Keeper

The Lost Pack: Book Two

Claire Cullen

Copyright © 2019 by Claire Cullen

All Rights Reserved

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Epilogue

Author's Note

Chapter One

“Whoa, there.”

Cole held his hands up, took a step back, and gentled his tone. He could see at a glance that the newest arrival to the stables was nervous. Her ears swiveled back and forth, she was trembling, and she tossed her head every time he moved closer.

“Easy, Ginny. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but you’ve landed on your feet here. This is a nice place: safe, quiet.”

The ginger mare whinnied and tossed her head again.

“I get it,” he assured her, backing away and going for the bag of carrots in the corner. “You don’t know me, or this place.” He grabbed a few slices of carrot. “But I’m guessing you know what this is.”

He kept his tone low and soothing as he approached her, holding his hand out so she could see his offering.

At first she wasn’t too happy about his approach, but curiosity overcame her fear, and she ambled forward to investigate.

“That’s it,” he murmured, holding still and waiting for her to come to him.

It wasn’t long before she found the carrot sticks and munched on them. He continued to talk softly to her but made no attempt to touch her. It was important to give her time to get used to his presence and his scent.

“You always were good with the nervous ones,” a voice said from the doorway. “Human or animal.”

Only Cole’s long-honed instincts stopped him from reacting and scaring his new charge. He glanced over his shoulder at Zane.

“Need something?”

“Just checking in.”

“Or escaping the nursery?”

With four newborns at the packhouse, he wouldn’t blame Zane for looking for some peace and quiet.

Zane grinned and shook his head. “Nah, the babies are cool. I can’t wait until they get a bit older.”

Cole resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The whole packhouse was a little baby obsessed these days.

Ginny finished her snack and wandered away to explore the rest of the stables so he headed to the door to join Zane.

“Checking in or checking up?” he asked.

“Whichever one is easier to swallow,” Zane threw back. “What time is he getting here?”

Cole checked his watch. “Any minute now, unfortunately.”

“Look, I know you're not happy about this whole babysitting thing, but it’s only for four weeks. He’ll be gone before you know it.”

That’s what everyone had been saying. As if that made up for the fact that they’d landed this on him.

Cole snorted. “Four weeks? I doubt he’ll last that long.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Damn. Cole should not have said that out loud.

“Oh, come on,” he said, doing his best to cover. “This guy is a movie star. He’ll take one look at the place, call a cab, and be on his way home within the hour.”

“Is that so?” Zane quirked an eyebrow, looking amused.

“Maybe it’ll take a day or two, but how long can you really see this guy sticking around for? He’s expecting to volunteer in a house full of kids with plenty of opportunities for a photo shoot. Not a month of mucking out stalls with only me for company.”

Zane grinned. “I almost feel sorry for the guy. Almost.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Cole waved him off. “Are you staying for the meet-and-greet, or…”

It would be nice to have some backup, but it might put a dent in his plan to ‘encourage’ the volunteer’s speedy departure.

“I promised I’d do a run into town for supplies. We’re running short on diapers. But if you need me to stay…”

“No, no. Go on. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not worried about you,” Zane said with a laugh. “This guy doesn’t know what he’s in for.”

He ambled off with a grin and a wave. His footsteps had only just faded into the distance when Cole heard a car heading up the driveway. He secured the stable door and headed around to the front of the house.

Showtime.

* * *

Josh resisted the urge to hug his bag to his chest and wondered if he looked as pathetic as he felt. From the lascivious looks the cab driver kept giving him through the rearview mirror, he was masking his feelings pretty well. Wasn’t that what acting was all about? Showing people what they wanted to see?

He turned his attention to the view out the window. They were deep into the countryside; he hadn’t seen a house for miles. It felt like they’d been driving for hours.

“Is it much farther?” he asked, hiding a shudder as his words drew the driver’s eyes back to him.

“We’re almost there,” the driver assured him.

Not that arriving at his destination was much preferable to this car journey. Stewart had made it very clear that this was Josh’s only option. His agent had walked him to the cab, promising him every step of the way that the four weeks would fly by. Josh knew the time was as likely to crawl as it was to fly, especially for him. He’d said as much, but Stewart had been very firm that this was necessary.

The last few weeks had really done a number on Josh’s reputation. He’d been dropped from two upcoming movies, and three roles he’d been shortlisted for had fallen through. Not exactly unexpected, given that clips of him having sex with a married alpha actor were all over the internet. He shuddered again at the recollection, swallowing the bile that rose in his throat at the flashes of memory from that night.

“Okay back there?” the driver asked, and Josh realized he’d closed his eyes.

“Fine,” he said, blinking them open. “It’s just a little motion sickness.”

“You’re not going to throw up in my cab, are you?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he promised, his attention back on the scenery.

It was only four weeks. Four weeks where he could keep his head down and repair his image. Stewart had promised that by the time Josh got home, he’d have his next role lined up for him. Something big. So what if Josh had to spend a month surrounded by a bunch of feral kids? He’d weathered worse.

“This is it,” the driver said as they turned into a driveway.

Josh looked on with interest as they followed a winding path surrounded by tall trees. The trees finally parted, and the house came into view. Though house was overstating it. It was more of a cottage; single-story and run down. Not at all what he was expecting. How could they fit a group of kids in such a tiny space? Surely they’d all be right on top of each other?

As they slowed to a stop, a man rounded the corner of the house. Tall and dark-haired, wearing a sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscles. Alpha, clearly. He stopped and watched their arrival, a blank look on his face, and his arms crossed. There’d be no friendly welcome here.

He waited a minute to see if anyone else would emerge from the house, but no one came. Reluctantly, his instincts telling him something wasn’t right, he pushed open the cab door and climbed out. The driver already had the trunk open and was lifting his bags out.

Josh plastered a friendly smile on his face and waved at the unapproachable alpha. Maybe the driver had steered them wrong? This did not look like a kids’ home.

“Hi, I’m Joshua. I think maybe we’re in the wrong place…”

“No, this is it,” the alpha said shortly. He glanced past Josh to the driver. “Those your bags? Better grab them and come with me.”

“Uh, sure.”

The driver held out his bags, and Josh hurried over to grab them. He slung one over his shoulder and hefted the other into his hands.

“Good luck,” the driver said with a grin, giving the alpha a salute and heading back to his car.

Josh’s stomach sank as he took in the alpha waiting impatiently for him, all but tapping his foot on the ground and glaring pointedly at his non-existent watch.

He took a few steps forward and heard the cab’s engine come to life behind him, the car quickly turning around and driving away.

The alpha looked him up and down again, his gaze lingering on Josh’s bags.

“You don’t travel light, do you?” he said with a snort.

“I am here for a month,” Josh replied, tugging the strap on his shoulder a little higher.

His stomach churned uneasily: he had a bad feeling about this whole situation. It wouldn’t be the first time that one of Stewart’s plans turned out to be nothing like what he’d led Josh to expect.

“Is this really a kids’ home?” he asked as the alpha turned and made for the cottage. “It doesn’t look like any children’s home I’ve ever seen.”

The alpha didn’t turn, but he did answer, pointing to the left, through the trees.

“The children’s home is a quarter-mile that way. You’re not staying there. You’re staying here, with me.”

“Where’s here?” Josh demanded. “And who the hell are you?” This wasn’t what he’d agreed to. This wasn’t what Stewart had told him to expect.

“I’m Cole. These are the stables,” the alpha said shortly. “I hope you know your way around a sweeping brush.”

Josh shifted the strap on his shoulder again, wincing as it slid against a bruise. The alpha strode into the house ahead of him, not once looking back. Josh ducked his head and followed. This was going to be a long month.

Chapter Two

The first day in the company of his ‘volunteer’ was awkward but uneventful. By mid-morning on day two, Cole needed a break. He headed over to the packhouse, making a beeline for the kitchen.

He was halfway through a cup of coffee and an oatmeal biscuit when Oliver wandered in, a newborn over each shoulder. Brax followed a moment later with a third baby in his arms.

“Didn’t think we’d be seeing you this morning,” the alpha commented.

“Oh, you know. Needed a bit of breathing space now that I’ve got a roommate.”

Brax snorted, but Oliver had the grace to look a little contrite.

“We know it’s an imposition, Cole. If there’s anything we can do to help...” the omega offered.

Cole waved that off.

“I don’t blame you for not wanting a stranger in the packhouse around your newborns. We all have to play our parts, right?”

“Right,” Brax said as he held the baby out to Cole. “Here Killian, say hi to your favorite uncle.”

Cole set his coffee cup aside and took the offered infant.

“I knew I was the favorite,” he murmured quietly, settling the baby against his chest.

He wandered into the living room. Duke was there with Jack and Eric. Cole flopped down onto the couch next to Duke. Killian made a little sound of complaint but settled when Cole rubbed a hand across his back.

“How’s your guest?” Duke asked.

“Quiet, so far. He was sweeping the yard when I left.”

Cole had half-hoped Joshua would be gone by now, but maybe reality hadn’t sunk in yet for the omega. Mucking out the stalls might be enough to send him packing. Cole had his fingers crossed.

“Have you seen Thorn today?”

Cole was surprised by the abrupt change in subject but glad for something else to focus on.

“Not so far. Didn’t he have his first shift last night?”

Thorn had been talking about joining the local volunteer firefighters for months and had finally taken the bull by the horns. They were trialing him for a month.

“Yeah.” Duke paused. “I don’t think it went well. Maybe you could talk to him?”

Cole let out a soft snort at that. “Do you want to rile him up? Because I am the perfect person for that. If you want to talk him down, Zane is the man for the job.”

The beta had a calming influence on the alphas of the pack. Most of the time.

“Thorn won’t talk to him, or me. Maybe Brax can try.”

“Brax has got enough on his plate right now,” Cole pointed out.

Between recently becoming a father, their pack going public about their existence, and his newly reopened medical practice, Brax’s schedule was full.

“Maybe Kira? She is a trained professional, after all,” Duke suggested.

“Would you bare your soul to her?” Cole asked. “I wouldn’t.”

“I would, and I have,” Duke said sharply. “I do whatever I need to do for Jack’s sake.”

Killian whined and squirmed against Cole’s chest, and Cole rubbed circles across his back until he calmed.

“Sorry, Duke. Didn’t mean anything by it.”

Duke waved off his apology.

“I don’t blame you for being touchy. You were the one landed with the responsibility of looking after our guest.”

Cole snorted. “I doubt he’ll be my problem for much longer. I can’t see him sticking it out for a full month. If I thought he would, well… that would be a different matter altogether. Have you seen the stuff the papers have written about him?”

“Tell me you didn’t look at the photos,” Duke said with a groan.

“Do you think I want to see that trash? I just glanced at the headlines, that’s all.”

At Duke’s sideways glance, he added, “This guy is a stranger, coming to live in my home for a month. So yeah, I looked him up. You would have done the same if you were me.”

Duke gave him a hard look before finally conceding, “Yeah, maybe I would have.”

Oliver came in to get Killian, interrupting their conversation, and Jack raced over to Cole to demand a story. Come spent some time playing with him and Eric before acknowledging that he couldn’t hide away in the packhouse forever.

“Are you staying for lunch?” Zane asked as he wandered back into the kitchen. “We’re having spaghetti.”

“Thanks, but I’d better get back. I’m still getting my newest arrival settled. She’s struggling with the leading rein.”

Zane grinned. “For a second I thought you were talking about Joshua.”

Cole laughed and headed for the door.

He jogged back to the cottage, intent on grabbing a quick bite to eat. All thoughts of food were forced from his mind when he caught the smell of burning as he stepped through the door. He rushed into the small kitchen and was confronted with the sight of Joshua, a plate of burnt toast, and a smoking grill.

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded.

“Um…” Joshua glanced from him to the plate. “Making lunch?”

“Burning down my kitchen is more like it,” he growled, reaching past Joshua to shut off the grill and push open the window. “Seriously, what omega can’t cook toast?”

“Oh, because it’s okay for an alpha not to know his way around a kitchen, but if it’s an omega… well, there’s practically a law against that, right?”

“There is if it’s my kitchen. Do you know how fast a fire would spread in here? We’d never get all the horses out in time.”

He was aware he’d raised his voice, but it only seemed to incense the omega.

“Well, excuse me for trying to make a fucking sandwich.”

The omega didn’t give Cole a chance to reply, dumping his burnt toast in the trash and storming away.

Cole stood there, his fists clenched, trying to cool his anger and irritation. With a groan, he pressed his chin to his chest and slowed his breathing. He’d flown off the handle over burnt toast. Very mature.

Once the smell started to clear, he searched through the cupboards and fridge, putting together the makings of two cheese sandwiches and sticking them under the grill. The least he could do was make the omega lunch as an apology.

A few minutes later, balancing plates and glasses in his hands, he wandered outside. Joshua was sitting against the wall of the stable, basking in the sunshine, his eyes closed.

“Lunch is served,” Cole announced, crossing to join him.

Joshua blinked his eyes open and scrunched his nose, watching Cole’s approach. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his expression.

“Sorry I was such a jerk before.” Cole wasn’t afraid to admit when he was wrong.

Joshua snorted at that, but his eyes strayed back to the plates in Cole’s hand.

“For me?”

“The horses aren’t partial to grilled cheese. Well, Toto maybe. He’d eat anything.”

He handed Joshua a plate and a glass, then sat down beside him, setting his own meal on the ground next to them. He tucked into his sandwich, and Joshua did likewise.

They ate in companionable silence, but Joshua finished a lot quicker than he did, draining his glass of water and getting to his feet.

Cole glanced at the omega’s plate, surprised to see there was still half a sandwich left.

“Grilled cheese not to your liking?” he inquired.

“It was good,” Joshua said, licking his lips and smiling down at him. “Do you want the rest? I know what alpha metabolisms are like. And an alpha like you… well, you must have an appetite to match all that muscle.”

He looked Cole up and down as he said it, his eyes running along the alpha’s body. It was just a touch too rehearsed: Cole knew an excuse when he heard one.

“If you don’t like it, just say so,” he barked. “Enough with the false flattery.”

He tightened his grip on his plate and stood, striding back across to the cottage. The sooner he had the place to himself again, the better.

Chapter Three

Josh was surprised to find himself enjoying his time away from life. Sure, the work was boring and monotonous, but it was nice not to have so many expectations on him. He didn’t have to don a mask and play a role whenever he stepped out of his room.

Cole was the only speed bump on an otherwise smooth road.

“Are you going to stand there all day?” the alpha called from behind him. “That water trough won’t fill itself.”

“Just enjoying the fresh air.”

“I’m not paying you to breathe.”

“You’re not paying me at all,” Josh grumbled. “This is practically slave labor.”

“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to ‘volunteer.’ Maybe you thought you’d coast through this month, that you’d be waited on hand and foot…”

“I thought I was here to work with kids,” Josh pointed out.

“Let’s see how you handle horses first,” Cole said dismissively.

Deciding it wasn’t worth starting another argument, Josh picked up his bucket and went to fill it at the tap. It took five trips back and forth, his arms aching as he carried the last full bucket back across the yard.

Cole appeared next to him, reaching for the bucket. “Let me take that.”

“I can manage,” he panted. He wasn’t going to be bested by a bucket of water.

“Suit yourself,” Cole threw back, stalking off across the yard.

Josh felt a twinge of unease at the alpha’s dismissiveness. One minute Cole was insulting him, the next he was trying to help.

He poured the water into the trough, then went in search of the alpha. Maybe if they talked more, got to know one another a little, they’d find some common ground.

Cole was inside the stables, crooning softly to one of the horses. Josh hung back by the door and just watched. He’d never spent any time around horses except for a few rushed weeks where he’d learned to ride one for a film shoot. Even then, the only one who’d been given time to attend to the horses was their trainer. For Josh, it had been all about his posture, about looking relaxed, like he’d been riding since before he could walk. What he was watching, with Cole and the skittish mare Ginny, was something very different.

“Are you going to stand there gawking all day?” Cole said, making Josh jump.

How did Cole know he was there? The alpha hadn’t turned around or even glanced over his shoulder.

“You’re good with her,” he said in answer. “She’s never that happy to see me.”

In fact, she seemed decidedly unhappy whenever Josh so much as set foot inside the stables.

“She hasn’t gotten to know you yet. Or me, really. It’ll take some time for her to get used to her new home.”

