Chapter 1

Lachlan

"Sometimes I get these weird dreams and I just never know if they're visions or just, you know, dreams. So I'm always waiting for that déjà vu moment to hit me, and sometimes it just never comes. It's exhausting. I am starting to remember things better, though. I think the sessions with Marie have really helped. I even have daytime visions now. It hasn't been anything serious since that incident with the Collector, but you just never know, right?"

I stared out the window, counting down the seconds until this day was over, the moment I would officially be off duty and on vacation.

I hadn't been home since before I started college. It was well overdue and I couldn't wait.

Thirteen minutes.

"Lachlan? Right?"

"Right, yeah. You're doing great. Keep going."

Twelve more minutes.

I didn't give a shit that this was my boss on my couch, spilling his innermost thoughts. In my mind, I was already on the beach, or maybe eating delicious meat pies covered in mushy peas from a vendor in downtown Sydney. I could practically smell the salty air and hear the hustle and bustle of city life.

"And I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I had this weird vision of you and Tucker together, like sexually, in some really disgusting positions that I didn't even know were physically possible."

"Yeah, that's good. Keep going." I froze as his words hit my brain. "What the fuck?"

Michael laughed as he sat up and shook his head at me.

"I knew you weren't listening to a word I said today."

I grimaced. "Sorry boss."

"It's alright. How long until you're officially on vacation time?"

I didn't need to look at my watch to know that answer, but trying not to look too excited, I pretended to check it.

"Seven and a half minutes."

He chuckled. "I think we should call it early."

"Really? I mean, no, you still have my full, undivided attention."

"Lachie, I haven't had your undivided attention in the last two weeks."

I cringed. "Sorry."

"Don't be. Since you joined my team, you haven't once even asked for a day off. Hell, not even just a few hours off for yourself. You are very overdue for a vacation and I'm thrilled that you can take this time off for yourself and to catch up with your family."

"Three weeks. I won't even know what to do with all that time off."

"Well, a chunk of it will just be in travel."

I grinned. "True. It's a long flight to Sydney, but it'll be worth it."

"I really am happy for you. Let's call this session a bust and pick up when you get back."

"I feel bad for not really listening today. That's not like me and you know it."

"I know."

"Did you have anything concerning you needed to discuss before I leave?"

"Nothing that can't wait. I promise."

"Okay."

Normally, I would have pushed him to open up, but honestly, I didn't give a shit at that moment. I just wanted to ride out my last five minutes and get out of here.

"Let's call it a day. I think we can spare five minutes of your time."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup. Get out of here."

"I'm not waiting for you to tell me twice."

I quickly started packing up my things and clearing my desk as Michael excused himself. Excitement rolled through me. This was really happening. I was going home.

It wasn't like I wanted to go home for good. In many ways San Marco was now my true home. I'd even given my allegiance to Kyle Westin. I wasn't a wolf, but I was a valued member of Westin Pack now, which happened to be the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. As a dingo, Pack life came naturally to me, though Pack for my kind was different than the wolves. When we referred to a Pack it meant a family unit. Many Packs allied together to form a Tribe. So really our Tribes were more like the wolf Packs. It also wasn't uncommon for males of to venture out when we reached maturity and form their own Packs.

I'd done that—sort of.

Going away to college in America was supposed to be that for me. Instead, I'd simply gravitated to a new Pack, my fraternity. My brothers of Delta Omega Gamma were as much my family as the one I was born into.

After graduating with a degree in psychology, I got an offer to work in Westin Force. Some of the men and women had been struggling after some horrific events and with the heavy burden that just comes with the job.

Westin Force is an elite special ops unit that monitors and protects shifters world-wide. The initial creation of the program was for additional security of Westin Pack, but that soon evolved the more global our reach hit.

I loved being a part of Delta team. They were absolutely my family now. Each of them had spent time on my couch sharing their most intimate secrets. It created a unique bond between me and them, making my career choice far more rewarding than I could have ever dreamed.

I didn't just work with Delta, though. While they were my assigned unit and I was personally closest to them, professionally I was available to all of Westin Force, those in Westin Pack that needed therapy or just someone to talk to, and the victims and survivors that the teams brought back here for safety.

Much of my life, people saw me as a pretty face. With my blond hair and deep blue eyes, the assumption often was that I was nice to look at but short in the head. It was bullshit, though I had to admit I had used it to my advantage on more than one occasion. Especially with women.

If I were being honest with myself the way I always push my patients to be, I was getting sick of playing games.

It had been months since I'd last been on a date and even longer since I'd been with a woman. Work was fulfilling, and I loved my life here in San Marco, but I also longed for a true mate. I didn't want to settle for just any mate. I desperately wanted my one true mate.

She was out there somewhere. And I knew that the moment I found her, I was going to mark her as mine and never let her go. I couldn't wait for that to happen.

I didn't mind being alone for now. At least it didn't bother me most of the time. But I saw the difference a true mate made in my friends and that closeness between them that came from the bond. And I knew that was going to be me one day. It was a big world, but she was out there somewhere just waiting for me too. I knew it.

For now, I would settle for just a laid-back vacation. Lord knew I was overdue for one.

As I packed up the last of my things, satisfied I hadn't forgotten anything, I took one last look around, locked up my cabinet and felt a weight lift from my shoulders.

Looking down at my watch, I grinned. I was officially on vacation.

With a bit of a hop in my step, I left.

Out in the hallway there was a buzz of excitement in the air, but it didn't take long to realize it was not just me.

"What's going on?" I asked Linc as he passed by me.

