Chapter One

Cool air ruffled Dane’s fur, a reminder that winter was approaching. He didn’t mind. The cold was preferable to the hot, humid days of summer. Living as he did mostly in his wolf form, the former weather was always preferable to the latter. And while he could spend more time in his human skin, part of him figured it was pointless. He was an outcast shifter—feral—and no matter how tempting it was to accept his brother’s offer to try to rejoin the Strongblood Pack, he knew deep down that he was a lost cause. He was broken, not fit company for anyone no matter how welcoming his former pack would be. It didn’t matter. He was fine on his own, better in fact. His new cave was spacious, too. He’d be comfortable during the frigid nights and game would remain plentiful. Only a weak dominant would complain about his circumstances and while he often thought of himself as a coward, he was strong in the ways necessary to survive.

The wind blew particularly blustery as Dane loped around a stand of trees near the river he liked to drink from. He froze, his beta brain struggling to make sense of what he smelled. It can’t be. Sticking his muzzle higher, he inhaled deeply and nearly staggered from the strength of the male omega scent. And there was no other shifter around that he could detect. He moved cautiously forward, seeking where the boy might be. He may have been an outsider to his kind, but he still held to the ideals of his obligation as a dominant to protect servients. No omega should be this far into the forest, and certainly not on his own. It didn’t take long to find his quarry. Along the riverbed, a small black head peeked out from behind a tree. The sight of the omega wolf nearly caused Dane to trip over his own paws. Instead, he froze once more to ponder his next steps. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the poor boy and he knew all too well how frightening he looked with his scarred face and one eye.

The decision was obvious and easy. His human form wasn’t appealing, either, but it was less menacing. Shifting, he walked toward the omega, then stood still once he was sure the boy had seen him. He waited. Patience was something he’d learned to be good at. There was no hurry. Now that he had arrived, the omega was safe from the many harms that could befall such a small, delicate creature. It was a good sign that the boy stayed where he was, watching to see what Dane might do. Someone had taught the omega some survival skills, which was all to the good, but not enough to fully protect him. Dane kept his stance loose, his expression placid, and was rewarded after a few minutes by the omega coming out from behind the tree.

The little wolf was not much bigger than a juvenile in his first shift since birth. Yet, the scent told a different tale. This was a mature omega, or nearly so. His heat was imminent, and that fact only served to emphasize that the woods were no place for this boy to be. While the two of them stared at one another, the omega unexpectedly shifted, losing what protection he had in wolf form. And the sight of the beautiful boy with copper-colored skin and long black hair punched Dane in his gut. Air whooshed from his lungs and he staggered a step before regaining control of his composure. All thought, however, fled his mind except for one word—mine. No! He rejected the idea as soon as it popped into his head. He didn’t believe this fated mate crap that Graydon and the others swore by. Their sire’s brutality had beaten those fanciful notions out of him. There was no such thing as a shifter destined to be his. Dane knew that wandering on his own was his fate. No mate fit into that life, let alone an omega. He pushed the notion aside as well as reined in his cock. That dumb beast rarely made an appearance and now was not the time for a reemergence.

The omega derailed his thoughts entirely by smiling. “Hi. I’m Remy. Are you a beta?”

Dane found it disconcertingly hard to get an answer past his tied tongue. “Yes, I am.”

The boy practically clapped with glee. “Oh wonderful! I got it right. I’m not very good at telling sometimes. It gets me into trouble,” he added, lowering his gaze and the brightness of his smile.

Dane knew a moment of murderous rage, an overwhelming desire to seek out whoever dared to discipline this sweet boy. He tamped it down for the omega’s sake. “You did very well to spot my pack role. I’m sure it was hard given how I look.” It had been so long since his fight with the bear that he rarely considered how strange his face was to others. The fact that the omega hadn’t recoiled at the sight of it surprised him.

Remy’s eyes lit up once again. “You look wonderful. I think you’re the most handsome dominant I’ve ever seen. Is it okay that I said that?”

