Chapter One

Jeremy

"Jordan, you're out back for the next four hours," one of the other guards, Amos, called out. He was a racoon shifter, of all things, but with all his bark, he tried to make himself seem like a lion shifter. I knew a lion shifter. King would eat this motherfucker for breakfast.

It was strange to hear someone call me Jordan, but it was what we came up with after the knock-down, drag-out fight over who was going to take this mission. Another name since I would be deep undercover. Jordan sounded similar to Jeremy. Not really, but the chance of me responding to a J name was better than something like Sam.

There wasn't a real name that sounded like Pop-Tart so, I was stuck with Jordan. It sounded like someone from a boy band, but it did the job.

Tyrus hooked me up with all the IDs and everything I would need to secure the job.

"I'm on it," I gave my quick response, avoiding Amos' eye contact. His beady eyes and thin lips gave me the creeps. Ever since hearing on a crime podcast that people with beady black eyes and thin lips were most likely violent or abusive, I took notice of those things.

With a Glock on my hip and my wolf as the main weapon, I walked through the house. From the outside, this place resembled an upscale log cabin. They dressed the future horror house up with brightly colored flowers in hanging baskets and a well-landscaped yard, but inside, there were no signs of home. The bedrooms had chains instead of beds. No smells of lovely, homemade food or the sounds of laughter.

This fucking place was being changed into a hellhole.

If the omegas were already here, the ones they intended on breeding and abusing, there was no way I would've been able to handle it.

It was bad enough to pretend to work alongside these disgusting excuses for alphas.

The way they spoke about omegas had me on the verge of heaving about every three seconds. They were users and abusers and thought the world and omegas in general owed them something.

No one was owed anything in this life.

Especially not another's body.

"Want some?" A guy sitting outside lifted an egg salad sandwich that smelled more like rotten egg than it did lunch.

"I'm good. Thanks. Had a big breakfast." It was a lie, of course, but there was no way I could get past the nausea this house and especially that foul-smelling sandwich were causing me.

"Sure, man. I've got duty in a few minutes anyway. Don't know what the fuck we are guarding here. It's boring, if you ask me."

No one had.

"We have to make sure no one is snooping around. No unauthorized visitors."

He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Huh. Have you seen even one person stroll onto the property?"

"I haven't. That's the point. You get in front of the danger. Preventing fires instead of putting them out."

"You military or something?" he asked.

"Something," I muttered. "Where are you working?" I asked, trying to sound like a normal guy who wanted to be here. The bosses were paying top dollar for security but had somehow still managed to find the lowest of the low to watch over their business.

Probably because their business was maltreatment of the worst kind. Abusing omegas. Selling the kids into more of the same or slavery of all kinds.

I didn't want to be here, but better me than my brother or the other alphas at the compound who had families. Omegas and little ones to watch over.

If they took this job, they would be worried. Their mates would be concerned not only about them but for their kids.

Coming here and infiltrating this breeding house was the best and worst decision of my life.

"On the balcony," he responded, spraying me with bits of the last of the sandwich. "Gotta go."

I waited for him to leave the area and for the door to shut before letting out a long breath of relief and shudder of disgust. Pretending to be one of them was gut-wrenching and I longed for the few moments I had to myself.

"You can't go." Hammer wrapped his hand around my shoulder, squeezing for effect.

"I have to." I turned, shrugging him off in favor of packing. We had a ton to do and not a lot of time to do it.

"You don't. We can contract in someone else. I…you're my brother."

I chuckled. Not like he was breaking news to me. "I know. And this is why I have to, Hammer. You have Grey. He needs you. Not to mention my favorite little nephew to take care of. The others have mates and babies. Let me do this. Just because I'm your little brother doesn't mean I'm not as strong as you."

He blew out a breath and sat on my bed, next to my suitcase. "I never said you weren't. Doesn't mean I won't worry about you. Tell him, Tyrus. Tell him we will send someone else."

Tyrus grunted. "Pop-Tart is a good man. He'll get the intel and do us proud. Won't you…Jordan."

The bear shifter handed over my new ID and other things I would need.

"We're all working toward the same goal. I will do this."

Hammer nodded. "Okay. Yeah. But you'll keep in touch and if you get into trouble, you cut bait and run the fuck away from there, you hear me? That's an order, Jeremy."

Despite his stern order, my older brother got up and gave me a lung-squeezing hug.

"I'll come back. No matter what, I'll come back."