"Silas just called Delta team in for an emergency meeting. Sounds like something big. Didn't you get the text?"

I frowned and looked down at my phone, shaking my head.

"Oh right. You're on vacation starting tomorrow, right?"

"Starting now, actually."

"Well, have fun back home. And check in once in a while."

I nodded as he sped up towards the conference room.

A few minutes later, Michael and Tucker ran by me, barely even acknowledging me.

Tucker at least gave a wave.

I forced myself to stay the course and not turn around.

When Walker rounded the corner, he came to a quick halt to avoid slamming into me.

"Where are you headed? The conference room is this way."

"I wasn't called. I'm on vacation, remember?"

"Seriously? But this is a big breakthrough. Taylor called in with the confirmed location of the next Collector's sale. She says it's the biggest one yet and if we can shut it down, it will put a tremendous crack in the underground sales of shifter witches. This is huge Lachlan, and what we've all been waiting for."

His excitement was contagious. Technically, my flight wasn't until tomorrow afternoon. I had the time, and I knew that if I walked away now, I'd spend every day of my trip wondering what the guys were up to. Walker was right. This was a potentially huge breakthrough for us.

He must have known I was coming, because he waited for me before we both hurried down the hall and into the conference room.

Michael rolled his eyes when he saw me, but didn't say anything.

"Everyone, take a seat quickly. We're going to have to move fast on this," Silas said. "Taylor, you have the floor."

"After the last open market we destroyed, things have locked down significantly on the network."

We all turned to stare at Walker. He and his mate had caused mass chaos there. In the end, it was presumed Walker was dead by the "beast" who was actually Lindsey, his true mate. They were both fine, happily mated, and settled into San Marco along with their two adopted kids, Maya and Dante. But as far as the Collectors were concerned, Walker, or rather Walter Grimes, was dead, and Taylor, who went by Tayla, was now a grieving widow. It was a huge break that they even allowed her to stay in the loop after all that mess.

"So we have to stay diligent on this one. As an additional measure of security, everything is put into place by the orchestrator, whose identity we still do not know. Once things are in place, a notice goes out with only the date of the event and we have twenty-four hours to respond for interest. That came through last week and I just heard back today that in just forty-eight hours to get to a hotel just outside Sydney, Australia before our next set of instructions is released, but only to those that arrive in time. No more electronics from there. I've already booked the penthouse to show I am very interested."

"Wow, they're really getting paranoid," I said.

All eyes turned to me.

"Wait, aren't you on vacation?" Silas asked.

"I am."

"Where are you headed?"

"Sydney."

The large gorilla shifter and team lead of Bravo team gave me a triumphant grin.

I shook my head before the words were even out of his mouth.

"I'm going to need you on standby in case this thing gets ugly. If they're holding in Australia, then that likely means weeks, if not months of transportation for these victims. They're going to need help."

"Come on Silas, he's legit on vacation. Just because he's in the area doesn't mean you can just pull him in on call," Michael argued.

While I appreciated the sentiment, we both knew I would likely cave and agree to this.

"Would you reconsider if I told you that witches aren't the only thing up for trade and auction?"

"What do you mean?" I asked Taylor.

She bit her lip. "They have some rare animal shifters on the list this time too—kangaroo, koala, Tasmanian devils, and dingoes."

My heart dropped. "Dingoes?"

She nodded. "A friend shared with me that they found a whole tribe of dingo shifters out in the Whoop Whoop that they are tracking. They already have one and are hoping for at least five more before auction."

"Six doesn't make them very rare," Colin pointed out.

"It does when they're about to murder off the rest of the Tribes," she said.

"But there is more than one dingo Tribe. There are several throughout Australia," I argued.

"You don't think they know that? They must have a plan to kill off the Tribes to make this valid. These Collectors aren't stupid. They aren't just going to believe a dingo shifter is somehow rare with six of them up for sale, unless they were certain the rest were gone," Taylor said.

Colin shrugged. "We've seen them prey on new Collectors before and pawn off common shifters without any powers."

"True, but they would never have been listed as endangered. They have them marked as a Level 1 with authenticity. I'm telling you, they are going after the dingo Tribes to ensure they can secure the money a listing like this will bring."

"Not on my watch. I'm in. They aren't taking my people like that. I have to get there and warn them. Do we have any leads on which Tribes they're targeting?"

"How many are there?" Painter, Silas's second in command, asked.

I shook my head. "Dingoes often live in smaller packs than wolves, but once you get out into the outback, they will often merge together into larger tribes. Unlike here, there isn't just an Alpha in charge, but an Alpha pair consisting of both male and female. They reign together."

"So basically Kyle and Kelsey," Ben, from Bravo team, joked.

"What about Kyle and Kelsey?" A deep voice boomed behind me, causing everyone in the room to stiffen and then all eyes turn towards me.

I sighed. "I was just explaining that while a wolf pack has a single Alpha who leads, dingoes have an alpha pair of both male and female Alphas that co-lead the pack. Our females are highly respected and protected."

"I guess we are a bit more like dingoes around here then, huh?" Kyle said, causing the entire room to relax.

Kelsey Westin was a badass Alpha she-wolf in her own right and she was much more hands on with the Pack. That much was true. When I really thought about it, I supposed they did reign more in unison. Maybe that was what had made me comfortable enough to not just stay, but to give my full allegiance to them.

Silas and Michael worked through the details before dismissing us.

"Lachlan, I thought you were approved for vacation. What are you even doing here?" Kyle asked me after the meeting adjourned.

"Some arseholes are threatening my kind. So it's going to be a working vacation now."