*** Riley’s POV ***
Not again. I looked back behind me to see three assholes following me. I just got off shift at Triple and I wanted to go to the convenience store and go home. Sighing, I pulled my hair up into a top knot. I wasn’t going to get to take a shower tonight, so I didn’t want it to get dirty. Turning on my heel, I put my hands on my hips and glared at the three guys skulking towards me.
“Well, hello, Omega.”
I rolled my eyes. “Look, guys like you swing two ways. Either you’re going to try to woo me with sweet words, telling me you’ll take me away from here. That you’ll treat me right. That I can be yours. Then you fuck me in the motel and I wake up in the morning with you gone. Or you want it dirty right now. If that’s the case, there are three alleys between here and the convenience store. I prefer the second alley because it smells less like someone died. They even have an old desk I can rest on while you fuck me. So what’s it going to be?”
All three of the guys looked stunned. I was over it. They were all like this. They wanted to stalk me. They wanted me to fear them; be scared and run. They wanted the chase and then catch me to fuck me. Either in bed or somewhere out in public.
The problem was that they chose the wrong Omega for that. I wouldn’t run or cry. I’ll walk them over to the alley, drop my pants, let it happen, and then move on with my life.
“Come on, fuck this.”
All three of them left. Yeah, that’s what I thought. Assholes, thinking I was going to let them give chase. Whatever. Fuck them. I continued my walked to the gas station on the corner. Walking in, Vince, at the register smiled.
“Evening Rye.”
I waved at him and went over to the food section. Not as much offering today. I grabbed one of the ‘Half Off!’ items and a large can of the piss water they call beer. Putting it on the counter, I rummaged in my pocket for the few dollars I made tonight that I got to take home. Vince rang me up and I set the money down on the counter.
Once I paid, he pulled out a bag from behind the counter. “These need to go in the garbage. Sadly, they expire today and I can’t sell them.”
I nodded and took them from him, shooting him a smile. “Thanks, Vince.”
“No problem, kiddo. Stay safe.”
Sighing, I headed out of the gas station and walked down the sidewalk. Opening the bag, I looked at my score. Some chicken, and hot dogs. It was something at least. Closing the bag, I crossed the Main Street and headed up the road another two blocks before turning into a building that was more ruins than building anymore.
Pushing the main doors open, I pulled out my key and opened up the first door. It was supposed to be a mail room or a security guard room at one point. It only had a small built-in desk under the window and then a sink, microwave, and mini fridge on the wall behind. All in one room. There was also a window outside that had a pulldown shade. That was it. It wasn’t supposed to be an apartment. Still, it was home.
I placed my food on the counter and the beer in the mini-fridge that was empty. Grabbing a box of cigarettes on the counter, I headed up the four floors to the roof. Looking out over the town, I lit a cigarette, inhaling and exhaling into the night air.
Fuck this town. Fuck it all. Fuck my life. I hated all of this. A never ending cycle. I leaned against the edge and sighed. It didn’t change. I’d been in this shithole for three years. Nothing had changed. I shook my head. Why was I even still here? Why was I still alive?
Snorting, I flicked the end of my cigarette and took another drag. I knew why. Cause I was a little chicken shit. Not to mention this wasn’t even the worst I’d been through.
As an Omega wolf, and as a slave, I’d been sold over and over getting the worst done to me. See how long I could survive, try and get me to have their heirs, use me up and then sell me when I wasn’t of use. Over and over until my contract landed in the hands of Evan, who owned Triple.
He’d been the most hands off, mostly because he purchased me as a business transaction, not personal use. Omegas were beautiful to look at and while I was the only male Omega there, I helped fill a gap. After two years, he let me buy myself out of the contract, saying that he overpaid and that I still owed him but I was technically free.
Freedom never smelled so stale. Looked so unappetizing. And felt worse than some of my previous situations. Chuckling, I pulled up another cigarette and lit it just before the door to the roof crashed against the metal side of the air conditioning unit.
“Riley, there you are.”
I rolled my eyes and didn’t even bother to look. The fat lard that was Paul, my landlord, slammed the roof door behind him.
“What did I say about smoking up here?”
“It’s either here or my room. Your choice.”