“She likes you well enough already.”

“Well, I am the one feeding her all these nice treats,” Cole said, showing him the carrot slices in his palm.

Josh couldn’t see his face, but he could hear the smile in Cole’s voice.

“Why horses?” he asked. Alphas like Cole usually had predatory shifter animals, like wolves or big cats. As a rule, horses weren’t too keen on apex predators.

“I guess I have an affinity for them.”

It might have been a meaningless comment, but Josh took a stab in the dark.

“You’re a horse shifter?”

Cole’s shoulders tensed at that. He did turn then, peering at Josh over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised.

“Lucky guess,” Josh said softly, shrugging one shoulder and dropping his gaze.

He’d tried openly flirty, complimentary. Maybe Cole preferred the shy, timid type. He bit down on his lower lip, drawing attention to his mouth.

Cole’s snort had him glancing back up. The alpha’s unimpressed expression said it all.

“Well, if we’re sharing and all, what’s under your skin?”

Josh blanched at that and looked away, uncomfortable under the alpha’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Oh, so you can dish it out but you can’t take it?”

Josh just shook his head and turned to leave.

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said quietly.

He didn’t wait to hear Cole’s response, walking away as fast as he could without running. He felt like he was a teenager again, walking on eggshells around the alphas in his life. So far, none of his usual ways of dealing with alphas worked with Cole.

The paddock where the horses grazed was fenced all the way around. As he walked the perimeter, he wondered about Cole. There was something about the alpha’s bearing and manner that suggested he was more than meets the eye. Josh didn’t know what, exactly. But whatever it was, it didn’t explain the alpha’s behavior toward him. It was not the kind of reaction Josh was used to getting from alphas. Maybe he was losing his edge. Or maybe Cole was just an odd duck. The idea made him smile. Maybe Cole was a duck, and not a horse. That would explain some of his hostility. Alphas could be so touchy about their shifter species. If they weren’t one of the traditional ‘strong’ animals, they often wound up with a chip on their shoulder. The smaller the animal, the larger the inferiority complex.

One of the horses in the paddock trotted toward him, and he leaned against the fence, watching the piebald’s approach. On the other side of the field, he caught sight of Cole. The alpha’s gaze fell on him for the briefest of moments before he moved on.

Josh breathed a sigh of relief. At least Cole seemed to want to spend as little time in his presence as possible. It wouldn’t be too hard to avoid him, despite the close quarters they were living in.

Pushing away from the fence, he strolled on. His thoughts turned away from the infuriating alpha to his own situation. Despite Stewart’s assurances, Josh wasn’t sure he believed this was all going to blow over in the few weeks he was stuck out here in the middle of nowhere. It would take more than some physical labor and a photoshoot of him with rescued horses to get back into the industry’s good graces.

Whatever the price, he knew it would be more than he wanted to pay. It always was.

Chapter Four

From the look on Joshua’s face when he’d arrived, Cole had been certain the omega wouldn’t last one night. But there they were on day five, and he was hanging around like a bad smell. Cole moved on to trying to wear Joshua down with menial tasks. He had him doing every boring, dirty, wearying chore he could think of—mucking out the stalls, washing the floors, cleaning the toilet, and generally treated the omega like Cinderella.

Joshua set to every task without so much as a grumble, but the expression on his face said it all. He’d been expecting a walk in the park. He’d saunter in, take a few photos with some kids, and have a relaxing vacation away from the city. Instead, he got to deal with Cole’s cooking, blistered hands, and an over-familiarity with horse manure. Any minute now, Cole knew he’d crack. He’d call his manager or agent or whoever and beg to be rescued. And then he and Cole would go their separate ways, and all would be well.

Cole hadn’t watched the videos he knew were all over the internet, but he’d heard enough about it to know exactly what kind of omega he was sharing a house with. He’d done his best to keep his distance since Joshua’s arrival, not wanting the omega to get any ideas where he was concerned.

He pushed all thoughts of Joshua from his head and focused on his work instead. Ginny was still settling into the stables, and Cole suspected that he’d have his work cut out for him if she was ever going to be the kind of horse that worked with children.

Grabbing some carrot sticks and a leading rein, he went to her stall to see about making some progress on what they’d tried the day before. He could hear Joshua sweeping the stable floor behind him, the rhythmic drag of the brush moving back and forth.

“Hi there, darling,” he murmured in greeting. “Brought you a treat. There’s more where that came from if you’re a good girl today.”

The day before, she’d tolerated the rein but wouldn’t leave her stall with it on. Today? Well, they’d soon see.

He let her munch away on the carrot as he unbolted the stall door and let it swing open.

It all went wrong in a split second. A gust of wind from outside knocked over the bucket holding the main stable door open, and it swung closed with a loud bang. Ginny panicked and bolted. Cole narrowly avoided being trampled.

Joshua, standing between Ginny and the way out, had no such luck. He froze as the horse bore down on him, and Ginny reared back on her hind legs.

Cole was already moving, racing across the stables. He took Joshua at a run, grabbing him, and shoving him out through the stable door. He held it open so that Ginny could escape. She ran straight out into the paddock, slowing to a stop once there was grass beneath her hooves.

“That was close,” Joshua croaked.

Cole had pinned the omega against the stable door in his attempt to shield him from panicking hooves.

Taking a step back, he held onto Joshua’s arms and looked the omega up and down.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Joshua tipped his head up and sideways, a slow smile crossing his face.

“I’m fine, thanks to you.”

His hand came up, pressing lightly on Cole’s arm as his smile turned flirtatious.

“I’ll have to think of some way to say thank you.”

Cole yanked his hands away.

“Next time, learn to get out of the way.”

The smile fell from Joshua’s face, a blank expression taking its place.

“And here I thought all you alphas had hero complexes. Couldn’t wait to take a damsel in distress into your beds?”

“You thought wrong,” Cole said shortly.

“Did I, now?”

Cole would have left it alone, but the omega just wouldn’t drop it, his eyes meeting Cole’s in challenge.

“You think I’d touch you? I know all about you, Joshua. Hell, everyone with eyes in their head has seen far more of you than they’d ever want to. Would you be another notch on my bedpost, or would I be one on yours?”

The omega’s face fell, his lower lip trembling. He looked close to tears.

“Don’t give me that,” Cole growled. “You brought this on yourself. You made your bed, and you filmed yourself lying in it. If you can’t take the heat, don’t set yourself on fire.”

He went to walk away, assuming that would be the end of it, surprised when the omega’s voice followed him.

“I asked for it, is that what you’re saying?”

He glanced back to see that Joshua wasn’t looking at him, his eyes trained on the meadow where Ginny was grazing.

“Are you saying you didn’t? Wasn’t it just another career move, just like this ‘volunteer’ gig?”

The omega swallowed, faltering for a moment.

“A career move? Sure. I agreed to sex. I never asked to have my drink spiked with alpha dust, never agreed to be filmed for all the world to see, never asked to still have the bruises three weeks later…”

He choked back a sob, and Cole stood motionless, trying to get his head around what Joshua had just told him.

Before he could get a word out, the omega grabbed the bucket upturned by the door and stormed off.

“I’m going to fill the water troughs,” he called over his shoulder.

“Damn it,” Cole said softly, watching the omega’s back as he hurried away. He’d really put his foot in it this time.

What was he supposed to say to any of that? And if all of it was true, why the hell was Joshua the one out here doing penance?

Chapter Five

Every time Josh thought about his outburst in front of Cole, he felt himself flush. Of all the stupid, humiliating reactions to have in front of the alpha. The words played over in his head for the dozenth time as he lay in bed that night, and he inwardly groaned. He’d avoided Cole for the rest of the day but it wasn’t like he could do that forever. There was work to be done.

As tempted as he was to call Stewart, to persuade him to change his mind about this whole month-long volunteering gig, he knew it would get him nowhere. Cole’s opinion was shared by a lot of people in the industry. The story painted by the media cast him as the shameless omega throwing himself on a married alpha rather than the other way around. It would take time for the heat to die down, for the controversy to fade in people’s memories, and for casting directors to be willing to take a chance on him in any serious role. They wouldn’t want to risk their projects being overshadowed by gossip, and the alpha actors he was working with wouldn’t want all that speculation surrounding who was doing what backstage and after hours.

He fell into a fitful sleep, thankful that he woke with no recollection of his dreams. Underneath his skin, his shifter animal itched, but he ignored it. He’d wait until he was sure of a few hours’ privacy before he risked changing form. It wouldn’t help his image if the truth about his animal form got out. That was something he’d always been careful to safeguard at Stewart’s insistence. Knowledge was power, and people already had more power over him than he’d ever wanted to give up.

As he got dressed, careful to make sure the last of his fading bruises were covered, he listened out for Cole. He could hear the alpha moving about in the kitchen. No problem there. He would just skip breakfast and head straight outside.

He started by checking the gate and fence of the paddock. Cole had already been outside: two of the horses were grazing and the stable door was propped open. Josh filled the water trough, checked the feed bags, and then went to muck out the empty stalls. By the time he finished, he was warm and sweaty, and his throat was parched. Certain that Cole must have been done with breakfast by then, he made for the cottage. Only to come to a sudden stop inside the back door when he heard voices. Three of them, at least. Loud, deep, but not angry.

Josh spun around and went to hide out in his room. He’d survive another few hours without a glass of water. But Cole emerged from the bathroom, blocking the way to Josh’s bedroom.

The two of them stood there in silence, staring at one another.

“Morning,” Cole said awkwardly, leaning against the wall and trying to look casual.

“You have visitors?”

“Yeah.” The alpha looked sheepish all of a sudden. “It’s just the guys over for brunch. Sorry, I meant to warn you yesterday that they were coming.”

Josh inclined his head at that. “I’ll keep out of your way.”

“You should join us. There’s plenty of food to go around.”

“I—”

The last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by strange alphas, and he had no doubt ‘the guys’ were mostly alphas.

Cole’s sheepishness faded to something more serious in the face of Josh’s hesitation.

“Why don’t I bring you a plate? You must be hungry. I didn’t hear you in the kitchen at all last night.”

Josh never saw the harm in skipping a meal or two, so he ignored the alpha’s pointed comment. But he hated people treating him with kid gloves. He wasn’t a coward; he wouldn’t hide out in his room because there were people he didn’t know in the house.

“Maybe I will join you,” he said instead.

Cole brightened at that. “Great. Come on, the bacon should be cooked by now. I left Zane in charge of it. Thorn just burns everything.” The alpha kept talking as he led the way back to the kitchen. “I think he does it on purpose; he has a thing about fires.”

Josh thought Cole’s words were aimed at distracting him, but as he stepped into the room, it occurred to him that it might have been Cole warning his guests of Josh’s impending arrival. Certainly, not one of the four men in the room looked surprised when he walked through the door.

“Guys, this is Joshua. Joshua, this is Brax, Thorn, Duke, and Zane. Grab a plate, some food, and a seat. Let’s get this brunch on the road.”

Josh got a few scrutinizing looks from the guys, Thorn especially, before their attention returned to the food they were piling onto their plates.

He skirted around the table and took his time getting a glass of water. Then he grabbed a plate, being careful not to put too much on it. He hadn’t eaten since his half a sandwich at lunch the previous day. The last thing he wanted to do was make himself sick on top of everything else. He already looked pathetic in Cole’s eyes; he didn’t need to sink to new lows.

By the time he approached the table, everyone else was already seated. There was only one place left, which put him right next to Cole. Better the devil he knew.

He slid into the seat, set his plate down, and took a glance around the table. There was a mild but undeniable tension. And if there was one thing Josh hated, it was awkwardness during a meal. The food looked really good, and he didn’t want to waste it by being too on edge to enjoy it.

“So, are you guys like a book club or something?”

There was a pause before they erupted into laughter. Cole choked on a mouthful of coffee, and Brax clapped him on the back, grinning over at Josh as he did.

“You’ve got the measure of us, all right.”

“Not big readers, huh?” he asked innocently. Cole’s sharp gaze was on him, the alpha’s eyes wide with surprise.

“I think the last thing Thorn read was the manual for the dishwasher,” Zane joked.

“Hey, that thing is complicated. It’s got, like, ten settings. How can there be ten different ways to clean dishes?” Thorn complained.

“There aren’t,” Cole insisted. “There’s just one.”

“Like you’d know,” Josh teased. “You haven’t cleaned a single dish since I got here.”

That had the rest of them in stitches.

“He’s got you there, Cole,” Duke said.

“What?” Cole grumbled. “They get clean eventually.”

Josh thought the alpha might be angry at him for making a joke at his expense, but Cole just smiled in exasperation and shook it off.

“How are you finding working in the stables?” Zane asked him, changing the subject.

“I haven’t been trampled yet,” he said cheerfully.

“Not for lack of trying,” Cole added darkly, and then seemed to realize why that was not an event he wanted to recount for his friends. Josh saw the panic in his eyes and decided to help him out. It wasn’t to his benefit, either, for yesterday’s conversation to go any further than the two of them.

“I haven’t been around horses much before, so I’m keeping my distance.”

“But you know how to ride,” Thorn said suddenly. “I’ve seen you on a horse before.”

There was only one thing he could be referring to.

“Yeah, but it was just for that one role. Kind of a crash course in how not to fall off more than a comprehensive lesson in how to ride.”

“Maybe Cole can give you some pointers while you’re here,” Zane suggested.

Josh guessed that was the last thing either of them wanted.

“Maybe,” Cole said vaguely. “The horses aren’t really ready to take riders just yet.”

Zane frowned and opened his mouth as if to argue, but Josh got there first. “So, what do you guys do?”

He wasn’t the only one happy with the change in topic. Next to him, Cole relaxed a fraction. They spent the next few minutes bouncing back and forth between the guys. Brax was the most straightforward, being a doctor who worked out of a clinic at the children’s home. Zane seemed to be part clinic manager, part housekeeper. Duke and Thorn’s lives seemed more nebulous. When Thorn said something about carpentry, Cole made an off-the-cuff remark. Josh saw the other alpha’s hackles rise and neatly stepped in with a question. It drew Thorn’s attention back to him, dialing the emotions back down to neutral. It happened like that a few times, back and forth, between one or more of the group. Josh started to relax into it, feeling more in control, when he got the sense he was being watched a lot more closely by the alphas. Unsure of why, and not liking how it felt, he fell back on his tried-and-true methods of distraction.

“So Thorn, if you’re going to be a firefighter, does that mean you’ll be in the calendar? I can totally see you as Mr. July. Smudged with soot, your arms bare, all those muscles showing. You’ll drive the omegas wild.”

Cole went very still next to him, and the mood at the table went flat.

“Uh, probably not,” Thorn said awkwardly, watching him with bemusement before glancing at Cole with raised eyebrows.

Zane jumped into the conversation, talking about a local festival on later that week. Josh breathed a sigh of relief that the scrutiny was lifted, even if his usual method had backfired.

He focused on his food for the rest of the meal, and the next time Cole and Thorn snapped at each other, he let them have at it. Brax stepped in eventually to shut it down. By the time they were finished eating, tempers were frayed and the atmosphere at the table had turned sour. It was a relief to get up and start clearing away the dishes. Any excuse to put some distance between himself and this strange group of alphas.

Chapter Six

After an awkward end to their brunch, Cole waved the others off and started clearing the table. Despite all the jokes aimed his way during the meal, if he didn’t do the dishes, there wouldn’t be a plate or cup clean for dinner.

He was just filling the sink when he heard a clink and turned to see Joshua setting a pile of plates on the counter.

“I can manage,” he said.

He knew he wasn’t the only one a little put out by Joshua’s behavior during brunch. Things had been going well at the start, but they went downhill fast.

“It’s the least I can do. I wasn’t looking forward to more burnt toast for breakfast.”

Cole snorted.

“Well, if there’s one thing we can make sure you learn this month, it’s how to work the grill. Who burns toast?”

“My apartment has this novel invention called a toaster,” Joshua said dryly. “Perhaps you’ve heard of it?”

“Is that what you live on?” Cole queried, eyeing the omega’s slim frame. “Toast?”

Joshua shrugged. “I eat a lot of salad. And chicken. But I never cook, I don’t usually have the time.”

“Schedule keeps you busy, huh?” Cole didn’t really want to know the ins and outs of the omega’s life of stardom, but talking was better than sniping.

