1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Corey

"Are you certain this is all you need?" My bestie Jayce looked over the bed where I had my two suitcases laid out.

They were packed full of clothes, books, and the few other belongings that I wasn't willing to part with—the pie plate a kind den member had given me on a day when I needed the smile and a collection of pressed flowers that the cubs and I had picked last spring. It was fair to say I was a pretty sentimental guy. Those things might not have held any monetary value or even be that practical, but they meant a great deal to me, and even if I had to leave my favorite joggers here, they were coming with.

"Yeah, the house I'm moving into is fully furnished." Which was good, because the few furnishings I had weren't worth the expense or the trouble of moving them.

"You won't be living with your brother?" he asked.

I'd intentionally not gone into too much detail. Not because I wasn't excited about going, but because the more I said, the more questions I had, and the more questions I had, the more nervous I got. What if I wasn't making the right decision? What if I was wanting out bad enough and missing my brother hard enough that they were clouding my vision?

I shook my head. "As much as I love Aydan, I can't live with him."

My brother was the Alpha of a brand-new den called Windridge. I loved him tons and we got along, but also, we were siblings and we fought like them. Besides, if he was going to hold his place in power as the den went through this part of their growth, he needed to be seen as someone doing it on his own, not with the help of his omega brother—even if his omega brother was coming to help. All about the optics.

The den was a good size, but they lacked omegas, which was why I was moving there in the first place. Eventually, my friend Jayce would come there, as well. He wasn't quite ready to make such a big change, but when he was finished with his job here, that was his plan, and I was glad for it. As much as I loved my brother, he wasn't my confidant. That was Jayce.

I'd put out feelers to other dens as well, to invite omegas to join us. It was a great opportunity. If our mates were in our birth dens, or even in my case, my second den, we'd already have been mated. Sure, you didn't need to find your true mate to settle down and make a life for yourself, but it was what many omegas were looking for. Mates aside, the opportunities for meaningful work were minimal for omegas in the den. This was a new start with a promising future, and the added bonus of having a furnished place for us already waiting.

"I need my own space, and Aydan needs to manage the den."

The more I spoke with him, the more I worried that maybe he'd bitten off more than he realized. He could handle it, but it was a lot, and he didn't have an omega mate to balance him.

"I'll have a job when I get there, and I don't want to be some sort of pseudo alpha-mate while he looks for his own." I shuddered at the thought. I loved the idea of belonging to a new den and to helping it grow—but having people rely on me to solve their problems and be there for them ALL the time? Not my cup of tea. And it wasn't good for my brother either. This was definitely for the best.

Jayce wrinkled his nose. "Your brother is strict and scary."

"He's not scary, and you've never met him." I had to admit that he could be scary when needed.

"I've overheard enough phone conversations over the past few years." He shivered. "Do you think you will find a mate there?"

I grimaced because I knew for a fact that I would find a mate at Windridge. It might not be my fated one, but it was a pairing that would help solidify and strengthen the den. I was resolved to do it, but also sad that it was coming to that. Maybe fate would shine down on me and plop them in the same den. I wasn't holding my breath. Not in time, anyway.

Aydan was in talks with another den about an arranged mating, one that would start an alliance between them. He wasn't forcing it on me. He asked and I agreed, under the caveat that I didn't find my mate before then. It felt like a good compromise, but the closer I got to go time, the more anxious I became. I was more than happy to help, but that didn't make it less scary.

Growing up, I'd always wanted children. That didn't change as I became an adult. If this was how I got them, then, well, that was fine. Half a dream fulfilled was better than none of it.

Aydan didn't understand the desire for a mate or children, not after how our parents had been. Due to their lack of attention, I was more determined than ever to be better parents than them, whereas Aydan was sure he would be just as terrible as they were.

"I'm hopeful," I said. My brother wouldn't let me be paired with an alphahole, no matter how strong the alliance would be. This was going to be a good man. If it wasn't a love match, so be it.

Or so I kept telling myself.

Jayce dropped the book he had been holding and narrowed his eyes at me. "There's something you're not telling me." He always could see through me.

I shook my head. "When I have details, I'll let you know."

"If you're not going to like it there, then I don't want to go."

"Who said anything about not liking it there? It's going to be great," I said, and I held his hand. "I'm going to miss you, though. That part won't be great."