Once again, Dane was stunned, yet the sincerity in the boy was obvious. His openness was so endearingly sweet. Dane was at a loss as to how to react. “Yes,” he finally replied in a gruff voice. “You can say whatever you like to me.”

“Thank you, sir. Merida says I talk too much, that servients should be quiet around dominants to be safe. I have trouble remembering that rule,” he added with a quick frown that left his face almost immediately. This boy was obviously inclined to be happy. “I’m an omega, by the way.”

Dane couldn’t help but smile at that declaration. “I know.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Of course you do. I should have known that. Merida says dominants can always tell. I guess it’s because I’m small.”

The omega’s response puzzled Dane. It seemed as if the boy understood little about his nature and didn’t realize the powerful scent he was emitting. That was perhaps not surprising. He knew some packs believed in keeping omegas ignorant of what their lives would become. A stupid idea given that pack living meant everyone knew about each other’s business. No omega could go into heat without some idea of what it meant. He had a lot of questions but before he could ask a single one, the omega chirped up again.

“What’s your name?”

“Dane.”

“That’s nice. It’s very powerful, which isn’t surprising because you’re very big and strong looking. I bet you’re really smart too.”

“Not always,” Dane muttered. Shaking off the impending mental castigation he routinely gave himself, he refocused on what was important. “Remy, are you out here alone? And who is Merida?”

“She’s my sister and a sigma.” He frowned briefly again. “She’s not very good at being one. Everything she cooks burns and her sewing is terrible. The head sigma made her clean instead, although she’s not good at that, either. She got in trouble a lot, too, but not anymore. We ran away.” Remy’s face lit up with excitement as if he truly didn’t understand how dangerous it was for him and his sigma sister to be out on their own.

Before Dane could figure out a way to gently explain that to Remy and query him further on where his sister was, the sound of breaking branches interrupted him. A gamma crashed through nearby bushes, dragging a deer carcass, and planting himself between Dane and Remy. Dropping the kill, he bared his fangs and growled menacingly. Dane kept his eyes on those teeth and tried to calm his opponent down, even as he worried about who this interloper was. Before he could say anything, the gamma abruptly shifted. Standing in the wolf’s place was not the man Dane had expected. Instead, it was the biggest female he’d ever seen. She confronted him in a fighting stance, her black hair tangled about her shoulders and gore surrounding her mouth.

All he could think as his brain worked to keep up with this unexpected situation was no wonder she can’t cook or clean. No gamma could. Her pack must have worked hard at being blind to her nature. When he’d been younger, he might have done the same. He’d seen enough of this world now to be more questioning of everything he’d been taught. This oddity was a distraction, however. He needed to remember to do what was best for the omega. “I’m no threat,” he declared with his hands up.

But his words were drowned out. “Stay away from my brother!”

Dane took a couple of steps back, working hard to appear non-threatening. “I mean no harm to the omega or you. I scented him and was worried about such a vulnerable shifter being on his own out here.”

Remy’s sister didn’t so much as blink, her angry gaze remaining fixed on him. “Leave, now!”

It would be easy to do as the gamma commanded, shift and run back to his original path. Whatever was going on here, it was none of his business. His feet wouldn’t move, however. He just couldn”t bring himself to abandon that sweet omega no matter what the boy’s sister said.

Keeping his hands up, he stayed firm. “I won’t. I can’t. You shouldn’t be out here on your own with winter coming.” He grimaced before continuing. This female wouldn’t like what he was going to say but as a beta, he had a duty even if he weren’t still living in a pack to think ahead to address problems even before they started. “Your brother is in danger without the safety of a pack. Whatever drove you to this desperate journey, you haven’t considered how it’s going to end. Or, have you? Where are you headed?” It occurred to him that this Merida was leading her omega brother somewhere he would be safe.

Safe from whom?

Once again, his anger rose at the idea that Remy was in some kind of danger.