“When I’m filming, it’s fourteen—sometimes sixteen—hour days. I usually fall asleep waiting for the toaster to pop.” He set some glasses next to the stack of plates. “It’s probably a good thing I don’t eat food like this too often. I don’t know what I’m missing.”

There was something quite sad about that, but Cole pushed the emotion away. This omega was a movie star who courted controversy. He didn’t need or want Cole feeling sorry for him because his busy life didn’t go hand-in-hand with gourmet cooking.

“I guess your work pays off in other ways,” he said.

Joshua made a non-committal noise in response, setting the last of the dishes on the sink beside him.

“How do you and your friends know each other?”

Cole could hear the effort Joshua was making to keep his tone casual. He might have missed it, seeing how Joshua’s mannerisms seemed to change on a whim. But having spent a few days in close proximity, he was starting to pick up on the subtleties of the omega’s tone and expression.

“We were in the army together; we were a team.”

“Oh,” Joshua said with a grin. “That explains why all you guys look like you could be on a calendar of your very own.”

Cole shook his head in exasperation, reaching for another plate. Joshua kept talking.

“So you were a team, and now you’re…”

“And now we’re a pack,” Cole said shortly.

It wasn’t like it was a secret anymore. They’d come right out and told the world, even if it hadn’t filtered into Joshua’s little corner of it just yet.

Joshua went very still next to him.

“A pack?”

His voice was small, shorn of the pretension he’d had just a moment before.

“Yep,” Cole said, taking pains not to look at him. “Brax is our alpha leader. His mate Oliver is our Defender.”

“I didn’t think there were any packs left here,” Joshua said softly. “I mean, aside from the crazy isolationists, of course.”

Joshua wasn’t wrong there. The majority of packs left in the country were armed isolationist groups who only came to the world’s attention when things went horribly wrong. The last one had involved a vicious fight with police two years previously that had killed over a dozen.

“We’re the exception to the rule,” he said. “No one seems to know if they want to champion us or control us.”

“People can’t leave well enough alone, huh?” Joshua said softly.

“Not where packs are concerned. We’re something of a novelty.” Cole grimaced. “I hate standing out from the crowd.”

“Oh?” Joshua perked up. “Why’s that?”

Cole didn’t really want to get into it, but he had brought it up. It would be rude to shut down the conversation now.

“I’m the pack’s Protector. It’s my job to work from within and keep them safe. I do that by being unobtrusive about it.”

“But you don’t live in the house with them?”

Perceptive and curious. Cole was going to have to be careful about what he said around Joshua.

“Duke’s there. He’s also a Protector. It helps to have us spaced out. Besides, I like time to myself now and then.” Or as much as he could get, as often as he could get it.

“But when you’re with them, you keep them safe?”

“That’s my job,” he said shortly, glancing over his shoulder at Joshua.

He was a little taken aback at the wistful look on Joshua’s face. But then, remembering their conversation only the day before, maybe it wasn’t such a surprise.

“You know, we have a psychologist up at the house. She works with the kids, but she also helps the adults out from time to time if you needed someone to talk to.”

It was like a shutter being pulled down: Joshua’s expression became a blank canvas. He smiled politely at Cole, but it was empty. It never touched his eyes.

“Thank you, but I’m not much for talking.”

Cole shrugged and turned back to his dishes.

“Sure, I get it. I’m not the kind of person who opens up to strangers, either.”

He set a glass upside down on the sink to drain.

“Hey, do you want to grab a cloth and start dry—”

Glancing over his shoulder again, he found he was addressing an empty room. He snorted and shook his head. He didn’t know what was going on with that omega, but he had enough trouble of his own without borrowing more from someone else.

Still, there had been a point during brunch when he felt like he’d seen a different side to Joshua. And now he’d glimpsed another. How many faces did Joshua wear? How many were masks, and which one was the real thing?

Chapter Seven

After the embarrassment that was brunch, and then ditching the alpha instead of helping with the dishes, Josh was surprised when Cole approached him the next morning with an invitation.

“The harvest festival is in town this week. We were planning on going this afternoon, if you want to come. Might be nice to get away from the cottage for a few hours.”

Josh hesitated. After the past few days, he wasn’t sure he trusted himself to act with care around Cole and his friends.

“It’s not much,” Cole added. “A few stalls, a few games and rides, popcorn and cotton candy. Might not be of much interest to a city guy.”

It sounded… wholesome.

“I guess a break from sweeping might be nice,” he joked, indicating the brush which was resting against the stable wall.

“Great,” Cole said, turning back toward the cottage. “Dress casual, unless you want to stick out like a sore thumb.”

“But I left my cowboy costume at home,” Josh called back. It was true enough: none of his clothes were really suited to yard work or mucking out. He’d made do with what he had.

Cole turned around, an amused grin on his face. “I can lend you a plaid shirt. Maybe a cowboy hat?”

Josh laughed, picturing himself swamped in checkered plaid and stumbling around with the hat covering his eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”

In the end, he went for dressed down. Just a plain pair of jeans and a T-shirt with some sneakers. He emerged from his room, and Cole looked him up and down from his vantage point by the front door.

“Will I pass muster?” Josh asked him.

“You look like a college kid home for the holidays,” was all the alpha said, but Josh didn’t miss the way his gaze lingered.

“Is that good or bad?”

“It’ll do.”

They climbed into Cole’s truck, rolling down the windows to get a breeze going as they drove. It was good to feel the wind in his hair, blowing away the many cobwebs that had wrapped themselves around him in recent weeks. Soon he’d have a clean slate, a chance to start over. The past would be forgotten once more.

“The others are meeting us there,” Cole said, turning on the radio and flicking through the stations until he found something with a beat.

“How many of you are there?”

“With the kids, a lot. But Brax’s cubs are too young for the festival, so I think he and Oliver are staying home with them. The others you met at brunch should be there though.”

It didn’t escape Josh’s notice that Cole had sidestepped his question. But then again, he was the protector of his pack. It made sense that he might not want to give details about them out to just anyone. And that’s exactly who Josh was: just anyone, practically a stranger.

Cole pointed out a few places of interest as they drove, but there wasn’t much to see. They really were out in the sticks. Whatever that meant.

“Did you always plan to live outside of the cities?”

“No,” Cole said. “Always thought I’d find a mate and settle down in the suburbs.”

“What changed?”

A heavy silence fell over the car, Cole’s hands tightening around the steering wheel.

“Everything,” he said eventually.

Josh kept quiet after that, not wanting to prod at whatever sore point he’d just discovered.

“We’re here,” Cole said a few minutes later, turning down a narrow lane and driving into a field. They joined a short queue of cars that all parked in neat rows. Despite there being no markings in the field, everyone seemed to know instinctively what to do.

“The guys are already here,” Cole said, climbing out. “That’s Thorn’s car.” He indicated a four-wheel drive parked a few spaces away from them.

They followed everyone else toward the entrance, just a little archway that led into the next field. There was a ticket booth with two smiling women collecting money and handing out tickets.

Josh stuck his hand in his pocket, only for Cole to say, “Don’t sweat it, I’ve got this.”

They reached the top of the queue, Cole flirting a little with the ladies as he asked for two tickets. He handed one to Josh as they stepped through.

“That entitles you to one ride on the merry-go-round or three rings if you want to play the ring-toss game. Don’t go too wild.”

Before Josh could thank Cole or think of a suitable reply, the alpha strode away toward Duke, Thorn, and Zane. Josh considered following him, but Cole didn’t look back, and the group moved off without so much as a glance in his direction.

It wasn’t like Josh couldn’t keep himself entertained for an hour or two. He’d never been to a festival like this before. Glancing around, he took in what he could see, happy to notice that he wasn’t dressed too differently from everyone else. Not enough that people would stare, at least.

He headed in the opposite direction from Cole and the others, walking the outer edge of the field. There were stalls spaced out along one side, selling food mostly. Along the top of the field were crafts and clothes. A third side held the various game booths, one where you shot water guns, another where you tossed rings. In the center were the rides, mostly for kids, but a few that seemed to take adults too.

After his first circuit, he went back to the food stalls to take a closer look. There was everything from homemade jam and chutney to pies and cakes.

“My goodness, you’re too skinny,” one of the women said to him, plying him with samples.

“I wouldn’t be for long with your jam in my kitchen,” he joked, vowing to buy a jar before he left to bring home with him. It would liven up his toast when he needed a treat.

His hands sticky after all the food, he looked for somewhere to wash them.

“There’s a stream just through those trees,” someone said, pointing to the edge of the field. “Don’t fall in.”

“I’ll do my best not to,” he promised.

He wandered along the path through the woods, following the sound of running water. Sure enough, he found the small stream, crouching next to it and rinsing the sticky jam from his hands. He got up, wiping them dry on his jeans, and turned to head back to the festival.

As he followed the path back, he encountered a group of older teenagers walking toward him. They seemed to be arguing among themselves. He got a few curious stares as he passed them and quickened his pace. He wasn’t surprised to hear their footsteps follow after him a few seconds later.

“Hey, wait up,” one of them called.

He didn’t slow his pace, just kept moving.

They broke into a run, and one of them stepped into his path, forcing him to stop.

“What’s your hurry?” the alpha said, grinning as he looked Josh up and down.

“Just heading back to my friends,” Josh said politely. “I don’t want them to leave without me.”

“I know you from somewhere, don’t I?”

“I don’t think so,” he said smoothly. “I’ve just got one of those faces.”

“No, no,” another of them chimed in. “You’re Joey Karsley. I’d know your face anywhere.”

“Sorry, but I really need to get back,” Josh said, sidestepping to walk around them.

The alpha moved to counter him, bringing a hand up to Josh’s chest and shoving him lightly.

“What’s your hurry?” he said again.

“Look—”

“We just want to talk,” his friend added. “We’re fans of yours.”

“Yeah,” one of those behind him said. “Especially your recent work.”

The group stepped closer, hemming him in. Josh’s instincts were screaming at him to get away.

“I can sign a few autographs if you like. We could take a few selfies,” he said, pretending not to know what they meant. “But then I’ve really got to get back to my friends.”

“We were thinking more of a re-enactment,” the alpha in front of him said, licking his lips. “My friends and I would like the chance to see your skills firsthand. We won’t take no for an answer.”

“Oh?” Josh asked, stepping forward slowly, letting his gaze run down the alpha’s body suggestively. “What did you have in mind?”

The alpha licked his lips again. “How about you blow a few of us, then Davy and I each take a turn?” He indicated the alpha to his left.

Josh took another step toward him, until they were almost touching.

“You’d like that?”

“Oh, I would. I bet that mouth of yours could win awards.”

“You should see what my knee can do,” Josh said.

“Huh?” The alpha let out a pained yelp when Josh brought his knee up, aimed squarely at the alpha’s groin.

“Not happening, moron. Lay a hand on me and you’ll regret it.”

The ones behind him backed off as Josh made a dash for the trees, but Davy wasn’t deterred, catching him by the arm and twisting one hand in Josh’s hair as he dragged him backward.

“Oh, we’re going to make you pay for that,” he said, looking down at his alpha friend writhing on the ground. “Five of us, one of you. Those odds are not in your favor, slut.”

Josh knew that, but he hadn’t been planning on hanging around for the aftermath.

The sound of whistling filled the air, and everyone glanced around.

Cole strode down the path toward them, his hands in his pockets. He didn’t blink at the scene in front of him, and Josh’s stomach twisted in unease.

“Having fun?” Cole asked him.

“Janine’s jam is to die for.”

Davy let go of his hair but still had a tight hold on his arm.

“You can take a turn after we’ve finished,” he said.

Cole didn’t so much as glance his way, his eyes on Josh.

“We were gonna head into town and grab some pizza. You ready to hit the road?”

Josh yanked his arm out of Davy’s grip. “Sure. I think I’ve had my fill of festival fun for today.”

“Wait, you can’t just leave.” The first alpha had recovered enough to stand, though he was moving gingerly. “He assaulted me.”

“Yeah,” Davy added. “We deserve some payback.”

They and their friends regrouped, squaring up to Cole.

From the trees around them, Thorn and Duke materialized. Zane appeared on the path ahead of them.

No one spoke. They didn’t need to. Josh simply moved to Cole’s side, and the two of them walked away. Thorn and Duke fell in behind them, and Zane led the way.

“Come on, I’ll buy you a jar of jam,” Cole said. “Let’s see if we can’t improve on burnt toast just a little.”

“Thanks,” Josh said softly. “And I don’t just mean for the jam.”

“You had it handled,” the alpha said. “Next time, strike and run. Those first few seconds of confusion are golden. Use them to get clear.”

They lapsed into silence for a moment before Cole spoke again.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’ve had worse.” He was a little shaky, but nothing that a slice of pizza wouldn’t sort out.

He’d meant his words to be reassuring, but if anything, Cole looked more concerned, not less.

“I really am okay,” he told him. “Entitled jerks like those guys are two a penny in the city.”

“Yeah, well,” Thorn said from behind them. “The sheriff will be having a word with them. Maybe that’ll scare some sense into them.”

Josh didn’t like the idea of all that fuss. He was notorious enough already.

“We can keep your name out of it,” Cole promised. “But they can’t be allowed to get away with that.”

Josh wasn’t sure how he felt about that. In his world, people got away with a lot worse.

Chapter Eight

Cole bit into another slice of pizza, chewing and contemplating Joshua. He knew he wasn’t the only one concerned about what had happened back at the festival, and how easily Joshua had brushed it off.

“Okay, who ordered Hawaiian?” Thorn demanded suddenly. “What kind of a monster puts pineapple on pizza?”

“Salty ham, sweet pineapple. What’s not to like?” Joshua asked, stealing a slice and taking a bite.

“To each his own,” Duke said easily. “So, Joey…”

Cole missed Duke’s actual question, too focused on Joshua’s expression. It wasn’t that he reacted badly to the nickname, rather it was a purposeful lack of reaction, a nonchalance that was anything but.

He was about to ask when Duke laughed at something Joshua said, and the omega leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand and canting his head to the side. His eyes were intent on Duke, a flirtatious smile on his lips.

Cole didn’t know why, but it irritated him. To the casual eye, Joshua seemed relaxed and at ease, interested in what Duke was saying. But Cole was getting to know him. He was starting to learn the difference between when Joshua had his acting hat on and when he was just being himself. It was tough, because it seemed like Joshua was playing a role far more often than he wasn’t. Maybe all this was like one extended rehearsal for him?

They worked their way through the pizza, Joshua getting through a lot less than the rest of them. Cole wasn’t fooled by his relaxed demeanor. He saw the way the omega’s gaze strayed to the door every time it opened, the way his eyes scanned the new arrivals.

“I can’t eat another bite,” Thorn said, pushing back his chair.

“I could handle some dessert,” Duke said, “They do a mean cheesecake here. How about it, Joey?”

Joshua smiled but shook his head.

“I think my stomach might explode if I eat any more.”

Cole frowned at that. He’d eaten, what, three slices? Then again, for a guy who subsisted on salad and toast, three slices of pizza was a lot of food.

“How about a walk before we head home?” Cole suggested. “The town isn’t much, but you might as well see it while you’re here.”

“Sure,” Joshua said.

Duke checked his watch. “I’d better get that cheesecake to go. Jack’ll be wondering where I got to.”

“Jack?” Joshua asked.

“My son.”

Joshua didn’t look one bit surprised by that.

“How old is he?”

“He’s just turned two.”

“Your mate’s at home taking care of him?”

In contrast, Duke did look taken aback at Joshua’s assumption that he was mated. As if flirting with a married alpha who clearly liked the attention was no big deal. Maybe in Joshua’s world, it wasn’t.

“Oh, no. I’m a single parent. Jack’s dad… it’s a long story.”

“I’m sure you’ll meet Jack at some point,” Thorn said. “Though he can be a bit of a handful.”

Duke glowered at that. “What little kid isn’t boisterous now and then?”

Cole got up and went to get the check, ordering Duke’s cheesecake and paying at the counter. When he returned, the others were ready to go.

They went their separate ways outside on the street.

“See you guys tomorrow,” Cole called, waving them off.

He and Joshua strolled down the main street, and Cole decided this was as good a time as any to tackle a certain awkward subject.

“Brax is the only mated alpha in our group,” he explained. “He and Oliver are very happy.”

“That’s… good,” Joshua said.