"You're going to be so busy organizing your new life, you're not even going to notice I'm gone." He grinned.

I knew that aside from the normal worry when someone in your life made a huge change, he was happy for me and that this was him putting on a brave face about me leaving without him. He was going to miss me too. But it wasn't forever or even for a long time. We'd be back together gossiping over a bag of chips sooner rather than later. Just not soon enough.

It was true that I was excited about starting my new job slash company. There were several businesses that were run by den members, and all of them had expressed interest in having an accountant to do their payroll and keep their books for them. That was something I liked doing and was highly qualified for. I was more than happy to take over.

"Still," I said, "you'll follow soon, right?"

Jayce was my closest friend. He and I had become pen pals when we were barely ten years old, and we'd kept in touch as we'd grown up. When the two of us went to college, we picked the same one so that we could finally meet in person. That had been four years ago, and we had been inseparable ever since.

My home den wasn't the greatest, which was why my brother started his own. And so, when school was finished, I stayed with Jayce. His den was small, though, and there were not many alphas to speak of. Joining my brother's den was going to be a great opportunity for both of us.

I zipped up my suitcase, and he grabbed the other one.

"You sure about this?" he asked.

I laughed. "It's going to be a little difficult to go back on it now. Besides, our lease is up in three months, which is when you'll be coming, right?"

"Right." He didn't sound as sure as I wanted him to, but it was better than a maybe, so I was going to take it. "One last shift before we go?"

I shook my head. "I was supposed to leave three hours ago." And had been dragging my feet, letting my nerves get the best of me. "But you can walk me out?"

I wasn't ready for me to go either, but it was time. We each grabbed a suitcase and went out to the drive, walking far slower than normal.

He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. "Promise me you won't let your brother tie you down too much. Don't let that stick up his ass dull your sparkle."

I laughed. "You speak as if he is some sort of overbearing, crazy person. He's just—"

"Boring." He gave me one final squeeze and took a step back.

"Not boring." Although I could see why he sounded that way. "He likes his schedules, and he likes to be organized. There's nothing wrong with that."

Jace wrinkled his nose. "We'll see," he said.

One last hug and I was on my way. The drive was smooth, which was good as far as timing and safety went, but also problematic because it meant my head was wandering the land of what-ifs. What if this wasn't as grand a plan as I thought? What if I failed at my new attempt at a career? What if my arranged mate smelled bad and ate smelly food that clung to his breath?

I called my brother when I was about an hour out to let him know my ETA since I started so much later than I had told him I would. He answered on the first ring.

"Corey!" I could hear his smile in his voice. My brother might've been strict, organized, and set in his ways, but he did love me very much. And I knew exactly why he was the way he was. It was the same reason I wasn't holding out for my fated mate.

"Hey," I said. "I'm about an hour away."

"That's perfect. I'll let Zane know."

"Zane, your second?" I'd not met him, but my brother trusted him. I still didn't get why he needed to know how long I'd be driving.

"Yeah. He'll make sure you get where you need to be."

And then it clicked. "You're not at the den?"

"I'm not. I had business with another den." Normally I'd have seen that as a reason to worry, but he was far too chipper for it to be anything bad. "And actually, it's a good thing you called."

"Is it?" I said, my stomach doing a little flip-flop. I had hoped my brother would be there when I first arrived, but I understood that he was busy.

"You know I mentioned about an arranged mating?"

"Yes," I said, unsure what I wanted him to say next. I wanted a family, but also it was scary to mate someone you didn't know.

"I think it might actually happen." He hadn't told me it wasn't a done deal. Or maybe he did and I was so busy processing it all I missed that part. "Are you certain that you're okay with this?"

I took a deep breath. It was one thing to have that be a hypothetical situation, but this was real. "I think so," I said. "I mean, I'd like to meet the alpha first, but you know, I just want a home and some cubs with someone who is reliable." Someone who was nothing like our deadbeat parents.

Maybe it was my omega tendencies, but I really just wanted a family. One that I never had growing up.

"When I return to the den I'll be bringing some visitors from here. One of them is the alpha who will be your mate."

Oh, damn. He said it like it was a foregone conclusion.

"Great," I said. "I look forward to meeting him."

"Thanks, Corey. This is going to be great for the den. I just know it."

Please let him be right.