouldn't think about it too
hard later. I couldn't risk him finding anything out.
My best friend let out a huge yawn and stretched, and when he did, I noticed he was
holding his viola case.
Oh, fuck.
My violin.
I'd completely forgotten about my absent violin. How was I going to explain it to
Dr. Martin? How would I explain it to Benji?
"Hey, are you feeling alright?" he asked, and he eyed me with a look full of
concern.
"Um, I'm okay, I guess." I shook my head as it began to spin, and my fingertips flew
to my temples.
"Well, don't take this the wrong way, man, but maybe you should skip class and go
home." Benji frowned as his eyes flickered over me. "You look like shit."
"Gee, thanks, dude," I sighed as I continued to massage myself.
"No, no, no, I wasn't saying that to be a douche," he promised. "You just look like
you're gonna throw up, bro. Why don't you head home, I can go ahead and tell Dr. Collins
you weren't feeling well."
 "That, um, might be a good idea," I agreed. Skipping class might actually be a
better idea than trying to come up with explanations.
"Don't worry, dude, I'll take care of everything," Benji assured me, and when he put
his hand on my shoulder, I noticed this strange smell. It wasn't a body odor type of smell
since Benji was really particular when it came to personal hygiene. This was something
different. Benji usually smelled like laundry detergent and rain-scented shampoo, but
today. . . whatever lotion or body spray he'd used was super strong and made my nose
feel weird. It was almost like the smell on Aunt Eva, but it was more herbal than minty,
and it was a little overwhelming.
I moved away from his arm. The smell was too much right now, and my senses
were maxed out.
"I'm gonna head home," I said as I got up from the bench and grabbed my
backpack.
"Do you need me to walk you?" Benji gave me a sympathetic look.
"It's so short of a walk," I assured him with a wave of my hand. "The fresh air and
quiet will be good for me."
"You sure?" he asked. "I really want to make sure you get home okay. You're my
best friend."
"Yeahhhh. . . I'm good."
"Okay, well, call me when you get there," my friend replied. "I'll go ahead and talk
to Collins for you."
"Thanks, Benji." I smiled at him, and after he gave me a small nod, I turned on my
heels and continued my trek back. Once Benji was out of sight, I picked up my pace. I
wasn't quite ready to endure Aunt Eva's wrath, but I certainly couldn't face showing up to
class all cracked out and without my violin.
I weighed my options. As much as I needed to go to my classes, I couldn't handle
another potential meltdown in front of my classmates, so I needed a new plan. I could
always sneak back home, or pop on over to the Mini-Mart and scope out the damage I'd
caused, or completely ignore my problems and go get some food somewhere, but none of
those things sounded appealing. I couldn't be around a lot of people, not until I learned
how to control my senses and chill the fuck out.
That gave me an idea.
With Everleigh's large shifter population, there had to be some kind of information I
could look up to help me out, right? There had to be something in the library about
werewolves, and I was desperate to find a solution to my problem.
I changed my course and headed toward the library building.
Thankfully, the trek wasn't long, but when I stepped into the library, I felt an
immediate pang of regret. I'd completely forgotten the library was always packed with
students the week before midterms. Stupid me. Ugh, there was no way I'd be able to
handle that, but I needed to try and find some kind of information to help me out. I
couldn't skip class all week, so I braced myself and headed up the stairs to the stacks.
 For a small college, Everleigh University had a pretty large library with a vast
number of books. The stacks spanned nearly the entire upstairs portion of the library, and
the rest of the space was occupied by study rooms and tables. If I couldn't find anything
out in the books, I'd try the internet, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't find anything about
were creatures online besides a bunch of Twilight fanfics.
My first mission was to hunt down an unoccupied study room. Sitting out in the
middle of the library reading books about werewolves wasn't exactly the best plan, but
then again, I was a nerd, so that story could be plausible. If I was unfortunate enough to
run into anyone I knew, I could always claim it was video game or DnD research. I
decided not to risk it, though, and found a study room back in the corner.
I walked inside, turned on the light, and set my backpack down by the desk. The
study rooms were a safe and quiet place, so I didn't feel weird about leaving my bag in
there, and I needed my hands free so I could grab as many books as possible. I had no
idea how many werewolf-related books the library would have, but I hoped there would
be at least enough to help me out, so I left the study room and set out to peruse the stacks.
As I stood in the surprisingly vast space, I realized I didn't really know where to
begin. The library was kind of a sea full of information, and what I wanted was so
specific. After a brief glance-through, I decided my first step was to at least find the right
section, so I walked over to a reference computer, fired up the library's site, and typed in
"werewolf."
To my surprise, I was greeted by a long list of titles and even a few movies and
CDs. I thought of Aunt Eva and laughed to myself as I remembered her disdain for
werewolf films, and I cracked a smile until I remembered what happened this morning.
She was most definitely gonna kick my ass when I got home.
I ignored the list of movies and scrolled down to the list of different titles, and I
noticed they were all listed in a similar area.
The fiction section. Of course.
From what I could tell, the shifter population wasn't exactly 'out,' so all the books
about them would be classified as "fiction."
I groaned. This wasn't going to be easy.
Despite my disdain, I made note of the section of books, scribbled it down on a
piece of paper, and started hunting for the area. Even if it was all fiction, there was a
chance there was something helpful amongst the myths and stories of teenage girls and
forbidden love.
The lines of tall bookshelves made this place feel like a labyrinth. A musty, inky
labyrinth. My senses were still hyper aware, and I could smell the old ink in every single
book. It took everything to remain focused on my task, but finally, after what seemed like
forever, I located the section I was looking for. After a quick scan of the shelves, I
grabbed all of the titles that seemed promising and piled them up until my arms were full.
There was a lot to sort through, but this seemed like a better route than simply typing
"werewolf" into Google, so I would devote as much time as I needed to the task.
 I balanced the comically-tall stack in my arms and was all set to trek back to my
study room, when suddenly, a scent wafted by and completely stole my attention.
The perfume cut through the old-book smell like a sweet-scented knife, and it was
easily the most mouth-watering smell I'd ever inhaled. I didn't even care about the books
anymore.
I had to find the source of the scent.
I maneuvered through the stacks and tried to find the trail, but the books in my arms
made my movements difficult, so I abandoned them on a nearby table. I would go back
for them later, for now I just had to find out what smelled so good.
The scent wound in and out of the stacks, and I felt like a crazed lunatic. Why was I
so hypnotized by the smell, and what was it exactly? A candle? Food? Perfume? It didn't
matter. All I knew was I needed it, more desperately than anything else I'd ever needed
before.
As I hunted through the shelves, the scent became stronger, and my entire body
ached with need. With every inhale, I could feel my muscles tense, like I was doing a
workout or something. This was completely agonizing.
Why wasn't the smell staying still so I could reach it? What was with the run-
around?
I started walking faster, and in my haste, I accidentally bumped into a librarian.
"Slow down, young man!" she demanded with a glare as she pushed a cart full of
books down the aisle. "This is a library, not a gymnasium!"
"Sorry!" I whisper-shouted as I slowed down just enough to satisfy the grumpy old
woman, but once she was out of sight, I picked up my pace. I couldn't afford to lose it.
What was the fucking smell?
It was complex: sweet, almost like vanilla, sugary, but not in the gross kind of way
that grocery-store cupcakes smelled. No, this was more complicated than that. It was
pungent and tart and made my mouth water so hard I swore I was drooling. It was like a
key-lime pie, or a tall, refreshing glass of home-made lemonade.
My stomach growled, and I wanted to scream. Where was it coming from?
Suddenly, the scent stopped moving, and my heart screamed out in my chest. I was so
close to it, wasn't I?
I ducked around a corner and was practically knocked off my feet by the
overwhelming scent. Bingo. I had it cornered.
I looked down at the end of the aisle, desperate to see the source of the intoxicating
scent, and I met a pair of large blue-green eyes framed by thick, dark eyelashes. There,
standing amongst the shelves, was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and it took all
of my willpower to keep my jaw in place and off the floor.
The gorgeous girl in front of me was so otherworldly beautiful she put Hannah
Pierce to shame, if that was even possible.
She was tall, nearly six feet, or at least just shy of it, and her long, lithe body was
athletic, slim, and almost entirely legs. The girl had shiny golden-brown hair that flowed
in waves to the tops of her shoulders and set off a pair of wide, unusually vibrant teal-
blue eyes. Her skin was richly tan, and her perfectly fit body was clad in a tight white
long-sleeved top and a black skirt just short enough to make my skin feel even warmer
than usual. A backpack covered in cutesy chains and charms hung on her shoulders, and
she held a thick book in her hands.
I took a step toward her, and the scent I'd been chasing grew even stronger. It was
her. She smelled like nothing I'd ever smelled before, and as my blood boiled through my
veins, I realized what was going on.
Holy shit.
She was an omega.
Of course, I'd never met an omega before, but I had this strong feeling in my gut,
just like Aunt Eva said I would. It was an all-consuming desire, something so primal I
could hardly understand it. How could I have found an omega so quickly? I figured it
would have been years before I'd come across one, or at least far enough away that
mating wouldn't be a problem I'd have to face any time soon, but the fact of the matter
was, she was standing right there, and Aunt Eva was right.
I had to have her.
I'd never felt so powerfully drawn to a woman before. I'd had crushes, sure, but I'd
never experienced anything like this. Part of me felt guilty. This feeling was animalistic
and crazed, and I didn't feel like myself, but the other part of me was having none of that
nonsense. This woman was special, and being this far away from her was almost painful.
I made my way over to her, but before I could utter a single sound, she dropped the
books she was holding. They landed heavily on the floor, but the sound didn't even phase
her.
I reached her quickly and stood a foot away, purely out of restraint. Any closer, and
I was sure I'd combust.
Then the girl took a long deep breath, and her exquisite eyes grew larger. I watched
her pupils dilate, and she locked on to me with a shocked gaze.
"Ohhh, noooo," she whined.

Chapter 4
The moment the words left her lips, a shiver traveled up my spine, and a sharp
exhale followed it.
"You know what I am?" I growled as I took a step closer to her.
"Yesss. . ." she whispered, but it almost sounded like a moan as I watched her
nipples urgently press against the fabric of her blouse. "Alpha. . . I. . . I'm taking blockers.
. . but. . . ohhh. . . How did you smell me? Fuckkkk. . ."
"You smell so fucking goodddd," I whispered.
"You also smell so good," she whined as her cheeks turned red, and her pupils
dilated. "Please. . . please be gentle with me?"
 "I don't know if I can. . ." I growled as she began to tremble. My entire body ached
with need as my eyes trailed over the beautiful girl, and my intense desire was so strong it
was almost as if I was possessed or something.
"Ohhhh," she panted as she glanced around the aisle. "Then. . . now? Here? I'll be
too loud. I think."
I fixated on her full, curled-up lips, and the way her peach-colored lip gloss glinted
in the low light made my hunger deepen. I was consumed by her scent, and I knew there
was only one thing to do.
"Come with me," I growled, and I was surprised at how easily the commanding tone
slipped out of my mouth.
The gorgeous girl nodded wordlessly, and once I gripped her hand in mine, I pulled
her down the rows of stacks.
I had no set destination in mind, I just knew I needed to have her. I had half a mind
to slip under her skirt right then and there, but there was an entire abandoned section in
the back of the library that I knew no one ever bothered with, and I was about to claim it
as ours.
The intoxicating citrus and vanilla scent of her body filled my nostrils, and I
salivated as the taste of her reached my tongue. I wanted nothing more than to taste her
further, but I wasn't about to do it with an audience of college students, especially ones I
might have classes with.
Man, who was I? Yesterday, I'd been an introvert who hardly knew how to say two
words to a girl, and today I was the type of guy to lead a girl to an abandoned, yet still
public space to have her all to myself.
Not that the girl was a normal girl, of course.
An omega, right here on campus. What were the odds I'd have found her so soon?
This was like fate, something that happened in an adventure book, not in real life, but
then again, I was a werewolf. None of this felt like real life, at least not the one I'd been
used to.
Finally, we reached the back of the library, and after a quick sweep of the
abandoned and somewhat empty shelves, I refocused my attention on the girl. She
seemed to want me as much as I wanted her if her hooded eyes and heavy pants were any
indication, and when she licked her lips, I couldn't wait any longer.
She needed to be mine. I had to have her.
Our hands were still interlocked, so I pulled her to me, and to my delight, those
peach-glossed lips of hers parted slightly as she released an excited sigh.
"No one can see us back here," she whispered in a voice so breathy I nearly lost
myself before I could begin, and without hesitation, I swept the girl into my arms. Her
studded backpack crashed to the ground as her many charms and chains clinked together,
but neither of us gave it any attention. I was too busy bringing my lips to hers, and when
we kissed, something ignited inside of me.
My lips pressed against hers with urgency, and with every motion, I noticed our
bodies getting closer and closer to one another. I'd made out with a small handful of girls,
but this was far more intense than anything I'd experienced before. The kisses I was
exchanging with this omega were hungry, passionate, and the closer we grew, the hotter
my entire being burned. I could feel it in my veins as she reached up and tangled her
fingers in my hair, and when she yanked ever so slightly, I groaned with pleasure.
"Harder," I practically growled before I could consider what I was saying. "Pull
harder."
The omega obliged, and when her sharp nails touched my scalp as she tugged on
my hair, a tingle ran up my spine.
Fuck, she was so sexy.
I crashed my lips back onto hers, and we resumed where we'd left off. The moment
my tongue slipped into her mouth, the exquisite, hard-to-describe citrusy vanilla taste of
her exploded around me, and I nearly crashed to my knees from the sensation. Her kiss
and her taste were like fireworks or a lightning strike, and as our tongues tangled
together, I couldn't stand it any longer.
I pulled away long enough to see where I was going, and I carried her over to a
half-empty, at least ten-foot-tall bookshelf. Once we were there, I shifted the omega's
body in my arms and propped her up against the stacks, and after she was secure, I
brought my hands down to cup her toned, firm ass. Then I slipped under her skirt and
squeezed her cheeks.
"Oh, yesssss," the omega whined, and the girl's long legs wrapped around my waist.
The warmth of her skin combined with the vanilla-lime scent of her body was almost too
much to bear, and I was ready to make her mine in every sense of the word.
"Fuck," I whispered. I'd never been so hard before, and the ache that radiated
through my lower half was almost unbearable.
This wasn't like me. I wasn't a virgin, but I also wasn't the type of man who had sex
with a stranger he'd met in a library. However, Aunt Eva had been right-- this was nothing
about the man I once was.
Introverted Jesse Rafe wasn't here anymore. Here, I was an Alpha werewolf who
needed to claim the beautiful Omega female as his, location be damned.
I hiked the girl's skirt up more to give me better access, and when I did, I was
delighted to find a flimsy white G-string underneath. I tore it from her between her thighs
like it was made of tissue paper, and once she was free of her underwear, I got a better
look at her glistening pussy. Aside from a faint landing-strip of tawny hair, the omega
was completely bare, and I admired the slickness of her lower lips.
"I'm so wet for you. They told me. . . that my body would respond to you, but I've
never felt like this. . . I've never felt a need like this. Please, hurry. Please, fuck me." She
purred like a cat as she spoke, and I could practically feel the vibrations reverberate
through my bones.
"Yessss. . ." I growled in a voice like broken glass and gravel. I skimmed my
fingertips over her lips, down her long, graceful neck, and then stopped just past her
collarbone at the neckline of her top.
The girl raised her chin slightly, and her blue-green eyes practically dared me to
proceed, so I took her up on the offer and ripped the thin white fabric of her blouse open
just as easily as I had torn her panties off. The gorgeous omega wasn't wearing a bra, and
I admired her pert, perfect breasts. They were on the smaller side, but they suited her
lean, athletic body well. Her nipples stiffened in the cool air, and I admired their peachy-
pink color. I practically salivated as my eyes flickered over the peaks, and before I could
stop myself, I immediately took her right breast into my mouth and sucked. Her skin was
delightfully warm and soft, and her alluring scent intensified the closer I got to her.
As my tongue lapped at her bud, I raised my other hand and used it to squeeze and
massage her other breast. The omega's chest rose and fell rapidly as she whined, and with
each tweak and knead, the sound of her moans crescendoed.
"Oh, Alphaaaaa," she mewled, and when I raised my mouth from her breast, I was
met with the sight of her head hanging back in pleasure.
God, she was fucking gorgeous, and while I considered introducing myself,
something about hearing her call me 'alpha' made me feel powerful, like some kind of
badass.
"Say it again," I groaned, and the omega fixed her lovely eyes on me.
"What?" she breathed. "Alpha?"
"Yesssss." I nodded, and I trailed my fingertips against her jaw. "Say it again.
Slower this time."
"Al-phaaaa," she repeated, and I cupped her cheek in mine and pulled her to me. We
kissed for a moment, and then I shifted away long enough to reach down, unzip my pants,
shimmy them down my hips, and release my almost-painfully hard dick from their
prison.
The omega's eyes widened as she took in the sight, and she licked her lips. She was
practically drooling, and her need for me was one of the sexiest things I'd ever seen.
I adjusted the woman's hips slightly, and my cock seemed to take on a mind of its
own as I guided it under the omega's skirt. Before the tip of my shaft even made contact, I
could feel the wetness physically dripping off her and onto the tip of my penis, and I was
impressed she was already so thoroughly soaked.
Her scent had also become deeper, richer, more complex, like the most decadent
key-lime pie in existence, and a primal urge to taste her rose up inside me like a dam on
the verge of bursting.
I stopped my thrust just before my tip grazed her pussy lips. Then I shuffled the
trembling woman around in my grip so I could swipe the fingers of my left hand through
her slickness and bring them to my lips, and a growl rumbled up through my chest as I
stared at the translucent droplets saturating my hand. Then I shoved them into my mouth,
and the omega's flavor exploded across my tongue. I'd never tasted something so
delicious, so consuming.
She was like sun-kissed summer days and the richest dessert ever concocted, and I
wanted nothing more than to devour her every day for the rest of my life. The blood
roared in my ears as I sucked every trace of her juices off my skin, and my cock throbbed
almost painfully when I met her hooded blue-green gaze.
"Already so wet for me, baby," I murmured as I pulled my fingers out of my mouth
with a pop, and I was surprised by my sudden boldness. Then I half-considered hoisting
her up even further so I could eat her out to my heart's content, but when the omega
arched against me and parted her lips around a silent, begging moan, I knew I had to be
inside her.
Right now.
"Do you want me?" I growled as I pinned her further against the bookshelf and
reached down to grip my rock-hard shaft. "Do you want my cock buried inside you? Do
you want me to pump a gallon of my cum into your womb?"
I had no idea where the words were coming from, but something deep inside me felt
right saying them.
The omega gave me the tiniest of nods as her pupils dilated, and then I moved in
further. When I pressed the tip of my dick against her entrance again, the girl's lips
formed an "o" of surprise, and when I pushed in further, she let out a soft moan.
"Fuck meeeee, Alpha," she begged, and I slipped in just a little bit further. She was
so tight I could feel each individual pulse of her velvet soft walls, and it was a definite
turn-on. I teased her for a moment longer and enjoyed the way she pleaded for me to go
further, and finally I couldn't take it anymore. I thrust into her completely, and when the
walls of her pussy constricted around me like a fist, something went off inside of me.
This was a sensation I'd never experienced before.
If our kisses were like lightning strikes, the feeling that spread through every fiber
of me was an inferno. The groan that rose up from my chest was a sound so animalistic I
barely recognized it came from me, and when I pulled out of the omega and then thrust
back inside of her even deeper, I was possessed by a primal force. It was like I was on
autopilot, and my body knew what to do as I slammed into her with deep, rhythmic
strokes.
"You're so fucking tight," I groaned as she clenched around me. It was as if our
bodies were made for one another, and I admired the way we fit together like puzzle
pieces.
"Ohhhh, Alphaaaa," she began to moan loudly as my tip rubbed against the deepest
parts of her body, and while part of me was amused and aroused by her cries, I didn't
want to get thrown out of the library before I could properly fuck her, so I brought my
finger to her mouth and held it there.
"Shhh," I growled in her ear. "Be a good girl and stay quiet for me, okay?"
The omega nodded rapidly, but then her tongue poked through her lips, and she
licked my finger. She moved her tongue artfully and pushed my finger down, and when it
was horizontal, she reached out and bit it playfully.
A laugh rose up from her, and the girlish giggle combined with her bratty behavior
turned me on further. There was something curious about this girl, and I could only
imagine all the things I wanted to do to her.
The bookshelf above us quaked as I pumped into the omega, and a few books began
to fall as they were jostled around. I managed to move her out of the way before a large
volume could crash down onto her head, and she gave me a surprised face when the
heavy book fell to the ground.
"Oops," she whispered, and her smile revealed a set of perfect, pearly-white teeth
with small but sharp-ended canines. The omega was both adorable and sexy, and for a
moment, I got lost in the beauty of her face.
We continued on against another shelf, but the same situation happened again, only
this time, the entire structure began to teeter. If it were to fall, there was a chance it would
crash, and an even stronger chance either of us could get hurt, so I craned my neck
around the area, but we were still as alone as we were before.
"Hang on," I murmured, and then I stepped away from the shelf and carefully
lowered us down to the ground, where I knew we had little chance of knocking anything
over. The omega's golden-brown hair flared out around her prettily when I laid her down
on the floor, and it wasn't long until I leaned down and resumed kissing her.
This time, the pressure I placed against her was more insistent than ever, and the
more I devoured her, the louder my heart pounded in my ears. I thrust into the beautiful
woman even deeper, and her body quaked and bounced with every stroke. Something
took over my soul as I thrust into her, and I allowed it to take full control of my body
until I was barely even Jesse Rafe anymore. The force of my thrusts would have shoved
her across the carpet if I wasn't holding her hips in a tight, bruising grip, but the omega's
breasts still bounced up and down rapidly as she arched into my body.
"Claim meeeee," she begged me in a strained voice as her eyes started to roll back.
"Fill me with your seed, Alpha. Knot me, breed me, please! Give me your everything!"
"Shhh," I urged her, but her cries only added to my pleasure.
"Knot in me," she whimpered as she dug her sharp nails into my shoulders, and she
was dripping so much, the wet sounds of my thrusts echoed through the air. "P-Please,
Alpha."
"I-I don't know what you're asking for," I grunted as I started to lose my rhythm,
and I went light-headed as my vision began to tunnel. She was so tight it was actually
becoming hard to move in and out of her spasming walls, so I bottomed out inside her
and ground my pelvis against her swollen clit.
"Fill meeeeeeeeee," she nearly sobbed, and when the walls of her pussy tightened
even further around me like a vise, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head, I knew
she'd reached her peak. "Breed with meeee. . . Ohhhhhhhhh, Alpha!"
The sound of her climax was enough to finally push me over the edge, and as the
omega quivered around me, I felt a strange sensation at the base of my cock. Pressure
built up inside me, followed by a rush of molten heat. For a moment, the heated feeling
was alarming, but my surprise turned to immense pleasure as the tip of my cock pressed
urgently against something deep inside of the beautiful woman.
"Ohhh. . . fuckkkkk. . ." I growled as the resistance suddenly gave way, and then the
omega's tunnel gripped me like a fist.
And she didn't let go.
It was a pressure that I never could have imagined crushing my shaft right below
the head of my cock. I tried to pull out and thrust back in right before I exploded, but the
omega and I were locked together somehow, and I could only push deeper and deeper and
deeper into her. It was almost like I was being sucked inside of her womb, and after a
tingling sensation rose up through my abdomen and into my head, I erupted like a
volcano inside of the gorgeous girl.
We hadn't bothered with any kind of protection, but as my cum surged forth into her
with the power of a tsunami, I wasn't even worried about it. I didn't care if she got
pregnant. Hell, I wanted her to get pregnant. I needed her to get pregnant. There was no
way she wouldn't get pregnant.
We were two halves of one whole, and I was made to give her a child just as much
as she was made to bear me them.
"Alphaaaaa," the omega mewled as she writhed on my spraying cock.
"Fuccccccccccccccck," I growled out in a primal voice. "You're miiiiiiine!"
As my orgasm coursed through me and rocked my body in waves, I leaned down
until I reached the crook between her neck and shoulder and brought my lips to her
warm, soft skin. I kissed it gently, and then I opened my mouth and bit into her. The
omega inhaled sharply, but her moan was like a symphony as I increased the pressure.
She seemed to be a fan of painful pleasure, and something about the bite gave me
immense satisfaction, like I'd officially staked my claim on her skin just as I claimed her
womb with my sperm.
"And I'm yours," the omega whispered, and I kissed the reddening spot on her neck
one last time before meeting her lovely eyes. Their color seemed even more vibrant, if
that was even possible, and I was hypnotized by the strange shade of them. The woman
was glowing, like she was backlit by the sun, and for a moment, I felt a swell of pride.
She was glowing because of me, because of what I'd just given her.
I'd given her a baby. Some primal part of me knew it like I knew the sun was going
to rise every day.
This feeling was better than conquering a particularly difficult piece of music, or a
difficult boss in a video game, or completing a successful DnD mission. I'd never had
something so random and awesome happen to me, and as I caught my breath, I reached
down and brushed a damp strand of hair away from the omega's face.
"I'm just curious. . . how did you find me?" the girl wondered as her chest continued
to rise and fall with her heavy breaths.
"Hmm?" I muttered. "I. . . I just smelled you and kept walking toward you."
"But. . . how?" she asked. "I said before, but. . . I'm in a heat cycle."
"Heat cycle?" I blinked as her words began to snake into my sex-addled brain.
 "Yes," she purred as she stroked my face. "I've been taking my suppressors. You
shouldn't have been able to smell me. Hell, I didn't even know you were on campus. I've
been avoiding the other alpha."
"The other alpha?"
"He's such an asshole," she chuckled. "I didn't want to breed with him. That's why
the suppressors help. It lets us omegas choose, but again, you weren't even on my radar.
Are you new at school?"
"No, I'm a junior," I said. "I just. . . kinda came into my powers recently."
"What?" she asked. "What does that mean? How did you come into them recently?"
"Uhhh. . . I'm just normally not on this side of the campus," I said. It was pretty
much true, since I normally never came to the library.
"You still shouldn't have been able to smell me," she said. "How did you follow my
scent? It's really strange. Suppressors always work."
"I just. . . did," I replied, though now that she'd brought it up, I wondered the same
thing.
Aunt Eva had told me omegas took the pills to mask their scents from alphas, but
I'd been able to sense her almost immediately.
"This doesn't make sense," she whispered to herself. "I've never had problems
hiding before. . ."
The girl continued to talk to herself, but I could hardly focus on the words coming
out of her mouth when I was so consumed by everything else about her. I'd been attracted
to plenty of girls before, but my attachment to this omega was stronger than that. It wasn't
love since I barely knew her, but it was something deeper I couldn't yet explain.
"I'm not really sure how it happened," I admitted to her. "I just happened to smell
you as I was passing by, and the rest. . . well, you know the rest."
"Huh, interesting," she noted. "Hmm. Maybe you're just more powerful than the
others, or maybe I was meant to be yours. Every omega is eventually claimed by an
alpha, and. . . well. . . I can't say I'm unhappy with our relationship so far."
We took another moment to catch our breaths, and then I remembered I was still
crazy deep inside her, so I decided to ease myself out of her, but for some reason,
something felt strange. I equated the resistance to exhaustion, but when I moved my hips
again, I realized something was wrong.
Was I stuck inside of her?
"Holy fuck, what's going on?" I gasped, and I began to panic. Was there not enough
lubrication between us, or was there another explanation? I'd paid enough attention in
health class to know her vagina couldn't possibly be so tight it could trap me, but I was
definitely anchored inside of her.
What the actual fuck was happening?
"Stop moving around," the omega insisted, and then a confused expression crossed
her face. "Why are you freaking out, Alpha?"
"Ummmmm, maybe because my dick is stuck inside of you?" I raised my voice as a
sheen of sweat broke out across my face. "What's happening, and why can't I move?"
"Because of the knotting?" the omega asked, and her face became only more
confused. "Jesus, Alpha, why are you acting so confused? This is just basic biology
between shifters."
"I-I don't understand." I shook my head, and when I tried to tug again, I felt a small
amount of pain.
"Seriously, stop moving," the omega pressed, and after she studied me for a
moment, she continued on. "We're going to be here for a little bit. This is how we mate,
remember? The knot at the base and head of your cock keeps us connected to ensure your
seed sprays directly into my womb. It helps our kind increase our chances of
reproduction."
"Reproduction?" I repeated back, and my head started to spin further.
"Yeahhhh. . ." She narrowed her beautiful eyes at me a bit. "You know. . .your penis
forces open my cervix so you can fill up my womb with your sperm? Why are you asking
weird questions?"
"Sooo. . . you are pregnant?" I whispered as I realized that just half a minute ago I'd
been trying my damndest to ensure just that.
"Feels like it," the girl said as she gave me a smile. "You poured like. . . three
gallons inside of me. I'm not complaining, though, I feel really, really, really good right
now. Way better than the stories led me to believe I'd feel."
"Yeah," I said. "It felt amazing. Just. . . yeah."
"Kiss me?" she whispered, and I lowered my face down so our mouths and tongues
could meet.
She was still incredibly delicious, and her vanilla, mint, and honey taste filled me.
Our bodies began to move together again slowly, and we both let out moans when our
lips parted.
"You somehow got harder inside me," she whispered in my ear as her legs moved
up to wrap around my hips.
"You feel so fucking good," I panted as my hips started to speed up.
"Yesss. . ." she sighed. "God, you feel so good, tooooo. I don't know if I can take
any more of your cum, though. My womb is so full right now."
"You are going to," I growled.
Then we were fucking again. She somehow felt even tighter around me than before,
and I couldn't really pull out all the way, but I kept pushing deeper into her scorching hot
body while I pulled her hips into me. Her soft moans became desperate cries, but then I
covered her mouth with my hand.
This put her over the edge, and her climax vibrated through her body like an
earthquake. Her eyes opened wide when she came, and she cried out into the hand I had
covering her mouth.
And she was so fucking tight, wet, and hot around my cock.
"Yessss. . ." I growled as her climax caused me to tip over the edge, and then the
knot in my stomach released. I sprayed deep inside of her again, and then I replaced the
hand covering her mouth with my lips, and we devoured each other's kisses as if we were
starving.
The library's aisles spun around us, and my vision darkened. When I blinked my
eyes open, I was still deep inside of her, and she was purring soft coos as she gently
kissed my neck and ran her nails through the hair in my scalp.
"Incredible," she whispered.
"Yeah," I said as I tried to pull out but couldn't.
"You are still knotting inside of me," she purred. "Soooo. . . goodddd. . ."
"We should, uhhh, try to get out of here."
"Probably," she agreed.
"H-How long does this go on for?" I asked her, and I cast a quick glance around us
as my cock rubbed deep circles inside of her.
She was so fucking tight and wet, I just couldn't believe it.
"Anywhere between ten and thirty minutes," she purred, but then her expression
changed, and her eyes narrowed again. "Wait a moment. . . this was your first time, wasn't
it? You haven't been with another shifter before?"
"I haven't." I shook my head, and then I quickly amended my statement so she
didn't think I was a total loser. "I mean, I've been with a girl before, but she definitely
wasn't an omega."
"Well, I love that I could be your first." The omega winked at me. "This explains a
lot actually. If it makes you feel better, you're mine as well."
"Ohh," I chuckled.
"It's just that, you know. . . it's kinda dumb, but. . ." she hesitated, and then she
looked at me silently as she continued to scratch her fingers through my thick hair.
"What?" I asked.
"We. . . omegas almost never get a choice, so I kinda wanted to choose."
"What do you mean?"
"Just. . . the blockers would let me hide, then I could find an alpha I liked before he
claimed me."
"And I took that away from you," I stated as my stomach dropped.
"It's okay." She smiled as she ran her fingers over my mouth. "It's. . . it's. . . I'm
really attracted to you. It's the alpha and omega thing, but I can see in your eyes you are
worried about me. I. . . I like that. You care a lot about me. Most alphas wouldn't give a
shit. Or so I've heard, I only know the one at our school, and he's a serious piece of shit.
It's crazy to think you were here at school with me the whole time, and we never ran into
each other. Also crazy that none of the other females knew about you."
"I'm kind of a nerd," I said. "I try to just do my own thing and don't really make
public appearances."
"Then we got lucky today." She smiled sweetly at me and brushed her fingers
across my face. I'd never had a woman look at me with so much adoration, and my cock
throbbed inside her tight grip again.
"I don't know if I'll ever be able to pull out of you, but we probably need to leave."
"Yeah," she said. "I don't know if it would help, but you could close your eyes for a
bit and try to meditate? Try to slow your heartrate as you climb down from your high."
I did as the omega instructed and closed my eyes, but I was far from calm. Our
tangle had been the single greatest moment of my life, but this knotting thing. . . I was a
little agitated Aunt Eva hadn't bothered to mention any of this. I know she was trying not
to overwhelm me with every single aspect, but as the omega said, this was apparently
basic biology, and something I really needed to know as an alpha.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but after a bit, I managed to clear my mind
and focus on the heartbeat of the beautiful girl beneath me. Her citrus-sweet smell was
enough to lull me into a state of bliss, so I allowed myself to be consumed by her essence.
As the minutes went by, I felt the pressure begin to leave my lower half, and when I
experimentally wiggled my hips, I found I could move again.
"Can I--" I began to ask, and the omega nodded her head in response.
I carefully eased myself out of her, and then I gasped when I saw my dripping wet
cock. I'd never thought of myself as a really big dude, so I was shocked to see the
anaconda I slid out of the woman's gushing vagina.
My penis looked like it was fourteen-inches long, and as thick as a cucumber.
"Damnnn," I whispered. I'm. . . huge."
"You're so cute," she giggled. "No one ever told you how this works? Your penis
has to penetrate all the way past my cervix and into my womb. I won't get pregnant
otherwise. My cervix keeps out sperm from betas. Look at how much you put inside of
me."
"Yeah," I growled as I watched a flow of my sperm gush out from between her
pussy lips.
She reached down between her legs to push my cream back inside of her, but there
was just too much, and it got onto the carpet of the aisle and clung to her inner thighs.
Something about the sight of my cum and her juices glistening on her was extremely
sexy, and her knowing smile revealed she felt the same.
"I need my backpack," she whispered.
"Here." I gave it to her, and she rummaged around inside and pulled out another
pair of underwear and what looked like a menstruation pad.
"I'm dripping your sperm everywhere," she muttered as she slipped the pad over the
crotch of her underwear and then put the panties back on. "That should help."
After I rose to my feet, I helped her off the ground, and she gave me a shy smile
before she leaned up to kiss me. I wrapped my hands around her narrow waist while we
kissed, and we were both panting when we broke apart.
"I can't keep my lips off you," she moaned softly. "I want you again."
"This is crazy," I whispered. "Are. . . are you sure you are pregnant?"
"Probably," she whispered as she took my hand in hers. "Since you're such a strong,
powerful alpha. The way you took me. . . that was so incredibly sexy, and I have just. . .
so much sperm in my womb. This is how it works. I'm your woman now."
"My. . . woman?"
"You are adorable." She blushed and smiled sweetly at me. "I am happy to be your
first mate. Let's get out of here."
"Do you think anyone saw or heard us?" I pulled my boxers and pants back into
place and zipped up my jeans.
"Even if they did, I wouldn't mind," the omega giggled, and when she bent over to
pick up her discarded backpack, her skirt rose up, and I got a peek at her firm ass.
God, I wanted to fuck her again.
"You're a naughty girl, aren't you?" I smirked at her. "I can tell you're a
troublemaker."
"Oh, you have no idea." The omega winked as she unzipped her bag, retrieved an
emerald-green Everleigh University t-shirt, and pulled it over her head.
"Good thing you were prepared," I remarked as I noted the shredded swath of fabric
that was once her blouse. "Sorry about your top."
"I got it at a thrift store for two dollars, so don't even worry about it," the omega
noted. "I was going to go to the gym after class, so I'd packed some spare clothes, but it
looks like I've gotten in my work out for the day."
"It was probably a lot more fun than dealing with the gym bros and yoga girls,
anyway," I joked.
"Hey, I just so happen to be one of those yoga girls," she pretended to be offended,
but her giggle gave her away. "Don't knock it til you try it."
"Fair enough," I laughed.
The omega zipped her bag up, and then she slipped her arms through the straps and
secured it to her back. "Now, let's talk logistics. I live over on Redwood Lane, which isn't
too terribly far from here. If you live at least anywhere close to the university, it shouldn't
be too much of a hassle to move my stuff over to your place, not that I own too many
things anyway. . ."
"Your stuff?" I asked.
"Well, yeah." The omega tilted her head to the side. "My clothes, computer, school
books, stuff like that. I can't just leave those things in my apartment, and I'm definitely
going to need to change at some point. . ."
"I'm really confused here," I admitted as my mind struggled to wrap around her
words.
"I'm probably going to need some help." She raised an eyebrow, and then she
crossed her arms against her chest. "Unless you'd rather I do it all myself. I mean, I'm a
big girl, so I can handle it if you want me to deal with it myself, but you're clearly pretty
damn strong."
I wasn't exactly an expert when it came to speaking with women, but the words
coming out of the omega's mouth may as well have been foreign, because I was not
following what she was saying. Suddenly, I recalled a certain part of her sentence that I'd
glossed over before.
"Wait, you said 'my place,'" I realized. "Why are you moving your things into my
place. Are you. . . asking to move in with me?"