“I just mean… you’re probably going to be up at the packhouse at some point. I don’t know what relationships are like on set, but when it comes to packs, it’s really not okay to try to get between…”

Joshua stopped walking and stared at him. Then he folded his arms and glared.

When he spoke, his voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Yeah, that’s how I usually spend my time, seducing mated alphas.”

“That’s not what I—”

“That’s exactly what you meant. Why the sudden worry? You knew before you invited me to brunch that I had form. Why now—” The omega cut himself off with a groan. “Duke.”

“You were very… friendly with him.”

“And he was friendly right back. I don’t see you giving him a lecture.”

“It’s not a lecture. And it’s not about being friendly. You didn’t blink an eye when he said he had a kid or when you thought he had a mate at home.”

Joshua scoffed and started walking again, pushing past him.

“You know what gets me?” the omega said, spinning back around to face him. “That you assume that’s a reflection on me and how I act, and not on the alphas I know. Double standards at their finest.”

He turned and walked on. Cole followed after him, wishing he’d never brought it up.

“You’re right,” he called. “And I’m sorry.”

Joshua slowed and waited for him to catch up. The expression on the omega’s face was unreadable.

“Joshua?”

“His mate knew.”

“What?”

“The alpha who—” He blinked and looked away. “They had an open relationship. I was far from the first omega he’d fucked in that bed. His mate knew I was there, and he knew why. I don’t make a habit of sleeping with married people.”

Cole winced. “I shouldn’t have suggested you did. I really am sorry.”

“The whole world thinks I’m easy. What’s one more person?”

“If the whole world knew the truth, they wouldn’t think that of you.”

“Some of them would,” Joshua insisted. “To some people, omegas are always…” he trailed off, but Cole could guess how that sentence finished.

“Their opinions don’t matter.”

“You can say that about anyone, about any opinion.”

“Not all opinions are equal. Believe me, I know.”

Everyone had an opinion about packs. Usually grossly misinformed, fueled by government propaganda.

They walked to the end of the street and turned to head back.

“How about we go home, look after the horses, then shift and head out into the woods to watch the sunset? I like nothing better when I’ve had a rough day.”

“Sounds like a crappy end to a bad date,” Joshua threw back. The vicious bite to his words had Cole taken aback.

“Good thing this isn’t a date, then. Doesn’t it feel good to get out of your skin now and then? Have you shifted at all since you got here?”

“That’s none of your business,” Joshua snapped, shutting down the conversation.

“Suit yourself,” Cole said simply.

He wouldn’t argue with the omega, not today. But the more Joshua tried to push him away, the more Cole wanted to draw him out. He wanted to see who Joshua was under the mask he wore, under the easy smile he pulled out when he needed it.

“You don’t like to be called Joey, do you?”

The omega barely twitched at the question, his face that studied calm that Cole was starting to learn meant that he wanted to hide whatever emotion he was feeling.

“No,” he answered softly. “I hate it.”

“What do you like to be called?”

“Josh.”

Cole nodded at that. “Josh it is.”

Chapter Nine

After the disaster that was the festival, and Josh’s latest argument with Cole, he was looking forward to a few days of doing nothing but chores. So when Cole sat down at the kitchen table the next morning and looked at him expectantly, he all but groaned.

“Something on your mind?” he asked the alpha, with studied casualness.

“I’m heading up to the packhouse later this morning. I thought you might like to come with me.”

Josh had expected Cole to suggest another visit into town or a grocery run. Not that.

“Um…”

The prospect was suddenly daunting. Before, when he’d thought it was just a kids’ home, it seemed like no big deal. But now, knowing it was so much more…

“Are you sure? I thought you didn’t want me up there too soon.”

“Well, you’ve met a lot of the pack already. And we’ve met you. Brax extended the invitation. But if you don’t want to go…”

Josh almost jumped at the offer to stay behind. Would it be rude to refuse the invitation when these people had taken him in for a whole month? Very rude, he guessed. If Stewart was here, he’d be glaring daggers at Josh for even hesitating.

“No, no. I’d love to come. Thank you.”

There. A response that would have made Stewart happy, even if it did send butterflies through Josh’s stomach. Logically, he knew there was no need to be nervous. He’d met all the alphas of the pack already. He was certain there wouldn’t be any unpleasant surprises waiting for him.

“Great,” Cole said. “Let’s get the chores out of the way, and then we can head over.”

As he worked, Josh still couldn’t shake his nervousness. It was silly, really. He’d been here almost a week. If anything bad was going to happen, it would have happened by now. Unless this was one of those cult-like packs he’d read about online. Maybe there was some weird form of indoctrination going on? One that involved daily chores, brunch, pizza, and a mostly wholesome town festival? He snorted at the thought, pushing the wild conspiracy theories to the back of his mind. All that had happened was that the alphas had met him, decided he wasn’t a crazy person, and invited him on a visit to their packhouse. There was nothing more to it.

They walked the quarter-mile from the cottage to the house, making their way along a winding path through the trees. Cole let them in through the front door.

The first thing that struck Josh was how quiet it was.

“I always thought packhouses would be noisy places,” he commented as they stood in the hallway.

“The kids and some of the adults are out on a day trip,” Cole said, closing the door behind them. “And Brax’s clinic only runs in the afternoon. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

He showed Josh the reception room, a small living room, and a games room that seemed to be aimed at younger kids. The kitchen was next, but just as they stepped through the doorway, a voice called Cole from the other side of the house.

“That’s Zane,” Cole said. “I’ll just go see what he wants. You take a look around, grab a drink if you’re thirsty.”

He strode out the door, leaving Josh to his own devices. Josh circled the room slowly, taking in the large breakfast counter and the plentiful space. If he could cook, he imagined this would be a lovely kitchen to work in. So much light, so much room. There was the faint aroma of freshly baked bread that made his mouth water. He stopped at the back door, peering out at the neatly trimmed grass of the garden that led into the wild scenery of the woods. It must have been lovely for the kids to have all that space. He recalled his own childhood, always feeling trapped, boxed in. There was never room to run, to play.

He jumped when he heard the cry of a baby nearby. Hadn’t Cole said all the kids were gone for the day? The cry came again, and he followed the sound to another door leading off the kitchen. It was open just a crack, and he peered through. There was a living room on the other side, and sitting on a plush rug in the middle of the room were Brax and an omega. They were surrounded by a mix of infants and cubs, both wolves and foxes. Josh stopped and stared, caught between surprise and fascination.

“Hey, sorry about that…” Cole’s voice startled him, loud enough that it drew Brax and his mate’s attention too. They glanced up and caught him staring, and he jumped back from the door.

“Uh…”

Cole frowned and looked through the door, then grinned. “Hey, guys.”

Seconds later, Josh found himself being herded into the living room, feeling the definition of awkward at having just been caught spying on the happy family. Cole didn’t seem to notice.

“I was just showing Josh around, but Zane needed my help to hang that picture frame in the clinic, so I left the poor guy wandering around on his own. Do you guys mind some company?”

Brax and his mate looked a little bemused, but it was the omega who spoke.

“No, of course not.” He waved them over. “Come on in.”

Josh followed Cole across the room, feeling more and more like he was intruding on their privacy.

The omega got to his feet, a baby cradled in his arms.

“You must be Joshua. I’m Oliver.”

He held out a hand, and Josh took it, surprised at the firm handshake he got in return. Oliver was watching at him with interest but, unlike most omegas Josh met, he wasn’t sizing him up like he was the competition. Josh knew why the moment his eyes strayed to Brax. The way Brax was looking at Oliver… he’d only seen a handful of mated couples look at each other like that. They were the ones who never strayed from each other or slept around. Josh didn’t think Cole had anything to worry about. No one and nothing was going to come between those two.

“Would you like to hold him?” Oliver said suddenly, nodding to the baby in his arms.

Josh took a step back, almost holding up a hand to ward him off.

“I’m not good with kids,” he said bluntly. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been around babies so young.

“And yet you came here to work as a volunteer,” Oliver pointed out wryly, rocking the baby when he started to fuss.

“That wasn’t really my idea,” he said awkwardly. “Horses are more my speed.”

Oliver sat back down on the floor, and Josh perched on the edge of the couch. His equilibrium had been knocked off balance by the previous few minutes. Before he could try and make some stilted small talk, Thorn and Zane arrived. There were plenty of looks aimed his way, and a lot of glances back and forth, even as the group greeted each other and chatted among themselves. Though nothing was said out loud, he got the sense they weren’t too happy with his presence. Or maybe he was projecting—he certainly felt out of place.

His usual tactics never seemed to come off quite right with these guys, so instead of trying and winding up looking like a fool, he removed himself from the center of attention, wandering over to look out the French windows. There was another view of the woods outside and an inviting stretch of grass bathed in sunshine.

He was distracted by a tug on his pants leg and glanced down to find a wolf cub winding his way around his ankles and playing with his laces.

“Hi there,” he murmured, slowly crouching down.

He held a hand out, letting the cub get his scent before petting him gently. The cub rolled onto his back, and Josh ran his fingers through the soft fur of his stomach.

Another few seconds passed before he realized the room had fallen silent. He glanced up to find he’d garnered some attention, and Cole approached him from around the side of the couch.

“I thought you said you weren’t good with kids?” he teased.

The cub escaped from under Josh’s hand and raced toward the alpha, making a valiant effort to climb his legs before Cole swooped him up into his arms.

“I haven’t been around any, not for a long time,” Josh admitted, pushing to his feet. He seemed to have the attention of the room. “I don’t think I’m a good influence.”

He was surprised when everyone laughed instead of agreeing.

“I vote for lunch out on the grass,” Zane said suddenly. “It’s a lovely day out there.”

“Just what we need,” Oliver teased. “Grass stains on every babygro.”

“It’ll come out in the wash,” Brax said easily.

“You can be the one to put on said wash,” Oliver countered darkly.

Josh didn’t get the sense there was any real anger or malice in their bickering, just good-natured teasing.

“What do you say, Josh? Are you hungry?” Cole asked.

“Sure,” he agreed.

It was all hands on deck to prepare the food and carry it outside to where two picnic blankets had been placed side by side. Josh had been left with the easy tasks of chopping cheese into cubes and pouring drinks.

Lunch itself was the definition of casual, everyone eating with their fingers, sharing plates, passing food around as the conversation flowed. More often than not, Josh wound up with a baby or a cub on his lap. A feeling of comfort settled over him, a sense of safety he wasn’t used to. It wasn’t just nice, it was easy. There was no double-talk, no expectations on him, he wasn’t constantly waiting for the catch—who he’d have to have dinner with, which party he’d have to go to, who he’d have to keep happy. Everyone there was easy to talk to. When things got heated, especially between Cole and Thorn, a few well-chosen words or a light press of his hand to someone’s arm usually evened things out.

Just like at brunch, no sooner had he recognized how good he was feeling than he started to become anxious and overwhelmed by it. He excused himself and went to the bathroom, splashing water over his face, and trying to talk himself down. It was all going so well, yet he couldn’t help but feel vulnerable, like he was wide open for anyone to reach in, grab hold, and twist. He’d sacrificed a lot to get to where he was in his life, to get control over his life. He wouldn’t give that up for a few minutes of polite conversation at a picnic.

He met Cole as he walked back to the kitchen.

“I’m going to head back to the cottage,” he told him.

“So soon?” Cole asked, surprised. “Okay, I’ll walk back with you.”

“I can find my own way back,” he said sharply. He winced internally at his tone, seeing the way the alpha’s eyes flashed in surprise and anger.

“Is something wrong?” Cole asked carefully.

“Playing happy families isn’t exactly my idea of an afternoon’s entertainment,” Josh said. “So I’m out of here.”

He could see Cole was confused and even caught a flash of hurt crossing the alpha’s face. His instinct screamed at him to try to soothe it, to make it better. He ruthlessly shoved that down. He didn’t need to play at being a happy homemaker, he needed to put some boundaries between him, Cole, and Cole’s pack. It wouldn’t do for Josh to get too comfortable. This was not his world.

Chapter Ten

Cole didn’t know what to make of Josh’s abrupt departure from the packhouse, but he let him go. There was no point chasing the omega or insisting he stay. Still, he was glad he’d brought him. It had given Oliver the chance to get the measure of him. The omega seemed intrigued more than anything, which only fueled Cole’s belief that there were hidden depths to Josh beyond what they knew about him.

He returned to the cottage later than afternoon, unsurprised when Josh went out of his way to avoid him for the rest of the day. Any time they had any sort of confrontation, they both liked to keep their distance afterward. All said, today’s argument had been minor compared to their previous. Sure, Josh’s words had stung, but Cole didn’t think he meant them. It was as if he’d felt cornered, his hackles raised, his spikes out to protect himself. All in all, Cole called the day a success as he settled down to sleep that night.

Which was why the intensity of his nightmares caught him unawares. He woke sweating, his heart racing, and heard a soft voice calling his name repeatedly.

He glanced over at the door, and there was Josh. The omega kept his distance but seemed very intent on rousing Cole.

“Cole? Are you awake?” he asked.

The details of Cole’s fading dream came back to him. He threw himself out of bed, glancing down at his body and patting his chest and stomach with his hands. Relief flooded him. There wasn’t a mark to be found, of course. There never was.

“Cole?” Josh said again.

Cole was awake enough to realize that he was out of bed, stark naked, and that Josh was still standing in the doorway.

“Bad dream,” he said, avoiding Josh’s eyes. He didn’t know what he’d see in the omega’s gaze, but he knew he must have looked like a fool, if not unhinged. “Sorry if I woke you. You should go back to bed.”

From the way his chest still heaved with each breath he took, and his heart raced painfully in his chest, he knew that sleep wouldn’t be luring him under again any time soon.

“Want some coffee?” Josh offered.

Cole glanced over at the omega. Josh turned his head just a fraction, aiming his gaze at the wall, giving Cole at least the illusion of privacy.

“Uh, sure.”

“See you in the kitchen.”

Cole listened as Josh’s footsteps padded away.

He went to his dresser, tugging on some sweatpants and a T-shirt, then followed Josh out, running his hands through his messy hair in an attempt, however futile, to tame it.

The smell that hit him in the kitchen doorway wasn’t coffee, but… peppermint?

“Tea,” Josh said, indicating the two cups on the table. “I found it in the cupboard and made an executive decision. It’s still early, you might want to go back to sleep.”

Cole managed a weak smile at that, taking a seat and dragging a cup toward him. He cradled it between his hands, letting the heat warm him and distract him from his thoughts.

They sipped their tea and sat in silence as the minutes ticked by, marked only by a clock on the wall that was an hour behind. Cole kept meaning to fix it but never quite got around to it.

“Bad memories?”

Josh’s voice jolted him from his reverie. The omega’s gaze was on his cup, and Cole suspected that if he just didn’t answer, Josh would leave it alone. But he found he wanted to talk. He hated the dark thoughts running in circles through his mind.

“Something like that.”

His usual way of dealing with it involved going out and getting very drunk. Since opening the stables, he’d been trying not to give into the temptation, no matter how bad a night he had.

“I know what that can be like,” Josh said softly. “Memories haunting you even in your dreams.”

From what little Cole knew of Josh’s recent life, he suspected that was true.

“Yeah, I guess you might.”

They lapsed into silence again, and he nursed his cooling tea, aware he wasn’t getting any more rest that night.

He stood and stretched, then carried his cup over to the sink.

“I’m going to climb up to the peak and take in the sunrise,” he told Josh, referring to a hill about two miles away. “I don’t see myself getting back to sleep anytime soon.”

“Want some company?” Josh offered after a pause.

Cole was glad he had his back to Josh so the omega wouldn’t see the surprise on his face.

“I’d like that.” He pressed his hands against the countertop to hide the slight shaking in his arms.

“Let me just go throw on something warmer,” Josh said, slipping from the room.

Cole took a breath, let it out slowly, then went to do the same.

A few minutes later, he and Josh ventured out into the woods.

It was quiet out there. A crescent moon hung low in the sky as it made its descent. Cole didn’t bring a flashlight, confident that his vision and the nearness of daylight would be enough. Of course, he hadn’t factored in Josh and the omega’s familiarity, or lack thereof, with trekking through the woods in the dark.

He slowed his pace when he noticed Josh struggling and chose easier paths after the omega almost tripped over a branch for the second time. He was just about to call the whole thing off when Josh’s hand latched onto his belt.