He growled. “You brat. Don’t you fucking give me lip. After all I’ve done for you.”
It wasn’t even worth rolling my eyes. This is how it was. I knew what was coming next. Putting the cigarette to my lips, I leaned over more.
“One month?”
“You little shit.”
Sure enough though, he strode forward and grabbed my jeans. Pulling them down, they just fell. I didn’t have money to buy new ones and I’d gotten too thin for them to fit anymore. His belt unbuckled and I wondered how the thing held back the massive rolls that fell out but at least this way I didn’t need to look at him.
There was no easing in. No. He just rammed himself into me. His fat fingers grabbed my bony hips as he slammed the tiny thing he tried to call a dick into my asshole. I didn’t take my eyes off the lights of the town.
I missed winter. In the snow, it almost covered the darkness this town carried. Taking another drag, I let it out slowly. Everyone here was stuck for some reason, not always money. Like me, it could be a combination of stupid issues.
Behind me, Paul grunted a few times before he struggled to keep hitting me at full power and I felt his cum drip down my leg. Slapping my ass with his hand, I rolled my eyes. Did he think that somehow gave him power over me? Like he could just slap my ass like he owned it?
“One week.”
He turned and I refused to look back as he slammed the door shut behind him. The air was still cool but it would turn hot and sticky as soon as we headed into summer. Now, the breeze was cool against my ass and I didn’t even bother to pull my pants up.
I hated this. I hated this so much. Putting out my cigarette, I leaned down and pulled up my pants. Turning, I headed down the stairs to my room. Heating up the food in the microwave, I ate, not really tasting the food. It was somehow soggy and dry at the same time. It was food and since it was the first I eat today, I inhaled all of it.
Sitting on the floor against the wall, I pulled out my book that was falling apart. This was my way of escaping. The only way I could pull myself out. They didn’t sell anything other than magazines here. Sighing, I let myself sink into the story for the thousandth time.
After a couple hours, I crawled into the blankets that I made a nest in. After the fifth time of having glass broken and falling all over me, I decided the best place to sleep was under the built-in desk that was under the window. It meant that I wouldn’t have glass raining down on top of me every time someone thought that there was something valuable in this office. Curling up, I closed my eyes and fell into a restless sleep.
My shift at the motel started at five in the morning. Dolores paid me a measly amount to completely clean every room in the motel but it was something. More than I took home from the strip club most days after Evan’s “purchase tax”.It wasn’t my fault he bought me for a ridiculous price. He got scammed. That’s on him. I felt no need to pay him back for that but Evan did. Sometimes I’d get a couple of twenties from the people passing through.During the Alpha Conference traffic was better and Alpha’s enjoyed an Omega hole, not really giving a preference to the gender of it. Then I could make a couple hundred. Everyone in the town though hated male Omegas as a sexual preference. I’d never make any money from them.Deciding to shift before I tried to sneak into the building showers alone. I didn’t run too far because I didn’t want be too tired for my night shift. Still, it felt good to run now. It wasn’t as cold as running through the snow but it was still cool enough to feel nice.Once
I slipped out after emptying out the sink of the dishes. Heading out back, I grabbed the box off the electrical box with the lighter and headed out. Lighting one, I leaned against the building and smoked. It was cool but my skin was already covered in goose bumps. A jacket covered my front and I looked up to see Douglas, smoking his own pack.“You looking for a fuck, big boy?”He chuckled. “Not from you, little one.”Shrugging, I took another drag. “Your loss. I’m willing.”We both knew I was joking. Douglas had a crush on Heather but she would never give Douglas a glance. He was an OG townsfolk, just like Evan. Heather wanted to get out of this shithole like most of us. So it was never going to work.Douglas also didn’t flaunt that he was rich, neither did he want to leave. His family owned a huge ranch south of here that he worked during the day. At night he made extra money here. I think he did it more for watching the girls than the actual money though.“What are you doing out her