“Where we go or why is none of your concern, beta.” Beneath the forceful reply, there was an underlying worry in the gamma’s tone. She was in trouble and knew it.

Dane slowly shook his head. “That’s not true and you know it. The protection of an omega is every shifter’s business.” He took one more step back and lowered his hands. “Let the boy eat. I won’t interfere, and I’ll stay in human form. Once you’ve both fed, we can talk about your options. There is no one here who poses a danger to you or the omega. Of that, I swear.”

Dane wasn’t sure that his words would make a difference and for long seconds, the gamma remained with her feet firmly planted and her arms spread—a literal barrier between him and her brother.

Remy remained where he’d been before his sister had arrived. He was obviously listening to the exchange, but he made no effort to interrupt. A well-trained omega he obviously was but also he clearly trusted his sister. His seeming lack of fear when it came to Dane was both heart-warming and terrifying. This boy should always be wary of strange dominants, in general, and in Dane in particular. He was a scary shifter. He knew that. Why didn’t Remy?

Merida shifted suddenly back to a wolf. Keeping Dane in her line of sight, she tore at the underbelly of her kill, exposing the nutrient-rich organs of the deer. Then she chuffed at her brother. Remy shifted himself and loped over on his short omega legs. He didn’t hesitate to stick his muzzle into the flesh and eat.

Dane couldn’t see much of what was happening, but he heard the omega’s dainty yet steady chewing. The boy was obviously hungry. This time of year, it would be hard to catch any kind of game easily. No matter how good a hunter the gamma was, shifters had become dependent on cultivated sources of food. Dane managed fine with surviving on only what the forest had to offer and his size allowed him to consume a lot in a single feeding and build up stores of fat when necessary. Smaller, more delicate shifters like an omega needed to eat more frequently and with a greater variety. Surely Merida understood that. Whatever had driven her to take her brother way from their pack must have been dire indeed.

Dane desperately wanted to ask the gamma what was wrong, what was she running from. But he needed to be patient. Letting these two feed first would make it easier to talk—or so he hoped. Hunger had a way of chasing reason from one’s thoughts as much as fear did. He needed to bide his time before questioning the female further.

It didn’t take long before Remy had eaten enough. The omega lifted his face out of the carcass and with a quick look at both Dane and Merida, he returned to the river to drink. When he’d had his fill of water, he lay down by the tree where Dane had first found him. He looked intensely at Dane in the way of all servients who were waiting for a dominant to give them an order.

Dane found himself puffing with pride in a way he hadn’t in a long time. His heart gave a hard thump, and his wolf barked and pushed to get out. There was a faint yip in response echoing within him. When he focused hard on the omega, he noticed a little shake run through him. What is going on?

Remy wasn’t sure what the strange, low rumble inside him was all about. It skittered all over his body, a not unpleasant sensation, yet nothing he’d ever felt before. It’s the beta. There was no particular reason for him to think that, but he did. Since Dane had appeared, Remy had felt a surprising sense of relief. All of the fear he’d experienced since Merida had fled with him from the pack disappeared just like that. He knew the beta would take care of them both now. He could only hope Merida would come to feel the same way. Dane’s presence didn’t seem to be having the same effect on her.

The beta nodded toward the deer carcass. “Go ahead and eat, Merida. I’ll stay right here while you do.”

At first, it didn’t look like his sister would trust the beta enough to eat. After a few tense seconds, though, she started in on where Remy had fed. Merida needed a lot of food to keep up her strength, but Remy wasn’t surprised when she stopped after only a few bites. She was always denying herself so that he never went hungry. He hated being such a drain on her but wasn’t good at hunting himself. They only had whatever she could bring down.

The beta solved the issue. “Eat as much as you like. I have provisions that I will gladly share with you both and with two of us hunting, you don’t have to worry about the omega not being well-fed through the winter.”