“Josh?”

“Just sticking close. I figure you’re not likely to steer me wrong.”

“If you want to go back…”

“No way. You promised me a beautiful sunrise. I’m holding you to your word, even if you have to carry me.”

Josh’s tone was teasing, but Cole went tense at the suggestion of carrying him. There were connotations there that he didn’t know the first thing about. But the omega must have picked up on his body language, even in the dark.

“I’ll manage,” Josh promised. “Please, can we keep going?”

“Of course.” Cole shook off his tension. Josh didn’t know—couldn’t know—the implications of what he’d said. “We’re not far now.”

Not far was still another twenty minutes on a path sloping upward, but Josh was a good sport about it, not complaining once. The only sign that he was finding it tough was the way his hand would tighten around Cole’s belt now and then.

When they were close, and the path leveled out, Cole guided the omega to walk in front of him.

“Almost there,” he said. “It’s easier from here. The trees are thinner.”

It was still full dark by the time they finally reached their destination. They had some time to kill before the sun peeked above the horizon.

“Here, there’s a tree trunk we can sit on,” Cole said, showing Josh the felled tree.

They sat side by side, listening to the sounds of nature hard at work around them. An owl hooted nearby, and something small scurried through the undergrowth right behind them. Josh was a little on edge, jumping at every noise.

“Not a country person, huh?”

“Grew up in a city,” Josh replied. “Concrete jungle rather than actual jungle. You?”

“Suburbs. Never planned to live a city life, but… this wasn’t the life I planned, either.”

“What happened?” Josh’s eyes focused on him, the whites bright in the faint light of the moon.

“There was a mission. Two missions, actually.”

“Bad ones?”

“Depends on who you ask. The first one was a fuck-up. Everything that could have gone wrong, did. We thought we were never getting home. But we pulled it together, and we pulled through—only it turned us into what we are today.”

Cole saw the moment Josh got it, his eyes widening. “That’s how you became a pack?”

“Yeah. Best and worst thing that ever happened to me.”

“So you didn’t plan it?”

“Hell no. I’d heard all the stories, knew what people thought of pack alphas. Never wanted to be part of one. But needs must. Survival was paramount. Becoming a pack was how we did it.”

“And the second mission?”

“Universally considered a great success by everyone, except the people who were actually there. Crisis averted, minimal casualties, just the way the higher-ups like it.”

“What went wrong?”

“If the first mission made us a pack, this one fractured us. It cost lives. Our pack’s lives. We lost… we lost the people holding us together. It broke us. Broke me. Brax buckled under the pressure and hid it for months. Oliver pulled him out of the grave he was digging for himself.”

“And you?”

Josh’s hand settled on the trunk next to him, a warm pressure against Cole’s thigh.

“I drank myself under the table more times than I cared to count. Got in enough fights that I’m on a first-name basis with the sheriff and all his deputies. But not anymore. I’ve turned over a new leaf. At least, I’m trying to. It’s times like this that I wonder what the point is.”

“I have days like that,” Josh said. “Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the next roadblock. People are always making demands on you, pushing you to do things. It’s a constant fight just to hold your ground.”

“Yeah,” Cole agreed. “It gets real old, real quick.” He noticed Josh shiver out of the corner of his eye. “You want to move a bit closer, get some body heat? Alphas share a lot in common with hot water bottles.”

Josh snorted at that but sidled closer, pressing against Cole’s side. Cole slung an arm around the omega’s shoulders. The contact had them both a little tense. It was new, different.

“Do you have any stories?” Josh asked suddenly. “You know, the kind you’d tell in a bar to impress the pretty omega sitting next to you.”

Cole was about to say no, war stories weren’t really his style, when he thought of one that Josh might like to hear.

“Back four years ago, Zane and I were scouting ahead on a mission.” He set the scene for Josh, how they were checking out a compound in the middle of a desert in the dead of night, the oppressive heat, the sand, the starry sky above them.

“Sniper must have spotted us. To this day, I still don’t know how—we were well camouflaged. Got Zane in the shoulder with his first shot. Thigh with his second. We knew we had to get out of there, and fast. But Zane couldn’t shift, and he wasn’t in any condition to walk. I shifted, he pulled himself up on my back, and I raced out of there like it was the derby and I wanted first place. They gave me a medal for that.”

Josh nodded like he understood, but Cole knew he didn’t.

“The medal wasn’t for rescuing Zane. Anyone would have gotten their brother-in-arms out of there. But when you’re a horse shifter… as a rule, we never carry anyone on our backs. It’s not a choice we make—we can’t. We’re not like the horses in my stables. We’re wild, untamed. To carry someone like that is an immense show of trust in that person.”

Josh tipped his head up to meet Cole’s eyes. “That’s why you reacted the way you did when I joked about you carrying me.”

Cole nodded, embarrassed the omega had caught that. “It’s a touchy subject, I guess.”

“I’m glad you told me. I think that’s pretty amazing, what you did.”

“How about you?” Cole asked, wondering if it was pushing it to ask for a little honesty in return. “Your shifter animal?”

Josh looked away, and Cole heaved a sigh of frustration.

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you,” Josh said awkwardly. “It’s just that I’m… contractually obliged to keep it under wraps.”

Cole blinked at that. “Your contract says you have to keep your shifter animal a secret?”

“Uh-huh. I guess it doesn’t suit the kinds of roles I play. It would damage my brand if it ever got out.”

“Okay,” Cole said with a laugh. “Now you have to tell me. I promise I won’t tell another soul. Soldier’s honor.”

Josh met his eyes again, amused but hesitant. “Guess.”

“Fine.” Cole looked out at the horizon, nudging Josh when he spotted the first tendrils of sunlight appearing. “You’re something small, smaller than most. Vulnerable but kind of prickly…”

Josh went still at his words, and Cole realized he’d unintentionally hit on the answer.

“Hedgehog?”

Josh made a face at him. “I know. Awful, isn’t it? No wonder they don’t want that to get out. It would ruin my reputation.”

Omegas in movies tended to be beautiful snow leopards, majestic tigers, and adorable foxes.

“I don’t see what’s so terrible about it,” Cole said easily. “Fuck convention.”

Josh laughed. “I wish more people thought like you. Too bad they all seem to think like Stewart, my agent.”

“Maybe the problem isn’t people. Maybe the problem is Stewart,” Cole suggested darkly.

He knew he’d said too much when Josh went abruptly silent next to him.

“Looks like it’ll be a beautiful sunrise,” Cole said, changing the subject.

“Looks like,” Josh said softly, leaning against him.

Cole wrapped his arm a little tighter around the omega and tried not to think too hard.

Chapter Eleven

After taking in the beautiful sunrise, Josh followed Cole back to the cottage. They had breakfast and made their way through the chores. By mid-morning, Josh was yawning and ready for bed.

“Why don’t you go take a nap?” Cole suggested as Josh leaned against the stable door. “Everything’s done here.”

He smiled lazily at the alpha. “I guess I could. It’s all this fresh air, makes me feel like Sleeping Beauty.”

Cole snorted. “A role you were born for.”

Josh wandered back to his bedroom, kicked off his shoes, and climbed under the covers. He felt indescribably happy, though he couldn’t say exactly why. He and Cole were definitely getting along better. And the alpha didn’t look on the verge of getting drunk out of his mind. They could call the morning a success, even if it had meant sacrificing half a night’s sleep.

Josh was just drifting off when the shrill sound of his phone ringing jerked him awake. He silenced it and peered at the screen. His agent, of course.

“Hey, Stewart.”

“Joey. Late night?” There was the slightest hint of disapproval in Stewart’s tone.

“Early morning,” he said instead. “Up with the dawn and all that.”

“Well, I hate to interrupt your conversion to country bumpkin, but I need you in the city this afternoon.”

“What is it? An audition?” He felt a spark of excitement at that. Could things be getting back on track so soon?

“There’s a producer in town. Simon Urley. He wants you to have dinner with him.”

Josh knew the name and the reputation that came with it. He wasn’t keen, but he’d have to spin it a certain way to keep Stewart happy.

“Are you sure that’s a good plan for me right now? If we’re seen together, photographed… it could give people the wrong idea.”

The silence on the other end of the phone was a bad sign.

“Stewart?”

“It’s just a quiet, private dinner. You won’t be spotted, you won’t be photographed.”

“But still…”

“Do you want to pull the plug on this?” Stewart demanded. “Is that what you’re telling me, Joey? If you’re ready to put a pin in your career, then let me know now. I’ll stop wasting all my effort trying to shoot you back into stardom. Whose benefit do you think I’m going to all this trouble for? Christ, it’s just one dinner, Joey.”

Josh wanted to bury his head under the bedclothes and never come out. But this was a lifeline Stewart was dangling in front of him.

“Where and when?” he said instead, weariness settling over him.

“The Peony Hotel. Four p.m. Dress up. I’ll send a car.”

“Just dinner, right?” he checked.

“Wine and dine him,” Stewart said. “I’m sure you’ll have him eating out of your hand before you get to dessert.”

They didn’t talk for long after that. Josh tried to ask a few questions about how things were going for his reinvention, but Stewart brushed them off easily.

After that, he didn’t feel much like napping. He tracked Cole down to the paddock, watching as the alpha worked with Ginny. She seemed more settled as the days passed. Today, she even had a saddle on, and Cole walked her slowly around the edge of the field.

Josh leaned against the fence and waited for them to reach him.

“Good nap?” Cole asked with a grin, eyeing Josh’s hair, which he guessed was sticking up every which way.

“Not so much. I’ve got to head back to the city for a few hours. I’ve got a dinner date.”

“Yeah?” Cole asked. “Someone famous? Anyone I’d know?”

“Just industry stuff,” Josh said, reluctant to tell him more. “Stewart says jump, I ask how high.”

“Do you need a ride?” Cole offered.

“He’s sending a car. It’s just dinner, so I shouldn’t be back too late.” Even as he said it, he knew it might not be true. He wished he could call the whole thing off, but that would make Stewart livid. An angry Stewart was not a good thing.

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to it?” Cole asked suddenly. “You were awake half the night.”

Josh dodged the alpha’s concerned gaze and tried a smile on for size.

“I’ve done much worse on far less sleep. I’ll be fine.” He checked his phone. “I guess I’d better go get ready. The car’ll be here in an hour.”

He turned and walked away, feeling Cole’s eyes on him. Ginny whinnied loudly, and the low murmur of the alpha’s voice soothed her.

* * *

An hour later, Josh was showered and dressed, and hanging around near the door for the car to pick him up.

Cole gave a low whistle when he saw him. “You clean up well. Going somewhere swanky?”

“Just a hotel. This guy’s in from out of town. I guess he doesn’t like to eat alone.”

Alphas, well-known ones in particular, could be babies like that.

A car pulled up outside.

“That’s my ride,” Josh said, pushing away from the wall.

Cole stopped him with a hand on his arm, holding out a piece of paper.

“My cell number,” the alpha explained. “Text me yours, yeah? I’m having dinner at the packhouse tonight, I might stay late. Wouldn’t want you coming back to find the cottage all locked up. You’d have to sleep out in the stables.”

Josh pulled out his phone, plugged the alpha’s number in, and sent a text. Cole’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

“Happy?” Josh asked.

“Ecstatic. Enjoy your dinner. Call me if you need a ride.”

Josh’s stomach sank as he turned toward the waiting car. He wished he could stay there with Cole, maybe even join him for dinner at the packhouse. Hell, even a day spent mucking out the stalls was better than an evening with Simon Urley.

“Josh?” Cole said quietly. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”

He forced a smile on his face and turned to the alpha. “Of course. Need a bit of culture after spending a whole week out here with you.”

Cole grinned and shook his head. “Get lost, in that case. Don’t keep your dinner date waiting.”

Josh crossed the yard and climbed into the car, greeting the driver. He glanced back once, spotting Cole still standing in the doorway, watching him. If only he knew.

Chapter Twelve

The driver dropped him right outside the hotel, and Josh walked in the door with confidence, searching for signs to the restaurant. He was stopped by a concierge.

“Can I help you, sir?”

“Yes, I’m meeting a friend for dinner.”

“Your friend’s name?”

“Simon Urley.”

There wasn’t so much as a flicker in the concierge’s expression, but Josh had no doubt he knew who the alpha was.

“And your name?”

“Joshua Karsley.”

If he recognized Josh’s name, he gave no indication as he waved over a porter. “Please escort Mr. Karsley to the penthouse suite.”

“Oh, no. I’m meeting Mr. Urley at the restaurant.”

The concierge glanced at him. “Mr. Urley left instructions with us that you were to be escorted to the penthouse suite on arrival. He will be dining there this evening.”

Josh followed the porter to the elevator and up, watching the floors tick by. His unease grew the closer they got to their destination. This was not going to plan, and he’d only just arrived.

He knocked on the door to the penthouse and waited. It was thrown open a moment later by none other than Simon himself.

“Joey! How marvelous to see you.” The alpha leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. The scent of alcohol wafted from his breath. “Come on in, darling. Join the party. My, look at you.”

He ran his eyes down Josh’s body, licking his lips appreciatively. “I knew Stewart wouldn’t let me down.”

“Party?” Josh asked, hearing voices inside.

“Oh, just me and a few friends. Letting our hair down a little.”

He gestured inside, and Josh stepped through the door. Simon turned to walk with him, settling a hand on the small of his back. Josh instinctively quickened his pace to avoid the alpha’s touch. But that only hurried his arrival into the lion’s den. There were three other guys in the room, all alphas. Josh took in the full glasses, the half-empty bottles of wine and vodka, and the telltale smudges of alpha dust on the coffee table.

“Looks like you guys are having quite the party,” he said, swallowing the wave of revulsion that hit him.

“All the better for having you here,” Simon said, his hand on Josh’s back again as he urged him further into the room.

They sat side by side on the couch, and Josh was handed a drink. He pretended to sip at it and tried to ignore the way Simon’s hand roamed lower and lower on his back.

“And here we thought we were in for a lonely night,” one of the other alphas said, looking Josh up and down slowly. “Now that you’re here, we can have some real fun.”

Josh could see exactly where the night was going, and it wasn’t any place he wanted to be. But he couldn’t see a way of getting out of it that meant he’d still have an agent in the morning.

“Are you here on business?” he asked Simon, desperate to delay the inevitable. “Stewart didn’t say.”

“Business was my first priority,” Simon said, his hand trailing up and down Josh’s back. “But now that you’re here, I’m thinking pleasure all the way.”

Josh kept the smile on his face and tried not to shudder. The door was right there. He could just get up and walk to it.

Setting his glass down on the coffee table, he stood. The alpha across from him stood too.

“Where are you off to?” he asked. He wasn’t as drunk as the other two, and Josh could see something shrewd and calculating behind his eyes. If he tried to leave now, he’d never make it to the door, and he’d lose any control he had over what happened next.

“Just want to take in the view,” he said, gesturing toward the balcony. “Isn’t that what a penthouse is for?”

He wandered over there, trying to wipe his sweaty palms surreptitiously on his pants legs. There was a breeze blowing in from the balcony, and he was grateful for it. Simon followed him out, leaning against the railing next to him.

“Ugly place, isn’t it? Some cityscapes are beautiful, but not this one.”

Josh made a noncommittal noise, peering over the balcony, trying to see if there was a fire escape. No such luck.

“Of course, you’d know all about beautiful, wouldn’t you?”

He might have laughed at the corny line if not for fear of antagonizing the alpha and his three buddies inside. When Simon’s hand settled on his back again, he permitted the touch, closing his eyes when it inched lower, making the alpha’s intentions clear. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he ignored it.

“That tape of you…” the alpha said in a rough whisper. “That’s the hottest thing I’ve seen all year.”

It took all of Josh’s effort not to react to that.

He turned to Simon with a coy smile, reaching up to run his thumb across the alpha’s lips. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

He pulled away and moved back into the room, spying two of the alphas engaged in fierce whispering as they crouched over the coffee table. They separated as he came inside, going abruptly silent, but Josh could see what they’d been hovering over—his glass.

He sauntered across the room toward them, letting his hand trail down one alpha’s chest, loosening the other’s tie. He picked up his drink and faked a long swallow, wrapping his fingers around the glass itself to hide the fact he hadn’t touched a drop.