I took a drag. Zayle sounded nice. It fit him. Him and the frown on his face. This really was the worst. Why the hell did my mate show up out of the blue? I’d already lost all feeling towards life. Him smelling like a field of flowers and looking like a sinful god himself wasn’t going to change that. It fact, it solidified that I really should just jump.From the way he was acting, Zayle believed in the mate bond or fated mates. Whatever. Then he’d get paired with me? Some used up, barely making it, male Omega? Poor wolf. Selene should have known better.I was broken. Everything in me was broken. I’d been broken and then just never bothered to put the pieces back together because at some point, you get broken too many times and there aren’t any pieces left to put back together.“Don’t go to work tonight.”I raised my eyebrow at him. “How the hell am I supposed to feed myself?”“I’ll be by in the morning, four am, to pick you up.”Snorting, I shook my head. “I’m not waiting on you. You
Going back to my hole in the wall, I pulled out my one book. I settled on the floor and continued where I left off yesterday. Something about it always just made me feel better. There was a second and potentially a third in the series but I had gotten this one seven years ago off of a trucker I’d hitchhiked with.I’d gotten lost in the book, only grabbing a water bottle to drink it before I realized it went ten in the evening. Closing it, I threw it in my duffle and looked around.Why was I thinking that maybe this was different? I’d pulled out my duffle, which despite not being used in three years, still fit all my belongings. Minus my blankets under the table.Crawling under the table, I curled up. It felt weird going to bed at ten but it also felt nice. I’d get up at five to go to Dolores and take a shower alone. After cleaning whatever horrendous mess was left in the rooms.I fell asleep shuddering at the thought that Alphas would be staying the next couple days as they emptied ou
Flashing Zayle a smile, I wished I believed him. I wish I hadn’t been dragged through the mud for so long that I could have hope. I wish that I cared enough to think there were good places in the world.“You don’t believe me.” It wasn’t a question.“You told me I didn’t need to.”He smirked and nodded. “You’re right. I’ll show you. Prove to you that I mean it.”There was something unspoken that flashed between us and I wanted to believe him. That was the first time I wanted anything other than money.“Alpha, are we going to do anything about the Highland proposition?”Whoever decided to change the subject, I was grateful for. They started talking gibberish about pack stuff and I didn’t understand any of it. I’d lived in two packs my entire life. Both times, were some of the worst years. Pack politics didn’t interest me. If anything, it set my nerves on edge.At least there was no contract anymore. I’d paid in full for my contract from Evan. Even though he kept my wages, I managed to p
After a while, the voice of Jake came over the phone. “I need gas.”“Of course you do. Why the hell did your Dad bring that machine? It pisses gas.” Curtis I’d managed to learn, was Beta Kirk’s son, was driving right now.There was laughter of a few other of the boys but Gamma Oliver growled. “Don’t you talk about my baby like that.”“I mean, he’s not wrong, Oliver. I told you to bring the Escape.” Beta Kirk was awake too.There was a heavy sigh but we also moved to get off the highway we were on for a gas stop. Pulling up to the pumps, I got out and realized I didn’t have the Alpha’s card. Beta Kirk came over and stuck his card in the pump for me.“Did you want anything from the store? Something to drink or eat?”I shook my head. “I don’t have any money. It’s fine.”His eyebrow rose. “When was the last time you ate, Riley?”I thought about it. “I don’t know. Two days?”“Riley! The hell! Zayle would be so pissed. What do you want? You allergic to anything?” Beta Kirk looked pissed him
*** Zayle’s POV ***‘Alpha.’I barely heard it. A whisper in the back of my mind.‘Alpha!’It got louder and I curled up against the sound. I was tired. I wanted to sleep. Five more minutes. Or thirty. Or a few hours.‘ALPHA!’I jolted up in my seat, nearly hitting the roof of the car. Riley gasped and jumped, the car swearing a bit before he regained control.“Holy fucking hell.” He put his hand on his chest. “Way to scare the shit out of me.”I chuckled, seeing him off kilter for the first time. My eyes narrowed and I looked out over the road. When did I get in the passenger seat? Why was Riley driving? We were still driving, our car sandwiched between Kirk and Oliver. However, it looked like we were already close to the pack.“What happened?”“You fell asleep. Your wolf actually tried to drive. He was so timid about it. It was actually kind of cute. I got him to pull over and your Beta and Gamma put you in the passenger seat.”I nodded. “Have you been driving since?”He shrugged. “
Pulling out onto the road, Kirk was behind me and then Oliver’s car pulled out up ahead. They did manage to let us catch up as we drove. Riley tapped the window.