"Of course." She frowned in confusion. "How else are you going to protect me,
Alpha?"
"Are you in some kind of danger?" I grasped at straws, and finally, the omega let
out a huff.
"Uhhh, yes," she snorted as she rested her hands on her slender hips. "Did you not
feel the bond between us snap into place after we mated; just after you bit me? I'm your
mate now, Alpha. I belong to you, but every other alpha will try to take me from you and
then kill you and our baby."

Chapter 5
"Wait," I insisted as my mind spiraled in a million different directions, and I held
my hands up in front of me. "Let's pump the brakes for a moment, okay?"
"You didn't want to pump the brakes a few minutes ago." The girl frowned, and then
she tried to reach out to me. "What's the problem, Alpha? Don't you want me? Was it not
as good for you as it was for me--"
"No, no, you were. . . it was. . ." I struggled, and then I took a deep breath. Fuck, I
was blowing this big-time. "It was awesome. Trust me, that was probably the greatest
thing that's ever happened to me in my entire life, b-but I don't even know your name, or
anything else about you for that matter, and now you're talking about moving in with me?
And being my mate?"
"I'm Nikita," she introduced herself with a raised caramel-brown eyebrow. "Nikita
Barnes, if you want my last name, but then again, that's not going to matter since I'll be
taking yours soon enough--"
"Whoa, Nikita," I shook my head back and forth as I tried to wrap my brain around
all of this. "Let's slow down, like. . . more slower. . . errr, down. I don't understand what
you're talking about."
"Okay, your innocent act is becoming less cute, now." Nikita's eyebrows furrowed
further in confusion. "Why are you acting like you have no idea how any of this works?
First, you didn't understand knotting, and now this? This isn't groundbreaking
information. You just got me pregnant, Alpha--"
"Jesse," I corrected her, and then I rubbed the back of my neck and tried to figure
out how to say the next part without offending the beautiful omega. "My name is Jesse
Rafe, not alpha."
"Jesse," Nikita repeated back to me. "Jesse, how is it you have no idea how being a
shapeshifter works?"
"It's kind of a long story," I sighed.
 "Well, you can tell me on our way out of here," the beautiful woman said before I
could continue, and then she placed her hands on her hips again. "Come on, we have to
get going."
"We can't leave until you give me some answers, Nikita," I insisted. "This is a lot to
process at once, and I'm going to need you to clarify a few things before we go
anywhere."
"Look, I'll answer anything you don't understand, but we can't stick around the
library," she warned as her blue-green eyes darted back and forth, and her neck craned
around. "There are too many people, and I don't want to risk running into the other alpha
now that my suppressors aren't active."
"Why wouldn't they be active?"
"Now that we've mated, you've overridden my suppressors," Nikita explained, and
when I still didn't get it, she continued. "The moment you claimed me, the pills stopped
masking my scent, and I won't be able to blend in as just another beta like I could before,
and this puts me at risk of getting found and followed by any other alpha in the area."
"H-How many other alphas are in the area?" I wondered as my blood ran cold. After
taking Nikita, I was on top of the world, but now that we were coming out of our sex-
induced haze, I was remembering everything else about the real world, including the fact
I was a brand-new alpha in a town with other shapeshifters.
"Just the one," she replied. "He's a real piece of shit and in nearly all of my classes,
but he hasn't paid much attention to me because of the blockers. If I were to come near
him now. . . well, things wouldn't go well. He'd fight you immediately, and if he won. . .
well. . . I don't want to lose you."
"You said I'm your mate," I said slowly. "Does that have any effect on other alphas?
If you're mine, what do the others matter? Why would he want to fight me?"
"I am yours, but if we ran into another alpha, he would challenge you to a fight and
try to steal me away from you," Nikita stated in a matter-of-fact voice. "But even with
little-old-me aside, alphas are highly territorial, especially over omegas they can breed
with, so there would be a fight between you no matter what."
"Right," I said, and I suddenly remembered why Aunt Eva hadn't wanted me to
leave the house in the first place. "Alright, so we need to get out of here. Is there a way
we can mask your scent long enough to slip off-campus? You can come back home with
me, and we can sit down and talk everything out like regular people."
Nikita shook her head. "Mask my scent? Not really. There's no denying I'm yours,
and no possible way we can completely hide my scent now that my suppressors are
ineffective. The best we can probably do is try to sneak out of here as quickly as possible.
Do you have a car?"
"No, I live close enough to campus to walk," I said.
"Good." She nodded. "Okay, well, walking all the way to your place isn't exactly an
option, but I'm parked in the lot next to the Russell building--"
"That's four buildings away." My eyebrows shot up. "We'd have to book it--"
 "Then I'd suggest you gather your stuff and follow me." Nikita nodded at the stack
of books we'd toppled during our intense lovemaking sessions. "I hope you didn't need
any of those."
"I need to get my backpack from the study room in the back," I noted, and for a
moment, the visual of the werewolf books I'd abandoned in favor of pursuing Nikita
flashed through my mind, but if this was all as urgent as the omega insisted, there wasn't
time to replace the novels. The librarian wasn't likely to be happy with me, but better
some discarded books than me accidentally wolfing out on the off-chance that another
alpha was in the library with us.
Until I knew how to control the beast within me, I needed to listen to experienced
shifters like Nikita and Aunt Eva, so I decided to trust my new lover.
"Then let's go get it," Nikita decided, and without further hesitation, the beautiful
girl and I maneuvered out of the abandoned section of the library.
Thankfully, the place seemed to be pretty bare for a random afternoon, and I
thanked my lucky stars no one had seen Nikita and I's intense display of passion. Now
that I'd come down from the high of tangling with the leggy blonde, I felt flickers of the
rational Jesse Rafe returning to my body, and he was a little concerned about this entire
thing.
I'd never had a serious relationship before, and now I had a beautiful werewolf
mate? This all sounded so sci-fi I could hardly believe this was my life, but then again, it
was also kind of exciting. Just yesterday, I'd been wishing for a pretty girl to spend my
time with, and here she was, even more extraordinary than I ever could have asked for.
I snuck into the study room I'd dropped my backpack in, and I thanked my lucky
stars no one had messed with it. Then I slipped it over my shoulder with ease while
Nikita tapped her foot anxiously from a few feet away. She absently tugged on a strand of
her tawny hair as she waited, and I reached a hand out to her after I closed the study room
door.
"That's all I needed," I assured her. "Now, would it be better to sneak out the side
door instead of that main entrance? That would reduce our chance of running into
others."
"That's a great idea," Nikita decided, and she gestured to the left. "The side door is a
lot less frequented, so there's less of a chance anyone will walk past us. All it takes is a
half-ass breeze for another alpha to detect my scent."
"Stay close to me," I advised. "I'll keep you safe from anyone who could possibly
hurt you, I promise."
"Thanks, Jesse." The omega smiled at me brilliantly. "You're so kind. I know we
haven't known each other for long, but I. . . just. . . just. . . care about you so much. I
know I can trust you."
"Of course, you can." I smiled back at her, and then I drew her close to me and
planted a soft kiss on her lips. Her mouthwatering scent blazed all around me, but I only
allowed myself a moment or two to enjoy it before I pulled away.
 We stared into each other's eyes for a moment longer and then gave each other a
knowing nod before we made our way back to the main area of the library.
The omega and I hustled across the building, and I mostly ignored the glares and
cries to slow down from the multitude of librarians and student aids as we sped past
them.
"Dude!" A guy I recognized from one of my morning classes called out as I
accidentally knocked into his shoulder. "Slow the fuck down, it's just a library."
"Sorry!" I called out from over my own shoulder as I passed. "My bad, dude."
After that, I stayed in close proximity to Nikita, but I still kept my eyes peeled for
any suspicious figures. Thankfully, we didn't run into anyone with an off scent, or anyone
else either of us knew for that matter.
I didn't think there was a chance of running into any of my friends here on a random
afternoon, but I also didn't want to write off the possibility completely. I wasn't really
ready to face anyone after going through such a radical change in appearance overnight,
especially my friends. I was going to have to concoct one mother of a lie to play it off,
but even then, there was no story plausible enough to explain my physical change. It
wasn't every day your DnD buddy goes from a skinny, lanky nerd with no prospects to a
svelte-looking guy with a sexy girl on his arm the next. Parker, Travis, and Jake might
buy an excuse or explanation, but Benji. . .
Suddenly, it hit me.
Benji.
I'd seen him earlier, but he hadn't even reacted to my new look. Had he even
noticed? To his credit, I'd been wearing a heavy leather jacket, so he wouldn't have been
able to see my newfound muscles, but the rest of me wasn't exactly concealed. Why
hadn't he been surprised at my sudden transition from nerd to cool guy?
There was no time to linger on it now, but once Nikita and I made it to safety, I
would revisit the thought. Benji had been my best friend for years, and he was practically
my brother. There was no possible way he hadn't noticed my very drastic change and no
way I could lie if he hadn't.
We reached the side entrance door, and I held it open for Nikita.
"After you." I inclined my head and waved her forward.
"Such a gentleman," the omega purred, and she slinked out of the entrance with a
cool and easy grace. If she was this fluid in her human form, I could only imagine what
she was like in her wolf form.
I examined her hair and strange eyes and tried to picture how they would translate
on a canine's body, but the coloring didn't quite match. I'd never seen a golden-brown
wolf with blue-green eyes before, but then again, I'd never seen another werewolf before,
so anything was possible. I would ask her about it later, if it wasn't too sensitive of a
subject.
After one last scan of the area, I followed after Nikita, and the moment I stepped
outside, I was greeted by a slightly brisk breeze. I let out a sigh of relief. Up until now, I
hadn't realized just how hot I was underneath my jacket, but the cool air against my skin
felt so good I was tempted to peel it off completely.
"Jesse, we have to move. It's too breezy." Nikita pulled me out of the moment.
"Let's go," I said, and then I craned my neck around as I walked. There were a few
students loitering around the different buildings, but the rain appeared to be discouraging
bigger crowds of people, so as long as we managed to get to the parking lot quickly, we
probably wouldn't have any trouble.
However, Nikita didn't seem convinced, and when she peered over at a group of
people outside of the science building to the left of the library, she froze in place.
"Shit," she cursed. "Of course, they're out here, too."
"Who?" I asked.
"A group of betas I know," Nikita replied. "We aren't exactly friendly. And if they're
around, that means Max probably isn't too far behind."
"I'm assuming Max is the alpha you are worried about?" I asked.
"They don't go anywhere without him," she sighed. "True betas to the core."
"Fuck," I cursed, and I scrambled to come up with a plan. "We have to walk past
there in order to get to the lot outside of Russell. We're going to need to take a detour."
"Where?" Nikita wondered as her eyes remained locked on the group of shifters.
"Stand behind me," I advised her, and after she tucked behind me, I studied her t-
shirt and skirt-clad body. The omega was incredibly sexy, but I wondered if all of her
exposed skin would present a larger problem. "Hey, do you have any pants in your bag?"
"No," the omega said, and her eyebrows scrunched together. "Why?"
"I know it won't mask it entirely, but I was thinking that maybe if you had pants or a
sweatshirt or something, your scent might not be as potent," I suggested, and the beautiful
girl nodded her head as she considered the idea.
"It's worth a shot," she said. "But I don't have anything else on me. The only other
clothes I'd packed were this t-shirt and some yoga shorts, but those aren't exactly going to
do me any favors coverage-wise."
"There's always the campus bookstore," I reminded her, and I inclined my head
toward the commons building just across from us. "They have a ton of university stuff.
We could duck in there, pick something up, and then continue making our way to the
parking lot."
"That's not a bad idea," Nikita allowed. "I don't know if it would even work, but it's
worth a shot."
"Then let's go," I said, and together, the omega and I moved down the sidewalk. The
rain began to pick up, but it didn't bother either of us all that much until we got inside the
common building and slid a little on the slick floor. I managed to catch Nikita before she
could stumble.
"Thank you," she purred as I stabilized her.
"You're welcome," I whispered as I pulled her body against my side.
"I love it when you touch me," she whined softly in my ear.
 "Yeahhhh. . ." I sighed as I inhaled her scent. I really wanted to pull her into an
empty room so I could fuck her again, but then I remembered the whole "escape from
campus" mission we were on, and the dude who now wanted to kill me because I'd made
love to a woman who he wasn't even dating.
What the fuck was my life now?
The commons building was pretty populated, but one quick inhale told me we were
still only in the presence of humans. The bookstore was at the far end of the hall, so we
had a little ways to go, but not too far.
"So, now that we're mated, do you mind telling me what's going on?" Nikita asked
in a whisper just low enough that no one else around us could hear. "I still have a lot of
questions, especially about how an alpha as powerful as you doesn't seem to know all of
the rules. Didn't your mom and dad teach you--"
"My parents passed away when I was a kid," I cut her off before she could continue,
and Nikita stopped in place.
"Oh, Jesse. . . I'm so sorry," she apologized, and she rubbed the back of her neck.
"Wow, I feel like a jerk. Please, pretend I didn't even ask that, okay?"
"Don't be sorry." I shook my head. "It's alright. I've mostly gotten to a good place
about it. Been through a good amount of therapy, so I'm perfectly fine."
"That's good." Nikita gave me a small half-smile, but then she tilted her head ever
so slightly. "So, do you have any other family? Anyone to raise you as a shifter?"
"I have my Aunt Eva," I revealed. "But our relationship feels a little. . . I dunno,
kind of complicated, I guess."
"I can do complicated," Nikita insisted. "We're mated, Jesse. My problems are
yours."
"Mine are pretty big ones," I snorted, but then I took a deep breath and tried to
figure out how to explain the past twenty-four hours without dumping every minute detail
onto her. "Basically, my aunt thought I wasn't a shifter because I hadn't changed yet.
Because of that, she didn't bother telling me about any of this, and then last night. . . I lost
my temper and changed for the first time in the middle of the Mini-Mart on Cameron
Street."
"Holy shit, you're the one who did that?" Nikita's blue-green eyes grew wide, and
then she dropped her volume even lower. "Wow. I drove past there this morning on my
way in. The place was practically demolished."
"Yeah, not my finest hour," I muttered and rubbed the back of my neck. "One
second I was grabbing a drink for me and my friends, the next I was chasing after some
robbers--"
"Wait, there were humans involved in this?" The omega's jaw dropped. "I figured
one cashier at least, but there were multiple who saw you change?"
"Yeah." I nodded as I tried to gather my explanation. "They were the ones who set it
off. They tried to. . . rape the cashier and then shoot me, and that just, I dunno. Triggered
whatever was inside of me."
 "If that's how the storefront looked, I can only imagine what you did to them,"
Nikita noted with an impressed expression. "I shouldn't be surprised, though. The
moment I sensed you in the library, I could tell you had power. It practically radiates off
you. I've felt energy from other alphas before, but they've never seemed as strong as you,
Jesse."
"Is that why you said 'oh, no' as soon as you saw me?" I snickered.
"Yeahhhh," she said as she bit her lip and gave me a sideways glance. "I knew I was
about to get claimed. The. . . desires and emotions and anticipation just hit me all at once.
Your power just overwhelmed me, and I felt dumbstruck."
"I just don't know how to control it," I sighed. "Which, to my credit, makes sense
since I didn't even know I could shift in the first place until like, twelve hours ago."
"It gets easier with time." Nikita waved her hand in the air. "When I first changed, I
slashed through my curtains and tore up my bedroom. My parents weren't all that pleased
with me."
"I can only imagine," I breathed. "How old were you?"
"I was about sixteen, I think?" she considered. "But it wasn't so bad. I knew it was
coming, so it wasn't as much of a shock as I'm sure it was for you. I can't imagine how
you must have felt."
"Scared, mostly," I admitted. "And angry. And honestly, I'm still processing
everything, so I'm sorry if I'm slow to learn all of this, I'm just picking it up as I go."
"I don't blame you at all," Nikita replied, and then she flashed me a smile. "But I'm
here for you now, and between your aunt and I, we'll help ease you into it. You have big
things in your future, I just know it."
"Speaking of future--" I hinted, and the omega shook her head as if there were a bug
in her face.
"Right," she remembered. "We can talk more about this later."
A minute later, we rounded the corner, and we were about to walk into the
bookstore when we were met with a sight that made me both literally and mentally stop
in my tracks.
The lights in the store were off, and the entire place was lined with "Do Not Enter"
tape. From the inside, I could see the whole bookstore was practically cleared out, and the
room was filled with power tools, boxes, etc.
It was completely under construction, and we were completely screwed.
"Shit," I cursed. "I forgot about the renovations. They'd mentioned it in that
campus-wide email they sent last week, but I didn't think anything of it."
"Neither did I." Nikita's shoulders slumped. "What do we do now?"
"I don't know," I sighed, and then suddenly, I inhaled a strange smell that set my
teeth on edge. It was sharp, not unpleasant, but unique enough that I knew it wasn't
human. It had the same citrus quality as Nikita's scent, but it was combined with some
other spice and another note I couldn't quite place. Whatever it was, it was pungent, and it
was definitely growing closer.
 My omega mate stiffened, and her hand reached out to grab my arm.
"That's one of Max's betas," she whispered, and then her grip tightened. "We have
to get out of here, pronto."
The omega and I hurried down a side hallway, and I silently thanked whoever had
designed this particular building and thought to make it a little more winding than the
others.
The scent of the beta wasn't too far behind, so we managed to duck around them
and sneak down into a tucked-away room usually reserved for maintenance. After Nikita
and I carefully eased ourselves into the carpeted space, I turned off the lights to give us a
better chance at not being found straight away, and it seemed to do just that.
Nikita and I stood there and waited, and as the time passed, the omega's hand crept
closer and closer to mine until I finally seized it. She was much colder than I'd expected,
but then again, I was also practically a furnace now. I was so warm everyone else
probably felt freezing in comparison.
As the minutes passed by and I waited for the beta's scent to fade, I considered the
best course of action. The campus wasn't giant by any means, but the lot outside of the
Russell building was too centralized to just head there. We would need to sprint to get
there, but the betas were sure to follow, and if they were always around Max. . .
Suddenly, an idea hit me. The bookstore may have been closed down, but there was
another place Nikita could find some apparel, if she didn't find the idea too gross,
anyway.
"You said they'd be able to detect your scent, but what if there was another added
layer of protection to throw them off?" I prompted her vaguely after I flipped the lights
back on.
"What did you have in mind?" Nikita asked me in a wary voice.
"I have no idea if it's going to work, and it's going to involve some minor theft," I
sighed. "Hear me out. The gym is full of students, most of which aren't shifters. When
they work out, they usually have to change in the locker room--"
"Human clothes," Nikita repeated back, and her nose crinkled up. "You're
suggesting I steal someone's stinky clothes?"
"I know it sounds gross, but there's bound to be a girl in there with a thick
university sweatshirt and pants in her locker," I said. "You could throw them in your bag,
and when we get outside--"
"Got it." The omega nodded, and then she let out a sigh. "This isn't the best for
karma points, but a sweatshirt should be thick enough to cut down on at least some of my
scent. Not only that, but someone in there is bound to have some thick perfume or body
spray I can apply. I doubt it will fool Max, but if I throw on enough of it, it should be
enough to sting any other beta shifters' noses."
"Brilliant touch," I agreed. "Think anyone will be at the gym?"
"Not anyone we don't want to run into," she replied as she glanced at a clock
hanging on the far wall. "Do you think the beta is gone? I don't smell them, but you're the
alpha, so I'm sure your sense of smell is superior to mine."
"I can try to sniff them out," I said, and then I angled myself closer to the door. I
flipped the light switch off again to utilize the light under that door and carefully bent
down until I was level. A small influx of air streamed in through the section between the
door and the floor, and I couldn't help but wonder how much money the university was
losing every month because of lack of insulation.
Focus, Jesse. Now's not the time to be a dork.
I concentrated on the motions and lights and shadows, but nothing seemed out of
the ordinary, so I lingered a second more and then jumped up to my feet. My heightened
senses helped me find Nikita's face, and I gave her a smile and thumbs-up combination to
demonstrate the coast was clear.
"Let's get out of here," the omega decided. "It smells like dust in here, and not in the
good antique-store kind."
"I wouldn't have taken you for an antiquer," I stifled a laugh at my mate's expense.
"There's plenty you have yet to learn about me," she laughed.
"And I look forward to all of it," I noted, and then I stepped over to the door and
freed us from our dust-scented quarters. Cold air assaulted me as we stepped into the
hallway, and I allowed my nose to follow the trail as it wound around the hall. Max's
betas had tried to track us, but if their scents were any indication, they had no idea what
they were doing. Once I was sure we were in the clear, I relaxed my posture.
But I still held her hand.
"Okay, now that we've lost those bozos, let's head to the gym," Nikita whispered.
"It'll get us one step closer to getting the hell outta here."
We made our way back to the entrance of the commons, and then we exited the
building and stepped back out into the gloomy day.
Nikita and I darted over to the gym building, and the sweat that had formed on my
forehead beaded down until a drop hit my cheek. This cat-and-mouse game of avoidance
and strategy was like something out of a heist film or a side-quest in a game, and despite
the high-risk stakes of getting caught, there was something exciting about all of this
running around and strategizing. This plan was a lot more complex than I wanted it to be,
but if it kept me from accidentally wolfing-out in the middle of campus, I was willing to
take that risk.
So, we made our way to the gym, and Nikita turned to face me when my hand
rested on the door handle.
"I'll need you to hang around in the lobby and keep watch while I head into the
locker room," the omega advised. "Use your sense of smell to keep an eye out for any
other shifters, and if something goes wrong. . . well, let's hope nothing goes wrong. It
should take me like three minutes to run back there and grab what I need."
"Are you going to be able to get into the lockers?" I asked, and Nikita considered
the idea.
"I'll think of something," she said. "I can be pretty persuasive if I need to be."
 I wasn't sure what she meant by that, but the omega's determined look told me all I
needed to know. Even though I'd just met her, I had a strong feeling Nikita could handle
herself and kick some major ass when necessary. It was definitely a turn-on, and my
lower half stirred as I imagined her sleek wolf form pouncing at a group of assholes and
tearing them to shreds.
Whoa, slow it down, Jesse. You just met the girl, and you were already fantasizing
about her as a badass wolf?
Then again. . . she was my mate. . . and she was a shifter.
"I've got your back," I said when I remembered she was waiting for me, and without
another word, we stepped inside. "I'll be right here if you need me."
The guy at the front desk raised his eyes for two seconds and then returned them to
his textbook as if he hadn't even seen us. Flashcards, notes, and highlighters were strewn
about the desk, which told me he was cramming for a test. Good. That only made things
easier for us. If he was focused on studying, he wouldn't notice a couple of random
students running a quick errand and then bolting out.
"I'll be back," Nikita whispered, and with a toss of her hair, she slipped down the
hall toward the locker rooms.
I took a seat in one of the plastic chairs in the lobby and positioned myself so I
could see anyone who might enter. Then I took a deep breath to see if I could detect any
other shifters in here, but the only scent I could pick up was sweat and lemon-scented
disinfectant, so I was pretty sure we were alone.
"Was that your girl?" the guy at the desk asked, but his eyes remained on his book.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Damn, dude." He whistled. "She's a total fox. Looks like a supermodel."
He looked up from the book, gave me a quick thumbs-up of approval, and returned
to his studies, and a smile curled up on my lips. In spite of the circumstances, it felt pretty
cool to be able to call such a smoke show my girl.
My wait didn't last too much longer, and I was half-surprised to see Nikita still in
her regular clothes when she emerged from the hallway. I gave her a small frown of
confusion as she approached me, but she motioned toward her backpack with a tiny nod
to let me know she had been successful, and my concern lifted.
"Ready?" she prompted me in a casual voice, and after I gave the guy at the desk
one last acknowledgement, I got up from my chair and followed Nikita out of the
building.
She led me down the sidewalk a little ways away, and when she set her bag down
and started retrieving the spoils of her labor, a cloying smell reached my nose, and I
recoiled a bit at the strong odor.
"What the--" I began to ask, and I placed my hand over my nose. Under the
artificial and pungent raspberry and sugary candy smell, I could still smell Nikita's
natural scent, but it was much fainter than it'd been just a few minutes ago. I could still
detect the omega, but the mask made it seem like she was three rooms away rather than a
few feet.
"Gross, right?" Nikita said as she retrieved a thick green Everleigh University
sweatshirt from her backpack. "Some cheap body spray. I hate the smell, but I doused
myself in it. Figured a layer now and then a layer after the sweatshirt would be enough to
mask my potency."
"It's definitely working." I grimaced.
Nikita pulled the sweatshirt down over her head, and after a brief scan of the nearly
empty space around us, she retrieved a pair of jeans from the bag next. She kicked off her
shoes and slipped the denim on underneath her skirt, and once the pants were fastened
over her slender hips, she shimmied out of the skirt and then stashed it in her backpack.
"One last touch," she noted, and she revealed a small spray bottle of the offensive
fruity girl-deodorant in her hand.
"Gross." I suppressed a gag as the omega sprayed the air and walked through a
cloud of the perfume. To my surprise, the combination of the spray and the heavier
clothing coverage seemed to have some success, and while I could still smell Nikita, it
wasn't nearly as intoxicating as before. Now, she smelled like she was surrounded by a
group of human sorority girls, and while I missed her mouth-watering natural scent, this
was our ticket to avoiding Max's attention.
"I feel bad for taking these from whatever poor girl wore them to school today, but I
have to commend her on her taste in denim," Nikita noted as she rested her hands on her
hips. "These fit me perfectly."
Sure enough, the jeans hugged every last one of her curves like a second skin, and I
admired the way her high, firm ass looked before I returned my attention to her face.
"You look amazing," I noted. "Though, I don't think you could ever look ugly in any
way."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," Nikita joked. "Speaking of getting you
anywhere, though, we should probably get going while this body spray is still working. I
can keep adding more layers, but this disguise wasn't built to last for a long time."
"Let's go," I agreed, and together, we resumed our fast-paced walk along the
sidewalk.
"Definitely ready to take a nice, long shower after this," Nikita groaned as she
sniffed the sleeve of the emerald-green stolen sweatshirt and winced. "This thing is cute,
but it definitely will need a washing after how much perfume I doused myself with."
"Once we get back to my place, you're more than welcome to it," I assured her.
"The bathroom off my room isn't great, but the showerhead is pretty nice, and it'll get all
of that gunk off you."
"I like the word gunk," the omega laughed, and she tucked a strand of tawny hair
behind her ear. "Be real with me, Jesse. How bad do I smell right now?"
"That's a loaded question," I chuckled. "You don't smell. . . bad. Like if that scent
was on a human woman, it probably wouldn't be bad, but your natural smell doesn't mesh
with it great. It's like trying to cover up the smell of a four-hundred-dollar perfume with
Febreze."
"Febreze," Nikita giggled. "I guess it could be worse."
The omega threaded her fingers through mine, and we continued to make our way
down the path. Now that we'd conquered the gym, we could make our way over to the
Russell building and then get to Nikita's car.
"Do you know any shifters who aren't in Max's group?"
"I do," she confirmed. "Though we're not close. They tend to stick together, but I've
always been more of a loner, I guess. Comes with the omega territory. I've always been
able to hide under the radar as a beta, but I never let anyone get too close in case my
suppressors stopped working, or something. I didn't want to risk letting anyone in only
for them to betray me later."
"I get it," I assured her. "The being a loner part, not the omega part. I only have a
handful of friends myself. We're close, but I only have one true friend who knows me
better than the others."
"You have me now." Nikita smiled. "I'd love to meet your friends sometime. I
assume they're all--"
"Human?" I asked, and when she nodded, I continued on. "Yeah, they're human. As
far I know, anyway. Parker and Travis are a little questionable, but they're both theatre
majors, so it's hard to say."
"Oh, no," Nikita giggled. "I'll try not to hold that against them too much. I almost
went into theatre myself, so I totally understand. Wait, what major are you?"
"Music," I replied. "I'm a violinist. Been playing since I was a kid."
"That's so cool!" The omega grinned. "I'm an English major. Creative writing, more
specifically. I know it's kind of lame, but I needed a way to be creative without drawing
too much attention to myself."
"That's really cool, too." I smiled at her. "What type of writing do you do?"
"Don't laugh,' Nikita insisted, and then she raised a finger and pointed it at me
playfully. "Promise you won't make fun of me?"
"I swear," I said, and the omega's cheeks flushed a pretty peach color.
"I do a lot of different kinds of writing, but my favorite, by far, is poetry," she said,
and her nose scrunched up adorably as if she were waiting for me to laugh. "I know that's
such a cliche, but there's something about it that really lets me express my feelings."
"I think that's awesome. Poetry isn't something to laugh at, and I think it's really
cool you enjoy it. Music makes me feel the exact same way. Something about hitting the
right note just fills me with unbelievable happiness."
"I love that," the omega breathed with a soft look in her eyes. "Poetry won't make
me any money, but then again, it could always be worse, you know? If anything, I'll
probably end up teaching or something like that, which doesn't sound too terribly awful."
"Same," I remarked. "I think I'd like to end up a teacher one day. I love kids, and I
love giving lessons, but before that, I think I'd like to play in some orchestras, stuff like
that."
 "That's really cool," Nikita reaffirmed. "I'd love to hear you play sometime."
For the second time today, I was reminded my violin had been stolen away by those
fuckers from yesterday, and I felt a sudden influx of irritation all over again. My skin
began to crawl as the visual images flashed through my mind, and I began to feel a
prickle at the base of my spine, just as I had before I'd changed into my wolf-man form. I
inhaled sharply. Fuck, this was the last thing I needed, especially right now when we
were trying to avoid creating a scene.
"Jesse?" Nikita spoke up. "Jesse, are you okay?"
The sound of her voice brought me back to reality, and something about the way
she said my name helped ground me. I took a long, deep breath and allowed myself to
calm down. I would find my violin one way or another, and getting upset about it would
only make it harder for me to get Nikita out of here.
When the swell of anger finally disappeared, I gave the omega a grateful smile.
"Thank you. Sorry, I felt myself slipping a little bit. As I said, the control thing is still
really new to me."
"I think you handled that better than most alphas would. You managed to control
your anger pretty quickly. Can I ask what set it off?"
"We can talk about that later," I said with a wave of my hand. "Thanks for helping
me chill out."
"Anytime." My omega mate smiled, and when she stuffed her hands in the
kangaroo-like pouch of her sweatshirt, I couldn't help but admire her for the millionth
time.
This situation may have been a nightmare, but she was a dream come true.
Nikita and I soon mastered the ability to spot our potential opponents, duck into a
building, and stealthily avoid their advances. There were a couple of instances where we
attracted the attention of a student or two, but since Everleigh was already kind of a
strange place, it had a little bit of wiggle room when it came to weirdness.
I continued to catch the smell of Max's betas, but I never once detected the alpha's
scent. I kept waiting to get a whiff, but no matter where we went, all I could smell were
the beta wolves. Nikita had insisted the betas never left Max very far behind, so where
was he?
"Hey, what's Max like?" I broke the quiet as we entered the last building on our
route.
"He's an asshole," the omega sighed. "He usually doesn't pay me any sort of
attention, but he's a classic egomaniac narcissist fuck-boy who lives off his parents'
wealth and doesn't do anything useful with his life."
"Does sound like a dick," I said. "And you are sure he doesn't know about you? He
doesn't think you are an omega?"
"He fucks beta females when he feels like it, and he's gotten a bit pissed when I
didn't take his advances, but then he moved on. There aren't many of us on campus, and
there aren't any other omegas, so he's been wasting his time. I just hope he continues. If
he finds out I'm not just some other beta, there are going to be some major issues, the
main of which being my schedule. We're so close to midterms, and now I have to figure
out how to take my exams."
"I'll help you figure it out," I swore. "I don't know how, but I'll figure it out. Your
suppressors getting overridden was my doing, and since I'm your mate now, it's up to me
to help you."
"I appreciate the chivalry, Jesse," Nikita replied. "But I'll remind you the
suppressors weren't really your fault. It's just our biology. I'll take you up on the offer to
help, of course, but don't feel bad or anything."
"Still, I want to help," I remarked. "Hopefully, we can keep him at bay long enough
to get you through midterms. If not, we can fake a death in the family or come up with
some other situation. We'll make it work."
"Thank you, Alpha," she said with a teasing smirk. "Max better look out. He thinks
he's hot shit, but he's nothing compared to you, Jesse."
When we left the last building, the rain had really picked up, and my hair began to
flop in my eyes. I tried to shift it out of the way, but the long locks kept sliding down
anyway, so I had to awkwardly push them back off my forehead. My leather jacket and
boots kept the water from getting to me too much, but my jeans became soaked through. I
was definitely looking forward to a long, hot shower, and if I played my cards right,
maybe I could have a guest beside me in the steaming water. . .
After what seemed like forever, Nikita stiffened up, pointed to a cherry-red sedan
about forty feet away, and jumped up in excitement.
"There it is!" she squealed in a surprisingly high-pitched tone. "Oh, finally!"
"Thank god," I breathed as a huge sigh of relief rose up from my chest. I'd never
been so thrilled to see a car before, and I was way too excited to climb in and escape all
of the potential craziness we'd worked so hard to avoid.
"Come on!" Nikita cheered. "Let's get in and get out of this rain already!"
I followed the omega down the sidewalk, and as we ran through the parking lot, my
heartrate began to rise. While I was glad we'd avoided setting off any other alphas, there
was still another obstacle to face.
Aunt Eva.
Not only had I snuck out of the house, but I'd managed to find a mate at school, so
there was a strong chance I was going to get my ass handed to me, boss battle-style. I
loved Eva dearly, but there were times when she scared the shit out of me, and I could
only imagine how intense her wrath was going to be when I stepped foot through the door
with my new omega girlfriend.
That being said, at the end of the day, my aunt always looked out for me and
supported me. If I explained everything to her, she'd completely understand, and besides,
she'd told me I would need to mate. Sure, Nikita and I had found each other a lot faster
than either of us anticipated, but we would've been bound to meet eventually anyway.
Nikita reached into her backpack and rustled around until she retrieved a key ring
studded with as many charms as the rest of her bag.
"Oh, thank god," she whispered. "I was so afraid I'd lost the keys. That wasn't
terrifying at all."
She unlocked the car, and the pair of us scrambled into the sedan with an impressive
speed. The moment after I pulled the passenger door closed, I made sure to hit the lock
button and then checked the back seat. I knew I was being paranoid, but if Max and his
pack were as relentless as I imagined they were, I needed to be overly cautious.
"I think we're safe for now," I said, and after one last sweep and a long, deep breath,
I determined we were in fact alone. "That doesn't mean we should relax too much,
though. We still need to hightail it out of here before Max and the betas catch up."
Nikita appeared to feel the same way since she leaned back into her seat and let out
a sigh that matched mine. Then she turned the key in the ignition, and when her car
started, I was surprised to hear her radio had been set to an oldies station Aunt Eva
listened to every so often.
"What?" she asked me with a raised eyebrow. "I love oldies. Is that okay?"
"It's awesome," I chuckled as a familiar song played out through the speakers. "Just
wasn't what I was expecting. I love this song, though."
"Me, too." Nikita smirked. "I know it's super old-school, but my dad refused to
listen to any other radio stations when I was a kid, so I guess it kind of just stuck with me.
If you want to change it--"
"Not at all." I shook my head, and for a moment, I let myself get distracted by the
song. Truth be told, this was the first time I'd ever sat in a car with a girl and listened to
some music, and for a second, I forgot we weren't a pair of college students hanging out
after class, we were alpha and omega shapeshifters who'd just mated and then played an
entire game of cat-and-mouse to avoid another group of shifters and their dangerous
leader.
Nikita seemed to remember the gravity of the situation at the same time as me, and
the omega sat up straight and rolled her shoulders back.
"I don't have a GPS, so I'll need you to give me directions to your place," she said
as the fingers of her left hand gripped the wheel.
"I'll get us there," I assured her. "As I said, it really isn't all that far away."
"Perfect," the omega replied as she put her car in reverse, looked over her shoulder,
and backed out of her parking spot. "The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can
actually relax and have a moment to talk."
"I'd like that," I said.
"Shit!" The beautiful woman said as she slammed on her breaks.
"Nikita?" I asked, and when I turned around to see what the big fuss was about, I
nearly had a heart attack.
About eighty feet behind us at the edge of the parking lot stood a group of men I
recognized as the betas we'd been dodging. A tall, broad guy who had to be the alpha
we'd been trying to avoid stood in the middle of the cluster, and as I watched, they
stepped toward us with their jaws clenched.
Shit.
"Go! Go! Go!" I shouted, and Nikita threw her car into drive and slammed on her
gas pedal.

Chapter 6
The tires squealed in protest, and when we spun out from the parking space, I felt
like I was in an action movie.
"Aaaah!" Nikita shrieked as we flew backward, and I gripped onto the "oh, shit"
handle above me for support.
Max and his squad of betas started to run after us, so I jerked my head around to get
a look at my rival's face.
The alpha wasn't a bad-looking guy, but there was a cocky, douchey quality about
him that was super off-putting. He reminded me of the jock-type guys who picked on
Benji and me in high school for being nerds, and the sneer on his face told me he hadn't
ever grown out of his bully phase.
Max had the same swoopy golden-blond hair like all the other guys who hung
around Greek row, but his eyes were a vivid shade of emerald-green. If he was anything
like the other frat guys I knew, he was definitely an ass, but I could also sense a
dangerous quality about him that told me not to underestimate him.