“I need to go freshen up,” he told them. “I had a long journey.”

“Bathroom’s just through there,” Simon said from behind him, pointing.

Josh headed that way, still clutching tight to his glass. As soon as he was through the bathroom door, he locked it. He was glad there was a lock, because otherwise he knew he’d have company sooner rather than later. He tossed the rest of his drink down the sink and rinsed his mouth out.

What the fuck was he going to do now? He had to get out of there, but he had to do it without causing a stir, attracting attention, or pissing off Simon and his friends. He just couldn’t see a way. Pulling out his phone, he considered calling Stewart and asking to be rescued. But he knew what Stewart would say. It was just one evening, keeping a few alphas company. If Josh was serious about his career, he’d—

There was a missed call on his phone. From Cole.

Surprised and curious, Josh called him back. The alpha answered on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Cole?”

“Hey.” The alpha’s casual greeting sounded a little forced. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

“No, that’s okay. Is something wrong?”

There was a brief pause before Cole spoke. “Just calling in case you needed an out.”

Josh blanked on that. “An out?”

“Yeah, you know. Like if you’re on a date that turns bad: your friend calls halfway through in case you need a reason to leave. Maybe your dog’s dying, your house is on fire, something like that.”

Josh tried to swallow around the lump in his throat, close to tears.

“Josh?”

“Um…”

“Is everything okay?”

“I’d really like to get out of here,” he found himself admitting. “But I don’t think I can.”

The alpha’s tone changed, his words clipped and serious.

“Where are you exactly?”

“The Peony Hotel. Penthouse suite. Listen, I have to get back out there before they come looking for me. I shouldn’t have called you.”

“Josh, I’ll be right there. Distract them. Order some food, put on some music, regale them with stories of your exile to the countryside. Be ready to make tracks.”

He heard footsteps coming his way and ended the call, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He unlocked the door and rushed out, almost falling into Simon’s arms.

“I’m hungry.” He smiled coquettishly at the alpha. “I believe I was promised dinner.”

“Sure,” Simon said. “We can do room service or take out?”

“Room service will be quicker,” one of the alphas said, grabbing a menu from the sideboard.

Josh pouted, looking over at Simon.

“But I want Thai.”

Simon laughed. “Who could say no to that face? Thai it is.”

“I’ll order,” the second alpha said.

“We can have some fun while we’re waiting,” Simon added.

There was an entertainment center on one side of the room, and Josh made a beeline for it.

“I want to dance,” he said, switching it on. “Will you dance with me?”

He knew stalling them wouldn’t be enough. Cole was all the way in the next county. Even if he drove like a madman, it would take him hours to get here. Hours was too long. These guys weren’t that patient.

* * *

The next twenty minutes became a game of trying to keep the alphas’ hands off him as they danced. One of them stayed on the couch watching, but Simon and the other two really wanted to get up close and personal. The tie guy was a good dancer, so Josh took advantage of that.

“Let’s show these amateurs how it’s done,” he said.

They got away with that for a few songs before Simon got between them, separating Josh from his friend.

“I think I’d like you all to myself for a bit,” he said. “My wallet, my prerogative.”

There was a flash of anger in his eyes, and Josh realized they were headed into dangerous territory. He ran his hand soothingly along Simon’s arm.

“Of course. I’m here at your invitation, after all.”

Simon stepped closer, putting his hands on Josh’s hips… and the doorbell rang.

“That’ll be the takeout,” the alpha on the couch said, getting up and heading out to the door.

Josh breathed a sigh of relief. Food would be a good distraction.

Simon leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“Before we eat, I’d like to show you my bedroom.”

Josh’s blood ran cold. He was out of time.

Simon’s arm went around him and started leading him away. Numbly, Josh let himself be led.

“Simon,” his friend called. “There’s a guy at the door.”

“Pay him and tell him to fuck off,” Simon called.

“He’s looking for a Joshua.”

Josh froze. It couldn’t be.

“Tell him he’s got the wrong room. No Joshua here.”

“He says it’s an emergency.”

Josh tugged at Simon’s arm, drawing the alpha’s eyes to him. “It’s for me,” he said simply.

Before the alpha could reply, he pulled away and walked toward the door. It couldn’t be Cole. There was no way. Yet, as he stepped into view of the door, there was the alpha.

“Really sorry about this, Josh. You weren’t answering your phone. Stewart told me where to find you,” the alpha said earnestly. Josh was actually a little impressed by his acting skills. “It’s your grandma. It’s not looking good. I thought you’d want to be there.”

Josh played along. “But the doctors said she was getting better.”

“She’s taken a turn for the worse. They’re saying hours or days. I know you’d want to be by her side.”

He sniffed loudly and wiped imaginary tears from his eyes, hoping the other alphas were too drunk to notice. “Yeah, I would. I do.”

He turned to Simon.

“I’m really sorry, Simon. I—”

The alpha’s hand latched onto his arm. “We haven’t finished our evening. I’ll have my chauffeur drop you to the hospital in a few hours’ time.” He tugged Josh back toward the living room, addressing Cole. “You can go now. I’ll make sure he’s taken care of.”

The other alpha tried to close the door on Cole. Cole forced it open, stepping into the room.

“Get out before I call security,” Simon spat.

“Gladly,” Cole said, holding a hand out. “Come on, Josh. Time to go.”

The alpha by the door aimed a punch at the side of Cole’s head. Cole neatly dodged it and shoved the man out through the door and into Thorn’s waiting hands. Thorn pinned him easily against the wall.

Simon’s friends stumbled out from the living room at the commotion.

“Four against two,” Simon said, grinning as he tightened his hold on Josh.

“Sixteen years military service between us,” Cole pointed out. “And we’re not drunk. Josh?”

Simon paled but finally let go of his arm, and Josh hurried forward. They walked out past Thorn and the other alpha. Thorn let go, pushed the alpha back through the penthouse door, and followed behind them. They went for the stairs, hurrying down.

“Zane’s got the car just outside,” Cole said. “We’ll be out of here in a minute.”

Sure enough, they rushed through the lobby and out onto the sidewalk, and Thorn’s car was idling there. Cole opened the back door and ushered Josh in, climbing in after him.

As the hotel disappeared into the distance, Josh wondered what the hell had just happened, and what Stewart was going to have to say about it all. Nothing good, that was for sure.

Chapter Thirteen

Cole looked Josh over as the car sped off. He looked flustered and pale, but otherwise, Cole couldn’t see a mark on him.

“What happened?”

On the phone, the omega had sounded rattled and a little hopeless.

“It wasn’t a dinner date so much as a party,” Josh admitted, avoiding his eyes. “And I was the evening’s entertainment.”

“You didn’t know?”

“Stewart said it was just dinner. A producer in town for business, wanted some company.”

Having a clearer picture of what Josh’s evening might have entailed, Cole lowered his voice and asked, “Do you need a hospital?”

Josh looked startled by the question.

“What?”

“We can take you to a hospital if you want, or Brax can see you at the clinic if you’d be comfortable with that.”

Josh still looked confused, and Cole worried he was in shock. “Emergency contraception, that kind of thing,” he said gently.

The omega flushed but shook his head. “No, it worked, what you said on the phone. I got them to order food. We put on some music and danced. They were a little handsy, but that’s it.”

Cole tried not to show how relieved he was to hear that. Josh didn’t need the weight of his opinions or judgment right then.

“Hey, how’d you get here so fast?” Josh asked.

“We were in the city,” Cole said, trying to sound casual about it.

“I thought you were going to spend the rest of the day at the packhouse?”

Josh seemed curious but not suspicious. Still, Cole didn’t feel it was fair to hide the truth.

“I changed my mind. Because of you.”

That drew Josh’s gaze to his, the omega’s eyes narrowing.

“What do you mean?”

“You had this look on your face when you were leaving, like you really didn’t want to go. Call it a gut feeling, but I figured it wouldn’t do any harm to be in the city for a few hours. I thought I’d call and check in with you. If you sounded fine, we’d head home. If not, you’d have a ride back.” The omega had been far from fine, and Cole was very glad he’d trusted his instincts.

“I’m sorry,” he told Josh. “I don’t make a habit of things like that, but something felt off. We weren’t following you or spying on you, just…” He paused before plowing forward with what he wanted to say. “It doesn’t seem like you have a lot of people in your life actually looking out for you. And what with me being an alpha protector and all… The clue is in the name.”

Josh nodded, looking close to tears.

“I’m not angry. I mean, it’s a little weird and stalkery, maybe… we might need to talk about that… but right now, I don’t care. I needed you, and you were there. Thanks, guys.”

He swallowed back a sob and curled up, leaning his head against the door. They lapsed into silence, and Cole didn’t break it. Josh would talk if and when he was ready. What mattered was that he was safe.

Zane switched on the radio, and some easy listening station came on. It filled the awkward hush that fell over the car as they drove home.

“We’ll drop you two off at your place,” Thorn said as they neared the packhouse.

“Thanks,” Cole told him.

He was concerned about Josh, who hadn’t moved or spoken in almost two hours. Sleeping, maybe.

When the car came to a stop in front of the cottage, he waited a beat to see if the omega would move, then called him.

“Josh?”

The omega’s head came up.

“What?”

“We’re home.”

“Oh.”

They climbed out of the car, waved goodbye to the guys, and then Cole let Josh into the house. He went to check on the horses, returning to find Josh in the kitchen, nursing a cup of tea.

“Peppermint again?” Cole asked.

Josh made a face. “Have you got anything stronger?”

“Not much. Me plus alcohol is not always the best combination. I think there’s some beer in the fridge.” He paused when he opened the fridge door, snorting softly.

“What?” Josh asked.

“I hope you're hungry. Someone dropped us off the leftovers from the pack dinner.”

He pulled out four plastic tubs.

“We have… tikka masala. Or… I think this is lamb stew. Any preference?”

Josh shrugged. “Whichever.”

Cole made up a plate of both and heated them in the microwave.

“You want to take this outside?” he asked, nodding to the plates and beers.

“Why not?”

The omega seemed listless and dull. It was so far from how he was normally that it had all of Cole’s alarm bells ringing. They sat side by side, picking at the food and making inroads into the beer.

“Is that the first time that’s happened?” Cole asked.

“Alphas trying it on? You’re joking, right?”

“Being set up like that. Offered up to those guys for money.”

He hadn’t missed the inference in what that alpha Simon had said. Money had changed hands somewhere in the lead-up to Josh winding up in that penthouse.

“I don’t—No one said anything about money,” Josh said sharply.

“Simon did,” Cole said patiently. “In the same breath as he talked about Stewart.”

The omega looked away, taking another long swallow of beer.

“Not the first time Stewart’s sent me into a situation that wasn’t what it seemed,” the omega admitted. “But you know that already.”

“Right, the video. Did that role fall through?”

“What role?”

“You said that sleeping with that alpha actor was a career move. You must have gotten something out of it.”

“Stewart said it was networking. The actor was a rising star, he could pull me up along with him,” Josh said. “But it wasn’t about me, it was all for him. I didn’t understand until later. He, um… his image was too strait-laced, too conservative. There was this big role coming up, so his agent needed to spice up his image…”

“Which is where you came into it,” Cole guessed.

“I didn’t know beforehand, but I figured it out quickly enough afterward,” Josh admitted. “The tape got leaked, it was everywhere in a matter of hours. Within days, it was all over the grapevine that he got the role. They’re officially announcing it next week, to put a respectable distance between it and the scandal. All it took was some extra-marital sex.”

“That wasn’t sex,” Cole argued, knowing the circumstances from Josh himself, “that was r—”

“I went there for sex,” Josh said woodenly. “I knew what I was getting into. I consented.”

“To sex, maybe. Not to being drugged. Not to being filmed.”

“My word against his, and who’d believe me?” Josh said, draining the last of his beer and reaching for another.

“And how do you explain today?” Surely the omega couldn’t rationalize it all. There was a clear pattern there.

“It was just supposed to be dinner. Alphas like a pretty omega on their arms when they’re out in public. I guess the plan changed.”

Cole let it go. He knew Josh didn’t believe what he was saying. He just wasn’t ready to face facts yet. Cole couldn’t force him to come to terms with it; he had to get there on his own.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said instead.

Josh made a face.

“Stewart’s going to be pissed. He knows my grandma is long gone.”

“Hey, what was the alternative? You didn’t feel safe, you got yourself out of the situation.”

“I couldn’t even get to the door,” Josh pointed out. “You got me out of that situation.”

“Because you called me and asked for help.”

“And you came,” Josh said with a soft sigh, leaning back against the stable wall.

They changed the subject after that, talking long into the evening about Zane’s terrible taste in music, Thorn’s fashion sense, and the trouble with quintuplets and telling them apart.

As they got up to go inside, Cole tried to do the sensible thing. “That offer’s still open, if you want to talk to someone. Kira’s nice, and she’s got all the training about what to say and how not to put your foot in it.”

Josh shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”

It wasn’t a yes, but it was better than a no.

Chapter Fourteen

Josh woke to a dull throbbing in his head and a room that was far too bright, even with the curtains drawn. He groaned and rolled over, yanking the pillow over his head. But sleep had deserted him. After another futile minute of lying there, wishing for unconsciousness, he sat up.

He swung his legs off the bed and stretched, rolling his head from side to side as he tried to recall why, exactly, he was hungover. It all came back in a rush—Stewart, Simon, Cole, and the others, and a few too many beers to wash the day away.

It was another few minutes before he braved getting up, padding toward the door and letting himself out into the hallway. The smell of food hit him and set his stomach rumbling. He stumbled to the bathroom, and then onto the kitchen, trailing the delicious aroma. Only to be greeted by the oddly appealing sight of Cole flipping pancakes.

The alpha glanced at him over his shoulder. “Good, you’re up. Grab a seat, it’s almost ready.”

Without quite knowing how or why, he found himself seated at the table as Cole placed a sizeable stack of pancakes in front of him.

“See if you can make some inroads into that,” the alpha challenged, setting a bowl of berries and a bottle of syrup down in front of him.

The smell of the pancakes was mouthwatering. He drizzled syrup over them, then added some berries, grabbed his knife and fork, and started working his way through the stack. They were delicious: light and fluffy, with the burst of sweetness from the syrup contrasting the tartness of the berries.

“Good?” Cole asked, flipping another pancake into the air and catching it neatly in the pan.

“Uh-huh,” Josh mumbled around a mouthful of pancake.

He chewed and swallowed the last bite, setting his knife and fork down on the plate.

Cole glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “I like to see an omega with a good appetite.”

Still hungover, and a damn sight more prickly than normal, the comment rubbed Josh the wrong way.

Before he’d thought it through, he ground out, “Alphas always say that. Yet they want the omegas on their arm to be small and perfect. Which means hours in the gym, working off all that food, or becoming skilled in the art of sticking your finger down your throat.”

It came out angry and bitter, and he expected Cole to either dismiss him or argue the point. Instead, the alpha crossed the room and crouched next to his chair. Josh fixed his eyes on his plate and refused to look at him. Gentle fingers caught his chin and nudged his gaze toward Cole’s. The light touch was at odds with the alpha’s tone.

“Is eating a problem for you?”

Josh was embarrassed to find himself panicking in the face of Cole’s firm kindness, wishing he could take back the words.

“I wasn’t talking about me. I’m just telling the truth about what omegas do. There’s constant pressure to be slim and pretty.”

If the way the alpha gentled his tone was any indication, Josh’s words hadn’t done much to reassure him.

“I just want to know that I’m not making things worse,” Cole said. “That you’d tell me if I’m doing or saying things that bother you.”

Josh calmed at the alpha’s quiet words.

“I really wasn’t talking about myself. I figured out long ago that it was easier to just not eat more food than I need in the first place. When I’m auditioning or on set, I do what I’m told, whether that’s my agent or the casting director.”

His own words brought the previous day’s events back to him, alongside the knowledge that Stewart was going to be pissed.

Cole let him go and sprang to his feet with a muffled curse, diving across the room to rescue his burnt pancake. He tossed it straight into the garbage and grinned ruefully at Josh over his shoulder.

Josh sat and sipped his coffee, assuming that would be the end of their conversation. But it seemed Cole wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.

The alpha took a seat across the table from him, his own coffee cup in his hand.

