6. Theo

Chapter 6

Theo

The little beater car that the omega had been driving is kind of a dump, but it's full of his scent. The entire drive home I can't get him out of my mind, and it's driving my wolf wild. I'd made a cursory search of his belongings, looking for anything that might confirm that he really is the omega we've been hunting. His claim that he wasn't actually Dodger had given me pause.

If he really was Dodger, there'd be no point in claiming otherwise. Maybe he really was hoping to trick us into believing he wasn't our real target. But on the off chance he really was someone completely different...

I shake my head and focus on the road as I pull down the dirt track that leads deeper into the woods. Ahead of me, I can see Sebastian in his car with Lucas and the omega. Ahead of them, Roman is driving alone in the other vehicle we'd been using for our search.

It feels like ages since I made the drive down this familiar path. I roll down the window to let the scent of the pine forest wash over me. The smell of dirt and trees floods my nostrils, giving me a momentary reprieve from the overwhelming aroma of the omega. His scent has stirred something deep within me. Something that makes my cock twitch in excitement.

I've tried to ignore it, tried to tell myself that it's just my imagination. But the longer I sit in this car, the more certain I become that my body is reacting to him. It's fucking annoying.

This entire trip has been annoying.

I haven't gotten laid in weeks. That's probably all this is. My sex drive is just cranked to eleven because I haven't had any recently. The moment we're home I'll be able to find someone to help me alleviate this little problem.

Maybe two people.

With that thought in mind, I'm almost grinning as we pull up to the compound and roll through the front gates. Our pack has always prided itself on being welcoming. We've been a haven for omegas that wanted to escape from less-pleasant packs. So there's always someone around that's unmated and in need of a good time.

As soon as the cars are parked, I jump out and take a deep breath. It's so good to be home.

There's a crowd forming. Everyone's coming out of their houses and huts to see who's returned.

"It's the hunting pack!" someone shouts, and a murmur of excitement runs through the crowd. Someone else takes off, sprinting at full tilt. Probably on their way to fetch the elders. Soon the entire pack has gathered to see the four of us and our quarry.

It's not hard to spot him. He's practically clinging to Sebastian's side. His eyes are wide as he takes in the sight of the village and the crowd surrounding us. He's nervous, extremely so. His wide-eyed stare feels genuine. Like he really has never seen this place or any of these people before.

"Roman!" An older woman pushes her way through the crowd toward us. She's small, a little stooped, with grey hair tied back in a braid and a face that's covered in wrinkles. Despite her age, her voice is still strong and clear.

"Elder Mary." Roman offers a slight bow of his head.

"Is that the omega?" Her eyes flick over to the target we secured.

"Yes, Elder."

She looks over him with an appraising eye before nodding her head. "You four are to bring him to the elders' lodge. We'll discuss this further in private."

"Yes, Elder," Roman replies. He gestures for Sebastian and Lucas to follow him as they lead the omega away.

I fall into step behind them. I may not be the most upstanding member of the pack, but I dislike making things difficult for myself. It's easiest to just go along with what's expected of me so that I've got more time for the things I actually want to do later.

Like getting laid.

The elders' lodge sits near the heart of the compound. It's one of the oldest buildings, with thick wooden walls and a high roof. The front door is decorated with the skull of a stag that the pack hunted last winter. Every year the skull of the largest stag hunted that year is hung on the door. It's a point of pride to be one of the wolves that took part in that hunt.

I think Roman was part of the group that took this particular stag down. Though he'd never brag about something like that, I do catch him looking fondly at the skull before we pass through the door.

The interior of the lodge is dimly lit. The fire in the central hearth is always kept burning, and the windows are mostly covered with heavy tapestries. There are no electric lights inside, which gives the building a rather primal atmosphere. The elders sit around the fire, waiting for us.

"The hunting pack has successfully returned with the quarry we were sent to retrieve," Roman announces to the elders as he steps up to the hearth. "We humbly present the fugitive for judgment."

I step aside, letting the three of them take the lead.

One of the elders, the oldest among them, leans forward in his seat and stares at the omega. His eyes narrow as his lips twitch into a frown. He glances at the other elders before looking back at the omega.

"This is not the wolf we sent you to retrieve," the elder tells Roman.

Sebastian looks sharply in my direction, catching my eye. Something tells me he suspected as much. But one look at Roman tells me he's immediately crestfallen. His brow furrows as he bows his head toward the elder.

"He matches the description we were given," Roman protests quickly. "We've tracked him for days, and he evaded us with the skill you'd told us to expect from our quarry."

"He may share similarities with the wolf we sent you to find, but there is no doubt that this is not the one," said the elder with a nod as he glances toward Elder Mary.

The female elder rises and approaches the omega, studying him carefully. "I myself had minimal interaction with the fugitive known as Dodger. From the descriptions we had, I do feel this omega matches them appropriately. However, Elder Lyons had a much closer relationship with Dodger. His appraisal is yet needed."

Mary turns her gaze to one of the younger, though still quite elderly, alphas sitting near the fire. The man looks toward the omega, and then nods.

"That's not the omega I interviewed before granting him a place in the pack," Elder Lyons agrees. "That is not Dodger. I'm afraid I have no choice but to tell you that your hunting pack has failed, Roman."

"However," Mary interjects before anyone else can speak, "we recognize the superior talent it took for you to acquire and retrieve a target at all. This omega fits all the details you were given in your mission file, and for that, we applaud your effort these last few weeks. You may go and rest and recover. Do not think of yourselves as failures. I fear your mission may have been doomed from the start."

Roman bows his head toward her. "Thank you, Elder."

"Dismissed," the female alpha says with a wave of her hand. "Leave the omega with us. We'll need to interview him and determine what happens next."

As soon as she's spoken, the four of us turn and leave. Sebastian's gaze keeps darting to me, but I'm not interested in talking right now. Instead, I walk briskly ahead, heading for the cluster of tents on the far side of the compound. There's been too much action lately. I need to unwind. Now.