"Can you go faster?" I urged Nikita. "Looks like they are gaining on us."
"Shittttt," the omega sighed as her eyes darted to the rearview mirror.
And then she slammed her foot down on the gas pedal. The sedan lurched forward
again, and then the tires screamed across the wet asphalt of the parking lot when she took
a right turn toward the exit.
"Car on the left!" I growled as I saw a Honda back out of its spot in our path.
"Fuckkkkk. . ." Nikita gasped as she jerked her wheel, and then we shot past the
Honda's rear bumper with half a foot to spare.
"Pedestrians!" I hissed, and Nikita jerked her wheel back the other way so we
missed the college kids dashing out of the way.
"Did I lose them?" Nikita asked, and I turned around to see Max and his gang where
still running behind us like fucking terminators.
Angry terminators.
"No, but you are doing great. Just focus on getting out of here."
My omega mate drove as if we were in Grand Theft Auto, and I admired the way
she managed to duck and swerve around the other cars in the lot. The oldies station
provided a weird soundtrack to our getaway montage, and if the situation weren't so
stressful, it almost would have been comical. Two werewolves in a red sedan fleeing
another group of werewolves on a college campus seemed like the setup for a joke, but
this was my life now.
 Benji was never going to believe this if I ever got around to telling him everything.
"I don't know if we can lose them," Nikita whined as we rounded another corner
and saw a line of three cars in the distance trying to exit the parking lot.
"Breathe," I advised Nikita, and I gently rested one hand on her shoulder to comfort
her, while the other remained gripped on the door for stability. "You've got this. Just stay
focused ahead."
"Are Max and his betas still following us?" the omega asked, and I looked over my
shoulder.
The shifters seemed to be losing traction, but they were still in pursuit. Max was
flanked by three betas on either side of him, and the athletic shifters were all sprinting
like they were competing for medals.
"They are, but I think if we get out of campus, we can lose them," I said. "If you
drive past this exit there is another one that normally isn't as busy."
"Oh, that's right." The omega tilted her head slightly and then took a sharp turn
toward the second parking lot exit.
And this one didn't have a line.
"Looks like you are clear on the left!" I said as I glanced around her to make sure
the road was clear. "Gun it!"
"Shiiitttt!" she squealed as her sedan shot out of the parking lot like a cannonball.
Then the car bounced on the main road, and her tires screamed as she twisted the wheel
to the right.
"Go, go, go!" I urged again, and Nikita pushed the speed more and swerved around
two cars who were going too slow.
I looked over my shoulder again, and for a moment, I swore I saw a flash of golden-
blond hair, but when I did a double-take, it was gone. I waited to make sure Max truly
wasn't there, and when he didn't appear, I turned back around in my seat.
"I think we may have lost them," I said. "Or at least, we've gotten far enough ahead
for now. Take the next right, and then you can slow down a bit."
"I knew he'd be persistent, but I wasn't expecting a chase like this," Nikita groaned
as she made the right.
"Can't say I blame him," I noted, and when the omega's blue-green eyes darted over
to me, I raised my hands. "What I meant is you're a serious catch. When I caught your
scent, I couldn't turn away. You're intoxicating."
"Wow." She smirked. "Intoxicating, eh?"
"Absolutely," I chuckled, and I reached over and rested my hand on her upper thigh.
When she inhaled sharply, I squeezed her leg, and she stiffened up. The cheap raspberry
smell of her stolen perfume lingered around her clothes and hair, but it was finally
starting to fade, and with every moan she uttered, her natural scent grew stronger. I
moved my hand in closer to the warm space between her legs, and Nikita moaned as her
car began to drift to the side of the road. Luckily, we didn't veer too far, and the omega
was able to correct with ease.
 "Shit," she cursed, and I quickly yanked my hand away.
"Sorry," I said as heat rose to my cheeks. "Got a little carried away there."
"Let's do more when we aren't trying to outrun some jerks," my omega mate
suggested, and her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Naughty boy. You're insatiable,
Alpha, I'll give you that."
"You don't even know the half of it," I chuckled, and for a moment, I almost forgot
the task at hand. There was something awesome about being in a fast car with a gorgeous
woman, and the thrill of it all was almost overwhelming.
We went past the Mini-Mart, and it took my everything to not panic again as the
damaged building flew by. I was still stressed by the ordeal, but we had bigger problems,
and I had to focus on us getting rid of Max and his squad before I thought too hard about
my other problems. At present, Nikita and her safety was the most important thing.
Nikita wove in and out of town until it felt like we'd done an entire lap around
Everleigh, and I kept glancing back behind us to make sure Max and his crew were still
gone.
"I think we've officially lost them," I said.
"Hell, yeah!" Nikita cheered, and she pumped her fist in the air. "Take that, you
creeps!"
"Good job, babe!" I congratulated her, and the omega broke into a huge smile at the
nickname. "Holy shit, that was seriously incredible."
"Thanks!" she gushed, and then she flashed me a contented smile. "You know, I've
never had someone call me 'babe' before. It feels kind of nice."
"I've never had anyone to say it to," I replied, and heat spread through my cheeks. "I
like it, though."
"Me, too," Nikita said, and her cheeks also flushed a pretty shade of pink. "Now,
since we've finally ditched those losers, where do I turn to get to your place?"
"Right up here," I said as we neared the turn that led to my neighborhood, and I
pointed to a set of lights not too far in the distance. "You'll take a right at the lights, and
then it'll be another right and a left."
"Got it." The omega nodded at me. She let off the gas until we were actually going
the speed limit, and as we coasted along, her awesome driving maneuvers replayed in my
mind.
"Say, who taught you to be such a badass behind the wheel?" I asked. "You could
probably be a racecar driver or a stuntwoman if this whole writing gig doesn't work out
for you."
Nikita let out a musical laugh that made me break into a huge smile.
"You can thank my dad for that," she mused, and then her expression dimmed
slightly. "When I turned thirteen, I demanded he teach me how to drive offensively. We
had to keep it a secret from my mom because she definitely wouldn't have approved, but
she figured it out eventually."
"So, did he just teach you the basics, or did you learn the craziness from him, too?"
I chuckled.
"I know you meant it as a joke, but my dad actually was a stuntman back in the
day," she laughed. "Kind of a crazy profession, but being a shifter made him a lot more
durable and a lot more agile, so he was able to push his body further than the human
drivers."
"That's insane." My eyebrows shot up. "Wow."
"He was the one who taught me all I knew," Nikita reminisced with a soft smile.
"My mom wasn't very thrilled, but she sort of came around. She was worried it was a
little reckless of us, especially since I was an omega. She didn't like the idea of me calling
too much attention to myself, but my dad convinced her it would be a useful skill if I ever
got into any sort of danger."
"It definitely helped today," I remarked as we turned right at the lights. "Are you
still close with your dad?"
"Not so much anymore," Nikita said vaguely, and when a sad expression crossed
her face, she fell into silence.
I was curious to know what had happened there, but I decided not to press the issue.
She'd open up when she was ready, and until then, I'd focus on getting us home.
"We're just up this street." I pointed straight ahead. As we drove past my neighbors'
houses, a knot formed in my stomach, and things started to get more real. I tried to
rehearse what I was going to say to Aunt Eva, but the words didn't come to me all that
easily. She was probably gonna be pissed, but I had to explain this was all for a good
cause.
My life was definitely so much stranger than it had been forty-eight hours ago.
"Which one is it?" my mate asked.
"That one," I said as I pointed.
"This one?" Nikita slowed the car down even further and indicated her head at Aunt
Eva's blue-and-white two-story house.
"Yep, that's my Aunt Eva's," I confirmed, and Nikita got a nervous look on her face.
"Do you. . . think she'll like me?" she wondered.
"Of course, she will," I assured her. "She's probably not gonna be too thrilled with
me, but she's gonna love you right away."
"I hope so," Nikita sighed. "I don't want the family of my mate to dislike me."
"She won't," I promised. "It'll probably take her a moment to cool off when I tell her
everything, but that's all my issue."
"Okay." Nikita nodded, and we pulled into the drive. The omega parked next to
Aunt Eva's sleek silver car, and a sense of relief flooded through me when we finally
came to a stop. My new mate's driving was exciting, but my head was spinning from all
of the twists and turns, so it was nice to finally take a pause.
We got out of the car and started walking up the drive, and the knot in my stomach
grew tighter. I reached into the pocket of my leather jacket and retrieved my key, and
when we reached the porch, I took a deep breath.
 It was now or never.
"Let's do this," I murmured, and then I unlocked the door and held it open for
Nikita.
The omega gave me a grateful smile, and we slipped inside.
I took care to quietly close the door behind us, but then I remembered my aunt's
hearing was just as enhanced as mine.
"Jesse?" Aunt Eva's voice rang out from down the hall, and seconds later, I heard
the clicking of her boots on the wood floors. "Jesse, is that you?"
"Out here, Aunt Eva," I called out to her as I carefully removed my damp leather
jacket and hung it on the hook behind the door. I held my hand out for Nikita's sweatshirt,
and she flashed me a grateful smile before peeling it off.
"Jesse, I have been worried sick about you--" my aunt thundered, but her sentence
cut off when she took in the sight of me and the beautiful omega at my side. "Oh, I'm. . .
What's going on? Who is this?"
"Aunt Eva, this is Nikita," I introduced her. "She's--"
"An omega," Eva cut me off before I could finish my statement, and she crossed her
arms against her chest. "Wow. One day as an awakened alpha, and you've already found a
mate--"
"Ew, Aunt Eva--"
"Oh, don't 'ew' me," she huffed. "If you're old enough to be taking a mate, you're
definitely old enough to discuss it like a rational adult."
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Rafe," Nikita greeted my aunt with a respectful nod of
her head.
"Ms. Rafe," my aunt corrected her gently. "I never took a mate. But the pleasure is
all mine, Miss. . ."
"Barnes," Nikita finished for her.
"Barnes?" My aunt tilted her head and gave my girlfriend a confused expression.
"Yes," Nikita said as she nodded.
"Huh." My aunt shook her head. "Well, let's not linger in the hall for too long. You
two must be cold, not to mention starving. How about I make some tea and fix you both
something to eat?"
"That would be great, Aunt Eva." I smiled at her, and she gave me a half-smile
before she turned on her heels and started toward the kitchen.
As I led Nikita down the hall, I glanced over my shoulder and out the front door.
There was no way the other alpha had seen us come here, but I was feeling antsy anyway.
I knew I needed to relax, but doing so was a completely different story.
I pulled Nikita's chair out for her, and the omega flashed me a grateful smile before
she gracefully sat down at the kitchen table. Her hair was still a little damp, and I admired
the way the rain had made the ends curl slightly.
"So, where did you two happen to find each other?" Aunt Eva asked with her back
to us as she put the kettle on the stove. "Were you in the same class?"
 "No, Jesse and I met in the library," Nikita said straightforwardly, and heat shot to
my cheeks.
I wasn't sure if I'd ever be as comfortable talking about mating in front of my aunt,
but the way Eva and Nikita spoke about it like it was no big deal led me to believe it was
common amongst shapeshifters.
"Ah," my aunt replied simply, and I was grateful she didn't press the subject. "Are
you new at school, Nikita?"
"No. I've lived in Everleigh my entire life," Nikita said in a polite tone.
"Really?" Eva asked, and I could see her shoulders tense.
"Aunt Eva, is there something wrong?"
"Oh, no, Jesse," my aunt said without turning around. "Nikita, did your parents
grow up here also?"
"Yeah. They were next-door neighbors when they were kids. Lived back on
Summer Pine Street behind the grocery store."
"Ahhh, I know that part of town really well." Eva didn't turn around. "But I haven't
been here as long as your parents."
"When they got older, they realized they loved each other as more than friends.
They married right after they graduated from EU."
"Oh, that's lovely." Eva smiled when she turned around to face us. "I'd love to meet
them sometime. Jesse and I came here when he was very young."
"My father passed away nearly a year ago, but my mother is still around," Nikita
revealed, and for a brief second, a touch of sadness flashed across her face. "I'm sure she
would love to meet you as well."
So, that was the reason she'd stopped talking in the car. I wasn't expecting her to
mention it further.
"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss." Eva gave the omega a sympathetic smile. "I
remember how lonely it felt when my mother passed. The feeling never quite leaves, but
your heart will begin to heal eventually."
"Thank you," Nikita replied in an earnest tone. "It comes and goes in waves, but I'm
getting better."
"I understand how you feel," I assured her, and I reached out and took her hand in
mine. "If you ever want to talk about it more, I'm definitely an expert in loss."
"I'll keep that in mind," she replied.
We'd known each other for only a couple of hours, but I already felt a strong
attachment to the omega, and seeing her so sad made me feel sad, too. Luckily, Nikita's
facial expression changed when I squeezed her hand, and she brightened up at the
gesture.
"What did you say your last name was again, dear?" Aunt Eva asked as she set
down a pair of mugs. Lemon and chamomile-scented steam rose into the air, and a sense
of calmness filled me. "I know you mentioned it earlier, but I didn't get all that much
sleep last night, so I'm a little foggy today."
 "Barnes," the omega replied as she wrapped her perfectly-manicured fingers around
the cup.
"Barnes," Eva repeated back, and I could practically see the gears in her mind whirl.
"Hmm. What are your parents' names, if you don't mind my asking?"
"My dad was named Anthony, and my mom's name is Karina," Nikita replied.
Aunt Eva silently took a seat across from us, and she studied the omega with a
scrutinous gaze.
"Aunt Eva?" I questioned, and my eyes darted between her and Nikita.
"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to place their names," the older woman said absently.
"Jesse and I aren't aligned with another pack, but I'm familiar with most of the families in
the area. I can't recall a Barnes, though."
"Yeah." Nikita frowned. "It's weird that Jesse and you have been in town for so
long, and I haven't heard of you, either. I've tried to keep track of all the prides in town."
I frowned and looked over at Eva. I still wasn't an expert when it came to
shapeshifter lingo, but from what I remembered in my high school Zoology class, the
word pride usually described a lion pack.
"What?" the omega asked in confusion, and her eyebrows furrowed as she looked
between Aunt Eva and me. "Have I grown a second head or something?"
"No, I'm just. . . confused, dear." Eva frowned as she leaned forward in her seat. "I
could have sworn you just said pride."
"I did," Nikita confirmed, and suddenly, her blue-green irises became an intense
shade of cyan, and Aunt Eva's jaw dropped along with mine.
"Whoa," I remarked in surprise. "Why are your eyes that color? Aren't they all
usually orange?"
"Y-You're a werecat?" my aunt stammered.
"Of course I'm a werecat," Nikita scoffed, and her eyes returned to their normal
color. "What else would I be?"
"Oh, my god," Eva whispered, and then she settled on me with an awestruck gaze as
her face turned white.
"Uhhhh. . ." I gulped as I looked at my aunt and then gestured to Nikita. "Is. . . is it
supposed to work like that?"
"Nooo. . ." my aunt whispered.
"What's wrong?" Nikita asked. "Was it something I said?"
"The Alpha." My aunt's face was now as white as a sheet, and her mouth hung open
as she stared at me.
"Yeahhh. . ." Nikita cleared her throat. "That's. . . like. . . why I'm here? The
blockers didn't work and. . . well. . . Jesse knotted and climaxed inside of me. I'm. . . well.
. . we are mates?"
I waited for Aunt Eva to reply, but instead, she blinked at the beautiful omega, and
when her irises flashed the same brilliant orange as they had yesterday, Nikita's face
paled in shock.
 "We're wolves, my dear," my aunt explained. "That's why this is all so strange."
"Y-Y-You're a wolf?" Nikita gasped as she turned to look at me. "Oh, my god, I. . .
How is this happening?"
"I don't understand," I said, and my eyes darted between the beta and omega.
"What's the big deal here?"
"Jesse, the different packs and species of shifters never mate with one another," Eva
explained in a hushed tone. "We stick to our own kind. You're an alpha, but since you're a
wolf, you should only be able to sense omega wolves, not cats or any other packs. You
shouldn't have been drawn to Nikita at all. You shouldn't have felt compelled to breed
with her, and you shouldn't have been able to knot inside of her."
"But he did," Nikita whispered. "I. . . I've been thinking he was a cat this whole
time."
"So, what are you trying to say?" I asked. "Am I some kind of freak or something?"
"You're not a freak," Eva insisted. "You're the alpha from the stories, Jesse. I-I can't
believe this. Knowing how strong your parents and the rest of our family was and is, I
knew you were going to be a powerful alpha, but this. . ."
"What stories?" I frowned, and when I looked between the pair of women, it was as
if neither of them was prepared to elaborate.
Nikita's hands remained wrapped around her mug, and she stared into it with
intensity. Finally, Aunt Eva stepped up and faced me with an even expression.
"Years ago, it was foretold an alpha shifter would awaken and bridge the divide
between our packs," Eva explained as she leaned forward in her chair and rested her hand
on my arm. "He alone would claim a mate from every pack, pride, and clan, seize power
over the territories, and usher our people into an era of unity where we replace humans as
the dominant species on the planet. You claimed Nikita as your mate and sought her on
pure instinct alone. That has never happened in all of the shifters' history, which can mean
only one thing. You're the Alpha from the stories, Jesse. The Alpha destined to lead us
all."

Chapter 7
"What?" I gulped as my head spin.
"You are the Alpha. It has to be." Aunt Eva continued to study me with a look of
awe, and the way the beta's ice-blue eyes were locked on mine sent a shiver up my spine.
"No." I gulped and licked my suddenly dry lips. "There's no way I'm some kind of
chosen one, not me. There has to be some kind of mistake."
"There's no mistaking destiny," Aunt Eva said. "Besides, you're so much more than
you think you are if my theory is correct."
"I don't want to be a chosen one." I shook my head back and forth. "No way. I was
starting to come around to this werewolf thing, but there's no way I want to be an even
bigger freak than I already am. I'm not your chosen one, I'm not special, I'm just Jesse."
 "Jesse, this goes beyond your feelings," Eva protested. "This legend dates back to
when our packs, prides, and clans were first formed, after the Great Divide--"
"The Great Divide?" I snorted, and I crossed my arms against my chest. "That
sounds like something out of a movie or something, Aunt Eva. If this is all some kind of
joke--"
"It's not," Nikita spoke up as she leaned forward in her chair. "The Great Divide
was the result of a massive war between all of the species of shapeshifters, a compromise
to finally end all of the fighting and killing between our kinds."
I stood up and began to pace around the kitchen. This was a lot to deal with, and I
wasn't sure what the hell I was supposed to say. There were so many words and phrases
being tossed around, and most of them made little to no sense to me.
For a moment, I found myself wishing none of this had ever happened.
If it was a normal day, I'd be on my way over to Jake's to kick back with the guys
and either play video games and just unwind. Or I'd be accompanying Benji to a pizza
place to grab a bite before heading home to study and then practice my violin. I wasn't
worried about being special, hell, I wasn't really worried about anything other than
passing my midterms. That life sounded so much easier than the one Aunt Eva was
describing.
Nikita was obviously amazing, but I didn't sign up to be an alpha werewolf, and I
certainly didn't sign up to be some leader or chosen one.
"Jesse, would you please sit down?" Eva urged me in the same soft tone she'd used
when I was a kid. "We can explain everything--"
"This is all too much," I muttered as I ran both hands through my hair.
"Please," she repeated in an even calmer voice, and I was about to protest again, but
the eagerness in her expression made me stop and reconsider.
I wasn't sold on this entire situation, but I owed my aunt a chance to explain.
"C'mon, Jesse," Nikita pleaded.
I took a second to breathe and then decided to sit back down and let them speak.
"Alright," I said once I was settled in my chair. I pulled my cup of tea toward me
and wrapped my fingers back around it. I was still pretty warm, but something about the
steaming mug felt nice. "So, 'The Alpha.' He's supposed to gain control over the different
packs, but how is he supposed to do that? And why?"
"Well, the why is simple enough," Eva noted. "The Alpha is supposed to be the
great reuniter, the one to end the division of the different species of shifters."
"What broke them apart in the first place?" I asked. "Wouldn't you think we'd all be
on the same team, since we're all, you know, not human?"
"You would think so, but it isn't that simple," Nikita sighed.
"Nikita's right," my aunt agreed with the omega. "Long ago, back before the
humans had really formed organized tribes in North America, we had the land to
ourselves. There were no groups, no factions. The shifters all lived amongst each other
peacefully, like one enormous pack, and they all worked together toward a common goal.
They hunted, they built, they protected, and they created bloodlines that still exist to this
day. The shifters thrived in this society, and they were truly happy. The trouble began
when the humans arrived."
"Seems to be a common thing," I observed as I recalled every movie I'd seen with
that exact plot. "People tend to mess things up pretty easily. What happened exactly?"
"Well, for a good while, the humans and the shifters managed to remain separate
but still peaceful," Eva continued. "There was mutual respect between the two kinds, and
while both kept to themselves for the most part, they were able to interact without
conflict. Some of the shifters even went as far as to become friends with the native
humans."
"Whoa," I said, and my eyebrows shot up toward my hairline. "That's kind of
surprising. What changed?"
"When more humans began to build their cities and towns in the seventeen-
hundreds', the shifters had to adopt their animal forms to stay hidden away. They tried to
gauge how these new humans would react to their animal forms, but if the treatment of
the natives was any indication, they knew they wouldn't fare well. So, they fled to the
forests, the rivers. . . anywhere away from the civilizations forming in the mainlands. For
a while, this served as a great refuge. Their animal forms were just another part of the
shifters anyway, so remaining in that state was as simple as breathing. . . until it wasn't."
"That's one way of putting it," Nikita sighed and slumped in her hair.
"What happened?" I asked.
"There was less territory now, so some of the larger creatures, the wolves and the
various kinds of cats, began to fight with one another," Eva said with a frown. "They
were the strongest predators, after all, and with that came power conflicts. The wolves
felt like they were the rightful leaders--"
"While the cats were certain they could lead just as easily," Nikita interjected, and
her mouth drew into a thin line. Then the omega locked eyes with my aunt, and for a
moment, the women fell into silence.
Clearly, there was still some animosity between the species I wasn't privy to as a
newbie. I wasn't sure how to cut the tension and bring us back to the story at hand, but I
decided to try anyway.
"Sooooo, both thought they could lead, and I'm guessing the other shifters didn't
take too kindly to two different species trying to establish dominance," I surmised.
"Precisely," Eva agreed. "There's more we can get into on a different day, but all of
these conflicts came to blows, and all of the species went to war with one another. Some
became allies, but for the most part, it was every shifter species for themselves. When the
dust finally settled, the remaining shifters gathered to discuss what would come next. It
was decided that in order to keep a singular species from going crazy and trying to seize
the others' power, the different shifters would divide and form groups consisting of their
own. The wolves would have their pack, the cats would have their pride, the avians their
flock, and so on and so forth. Each was given a different territory in the area, and they
had to remain in the confines of those territories. These rules eventually grew less strict,
but the Great Divide took a huge toll on the packs. Our relationships with one another
were never the same after that, and we just all kind of ignore each other now."
"Max isn't going to ignore me," I said under my breath, but I completely forgot
Aunt Eva's hearing was just as enhanced as mine.
"Max?" she echoed, and her icy eyes darted between Nikita and me. "Who is Max?
And why does he--"
Suddenly, a knocking sound rang out, and then it was accompanied by the doorbell
ringing.
"Shit," I cursed as I stiffened in place, and my heart started pounding.
"I wonder who that could be?" Aunt Eva frowned, and I wasn't sure how to respond.
There were a few possibilities of who could be behind the door, and two of them were
very much worst-case scenarios.
The first possibility was Max and his crew. The dick-bag alpha and his betas could
have followed us this far and spotted Nikita's not-so-subtle vehicle amongst the other,
duller cars in the neighborhood. Our house was tucked away, but not enough for us to be
completely unfindable.
Sweat broke out across my forehead, but I had to play it cool. It was my job to be
brave and answer the door. I had to do anything to keep my aunt and my omega mate
safe, so I would throw myself in potential harm's way.
"I'll get it," I decided, and I stood up from my seat and ran a hand through my hair.
My heartrate continued to rise with every step I took out of the kitchen and toward the
front door, and my body grew warmer and warmer.
No matter who it was, I was going to face them with all the confidence an alpha
was supposed to have, so when I reached the door, I took a deep breath and then opened it
to find someone I wasn't expecting to see.
"Benji?" I said, and I let out a small sigh of relief.
"Hey, man," my best friend greeted me, and his eyebrows creased together. "You
okay?"
"I'm good," I laughed with only a hint of hysteria. "It's, uh, been a long day."
"I hear that," Benji remarked, and then his brown eyes trailed over me. "Well, I just
figured I would drop in to check on you. I've been texting you all day, but you didn't
respond, so I figured I would swing by. Are you feeling any better?"
"Sorry, my phone is missing in action," I realized. "I think I dropped it somewhere."
"Dude, you just got a new one," Benji teased me, and after he playfully punched me
on the arm, he craned his neck to look inside. "Don't let your aunt hear. You remember
how ballistic she went last time."
"Oh, I remember well." I rubbed the back of my neck and chuckled. "I don't think
I'll ever live that one down."
"Probably not." My friend winked, and then he readjusted his backpack on his
shoulders. "So, are you gonna let me stand here on the porch in the rain, or you gonna let
me in?"
"Look, I appreciate you coming over to check on me, but now's not a great time," I
tried to lie. "I'm still not feeling all that well--"
"You've never let that stop you before," Benji protested. "Do you wanna play a
round of Smash or something?"
"I dunno--"
"C'mon, Jess--"
"Benji--"
"Jesse, who's at the door?" Aunt Eva's voice interrupted our exchange as footsteps
echoed out behind me, and then she appeared at my side. "Oh, Benji. Hello. What a
surprise."
"Hello," my friend greeted her. "I was just stopping by to check on Jesse."
"That was kind of you, Benji." She smiled at him, and then she turned to me. "Jesse,
why don't you let him in out of the rain? Hmm?"
"I don't know if now is the best time--"
"Come on in." Eva waved him in anyway, and before I could protest the idea any
further, she pulled the door open for my best friend and waved him forward.
"Thanks, Eva." Benji smiled, and I stepped aside so he could come in, but when he
wasn't looking, my eyes shot daggers at my aunt.
What in the world was Eva thinking? We had a huge crisis going on right now, and I
was in no way ready to throw Benji in the fray. I was already overwhelmed enough about
mating and "The Alpha" business, and I wasn't ready to add Benji on top of it.
As we walked into the kitchen, my fists clenched at my side. How the fuck was I
going to explain everything to him without him freaking out, and how much could I
possibly explain? Werewolves weren't exactly out, and Eva had made it pretty clear this
was supposed to remain a secret, but I wasn't a fan of lying to my best friend. Benji and I
had been close for years, and I didn't want to give him the run-around more than I
possibly needed to.
Just before we reached the kitchen, I realized there was another, bigger thing to
explain.
Nikita.
How was I supposed to tell Benji I'd found a girl? Jesse Rafe, nerd boy
extraordinaire, had managed to land the hottest woman either of us had ever seen in the
few hours since we'd parted outside of the fine arts building when he was supposed to be
heading home sick. There was no way Benji was going to believe it. He could be naive,
but my best friend wasn't dumb. He would know something bigger was going on, and I
certainly wasn't about to out my status as an alpha werewolf or Nikita's as an omega
werecat. I barely understood all of this myself, so I definitely wasn't ready to talk to Benji
about it.
"Breathe, Jesse," Aunt Eva urged me in a low voice as we crossed the threshold, and
then she shot an overly-happy smile in Nikita's direction.
 Benji halted in place when he caught sight of my new lover, and his eyebrows shot
up in surprise.
"Oh, hello, there," he said, and after he gave the omega a slightly forced smile, he
turned to me. "Sorry, Jess, I didn't realize you, uh, had company."
"Benji, this is Nikita," I introduced my best friend to the leggy brunette. "She's. . .
my. . . uh--"
"Jesse and I were partnered up to work on a paper for one of our classes," Nikita
explained smoothly, and I was surprised at how easily the lie came to her. "He said he
wasn't feeling all that great, so I decided to come by and bring the work to him instead."
"Great minds think alike," Benji chuckled, and he seemed to relax a bit as he
gestured to his backpack. "I brought some work over for him, too."
After my friend gave Nikita another smile, he covertly turned to me and gave me a
"holy shit" face as his eyes trailed over her.
I gave him a lame shrug like I couldn't believe it, either.
"Jesse is so lucky to be surrounded by such good friends," Aunt Eva noted with a
smile of her own, and she leaned up against the counter. "Benji, can I fix you a cup of
tea?"
"That would be really great, thank you," Benji replied in a polite voice, and then he
turned to me. "So, how long have you two known each other? I'm surprised Jesse never
mentioned he had such a cool friend."
"We've been in the same class all semester, but this is the first time we've really
spoken," I answered, and heat rose to my cheeks when I saw Nikita's smirk. "We sat in
different parts of the lecture hall, so we never really noticed each other."
"Sounds like it's time for Jesse to get into the eye doctor," Benji cracked. "If he
didn't notice a pretty girl like you after an entire semester, he needs a new prescription--"
"Alright, enough," I cut everyone off, but they all giggled at my expense anyway.
"Now, as Nikita had said, we're kind of in the middle of studying. . ."
"I can hang here with Eva if you guys want some alone time," Benji suggested. "Or
I could help--"
"Benji, what's going on?" I frowned. My best friend was bubbly ninety-nine percent
of the time, but he was never one to miss a hint. If Nikita had been my study buddy, he
would have turned on his heels and headed home without a backward glance, only to text
me later for details. He wouldn't have lingered here and offered to spend time with Eva.
The pair got along just fine, but Benji spending solo time here with her wasn't like him.
"Look, I know, okay," my best friend sighed, and he stashed his hands into his
pockets. "I was going to try to play it off, but there's no point anymore. I can't lie to you,
Jess."
"What. . . what are you talking about?" I asked as I leaned forward. "What do you
know?"
"Everything," Benji said in a reluctant tone, and before I could ask a follow-up
question, his brown eyes brightened until they were citrine orange.
 "No fucking way," I breathed, and I tried to come up with a more articulate
statement, but there was none.
What the actual fuck was going on? Was everyone in my life a goddamn
shapeshifter? And why was I the last to know about all of this?
It was then I became aware Benji smelled different than he did before. When I'd
seen him on campus earlier in the day, I'd been convinced he'd used a new body spray or
soap, but now that he was in such close proximity, I recognized his scent as a shifter.
There was a natural, herbal quality to it that reminded me of the forest or something. It
was almost piney, and extremely familiar. I wasn't sure how to explain it, but it was a
smell I'd smelled a million times and gave me a strange sort of nostalgia. He was a wolf,
through and through.
"You're a wolf," Nikita blurted out in a voice that was half-surprised, half agitated.
"Yeah." Benji gave her a small smile.
"What the actual hell is going on?" I asked, and then I glanced over at Eva. I wasn't
sure what I'd expected her to say, but when I studied her expression, I realized she didn't
seem surprised at all. Her face was just as calm as usual, and there was no tightness to her
lips or confusion in her pale eyes.
"Jesse--" Benji started to say, but I was too busy focusing on my aunt.
"Aunt Eva, did. . . did you know about this?" I asked her directly.
Eva's lips parted slightly, like she was going to protest, but then she simply nodded
instead. "Yes. I knew."
"What the fuck. . ." I whispered, and my eyes darted between the pair. "Okay,
someone needs to explain to me what's going on because I'm super confused here. Benji,
you're a werewolf? And you've been a werewolf this entire time?"
"Yeah," he confirmed, and he pushed his floppy blond hair out of his face. "To
both."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I pressed, and when Benji's eyes fell to the floor, I turned
my attention to my aunt. "And why didn't you tell me? This all feels like some huge
conspiracy--"
"Look, dude, your aunt swore me to secrecy," Benji explained with raised hands.
"None of it was malicious or anything, we just. . . weren't sure if you were going to end
up being able to shift, and if you never did, I wasn't ever going to drop the werewolf
bomb on you."
"Have you known the entire time we've been friends?" I asked him outright.
"It's sort of the reason we became friends," he admitted in a small voice. "We have
pack connections, Jesse. My family has been loyal to yours for. . . like. . . ever. And
well. . . Eva and my mom asked that I keep an eye on you."
"It just keeps getting worse," I whispered in disbelief, and heat started to build up
deep inside of me. "This entire time I thought we were friends, but you were just spying
on me?"
"It wasn't like that." Benji shook his head in protest. "I am your friend, Jesse--"
 "Friends don't keep this type of shit to themselves," I argued, and a vein in my
forehead throbbed with the effort. "Friends don't go years without telling their friends an
enormous, potentially life-altering secret like being a goddamn shapeshifter--"
"Jesse, breathe," Aunt Eva urged me as my anger swelled, but she only made it
worse.
"And you, Aunt Eva," I addressed her. "You basically hired Benji to be my friend?
To keep an eye on me?"
"That's not how it was, Jesse," Eva insisted. "Benji speaks the truth. You two are
true friends, you always have been--"
"I can't do this," I cut her off, and I was suddenly very uncomfortable, both mentally
and physically. I wasn't sure where to place my emotions, but they skewed toward anger,
and as my temperature rose, I clenched my fists at my side. I knew this red-hot feeling
was some side-effect of my activated shifter-genes, but I didn't know how to control the
volcano building up inside me yet. I wasn't sure how to look at either Eva or Benji
without getting even more pissed off or weirded out, so I did the only thing I could think
to do.
I turned on my heels, left the kitchen, and headed toward the stairs.
"Jesse--" Benji called out to me, but I ignored him and raced upstairs anyway. I felt
bad for abandoning Nikita in the midst of all of that, but she would be completely fine,
and I needed a minute to get my head straight.
I slammed my bedroom door behind me and winced at the sound. Then I took a
deep breath and leaned against the door. A part of me knew the intent behind this scheme
of Aunt Eva and Benji's wasn't as malicious as my brain was trying to make it seem, but
the other part was hurt and betrayed.
Everyone knew who I was but me.
I laid down in bed and curled up under the covers. I was still wearing my rain-
soaked clothes, but I didn't care all that much. My comforter and blanket were nice and
warm, and it felt good to be comfortable when everything else was anything but.
My brain was clogged by all of this new information, and I had no idea what to do
with any of it, so I settled in further and allowed the feathers of my pillow to absorb me.
Avoiding this subject wasn't going to work forever, but for now, I needed a second
to just not exist or think. I closed my eyes and ignored the glow of my ceiling light above
me. I only concentrated on the comfortable feeling of my bed and the warmth of my
blankets. I took long, deep breaths to keep my anger from spilling over the edges, and
after some time passed, the knot in my stomach started to uncoil.
I started to drift off into sleep, and I was going to allow myself to give in to it
completely, but I was interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door.
A groan rose up from my chest. I'd been so damn close to nodding off completely
and getting away from my problems for a little bit, but that wasn't good enough.
"Jesse?" Benji's voice called out from the other side of the door.
"Naw, dude," I muttered, and my voice croaked at the effort. "I don't want to talk.
Please, go away."
"C'mon, Jesse, please open up," Benji begged from out in the hall. "Please, dude. I
just want to have a conversation."
The knob turned, and Benji entered the room anyway. His brown eyes were wary,
and he brushed his hair out of his face.
"Bro," I sighed.
"Jesse, please, let me explain," he pleaded from where he stood on the threshold. "I
know you're super pissed at me, but I need you to know I never did any of this to hurt or
betray you. I'm your best friend, dude. Please, just let me try."
While my anger was still burning in my veins, Benji was right. He'd been my best
friend for years, and we'd been through so many ups and downs together. I had to at least
hear him out before I did something drastic or cut him out.
"Okay," I said, and after I sat up and threw my comforter aside, I crossed my arms
against my chest. "Explain, then. But I'm not playing this game anymore where people
only tell me parts of the story. I want the whole thing, okay?"
"Of course," Benji said, and he gestured at the overstuffed old chair he always sat in
when we hung out in my room. "Can I sit?"
"That's your seat." I shrugged. "Do whatever you want."
"Right, I just wasn't sure if this was a stand-here-awkwardly situation," my friend
mumbled, and then he closed the door behind him and sat down in his chair. He fidgeted
with his hands and then pushed his hair off his forehead again, which was a classic Benji
stress move.
"Well, first I should tell you I'm a beta, if that wasn't already obvious."
"I figured," I replied. "Betas make up the majority of the pack and usually carry out
the orders of the alphas, according to Aunt Eva. So, who's the alpha you're following?"
"Well, I'm not exactly affiliated with any current pack, but. . ."
When he trailed off, I failed to understand what he was saying, so I prompted him
for a further explanation
"But?" I pressed. "But what?"
"Man, I'm not really sure how you're going to take this," Benji groaned and hung his
head back. "This part is kind of a big deal, and in light of everything else. . . I dunno. I'm
kind of worried you're only gonna get more pissed off at me."
"I told you I wanted to know everything," I reminded him as his brown eyes fixed
on me. "I meant it. You said you never meant to keep anything from me? Prove it."
My friend considered the idea for a moment or two, and then he gave me a slow
nod.
"Okay," he decided, and after he took a deep breath and started again. "Did your
aunt tell you that you moved here after your parents' pack fell apart because of the attack
from the rival crew?"
"She mentioned it a little, but didn't go into detail," I said. "All I know is we moved
to Everleigh because of them, and Eva hasn't been involved with another pack since."