“I don’t know what your normal routine is like,” Cole began, “but with all the physical work we’re doing here, we need fuel, and plenty of it. Okay?” He got back up to tend to his pan.

Josh decided to answer the alpha’s question with a question of his own and see if he couldn’t derail the uncomfortable conversation enough that Cole might just drop it and move on.

“So I’m not your type, then? Too scrawny? Too weak?”

Cole shook his head, amused. “You’re exactly my type, and I think you know it.” He grinned and added, “A few more pancakes wouldn’t do you any harm. I don’t care what all those bullshit style magazines say, strength is sexy in an omega; whether it’s inner strength or outer.”

Josh wasn’t sure he had either. He always felt weak and powerless—a pawn on a chessboard for other people to move around, manipulate, and sacrifice. It almost sounded like Cole… but that couldn’t be right. Yet Josh couldn’t fail to see the look in the alpha’s eyes as he slid another pancake onto Josh’s plate, sitting down opposite him with a stack of his own.

“If you don’t want it, I’ll eat it,” Cole said. “But I’ve got plenty to get through.”

Josh accepted the pancake with a grin, reaching for the syrup.

Once he’d finished, he poured himself another cup of coffee, keeping Cole company while the alpha demolished his breakfast.

“I’ve got to head to the packhouse,” Cole said as he drained the last of his coffee. “Are you okay to hold down the fort for a while? There’s a delivery of hay being dropped off this morning.”

“No problem. A bit of work will help take my mind off things.”

Cole headed off, and Josh got started on the dishes. The rhythm of the work was soothing, bolstering his good mood from breakfast. He was halfway through when he heard a vehicle pull up outside. Assuming it was the delivery, he dried off his hands and went out to the front. But it wasn’t a truck, it was a familiar car. Stewart climbed out, peering around with a look of distaste on his face. Josh’s good mood deserted him as he opened the front door. Stewart’s eyes narrowed in on him. He did not look happy. With a sigh, Josh went out to face the music.

Chapter Fifteen

Cole didn’t delay at the packhouse. Concerned by how brittle Josh had seemed that morning, he decided it was better not to leave him alone for too long. He returned to the cottage, pausing at the back door when he heard voices around the front. At first, he thought it must have been the delivery of hay bales, but the conversation was too intense for a mere delivery.

He made his way around the side of the house, pausing again when he heard Josh’s voice. Another voice answered him. The infamous Stewart, at a guess. Torn between moving away to give them privacy and interrupting, he opted to say where he was. Josh’s history with Stewart seemed less than stellar, and the anger in the agent’s voice was clear as day. He listened in, learning that the source of Stewart’s anger was what had happened with Simon.

“I told him how attached you are to your non-existent grandmother.” Stewart’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “It bought us some time, but he’s furious, Joey. You royally fucked that up.”

“It wasn’t a dinner like you said, Stewart. I was up in his penthouse, there were three other alphas there, drunk and high—”

“Do you ever want to work in the industry again?” Stewart demanded, interrupting Josh mid-sentence.

“You know I do,” Josh said quietly. “This is my life.”

“Really? Because I’m starting to feel like I’m wasting my time and effort on an ungrateful, spoiled omega.”

There was a long silence, broken only by the crunch of feet on gravel. Someone was pacing, and Cole would bet money it was Stewart.

“The good news is, this is fixable. Simon is throwing a party this weekend. On the top floor of the Saturn nightclub. Very exclusive, VIP, invitation-only. If you were to be there and be very… obliging, to make up for yesterday, all may be forgiven.”

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable after what happened yesterday.” There was clear reluctance in Josh’s tone. “All Simon could talk about was the sex tape and how he wanted—”

Stewart interrupted again, his tone pushy and aggressive.

“Simon is your best chance of working in the industry again. Isn’t that what you want?”

“Yes,” Josh said. “But…” If anything, the reluctance in his tone grew stronger. “You know the kind of movies Simon produces. They’re all R-rated. The only roles he ever has for omegas are basically porn. I don’t do those kinds of films; I don’t play those sorts of parts.”

It was a reasonable argument. Cole had seen a few of the movies Josh was in—romances, romantic comedies, a thriller or two. A world away from Simon’s playground.

Stewart scoffed at Josh’s objection. “What choice do you think you have now, with an image as tarnished as yours?” He changed tack then, sounding suddenly earnest. “This is a good move for you, Joey. More scope, more grown-up roles.”

Cole suspected he didn’t mean the complexity of the roles as much as the sexual content.

“Maybe we could just wait a bit longer for this whole thing to blow over,” Josh said.

Stewart laughed. “Blow over? It’s all over the internet, Joey. The first thing that anyone finds when they search your name. It’s never going away.”

Cole took an involuntary step forward, his hands clenched into fists. But he forced himself to stop when Josh spoke again, the omega finally getting angry.

“I never agreed to that. Never. Not the drugs, not the tape—” Cole mentally cheered him on but Stewart clearly didn’t like being challenged.

“Don’t forget where you came from, Joey. I pulled you up from the gutter, saved you from a short, miserable life working the streets. And this is how you repay me?”

Josh was silent.

Cole walked toward the front of the house. He didn’t like where this was going.

“You owe me,” Stewart said again. “If you don’t start earning your keep, I’m dropping you.”

Cole wasn’t willing to stand on the sidelines anymore, and he had the good excuse of the arrival of the delivery truck just as he rounded the corner to the front of the house.

He found Stewart squaring up to Josh, his hands fisted by his sides. Josh stood still, his head bowed.

Cole moved toward them. When Stewart spotted him, he backed off.

“Think about it, Joey. I’ll send you the details for the party.”

He got back in his car and drove off, narrowly missing sideswiping the delivery truck as it turned in the driveway.

Cole gave the driver a wave as he crossed to Josh’s side. He was careful not to touch the omega.

“Josh?”

After a few seconds, Josh glanced up. He seemed dazed, his eyes sliding past Cole and searching for something.

“Stewart’s gone, the delivery’s here. Want to help me move the bales around to the back?”

The delivery driver was already unloading them onto the driveway.

“Sure,” Josh said after a long pause.

They quickly got the bed of the truck emptied and sent the driver on his way. Then he and Josh worked side by side, carrying the bales around to the stables and stacking them in a neat pile against the wall.

“Can I ask a question?” Cole said when the silence between them grew a little too oppressive.

“I guess.”

“How’d you meet Stewart?”

He knew that in most cases, people went looking for stardom: modeling agencies, open auditions. But it sounded like Stewart had scouted Josh, and not the other way around.

Josh blanched, and Cole almost regretted asking. “If you don’t want to talk about it…”

“No,” Josh said. “I don’t speak about it much, but it’s not like it’s a secret. I guess I’m not especially proud of my past.”

They hefted another bale of hay onto the growing pile.

“My dad was only a teenager when he got pregnant, homeless, on the streets. Gave me up pretty quickly. Omega adoption wasn’t a popular thing then like it is now, so I was raised in foster homes. Once you hit the teenage years, even the fosters don’t want you, so it’s group homes all the way. The one they stuck me in was for older teenagers. The people who worked there liked to make a bit of money on the side, and they used us to get it.”

“What are we talking here?” Cole was horrified at the possibilities that skittered through his mind.

Josh shrugged, like it was no big deal.

“Whoever was willing to pay for access to us. Mostly brothel owners or pimps. Guys pushing drugs too, omegas are popular drug mules. Whoever could pay most got dibs on the prettiest of us, which is how I wound up with Stewart as my agent.”

Cole set down the bale he was carrying and just stared at Josh.

“He bought you?”

“It wasn’t like that. He paid the guys who worked at the home a finder’s fee for me. I was one of the lucky ones. A lot of the others ended up tied to pimps and strung out on drugs. Not many of them are still around these days. The more fortunate ones ended up in adult entertainment. You wash out of that after a few years; you get old far quicker than you age.”

Josh sounded so jaded, but also resigned. Like this was just how life was.

“How old were you?”

“Fifteen. Stewart lied and said I was sixteen, got me a forged birth cert and everything. It meant I could work enough hours on set to get bigger roles, and they didn’t need to worry about school for me.”

Cole grabbed the next bale and heaved it up onto the pile.

“Are you going to that party?”

Josh was silent for a long moment. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I have a choice, if I want to get another acting job.”

“You really love acting that much?” Cole asked.

“It’s my life.”

A life he’d practically been sold into, a life that treated him like a piece of meat and not a person. Some life.

Chapter Sixteen

Josh didn’t know why Cole was so interested in his past or his present. Though the alpha’s pointed questions did have him wondering.

“How much of that did you overhear?”

Cole had the grace to look embarrassed, even if his reply was defensive. “I heard raised voices, wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“Alpha protector or alpha overprotector?” Josh asked, though he couldn’t really be angry at Cole.

“Bit of both,” Cole admitted. “Look, if you really love acting, surely you can find another agent, move to another country, or try another medium. Maybe the stage?”

“It’s not that I love it,” Josh admitted. “It’s my job. Each new part is just another role to play.”

“Then why not leave?” Cole said. “Start over. Find a new career, retrain as something else.”

“Where?” Josh said bitterly. “How?”

“Surely you’ve got money from all those films you were in? Some of those were pretty big, right? Those blockbusters pay well.”

Josh leaned back against the wall, avoiding Cole’s gaze. “It doesn’t work that way for me. My contract is with Stewart. I don’t get paid for individual films. I get an allowance from him, and the rent on my apartment is paid. It’s enough to live on.”

“That doesn’t sound like a lot of money or a good deal for you,” Cole said.

Josh could hear how carefully he was controlling his tone.

He shrugged, still avoiding looking in Cole’s direction. “It’s pretty standard. Most of the omegas I’ve worked with had something similar. I’m paying Stewart back, you see. For things like lessons and coaching, photos, auditions he’s gotten me. In fact, if I break the contract or he drops me, I’ll probably end up owing him money. I have about a thousand dollars to my name. That won’t stretch far.”

When he finally looked at Cole, the unhappiness on the alpha’s face said it all.

“Do you have a copy of your contract?”

The question wasn’t one he was expecting. “Um, sure. I have a paper copy back at my apartment. But I think I’ve got one in my email somewhere. Why?”

“Oliver could look it over. He’s got experience with legalese.”

Josh’s skepticism must have shown on his face, because Cole laughed and said, “He’s an omega advocate.”

“But I thought he was mated to your pack’s alpha?”

“He is,” Cole said, looking amused.

“And he has all those babies.”

“He does.”

“And he’s an advocate?”

“A pretty great one, at that. Got Duke custody of Jack when no one else could. We’re lucky to have him.”

Josh felt a complex combination of shock and envy. No alpha, no pack, would ever feel they were lucky to have him in their midst. He was damaged goods, fruit past its best.

“There’s no point,” he said quietly. “I signed the contract, I agreed to it. This is my problem. I just have to suck it up and make the best of things.”

“No contract gives someone the right to exploit you like that,” Cole said. He stepped closer, closing the distance between them.

Josh pressed back against the wall and resolutely refused to meet Cole’s gaze.

“He’s not exploiting me, he’s giving me opportunities.”

Cole didn’t touch him, but his hands settled on the wall either side of Josh, boxing him in.

“He’s using you for his own benefit. Isn’t he the one who sent you to that alpha’s house for sex? Do you think Stewart didn’t know that the plan was to film you? Do you think he didn’t tell that actor to give you something to make you a little more compliant, a little more into it?”

Josh tried to swallow a sob. He knew it was true. He’d never have agreed to it if he’d known what the alpha had planned to do. He’d been set up, and it had to have been by Stewart.

“Josh?” Cole murmured.

He finally lifted his head, a lone tear trailing down his cheek. The depth of the compassion on Cole’s face surprised him.

“I wish I could take it all back. I wish it had never happened. I wish I’d stayed home in my apartment and hid under the covers until daylight. Because now I’m stuck. I don’t have any options except Simon. I know what that’ll cost me, what it’ll make me.”

The alpha’s hand cupped his cheek, his thumb brushing the errant tear away.

“I know you feel like you’re trapped, stuck between a rock and a hard place, but you’re not. You have choices, beyond the scraps Stewart is offering you and trying to dress up as a gourmet meal. Choices that don’t mean ending up on the streets or in some unsavory role where you have to compromise yourself just to get by.”

It sounded too good to be true, which meant it probably was.

“I’ve never met an omega who had those kinds of options,” he admitted.

“You need to spend more time around Oliver,” Cole said, looking thoughtful.

He cupped Josh’s cheek again, and Josh leaned into the touch, letting his eyes fall closed. It felt nice to be held like this, without expectation. He opened his eyes, stood on his tiptoes, and pressed a kiss to the alpha’s lips.

Cole didn’t kiss him back. He pulled away a fraction, his smile sad.

Josh was confused. “You don’t want me? I thought, after this morning…”

“I meant every word I said, Josh. But you’re hurting right now. You need comfort, a shoulder to lean on, not a roll in the hay.” He indicated the bales stacked next to them and, despite himself, Josh giggled.

“But you’re not saying no?”

“I’m saying there’s a time and a place, and this isn’t it. You’re up in the air right now, your strings have been cut. You need stability, not alpha posturing.”

Josh didn’t know quite what to make of Cole.

“I’ve never met an alpha who turned me down,” he answered honestly. “Are you sure I’m your type?”

Cole leaned in, his eyes sweeping up and down Josh’s body, the heat in his gaze obvious. “Oh, I am very sure about that.”

He stepped away again, leaving Josh swaying a little in the face of his intensity. Cole held out a hand and waited for Josh to take it.

When he did, the alpha tugged him away from the wall, his grip warm and firm. He let go as soon as Josh was upright and steady, nodding toward the house. “Let’s wash up and walk over to the packhouse. We’ll see if Oliver’s free for a chat.”

Josh wanted to refuse, wanted to go back to his room and hide under the covers. Yet a part of him was intrigued by Oliver and all that the omega had done. Josh could never measure up, but maybe he could learn a thing or two.

Chapter Seventeen

They arrived at the packhouse just in time for lunch. Cole hadn’t planned it that way but decided it was for the best when he realized Josh would get to meet Kira and the others. The omega seemed, if anything, a little shy when faced with Eric and Toby, the pack’s two omega charges. Eric’s adoption had fallen through in the wake of all the changes that had happened with the children’s home after Oliver’s parents had died. But the little omega had come on in leaps and bounds in recent months, so it seemed like things had worked out for the best.

Musing on what he’d learned about Josh that morning, he wondered if he saw something of himself in the two little boys. He’d been that kid, passed from home to home, never given a chance to settle. What could he have become if he’d had a stable pack to grow up in?

They sat down around the table and passed out the food. Josh didn’t seem to have much of an appetite, moving the food around on his plate more than he attempted to eat it.

When Duke and Thorn started a discussion that got a little heated, Josh butted in, saying something that made both alphas laugh, diffusing any tension. He was pretty good at that.

Eric, sitting opposite Josh, was nervous about a stranger at the table. He kept sneaking little peeks at him when he thought the omega wasn’t looking. Josh, for his part, didn’t seem to notice, fiddling with his napkin. Not, not fiddling, folding. When he’d finished, it had two floppy ears like a bunny rabbit, and Eric laughed with delight as the origami bunny hopped all over Josh’s plate, nibbling at his food. He passed the bunny across the table, and Eric played with it, shooting glances at Josh now and then, making sure the omega was watching.

Cole laughed when Josh stole his napkin and started making another, passing it down the table to a wide-eyed Toby. Duke willingly surrendered his own napkin so that Jack could have one too. It had the advantage of distracting all three toddlers while endearing them to the new arrival. Cole could tell that Josh would be a firm favorite among them.

“I think you’ve missed your calling as a children’s entertainer,” Thorn pointed out. “I don’t think lunch has ever been this calm.”

“It’s just tissue paper,” Josh said easily.

Up until that point, he’d seemed to be enjoying the meal, more relaxed than Cole had seen him in days. Abruptly, he appeared self-conscious and withdrawn. Cole knew he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed, as Duke gave him a questioning look. He could only shake his head. He didn’t get it either.

Wanting to give Josh a break from the scrutiny he knew was being aimed his way, he turned his attention to Thorn.

“So, how’s life as a firefighter treating you?”

Thorn’s expression turned dour.

“That bad, huh?”

