Chapter 7

Nate

He didn't normally do personal check-ups on pack members. Before he'd left, pack meetings and gatherings served as a great way to catch up with the wolves under his protection. A few minutes here and there was more than enough time to hear about the happenings in each family. Within two minutes, he'd know who had found their mate, and who was expecting. Within three, they'd share their concerns and vent about pack issues.

The pack's Omega family was different. Marcus told him they didn't often make an appearance during pack functions. They were quiet. Kept to themselves. Which meant if he wanted to meet them, he'd have to pay them a visit.

He parked his Dodge Ram next to a large white pine tree down the street from the address Marcus had given him. This was the edge of the territory—a wooded area with few houses dotted along a gravel road.

Not too many pack members lived in this area. The houses were tiny, and almost falling apart. Wolves were social creatures. They went on runs together, hunted together, ate together. Living this far from the pack house meant that pack runs and group hunts were few. And the distance to the heart of their territory was greater—they'd have to travel at least 20 minutes by car to meet at the pack house.

He slammed his car door and winced at the loud sound. That was one thing about this area that was nice—the quiet gentleness. Already he could hear the squawking clump of geese in the distance. The backfire of engines and rumble of motorcycles were absent.

Peace. There was a peace here that made his wolf rumble with contentedness.

He walked over and behind the Omega house to the back door. While he wanted to pay a visit and introduce himself, he needed to double check a few things first.

No one was home. The driveway was empty, the lights out. His wolf confirmed that with one sniff—no one had been here for at least six hours.

He needed to make sure these Omegas weren't in any dangerous exchanges, weren't involved in something fishy that might kick back onto his pack. He had a duty to keep his people safe. The fact that these Omegas didn't attend pack gatherings meant they didn't want to be noticed. And those that tried to fly under the radar often did so because they had something to hide.

The back screen door of the house had broken off, the screen itself ripped and curling in on itself. Instead of replacing it or fixing it, someone had unscrewed it and rested it against the back siding.

They obviously didn't care about keeping their home together either. If they couldn't spare the time to keep their house from falling apart, where was all their effort going?

Just what were these wolves doing?

He turned the knob, surprised the door was left open. Frowning, he flicked the light switch—broken.

Technically, this was breaking and entering. But on pack territory? Any home that belonged to his wolves belonged to him. He was responsible for all his members and their lives. Their homes and cars and safety. In return, the pack extended their welcome to him in any capacity. They knew of this upon entering the pack. It was part of the contracts and paperwork done when they applied to move onto his territory. If a pack member died without an heir or family, the house and all their assets went to him for distribution.

Still, while he could walk in like he owned the place, he often respected his members by not doing so.

The Omega family wasn't home. He'd do some quick...recon...and then come back when they were present for a proper introduction.

The inside smelled like dust, fabric softener, and...spackle? He was careful not to touch anything. It would help his cause if he didn't leave his scent behind. But damn, he wanted to touch everything. Get a deeper look. Find out who they were.

This house...the sight made his chest ache. The colorful, messy drawings on the fridge meant a pup lived here. In this atrocity. The kitchen had a few chairs but no real table. In the living room was a couch and a box TV on a tiny nightstand.

He moved into the hallway and up the stairs. If the downstairs was this minimal, what did the upstairs look like? He frowned at the wall next to the stairs. It'd been painted over recently—nothing more than a thin white coat. If anyone cared to look closer, they'd see the red spray paint underneath. Though he couldn't make out the words.

His wolf whined. Hating this. Hating the idea of a pup living in this condition. What the hell were they doing with the money awarded to them from the pack?

At the top of the stairs, a soft scent had his wolf perking up. He'd smelled it around the house, though it was much stronger up here. He followed the smell to a door at the end of the hallway and let himself in.

***

Claire

"Why don't you go sit on the couch while I turn on The Lion King?"

Charlie headed over to the living room, dropping Claire's bag in the hallway.

She stared suspiciously out the back window of the kitchen. For some reason, ever since they stepped foot on the property, Claire's wolf had become restless. She twitched nervously inside her, making Claire nervous. All her senses were on high alert. She'd just have to be extra careful.

But why was her wolf so...anxious?

She put on a blank face so as not to worry Charlie and turned on the movie. As soon as the familiar sounds of the entrance music started up, she went back to their crappy kitchen and turned on the faucet to do the dishes.

Five clean plates and forks later, her ears picked up a noise from upstairs. A floorboard creaked. She slammed the faucet off, probably breaking it, and sprinted off to the living room.

Hands still wet, she swung Charlie up easily and hushed his startled cry. She pulled him over to the pantry in the kitchen and set him down behind a small stack of toilet paper. It wouldn't be much, but it hid him way better than the living room couch.

"Care, what's going on?" Charlie's voice wavered.

"Shh. Charlie, I need you to listen to me." She brushed back some of his curls, trying to provide him a bit of comfort. "You have to stay here."

"But Care—"

"Charlie," she hissed. "You stay right here. You do not move. No matter what you hear, okay?"

"What's happening Care?" A tear slid down his cheek.

"There's someone in the house. I have to go. I won't be long. You do not come out of the closet for anything. Okay? I'll be back."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

She grabbed the most threatening object in the pantry—that also served as a closet—which happened to be a measly umbrella, and clicked the door closed. Only later would she think about how she could have easily grabbed a knife. But she jumped into action, running solely on instinct.

More footsteps. Her heartbeat sped up. Her palms were wet around the umbrella, though if from sweat or water she wasn't sure.

An umbrella would probably do absolutely nothing against a robber or werewolf, but it did make her feel slightly better. It eased her thoughts.

I am a werewolf, she chanted to herself, walking carefully up the stairs with the black umbrella raised. I have more strength and speed than whoever that is. I can fight. I am strong.

With new determination, she tiptoed up the last few steps. What was that smell?

Calm breathing was coming from her own bedroom. The freaking robber was in her room! She ran over to the door, counted to three to steady herself, then smashed it open.

"What are you doing?!" she yelled at the robber. She held her non-threatening umbrella a bit higher.

The man stood by her bed, gazing at it strangely. Upon her entrance, he had whipped around and set himself into a defensive crouch. Instinct. The man inhaled sharply and narrowed his eyes, no doubt feeling the strength of Claire's wolf.

Claire glared back at the man, holding her breath and waiting for him to attack. Oddly, her wolf urged her to get closer to him.

She ignored that.

"Why are you here? Are you going to try to destroy our house again? Did she send you?" Claire hissed at him. Her wolf whimpered at her tone, hating the way she spoke to him. What the hell?

The dominant stance of the man had Claire on edge. Who was this guy? Usually, Ashley just sent measly underlings to do her bidding. Not someone higher up. This guy had to be a...

He must've seen something in her eyes because he broke out of his crouch and rose to full height. Man, this guy was tall. Claire watched in awe as he straightened. Goddess only knew how much he had to duck to get through the door.

The man's eyes trailed up and down her figure, assessing her. He smirked, liking what he saw. She held back a scoff.

Finally, the man spoke. "Well, isn't this a warm way to welcome your Alpha?"