 "That second part isn't quite true," Benji corrected me gently. "Eva does have an
affiliation. It's not in a huge pack like it was before, but there is a pack. . . and it's yours."
"My pack?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
"Well, yeah," he said as if it were obvious. "We're betas, remember? We're fine on
our own, but we prefer an alpha to follow. You're that alpha, Jess. We didn't know if you
would come into your own, but I had hoped, and now that you've changed for the first
time and taken Nikita as your mate, you're officially one of us. You're our leader."
There was no denying how badass everything sounded in Benji's awestruck tone of
voice, and for a moment, I forgot about all of the other complicated aspects of my new
life and just grinned. I wasn't a powerless kid anymore. I was the leader of a pack.
"You know I mated with Nikita?" I sighed. "Did they tell you?"
"Yeah, they did, but I could smell the bond between you two before I even stepped
into the kitchen. She has your scent all over her now. It also helps that, uh. . . your aunt
texted me and told me to come over. She and my mom have always been skeptical of The
Alpha legend, but the second I saw your change in appearance today and heard about the
whole Mini-Mart thing from Eva, I knew it had to be you. You exude power, man, and it's
crazy."
"That explains why you didn't mention my new look," I snorted. "I was wondering
if it was all in my head."
"Nope, I just didn't want to say anything until it was the right time," Benji replied,
and then he looked me up and down. "But now that we're talking about it, damn, dude.
You got a serious glow up. You're definitely not my lil nerd boy anymore. You're a man
now. "
"I'll always be your nerd boy," I snickered, and as I laughed, I remembered an
earlier portion of Benji's conversation. "Wait, so what was the part of this you thought I'd
be pissed at?"
Suddenly, the laughter left the room, and I could feel a layer of tension return. Benji
sat up straight and rolled his shoulders back like he was preparing to give terrible news,
and my stomach twisted itself in knots in anticipation.
"Well, this part actually involves just us," Benji said. "Well, not just us, but
specifically--"
"Spit it out, dude," I urged him as his words started to fumble.
"Sorry," the beta whispered, and he rubbed the back of his neck. After he took a
long, deep breath, he raised his eyes again to look right at me. "Okay. So, as you well
know, alphas take multiple mates. The key to our packs', and species, continued survival
requires alphas to make as many babies as possible."
"Aunt Eva mentioned that," I said in a cautious voice. Where was Benji going with
this?
"Well, as I'm sure she also mentioned, your dad was one of the most powerful
alphas of his time," Benji continued. "His pack was enormous, one of the largest in the
area before it fell. Ivan Rafe got the power he did because he was not only a charismatic,
confident leader, but because he. . . well. His closest relationship was with Miranda, your
mom, but she wasn't. . . his only mate."
"Yeah, I'm still not sure how to feel about all of that," I admitted to him. "It's really
weird to think my parents weren't monogamous, but I'm trying to remind myself they
weren't human, so normal views of partnership don't really apply."
"Plenty of humans are polyamorous without being wolves," Benji pointed out in a
thoughtful tone. "It's not as uncommon as it seems."
"Fair enough." I shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to get used to the idea myself. It's
pretty weird to come to terms with."
"Oh, I'm sure," my best friend agreed as he tugged on the sleeves of his sweater.
I observed the way his hands fidgeted with a loose thread, and when I saw the way
his eyebrows came together, I remembered the earlier portion of this subject.
"So, what were you saying about my dad?" I asked him slowly.
Benji's eyes raised up from his sleeve, and he gave me a thin-lipped smile.
"Just that he had other women he loved," he said simply. "One of them. . . being
someone I know. . . someone who made me."
"Benji, are you saying what I think you're saying?" I asked as realization flickered
through my mind.
"My mom was one of your dad's mates," Benji confirmed with a sheepish smile, but
then it dropped as he nervously cleared this throat. "We're more than just friends, Jesse.
I'm technically your half-brother."
My eyebrows flew up, and my jaw dropped slightly. This day was full of revelation
after revelation, but this one was pretty high up on the list.
"I have a brother?" I whispered. "No way, no fucking way."
"Yeah." Benji nodded, and he gave me a tiny half-smile. "Our moms were best
friends. Even got pregnant around the same time. Your-- well. . . our dad was thrilled."
"Holy shit." I shook my head again. "This is insane, Benji. I can't believe it."
"I know it's a lot," Benji said quickly. "And I'm so sorry to be dropping this on you.
I know it's probably gotta suck knowing I never told you. My mom and your aunt didn't
want me to reveal things before you were ready to know them."
"Don't be sorry," I insisted. "Trust me, dude, I'm not mad. That's a big thing to be
carrying around, and if I were in your shoes, I'm not too sure how I would have handled
it."
"I know," Benji sighed and pushed his hair back again. "Ugh, dude, it feels good to
finally come out with it. I've been waiting to tell you for such a long time, and it's been so
difficult over the years to not blurt it out. I came close a couple of times, but Aunt Eva
managed to reel me in."
"She has a funny way of doing that." I smirked, and then I started to laugh. "Wow.
Brothers, huh?"
"Yeah," Benji replied, and he flashed me a happy smile. "I'm so used to pretending
otherwise, it doesn't feel real to finally admit it."
 "Wait, so we knew each other as kids?" I frowned. "As super little kids?"
"We were young enough that I don't think it made too much of an impact," Benji
explained. "And after everything that went down with the old pack, Aunt Eva moved you
away to Everleigh, so we were separated for a bit."
"Where did you guys go?" I wondered.
"We spent a little bit of time up in Canada," Benji said. "My mom was a little tense
after everything that happened and just wanted some space for a while. Aunt Eva offered
to take me in for a bit so she could have time to process her emotions, but Mom didn't
want to be alone, so we roughed it for a couple of years, kept to ourselves in this super
tiny town. Lots of forestry. I don't remember what it was called, but the woods made it
easy for Mom to be able to slip out and run in her wolf form. I think the escape was really
good for her."
"That's really sad," I said as the realization crashed over me. "She really loved Dad,
didn't she?"
"She did," Benji confirmed with a sad smile. "As I said, she and Miranda were best
friends, and she loved Dad and the rest of the pack with all of her heart. They were her
family, of course, and when they were suddenly all gone aside from you and Aunt Eva, it
was hard on her. Eventually, when my mom started to get sick, we ended up joining you
guys here in Everleigh. It seemed safer for everyone."
"Hopefully, it stays that way," I sighed. "Eva had good intentions, but I'm worried
this arrangement might cause some difficulties down the line. Or not so down-the-line."
"Well, now that you're a badass alpha, you can handle it," Benji said.
"Hopefully," I repeated, and then I shifted back to another point. "So, how has your
mom been doing? She feeling better? Have there been any improvements?"
"She's doing alright," Benji replied with a shrug. "The home tells me she's been a
lot more cooperative lately. I was gonna check in with her next week. It's been a little bit
since my last visit, but I've just been caught up in school."
"I'm sure she'll be happy to see you," I assured him in my most soothing voice. "She
always seems to do so much better when you stop in."
"Definitely." The beta smiled at me, and he brushed his hair out of his eyes again.
A couple of years ago, Benji's mom, Andrea, had a bit of a mental breakdown, for
lack of a better term, and the doctors suggested she move into an assisted living facility
for the foreseeable future. Benji had been reluctant, but his mom was in pretty bad shape,
and he wasn't sure how to help her otherwise. Andrea had assured Benji this was the right
thing, and she'd been there ever since. I visited her with my friend as often as we could,
but this semester had been particularly tough, so I knew Benji hadn't stopped by in a bit.
As I watched Benji think about things, all of my lingering irritation faded. Benji
was the best guy I knew, hell, he was family, so I couldn't hold any of this werewolf
business against him. If I was really "The Alpha," it was my duty to care for my loved
ones with all of my being, and my best friend and half-brother was no exception.
"Should we. . . go back down and talk to Eva?" I asked. "I wasn't really ready to
listen to all of this before, but now I'm a lot calmer, and I want to know everything."
"We'll tell you what we can," Benji agreed. "I will say. . . unloading everything into
one conversation probably isn't going to happen, but between Aunt Eva and I, we should
be able to answer anything you wanna know."
"Thanks, Benji." I smiled, and then we both stood up and gave each other a short
hug. The white-hot anger disappeared from my veins, and I finally felt like my emotions
were back in check.
I was definitely going to have to train my self-control, though. These new wolf
urges were no joke. I went from angry to horny in zero seconds flat.
"Anytime, dude," my friend replied. "Now, let's get downstairs. You've got a
seriously gorgeous girl in your kitchen, and I want to get to know everything about her."
"Hey, paws off, wolf-boy," I joked. "She's all mine."
"Think she has a cute werewolf friend for me?" The beta waggled his eyebrows,
and after I jokingly punched him in the arm, we made our way downstairs.
Nikita and Aunt Eva were still seated at the kitchen table, and their faces lit up with
relief when we entered.
"Oh, good, you guys worked it out," Aunt Eva sighed.
"I was beginning to wonder if I needed to come up and referee," Nikita teased. "It
was sounding a little heated, and then you both went silent."
"We're perfectly fine," I assured the pair, and I walked over and stood behind
Nikita's chair.
"We missed you, Alpha," she murmured as she tilted her head up, and her doe-like
teal eyes were full of affection.
Something tugged deep in my gut when I gazed into her eyes, like we were two
magnets being drawn together, and I immediately leaned down and planted my lips on
hers. We shared an awkwardly coordinated but still awesome kiss, and when we parted,
Benji rolled his eyes at us playfully.
"Hey, babe, Benji was wondering if you had any cute werewolf friends," I joked,
and the beta's jaw dropped.
"Dude!" he hissed, and his cheeks flushed scarlet. "Not cool."
"Can't say I do." Nikita smirked. "I know a couple of werecats, but, uh, I don't know
if they're really gonna be interested."
"Probably not," Benji chuckled.
"Now, before we get back into all of this, I think I have only one important question
to ask," Aunt Eva addressed the room. "Who the hell is Max, and what are we going to do
about him?"

Chapter 8
Nikita and I glanced at each other as Eva and a very confused Benji waited for us to
answer my aunt's question, and after a moment or two of pause, my omega mate cleared
her throat.
"Max is a werecat alpha," she explained, and she folded her arms across her chest.
"The alpha of my pride. Well, former pride, I suppose."
"He smelled you, didn't he?" my aunt guessed. "After you and Jesse--"
"Yes," I answered before she could finish the sentence. "Once Nikita's suppressors
stopped working, Max's group of betas stalked us around campus. They chased us even
after we got into Nikita's car and drove off. Luckily, we managed to lose them thanks to
Nikita's awesome driving skills."
"Oh, my." Eva's icy eyes widened, and then she sat forward in her seat. "I suppose
that explains why the pair of you ran in so quickly. There's no chance they followed you
here, is there?"
"No." Nikita shook her head. "Unless they're better trackers than I'm aware of. I
drove us around the town in circles to lose them, and once they were out of sight, Jesse
and I came here."
"Good girl," my aunt complimented the omega, and then she turned to me. "This
presents a bit of an issue I don't want to think too hard about, but it is a real possibility we
have to discuss."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Jesse, Nikita is your mate," Eva began. "There's no denying that, but should Max
challenge you, you'd have to kill him in order to keep her."
"Kill him?" My eyebrows shot up. "This just happened to me yesterday. I don't
really know how to fight—"
"You won't have a choice," Eva interrupted me in a firm but still sympathetic voice.
"Jesse, Max will want Nikita, and he will gladly kill you to take her. She would then
belong to him, have to bear his children, and rejoin his pride. If Nikita is pregnant right
now with your child, he'll force her to abort, or he'll kill your baby as soon as it's born."
"I told Jesse that earlier," the beautiful werecat said. "I don't want to be Max's. I
want to be Jesse's. He is my alpha, and I want to make kittens with him."
"So, Max is an asshole?" My aunt asked to clarify.
"Definitely." Nikita nodded, and she tucked a lock of golden-brown hair behind her
ear. "His family has had many alphas who have led our pride for quite some time. . .
decades. Unfortunately, that's given Max a big head. He thinks we all owe him our utmost
respect and gratitude, but really, he's just an entitled brat who doesn't have what it takes to
lead our pride. All he cares about is power for the wrong reasons, not what's good for the
rest of the werecats."
"He sounds like a real prick." I shook my head and fought against my anger.
Fuck this guy. If he thought he could kill me and then take my woman, he was in
for a big fucking surprise. Sure, I didn't know how to fight, but I'd learn what I needed to
and rip his fucking head off his fucking body.
"It's okay, Jesse," my omega mate said as she squeezed my hand. "I can feel your
rage."
 "That obvious?" I took a deep breath.
"To me it is." Nikita smiled at me. "We are bonded forever."
"Max doesn't have an omega?" my aunt asked.
"No." Nikita answered. "He's probably searching the city for me right now."
"Who gave Max his position?" I wondered. "Is it because he's an alpha? I can't say
I'm an expert in understanding how packs are led or how territories work."
"That's totally understandable," Nikita said, and then she tapped her finger to her lip
and contemplated for a moment. "It really varies from species to species, but our pride
used to be much larger. Back then, the group was led by Max's father. When Max's
brother, Aiden, became an alpha, their father decided to retire peacefully."
"That is quite rare," Eva said.
"I'm sure Aiden would have killed him if he didn't." My girlfriend shrugged. "I've
only met Aiden once or twice, but he seems a bit more. . . calculating and scarier than
Max. As the pride grew in numbers, though, that kind of changed, and when Max
changed for the first time and discovered he was an alpha, Aiden decided he would divide
the pride and his territory and give part of it to Max."
"That's generous," Benji remarked, and he crossed his arms against his chest.
"That's not a super common alpha thing. They usually hold onto all the territory they
can."
"It's definitely not common," Nikita agreed. "But I think he realized if he didn't pass
some control and land over to Max, there would have been a civil war, and it might have
destroyed both factions of the pride. I'm thinking Aiden just gave Max some territory to
keep him happy for a bit, until Aiden could build more power."
"Strategic," Eva mused. "That's very useful information, though. Two smaller prides
will be much easier to conquer than one larger one."
"I'm not sure I'm ready to start planning that part, yet," I said as I rubbed the back of
my neck.
"Jesse, you're The Alpha," Eva reminded me. "As the chosen one, your duty is to
take control of all of the surrounding groups and command them as one singular leader.
The only way to do that is by challenging the other alphas and then taking an omega mate
from their packs."
"Before I worry about that, I need to worry about Max," I replied, and when Eva's
eyebrows shot up, I explained myself. "Right now, Nikita's safety is my top priority. Once
she doesn't have to worry about Max and his squad coming after her, I'll refocus on this
whole Alpha thing."
"Please don't shelve the 'Alpha thing' for too long," my aunt advised me in a
cautious tone. "Max is only the first on the list of shifters you'll have to defeat if you want
to gain power."
"What happens if I run into him at school tomorrow?" I asked, and Benji and Aunt
Eva frowned at me in confusion.
"Wait, you weren't planning on going back tomorrow, were you?" Benji asked first.
 "Well, yeah, why wouldn't I?" I asked.
"Because it's dangerous," the beta replied, and his brown eyes were wide with
concern. "Dude, if you were to run into Max on campus again, you would absolutely
have to fight him. As Aunt Eva said, you'd have no choice but to engage. That would be a
very public bloodbath."
"I could just avoid him," I said, and then I turned to Nikita. "Do you know what his
major is?"
"Frat boy with a minor in nepotism?" Nikita said dryly, and then she let out a sigh.
"Sorry. He's a business major."
"Same thing, really," Benji snorted.
"I thought you had a lot of classes with him?" I asked my girlfriend.
"Just general education stuff," she sighed.
"The business building is on the opposite side of the campus from the fine arts
building," I pointed out to my aunt and Benji. "If I just hung around there, for the most
part, I think I could avoid Max, at least for another day. That gives us time to consider an
adequate plan. I don't want to rush into something and make the situation worse."
"You know, now that I think about it, Max doesn't even have classes tomorrow,"
Nikita pointed out. "He wouldn't even be on campus."
"With midterms next week, he could still show up to go to the library or the
computer labs to study," Benji pointed out.
"It's all so risky, Jess," Aunt Eva chimed in. "I don't want to discourage you, I just
want you to think about what's best for you and your mate. You're The Alpha. School isn't
even necessary at this point--"
"Aunt Eva, I'm so close to graduating." I said. "As Benji said, midterms are next
week, and it's important Nikita and I get to class to make sure we're prepared. I skipped a
couple of my classes today, so I can't afford to miss any more. I know I have these alpha
duties, but I don't want to throw all of my hard work away. Besides, my mom and dad
wanted me to finish school. I need to keep going, and Nikita does, too, so we need to
make this happen one way or another."
The others fell silent, and I watched as each of their faces changed from concerned
to accepting.
"Okay." Eva nodded. "If that's what you want, that's your choice, and we will
respect it."
"Thank you," I said, and then I turned to Nikita. "I'll do everything in my power to
keep you safe, even if it means fighting off Max and his gang. They won't hurt you, I
promise, and I'll figure out how to get you through school."
"I believe you," Nikita said as she gave me a small smile. "I know if anyone could
keep me safe, it's you, my mate."
"Damn straight." I grinned.
"I've got your back, too," Benji spoke up, and then an idea seemed to hit him. "Wait.
I think I know a way to make sure he doesn't show up at all. Nikita, if you tell me where
he lives, I can go mess with his car, maybe slash a tire or two or four, shit on his hood,
shove a banana in his exhaust."
"Shit on his hood?" I laughed.
"Yeah! So, he can't come to school! He'd be stuck dealing with that all day, and
there'd be no chance he'd get to campus."
"That's not half-bad," I remarked. "A little illegal, but not bad."
"I don't know where he lives," Nikita sighed. "Whenever he calls the pride together,
he usually makes them go to shitty bars so he can at least get a drink while he tells us
what to do. He has after parties, but I never went."
"Damn," Benji cursed, and then he ran his hand through his hair. "Okay. Idea
number two: Nikita, I assume Max parks near the business building?"
"He does." The omega nodded at him.
"Well, then you and Jesse could park on the opposite side of campus," he suggested.
"Meanwhile, I'll keep watch on the business lot, and if Max shows up, I'll text you both,
and you can make a run for it."
"But what about your classes?" I reminded the beta. "You have midterms next week,
too, dude."
"I've got two classes, but I can miss them." Benji waved his hand in the air. "I've
been studying like crazy, and besides, I'm your bro, Jess. I'm here to do whatever I can to
help my alpha, and if that means I get to do some badass cloak-and-dagger shit, I'm
totally game. I'll even wear my dark sunglasses and download the Pink Panther theme
song to play in my ear buds."
I considered the idea for a moment and then nodded. "I think that could work. What
do you think, Aunt Eva? Nikita?"
"You're the alpha," Eva reminded me. "If you think this is the right move, I support
you."
"Same here." Nikita agreed with the older werewolf. "I think that's a really good
plan."
"Sweet," I replied, and then I turned to Benji. "Then let's do it. I want you to watch
that parking lot like a hawk. If anything even remotely sketchy happens--"
"I'm on it," my best friend finished for me, and then he addressed Nikita. "Nik, what
kind of car does Max drive?"
"An Audi R8," Nikita scoffed, and she crossed her arms against her chest. "It's
black, super shiny. Definitely hard to miss."
"He's the dude who drives that Audi R8?" Benji asked, and his brown eyes grew
wide. "I've been wondering who had the trust fund and rich daddy."
"That's Max." My omega mate smirked. "He thinks it makes him look cultured and
important, like he's some kind of bigshot. Don't get me wrong, it's a badass car, but he's a
major dick about it."
"Unsurprising," I noted.
"Don't you worry about anything, Jess." My best friend nodded with enthusiasm. "I
got both your backs. I know we're different species, Nikita, but you're a part of this pack
now, and as a beta, it's my duty to protect you, too, so I'll do whatever it takes. I'll fight a
douche for your honor."
"I appreciate it, Benji," the werecat replied with a small laugh. "I'm lucky to have
such a great new family, but with all of that being said, I can be pretty vicious when I
need to be. Max would easily overpower me, but the rest of his betas are a different story.
I can handle one or two of them easily. Omegas are stronger than betas most of the time."
"Nikita, if you don't mind my asking. . . what type of cat are you?" I wondered with
a slight tilt of my head. "I just realized we never really discussed it. This shapeshifter
thing is pretty new to me, and there's still a lot I don't know."
"Well, just like with wolves, there are different types of werecats," Nikita explained.
"Cat is kind of a general term to describe all of the different varieties. There are lynxes,
bobcats, ocelots, and then there's my family's breed: mountain lion."
"Whoa." I grinned. "You're a mountain lion?"
"Yessss," Nikita purred. "A small number of the pride in Everleigh is, Max
included. There are a few mountain lion betas, but the others are lynxes. Nothing against
their breed, but there's definitely an attitude amongst the smaller cats, kind of an
inferiority complex."
"Ah." I smirked. "I could only imagine."
"Mountain lions are fucking badass," Benji gasped, and his eyes looked as wide as a
kid's on Christmas.
"Thanks," Nikita giggled. "We are pretty cool, but we're only really similar to
normal mountain lions by name. A lot like werewolves, there's a size difference, lengthier
legs, etc. It's just easier to refer to ourselves as a similar species to save time."
"Fair enough," I said, but when I glanced over at Aunt Eva, I was surprised to see
she was staring into space with an odd look on her face. "Aunt Eva? Is everything okay?"
"Yes." The beta snapped out of it, and she gave me a small smile. "Sorry, I was
daydreaming about the future, I guess. It's been an eventful day."
"I hear that," I sighed, and then I glanced out the window. "I didn't even notice the
sun went down."
"Oh, I didn't realize what time it was," Eva said as she looked at the clock. "Are you
kids hungry?"
"Always," I chuckled.
"Definitely," Benji said at the same time.
"I think we all could use a little time to unwind," my aunt decided, and she stood up
from her chair and tucked it under the table. "Why don't you kids go hang out in the
living room and watch a movie or something while I order delivery from somewhere?"
"That sounds nice," I groaned. "Turning off my brain for a bit seems like just the
thing after the day we've had."
"A movie night does sound kind of fun," Nikita said. "I don't have a television in
my apartment, so watching something on a screen that isn't my phone sounds great."
 "You guys go ahead, and I'll handle everything else," Eva announced, and she
inclined her head toward the living room. "Now, scoot. That's an order."
"Aye, aye," I joked as we got up from the kitchen table, and then I led my mate and
friend to the living room.
We plopped on Aunt Eva's overstuffed but comfortable furniture, and after I turned
on an old horror movie none of us had seen in years, Nikita snuggled up close and rested
her cheek on my shoulder. I laid my head down against hers, and soon, the coolness of
her skin lulled me into a comfortable state.
After everything we'd just discussed, and the dire actions of the day, it was nice to
unwind and do something so. . . human.
Once we devoured the pizza Aunt Eva ordered with ravenous need, Benji left to
head back to his place, and I took Nikita up to my room to finally take the showers we'd
been putting off since we'd gotten back to the house. I decided to give Nikita a mini-tour
while I was at it, and despite how mundane it all was, the omega seemed thrilled.
"Anddddd this is my bedroom." I opened up the door to my humble den. "It isn't
much, but it's pretty homey. Of course, you're free to stay here, or there's the guest room
down the hall--"
"I would love to stay with you in your room, Jesse." Nikita smiled at me, and then
she gestured toward a dragon poster that hung adjacent to my bed. "That print is really
cool."
"Thanks." I smirked as I paused in the threshold. "My friends and I play a lot of
DnD."
"DnD?" Nikita repeated back. "That's. . . Dungeons and Dragons, right?"
"Right." I nodded. "I know it's a little geeky--"
"No way." The pretty omega shook her head. "I don't know much about it, but I'd
like to learn sometime. Maybe I could watch you guys play?"
"Really?" My eyebrows shot up. "You'd want to do that?"
"Of course," she insisted, and she reached over and grabbed my arm. "I want to
learn everything about you, Jesse, and if it's something you're into. . . I'd love to learn
more. I want to make you happy. You are my man, and I'm your woman."
"God, you're perfect," I muttered, and I raised my hand to cup her cheek. "I'm so
lucky to have found you."
"You say that now, but just wait until I snore," the werecat joked.
"Despite what my freak-outs indicated earlier, I don't scare easily," I said. "Benji
has stayed over on more than one occasion over the years, and I'll tell you right now, he
makes a chainsaw sound like a whisper."
"Good to know," Nikita giggled, and the musical quality of it brought a smile to my
face.
I pulled her closer to me, and as her scent filled my nostrils, I leaned in and pressed
my lips against hers.
Our kiss began soft and sweet, but it didn't remain tame for long. Nikita's tongue
found its way through the barrier of my lips, and once it circled around mine, we played
with one another. While this continued on, I raised my hands to cup her breasts and
gently squeezed at the perfectly-shaped mounds. The beautiful omega let out a sigh as I
started to knead her breasts more firmly, and she melted under my touch until she was
practically limp.
"Might I suggest we move locations?" I proposed as I moved my hands to her hips
to steady her and then glanced into my room.
"Yes, please," Nikita breathed.
We disentangled from one another, and then I took her hand and finally led her into
the bedroom. I closed the door behind us, and once we were completely alone, Nikita
started to peel her clothes off. The moment she released herself from the body spray-
scented garments, her scent came at me with full force, and it sent me into a sudden state
of need.
Her skin glowed golden under the light and only made her lovely eyes that much
brighter. When she smiled, her sharp canines flashed, and I immediately imagined just
how much I wanted those teeth at my throat and her long nails clawing down my back.
The omega was able to deliver so much pleasure with her simple touches, and I was
ready to experience those pleasures all over again.
"I need you," I growled.
"I'm all yours," she said, and the werecat gave me a mischievous grin. "Take me,
Alpha."
That was all I needed to proceed, and I couldn't have gotten out of my clothes any
faster. My need grew even more insistent when my rock-hard dick sprang free of its
prison, and I couldn't believe how much it physically hurt to be away from Nikita. Once
the remainder of my outfit fell to the floor, I wasted no time and swept the omega into my
arms.
"I have an idea," I said, and before she could question my motives, I carried her
over to my bathroom and headed into the shower.
I gently set her down so neither of us would slip, and once she was poised up
against the shower wall, I leaned over her and pressed my lips against her collarbone. Her
citrus and vanilla-scented skin was cold, but I was about to warm her up and change that.
Nikita moaned lightly, and the sound of it encouraged me to go further, so I gently
ran my tongue across her. Unfortunately, I picked up a bit of the cheap body spray, and
my nose scrunched up at the alcoholic taste.
"Perhaps we should get a little more cleaned up before we start fooling around?"
Nikita suggested as I raised my head up from her chest.
"Get clean only to get dirty again?" I chuckled.
"I'll scrub your back if you scrub mine," Nikita purred with a raised eyebrow, and it
took every ounce of my willpower to keep from taking her right then and there. That
smirk of hers was going to get her into trouble one day.
I would see to it.
 I turned on the shower, and we jumped back in surprise when a spray of cold water
flew right at us.
"Aah!" Nikita shrieked, and then she crumpled over in a fit of giggles as she tried to
get away.
"Sorry!" I chuckled, and I turned the knob as quickly as I could to get the water to a
suitable temperature. Within a few seconds, steam began to rise around us, and we let out
twin sighs of relief.
"It's okay, I wanted you to warm me up anyway," my mate murmured as she pressed
a line of hot kisses across my collarbone.
"And I will in just a moment," I promised before I passed Nikita my bottle of body
wash. "Right after you get that perfume off. I want to taste you and only you."
"Yes, sir." Nikita smirked as she opened the bottle, sniffed it, and gave me a nod of
approval.
"This smells really nice," she assessed, and she took another sniff. "Not the overly
manly kind of stuff that smells like gasoline and musk."
Like Aunt Eva, I liked to keep my products pretty simple and clean-smelling.
"Are you saying my body wash isn't manly?" I joked.
"No, it's manly in the right way," she said as she squeezed a dollop into her hand
and began to rub over his skin. "It smells natural. Doesn't hide your scent, it combines
with it perfectly. You still smell like you, not like those guys who cover themselves with
Axe in lieu of actually showering."
"Trust me, if I even brought Axe into this house, Aunt Eva would confiscate it
before it even made it upstairs," I snickered. "Not that I would anyway. I hate the way
that shit clogs up a room."
"We're in agreement on that," Nikita giggled as she quickly rinsed off the lather and
faced me. "Well, how do I smell?"
I tugged her to me and buried my nose in her neck, and she smelled like the perfect
combination of the both of us.
"Amazing," I groaned.
"Good," she said. "Now, turn around, it's your turn."
"Yes, ma'am," I laughed as I did as I was told.
Nikita hummed as she squeezed more soap into her hand and started to rub it into
my back, and her touch made goosebumps rise on my skin despite the heat of the water.
Then her nails lightly raked along my back, and a shiver ran up my spine.
I let out a low groan of pleasure, which only made her dig in further, and then I
turned around to face her. Nikita raised her arms and wrapped them around my neck, and
she pressed her wet, glistening body up against mine.
"Fuck, you're so gorgeous," I murmured as I slid my hands down the length of her
torso and then settled on her slender hips. My lower half stirred with need, and I gently
pressed the tip of it right on the spot between Nikita's legs.
"Wow," she whispered as my cock pushed up against her soaking entrance. "You
want me. . . bad. Your cock feels so thick and hard."
"I always want you, and you've seen nothing yet," I growled, and then I drew her
body even closer to mine until I could feel every pulse of her heartbeat against my chest.
For the second, or maybe it was actually the third, time that day, the omega and I
interlocked with one another, and this time was even more pleasurable than the first, even
with the whole knotting thing. It was a little difficult to maneuver in the shower, but
luckily, the area was spacious, so we made it work. Nikita's moans when she reached her
climax were intoxicating as they echoed off the bathroom walls, and I made it a point to
give her as many as possible just to enjoy the sound of it.
We continued to make love until I finally released deep inside of her, and then we
made out passionately until I was able to pull out of her vise-like tunnel. The water
started to run cool by then, so we hastily scrubbed up, shampooed, and conditioned until
we were actually clean. Any lingering hints of the noxious body spray was finally gone,
and when Nikita and I stepped out of the shower and wrapped ourselves in thick, fluffy
towels, I planted a kiss in the crook of my omega mate's neck and shoulder.
Then I raised my head, and I noticed something I hadn't seen before. There was a
bruise-like mark on her neck that looked a little swollen and painful. I tried to recall how
she would have gotten it, and then I remembered I'd bitten down on her in the heat of the
moment during our encounter in the library. Now, I wasn't the kind of guy who left
hickeys on girls, but seeing a physical reminder of our passion-filled first encounter was
weirdly hot. It didn't look very comfortable, but luckily, it would fade, so I decided not to
call attention to it.
"You're amazing," I complimented her as she peered up at me through her thick,
dark eyelashes. "Seriously. You're the most beautiful and kind woman I've ever met. I
know we haven't known each other for very long, but I'm looking forward to having a
future with you."
"I'm ready for it, too," Nikita whispered, and after we shared one more kiss, we
headed into the bedroom.
I rifled through my things until I found an oversized t-shirt of mine and passed it to
the omega. "I don't know what you prefer to wear to bed--"
"That's perfect," Nikita assured me, and she accepted the shirt gratefully. "I'll get to
smell even more like you, and I run kind of cold at night, so this works well. Thank you."
Her comment about smelling like me stirred something primal in my gut, and I
couldn't stop the grin that spread across my face.
"Well, lucky for you, I run pretty warm," I said. "Even more so now that I've shifted
for the first time, so if you need a little more body heat, I'm your guy."
"I think we can work something out," Nikita giggled, and the sound was muffled
slightly as she eased the shirt over her head. The shirt ended a quarter of the way down
her thighs and fit her in the most adorable way, and I admired her long, sexy legs.
I quickly tossed on a pair of boxer briefs and then climbed into bed. Normally, I
threw on a pair of pajama pants, but I was feeling even hotter than usual, and the idea of
wearing heavy clothes made me sweat even further.
Nikita climbed into the other side, and when her head hit the pillow, she let out a
sigh of relief.
"Comfortable enough for you?" I wondered as I stretched my arm out and played
with one of her damp strands of hair.
"Definitely," the werecat said, and she bit down on her lower lip. "The bed in my
apartment is a twin. I can't even imagine having a whole king to myself."
"Well, my bed is now your bed," I decided. "Do with it what you wish. If you
wanna sprawl out, be my guest. If you wanna push me off and make me sleep on the
floor, I'll do it."
"Very generous offer, Alpha." Nikita smirked. "But rest assured, I like you too much
to kick you out of the bed. Now, get over here and hold me. I'd like to offer you my
gratitude.
"Absolutely," I replied, and I swept the omega into my arms. I was about to spend
the night with the most amazing girl I'd ever met, and as Nikita pressed her lips against
mine again, I felt like the luckiest man in the entire world.
I awoke the next morning with the omega's head on my chest, and for a moment, I
completely forgot about the events of the previous day. This was the first time I'd ever
had a girl spend the night with me, and when I noticed the warmth that radiated from her
cheek, a tingle traveled up my spine.
In all of my wildest dreams, I'd never imagined I'd score such a beautiful girl as
Nikita, and I found myself in awe of the werecat as I stroked her caramel-colored hair.
Nikita stirred beneath me, and then she peered up at me through her thick dark
eyelashes. Even without makeup, she was absolutely luminous, and my breath caught in
my throat.
"Good morning," she whispered in a sleep-heavy voice before she let out a tiny
yawn that made her nose scrunch up.
I kissed it and then pulled her closer to me. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
"Very well," the omega purred, and her lips curled into a contented smile. "Usually,
when I wake up, I'm freezing, but you're just the right temperature. Much better than a
blanket."
"Our body temperatures complement each other," I observed, and I brushed a lock
of hair away from her face. "That's interesting."
"It just proves we're meant to be together," she giggled, and then she raised her head
slightly. "Do you know what time it is?"
"Ah, I actually broke--" I started to say, but when I shifted over and glanced at my
nightstand, I blinked in surprise. "Huh."
"What?" Nikita asked.
"Oh, uh, nothing, I just broke my clock yesterday, but it looks like my aunt already
noticed and replaced it, which is typical," I chuckled as I stared at the new clock. "Uh, it's
eight, by the way, which means we need to start getting up if we want to make it to our
classes on time."
"Boo." Nikita pouted, but after she kissed me, she willingly sat up anyway.
We disentangled from one another and climbed out of bed. Nikita stretched out, and
I admired her long, lean body, and the way her breasts bounced slightly once she lowered
her arms.
It was then I noticed the hickey I'd seen on her shoulder yesterday was still
prominent, but it had changed shape.
"Nikita, let me see your shoulder." I waved her over, and alarm spiked through me
as the omega approached.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Then she stopped in front of me, and my jaw dropped.

Chapter 9
Yesterday, the bruise on my mate's shoulder looked like a purple blob, but today
was a completely different story. The mark had changed both shape and color, and I tilted
my head to the side as I analyzed it. It was the same dark-brown shade as a birthmark,
and it was very prominently shaped like a crescent moon.
"What. . . I don't understand," I breathed, and I reached out and skimmed the mark
with my fingers. "Nikita, what is this?"
"What do you mean?" she asked as she pulled away and walked over to the full-
length mirror beside my closet, but after she got a good look at her shoulder in the mirror,
her lips curled into a dazzling smile. "Oh, this? It's called a mating mark. When you bit
me yesterday, you claimed me as yours. This is physical evidence of our union. Now the
world will know I belong to you, and you alone."
"Wow," I said, and I ran my hands through my hair as heat curled in my gut like a
satisfied cat in a sunbeam. "That's. . . surprisingly hot."
"The shape is lovely," she mused as she continued to stare at it in the mirror. "I
haven't seen a mark that looks like this before. It's very unique."
"They don't all look like moons?" I asked, and she shook her head.
"Every alpha's mark is different." She shrugged. "It's almost like a signature. Totally
unique"
"It suits you," I said as I studied the birthmark-like crescent moon. "It looks like you
were always meant to have that there."
"I was." Nikita smiled and turned around to face me. "We were meant to be, Jesse."
The omega crossed back over to my side, and then she wrapped her arms around
my neck, leaned her naked body against me, and planted her lips on mine. The sweetness
of her filled me, and as I held her, I knew her words were true. In some strange,
unexpected, and unexplainable way, I was meant to find her. This was still a pretty crazy
change to my life, but as I kissed Nikita, I felt this weird sensation, like this was who I
was really meant to be.
 I was still getting used to this alpha thing, but I was more than happy to acclimate to
having a beautiful girl in my arms.
I could have continued holding and kissing Nikita forever, but time was of the
essence, so we pulled away from each other, and I moved over to my dresser to search for
something to wear.
"Do you need to borrow any clothes?" I asked her as I started to rifle through my
drawers. "I know you don't have much on-hand--"
"Your aunt offered to clean the things I brought with me yesterday," she said, but
her blue-green eyes flickered over the shirts in my drawer. "But. . . I kind of like the idea
of carrying your scent with me all day. Also, it will help disguise my scent from any
werecat betas."
"Whatever you like, it's yours." I smirked. "Go ahead and pick out anything."
Nikita flashed me a devilish smile and then strutted over to the closet and started to
look through my clothes.
I studied her in amazement for a while and shook my head. I still couldn't believe
such a beautiful girl was actually my mate, and one who wanted to wear my clothes.