“It’s going to be a hell of a storm.”Looking up, I wondered how he knew. If we are headed into the storm, it might take longer than we expected to get home. Reaching out to my phone, it started to ring. It wasn’t the guys but my dad. Answering it, I put it on speaker.“Hey Dad.”Riley looked from me to the phone, his eyes wide. He sat up straighter and I wondered if he was going to be okay meeting my dad. He said he had issues with Alphas.“Hey, son. How’s it looking?”“Fine. Think we might be headed into a storm. So it may delay us a bit. We’ve got one more fill up before we’re home.”Dad hummed. “It’s been raining off and on but not too bad here. It might be headed north.”“We’ll see.”My dad was pretty young. He and my mother, his fated mate, had me when they were newly mated. So he wasn’t even fifty yet. While he’d passe
I leaned back in the lounge chair, trying to take the doctor’s advice to rest. It was going to rain soon. Everyone was outside playing, dressed up for the occasion. Their rain coats and rain hats in different colors made it easy to tell them apart.Nero and Fabian were leading their two other siblings through the grass in search of anything interesting. That included an acorn, a snail, some leftover streamers from the twin’s seventh birthday party yesterday, and a peculiarly colorful rock. Each one of them were set out on the deck stairs, though Mr. Snail was trying to make a very slow escape.I smiled as Lily slipped and as she stood, her face was covered in mud. Nero got down on one knee and wiped off her face with the edge of his shirt. The twins were the perfect mix between Zayle and I. Not quite identical though. Nero was just a little larger than his brother, but to the untrained eye, you might easily mistake them for each other. Lily was Zayle’s clone and our youngest for the mo
Leaning forward in my chair, I had my head in my hands. I’d never felt so exhausted. Currently, I was only taking a break for moment before I needed to go back and help. Downstairs, Oliver and Kirk were trying to corral everyone into a more organized way. It wasn’t great, but it was something for now.Cesar was also helping now, since he informed the ministers of what had happened. They would take a few days to get here and for the moment, he could also direct the knights to help where they were needed too. We had to deal with the damaged windows too which Vincent had picked up immediately.We’d put Zayle in my office, since I had a loveseat put in to take naps when I needed it. Oliver basically ordered me to take a break and it wasn’t helping that while Selene, with her last bit of power closed my wounds, they still were fresh and raw. I couldn’t relax but it was nice to have a little peace.There was a knock on my door and Belle opened it up, a mug in her hand. “Luna, I thought some
I couldn’t stop staring at Cesar. He was worried about what just happened but I had no words to describe what I was looking at right now. The fact that I had to then tell Zayle ‘Hey, your dad is like thirty now again because he’s taking over as Alpha King’ had all my words caught in my throat.The only thing that tore my eyes away from him was when Jasper started to whimper. Selene was leaning over him, hands made of ice griping his chin.‘You have kept your fears hidden for a long time, wolf. You have acted as though all wolves are equal in your eyes. Made them love you with your lies. But I see past that, Nightfang. I see past all of the facades you hold so dear.’He openly wept as the goddess’ anger crackled and lightening struck the ground.“Will you take his wolf?” I asked, not sure if I could bear another cry like Yara’s.‘No, my little rain wolf. Despite the poison and ugliness, this one will be useful to you in the future. He has already burned his path and I will ensure when h
Part of me wanted Selene to kill him. I wanted to watch the life leave his eyes with a look of utter regret on his face. That was personal though. A hatred that was my own and something I needed to work through on my own. Especially after Selene passed her judgement. It was final and I would not dare go against it. Whether or not I felt he was worthy of it.There was a few moments of Selene standing in front of Kane before she moved. His face was still completely blank, in the daze like everyone else. Her hand pressed against his chest and when she pulled away, a white ball of light burned brightly in it. Closing her fingers around the light, it disappeared.She continued through the group, doing it to every single person on their knees. Selene did leave Jasper and Yara in the corner as they watched the display of our goddess’ raw power. Turning her back, she walked back to stand next to me.‘I am done passing judgement on these ones.’I nodded and started to order them off the platfo