For a moment, Remy thought his sister still wouldn’t listen to the beta, which made him sad. Then she suddenly went back to eating, tearing into the flesh and devouring it with obvious relish. It was a relief. His sister had always bucked the hierarchy of the pack in ways that he never understood. This time, however, she was acting like a pack member should—obeying the orders of a dominant.

Remy rested his muzzle on his outstretched paws and let the languid feeling from eating sweep over him. He was tired enough to sleep, and yet his body was also strangely alert, as if it were waiting for something to happen. This feeling had plagued him since even before they’d run from the pack. His appetite had increased and his skin in both wolf and human form felt too tight. Most disturbingly, an unnamable ache deep inside made him restless. The presence of the beta didn’t help in this case. In fact, it made it worse. Remy kept his eyes open a small amount, his gaze on the beta, wanting to both enjoy looking at him, but also to see if he could tell what the male wanted from him—if anything.

Merida finished eating and trotted over to him in order to drink from the river herself. When she was done, she sat beside him. Her large body served as a shield as it had done for Remy’s entire life. The sigmas in their pack had given her a wide space because she was bigger than all of them. Even the dominants kept their distance, ignoring her for the most part and showing little interest in him, as well. That was how it had been until early spring. The dominants had suddenly started paying attention to him in a manner that frightened him. That was especially true of the alpha’s heir, whose incessant staring had made him whine and try to hide. He didn’t know what they wanted but Merida must have. It was then that she’d forced him to flee under cover of night. Her presence gave him comfort as it always did, except for the first time, he didn’t feel as if he needed it.

The beta nodded. “Good. Now that you’re fed and watered, let me show you to my den. It’s nearby and will give the omega a safe place to spend the night, at least. I’ll stay in human form and bring what’s left of the carcass.” When Merida didn’t answer, he added, “I promise I’m no danger to the omega. Besides, you may not be the biggest gamma I’ve ever seen but I’d be foolish to tangle with you. And,” he added looking skyward, “there’ll be snow tonight. Do you really want your brother outside in that kind of weather?”

Merida cocked her head and stared at Dane. A biting wind ruffled Remy’s coat, making him whine despite his efforts to remain quiet as a good servient should. There was an immediate yipping inside his head, a reassuring sound. He lifted his head. The beta was staring past Merida and right at him. The expression on the man’s face showed surprise. I don’t understand any of this.

It didn’t matter, though. Merida had caught his distress and nudged him to stand. Then she led him closer to the beta, who seemed pleased by that. They waited until Dane had lifted the deer across his wide shoulders, indifferent to the gore coating his skin. Without another word, he started walking. Merida waited until he was past the closest stand of trees before following. Remy stuck close to her side because that was how she always wanted it unless she was hunting. The beta kept to a slow pace, so Remy had no trouble keeping up. Their journey ended surprisingly quickly by the beta stopping in front of a wide entrance to what looked like a natural cave nestled at the bottom of a tall cliff.

Dane gestured with his hand. “Here is where I’ve made my den. It has a water source sluicing down the back wall and I’ve furnished it with some comforts. Please make yourselves at home.”

Merida shifted and stood tall on her two sturdy legs. “Why are you helping us? What would a feral beta like yourself want, other than the obvious? You can’t have Remy and I’m not going to be your drudge. I’m not a good sigma anyway.” She bared her teeth.

Heaving the deer down to the ground, the beta stretched his neck before answering. “I don’t want omega. I’m not worthy of him because as you say, I’m feral. I can’t provide for a family even if I wanted one. And why would I expect a gamma to keep my den for me?”

Merida put her hands on her hips. “Why do you keep referring to me as a gamma? I’m a sigma.”

Dane actually snorted out a laugh. “No, you’re not.”

“I’m a female and clearly not an omega, so…” She frowned with obvious confusion.

Remy looked from one to the other and tried to understand what they were saying. Why did the beta refer to a family when he said he didn’t want Remy? And what did want mean anyway? No one had ever explained to him his role in the pack, exactly. Not even Merida. She snapped her lips shut whenever he asked her. He had a feeling, though, that this beta would tell him anything he wanted to know. The idea of this man wanting him in some nameless way wasn’t upsetting. It only piqued his curiosity.