There was something adorable yet sexy about the way girls claimed their boyfriend's
hoodies, and I felt special for finally being a part of that tradition.
I managed to tear my eyes away from her long enough to find my own outfit for the
day, and I settled on a pair of black jeans and a blue Henley shirt I usually never wore. I'd
always been a t-shirt guy, but now that I was a million times more attractive and had a
lovely woman at my side, I figured I should dress the part.
Once I was dressed, I decided I would go check on the laundry and see if Nikita's
underwear and jeans were ready, but when I opened my bedroom door, I was surprised to
find they were already neatly folded and laying on a small table placed by my door.
"Special delivery," I called out as I closed the door behind me, and I held the clothes
out to Nikita.
"Perfect," she said, and she accepted the pile happily. "Saves me the trouble of
having to sort out bottoms."
She wasted no time in getting dressed, and I admired the way she looked in my
favorite gray flannel. Then she ran her fingers through her caramel-colored waves, and
they fell perfectly into place. The tousled, kind of wild style suited her perfectly, and I
couldn't help but stare.
"Ready?" I asked her after I pulled it together.
"Yes, Alpha," she purred and winked, and after we grabbed our backpacks, we
headed downstairs.
"Good morning," Aunt Eva greeted us as we entered the kitchen. "I've brewed up
some coffee, and there are some fresh blueberry muffins on the table."
"Wow, Ms. Rafe, it smells delicious in here, thank you," Nikita sighed as she
glanced around the kitchen.
The omega was right, the room smelled like a fancy bakery.
 "Considering the circumstances, you can just call me Eva." My aunt smiled at the
omega. "We're family now, Nikita, and I'd like you to feel comfortable in our home."
"Thank you," my mate repeated, and her cheeks flushed pink.
"Now, I was thinking we should head over and grab your things later today, Nikita,"
Eva said as we descended upon the coffee and pastries. "I assume you'll be moving in
with us? Or would you and Jesse feel more comfortable finding your own place? Either
way is perfectly fine by me. We have more than enough space in this enormous house. It's
always been too large for the pair of us."
"We'd love to have you stay here," I agreed with my aunt. "If that's what you want."
"I go wherever you go," Nikita decided, and then she broke into a smile. "I would
love to join you here. I'll just need some help with my things. I should also mention it to
my mom. I live alone, but I haven't had a chance to check in with her. I don't really know
what to say, but I'll come up with something."
"Do you think she'll approve?" I asked with a frown. "I know this is
unconventional, but I really hope she'd be comfortable with you being here."
"Once I tell her you're The Alpha, she'll be swayed," Nikita assured me. "Besides,
she's going to love you right away, I just know it."
"So, it's settled," Eva declared. "Nikita, where do you live?"
"Over on Redwood Street," I said, and then I turned to Nikita. "Are you in the
Anderson complex?"
"Unfortunately," she groaned. "It was the cheapest place in town, and I wanted a
little independence after high school. After my dad passed, I lived with my mom and
sister for a while, but I moved back into Andersen after a few months."
"We'll get you out of there as soon as possible," I promised. My sympathies were
with her. The Anderson complex was known for its host of party-loving college kids. My
friend Parker lived over there as well, and he made it a point to be at his place as little as
possible.
"When does your lease end?" Eva asked.
"Next month," Nikita replied, and then she winked at me. "Good timing, Alpha."
"Oh, I've been planning this all out for years," I joked.
My mate and I each plucked a muffin from the tray on the counter, and I had the
delicious pastry stuffed halfway in my mouth when the doorbell rang.
"I'll answer it," Eva chuckled as she shook her head back and forth. "You might be a
werewolf now, Jesse, but try to chew your food, okay?"
"No promises," I mumbled through a mouthful, and Nikita giggled at the display.
"You're an animal," she teased before she wiped some crumbs from the corner of
my mouth. "My animal. . ."
I swallowed the bite of muffin and leaned in to kiss her when the sound of multiple
footsteps echoed around me. I pulled back to see who was at the door, but when I caught
a whiff of the person's scent, I knew who was there straightaway.
"Benji!" I said in surprise. "Good to see you, man."
 "Hey, guys!" Benji grinned as he walked into the kitchen, and per usual, I was
amazed by his enthusiasm. Ever since we were kids, my best friend had boundless
amounts of energy, like he used Redbull in his coffee maker instead of water. Sometimes,
it could be overwhelming, but he was such a kind guy that he got away with it.
"Good morning!" Nikita flashed the beta wolf a smile. "How are you today, Benji?"
"Aww, I'm great, thank you for asking," Benji said, and then he turned to me and
lowered his voice to a not-so-low stage whisper. "I like her, Jesse. She's really sweet."
"I like her, too," I chuckled. "Don't be shy, man, get over here. Aunt Eva made
muffins, and there's fresh coffee in the pot--"
"I thought that's what I was smelling." Benji practically drooled, and then he started
to shamble forward like a zombie as he lifted his arms and groaned. "Lead me to the
muffins, Jesse."
Nikita and I broke into a fit of laughter, and we accompanied Benji to the counter.
Eva gave my best friend a smile from the kitchen doorway, and when her eyes crinkled, I
noticed a similarity between the pair for the first time. Benji's eyes did the same thing
when he was truly happy, and it was strange to see a piece of Eva in him. He really was
my brother, and while it was going to take some time to get used to the fact, it was still
kind of cool that my best friend was more than just my bud.
"Sleep well, Benji?" Eva asked.
"Like a rock, Aunt Eva," the beta chuckled as he palmed several muffins. "I've been
dreaming about these, though. I swear, these muffins could end wars."
"Who needs The Alpha when there are blueberry muffins," I joked, which earned a
round of laughs from the crew. After the food was passed out, and we all had steaming
mugs of coffee in front of us, we settled into a peaceful silence that almost felt normal.
I glanced around at one point and smiled at my newly expanded family. I could get
used to mornings like this.
Once we were done, we got up to put our dishes away, but Aunt Eva stopped us.
"I'll handle this, you kids need to get to school," she said, and then she turned to
address me directly. "Before you leave, though, I have something for you, Jess,
something important."
"That sounds vaguely ominous," I snorted, and before I could weasel an answer out
of her, my aunt disappeared in a blur.
Benji, Nikita, and I all exchanged confused glances with each other, and after a
minute, Aunt Eva reemerged into the kitchen with her hands behind her back.
"It took a little hunting, but I managed to find this not too far from the Mini-Mart,"
Eva began, and my heartrate skyrocketed when she pulled my violin case out from
behind her. "Those robbers didn't get very far, thankfully, but it took a little planning to
get it back."
"How did you--"
"Don't worry about the how," Eva said as she passed me my case. "All that matters
is it's back, safe and sound, with no damage, as far as I can tell."
 My impatience got the best of me, and I immediately took the case over to the table.
When I unlatched it, I almost cried tears of joy. I'd thought my instrument was gone
forever, but my aunt had managed to bring it back to me. Today was already shaping up
to be a much better day, and after I closed the case back up, I walked up to Eva and
embraced her.
"Thank you," I murmured, and I wanted to say more, but that was all I could handle.
I didn't want to be a big weepy mess, but my aunt had done the impossible. The violin
was my most prized possession, and now that it was back with me, I could finally relax.
"Of course," Aunt Eva whispered back. "I would never let you lose something so
important, sweetheart. I know how much it means to you, and how much that instrument
meant to your mother. Besides, I don't need Miranda returning as a ghost to kick my rear
if it got lost forever."
We shared a laugh at that, and when we parted, I caught Benji and Nikita making
'aww' faces in our direction.
"Not a word." I pointed at the pair.
"Sorry," Nikita giggled.
"Ready to head out, Jess?" Benji changed the subject as he looked at his phone.
"Ready." I nodded, and then I turned to Aunt Eva. "I'll update you throughout the
day and keep you in the loop. I don't foresee anything going wrong, but I didn't foresee
any of this happening anyway, so I can't make any promises."
"Oh, that reminds me!" My aunt fished around in the pocket of her jacket and
handed me a cellphone that looked nearly identical to the one I'd lost in the Mini-Mart
scuffle, only shinier. "I took the liberty of grabbing you another one of these. I had the
phone company deactivate your other phone, but we were able to keep your same phone
number. Try not to lose this one, okay?"
"Thanks, Aunt Eva," I chuckled, and I carefully stashed the phone in my pocket.
"I'll do my best."
"You'd better," she joked. "I don't think they'll let me buy another one at this rate."
"I'm probably single-handedly keeping them in business," I snorted.
"Get out of here," Eva laughed and shooed me toward the hall. "And try to have a
good day at school."
"I'll try," I said, and after I shared a look of acknowledgement with my friends, we
headed down the hall and out the door.
It was a nice, cool day out, and the chilly air felt amazing on my skin. I was going
to have to adjust to my newfound body temperature, but the weather here in Everleigh
was definitely an advantage for me.
"You guys drive safe," Benji called out as he walked over to his driveway. "I'll text
you if there's any signs of Max."
"You be safe, too," I urged my friend. "If something's wrong--"
"I've got this," the beta insisted, and after he gave us an enthusiastic thumbs-up, he
climbed into his car, and I could hear Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" blare through his
windows before he sped away.
Nikita and I got into her car, and after a brief scan of the surrounding street, we
backed out of Eva's driveway and headed toward the university.
My omega mate spent the entire ride singing along to the oldies station, and it was a
welcome distraction from the tornado of thoughts that spun around in my mind. I had to
remain focused on the main priority, Max and his squad, but at the same time, there were
also classes to think about. I'd always been a good student, but that didn't make my stress
any less. I had a 4.0 I'd worked my ass off to get, and I wasn't really willing to let it slip
just because I was now a werewolf. It was going to be complicated to keep my personal
life separate, but I had to at least attempt to figure it out.
When Nikita parked the car over by the arts building, my heart started to pound in
my chest like a timpani drum.
"Jesse?" she prompted me when I didn't get up from my seat. "Are you alright?"
"Sort of." I snapped out of it and glanced over my shoulder at my mate. "This is just
a little stressful."
"We've got this, remember?" Nikita reminded me. "I doubt Max will show up today,
and if he does, Benji will text us. We just gotta get through three classes, and then boom,
we get to hightail it outta here and head over to the Andersen complex for my stuff.
Besides, the apartments should scare you a lot more than Max.
"Fair enough." I grinned at the omega, and then I unclasped my seatbelt and
scooped up my backpack and my case. "Alright. Let's get going."
We climbed out of Nikita's car, and when the omega bent down to grab her
backpack out of the back seat, I couldn't help but admire the curve of her perfect ass. The
omega was so sexy it was hard to hide my desire for her, but I reminded myself we could
go at it again once we moved her in later.
"What building is your first class in, Nikita?" I asked the omega as soon as she
stood up and looped her bag over her shoulders.
"Adams," she responded, and she gestured toward the building beside the science
building. "What about you?"
"I start in Erickson." I pointed at the fine arts building. "But I'll walk you over
there."
"Sounds good," Nikita said, and we all started to head toward the sidewalk.
As we made our way to the liberal arts building, I kept my eyes peeled and my nose
at the ready, but thankfully, I didn't detect any of our future opponents.
We reached Adams within a few minutes, but a feeling of dread spread through me
as we approached the door. I hated having to leave Nikita's side, and my grip around her
hand grew tighter as I pulled her closer to me. If any harm were to come to my omega
mate in my absence, I would have no choice but to tear some heads off. The werecat
meant more to me than anything else ever had, and the thought of her getting attacked by
Max or his betas ignited the deep fire of anger in my belly.
Whoa, Jesse, calm down. I took a deep breath to try and compose myself.
 Rationally, I knew Nikita could handle herself as long as Max wasn't on campus,
but that didn't keep me from worrying anyway.
"You know, it isn't too late to head back to Aunt Eva's--"
"I'll be fine," Nikita assured me, and she made sure to catch my gaze so I could see
the confidence in hers. "We'll see each other after classes let out, okay? And if anything
goes wrong, I'll shoot you a text."
"Okay." I let out a sigh, and then I leaned over and kissed the werecat's forehead.
"Keep your eyes peeled. Don't turn your back for one second, alright?"
"Got it, Alpha," she purred, and after she kissed my cheek, she headed to the front
door. Her citrus and vanilla-scent wafted behind her like a trail as she made her way
inside the building, and while the familiarity of it was comforting, it did little to ease my
fears. I reminded myself Nikita would be just fine, and after one last glance in her
direction, I headed to my first class of the day.
The time passed by faster than I'd anticipated, but as the day went on, I got a strange
feeling, almost like I was being watched or something.
During one of my gen ed classes, I broke out in a cold sweat, but when I looked
around the room, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I sat in the back of the room or
lecture hall in every one of my classes, which kept me pretty invisible, but I still sensed
an unspoken tension, like I had a Spidey-sense or something. There was a chance it was
all in my head, but then again, nothing was quite what it seemed anymore.
Were any of Max's crew in my classes? I didn't recognize any of them when I saw
them on campus yesterday, but the encounter was too brief to really tell. Everleigh
University wasn't giant, but it was still well-sized, so I didn't notice most of my
classmates unless we had repeat classes together.
I decided to focus on the lectures, but I still kept an eye out for any suspicious
activity. My enhanced senses made it easier to detect movement, but also made it a little
difficult to concentrate. It took an extra amount of effort to pay attention, but I managed
to get through it.
My last class of the day was Performance and Applied Music, and it was a welcome
distraction to all of the craziness. My guard dropped gradually as the class went on, and it
was nice to focus solely on my instrument.
Unfortunately, it went by too quickly, and when the bell rang, I was a little
bummed. Then I remembered Nikita, and my priorities shifted. I needed to snap back into
alpha mode and make sure my omega mate was well.
I started to head toward the door, but a voice interrupted me.
"Mister Rafe--" Professor Collins called out.
"Yes, professor?" I asked as I stopped in my tracks and turned around.
"I'd like to speak with you for just a moment," Collins replied vaguely. A few of the
other students lingered for a second and watched us with curiosity, but when the
professor raised an eyebrow, they disappeared quickly.
"Is everything alright?" I asked my professor once we were alone.
 "I was going to ask you the same question," the teacher noted as his eyes trailed
over me. "Don't take any offense to this, Jesse, but you look. . . different. Not in a bad
way, of course, but something is definitely different."
"I, uh, went shopping." I cleared my throat and tried not to fidget. "And got a
haircut. Started taking vitamins and all that."
"Whatever you're doing seems to be working," Professor Collins said with an
arched eyebrow, but he didn't sound fully convinced by my explanation. "Sorry, my
apologies. That wasn't what I wanted to speak to you about."
"Am I in trouble?" I wondered.
"No, you're not," Collins insisted. "I'm putting together a quintet for the alumni
banquet, and I'd like for you to audition."
"Oh," I replied in surprise. "Wow, that's. . . isn't that opportunity usually only
offered to seniors?"
"Usually, but that doesn't mean I don't offer it to a specific few anyway," Collins
said, and he placed his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "Your playing has improved
drastically in the past year, and I'm really pleased with your progress. It's clear you've put
in a lot of outside work, and I know you could keep up with graduating students.
"Thank you," I said. "I try to practice for a few hours every day."
"It shows," the professor complimented me. "Now, this year's banquet is a little
different. The alumni committee has put together an award for a very important former
student of Everleigh University, one who would be of great interest to you, I think."
"To me?" I repeated back. "Who?"
"Jack Nolan," Collins replied, and it took everything in me to keep my jaw from
dropping.
Jack Nolan had graduated about a decade ago, but all of us in the music department
were still as obsessed with him as his peers had been. After graduating, he'd gone on to
perform in a ton of high-profile symphony orchestras, and now he had five solo CDs and
two national tours. He was a pretty big deal, and if he was coming to Everleigh, this was
a huge opportunity.
"Wow," I said as I fought to find the right words to say. "That's. . . quite the banquet
if Jack Nolan is coming back here."
"Indeed," Collins agreed. "I think meeting him would be a good thing for you,
Jesse. I could outright introduce you, but I think it would be better for you to showcase
your talent along with the quintet. What do you say?"
"I. . . I have to think about it," I blurted out before I could stop myself, and the
moment the words left my lips, a pang of regret followed. I knew I was absolutely insane
to not jump at the opportunity, but there were a lot of factors to consider, the main of
which being my new alpha status. I'd made it a point to keep my new shapeshifter life
separate from my academic one, but an opportunity like this in such a public setting could
be unsafe, so I needed to think it over before I jumped on the decision.
"Okay," Collins said, and while his tone was understanding, his face wasn't. "Think
it over, but I'll need your answer by next week, alright?"
"Will do." I nodded, and after I gave him a small smile, I readjusted my case and
started to leave the room.
"Wait, Jesse," the professor's voice called out again, and I turned around once more.
"Look, don't stress too much. I'm sure I just put a ton of pressure on you, but I wouldn't
have suggested you audition if I didn't think you could handle it, okay?"
"Thank you, Professor." I nodded, and I gripped the strap of my case even tighter. "I
really appreciate hearing that. Have a good afternoon."
"You, too, Mister Rafe," Collins said, and then he walked over to this stand and
started collecting his things.
I lingered for a second to make sure he didn't have anything else to say, and when
he didn't, I headed out into the hallway.
I was surprised to find Nikita just down the hall, and she broke into a huge smile
when I reached her.
"When did you get here?" I asked the omega. "Sorry if I kept you waiting."
"Don't worry, I just got here a minute or two ago," Nikita assured me. "Is everything
okay? I noticed you were the last to leave the room."
"My professor wanted to talk to me about a possible opportunity," I shared. "He's
putting together a quintet for the alumni banquet in a few weeks and wants me to
audition. Apparently, uh, Jack Nolan is being honored. Professor Collins thinks I'd be a
good addition and mentioned an introduction to Nolan would be an amazing opportunity
for me."
"Jesse, that's great!" Nikita urged me. "You're gonna audition, right?"
"I don't know," I admitted, and when I started walking down the hall, my lover
followed suit. "I mean, I want to, but I don't know if it's a good idea."
"Why not?" Nikita wondered. "Isn't Jack Nolan that musician who toured with Josh
Groban or something?"
"Yep." I nodded. "He's played with several big-name artists and then done two of
his own tours."
"Jesse, that's a super big deal!" the omega exclaimed, and she gripped my arm with
enthusiasm. "Being in a quintet at the event he's attending is an amazing opportunity.
Why wouldn't you want to do it?"
"This whole Alpha thing," I said honestly. "I mean, we just had a whole discussion
last night where Eva and Benji tried to get me to quit school. Between all of this with
Max, I'm not sure if the timing is right."
"Max is a complication, but we believed you when you told us how much you
wanted to continue," Nikita assured me. "If this is something else you want, we have your
back, Jesse."
"I'll keep that in mind," I sighed. "Professor Collins said he needs an answer by next
week, so I'm going to mull it over a little longer before I give him a definite yes or no--"
I abruptly trailed off as I caught a whiff of a strong scent, something herbal, and a
million alarms fired off in my brain, like I had Spidey-senses. I recognized the smell from
yesterday, and I immediately took on a defensive position.
A shifter had followed us, and they were coming our direction.
"Get behind me!" I ordered as Nikita stiffened up beside me, and the omega did as
she was told just in time to avoid the black blur that ran right at us.

Chapter 10
My body went into autopilot, and before the shadowy figure could strike, I let out a
snarl, grasped them by their shoulders, and rammed them back into the wall beside us.
Adrenaline surged through me like lightning, and my lip curled up as I unleashed a snarl.
"Who are you?" I growled at an impressively loud volume, and when my vision
focused, I recognized the thrashing girl in my grasp.
She was one of Max's betas, and she was pissed.
"Let go of me, you filthy mongrel!" the beta growled as she tried to thrash under my
hold. She was around my age, nearly as tall as Nikita, and dark, curly hair flowed down
her back. Her pale-green eyes were wild as they darted around at us, and she attempted to
scratch me, but my hands were securely wrapped around her wrists.
No matter how hard she thrashed, I wasn't going to let up, and I glared at her to
make sure she knew it.
"Hold your tongue, bitch," Nikita hissed behind me. "How dare you raise your
voice to an alpha like that?"
"Nikita," the beta sneered, and her pale-green eyes coldly flickered over my mate.
"What are you doing hanging out with this wolf?"
She said the last word with so much disgust it almost sounded like a slur, and I
involuntarily bared my teeth.
"It's none of your business, Kristina," my omega mate said in a similarly venomous
tone, and she crossed her arms against her chest. "Stand down. I'm sure he doesn't want to
hurt you."
"This is pride business, which makes it my business," Kristina fired back. "You
remember the pride, right, you prissy bitch? If you've forgotten what you are, I can very
easily remind you myself--"
"Shut upppp," Nikita cut her off with a growl. "I won't tell you again."
"You have no jurisdiction over me." The beta bared her teeth. "You never have, and
you never will. This whole time you were a fucking omega, and you never told us. Why
did you lie to your pride, traitor?"
"Traitor?" my mate scoffed. "It's hard to betray a cause you never believed in in the
first place. Max isn't half the leader you've convinced yourself he is, and he never will be.
I don't want to have his babies, and that should be my choice."
"Omegas don't get a choice," the woman hissed. "But why are you hanging out with
a packless wolf? His scent is all over you. Did you fuck him? Disgusting."
 "We aren't packless," Nikita spoke up as she moved in closer, and she raised her
chin in the air proudly. "We're a pack of our own, and my sex life is none of your fucking
business."
"Isn't that sweet?" Kristina rolled her eyes. "Max is going to lose his fucking mind
when he finds out you've been taking dog dick, you disgusting whore."
"I am not Max's woman," Nikita hissed. "I've made my choice, and I'm going to
remain with Jesse. He is my mate, and Max will never be."
"You cannot defy basic shifter biology," the beta werecat sneered. "Max will have
you one way or another. Last I checked, you're a cat, not a wolf. You're meant to be back
in the pride, furthering our population and producing strong heirs. Calling this wolf your
mate is disgusting--"
"He is my mate," Nikita growled, and she unbuttoned the top two buttons of the
flannel she wore and yanked it down to expose the crescent moon-shaped mating mark on
her shoulder. "Does this clear up any of your doubt?"
"What the fuck?" Kristina recoiled as her green eyes nearly fell out of her head.
"Nikita, what have you done?"
"Alright, I've had enough of this," I growled. "Nikita is mine now, and I'll kill
anyone who tries to take her from me."
"He will not back down!" the werecat beta snapped as she regained her composure.
"It's too late for that. You've taken one of ours into your supposed pack. We are going to
find where you live and hunt you down. Max and our pride are going to fucking murder
you and all your pack, mutt, and then he's going to fuck Nikita full of his cubs until she
forgets what your name was."
My nostrils flared as my anger began to swell in my chest. I could feel the same
lava-like heat coursing through my veins that I'd experienced the first time I shifted, and I
considered how easy it would be to snap this bratty werecat's neck like a twig.
Kristina let out a wet, choking sound as she struggled, and I almost gave into the
protective rage, but I managed to get a hold of myself when I remembered where we
were.
My advanced senses alerted me that people were approaching, and the last thing I
needed was to get caught holding a woman against a wall by her neck. Beyond us, the
clock tower finally rang out over the campus, so I decided to release the beta.
"Get out of here," I growled, and I released my hold.
"Count your hours, mutt. We'll find out where you live soon enough." The beta
werecat hissed her last words, and then she sprinted away.
Her black hair flew wildly around her as she ran, and once she disappeared, I
clenched my hands into fists at my sides and forced myself to take a long, deep breath.
She'd worked me up in a way I hadn't anticipated, and it took me a moment to bring
myself back to a calmer state.
As students began to flood around us, Nikita reached out and placed a hand on my
arm.
 "Jesse, breathe," she urged me in a soothing tone, and when I looked over at her, she
offered me a beautiful smile. "You're okay. You've got it under control."
"Barely," I groaned as I fought to turn down the fire within me. "We need to get out
of here."
"Alright," Nikita quickly agreed, and then she nodded her head toward the
building's entrance. "Follow me. Try to take some deep breaths."
"I'll try," I said.
Once we made it outside, I immediately felt a lot less suffocated in my own skin.
Nikita took my hand in hers, and a small wave of relief moved through me as she
threaded her fingers through mine and gently squeezed. We'd only known each other for a
short time, but she already knew just how to comfort me.
It was difficult to find peace when all I wanted was to find Kristina and take her out
for threatening Nikita, but what could I do? I wasn't in a place to attack, at least not here.
"Jesse?" Nikita asked me as we approached her car. "What's going on in your
head?"
"Sorry," I said, and I forced myself to take yet another breath. I'm still trying to get
this rage under control."
"It's the alpha in you," Nikita explained. "You're still adjusting to the primal anger
of it. Shifters' emotions tend to be stronger than humans', so our experiences feel much
more intense."
"It's definitely intense alright," I muttered. "When does that calm down, and how do
I learn to manage it?"
"You just do eventually," my mate said with a shrug. "It takes practice, but you'll get
there. You've only been a wolf for like three days now. Don't be so hard on yourself."
The omega was right. I just needed to give myself a moment to gather my thoughts.
She waited patiently for me to do so, and I took another deep breath as my heart slowed
beat by beat.
"I can't believe she threatened you like that." I shook my head back and forth.
"I can," Nikita said. "Kristina and I have a history. She's always been catty, excuse
the pun. I've done a good job of not making friends in the pride, and most of the women
believe it's because I think I'm too good for them. Reality is I just didn't want to get found
out. She probably loved having an opportunity to say those mean things to me."
"Well, I won't stand for it again," I growled. "Nikita, we can't keep doing this. Max
may not have had classes today, but what about next week? And the week after that? Are
we going to have to duck that douche for the rest of the school year?"
"That's how it's gonna have to be," my omega mate sighed. "We have to keep
avoiding him for as long as we can--"
"That isn't fair to either you or me," I said. "We shouldn't have to sacrifice our
safety every time we step on campus. You heard Kristina. Max is going to come after us.
How many people are in his pride?"
"Four females, five males, and Max," Nikita answered. "Not counting me, of
course."
"Shit," I sighed. "So. . . ten-on-one once he figures out where we live, which I
imagine is only going to take him a few weeks at most. I don't really even know how to
fight, but even if I did, those are shit odds."
"So, what do you suggest we do?" Nikita asked. "We can leave town if--"
"No," I growled. "Nikita, what kind of mate would I be if I ran away from the guy
who's threatening you? I can't be meek forever. If I'm really The Alpha, I need to stand up
for my loved ones. So, we need to come up with a plan. I just need to get Max away from
his pride. Then it will be one-on-one instead of four against ten. Those odds are better,
even if I don't really know how to fight. Hell, if you and Benji can be with me, it will be
three-on-one, and then we'll probably win."
I felt myself getting worked up again, so I lowered my shoulders and cracked my
neck. I was tense, but I wasn't backing down from this idea. I couldn't let Max ruin my
life, or the lives of those around me. His werecats talked a big game, but I wasn't going to
let them intimidate me any longer. I was just as much an alpha as he was, and it was time
to stop being my usual introverted self.
"Okay," Nikita agreed with me. "If that's what you want, I know we can figure it
out."
"Definitely," I said as we climbed into Nikita's car. I quickly locked the doors and
then leaned back in my seat as I tried to come up with an idea. "We can't really attack him
on campus, and we don't know where he lives. Basically, we need to gank him before he
can gank us. Trying to figure out where he's going to be alone is our first step."
"Wait, today is Thursday, isn't it?" Nikita realized, and then she reached into her
pocket and retrieved her phone.
"What does that--"
"One sec," she said, and I waited patiently as she scrolled down her screen. Her
blue-green eyes were laser-focused, and after another minute, she pumped her fist in the
air. "I knew it! Jesse, I have an idea."
"What's up?" I asked her.
"I think I know where Max is going to be tonight," she said. "The Vault."
"The Vault?" I repeated back, and my eyebrows scrunched together.
Everleigh didn't have much in the way of nightlife, but we did have a small club
known as The Vault. It was a tucked-away place frequented only by the rich trust-fund
kids and frat guys at EU. Clearly, I didn't fall into either one of those categories, so I'd
never been there before, but it made sense someone like Audi-owning Max would hang
out there with his crew.
"Once a month, the Vault hosts shifter nights," Nikita explained further. "The owner
of the club is a were, so he set aside specific nights where alphas can come in with two of
their betas to smooze. Max never misses a chance to show off his car and clothes to the
other local shifter tribes."
"Holy shit," I said, and I sat back against my seat. This had the potential to be a
perfect plan.
"Yeah," she purred. "This could be the perfect place to attack him, or at least follow
him home."
"Have you ever been?" I asked, and Nikita shook her head.
"Max has only invited me once, but I made up an excuse to get out of it," the omega
explained. "I always thought they were a little too high-profile. These shifter nights are
mostly so Alphas can peacock around in front of the other shifters. I wasn't willing to
jeopardize someone finding out I was an omega, so I never went. I always tried to avoid
any pride hangouts, but I'll come with you tonight."
"Will there be other alphas there?" I asked. "Will they bring their omegas? That
might be dicey if I show up."
"If an omega already has a mate, you won't be compelled to breed with her," Nikita
explained. "Well, you will. . . but not like with you and me. You should be able to control
yourself, and she should be able to control herself."
"But. . . what if we can't?" I asked. "I'm like this mythical Alpha. That could start a
whole fucking war with every species of were in the county."
"Yeah. . ." she sighed. "I don't know. We'll just have to hope there aren't any omegas
there. I guess Benji and I could go in alone and--"
"Nope," I snorted. "I don't even want you to come. We need to keep you away from
Max--"
"Jesse, you can't go in there by yourself," Nikita brought up. "Max will have two of
his betas with him. Benji and I need to come with you to back you up, level the playing
field."
"I can't risk you getting hurt--"
"Please, Alpha," my omega mate urged me with widened eyes. "Please, let me help.
I know you don't want me to get hurt, but I'm not going to risk you walking in there
alone. Benji and I need to be with you."
Her voice rose an octave as she spoke, and her passion was all over her face. I had
to admire the beautiful woman's fighting spirit.
"What about this," I proposed. "You and Benji can come with me, but only to take
on Max's two betas. That way Max would be all mine, and you two wouldn't have to get
hurt. You could distract the betas so I could get to Max alone. One against one is much
better odds than one against three, right?"
Nikita opened her mouth to say something, and I could practically see the gears in
her mind turn as she considered the idea.
"That will work," she said. "Between Benji and I, we could take on the betas. Do
you really think you're ready to take on Max, though?"
"No, but I don't see any other choice," I laughed. "I know I'm untrained, but I can't
risk Max coming after you, Benji, or Aunt Eva when we least expect it. I have to be the
one to ambush him. It's the only way we'll win."
"Spoken like a true alpha." Nikita smiled at me. "Alright, Jesse. We'll go to the
Vault. But before we go any further, we need to tell Benji."
"Right," I remembered. "I'll have him meet us over here, and then we can all head
out to my aunt's."
I dialed Benji's number, and when the beta replied, his voice sounded nervous.
"Jesse, is everything good?" he asked. "I haven't seen Max or any of his squad yet.
Are you guys out of class--"
"We are," I said quickly. "I've got a new plan. Meet us over in the art lot. We'll tell
you everything then."
"On my way," Benji said in a serious tone, and then he hung up on me.
The beta's familiar silver sedan pulled up next to us a few minutes later, and when
he stepped out of the car, his brown eyes darted between us.
"Uh-oh," he said. "Did something happen?"
"Yeah." I nodded, and then I explained the entire encounter with Kristina. When I
finished the story, Benji's eyebrows flew up, and then he let out a sigh.
"Yikes," the beta managed. "I've never been to The Vault, but at least we know
where he'll be, and he'll only have two guys with him. That's a major advantage for us if
we can get the jump on him."
"I don't love the idea of going after Max in a public setting, but better a place like
The Vault than getting ambushed at home." I said. "We have a bit of a plan, but we'll need
to build on it a little more. I've never really been in a fight."
"We fought as kids," Benji offered.
"Super soaker battles don't count," I sighed. "This is a life-or-death fight."
"Yeahhh, that's a little different," my best friend said with a wince.
"I'm sorry it's come to this," Nikita apologized, and she rubbed her arm with her
opposite hand. "This is all my fault."
"No, it's not." I shook my head, and I quickly mulled over the right words to soothe
my troubled mate. "This isn't anyone's fault. Kristina was right. It's basic biology. We
were meant to find one another. Our bodies and general chemistry were intended to go
together for some reason or another. If it wasn't meant to be, our mating wouldn't have
been so successful, right?"
"Yeah," Nikita agreed. "I feel. . . so many wonderful emotions when I look at you. I
can't even begin to imagine how awful it would be to be with Max."
"Yeah, that would definitely suck," Benji snorted.
"I'm going to do everything in my power to keep that from happening," I promised
her. "Max will never touch you."
"My hero." Nikita smiled, and we shared a quick kiss.
"Well, this is definitely not how I thought I was going to spend the evening," I joked
when we parted. "Never a dull moment when you're the chosen one, right?"
"Better get used to it, dude." Benji smirked. "Something tells me we're going to end
up in a lot of situations that are out of the ordinary."
"Well, let's get out of here and start figuring things out," I announced as I craned my
neck around at the parking lot. "The Vault doesn't open for another few hours, but I want
to make sure we go into this with all of the knowledge we can get. Max is going to have a
home base advantage, so we need to bring our A-game."
"Hey, Nikita, what does one wear to these kinds of things?" Benji asked with a
raised eyebrow, and then he gestured down at his Lord of the Rings shirt. "I don't get out
much, but I'm pretty sure this isn't quite acceptable."
"Probably not," Nikita giggled, and then she tilted her head to the side. "We have
quite a bit of time before the club night even starts, so I think we're going to need to make
a stop or two."
"Oh, no," I groaned. "I'm not sure I like the sound of that."
"I'll make sure you both look amazing." Nikita smiled.
"I'm ready for my makeover," Benji laughed. "But. . . I feel like it's gonna be a lot
of work."
"You'll be fine," Nikita laughed as she clapped her hands. "We just need to snag you
a couple of shirts that'll help you blend in with the popular shifter crowd. This is going to
be awesome."
"We have two completely different definitions of awesome," I muttered, which
earned me another hand squeeze from my omega mate.
"Hey, looking powerful and successful is just a part of stealth," she reminded me
with a raised eyebrow. "There's a good reason why there are dressing up scenes in like
every spy infiltration movie ever."
"Fair enough," I allowed. "Alright, let's head back to Aunt Eva's, so we can get her
up to speed."
"You got it, man." Benji nodded at me, and after he gave us a smile, he headed to
his car, and my omega mate and I hopped into hers.
The ride back to Aunt Eva's was silent for the most part, though my head was not
nearly as empty as I wished it could be. Finding out where Max would be tonight was a
major advantage, but now that I had it, what was I meant to do?
My aunt, Benji, and Nikita made it pretty clear defeating the werecat alpha was the
only way to ensure my omega mate's safety and enhance my power, but I was still
apprehensive about the battling Max part. I'd only ever shifted once in my life, and my
opponent had been raised a were. Max had a major advantage over me, and I wondered
how it would play out if I completely lost my cool.
I killed the robbers easily, but the idea of ripping someone else limb from limb in
the same way made my stomach churn. It was one thing to fight against an enemy as a
defense, but going on the offense was a whole other story.
I knew I needed to reconcile the two halves of myself: Jesse Rafe the violin playing
nerd gamer and the alpha werewolf who was supposed to rule the world, but how?
Should I let my animal instincts take the wheel, or was I meant to be level-headed about
all of this?
"Jesse, you alright?" Nikita spoke up after a while. "You've been awfully quiet."
 "Sorry," I apologized. "Just doing some thinking. There's a lot going on up here."
"I can only imagine," Nikita said with a tiny frown as she pulled into the
neighborhood. "This is your first time going up against another shifter. It's a big
undertaking for anyone, let alone an alpha. That being said, your power and strength is
instinctual. Fighting against another one of our kind for the first time is a little crazy, but
your body and your second form will know just what to do. It'll feel like you've gone into
autopilot mode. Your animal side will take control."
"The last time that happened was a little bloody to say the least," I murmured, and I
cringed as I thought about all of the robbers' blood and goo on my skin when I'd woken
back up in my human form.
"That's going to happen," my omega mate said, and while her phrasing was straight-
forward, her tone was sympathetic. "Unfortunately, fights and battles are a big part of
being an alpha. If you're going to fulfill your role as the chosen one, this will only be the
first of many fights, and it won't be your hardest."
"Is it weird that that makes me feel better?" I laughed. "It's like completing levels in
a video game and working up to the final boss. It definitely makes it sound more
challenging, but it also kind of puts Max in perspective."
"I have no idea what a final boss is, but I'll take your word for it," Nikita giggled.
"I'll explain it to you sometime," I teased her, and after we shared a laugh, I turned
the radio on and let it fill the silence.
The ride back to my aunt's house didn't take nearly as long as I wanted it to, and a
strange tightness spread through my chest when I saw the familiar entrance of the
neighborhood.
Nikita pulled into the driveway, and once we came to a stop, I realized I needed a
second alone with my omega mate. Part of me wanted to ask her more about Max, but the
other part just wanted the beautiful girl's comfort.
"Can we wait a second?" I asked as I sat back in my seat. "I just need a moment
before we head in."
"Of course," Nikita said, and then she reached out and took my hand. "I don't mind
at all."
"Good," I said, and I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it. Her skin was so soft,
and the look in her eyes was irresistible.