I took a single breath before rain poured from the sky like a bucket had been tipped onto us. Lightening flashed bright and screams from the pack sounded as the thunder tore through the center of town. Glass shattered and I felt my breath get stolen away from me for a moment. Opening my eyes, I wanted to cry out in relief.Selene, silhouetted by the rain, stood between Jasper and I. His sword had turned black and was crumbling at his feet. He was holding his hand which turned a fire red.“Selene…” My voice was hoarse but her name came out more as a prayer than anything.‘I’m here, my little rain wolf. I’m here.’My body slumped forward and I let the post hold up my weight. “My pack…”She chortled, the thunder following but were flashes of lightening streaking across the sky. ‘I know, little one. However, I must deal with these strays.’I smiled and nodded. Jasper stumbled back a couple steps, looking at the figure made of the rain before him. Fear consumed his face and even his knight
“Where is the whip? Why aren’t we whipping him? Why aren’t you shutting him up?” Jasper was manic as he ordered his own knights around.I felt bad for them. This must be so jarring for them. No one was comfortable with what was happening right now. Not even the Councilors, their faces marred with conflicting emotions. They weren’t about to stick their neck out against an angry Alpha King though. The only one who looked absolutely pleased was Yara. She had Kian blood running through her so I didn’t doubt how much that poisoned her.“Alpha King…we…we are ready.”Lifting my head off the pole, I braced myself against the wood. It wouldn’t do me any good to jerk and hit my head. I kept my eyes closed, trying to keep my body from tensing up. That also would do more harm than good right now. If I could focus on my back getting hit, it would protect our pups better.‘Zayle?’ I tentatively reached out to him through the mind link.‘My love…my love…my sweet mate…stop this. Please stop this. Tel
My eyes widened as I saw a group of high school students, including Jake, Curtis, Haley, and Franny coming forward. All of them were running together and I felt fear course through me. Not only should they not be here but they should be safe up north out of reach of the council.“No! You guys! Go home! You shouldn’t be here!” I called out to them.Jake smiled at me and shook his head. “We can help.”One of the girls stepped forward, a folder in her hand. “I am Anastasia Hansen. Councilor Constantine is my father, Alpha King.” She bowed her head. “I work part time at the clinic under Dr. June. She is our town’s OBGYN.”The sound of silence felt heavy as all attention moved to her. However, Councilor Constantine looked livid at his daughter. She stepped forward with Curtis and another one of the boys flanking her.“I was working the day Luna Riley and Alpha Zayle came in. This is their chart. I can confirm that Luna Riley is pregnant. The blood tests and even the photos are all here.” S
With how the center of town looked last night, it was almost like we were transported into a completely different place. They set up a huge platform in front of the statues of the wolves and I snorted. Zayle sucked in a breath seeing the post coming out of it. I’d seen one and been tied to something like it plenty of times of times. I wondered if this was the first time he saw one in person.From around the area, I watched as more and more of our pack started to meander into the area. They kept to the edges and I was happy to see none of the younger kids were present. Oliver and Kirk came forward but the knights kept them from reaching us.“It’s okay.” I smiled and nodded to them.Zayle was focused ahead, looking for the one person who was about to decide our fate. He wasn’t there on time, of course. The clock tower tolled one and we continued to wait. The skies were growing darker and I let myself lean against Zayle. He was standing tall like a statue and I closed my eyes.“Rye, don’
*** Riley’s POV ***When I woke up, I was alone. It was quiet but it was different than normal. The air was heavy and it felt harder to breathe. Sitting up, I buried my head in my hands. I’d fucked up yesterday. I’d been so good but I’d snapped. It was one thing to snap at a Councilor or one of their kids, but the Luna Queen?I was so fucking stupid. Oliver was giving me a play by play of what happened after I left. Everything was my fault. I’d ruined our chances of doing actual good. Worse, I may have gotten Zayle removed as Alpha. He didn’t deserve that. Not because of me.My eyes slipped to the window. It was dark, the clouds threatening rain, but I wanted it to be raining. I needed to speak with Selene. She might know something…anything that I could do that would fix this. As it stood, there wasn’t many options that we had left.The bed next to me and Zayle’s scent meant that he had been up for at least an hour. It was still early in the morning though. Getting up, I padded downst