“You’re a gamma,” Dane insisted. “Anyone with sense can tell that. Now, come on. The wind is really picking up.”

Merida grimaced before nodding. “It doesn’t matter what you think. I’ll accept your offer for shelter tonight for Remy’s sake. You enter first.”

“Very well.” Grabbing the deer by one leg, the beta entered his den, dragging the carcass behind him.

“Come on. Stick to my side and if there’s trouble, don’t wait for me to order you to flee. Just do it. Understand?” She glowered at him, her way of emphasizing how important it was for him to do as she said.

Remy give a low yip of understanding. And when his sister shifted to her wolf, he stayed close to her flank, and crept into the den with a mix of apprehension and excitement. He’d never seen how a feral shifter lived in the forest. It was a bit of an adventure, one that didn’t scare him as his journey with Merida had so far.

The interior of Dane’s den surprised him. Remy had expected it to be rough and simple. Instead, he walked into a cozy place bathed in a golden glow by an oil lamp. The back corner had water sliding down it in a steady curtain, as Dane had said, much of it pooling in a rock basin that looked unnatural. In one corner, there was a pallet with a bearskin blanket, and in another, tools and other useful goods were gathered next to a flat rock. It was there that the beta had laid down the carcass, obviously for skinning and dressing what was left of the meat. In its own way, the cave was a small version of the longhouse where he’d been raised. He felt as if he had come home.

Dane went to wash the blood off his upper body, squatting on his thick haunches as he did so. Normally Remy would have looked away because staring at another shifter was rude. But with this man, his manners were overridden by the need to take in all the details of the mesmerizing sight. Every muscle of the beta bulged with the slightest movement and the parts that made him male dangled and swung between his legs. There was something about those bits that made him simply…want. Something. He didn’t know what. He just couldn’t look away and that ache he felt deep inside grew suddenly.

Merida’s hand covered his eyes. “Stop staring, Remy, and go lie down.” Lifting her hand, she pointed to a spot near the entrance.

Remy was disappointed but knew better than to argue. And he was tired, so the command was almost as appealing as watching the beta was.

“No.” Dane rose to a stand, the water dribbling down his arms and chest glistening in the lamp light. “He should take the pallet. It’s comfortable enough and the skin will keep him warm, so he doesn’t have to stay in wolf form.”

Remy’s legs started moving before he even thought about it.

Merida blocked his way. “No. He’ll be trapped back there.”

The beta pressed his finger and thumb across the bridge of his nose before saying anything. “I’m only thinking of what’s best for the boy. You can sleep with him or stay by the entrance with me once I’ve tended to the deer.”

Merida balled her hands into fists. “You intend to block us in.”

“No. I intend to keep others out.” He paused for a moment. “You’re going to have to decide, gamma, what is the best path now for your brother. You either trust me or you don’t.” He pointed past her. “Out there is obviously dangerous. In here, you have what he needs while still being able to defend him, if necessary. Which it won’t be. I’m not going to harm either of you.”

Merida and Dane stood staring at each other so long that Remy sat from tiredness. He looked back and forth between them, hoping that something would happen soon to end the fight. He wasn’t so much worried about what the beta might do. It was more that conflict upset him and since they’d been on their own, there hadn’t been any, of course. He never argued with his sister or defied her. Now, with the beta issuing commands, he was anxious about who he should obey.

Finally, Merida relented. “Fine. For Remy’s sake, we’ll stay here for the time being. But I don’t trust you, just so we’re clear.”

The beta nodded once. “That’s fair. I only want what’s best for the omega and I’ll let my actions speak to my character. For now, you are in control of the boy.”

That reassurance seemed to mollify his sister. With a quick wave, she sent Remy over to the pallet. He shifted into his human skin, wiggled under the weighty hide and let himself drift off.