"So, is it wrong for me to admit seeing you pin Kristina against the wall sort of
turned me on?" Nikita asked me with a coy expression, and she trailed her sharp nails
across my arm. "I mean, we're no stranger to vertical positions, but seeing how you held
her there like that by her throat while she whined like a little kitten. . . hmmmm. . . I
wanted you so badly."
"Not at all." I smirked, and a flare of heat ran through my skin when she dug her
nails in further. "I seem to recall you enjoying being pinned up in the library and in the
shower this morning. Is that how you like it the best?"
Nikita was so sexy, and my need to have her felt almost insatiable. However, the
omega seemed to have the same amount of desire, if not more, which only made our
situation much more fun.
"It's definitely one of my favorite things," she whispered in a sensual tone that made
another pang of need flash through me. "Among others."
"Oh, yeah?" My smirk widened as she piqued my curiosity. "What are some of
these other things?"
"I can't reveal all of my secrets at once, Alpha," Nikita giggled. "Where's the fun in
that?"
"You're such a tease." I shook my head as I laughed. "Not letting me figure it out
easily, are you?"
"Nope," she said in a cute but slightly bratty tone, and I wanted nothing more than
to kiss that snarky little mouth of hers, so I leaned across the car's console and did just
that.
Nikita gasped slightly in surprise, but then a moan escaped her as we kissed. The
sound was so heavenly I pulled her in closer and pressed my lips against hers hungrily.
Her sweet taste overwhelmed my senses, but in the best way possible, and the more our
tongues tangled together, the more I wanted her.
"You're so gorgeous," I whispered between kisses, and I reached down and
squeezed her upper thigh until she moaned. I allowed my fingertips to hover close to the
place between her legs, but when I squeezed again, Nikita straightened up.
"Should we get out of here?" the omega asked as her chest rose and fell to the
rhythm of her heaving breaths. Her cheeks were flushed that pretty shade of peach I'd
grown accustomed to, and paired with her bright teal eyes, she looked like some kind of
angel.
"Yes," I agreed, and then I looked at Aunt Eva's house. The things I wanted to do to
Nikita were going to require a little more privacy than what I had. Eva's bedroom was on
the lowest level of the house, so there was more than enough privacy for us at night, but
during the daytime it was a different story.
I wanted to make the omega come so hard she was screaming my name.
"We can go to my place," she decided, and then she glanced at the house. "I know
Benji and Eva are waiting for us, but--"
"I'll text them and let them know we had to make a stop," I said. "They'll
understand. That was the plan anyway."
"Perfect," Nikita agreed. "It shouldn't take too long."
"You say that now," I teased her. "But I don't intend to be done too quickly."
"We have a mission ahead of us," she reminded me. "Let's not get too ahead of
ourselves."
"I want you," I declared. "The rest can wait, at least for now."
"I want you, too," Nikita whispered, and then she moved her hand over to the gear
shift in a fluid motion. "So, let's get out of here. Max and his goons can wait. I want you
all to myself."
 Without hesitation, Nikita put the car in reverse, and I quickly whipped out my
phone before Eva or Benji could step out into the driveway to ask what was going on.
Nikita and I are going to grab her stuff, I texted Benji. We'll be right back.
As Nikita drove us down the street, my phone buzzed, and I was impressed by
Benji's immediate response.
Sure thing. Everything good? Need help?
We'll be good, I typed back. Be back soon.
After my best friend sent me back a thumbs-up emoji, I turned my phone on vibrate
and then stashed it away in my pocket. I wanted Eva and Benji to be able to reach me in
case of an emergency, but I also didn't want to be thinking about them too much.
Right now, the only thing I wanted to occupy my mind with was Nikita.
"Do all alpha and omega mates feel this strongly about one another?" I asked her as
we left the neighborhood. "I mean, when it comes to getting physical?"
"As far as I know, it's definitely a normal aspect," she replied. "Our bodies were
made to mate with one another. Biologically, you and I are meant to create powerful
offspring together, so the urge to mate is impossible to shy away from. However, the
knotting is an aspect to ensure the omega falls pregnant, even if she doesn't particularly
like the alpha. She won't be able to get away once the alpha penetrates her, and she'll be
his once he marks her womb and her skin."
"That's. . . like. . . kind of rapey." I cleared my throat.
"We are the line between humans and animals." My mate shrugged. "Ideally, a
female chooses to breed with the most powerful male, but species will go extinct if it
doesn't happen. Look at humans, women are taking lots of birth control so their
population is declining. Survival of a species is all about making the most offspring."
"Offspring," I gulped, and I tried not to let my face betray my worry. Being with
Nikita felt like the most natural thing in the world, but I'd never given all that much
thought to being a father. It wasn't as if I didn't want to be one, but I'd always been so
worried about school and life post-grad I'd never considered it.
"Is everything okay?" Nikita frowned.
"Yeah, sorry," I said. "This whole. . . reproducing thing is still a new concept to
me."
"Don't be scared by it," the beautiful omega urged me. "You're going to be a
wonderful father, I just know it. Besides, it will still be months before you'd have to deal
with an infant, and I'll do most of the work. You just need to give him or her lot's of
love."
For a moment, I felt a flash of fear at the thought of being a father within the next
year, but then an image flashed in my mind of a child with my hair and Nikita's beautiful
eyes, and my attitude shifted. Something about the idea was satisfying in a way, and it
gave me this strange feeling of pride I wasn't sure how to explain.
"I'm not scared," I realized. "I. . . actually kind of like the idea of being a dad."
"You're going to be a wonderful father, I just know it." Nikita smiled over at me,
and her expression was so genuine, I began to melt. She was such a sweetheart, and she
somehow knew just how to comfort me when I started to spiral.
"So, while we're on the subject, maybe we could start getting to know each other a
little more," I proposed, and I considered some simple questions. "We don't need to share
our whole life stories right this second, but I want to know everything I can about you,
even the little things.
"What would you like to know?" Nikita wondered.
"Umm. . . What's your favorite color?" I started out.
"Pink," she replied with no hesitation. "What about you?"
"Red, I think," I decided. "I'm usually between that and purple."
"Purple is good." Nikita nodded. "That's the color of royalty, you know."
"I did not," I admitted. "Alright, favorite food?"
"Definitely going to have to go with any and all types of pasta," Nikita decided.
"Especially when seafood is also involved. What do you like? I want to know your
favorite things so I can cook for you."
"I'm also really into seafood pasta," I said. "But I'm really not picky at all. My
cooking skills are subpar at best. I'm no Eva."
"I swear, Eva had to have been a chef in a past life," Nikita sighed longingly. "I've
only tried those muffins and drank the tea she's made, but that woman has a way around
the kitchen."
"Just you wait," I said. "She's got plenty of awesome recipes up her sleeves. Her
love language is also stuffing people with way more food than they can handle, so
prepare yourself to be wearing a lot of sweatpants around the house."
"It's a good thing shapeshifters have a high metabolism," Nikita remarked. "We
burn off calories much faster than humans, so we need more nourishment to sustain us."
"I can think of some other ways I'd like to burn off calories," I purred as I gave
Nikita a devilish smile.
"Just wait, Alpha," she laughed lightly. "We're nearly to my apartment. And then
you can ravage me to your heart's desire."
"Don't tempt me with words like that," I sighed as I rested my head against the back
of the seat. "I swear, this has been the longest drive in the world."
"It definitely feels that way, doesn't it?" Nikita agreed.
Sure enough, the remaining drive to the Anderson complex was agonizing, and my
patience nearly ran out as we approached the apartment. I had to force myself to stare out
the window to remain focused, and I even went as far to crack the passenger window to
dull some of Nikita's overwhelming scent. She was so intoxicating it was hard to ignore,
but the incoming breeze helped diffuse some of the citrus and vanilla perfume and
brought me a little relief from the burning ache in my lower half.
At one point, Nikita gathered her golden-brown hair and swept it over one shoulder,
and I was immediately hit with an intense wave of her scent. The burst was so powerful it
made my lips part and sent a shiver down my spine.
 I couldn't wait any longer.
"Pull over," I instructed as we passed by a public park. It was really more of a
visitor's center than anything, and for the moment, it was pretty empty. We were so close
to the Anderson complex that it probably would have been fine to just wait a little longer,
but I couldn't stand another second in this car with Nikita's scent consuming me so
perfectly.
"What?" Nikita frowned, and her eyebrows creased together.
"Pull over," I repeated once again, and then I reached over and squeezed her thigh
to explain myself further. I wasn't sure who this confident, demanding guy was who'd
taken over my body, but he was made of pure testosterone and desperately needed his
woman.
"Okay. . ." Nikita said, but the omega nodded lightly and craned her neck to search
for a place to go. She pulled into the empty parking lot and began to slowly drive toward
the back. Tall, bowed trees provided decent cover from the road, and when we parked,
she fixed her large eyes on me in confusion.
"What's going--" she started to say, but her words cut off when I undid my seatbelt
and leaned over to kiss her. She stiffened up in surprise, and I cupped the back of her
neck to pull her in closer to me as I pressed my lips against her with feverish need. My
entire body felt like it was riddled with electricity, and with every passing second, my
desire for Nikita swelled.
"I want you," I whispered when I came up for air. "I need you."
"Right now?" Nikita asked in a soft tone, and then she looked around out the
windows and gave me a surprised but amused expression. "What if we get caught?"
"Let 'em watch," I decided. "I can't wait any longer. I need you, Nikita, right here
and right now."
"Fuck, neither can I," my omega mate admitted, and then we joined back together
again.
We made out like horny teenagers in the front half of her car, but as we leaned
closer into one another and began to start fooling around, we began to realize we were
going to need a lot more room. This was the first time I'd ever done something like this,
especially in a vehicle, and I had to do some quick thinking so I didn't interrupt the vibe.
"Back seat?" I suggested as I kissed along Nikita's cheekbone.
The omega nodded, and after we took another few seconds to bat at each other's
tongues, we maneuvered ourselves into the more spacious portion of the car. Thankfully,
Nikita kept her car clean, so all it took was slinging over our backpacks into the front
seat, and our setting was perfect.
I carefully laid Nikita down onto the back seat, and I watched with delight as the
omega's chest rose and fell with the swell of her heavy breaths. Her cheeks were flushed
pink, and her eyes were wild as I leaned down and began to unbutton her shirt with
enthusiasm. When the omega's chest was fully exposed, I arranged myself over her and
leaned down and kissed her soft skin.
 "Yessss. . ." Nikita let out a breathy moan, which only urged me to continue, so I
did just that and dragged my tongue from her navel up to her left breast, where I then
traced a circle around her nipple. The peak stiffened almost instantly, and after I traced
another circle or two, I gently blew on her skin, and the beautiful omega shivered.
"You taste so good," I whispered.
"Fuck me," she begged. "Please, Jesse, I need to feel you inside of me. I can't wait
any longer."
"Is that so?" I teased as I trailed my fingertips all over her body, and as I made my
way down and slid my fingers under the waistband of her jeans, she nodded wildly.
"Please," she pleaded. "You're driving me wild, Alpha. I'm your woman. Please take
me."
"I'm all yours, too," I assured the werecat, and then I got to work. I helped shimmy
her jeans off her slender hips, and once her long legs were free from their denim prison, I
tossed them aside and moved on to her flimsy panties. The flimsy material was just
begging to be ripped in half, and I had to suppress my urges to tear them to shreds.
Instead, I eased them off just as I had the jeans, and Nikita's coy smile intensified when
she was completely bare.
Once my beautiful lover wore nothing but the open flannel shirt, I began to
unbuckle my belt, and it took all of my willpower to keep myself somewhat tame.
Nikita's scent was getting stronger by the second, and the longer I smelled it, the more I
needed to have her in every sense of the word.
"How much do you want me?" I asked her, and I was somewhat surprised at how
easily the words fell out of my mouth.
"Sooooo muchhhhhh," Nikita insisted as her eyes lingered on my lower half, and
when I tossed my belt aside and released my dick from the confines of my pants, she
practically drooled.
I gripped her hips and pressed the tip of my rock-hard cock against Nikita's soaking
entrance, and I was surprised to find just how wet she really was. The omega was
practically dripping, and I was impressed by how nice she already felt.
"Fuck," I murmured. "You're all ready for me, aren't you?"
"Yes," she whispered, and then I gently pushed in a little further. She was so soaked
that I glided into her with ease, and a tingle ran down my spine as the walls of her velvet
pussy gripped around me. The omega was amazingly tight, and the sensation of her walls
clenching around my eager cock sent a tremor of pleasure through me.
"God, you feel so nice," I groaned, and when I gently pulled out of her, the more
animalistic side of me stepped in. The initial gentle entrance inside of her wasn't enough.
I needed to take her.
"Oh, Alpha. . ." Nikita moaned as I thrust myself even deeper into her. The tip of
my shaft grazed the walls of her cervix, and the omega's lips formed an "o" of surprise.
The car shook as we fell into a rhythm, and with every deep, intentional thrust into
the omega, we rocked back and forth. I'd never done it in a public place before, but as I
continued to fuck Nikita, I realized I was enjoying the new experience.
"You like me fucking you where other people could see us, don't you?" I growled as
I pistoned into her. "You want them to know you're mine, and only mine."
"Y-Yes, Alpha," Nikita panted, and her eyes rolled back into her head. "Yours, only
yours, and I want everyone to know it."
"Fuck, you feel so fucking good," I groaned as I slammed into her over and over,
and with every stroke, my heartrate rose, and I could feel it pounding in my head. I wasn't
running out of steam, but my breathing grew much heavier, and when Nikita's body
jiggled and heaved as the car rocked, my climax only drew closer. Warmth spread
through my veins until I was consumed by the heat, and when Nikita's pussy walls began
to tighten around me, I knew she was nearly there.
"Ohhhhhh," she cried out, and her head hung back while her hand raised in the air
to grasp the handle above her for support. "Ohhhh, Jesse! Give it to me! Give me your
child! Please!"
As she held on for dear life, her knuckles began to turn white, and her eyes started
to roll to the back of her head.
Pressure started to rise inside of me, and I felt the strange but familiar sensation at
the base of my cock as I neared the edge of my climax.
It was my cock growing larger, and we both gasped as my tip spread open her
cervix so I could impale her womb.
"You're miiiiiiiine," I howled out, and my orgasm exploded around me until
everything else melted away. Nikita and I rocked together, locked in place by the knot at
the base and head of my cock, and as my cum blasted into her endlessly, my vision
blurred, and all I could hear was the sound of Nikita screaming my name.
I wasn't sure how long we laid there, but our bodies seemed to do all of the work,
and we rode the waves of our pleasure together. This anchoring business was still a
strange concept, but there was something beautifully intimate about being bound together
with my omega mate. The werecat and I were one, and as I stared down at the mating
mark on her shoulder, I felt a swell of pride. She was all mine.
After about ten minutes or so, I was able to ease myself out of Nikita, and when I
pulled out, I admired the slick sheen of our juices that covered her velvety folds. The
omega's body was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and knowing I was the one who
was able to make her moan like this gave me more satisfaction than I'd ever experienced
before.
"That was amazing, Jesse," Nikita whispered as she continued to catch her breath.
"I'm so filled up with your sperm. It feels wonderful. You're amazing."
"You were pretty great yourself," I complimented her. "I don't think I'll ever tire of
that."
"Me, either." The werecat shook her head, and she brushed some damp strands of
golden-brown hair off her sweaty forehead. "I could make love to you over and over
again without ever getting tired of it."
 "Same," I agreed with her, and I tried to find more to say, but she'd summed it up so
nicely there was no reason to.
We spent a little more time pulling ourselves together, and after I glanced out the
window to make sure we were still alone, I gathered our clothes up, and we got decent
once again. We dressed quickly, and once we deemed each other appropriate again, we
climbed back into our seats and prepared to head to our actual destination.
Nikita's building wasn't that much further away from the park, but the moment we
pulled into the parking lot, it was like I was in a completely different town.
True to our conversation earlier, the Anderson complex was a bit of a dump. It was
a step above some of the poorer housing on the outskirts of Everleigh, but not too high of
a step. The brick walls were dull, cracked, and partially covered in dried-up ivy in spots,
and the parking lot was full of litter, cigarette butts, and old cans of beer. This was a
haven for drunkards and poor college kids who didn't have anywhere else to go, and I
was more than ready to get Nikita's things out of here so she'd never have to set foot in
the dump again.
"My apartment is just over here." Nikita pointed ahead. "I know it looks bad out
here, but for the most part, my place is pretty decent."
"I'm sure it's just fine," I assured her.
She led me down the sidewalk a little ways and stopped in front of a door with the
number 109B on it. Then she reached into her pocket, pulled out her keys, and unlocked
the door.
"Welcome to my humble abode," she said, and when I stepped into the room, I was
pleasantly surprised.
As the omega had said earlier, her apartment was small, but it wasn't nearly as
awful as the outside would have led me to believe. The walls were mostly smooth, and
they were painted a bright white that made the space seem clean at minimum. The
decorations were few and far between, but Nikita had several large houseplants and
knick-knacks, which gave the space some much-needed hominess.
"It's nice," I said simply as I noted what looked to be a hand-made blanket draped
over the back of the sofa.
"You don't have to lie," Nikita giggled as she set her keys down on the counter. "I
know it isn't much. I've done what I could to keep it from feeling like a prison cell, but
even then, only so much can be done."
"It could be a lot worse," I said. "My friend Jake's dorm room is in one of the nicer
buildings on campus, but it's still a total shit hole. Not that it's surprising a college guy
would have a half-assed room--"
"You don't." My omega mate smiled at me, and she walked over and leaned against
the sofa. "Your space is nice and spread out. Good lighting, not packed with stuff, but it
still shows me who you are."
"Yours does have one advantage over mine," I pointed out to her with a coy smile of
my own.
 "Oh?"
"Privacy." I grinned, and before she could respond, I swept the gorgeous werecat
into my arms and pulled her close. Nikita immediately oriented herself so she could wrap
her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. "Now, where's the bedroom?"
Nikita inclined her head forward, and I wasted no time in carrying her in that
direction. We crossed through the door to the left of the living room, and when we did, I
was surprised to see a small, but intimately-decorated bedroom. The walls were the same
creamy white as the living room, and the small bed was outfitted with a soft-looking
white comforter and huge overstuffed pillows.
"It isn't much," she noted, but when I laid her down, her hair splayed out prettily
around her, and I'd never seen such a fitting setting.
"It's more than enough," I decided, and then I leaned back over her and proceeded
to take off her clothes while she giggled.
The omega and I proceeded to make love again, and we filled the apartment with
the sounds of each other's names and the symphony of our climaxes. I'd always thought
my greatest love in life was the violin, but as Nikita and I tangled together, I realized my
greatest passion was in giving her pleasure. With every moan, pant, cry, and stiffened
movement, I headed toward my climax, and when my cock locked me deep inside of her
again, I gave in to my need and filled her with all I had over and over again.
While we were properly tethered together, I held the omega close and cuddled up
with her as we waited to be able to separate. I could feel Nikita's heartbeat through my
own chest, and something about it was strangely comforting.
"What are you thinking about?" Nikita whispered as she gently massaged my scalp.
"You," I replied with a small smile. "I know we're still getting to know each other,
but when it comes to sex. . . it's like you know me on a deeper level than I know how to
explain. I know that makes no sense, but when we're together like this. . . I don't know. It
feels meant to be or something."
"We are meant to be," Nikita remarked, and then she broke into a contented smile.
"That's the best part of the mating ritual. You and I have a powerful bond now that won't
be broken like other human relationships. We're the real deal."
"Yeah, we are," I agreed, and as I studied every inch of my omega mate, my next
move was clear.
Tonight, Max had to be defeated. There was no way around it. This thing, this bond
I shared with Nikita, was so intense I couldn't do anything to jeopardize losing it. I wasn't
scared of much, but the idea of the werecat alpha doing anything further to separate me
from my mate was too difficult to think about.
Nikita was mine.
And Max was going down.
Just thinking about him made my blood boil.
"Jesse?" my werecat lover prompted me and brought me back to the real world.
"What's going on in that head of yours?"
 "Once we're done here, we need to get back to Aunt Eva's," I decided. "We've got a
mission to plan. Max isn't ever going to bother you again. I'm going to make sure of it.
You are mine forever, Nikita."

Chapter 11
Once Nikita and I were able to separate ourselves from one another, the werecat led
me to her bathroom, and we cleaned up until we looked acceptable. I had a feeling Aunt
Eva and Benji were going to know what we'd been doing straight away, but I wanted to
save face as much as possible anyway, so I took a few minutes more to make sure my
hair was neat and my clothes weren't rumpled.
Meanwhile, Nikita went to work and began to pack up her belongings at such a
hastened pace that I was certain she broke a record. There wasn't much in her apartment,
but she managed to throw almost everything into two large duffel bags and a smaller bag.
Then she swept through the small space like a graceful hurricane and only stopped to
acknowledge my awestruck expression.
"What?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head.
"I don't think I've ever seen someone pack things so quickly," I remarked. "That was
impressive."
"I travel light." She shrugged as if it were nothing. "Omegas are used to having to
move fast. More possessions mean more time, and when it comes to evading more brutish
alphas. . . Well, time is of the essence."
"You don't have to rush like this ever again," I assured her, and after I approached
the omega, I took her hands in mine. "When we get you moved in, I want you to feel like
you have a permanent home. There's no need to rush, no need to keep things minimal.
Anything you want, any space you need, it's yours. I don't want you to feel rushed ever
again."
"You're so sweet," Nikita murmured, and when I squeezed her hand, she took a step
forward. "Thank you for being such a wonderful and supportive mate. I am so lucky to
have found you, Jesse."
"I'm the lucky one." I shook my head, and after the omega and I shared yet another
kiss, I glanced at the clock. "Shit. We need to get going. We've been gone for almost three
hours."
"Right," Nikita realized, and she scooped up one of her duffels. "Would you mind--"
"Not at all," I said as I picked up the other bag with ease, and the werecat took one
last look around her apartment before we headed back to the car. Thankfully, there
weren't a lot of college kids or crackheads around, so our venture was easy, and we were
out of the Anderson complex in a matter of minutes.
The entire ride back to Aunt Eva's house, I found myself experiencing a mixture of
adrenaline and contentment. I was still on cloud nine after my delightful afternoon of sex
with Nikita, but now that we were on our way to handle business and make shit happen,
the reality of my decision began to set in. I was ready to take Max on this very second,
but I needed to speak with my aunt and my best friend before I just blazed into The Vault
in wolf-mode.
When we made it back, Nikita and I took another couple of minutes to kiss one
another, and even though I wanted to go for a third round, we had other things to attend
to, so I simply drew away and offered her a smile.
"You're amazing, you know that?" I asked her.
"I had an idea," she giggled, and her expression turned serious. "You're amazing,
too, Alpha."
She leaned forward, planted a soft kiss on my cheek, and then gracefully ambled
out of the car in one fluid motion. I followed suit, and after we grabbed her bags, we
headed up the driveway.
The moment we stepped onto the porch, the door flew open to reveal a goofy-faced
Benji.
Damn, we'd been caught.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the lovebirds." Benji grinned at us with wolfish delight,
and I had to resist the urge to launch myself at him like we did when we were kids.
"Jealous?" I teased him instead, and the beta let out a laugh.
"Obviously." My best friend rolled his brown eyes. "You know, if you wanted some
alone time, you could have just told me. You didn't have to make up some stuff about
grabbing Nikita's things--"
"Actually, we did stop by my place," Nikita replied, and she gestured at the duffel
bags beside her. "I wanted to make sure my stuff was cleared out and then find something
to wear for tonight."
"Oh," Benji replied simply, and a flush broke out across his cheeks as he ran a hand
through his light-blond hair and chuckled. "So you did."
My omega mate and I shared a laugh at the beta's expense, and as Benji fought to
come up with something else to say in defense of himself, Aunt Eva appeared with a
similarly convinced expression.
"I take it you two had a lovely time?" she asked me with a slightly raised eyebrow,
and then she craned her neck around and spotted the bags. "Oh, you did stop by Nikita's
place. I thought you wanted us to help you pack."
"It was a last-minute decision," Nikita attempted to cover it up. "We needed some
things for tonight that I couldn't borrow from Jesse."
"What kinds of things?" Eva asked, and the moment the words left the beta wolf's
lips, I knew she regretted them.
"We're going after Max," I declared to change the subject. "Tonight, at the Vault. We
got intel that he'd be there, and I want to fight now."
"Now?"
"It's only a matter of time before he finds your house," I explained. "There are ten
of them, including Max, and I don't want to sit around and wait to be outnumbered. The
only way I can win is if I attack him when he's not surrounded by all of his pride."
Aunt Eva's ice-blue eyes widened as she studied my face, and after they darted
around at the others to confirm my statement, she nodded her head slowly.
"Well, I suppose that means you have a plan?" she asked.
"That's what we're gonna discuss now," I announced, and then I gestured at the
house. "I have a plan, but I want to run it past you all."
"Of course." Benji nodded. "We've got your back, Jess."
"Definitely," Nikita agreed with the beta.
"Good," I agreed, and then I inclined my head forward. "Let's go inside and talk
over our strategy. If we want to pull this off, we're going to need a good game plan."
My newly minted pack nodded in agreement, and we spent the next couple hours
explaining our plan to either kill Max at the club, or follow him home. Just like a DnD
game, Benji and I talked about what could go wrong and what our plans B, C, and D
were, but the main idea of "Kill Max if we outnumbered him, follow him home if we
can't attack him, and run away if we are outnumbered." Was the core of everything.
Soon, the sun had set, and the time had come, so Nikita, Benji, and I changed our
clothes, piled into her car, and drove to our destination.
If someone had told me I would be standing in the middle of The Vault on a
Thursday night with my best friend and a beautiful girl on my arm, I'd have called them
crazy. If they'd followed up the statement with the fact the club was full of shapeshifters,
I would have especially called them insane and walked away as quickly as I could.
However, the second we pulled into the parking lot, the reality of the situation crashed
down over me, and a strangely content smile broke out across my face.
Being a werewolf would have been a lot more alarming if it hadn't somehow made
me cool for once in my life.
As Benji, Nikita, and I stepped out of the vehicle, I couldn't help but admire the
sight of us in the reflection of the car's window. Nikita had styled us perfectly, and we
each looked like the type of person who would regularly hit up places like this.
"Damn, we look hot," Benji chirped as he patted his perfectly-tousled hair.
"Yes, we do," Nikita agreed, and then she narrowed her teal eyes at Benji. "Now,
don't touch your hair. It took us forever to get it to look like that."
"Right, sorry," my half-brother apologized.
My werecat mate winked at Benji, and then she returned to the car window, where
she examined her face, her hair, her nails, everything. However, the extra minute of
examination was completely unnecessary, since Nikita was already looking a million
times more beautiful than any runway model I'd ever seen in ads or magazines.
The caramel-haired beauty wore a tight silver dress that clung to every curve and
sparkled with metallic threads. It was short, with thin straps that didn't seem big enough
to hold up the draped neckline, but somehow, it managed to work. The omega wore a pair
of strappy heels that matched the dress and added an additional three inches to her
already tall frame. When she stood beside me, we were the same height, and I couldn't
stop myself from checking out her toned, sexy body. Her flimsy dress put her mating
mark on full display, and I couldn't help but smile at the crescent moon-shaped tattoo.
"You look so sexy," I complimented her.
"Thanks," she purred. "I wanted to make sure I fitted in. The club doesn't have a
dress code, per se, but this felt necessary."
"No complaints here," I chuckled. "But can you fight in that,"
"I've got some super tight spandex shorts on under the dress," she laughed. "I'll be
fine if I have to fight. Omegas are stronger than most betas, even males, and my parents
made sure I learned how to fight."
We approached the doors to The Vault, and with every step, the music and
vibrations of the bass grew louder and stronger. My advanced senses were going haywire
as they tried to adjust to the insanely loud stimulus, and I involuntarily threw my hands
over my ears to protect them.
"They'll adjust," Nikita mouthed. "Give it time."
"It's so loud," I said, and she nodded and flashed me a look of sympathy.
"Just concentrate," Benji urged me as he clasped my shoulder. "We've got this,
dude. You've got this. You're a badass alpha, and Max should be quaking in his
overpriced boots at the thought of having to face you. You're a force, Jesse, I just know
it."
"Once again, you're the best hype man, dude," I chuckled.
After one last straightening of my jacket and a gentle pat of my hair, I took a long,
deep breath. I had no clue what I was about to walk into, but every step I took from here
on out needed to have the confidence of The Alpha I was underneath the nerdiness of
Jesse Rafe.
The Vault was even more pretentious than I thought it was, but there was no
denying it was actually a pretty cool place. The ceilings were high, with a million
spotlights built-in, and they blasted rainbow-colored beams down at the mirrored walls,
which reflected smaller rainbows throughout the club.
There were three levels: the first was a spacious, table-less dance floor, the second
held a huge bar with spacious counters, endless shelves of liquor, and high black stools,
and the third appeared to be some kind of private hangout at the top of a set of stairs. The
perimeter of the third level was lined with red rope, and from my vantage, I couldn't see
past it. If Max wasn't down on the dance floor, he was up there, and I needed to figure out
a way to get up there.
When I sniffed the air around me, I couldn't detect anything except the animal scent
of what I guessed were shifters. There were no humans out tonight, and if there were,
they were definitely in the wrong place.
The spotlights reflected off the metallic threads of Nikita's dress and made her look
like a diamond, and for a moment, I was distracted by all of the shininess. Nikita wasn't
immune to the charm, and her face lit up as she admired her own dress.
"Definitely not a bad purchase," she remarked, and then she looked out onto the
dance floor. "Do you smell any omegas?"
"Oh, shit!" Benji gasped. "I didn't even think there would be an omega here. What's
going to happen if--"
"I don't smell an omega." I shrugged after I took another deep breath. "So, either
there aren't any here tonight, or mated ones don't trigger me."
"Thank god," my friend sighed. "Kinda just wanted to worry about Max tonight,
and not like every alpha thinking you are going to claim his woman."
"Should we go find the betas?" Nikita asked.
"Stay close" I urged her. "I don't know where they'd be--"
"We'll worry about the betas, you just worry about Max," Benji said. "We've got
this, Jess."
"I know you do," I allowed, and after I ran a hand through my hair, I let my
shoulders relax. "Alright. Keep an eye out for Max and the other betas, and if you don't
see them, come find me. I'll be around."
"Got it, Alpha." The werecat smiled at me, and she left a butterfly-soft kiss on my
cheek. "Time to go."
I gently tilted my face so our lips were aligned, and then I drew her close to me and
planted a kiss on her lips. For those twenty seconds or so, the rest of the club faded away,
and I completely forgot about the mission at hand. It was only when I heard Benji clear
his throat that I remembered we weren't alone, and I offered Nikita a small smile.
"Let's do this," I said.
"Yes," Nikita replied, and her eyes flashed the vibrant cyan shade she'd shown us
the night before. "Let's go stir up some more trouble."
With that, my omega mate turned on her heels and sauntered away. Nikita had an
easy grace, and I thought her confidence was fucking awesome. She may have belonged
to me in the shapeshifter sense of the word, but the werecat was every bit her own
woman. The idea of seeing her in her mountain lion form excited me, but in a different
way than I felt before. Nikita was a badass, and the idea of her being a powerful cat in her
second skin made me revert back to some of my old Jesse tendencies and geek out.
"Good luck, dude," Benji chimed in, and after he gave me a wink, he followed after
Nikita. I hated leaving the pair alone, but between the beta and omega, the pair were able
to handle themselves.
Besides, in order for this to work, I needed to keep an eye out for our guest of
honor.
I made my way around The Vault, and as my neck craned around the groups of
shapeshifters, adrenaline pulsed through my veins, and my heart pounded in my ears.
There were so many bodies and scents mixed together, and while it was a tad
overwhelming, I had to admit it was kind of a cool feeling. After some experimentation, I
realized if I concentrated, I could separate notes of scent into individual categories and
use them to track the individuals. Unfortunately for me, I had no idea what Max smelled
like, since I hadn't gotten a good whiff when he'd pursued Nikita's car, but that didn't stop
me from trying.
The packs of beautiful girls and the men attempting to pursue them were plentiful,
and it was nearly impossible to navigate. The music throbbed in the back of my mind,
and it took a good amount of concentration to multitask.
After about ten minutes of wandering around, I decided to try my hand at the
second level. Each of the bar stools was occupied, and I discreetly passed by everybody
and sniffed the air around them, but no dice. The familiar, natural scent of shapeshifters
was everyone, but none were particularly distinct.
Fuck. Where was he?
Suddenly, I caught a whiff of a distinct scent, something musky and a little piney. It
stood out amongst the other smells and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Max. It had to be him.
I peered around and focused on trying to find his unmistakable gold hair, but there
were so many people around that it was difficult to spot him. The entire club was a blur
of lights and moving bodies, so I decided to follow the scent trail instead.
It wasn't hard to pick up on, and once I located the smell again, I latched on and
followed suit.
As I got closer to the back half of the room, the scent grew stronger, and my blood
boiled hot in my veins. Max was so close. He had to be. I lengthened my strides and
pushed past a group of people as the scent trail picked up speed.
I couldn't let Max slip away, not when we were so close.
In the distance, a flash of gold caught my eye, and my heart dropped in my chest.
There he was, the frat boy himself. I clenched my fists at my sides.
It was time.
However, my excitement was premature, because Max disappeared amongst a
swarm of people. I could still see a touch of his hair, but he was headed toward the door.
The werecat alpha was trying to leave, and I needed to find out where he was going.
I started to speed up, but my stride was interrupted when I slammed right into
something sharp. It felt like there was a wall of needles in my chest, and when I looked
down, I realized there was a set of claws poking through my shirt.
"Well, well, well, look who it is," a familiar, feminine voice chuckled, and when I
looked down at who I'd knocked into, I stared into a pair of pale-green eyes.
"Kristina," I groaned as I tried to pull away. "Move the fuck out of my way."
"Or what?" the beta werecat cooed, and her ruby-painted lips curled into a cocky
grin. "Aww, were you looking for Max? Well, shoot, you just missed him. Better luck
next time, champ--"
"Where is he?" I demanded, and I added as much force as I could behind the
question, but Kristina was unfazed.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she mocked me, and it took all of my restraint to keep
from lashing out at her. "You're on our turf now, Alpha. I don't have to take orders from
anyone, especially not you."
 She retracted her claws, and with a toss of her wild mane of curls, the werecat
turned on her heels and ran.
A growl rose up from my chest as I tried to ignore the pain her nails had inflicted.
She'd purposefully kept me away while Max made his escape.
"Do we need to have a repeat of our earlier conversation?" I called out to her as I
followed her through the crowds of people.
"Fuck off, mutt," Kristina shouted over her shoulder. "There's no way you're going
to win this fight."
She disappeared into a group of people, and for a moment, I completely lost sight of
her amongst the other shapeshifters, but I was able to track down her scent and single her
out amongst the crowd.
"Hell, no," I snapped, and even though I knew it wasn't within club etiquette to do
so, I pushed my way through the masses until I could physically see the dark-haired
werecat. She was heading toward the back exit, so I continued to pursue her.
"Watch it!" a male voice shouted at me gruffly as I brushed shoulders with
someone, but I was on a mission. I couldn't let Kristina go, not when she was the one
who'd given me this intel in the first place.
The werecat was fast, I had to give her that, but I was faster, and I managed to reach
her just as she walked out of an exit door.
The back door opened up to a secluded alley, and my senses were on high alert as I
followed Kristina. The werecat continued to race down the path, and with every swish of
her hair, my irritation grew.
"Kristina!" I snarled as the beta ran. "Where is Max hiding out at?
"Sorry, I have no idea!" Kristina called back, and her tone was enough to set me
over the edge.
I kicked it into high gear and lengthened my strides until I was close enough to
reach out and grab her arm. Then I yanked the werecat over to me, and the beta hissed as
her eyes grew huge.
"Not as sorry as you're going to be if you don't tell us where he went," I snarled.
"How. . . did you run so fast?" she gasped.
"Give it up, Kristina," Nikita's voice rang out, and I turned around just in time for
her and Benji to catch up to us. My best friend and girlfriend moved in close so Kristina
had nowhere to go, and I flashed them a grateful look.
"Ugh, Nikita." Kristina groaned. "Looking as classy as usual. I see why this wolf is
following you around now. Now that you're off you're suppressants, you're acting like
quite the little--"
"Oh, shut the fuck up already," Nikita hissed at the beta werecat. "This superiority
complex of yours was annoying enough when we were kids. Now, it's just insufferable.
It's almost as bad as your desperate need for Max's attention. Sorry, Kristina. He's never
going to choose you as his mate. You're just a beta. You're worthless to him, and the
sooner you realize it, the sooner you can climb down off his ass and become your own
person."
"Damn." Benji whistled.
"Don't talk to me about foolish attachments, Nikita," Kristina growled. "I'm not the
one playing house with an alpha of a different species. What you're doing is disgusting
and unnatural."
"If it was so unnatural, why was it possible in the first place?" my omega mate
countered, and she tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. "Ask yourself how it is an
alpha of a different species was able to make me his mate in the first place. Do you recall
that ever being a possibility amongst the shifters?"
"No," Kristina retorted, and her eyebrows drew together. "So, what? How does that
make you any less of a freak?"
"Because there's only one alpha in our legends who can take a mate of a different
species." Nikita raised her chin proudly. "The Alpha."
"The Alpha is a myth," Kristina spat.
"It isn't," my woman scoffed. "He's here, in the flesh. Jesse Rafe is the alpha we've
been waiting for, and it's about time you put respect on his name. Max is worthless. Jesse
will lead us into an era of peace Max couldn't even dream up."
"So, what, you came here to find Max and take him out?" Kristina chuckled. "I'd
love to see you try. That is if you can--"
The beta werecat never got to finish her sentence because Nikita punched the other
woman in the face. The move was so surprising I barely had enough time to drop my grip
around Kristina's arm. Then a pair of shrieks filled the air, and I watched a dark strand of
hair fly by after Nikita swiped her nails at the beta.
Suddenly, one of the shrieks was replaced by a fearsome roar, and before my eyes,
Nikita slipped out of her dress and began to transform.
Unlike my shaky, nightmare-inducing first transformation, Nikita's shift into her
mountain lion form was just as fluid and graceful as her human movements. Instead of
sprouting hair and having her bones crack and boil over, it was almost as if she flowed
into her animal form like water, and in one impressive swoop, she went from human to
tawny cat.
I'd never seen a mountain lion in person before, and for a moment, I was frozen in
awe as I studied my omega mate. Nikita's golden-brown fur was the same caramel shade
as her hair and equally silky, and her plush tail rose high in the air as it flicked in
Kristina's direction. Her eyes were bright cyan, and when she curled her mouth into an
angry snarl, the roar that escaped her sent a chill down my spine.
My suspicions were confirmed.
My mate was a badass.
Before Kristina could react, Nikita sprang at her, and I gasped as human and
mountain lion tangled with one another. Nikita's powerful form was fluid as she tackled
Kristina to the ground, and the beta werecat did not seem prepared for the pounce. Her
head knocked back onto the ground, and I winced at the noise as Kristina screamed.
 "Bitch!" the beta shrieked, and she raised her arms to block her body from Nikita.
My mate's growls were intense, and she soon started to lunge forward and snap her
jaw near Kristina's face. Nikita was really trying to bite the face off the other woman, and
I was surprisingly turned on by my lover's ferocity.
"This is quite literally a cat fight," Benji remarked. "Should we try to stop them? Or
help her? Or. . . fuck. What do we do?"
"I think us stepping in to help would only make things worse," I said as I watched
the pair.
A loud growl interrupted my statement, and I was surprised to find out it came from
Kristina.
The beta was beginning to lose steam, and her arms started to waver as she tried to
shove Nikita off. Kristina's eyes blazed cyan, and the beta attempted to shift, but every
time she got an opportunity to move, Nikita stopped it immediately with a scratch, a bite,
or a swipe, and the beta was gushing blood all over the alley.
Nikita managed to pin the beta down, and she let out a singular growl as she tensed
her paws and dug her claws into the girl's chest. My omega mate rolled her shoulders
back and puffed out her tawny-furred chest as if to further assert her dominance, and for a
moment, I thought Kristina would concede.
I was wrong.
With a singular cry, Kristina pulled her arms back and then pushed with a surprising
amount of strength. The force managed to finally throw Nikita off her, and the omega
tumbled to the ground and let out a surprised mewl.
"Oh, shit," I whispered as Kristina scrambled up off the ground, got onto her knees,
and then lowered herself down onto all fours.
The beta's form began to ripple, and almost as fluidly as Nikita, she changed into a
smaller, but still fearsome, mountain lion. My omega mate's tail flicked, but before she
could go after the beta, Kristina used all of her weight to slam into Nikita. Though the
omega had a size advantage, the force of the movement knocked her off her feet, and the
werecat flew in the air and slammed her up against the brick walls around us. My mate let
out a hiss as her head slammed against it, and her tawny body crumpled on the ground.
"Nikita!" I shouted, and the sound of her whimpering sent a pang down my spine
that spread through the rest of my body.
How dare the beta hurt my mate? The intensity of the tingling sensation increased
until I felt like I'd been set on fire, and as Kristina advanced toward my fallen mate, I
reacted on pure instinct and ran straight at her.
With every step I took, something snapped inside me, like how a particular good
back crack felt after a long day, and the fiery feeling smoldered. My upper half grew
heavier, so I leaned forward until somehow, I ended up moving on all fours. My hands
spread out until they dug into the ground, but I didn't even look at them. I was too busy
staring at Kristina, and with every whimper I heard escape Nikita, my anger swelled.
I let go of restraint and allowed the primal rage to consume my entirety. My hands
trembled as my vision grew spotty, and my entire body began to tingle as if it were being
electrocuted. Every last inch of me ached as my muscles tensed up, but this time, I
noticed there was a difference in feeling. There was still tension and soreness from the
physical change, and yet. . . it was almost like how it felt to peel off a sweatshirt on a
warm day.
As the beta raised her paw to swipe at my omega mate, I coiled back and then
slammed right into Kristina. The werecat let out a surprised cry as I knocked into her, and
when I looked down, I realized my hands weren't hands anymore, but instead massive,
dark-furred paws.
I'd shifted, all on my own, without even thinking about it.
Kristina landed down on her back, and she hissed and writhed under me to try to
push me off her, but I wasn't budging. Even when I sensed her back feet rise up and try to
kick me off, I ignored the stings of her claws against my belly. I tightened my own razor-
sharp claws into her chest to hold her down and get her to stop writhing, and then I bared
my teeth at her. Without even thinking, an intense roar rose up from my chest and
escaped from me with a booming volume that practically shook the air with its force.
The werecat went completely silent, but her cyan eyes widened until they were as
round as a full moon. She cowered under me, and her body began to shake as she drew
into herself. The fear in her gaze brought me a strange satisfaction, and I felt a swell of
pride at the intimidation.
I suddenly heard soft footsteps approaching, and when I turned my head away from
the whimpering beta beneath me, I was met with the lovely eyes of my omega mate. Her
sleek, tawny form moved toward us gracefully, and as she got closer to me, I caught my
reflection in her eyes.
I was full wolf. Not the hybrid state I'd been in at the Mini-Mart, but full, complete
wolf. My fur was somewhere between black and brown, and my large body was sleek and
powerful. My eyes were the same bright orange I'd seen reflected in Aunt Eva and Benji,
but they smoldered even brighter, like they were made of molten lava. My puffed-up tail
was high in the air, and my large ears were nearly flattened against my head, but they
raised back up when my woman rubbed up against me affectionately. Her purr tingled
against me, and if I could have smiled, I would have at the pleasant sensation.
My omega mate nodded her head at Kristina, and when she did, I climbed off the
beta and moved away. The second I unpinned her, the beta werecat kicked her legs
frantically and got to her feet, but that didn't last long as Nikita ran at her and swiped her
large paw in her direction.
When I turned around, I spotted Benji, whose fists were curled at his sides. His eyes
were vibrant orange, but when he took a step forward, I shook my head. From Nikita's
fearsome growls, I knew she had this under control, so I moved away and imagined
myself returning to my human form. Sure enough, warmth spread through me as my
paws shifted back into hands, and when my legs elongated, I rose to my feet.
"Holy shit, Jess," Benji said with amazement in his voice, and his orange eyes
darkened back to their normal shade of chocolate brown. "That was amazing."
"I didn't even think twice about it," I muttered, but before I could elaborate further,
a roar echoed through the alley, and I turned around to see Nikita going in for an attack.
Kristina didn't seem at all prepared for my omega mate's advance.
"Jesse, she's gonna kill that beta," my best friend said, and sure enough, Nikita's
large paw was only a few seconds away from making contact with Kristina's face. With
her claws outstretched, I had no doubt in my mind my mate could inflict some damage to
the beta's face, and while part of me wanted revenge, I didn't want her blood on my hands
or my mate's.
When we fought against Max's pack, I wanted it to be fair and square, not in a back
alley.
"Stop!" I called out, and when I gave the command, I felt a surge of energy run
through me, almost like my words were underscored by lightning. My entire body
tingled, and the werecats froze like they'd been struck.
Then they both separated from one another and immediately shifted back into their
human forms. When Nikita transformed back, her caramel hair was crazy, and there were
some scratches on her face and dirt on her cheek from the ground.
Kristina looked even worse for wear. Her face and naked body were covered with
claw marks and red splotches I knew would bruise in the next day or so. Her wild mane
of dark hair was even more tangled, and the beta's chest heaved as she fought to catch her
breath. Nikita's eyes remained the same cyan shade as they stared the shapeshifter down,
but when I cleared my throat, they flickered over to me as if to apologize.
"That's enough," I continued on. "Kristina, I'm going to give you one last chance.
Where is Max? I don't want a vague answer. I don't want an idea of where he could be. I
want his home fucking address, and I want to know when he'll be there."
"You can't ask me to betray my p-pride," the beta stammered, but when Nikita and I
let out twin growls, she held her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Max mentioned he
was feeling too tired to party and said he was going to head home after he finished an
errand. He lives over on Mulaney Street, over by Elmwood Park."
"I need the specific address," I clarified.
"8760, Mulaney Street," she explained. "Big red-brick house. You can't miss it, it's
huge."
I studied the beta's expression to make sure she wasn't trying to pull a fast one on
us, but as I watched her crumple to the ground, I knew she was telling the truth. She was
injured and bleeding in an alley in the middle of the night. She was in no position to
betray us.
"Thanks," I said shortly, and then I turned to Nikita. "We need to get to the car and
get outta here right away. We need to catch up to Max before he can slip away again."
"What do you want us to do about her?" Benji asked, and he nodded his head in
Kristina's direction.
The beta werecat had passed out, and while there was no love lost between us, I
couldn't just leave a pretty girl naked in an alley in the middle of the night. We might
have been enemies, but I wasn't going to treat a woman like that.
"Nikita, can you put her dress back on her?" I requested.
My omega mate made a face but nodded and did as she was told, and Benji and I
respectfully looked away as Nikita dressed the defeated beta.
"Okay, she's good," Nikita said after a moment, and when we turned back around,
the werecat rose from the ground and dusted her hands off. "Now, let's go--"
"We can't just leave her here, Nik," Benji sighed.
"Like hell, we can't." Nikita's eyes narrowed.
"He's right," I said. "I don't want to leave her here. She deserves better than that."
"Does she, though?" my omega mate sighed, but after I flashed her a look, she gave
in. "Okay, okay, you're right. So, what do we do with her, then?"
"She's passed out, and I really don't foresee her waking up any time soon," I said. "I
say we put her in the back seat. Benji, you can keep an eye on her just in case she decides
to surprise us on the way over to Max's."
"I feel a lot better about that," Benji said.
"I guess I do, too," Nikita allowed. "I wouldn't want someone to leave me like that,
either."
"Thank you," I addressed my mate. "Now, Benji, help me pick her up. We need to
get her to the car and hightail it outta here."
"On it, dude." Benji mock-saluted me, and then we hustled over to pick up the
fallen werecat. Kristina was even lighter than I expected, but I had Benji help me just in
case she happened to wake up prematurely.
We managed to get her into the car, and once we were sure she was strapped in, the
rest of us climbed into our seats. Benji watched the beta werecat with a hawk-like gaze,
and it was hard not to laugh at his overenthusiasm.
My headache finally started to dull as the sound of the pulsing music began to fade,
and I felt like I could actually breathe again.
"So, what's the plan, Jess?" Benji asked me the second the car doors closed. "Are
we going to this guy's house?"
"We came here to play on the offensive side of things, but he wasn't here," I said. "If
we want to get ahead of this, I have to go to his place and challenge him to a fight. This
has to end as soon as possible, or we'll never know peace. Nikita won't be safe until Max
is taken out."
"I can't believe he slipped away," Nikita muttered to herself, and she tugged at a
tangled curl behind her ear. "He had to have known we were coming."
"Well, hopefully, Kristina stays asleep, and we can make it there before anyone can
tip Max off," I remarked. "He has no idea we're coming to his house, and the element of
surprise should be enough to give us an edge."
"Hopefully," Nikita said, and then she looked between Benji and me. "Thank you
for ending that fight. I know it's going to sound weak of me to admit, but I really didn't
want to kill Kristina, so I pulled back. She might be a snotty bitch, but I don't want her
death on my hands or my conscience."
"I won't ever force you to do anything you don't want to do," I insisted. "Nothing
like that ever. Hurting, killing, fucking. . . if there's something you aren't comfortable
with, please, speak up and tell me. I stopped you because I didn't want you to kill her. If
you're ever in a position where you feel the same way, without my prompting, tell me."
"Got it." Nikita nodded. "Thank you, Jesse."
"I gotta hand it to you, Nik, you were a total badass," Benji complimented the
omega in an awestruck tone. "Your mountain lion form is both totally adorable and
intimidating. And that thing you did, the pounce maneuver paired with the claw thing? It
was sick. I wonder if I could do something like that."
"We'll have to spar sometime," Nikita suggested. "I'm sure we both have moves the
other never would've thought of. I'd love to teach you whatever you wanna know."
"Awesome," Benji pumped his fist, and I chuckled at his undying enthusiasm.
Here we were, winding down from a fight, about to go after the werecat leader, and
he was still just as chipper as ever. Someone really needed to figure out a way to bottle
Benji's energy and sell it in local gas stations. They would make millions easily.
"Shifter Fight Club," I joked. "That kind of sounds badass."
"It does, doesn't it?" Nikita giggled as we fastened our seatbelts. "We can revisit the
idea later."
"Finally, things are starting to get interesting around here," Benji said.
"That's one way of saying it," I scoffed. "This definitely isn't how I saw the rest of
my week playing out."
"Me, either," my friends said in unison, and when I glanced around at each of them,
I realized we were all in the midst of action and weirdness. There'd been so much
craziness over the past couple of days, but I was glad to have Benji and Nikita on my side
to help me navigate through my new life.
"Is everyone ready to go?" Nikita prompted us as she turned the key in the ignition.
"Ready as we'll ever be," I replied, and another rush of adrenaline pumped through
my veins as the car came to life.
Max had no idea we were coming after him, and the element of surprise would only
work to our advantage. From what I could tell from our brief encounter, I knew he was
powerful, and as a newly-awakened werewolf, I was still learning the full scope of my
abilities, so stealth was necessary.
I had no idea how any of this would play out, but I was definitely curious to find
out.
Look out, Max. We're coming for you.

Chapter 12
As we neared Max's neighborhood, my heart provided a pounding soundtrack to my
inner thoughts. It was one thing to chase the alpha cat down in a crowded club, but going
after him at his place was something else entirely. I had no clue what we were about to
walk into, but I had a feeling it wasn't going to be a smooth ride.
If Benji and Nikita were nervous, they didn't let it show. The beta and omega
remained silent for a majority of the ride, and when they did speak, it was only to ask
who was singing whatever song came on the radio. It was both maddening and
comforting for them to act so perfectly normal at a time that was so far from it.
Thankfully, Kristina managed to stay passed out, so we were spared from having to deal
with her wrath. I wasn't looking forward to dealing with that, but that was a problem for
later.
The roads were mostly clear at this hour, aside from the random stragglers headed
to and from the downtown bars. Tomorrow night, the street would be full of college
students looking for a party, but tonight, the route to Max's place was wide open.
"So, what exactly is the plan here?" Benji finally spoke up. "We just running in
there guns ablaze like we're in an action movie or something?"
"Not quite that dramatic," I chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, it'd be badass to run
right in there, but it wouldn't necessarily be the smartest move. We have no idea how
many betas Max is going to have hanging out with him. Our best bet would be to find a
back entrance or something, scope out the area, and then sneak in somehow if it looks
like we can take him."
"Well, that's not as fun, but it's probably a lot safer," Benji noted in a thoughtful
tone. "I like this new brave version of you, Jess. You've only been awakened for a couple
of days, but you're already demonstrating the qualities of a great alpha."
"I'm just trying to do what I'd do in a DnD game," I laughed. "If we were sneaking
into a castle to kill the bad guy, we would do the same thing."
"True," my brother laughed. "It's still awesome you are coming into your own."
"Benji's right, you know," Nikita chimed in. "Taking initiative on tracking down
Max is the move of a true leader. You could have very easily waited for Max to come to
you, but going on the offensive is brave of you, Jesse."
"Well, thank you," I muttered, unsure of what to say. "Both of you. That means a lot
to me. I know I haven't been an alpha for long at all, but if I'm going to be the leader this
legend says I'm supposed to be. . . I have to do things Jesse Rafe wouldn't have ever
dreamed of doing. Like driving over to a socially powerful werecat's house in the middle
of the night without even knowing how to willingly shift and hoping I can bushwhack
him before he kills us."
"What do you mean?" Benji frowned when I turned around to face him. "You did it
a little bit ago when you jumped in to fight Kristina."
"That was different," I objected. "It just sort of happened, like it did during my first
shift."
"Can you explain?" Nikita asked. "If it was an accident, I want to understand how
you did it."
 "Well, this time wasn't an accident per se," I clarified. "I didn't make the conscious
decision to shift, I just knew I needed to protect you. I heard you whimper when Kristina
slammed you into the wall, and it set something off in me. I was ready to do anything and
everything to keep you safe."
"That's really sweet," my omega mate sighed, and a dreamy expression crossed over
her face.
"So, it sounds like both times you changed, you relied on emotion," Benji observed
with a slight tilt of his head. "That's interesting and really good to know."
"I didn't think about that," I realized. "Huh."
"That makes sense to me," Nikita chimed in as we rounded a sharp corner.
"Everyone pulls their power from a different place, and if emotion is yours, there's
nothing wrong with it. I know mine certainly is drawn from a similar center."
"How do I control it?" I wondered. "Or will I ever?"
"One day it will be easier," Benji said, and his brown eyes were full of an emotion I
couldn't place. "You've already changed twice now, so you'll be able to do it again, and
the more you do it, the more natural it will feel."
"Yeah, but how do I do it willingly?" I asked. "What do I do? What do you guys do
when you shift?"
"Shifting is something everyone must learn for themselves," Nikita mused. "The
sensation and unlocking of our second forms is unique to everyone, so it's hard to explain
what would be right for you personally."
"The best place to start is by thinking about how it felt that first time and where
your mind was at," Benji offered, and his brown eyes darted to Kristina. "What were you
feeling in the Mini-Mart or in the alley with Kristina when it happened?"
"My mind was pissed," I scoffed. "I just got overwhelmingly mad, and then boom, I
started changing. I'd never been so fucking mad before. It was all-consuming. And then in
the alley. . ."
"What did you feel in the alley?" Nikita asked. "Anger again?"
"Yes, but a different kind," I said. "I was mad at Kristina, but I was angrier at the
way she hurt you. Knowing you were in pain. . . I wanted nothing more than to protect
you and keep you safe. So, when I saw her coming after you while you were down,
something snapped in me, and that's when I changed.
"That makes sense after what you told us earlier," Benji considered, and he tapped
his finger to his mouth. "You're an alpha, and Nikita is your mate. You two have a bond
unlike anything else a human has ever experienced. Alphas, true alphas, anyway, would
do anything and everything to protect their mates. If you could find a way to draw from
that feeling of protectiveness, I'm sure your shifts would come naturally."
I nodded my head as I considered the idea, and when I thought back to the Mini-
Mart incident, I realized my emotions even then had been linked to my protectiveness. I'd
felt angry about the men's advances toward the pretty cashier, and I'd been shot after
keeping my violin to myself and out of harm's way. Deep-rooted, primal rage had
accompanied my experience, but maybe it didn't fuel it after all.
"What motivates you to shift, Benji?" I asked the beta wolf.
"I have to be incredibly calm." He shrugged, and when I let out a laugh, his face
fell. "Wait, why are you laughing?"
"You're one of the most naturally energized people I know," I chuckled. "No offense
to you, but imagining you calm is a little funny."
"I mean, I'm not exactly Mr. Zen or anything, but when it comes to becoming a
wolf, I have to be," my best friend explained. "It took me a bit to realize it, but it's like
Nikita said. Shifting is something that takes time to learn, and I learned quickly I have to
empty my mind and get to a meditative state if I want to shift.'
"I don't have much time," I sighed. "I wish I had things more under control, but this
is the only way to catch Max off guard."
"Well, I know my opinion on it probably won't mean much, but at the end of the
day, you're The Alpha," Benji said. "You have to use whatever is necessary to become the
strongest, best version of yourself because Max will be doing the same. I have every
confidence you'll be able to take him out, but this fight isn't going to go nearly as easily
as the one against the robbers. Max is a total asshat, but if he's been bred from a long line
of alphas, he's going to be a fighter. He has an entire pride of his own to defend, and he
won't take the threat lightly, especially since you've claimed Nikita."
"This talk isn't helping all that much." I made a face at my best friend.
"I just meant don't underestimate him," Benji explained. "He's going to put up a
fight, but the fact of the matter is, you can take him. I know you can. Our dad was one of
the strongest werewolf alphas in the entire world, and your mom was a force all her own.
There's no doubt in my mind you've inherited their total badassery, Jess. You've got this,
and when the time comes, you'll know what to do in order to shift. It's instinctual."
"Nikita was right," I remarked. "You really are great at motivational speaking.
Thanks, Benji. That was really nice of you to say."
"I've got you, dude." My friend smiled at me. "If there are other betas there with
Max. We'll fight them while you deal with him."
"Nikita, are you good with that?" I asked the brunette, and without an ounce of
hesitation, my omega mate nodded her head enthusiastically.
"Of course," she said. "You're my mate, and I am now only loyal to you and my
new pack. I don't care about Max and his stuck-up pride anymore."
"Glad to hear it," I replied, and I reached over and squeezed Nikita's thigh.
The werecat let out a soft cry of surprise, but then her lips parted in pleasure. I let
my fingers linger near the innermost part of her leg and admired the warmth and softness
of her skin. Then I imagined pressing my lips there and teasing my tongue close to her
velvet entrance.
Alright, Jesse, calm down. This was not the time to get excited, especially with my
best friend in the back seat and a dangerous battle ahead.
Nikita managed to keep her emotions to herself, and I forced myself to do the same.
I peered out the window, and when we entered a neighborhood jam-packed with
impressively large houses, my jaw dropped.
Mulaney Street was the type of place you only saw on trashy reality TV shows
about celebrities. Even in the dark, I got a glimpse of perfectly-manicured lawns, three-
story houses with white trim, pillars, and lawn decorations. These houses were the kind
with homeowners' associations and garages with expensive vehicles.
Everleigh was such a strange town. Aunt Eva's house wasn't nearly as nice as these,
but it also couldn't compare to the lower-income housing. We were very much middle-
class, but seeing these houses made me feel poor.
"Wow," Benji breathed. "This is nuts."
"I told you, his family is loaded," Nikita reiterated. "It's kind of ridiculous. Borders
on tacky, really."
"What do you even need with this much money?" I wondered as I tried to wrap my
head around it all.
"Who knows?" My omega mate shook her head. "I don't get it personally. My
parents were never poor by any means, but since most of the pride lives in this
neighborhood, and I lived on the opposite side of town. . . I may as well have been
homeless in their eyes."
"It's gross." My lip curled back in disgust. "Who cares about any of that? It's not
like it really matters."
"Max's family has always been about status," Nikita sighed. "That's how the pride
has been raised for decades. It's definitely a big reason I've never felt close to them. My
parents worked their asses off to get us to where we were, and I always thought it was
unfair the others judged us for it."
"Yeah, fuck that," I said. "If there's one thing that drives me absolutely insane, it's
elitists and their mentality, thinking the world owes them everything just because they
were born into wealth."
"Agreed." My omega mate nodded, and as we came upon a red-brick house, tension
filled the entire car. It was like we were all holding our breaths, and it felt as if we all
realized at the same time that our plan to break in and take down the leader of the werecat
pride was more than just an idea.
It was really happening. Right now.
"Is that it?" I asked, though I knew the answer. On the off-chance I was wrong, I
studied the enormous, gate-surrounded house and searched my memory for the address
Kristina had given us. The entrance point of the gate was flanked by brick columns, and
one of them was engraved with the number "8760."
The beta werecat had given us the right place after all.
This was Max's house.
And it was locked behind an impressively large black gate.
"Don't pull up too far," I advised Nikita, and then I pointed ahead. "Stop under that
tree over there. It should give us decent coverage."
 "Good idea." The beautiful werecat nodded, and she slowly drove us over to the
enormous tree. Its branches flared out around the trunk, and the thick expanse of leaves
provided what I hoped to be a perfect wall to shield us from the house's view.
Nikita parked and turned the car off, and once the noise quieted, I became aware of
some pounding music coming from the house's direction.
"Do you guys hear that?" Benji beat me to asking the question.
"Yeah," I said, and I concentrated on focusing my enhanced hearing. There was
definitely some loud music playing from Max's lair, and as I scanned the lawn and
surrounding street, I finally noticed the multiple cars around us. "Shit. Guys, that's a lot of
cars."
"The other betas," Nikita breathed.
"Ugh, this isn't good," I groaned, and I ran my hands through my hair.
"Jesse?" Benji prompted me. "I can practically see the little hamster wheel of your
mind whirling around. What are you thinking?"
"Just trying to get an idea of what we'll be dealing with," I said as I craned my neck
around to get a better look of the grounds. I didn't see a single sign that indicated Max
had a security system, which was a major bonus for us.
"Will Max be able to hear us sneaking in?" Benji wondered with a tilt of his head.
"Or smell us even? I feel like that's gonna be a huge factor in this stealth mission. Will
there be betas at the door--"
"Breathe, Benji," I tried to settle my half-brother down. "You're going a mile a
minute here."
"Sorry," he apologized. "I'm super nervous if that wasn't obvious, and you know
how talkative I get when I'm anxious."
"Oh, I remember Speech and Debate class in high school." I winced at the memory.
"Which is why I'm suggesting the chill."
"You're right," Benji agreed, and he took a long deep breath and leaned back against
his seat.
"I want to know how many betas are here," I said.
"Okay, so where do we sneak in from, the back?" Nikita tapped her finger against
her mouth.
"Probably," I decided. "Max doesn't have any type of security sticker or sign, like
almost everyone else with a system does. We're gonna have to jump the fence, but I don't
see any reason why that'd be a problem for any of us. I was pretty clumsy before, but I
think those days are far behind me."
"Definitely." Nikita nodded. "Enhanced physical movements are all a part of being
a shapeshifter."
"Awesome," I remarked, and for a moment I forgot myself and grinned at how cool
all of this was.
I'd been so freaked out about being a werewolf, but as I learned more about myself
and the other shapeshifters, the more I was starting to come around. There was still a lot
for me to understand, but I wasn't as scared as I was two days ago.
Well, I was actually pretty scared now. I wasn't used to being a shifter, but I was
even less used to sneaking into someone's house with the intent to murder them before
they could murder me.
"Let's not waste any more time," my omega mate suggested as she craned her neck
to look outside. "I'm sure they're waiting for us to arrive at any second."
"Do we just leave her here?" Benji nodded his head toward Kristina. The werecat
still hadn't moved, and it didn't look like she was going to any time soon. Our best bet
was keeping her in the car while we went after Max.
"Sounds good to me," I said, and after the three of us stepped out of the car, Nikita
locked it behind us. I took care to move with easy strides, and I did my best to roll my
heels to keep my footsteps from making too much noise as we crossed the lawn.
We kept our eyes, ears, and noses peeled from any possibly hidden shifters, but
none were to be found. Max and his betas must have been holed up inside, which was
super dumb on their end but worked out in our favor.
This alpha's arrogance was definitely going to be his downfall, and I couldn't think
of anything more satisfying.
As we crossed the lawn and headed to the back, I couldn't help but feel like a spy on
a mission, or a sneaky ninja, and adrenaline pumped through me. I shouldn't have been
enjoying myself, but I never thought I'd get to have a real-life adventure like this outside
of a DnD session.
We approached the fence, and Nikita climbed up, nimbly swung her body over the
tall fence, and landed on the ground in a fluid motion while Benji and I stared at her with
dropped jaws.
"What?" My omega mate's eyebrows furrowed, and she rested a hand on her hip.
"That was awesome," I complimented her. "I guess cat-like reflexes are a real thing
after all."
"Yeah, yeah," Nikita laughed quietly, and then she waved her hand toward her.
"Alright, now you guys. We don't have all day."
"Sassy," I laughed to myself, and then I turned to Benji. "Think we could do it any
better?"
"No," Benji admitted, and Nikita and I had to throw our hands over our mouths to
keep our laughter suppressed.
"Well, let's try anyway." I smirked, and after my best friend gave me a nod, the pair
of us followed.
Nikita was right, it was surprisingly easy to get over the gate, but neither mine nor
Benji's movements were nearly as smooth as my omega mate's.
The grass crunched beneath our feet, and my pack and I stared at each other as we
waited for someone to see us. Luckily, we weren't spotted, and after I pointed toward the
back door, my friends and I started walking toward the house.
Max's lawn was possibly the greenest I'd ever seen, and the yard had an enormous
pool, with chairs circling all around it and its own little bar area beside a shiny grill. He
was seriously loaded, and the extravagance of it made me a little jealous if I was being
honest.
One day when I was a successful musician, if I ever pulled in that kind of money,
I'd set myself up just like this, except maybe with a huge library or something.
As much as I wanted to keep sightseeing, this was a stealth mission, and I needed to
have all of my senses on high-alert. I used my enhanced hearing to focus on the sounds
around me. The grounds seemed to be clear, but I didn't want to assume all was well, just
in case someone was lurking in the shadows.
Luckily for us, aside from a pair of rabbits and some bugs, there was nothing in the
grass or behind the trees, so we moved in a little closer to the house. I took slow, tentative
steps so I wouldn't give myself away, and Benji and Nikita did the same.
As we approached the door, throbbing music filtered out around us like mist, and I
wondered how much louder it'd be inside.
I looked at Nikita and Benji, but the pair shook their heads. So far, none of us heard
anything out of the ordinary. That meant one of two things: Max was alone, or the betas
were upstairs.
I doubted it was the first, since there were cars in the driveway, but I didn't see a ton
of shadows or movements in the windows. The house looked unoccupied except for the
music, and I took a few deep breaths as I weighed my options.
"What now?" Benji asked.
"I can't tell how many people are inside," I said.
"Should we try again another night?" he asked.
"Fuck. . ." I sighed. "The music is super loud. I think we can sneak in, and they
won't hear us."
"Let's do it," Benji said as he threw a few shadow boxing-type punches.
I reached out to test the sliding door, and sure enough, it wasn't locked. When I slid
it open, I waited a few minutes just to be sure an alarm wasn't secretly set up, but to my
relief, it wasn't.
What kind of idiot didn't have their back door locked? I knew Max was cocky, but
this oversight was just plain dumb.
Unless he had no idea I was coming.
I waved Benji and Nikita forward, and when the beta and omega approached, I
slipped through the door first, and then they followed suit.
The moment we stepped inside, my jaw dropped. Max's house was insanely fancy,
and for a second, I was distracted by the perfectly shiny dark wood floors, the tall,
vaulted ceilings, and the immaculately painted gray walls. This place looked straight out
of a home magazine, or HGTV, or something, and it was impressive to say the least.
Benji and Nikita swooped in behind me, and my omega mate took care to close the
door as quietly as possible. Even with my advanced hearing, the effort was nearly silent,
and I offered the omega a thumbs-up of approval.
 We lingered near the door for a little while longer, and as I looked at every corner of
the room, I kept my ears peeled. Music aside, there were no sounds of activity, so I
motioned for us to move forward.
We continued on this way every few steps until we reached an entertainment room
nearly the entire size of the lower-half of Aunt Eva's house. It was like its own movie
theater, with huge, overstuffed seats, the biggest flat-screen I'd ever seen, and the latest
video game systems all hooked up. The place was completely empty, but the werecats
had left behind evidence of a party sitting around. A smattering of beer bottles and red
solo cups rested on the side and coffee tables, and the entire room smelled like a frat
house. The litter combined with the music in the distance told us this much: the werecats
had partied before we'd arrived, and Max wasn't alone.
But maybe they were drunk.
"They are all upstairs," I said as I counted the beer bottles. "I'm gonna guess three
betas."
"We can take them," Benji whispered. "Or at least buy you some time to take Max
out."
"Okay," I whispered as the bass-heavy music hummed from above us. "Here's the
plan. We're going to try to follow the scent trail to track them down, almost like. . . hide-
and-seek. Nikita, you know their scents in particular, I'm guessing? Just like in The Vault,
I want you and Benji to search for the betas, and I'm going to go after Max. Keep the
betas distracted for as long as possible. Do you think you guys can handle it?"
"Hell, yeah, we can." Benji pumped his fist in the air but recalled it pretty quickly
and straightened up. "We've got them under control, Jesse. Leave those betas to us."
"Then let's go." I nodded. "If anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to call out for me."
"The same goes for you," Nikita reminded me. "You might be The Alpha, but we're
still your pack mates. Packs sticks together no matter what."
"Damn straight." I smiled at the pair, and after we gave each other nods of
understanding, Nikita and Benji's eyes glowed their respective shades of orange and cyan,
and they took off down the hallway.
As I carefully walked across the room in the other direction, I continued my habit of
making my steps light, and with every step, I could pick up on Nikita and Benji's scents.
The citrus and vanilla mixed with the mint and rosemary tingled my nose for a second,
but I managed to put them to the back of my mind and focus on the other smells around
me. There was an explosion of different aromas, and my nostrils flared as I tried to sniff
out Max's specific scent.
The music continued to build around me, and with my anticipation came a sheen of
sweat across my forehead. I was definitely ready for all of this to end, I just needed Max
to show his face.
I stepped into the hallway and spied the front door at the far end of it. There were a
few rooms along the hall, and another pathway forked off from it and led to a different
part of the house.
 How big was this place?
I remained on track and stepped into the entryway, and the closer I got, the louder
the music became. It was clearly coming from either one of the upstairs rooms, or it was
right in front of the door, but the bass had been cranked to its highest level. My newly-
enhanced ears weren't feeling all that great, but I remained focused on my mission
anyway.
As it turned out, my target was waiting for me right by the door. Max's back was to
me, and he was staring straight out like he was waiting for me to walk in.
I kept my steps stealthy, but as I stepped foot into the entryway, Max whipped
around, and his emerald eyes flashed as he took in the sight of me.
He looked surprised, so I knew my plan of attacking him here was good.
"What the fuck?" His nostrils flared with anger as his chest heaved with heavy
breaths. "How did you get in here?"
"Back door," I growled.
"You took what's rightfully mine and then broke into my house?" the werecat
douchebag growled, and when his lip curled back, I got a good look at his impressively
sharp-looking canine teeth. He had the kind of pearly whites that only came from
thousands of dollars of orthodontia and upkeep, but those fangs were something else.
They gave him a dangerous quality that his Ralph Lauren sweater didn't, but I wasn't
scared of this guy. A part of me wanted to launch myself at him right this moment, but
then I realized I could use Max's arrogance to my advantage. If I could rile him up, he
was more likely to make mistakes, so I held back my claws for the moment.
"Rightfully yours?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Nikita Barnes," Max hissed. "The little omega bitch who played beta for so long
she remained under my radar. She wasn't yours to steal, wolf, so you will be returning her
to me."
"Don't talk about Nikita like she's some trophy," I snarled back, and I raised my
chin ever-so-slightly to display some dominance. "She's more than just some piece of
ass."
"Okay," he snickered. "A nice piece of ass and a womb for me to pump my babies
into. Either way, wolf, she wasn't yours to take. I don't know what kind of backwoods
pack you're from, but where I'm from, wolves don't mate with cats. It goes against basic
biology, and quite frankly, it's fucking disgusting. I'm going to have to douche her for a
week to get your dog cum out of her pussy before I shove my dick in her."
"You're an asshole," I growled as white-hot anger surged through my veins. "But I'll
tell you one thing right now. You will not speak about Nikita like that ever again. She's
not a bitch, she's not a piece of ass. She's an amazing mate and person, but you'll never
get to experience that for yourself. She'll never be yours. She's mine."
"For now--"
"No," I cut him off with a snarl. "Forever. She's my mate, Max. And I'm about to
kill you."
 As we spoke, I started to feel a warm pit in my stomach, and with every breath, it
spread out until it filled my entire chest. The internal fire meant my inner wolf was
waking up, which was exactly what I wanted.
My hands trembled as my vision grew spotty, and my entire body began to tingle as
if it were being electrocuted. Every last inch of me ached as my muscles tensed up, and I
raised my hands to my eyes and watched with fascination as my nails stretched and
sharpened into long, razor-like claws that glinted in the light. My arms began to sprout
brown-black fur, and my entire form rippled as it began to transform. It felt nice to shed
the extra layer of human skin and change into my wolf form. It was just like Benji and
Nikita had described: instinctual.
Max's jaw dropped slightly as I lowered onto all fours, and I experienced a great
deal of satisfaction at his surprise. There was a snap in my back, and after I let out a slight
groan, I knew I was no longer human.
I was an alpha werewolf, and I was ready to fight for my new pack and my beloved
mate.
Just like before, I wasn't in the same hybrid form I'd shifted into the first time I'd
changed. My inner wolf seemed to have taken over, and something about this form felt
more natural than anything else in the world. When I flexed my massive paws, a tingle
ran down my spine, and my lips curled back in satisfaction. Then a rumbling snarl
escaped my mouth and filled the room until the walls practically shook.
I stared Max down to show him I wasn't afraid, and the werecat alpha tore his
sweater off his head as he began to shift.
Just like Nikita, Max's change was as fluid as water, and I watched with fascination
as my opponent shed his human form with little difficulty. His mountain lion body was
larger than Nikita's, about the same size as mine, and more heavily muscled, with a thick,
plush tail, massive paws, and long, sharp teeth that dripped with saliva. His emerald eyes
were even more vibrant than before against the soft tawny fur that covered his powerful
body, and for a moment or two, I was a little intimidated, but then I glanced down at my
own form and remembered I was no slouch, either.
Max let out a roar of his own, but it didn't have the same oomph as mine, and a
laugh escaped my lips. Well, as close to a laugh as I could manage in this wolf's shape. It
came out more like a snarl, which was much more fitting to the situation anyway. He
didn't seem very focused, and his eyes darted about wildly. Hopefully, I'd riled him up
enough to make this easier.
The werecat alpha and I began to circle one another, and I tried to calculate my best
approach. I wanted this to end as quickly as possible, but as I watched Max's eyes dart
about wildly, I knew Benji was right, this wasn't going to be simple.
I needed to pull out all the stops and focus on tearing the werecat to shreds.
We continued to circle one another until finally, Max made the first move as he
leaned back and then launched himself at me. The momentum drove him forward much
farther than anticipated, and after the initial shock of the impact wore off, the pair of us
became a blur of twisted, writhing limbs and claws. The werecat's jaws snapped at me
with an almost rabid need, but I was just as vicious.
We rolled around on the polished wood floor, and the chilly surface was actually
sort of nice with how hot I was running combined with my internal body temperature. I
swung one of my enormous paws in a semi-circular motion and managed to knock Max's
head to the ground, and when the side of his face made a heavy impact, the werecat let
out a surprisingly loud and wet hiss. I tried to take the opportunity to knock him down
even further, but Max managed to roll out of the way before I could make contact.
The werecat stumbled to his feet, and I wasn't too far behind. Beyond us, I could
hear a chorus of snarls and growls I assumed were from Benji, Nikita, and Max's pair of
betas. When I heard a loud yelp, a shiver ran down my spine, and my ears flattened
against my head.
Was Nikita in danger?
Unfortunately, the sound was enough of a distraction to allow Max to sneak up on
me, and I was blindsided when the werecat alpha tackled me again and swiped his razor-
edged paw across my face.
"Fuck!" I tried to shout, but without a human form, it came out like a roar instead.
My eyes watered as I tried to shove Max off me, and eventually, I had to close one eye
altogether because it hurt too fucking much. The metallic taste of my own blood filled my
mouth as it trickled down my face, and the rage that had filled me before exploded.
I ignored the searing pain on my face, rolled away from Max, and caught my
breath. I hadn't expected this to be a cakewalk, but I hadn't anticipated the werecat alpha
to have a tackling fetish, either. I wasn't too knowledgeable about big cats, but in the
future, I vowed to watch more videos on how they fought in the wild.
In the meantime, I needed to strike back before Max got another opportunity to
either pounce or swipe. I didn't want to sustain another face injury like this because it hurt
like a bitch, but for now, I had a power-crazed frat boy kitty cat to take down.
In the brief time I'd closed my eyes, the werecat alpha had snuck away, and I cursed
his ninja-like stealthiness. I sniffed the air to search for his musky pine smell, and when I
moved my head toward the stairs beyond me, I caught a whiff. I followed the scent trail,
just as I'd done with the robbers, and it led me halfway up the staircase before I was
stopped by a wall of snarling werecats.
Of course, Max was hiding behind his betas. The fucking douchebag. He didn't
deserve the title of Alpha.
The betas were an odd mix of mountain lions and a handful of lynxes, and they
were shoulder-to-shoulder in an impenetrable formation at the top of the stairs. I was
surprised to see the smaller cats amongst the tawny-furred big cats, but then I
remembered Nikita's statement about the presence of the slighter betas.
The cats let out a chorus of growls, and the dissonant sound rose over the music and
made me cringe. I didn't have time to deal with these weaker shifters. I needed Max.
A pair of even louder twin roars came from behind me, and before their scent even
reached my nose, a mountain lion and a gray-and-white wolf darted past me and knocked
straight into the wall of betas like a battering ram. I let out a growl of thanks, and then I
joined the fight with Nikita and Benji on the landing of the second floor.
My beta best friend and omega mate were strong, and the beta werecats had no
chance of fighting them off. Everything was a blur of fur, teeth, and claws, but Nikita's
triumphant growls paired with Benji's stood out above the hisses of the cats, and I was
proud to have them at my side.
The tufted-eared lynx cats were small but scrappy, and one cockily decided it was
going to go after me.
Big mistake.
All it took was one single pounce from my large, muscular frame to take down the
smaller, squattier cat, and it yelped as I sank my fangs into its throat until blood streamed
down its fur. I waited for the lynx to coil back, and then I let it go and watched as it
tumbled down the stairs.
I raised my eyes and caught my breath just in time for a mountain lion to charge
toward me, but I was too fast for it, and I managed to rise up on my back legs and use my
front ones to shove the mountain lion away. The tawny cat flew backward and fell in the
same direction as the lynx, and there was a bit of a crack as it hit, and then a hiss of pain.
Before I could celebrate too early, I heard a twin set of growls behind me, and when
I turned, I was met by the sight of two huge mountain lions.
Fuck. Where had they come from?
The pair weren't nearly the same size as Max, but they were a lot more muscular
and vicious-looking than the others, which told me they were male. I couldn't be too
surprised Max had ordered his biggest cats to hang out downstairs while the others were
stationed above. It was a smart move, but not one I'd expected.
The werecats' cyan eyes narrowed, and their lips curled back as they let out another
growl. Their fangs glistened with saliva, and their ears fell flat against their heads. These
werecats were seriously ready to fuck shit up, but I wasn't going to let that happen.
I let out a roar of warning, and my entire body vibrated as I took a step forward. The
pair of werecats glanced at one another, and then they took a tentative step of their own.
Their long, plush tails flicked in the air, and their fur stuck straight out like they'd been
electrocuted or something. They looked fucking dangerous, and I had to admit I was a
little intimidated.
There were all kinds of noises behind me, but I didn't dare look away. Benji and
Nikita could handle the others, and I couldn't risk these two huge guys getting a swipe in
while my attention was elsewhere.
Razor-sharp claws shot out of their huge paws, and I felt my own elongate. I was
learning quickly that werecats liked to toy with their opponents, analyze them before they
struck. The concept wasn't bad, but I didn't have time for this. The longer I spent sparring
with them, the longer Max had to get away.
The tawny cats went in opposite directions, and when they flanked me, they shoved
their heavily-muscled bodies into mine. The motion was disorienting, and before I had a
chance to move, the pair jumped on top of me and sank their claws in. A groan rose up
from my chest as the weight of their heavy bodies sunk me further into the landing of the
stairs, and my effort to shove the pair of them off me was nowhere near successful. The
cats plunged their fangs into my sides, and I let out a roar of pain. A stinging sensation
wrapped around me, and my vision went a little blurry as I tried to shake the cats.
My breath was heavy in my chest, and I struggled to get air under the weight of the
betas. My legs tingled as they started to lose feeling and gave in for a second to gather
my strength. The lions continued to sink their claws in further, and I closed my eyes to
recenter.
Was this it? Were these werecats gonna be the ones to take me down?
No. These guys were tough, but I needed to be tougher. I couldn't let a pair of betas
take me down, not when my friends were relying on me.
So, I focused on my inner fire, and used all of the energy I could muster to get back
onto my feet. Blood covered me as I shoved with all of my strength, and the pair of
werecats crashed onto the landing. Finally, I was free.
I caught my breath for two seconds, and then reached down, bit one of the werecats
by the nape of the neck, pulled back, and then used the momentum to toss the mountain
lion at the other. The cat got more air than I'd expected, and it knocked the other down to
the ground. The tawny cats let out grunts of pain as they tried to scramble to their feet,
but I didn't give them enough time to get back up. I threw myself on top of the pair, and
we became a pile of gnashing jaws and claws. I suffered through the bites and the
scratches and began biting into whatever I could get my teeth around. My mouth filled
with blood, and it spilled over so much that it dripped down my chin and onto my paws. I
didn't even care, though. I was too focused on taking out the pair of betas.
"Submit!" I snarled as I pinned one of the cats down, but they refused and dug their
claws into my skin.
So be it. I gave them the chance.
I continued to chew and slash, until finally, the pair of mountain lions crumpled
beneath me. I raised my head to confirm they were dead, and then I nudged their heavy
bodies forward. The pair rolled and hurtled down the stairs and landed with a sick thud.
An instinctual howl of victory rose up from my chest, and my head hung back as I
unleashed my battle song.
Those werecats had been powerful, but they were no match for me.
Suddenly, the scent of pine crossed my nose, and the hairs of the back of my neck
rose up. The betas stiffened up mid-fight, and those who weren't locked in battle with
Benji and Nikita ran down the stairs and toward the entrance.
I noticed too late that Max was perched at the top of the staircase, and before I
could think, he leapt off and flew right at me. As his heavy body slammed against me, his
nails dug into my flank, and I let out a howl of pain as I was knocked back down. We
rolled down the stairs until we smacked into the wood floor of the entry, and every last
stair dug into me and stung on the way down. Not only that, but Max's claws were as
sharp as hell, and he'd plunged them in extra deep as he clung to me. I tried to fling the
big cat off me, but the alpha wasn't budging. He was even heavier than the pair of betas
I'd taken on, and I felt like I was under a blanket of bricks. The more I struggled, the
deeper his nails sunk in, and my ears fell flat against my head as the pain danced through
me.
Max had me pinned even worse than the betas had, and if I didn't manage to throw
him off soon, he could do some serious non-correctable damage.
Beyond me, I saw Nikita and Benji attempt to run in to help, but they were
ambushed by the remaining beta werecats. The mountain lions and lynxes formed another
barrier, and it became a wall of claws and teeth as my pack fought to jump in to help me.
Meanwhile, I felt one of Max's heavy paws retract, but before I could breathe a sigh
of relief, it slashed right into the side of my neck, and I let out another cry of agony. He'd
gotten into me deep, and my head started to swim as the blood gushed out of my throat.
Fuck.
This was it.
I wasn't gonna make it out of this. The pain that moved through me was on the same
level as when I'd been shot, but my muscles were too weak for me to push Max off. The
werecat alpha was just going to keep going until he couldn't go any further, and I knew
for a fact mercy wasn't a word in his vocabulary.
I tried again to shove him off, but I was met with more pressure pinning me down,
and then there was a sharp pain in my shoulder as Max's wicked fangs plunged into my
skin. I wasn't sure if he'd ripped something off, but it sure felt like he did, and snarls of
pain streamed out of me before I could stop them.
I closed my eyes as I tried to get a handle, but my heart was beating like a drum,
and I swam with dizziness. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be able to stay
conscious, but at this rate, it would be soon.
What was there left to do? The alpha werecat was stronger than me. He was more
experienced, probably more pedigreed, and not to mention more ruthless than me, if
Nikita's stories told me anything. He was a dangerous guy, as his intense claws and teeth
showed me, and I was crazy for thinking that I, a newly-awakened werewolf, was going
to be able to stop him.
I nearly gave in to my pain, but an image danced in my mind. It was from this
morning, when Nikita woke up in my arms and peered up at me with her beautiful eyes.
Her face had been so full of love, and though her hair was rumpled and messy, I'd never
felt so in awe of such a beauty. We still had so much to learn about one another, but
Nikita was kind, loyal, and the kind of girl I'd only ever dreamt about. Though our mating
was a result of biology, I felt like I was meant to be with her, and she was meant to be
mine. I'd do anything to keep her. Hell, that was the whole reason I'd come here in the
first place.
Nikita. She was my everything, and Benji and Aunt Eva. . . they were all my closest
family. I'd do anything to keep them safe, anything to protect them. What would happen
if I gave into Max's attack?
No.
Fuck this.
I wasn't going to quit.
I stopped the thought dead in its tracks. No fucking way was I going to leave my
pack defenseless and at Max's mercy. I was their leader. I owed it to them to fight tooth
and nail to the very end.
And I was going to do just that.
A fierce sensation moved through me, almost like anger, but deeper, and it
consumed my chest until I was being constricted. I took one last breath, and then I used
all of the strength I had left to fling Max off and away from me. My body cried out from
the exertion, but not as loudly as the werecat alpha, who soared a few feet through the air
and crashed back down on the ground hard.
My chest heaved as I fought to catch my breath, and I dripped what felt like a
gallon of blood out my throat, chest, and mouth, but the adrenaline that surged through
me was more pleasant than anything I'd ever experienced before. I couldn't even feel my
wounds or the blood loss. This was more than just taking down a couple of robbers. This
was power, the kind that only came to comic book heroes after being bitten by radioactive
insects or having their genetics mutated in a freak accident.
I was a badass, there was no more denying it.
Max tried to scramble away, but I was too fast. I launched myself on top of him,
and though his teeth snatched at my fur, I wasn't fazed. I pinned him down just as he'd
done with me, only this time, he was completely frozen in place and unable to kick or
thrash. I let out a roar to let the alpha know this was the end of the line, and he drew back
in fear.
Max let out a pathetic growl, almost like he was pleading for mercy, but from my
stance above him, I couldn't spot a single reason to grant him relief. My mate wasn't safe
with this terrible werecat lingering around, so I did what had to be done.
I curled my lips back to make sure he could see my fangs, and I saw my glowing
orange eyes in the reflection of his pupils. Max whimpered again, but the sound was
interrupted when I leaned down and ripped into the tender skin of his neck. The werecat
alpha let out a wet gurgle as his hot, delicious blood filled my mouth, and then his body
went limp and crumpled under me. I swallowed the blood, and once I had my fill, I raised
my head as a howl rose up from my chest. It was a song of victory, and a shiver traveled
down my spine when Benji joined in, followed by Nikita's yowling growl. As my friend
and lover cried out with me, I finally felt like the leader of a pack, and I lost myself in the
euphoria of it all.
Weak, nerdy Jesse was no more. I was Jesse Rafe, alpha werewolf.
When I ended my howl, I imagined myself returning to my human form, and after a
brief tingling sensation, my paws were replaced by human hands. I reached up to touch
my face, only to find skin instead of fur, and my normal nose instead of a snout. I winced
as I scraped over the cuts and scratches Max's claws had left in their wake, but I'd attend
to those later.
Benji and Nikita approached me, and once we were all back in our human forms,
we rose up from all fours and faced each other with massive grins on our faces.
"You did it, Jesse," Nikita breathed, and her teal eyes sparkled with happy tears.
"You defeated Max."
"You were amazing, dude," Benji agreed with her.
"I did what needed to be done," I said, and my cheeks grew warm at the praise. "For
me, and our pack. Max can't bother us ever again."
"Our dad would be proud." My half-brother smiled, and I nearly teared up at the
sentiment.
All I'd ever wanted was to make my parents proud, even if they weren't around to
see it.
"I'm proud of you, too, my love," Nikita murmured, and the gorgeous omega
approached me and placed her hands on my blood-caked chest.
My heartrate suddenly sped up at her touch, and I leaned down and kissed my mate
like we were the only two people in the room. Her citrus and vanilla-scent bloomed
around me, and the comfort I felt was unmatched.
I'd done it. I'd kept my mate safe, and a primal satisfaction filled me up with liquid
warmth.
We only pulled away when I could physically sense what seemed like a hundred
eyes on me, and sure enough, when we parted, I was met by the many cyan eyes of the
beta werecats. The lynxes and mountain lions were scratched to hell, and their fur was
matted with blood.
My back stiffened up, my nostrils flared, and I crouched down in preparation to
spring. After taking on Max, knocking through these weaker betas was going to be a
piece of cake.
"Think carefully about this, because I will do the same thing to you as I did to your
alpha if I need to," I growled, and the words rang with the same note of authority I used
on Kristina and Nikita in the alley. My inner wolf stirred once more, but before I could
release it and change forms, the cats shared a look, drew back, and began to change back
into their human forms.
"What's going on?" Benji asked, but all I could do was shake my head in confusion.
The betas stared at me wordlessly, and though they were human, their vibrant eyes
continued to glow. They remained frozen for a moment, and then each of the werecats all
went down onto their knees. Those with longer hair swept their tresses to the right side of
their necks, and then they all tilted their heads and exposed the left side to me in unison.
"We are yours, alpha," a golden-haired werecat female explained in a quiet and
reverent tone. "Command us as you will."
Chapter 13
"Uhhh. . . huh?" I struggled to find the right words to say as my eyes flickered over
their bowed heads. What in the actual hell was going on, and why were these betas
kneeling before me like I was some sort of king?
The golden-haired werecat's blue-green eyes stared into me with intensity as she
awaited my response, and I struggled to find the right thing to say, so I addressed Benji
instead.
"Benji?" I said out of the corner of my mouth. "What's happening? Why are they
bowing like this?"
"I-I don't know," my best friend stammered, but then his eyes widened with shock.
"Well. . . actually. . . Jesse, I think you might be their leader now."
"I-I am?" I asked, and my eyes burned like they were going to pop right out of my
head. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, I know for a fact that when a wolf alpha beats another wolf, the victor gets
the loser's pack," Benji elaborated. "It wasn't exactly like that with our dad's pack, but
that's how the rest of our kind operates."
"That's how it works for werecats, too," Nikita murmured as she stared at me with
an awed expression.
"Even though interspecies packs haven't been a thing since the Great Divide, I think
that's exactly what's happening now," Benji went on as he looked between me and the
cats. "You defeated Max, fair and square. You're their alpha, Jess."
"Your friend speaks the truth," the werecat in front of me spoke up with a similar
look of surprise and awe. "Your alpha power. . . it calls out to us, just as Max's had
before. It's overwhelming and pleading with us to submit. You are our alpha now, wolf.
Our pride belongs to you."
I paused for a moment as the reality of her words set in, and my lips parted in
surprise. I was their leader now, even though I was a wolf and they were cats?
"You're the chosen one, Jesse," Nikita reminded me. "You're meant to unite our
people just as they were before the Great Divide. Max's pride is yours now. They're a part
of our pack, if that's what you want."
"Really?" I asked, and then my eyebrows furrowed together. "What would happen
to them if I didn't?"
The golden-haired werecat's cheeks paled, but she managed to maintain her
composure as she addressed me.
"If you don't want us to join your pack, you can either banish us to become
prideless, or we'll forfeit our lives to you."
"Oh, god, that's extreme." I held my hands up in protest, and my eyes widened in
response. "I don't want you to. . . That's not what any of this was about. I stepped in to
prevent Max from trying to hurt my mate, and possibly prevent him from hurting anyone
else ever again. He was a bully, and from what I've heard, a pretty terrible leader, just like
his brother."
"Aiden giving control to Max was the worst thing he could have done for our
pride." The golden-haired werecat nodded in agreement, and a few of the others joined in
the gesture.
"We want to follow you, Alpha," a dark-haired beta guy spoke up. "You're strong
and powerful, and after what you've shown us in your fight against Max, you're clearly
more capable than he ever was."
"I, uh, appreciate the compliment," I said, even though it was kinda awkward to be
complimented by people we were just fighting to the death moments ago. "It means, um,
a lot to me, though it might be a little over-the-top."
"Don't be humble," Nikita said in a playful tone. "They're right. You're more
capable of leading this pack than Max or Aiden ever was, and if we want to build a pack
just as it was before the Great Divide, bringing the pride into your ranks is a great move."
Suddenly, the front door flew open, and when a whiff of shifter scent blew in the
breeze, I stiffened up. Fuck. Who could that be?
To my surprise, it was Kristina, and she looked pissed.
"How dare you leave me in a car!" she shrieked, but her words were cut short when
she took in the sight of the entryway. Then she located Max's body, and she crumpled to
the ground. "Maaaaaaaax!"
"Is dead," I declared, and I raised my chin. "He's gone, Kristina."
"How?" she asked quietly, and she frantically started shaking her head back and
forth. "How could a newborn wolf take down such a powerful alpha--"
"He wasn't very powerful in the end," I growled, and when I crossed over to her, she
stumbled away.
"Get away from me!" she screamed, but I was too fast for her.
I reached down, grabbed the werecat's wrists, and pulled her to her feet. Her eyes
flashed cyan, but only momentarily. She was still too weak to shift, and she didn't have a
chance of breaking my hold around her.
"Now, here's how this is going to work," I said, and I made sure to put power
behind my words, just as I'd done before. "Max is dead. I defeated him myself, which
means your pride is now a part of my pack."
"Your pack?" Kristina hissed, but I tightened my grip.
"You have two options here," I continued. "Ever since I've met you, Kristina, you've
insulted my mate over and over again. You're been horribly nasty to Nikita, and that ends
today. I won't tolerate that kind of abuse in my pack, not ever again. So, you're going to
beg for her forgiveness, and if Nikita chooses to accept it, you can join my pack, no harm,
no foul. If she doesn't accept, or you can't muster up a decent apology, you can join Max
over there. Personally, I'd suggest you say you're sorry, but that's just me."
Kristina's lower lip trembled, and for a brief second, I swore she was going to spit at
me or something, but her body language softened.
"Let me apologize to your mate, Alpha," she pleaded with me. "I don't wanna die."
 "Good choice," I said, and I released my hold on her.
The beta werecat rubbed her wrists and then brushed the tears from her eyes.
Nikita stepped forward cautiously, and her gaze remained focused on her former
pride mate as Kristina took a breath.
"Niki, I'm so sorry for everything I said to you," the beta began. "I was cruel and
terrible to you, and you didn't deserve it. Admittedly. . . I've always been insecure and
jealous of you, and I let it consume me. I'm sorry for saying the things I did, and I'm sorry
I attacked you and your mate at school and in the alley. I promise from here on out that
you two will have my utmost respect and loyalty, and I'll do anything to earn your trust
again. Please, accept my apology."
My omega mate crossed her arms against her chest, and I studied her face as
Kristina's apology sank in. Nikita seemed torn, but when Kristina bowed her head, the
beautiful woman's face softened.
"I forgive you, Kristina, and accept your apology," she said. "We were friends once,
when we were children, and I'd like us to be friends again. Max's pride was never what
we were meant for. Jesse's pack will be a different story."
"I agree." Kristina smiled, and the pair of werecats came together and hugged.
While I still wasn't a fan of Kristina's past actions, I decided to let go of my anger. If
Nikita could forgive her, I could, too, and I didn't want any ill feelings in my new pack.
"If anyone else doesn't want to join the pack, now would be the time to speak up," I
addressed the other werecat betas, and when each remained silent, I had my answer.
"Good. Now, we need to get out of here. There's no need for us to stick around this
place."
"Um, sir?" one of the female betas spoke up in a soft voice. "Sorry to interrupt, but
you know this place is yours now, right? If you didn't want to leave, you don't have to."
"What do you mean?" I frowned at the strawberry-blonde werecat.
"Well, when you claim an alpha's pack or pride, you also inherit their property," she
revealed, and my jaw dropped.
This giant house was mine now?
"Seriously?" I asked, and then I looked at Nikita. "Is that true?"
"It is." My omega mate nodded. "We can go over the logistics and the cleanup
tomorrow, though. It's a lot to sort through, and it's already been a long night."
I opened my mouth to ask more questions, but as I looked around at the exhausted
eyes of my pack, I decided Nikita was right. This could be dealt with tomorrow. For now,
we needed to get some sleep.
"So, what would you like us to do, Jesse?" one of the female betas asked me with a
slight tilt of her head. "Do you want us to come with you?"
The betas stared at me expectantly, and I briefly weighed my options. We couldn't
stick around with three dead shapeshifters on the floor, but Aunt Eva wasn't going to be
ready for me to bring in an entire house full of beta werecats. What really swayed me,
though, was the desperate looks on my newest allies' faces. The betas seemed eager to
answer my orders, and I couldn't help but take pity on this situation. While all of this was
still so new to me, I couldn't just abandon these packless shifters after I'd taken out their
leader.
Aunt Eva would forgive me later.
We needed to get out of here.
"Yes," I answered. "I want all of you to come with me. There's plenty of room back
at my place, and you can get washed up there. I'd rather us stick together tonight, and
then in the morning, we can start making other arrangements."
"Yes, sir," the betas answered in unison, and when I turned to Benji and Nikita, the
pair gave me nods of approval.
"Good," I said, and after I gave the fallen beta and Max's still-bleeding body one
last look, I rolled back my shoulders and straightened up. "Let's get going. We can figure
out how to deal with this in the morning. But first, I'll need someone to turn down that
music. If it runs all night, we run the risk of one of these neighbors calling the cops."
"Good idea, sir," one of the werecats spoke up, and then she swiftly stood up and
disappeared down the hall.
"They sure are eager, I'll give them that," Benji noted in an impressed tone as he
crossed his arms against his chest. "Something tells me you aren't going to have any
problem getting them to acclimate to the new pack."
"Definitely," I agreed with my best friend.
A minute later, the pounding music stopped, and I breathed a sigh of relief as my
headache instantly faded.
When the werecat reappeared, she returned to the kneeling formation the betas had
made on the floor.
"You don't have to do that," I said, and I gestured for them to stand up. "I also don't
need you to call me 'sir.' My name is Jesse, and that's all you need to call me."
"Yes, Jesse," the others repeated back, and though I didn't want to admit it, there
was something seriously cool about having an entire group of shapeshifters following my
lead. This was all still so surreal, but in an interesting way I wasn't mad about.
"Good, now that we've addressed that, we need to head out," I announced again,
and without further discussion, the werecats followed me out of the house and into the
dark night.
When the door closed behind me, I had a brief flashback to leaving the scene of the
Mini-Mart, but before I could think about the possible legal consequences of killing three
people again, Nikita took my hand in hers and squeezed.
"We'll tackle that together tomorrow," she read my mind. "For now, we need to get
out of here and get into some warm clothes. Maybe get some food?"
"That's a good idea," I agreed with her, and after I squeezed her hand right back, we
headed down the driveway. The werecat betas waited for us to catch up, and once we
reached them, they parted to allow us to pass, and they bowed their heads in respect.
Benji and I worked together to open the gate, and once the black-barred doors were
pried apart, my pack and I flooded out into the street.
"Our car is over there," I addressed the betas and pointed to the tree that kept
Nikita's cherry-red sedan shielded. "Follow behind us, and we'll take you to mine and my
aunt's house. When we get there, I'll show you all where the showers and the guest
bedrooms are, and after everyone gets cleaned up, we're going to turn in for the night. I
have a lot to talk with you about, but there's no sense in doing it tonight when everyone's
tired."
"We'll meet you there." A blond werecat nodded, and then the betas and my original
trio parted ways.
We headed back to Nikita's car, and when my mate locked the doors and fired up
the engine, I sat back in my seat in relief. I was thoroughly exhausted after all of this, and
I closed my eyes and sunk back into the seat in an effort to calm down, but my heart was
going a million miles an hour. There was no way to push down this adrenaline spike, I
just had to ride it out.
Luckily, Benji and Nikita didn't seem to know what to say, either, so the entirety of
the drive was spent in silence. The only sound that rang out came from us trying our best
to catch our breaths after all of the excitement.
As we neared my neighborhood, I opened my eyes and glanced behind us to make
sure the other werecats were still following us. To my relief, the trio of cars weren't far
behind, and my shoulders relaxed a bit.
"They're yours, Jesse," Nikita reminded me in a gentle voice, and she reached out to
touch my arm. "They will only go where you tell them to."
"That's going to take some getting used to," I admitted with a half-smile. "I'm not
used to people following me."
"Better get used to it, dude," Benji teased me, and he leaned forward and ruffled my
hair. "You're The Alpha. Soon, you're going to have an even bigger group of shifters
following your every word. Don't let it give you too big of a head, though. It doesn't
mean you're going to get special treatment in our DnD adventures."
"Honestly, DnD is the furthest thing from my mind right now," I laughed lightly as I
shook my head. "Am I actually going to be able to balance a personal life with this
stuff?"
"It can be done," Nikita answered. "It'll take some work and time management, but
plenty of shapeshifters maintain normal lives on top of their pack duties. You'll probably
just have to take a step back from major things right now as you're adjusting to werewolf
life."
"I should probably turn down the quintet audition, shouldn't I?" I asked the pair.
"That's up to you," Nikita replied with a small shrug. "We can talk it out if that
helps--"
"Later," I decided. "I think I'm a little too tired to worry about that right now."
"Well, we're almost back at your place," Nikita announced as we turned the corner.
"So, you can shelve the idea for now and focus on how you're going to tell your aunt
about the seven new werecats at her front door."
"Eva's seen a lot in her time," I chuckled. "I'm sure this isn't the wildest thing to
show up on her porch. Besides, once I explain, she'll understand. My dad was an alpha.
She knows how these things work."
"Well, let's test that theory." Benji unleashed a laugh of his own as we pulled into
the driveway.
Nikita parked, and when she unlocked the door, a brief flare of worry passed
through me, but I quickly dismissed it. Eva would be just fine, especially when I
explained what had happened with Max. Given The Alpha prophecy, she had to have
known me showing up with the now pride-less werecats was a possibility, right?
We stepped out of the car and waited for the other werecats to park out on the street
and meet us in the driveway. The betas' blue-green eyes peered around with a curious
gaze, and I gave them a reassuring smile.
"My Aunt Eva is one of the nicest people in the world," I said. "Don't worry, she'll
love you all immediately."
This seemed to brighten the werecats' moods, and each broke into happy smiles.
Once I was sure they were okay, I turned around and led my pack up to the porch. I
debated on whether ringing the doorbell would be better or if I should just unlock it and
enter myself, but I decided on the former. I rang the doorbell, and my heart pulsed in
anticipation as we waited.
"Jesse?" Aunt Eva answered the door, and her ice-blue eyes were as wide as saucers
as they trailed over the group of mostly naked, blood-drenched shapeshifters on her
porch. "Jesse, are you--"
"We did it, Aunt Eva," I said, and my lips curled up into a contented smile. "We
defeated Max. He's dead."
"He's dead?" my aunt repeated back in an awed tone, and then her surprise shifted
to a look of pride. "Oh, Jesse. . . I knew you had it in you. I just knew you did."
"Thank you--" I started to say, but my words were cut short when Aunt Eva
wrapped me in a warm embrace. She squeezed me so tightly I could hardly breathe, but I
didn't even mind.
When she pulled away, she craned her neck to look at the betas behind me, and her
lips parted in surprise.
"Are these Max's betas?" she gasped.
"Not anymore," I corrected. "They're mine. I've welcomed them into my pack now
that Max is gone, and I invited them to spend the night. I know this is a sudden thing to
drop on you--"
"We have plenty of room," Eva interjected. "They're more than welcome to stay
with us."
"Thank you," I said. "Now, let's head inside. We don't need to freak out the
neighbors any more than we already do."
"Good idea," my aunt agreed, and then she ushered us indoors.
 We spent the next half-hour giving the new betas a tour of the house and showing
them the guest bedrooms and the bathrooms where they could freshen up. Each seemed
extremely grateful, and they thanked us politely before they divided up the rooms
amongst themselves and set off to get clean.
Benji headed home not long after, but before he left, I gave him a brief hug.
"Thank you for having my back," I whispered in his ear. "I love you, man."
"I love you, too," my half-brother whispered back. "And I'll always have your back,
no matter what. This pack is going to be awesome, and it's all thanks to you and your
badassery."
"You're such a smooth talker," I laughed.
When we parted, he gave a brief hug to Nikita, and then he headed down the stairs
and out the door.
Aunt Eva bade us goodnight before she left to head down to her basement bedroom
to get some rest, and once the older werewolf disappeared down the stairs, Nikita and I
headed to my room to do the same.
Moonlight streamed into the room from my balcony windows and it filled the area
with beautiful, pale-blue light. It was strangely beautiful, but before we could enjoy the
serene vibe, we realized we definitely needed to clean up.
Nikita and I headed to the adjoining bathroom and took a quick shower only to
return to the bedroom, where we wasted no time climbing into bed.
"Finally," I sighed once my head hit the pillow. "Some alone time. It's been quite
the eventful evening, hasn't it?"
"It certainly has," my mate agreed as she curled up against me. "I have a feeling
we're going to have plenty of those from here on out."
"I think you're definitely right about that." I nodded. "I'm just glad to have you here
with me. You make the chaos seem so much more manageable and bring out the better,
saner parts of me."
"Jesse, I'm so proud to be your mate," Nikita whispered as I tucked a lock of her
tawny-colored hair behind her ear and then cupped her cheek. Her eyes sparkled as they
stared into mine, and I started to melt in her gaze. "I know we've only been together for a
short while, but I'm so happy I get to be by your side."
"I'm grateful to have you as well," I assured her, and I couldn't help but smile back.
"You're the kind of girl I've only ever dreamt about. I know it might sound crazy to say
this so soon, but. . . I love you, Nikita."
"It's not crazy." The werecat shook her head. "Because I love you, too."
My omega mate adjusted her position so she was on top of me, and then she planted
a soft, tender kiss on my lips. As I kissed her back, Nikita molded her body around mine,
and the rest was history.
The sex we'd shared before now had been purely instinctual, but this time was
different. This was making love, and I took great pleasure in giving Nikita as many
orgasms as I could before we both collapsed from pure exhaustion.
 "Making love with you is so wonderful," my omega mate whispered as I brushed a
strand of hair from her face. "I want to get pregnant with your child so badly."
"I want that for you, too," I admitted, and I flexed my hips against hers so my knot
wedged more firmly against her entrance. "I think you're going to be an amazing mother,
Nik."
"And you'll be an amazing father," she whispered, and then our lips connected.
Kissing her soft lips had easily become one of my favorite activities, and we spent a
good amount of time practicing as we waited for my knot to release and go back to
normal. All of my troubles and stresses faded away as I melted into my omega mate, and
for the first time, I felt like the luckiest guy alive.
The following morning, I awoke to find Nikita wasn't there, and I sat up and looked
around the room for my omega mate. The bathroom door was wide open, and there was
no one to be seen.
Where had she gone?
As my eyebrows furrowed in confusion, I pulled myself out of bed and walked over
to the dresser to find some clean clothes. I threw on an Everleigh University sweatshirt
and a pair of jeans, and I ran a hand through my hair to combat my inevitable bedhead
and then headed out into the hall.
The second I stepped foot outside of the bedroom, I was hit with the smell of
waffles, and I let out a happy sigh. After everything we'd been through last night, a hot
stack of waffles was exactly what I needed in my life.
I practically skipped down the stairs, and the closer I got to the first floor, I detected
the smell of more than just delicious breakfast foods. There was an abundance of
shapeshifter scents wafting from the kitchen, and my body involuntarily tensed up.
"Aunt Eva?" I called out in warning.
"We're all in here, Jesse," she called back. "Come on in, we saved you a seat!"
"We?" I asked, and sure enough, when I rounded the corner, I was met by several
pairs of blue-green eyes.
Nikita, Eva, Benji, and the beta werecats were all seated around the kitchen.
Apparently, my aunt had procured the table we usually used outside during the summer
and had set up some lawn chairs around it. The plastic furniture was filled by the
newcomers, but none of them seemed to mind at all, especially as they tucked into
steaming golden-brown waffles drowning in maple syrup.
"Good morning, my love," Nikita greeted me warmly after she took a sip of orange
juice. "How did you sleep?"
"Pretty well," I admitted, and I ran my hand through my hair again. "How's
everyone doing down here?"
"Good." Benji smiled at me. "Better now that we have some food in our bellies."
"Please, Jesse, take a seat," Eva gestured to an empty chair. "Nikita had mentioned
you were sleeping so soundly, and I didn't want to interrupt. You had such a long night
and needed the rest."
 "I appreciate it." I smiled at my aunt. "That means a lot to me. I slept like a baby,
but I'm definitely ready to attack some waffles."
Benji passed me a plate, and I loaded it up with a huge stack of delicious food. I
tucked into it gratefully and washed it down with an equally large cup of juice. After all
of the physical activity from the day before, stuffing myself with delicious food felt nice.
Once my plate was empty, I glanced over at the table of beta werecats and watched
them quietly. If they were nervous to be there, it didn't show, and I broke into a smile.
Everything would work itself out, and I genuinely looked forward to getting to know the
new members of my pack.
"Jesse, there was something we wanted to talk to you about," Aunt Eva said, and
after she took a sip of her coffee, she delicately set down her mug and fixed her ice-blue
eyes on me. "Now that you've taken over Max's pride, you officially have control over his
territory, and while it's an amazing start, there's still much to do."
"This pride is just the beginning," Nikita agreed. "There are so many more packs,
clans, and prides, and they're all for the taking. We'll need to focus on getting you more
omegas to mate with so you will gain more power."
"Wait," I cleared my throat. "I get more powerful with the more mates I have?"
"If they are omegas, then yes," Emma confirmed
"And since you can take omegas from any shifter tribe as a mate. . ." Nikita
continued. "The sky is the limit for you, Jesse, and even then, the avians aren't above
your reach."
"There are going to be alphas gunning for you after they hear what you've done to
Max, like Aiden, but you can take them," Benji encouraged me. "You're a total badass,
Jesse, and the more you get omegas as mates and kill other alphas, the bigger and more
powerful our pack grows. . . there's going to be no stopping you."
The werecat betas looked up from their food and nodded in agreement with my
friends and family, and as I studied all of the eyes around me, I was hit with a mixture of
disbelief and excitement. This was all so crazy, and definitely not where I'd seen my life
headed, but the people in this room believed in me, so I owed it to them to be The Alpha
they needed me to be.
"What are we waiting for?" I asked as I rolled my shoulders back, raised my chin,
and smiled. "Let's talk about strategy. How do we find another omega for me to mate
with?"

End of Book 1