“One of the guys has a chip on his shoulder about packs. Keeps bringing up articles from newspapers and the internet about how we’re supposedly dangerous, unhinged, shouldn’t be allowed roles of responsibility. He’s really starting to get on my nerves.”

“I must get a few pointers from him,” Cole joked.

It was the wrong thing to say, and Thorn actually rose from his seat. Duke made a grab for his arm and half the adults at the table spoke up, but it was Josh’s voice that cut through the rest.

“What do your colleagues say, when he brings that stuff up?”

Thorn blinked at the question and sank back down into his chair.

“They tell me to ignore him. He’s a big conspiracy nut, tends to get focused on one thing for a while. They say he’ll move on eventually.”

Josh sat forward, his focus on Thorn. “Can you wait him out? You’re former army, right? You must have discipline and training in spades.”

Thorn leaned back in his chair, regarding Josh curiously.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t let him get to me. Besides, he’s only a reserve. Half the time he’s there, he’s not even on shift.”

“Look for ways to shut him down,” Oliver suggested, weighing in on the conversation. “When he brings the subject up, acknowledge and dismiss. You know, like… Is that so? I hadn’t heard that. Hey, Bob, did you see the game last night?”

“Or turn it around on him,” Josh added. “Start wondering out loud why he’s so interested. He’s probably jealous.”

“Jealous?” Thorn scoffed. “The guy thinks we’re lunatics.”

“And yet they’re trialing you on the team, and he’s only in reserve,” Cole pointed out. “I think Josh has a point. He’s trying to discredit you to make him feel better about his own inadequacy.”

“When did you get a degree in psychology?” Thorn grumbled.

Cole was about to up the ante when Josh pressed a hand to his arm.

“Too much time listening to Kira,” Cole joked instead.

The conversation moved on to other things as everyone finished the last of their food. Cole helped carry the plates back to the kitchen, managing to steal a moment alone with Oliver.

“Hey, do you have some time today to talk to Josh? He’s got a lot going on, and I think he could use some advice, both of the omega and the legal kind.”

Oliver hid his surprise well. “Sure.” He glanced at his watch. “I could talk to him now, if he doesn’t mind being surrounded by cubs for the duration of the conversation.”

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Cole said. “Thanks.” He took the dishes from Oliver’s hands and started stacking them in the dishwasher.

Josh followed him into the kitchen a moment later.

“I’ll help.”

“No need, I’ve got it,” Cole said, about to tell him that Oliver would talk to him instead.

“Okay. Then I’ll head back,” he said abruptly, walking toward the back door.

“Wait,” Cole said just as Oliver called, “Josh?”

The omega’s shoulders fell, and he turned around. “Yeah?”

“Can you spare some time to sit with me and the cubs? Cole said you might need a bit of advice.”

Josh glanced at Cole, who gave him an encouraging nod.

“You’ve got enough on your plate without adding me to your list,” Josh said to Oliver.

Cole tried not to make his frustration audible, turning back to the dishwasher.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t have the time,” Oliver said, patient but firm. “Come on. The cubs will be delighted to see you.”

Once they were gone, Cole grabbed some coffee and returned to the dining room. The other alphas and Zane were still sitting there.

He joined them, waiting for a lull in the conversation. “Is it just me, or is there something… different about Josh?”

His phrasing wasn’t quite right for what he wanted to ask, but he wasn’t sure how to be more specific about something so subtle.

“He certainly blows hot and cold,” Duke said.

“Maybe it’s an acting thing,” Zane suggested. “Putting up a front around strangers.”

“It’s more than that,” Brax said. “Take brunch as an example.”

Cole almost groaned at that. “Let’s not.”

“No, hear me out. I know it ended badly, but there was a portion of it where things were going really well. No fights, minimal tension.”

“What changed?” Zane wondered.

“Josh did,” Brax argued. “It was like he flicked a switched and turned up the flirting. It almost felt… deliberate.”

“Yeah, he did the same over pizza,” Duke admitted. “Like it’s a distraction.”

“And then he pulls back, withdraws from the conversation, and…” Brax said.

“And we resume our normal schedule,” Cole said. “Bickering and sniping, upping the tension any chance we get.”

That was what happened when you had so many alphas in close quarters and not enough omegas to diffuse the tension.

“He reminds me of Dutchy,” Thorn said suddenly.

“He’s nothing like Dutchy,” Zane retorted.

On the one hand, Cole agreed. There weren’t a lot of similarities between Josh and the omega who’d been their anchor in the military. And yet…

“He is, though. Not in obvious ways, but… when we’re all together, and he’s relaxed, and the conversation’s flowing… he has a way of evening it all out. Dialing down the tension, bolstering the low points. It was his voice that got Thorn back into his seat earlier. And his touch that stopped me from riling Thorn up when the urge took me.”

Alphas clashed, it was in their natures. Omegas were like the sandpaper that wore down their rough edges.

“Are we saying he’s a Keeper?” Brax asked, sitting forward.

There was a long silence as they looked at one another, taking in the magnitude of what they were saying.

“If he is, maybe he doesn’t know it,” Duke suggested.

“It’s more than that,” Cole said quietly. “When he catches himself anchoring us, he withdraws. That’s why he left the packhouse so suddenly the last day. Why he was ready to run out the door just now. Why brunch crashed and burned the way it did.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Thorn argued. “Anchoring is instinct. It must feel as good for him as it does for us. Why would he fight it?”

“I don’t know,” Cole admitted. “Maybe I’m reading it wrong, but that’s what I’ve seen so far.”

Thorn’s assertion opened up a whole new set of questions. Despite their rocky start, Cole knew he was catching feelings where the omega was concerned. Could Josh really be a keeper, an anchor omega? And the more important question—if he was, could he be theirs?

Chapter Eighteen

Josh wanted nothing more than to be back at the stables. Horses were easy. People were complicated. But there he was, sitting on the floor of the nursery with Oliver and his four cubs as Oliver tried to get them dressed after their lunch. Tried being the operative word. The little ones did everything they could to escape: wriggled, shifted back and forth, and raced off across the room to hide. Oliver didn’t seem bothered, laughing at their antics as he tried to get the special shifter babygros onto them.

“I’m trying to get them used to wearing clothes,” he told Josh. “And to associate clothing with staying in their human forms. That way, we can take them out more. Right now, they’re still a little young to have that kind of control.”

“I don’t think I’d manage one,” Josh admitted. “Let alone four.”

“Four sounds daunting, I know. But it’s not just me and Brax. The whole pack is here to help. There’s always a pair of hands when I need them. The cubs are still pretty attached to me, but as they get older, they’ll spend more time with the others, and I’ll be able to get a bit more work done.” He smiled over at Josh. “Speaking of work, Cole says you’re having some legal trouble?”

“Not exactly,” Josh hedged, reluctant to bring it up. There was so much he’d have to explain, so much that he felt he couldn’t say in front of Oliver. The omega who was so with it, so together, that Josh felt like an ignorant fool in comparison.

Oliver waited patiently for Josh to continue, frowning a little at the continued silence.

“Josh, believe me when I say that I’ve heard it all. Nothing you could say would shock me. Not if you told me you robbed a bank or killed someone or left a library fine unpaid.”

Josh giggled at the last example, calming enough to admit, “Nothing like that. It’s… my contract, with my agent. Cole thought I should talk to you about it.”

“You’re looking for a way out of it?”

Was he?

“I don’t know, I…” He wasn’t sure how much to say. Did Oliver need to know everything about what Stewart had said and done?

“You want to know your options,” Oliver surmised. “Sure, I can take a look. Can you email me a copy?”

Josh pulled out his phone and sent it. Oliver slipped from the room to grab his tablet, returning to sit cross-legged on the floor, reading as he kept an eye on the kids. Josh distracted himself playing with the cubs, sure this would all come to nothing.

“How long have you been on this contract?” Oliver asked suddenly.

“Um, since I was sixteen. Fifteen, actually. We fudged my age a bit. The terms changed a little when I turned eighteen, and again this year when I turned twenty-one.”

“Has anyone else ever looked this over? Did your parents have a lawyer check it, back when you first signed with Stewart?”

“I was in a group home,” Josh admitted softly. “No parents. The… um… the carers helped me with the paperwork.”

“How did Stewart find you?” Oliver asked, his eyes still scanning the document. “Were you attending auditions? Casting calls? Linked with a modeling agency?”

“No, nothing like that. I never had any ambitions to act or model.”

“Then you were headhunted?” Oliver queried, looking up at him. “He spotted you on the street?”

Josh almost said yes to that. Anything to hide the truth. The panic must have shown on his face, because Oliver set the tablet down and leaned forward.

“Josh?”

“The carers at the group home arranged it. The prettier and more desirable we were, the more money they got. It wasn’t just agents like Stewart, they let much worse people have dibs on us. I was lucky. Stewart took me away from all that, set me up with an apartment and an allowance.”

“I see,” Oliver said slowly. “That explains this contract.”

“It’s pretty standard; I’ve met other omegas with ones just like it.”

“I’m sure you did.” Oliver tapped the tablet. “There are a lot of problems with this.”

“I can’t get out of it, can I? How much will I owe Stewart if I break it?”

Oliver lifted a mewling cub into his arms and rocked him slowly. “Breaking the contract isn’t the biggest problem, Josh. The contract itself is the problem. I have a friend who works in contract law, he’s handled some similar cases. I’d like to pass this on to him and get him to take a look.”

“I don’t really have the money to hire a lawyer,” Josh admitted.

“And I can see why,” Oliver said. “But that won’t be a problem. He’s a friend, he’ll do it as a favor to me.”

He waited expectantly for Josh’s answer, and Josh wasn’t in any position to turn down help being offered so freely.

“That would be really great. Thank you, Oliver.”

If he could get out of the contract without having to pay Stewart back, at least he wouldn’t end up penniless or in debt before he’d even started trying to make a new life for himself.

“Now,” Oliver said. “I think maybe you should tell me the rest.”

Josh froze before he slowly glanced up at the omega. “The rest? What did Cole tell you?”

The alpha knew altogether too much about recent events in Josh’s life. Who had he told? Did everyone in the pack know?

“Cole hasn’t told me anything except that you need some advice of the ‘omega and the legal kind.’ We’ve got the legal out of the way, but I’m guessing the two are interlinked. And while Cole hasn’t said anything, Thorn did let slip something about a rescue mission to the city yesterday. Do you want to talk about it?”

Josh felt a little blindsided. He knew he could say no, thank Oliver, and just get up and walk away. But he stayed where he was as Oliver continued talking.

“Cole told you I’m an advocate, right? Did he explain what that means?”

“Not really,” Josh said. “I guess you stick up for omegas when they’re in trouble and need someone on their side.”

“More or less,” Oliver said. “I do most of my work through the courts system. Lots of custody cases, divorces, domestic violence. I’ve seen plenty of omegas put in terrible, impossible positions. They’re vulnerable when they don’t have an alpha in their lives to look out for them. It shouldn’t be the case, but it is.”

“And you help them?”

“I help them, and I teach them how to help themselves. Sometimes it’s about getting them to a place of safety, or helping them stand on their own two feet, whether that’s a job or training.”

“What if they’re the ones in the wrong?” Josh asked, “What if they’ve done something bad?”

“That usually means they’re more deserving of my help, not less,” Oliver explained. “Oftentimes they were vulnerable, manipulated by someone they trusted into a position that allowed others to take advantage of them. And then they’re the ones left carrying all the blame.”

Josh knew exactly how that felt.

“Like Jack’s omega father, Corin. He made some terrible decisions, took the fall for an alpha who was bad news. Duke asked me to step in, and I’m trying to help him get his life back on track,” Oliver added.

He’d heard enough of Duke’s story to know his ex has caused him a lot of pain and heartache. That they were willing to look past that and help him said a lot.

“I—” he started to say, then faltered.

Oliver nodded in encouragement. “No judgment here. There’s nothing you can say that would shock me or make me think badly of you. I treat people as I find them.”

“You know about me and that alpha?” Josh asked. “The tape?”

Oliver nodded, not a flicker in his expression.

“We’d met on set a few weeks before. He contacted me after, through my agent, and we talked over the phone. He said he and his partner had an open relationship, and he invited me over for some fun. I knew there’d be sex, I agreed to that, but…”

Oliver didn’t try to fill in the blanks, just waited for him to continue.

“He spiked my drink with alpha dust. I didn’t know there was a camera. I didn’t have any idea he’d filmed us until the tape got out.”

“Why?” Oliver asked softly.

“Huh?”

“Do you know why he did it?”

“It was a career move. He needed to spice up his image for this big, multi-film role he wanted.”

“What about your image?”

Josh shrugged. “I’m tarnished goods now. The only person who wants to work with me treats his omegas like prostitutes, both on and off the set.”

“Did you go to the police?”

Josh drew his knees up to his chest and shook his head.

“No. I mean, I went there for sex, and I got what I came for.” He hesitated before adding, “But I did go to the hospital, because I felt weird the next day and my memory was patchy. I don’t do drugs, ever. It’s one thing Stewart and I agree on. They found the alpha dust in my system.”

“Did they do any other tests?”

“Standard stuff, I guess. Weeks later, when the tape came out, I told Stewart I wanted to report it. He said it was too late, that no one would believe me.” He shook his head, trying to dislodge the memories. “Could we change the subject? I just want to forget all this stuff.”

“Sure,” Oliver said. “Could you do one thing for me, though?”

“What’s that?” Josh guessed he’d repeat what Cole had said, and ask him to talk to Kira.

“Send me anything you have in writing that refers to that night. Any texts, emails, hospital stuff. Voicemails, if you have any.”

“But there’s no point. No one’s going to believe my side.”

“It actually ties in with the contract issue,” Oliver said. “In fact, it would be a big help if you could write down any occasion where Stewart mediated contact between you and someone else in the industry.”

“Like the dinner he organized yesterday?”

“Like that,” Oliver told him. “What he said would happen, what actually happened, and any specifics you can remember: when, where, who.”

“Why?”

Oliver shuffled closer, pressing a hand to Josh’s knee. “Your situation reminds me of some others I’ve heard about recently. I think I can help you, but I need a bit of time to look into it. Is that okay?”

“I guess.”

“And if you hear from Stewart, I’d like you to let me know. I’ll help you handle your interactions with him while we’re getting you free of this contract, okay?”

“You’d do that?”

That sounded really good. He didn’t want to have to deal with Stewart alone. Now he had Oliver and Cole.

“Of course.”

“I do have a little bit of money set aside. I can pay you…”

Oliver shook his head. “I’m not asking for payment. I’ve been itching to get my teeth into something for a while. Babies are great, but I like more of a challenge now and then.”

Josh nodded, feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time.

“I wish I’d met you years ago.”

Oliver leaned in and hugged him. “So do I. But we’re friends now, and that’s what counts.”

Cole stuck his head in the door half an hour later. Josh was lying on his back on the ground, three cubs curled up asleep on his chest and stomach. Oliver had taken the other two to see Brax.

“You look like the most comfortable pillow,” Cole whispered. “I’ve got half a mind to lie down and join you.”

“I’d like the company,” Josh admitted.

The alpha settled down next to him, and true to his word, rested his head against Josh’s side.

Josh kept his movements slow, not wanting to disturb the cubs as he tangled his fingers in Cole’s hair, running them through the short locks and massaging his scalp. Cole let out a low groan of appreciation.

“How’d you get on with Oliver?” he murmured. “Good talk?”

“Good talk,” Josh agreed. “I like him a lot.”

“Great,” Cole murmured sleepily. “That’s really great.”

By the time Oliver poked his head back through the door, Josh had four sleeping against him, not three.

Chapter Nineteen

Cole walked back to the cottage with Josh, musing on ways to strengthen the connection that had sprung up between them. Now that every second word wasn’t a snipe or an insult, now that they were actually seeing each other clearly, it felt like there was space to explore what was going on between them. And he had an idea how they might do that.

“So I was thinking,” he said as the cottage came into view. “You’ve been here a while, you’ve mastered the art of the sweeping brush, how about I start showing you how to take care of the horses?”

“I’m already mucking out their stalls,” Josh pointed out, wrinkling his nose.

“I meant working with the horses themselves, building up to you actually riding one of them.”

“You’d let me do that?” Josh asked uncertainly.

“That is why you’re here, sort of. I thought we’d start with brushing them. That’s a good way for you to get familiar with them, and for them to get to know you up close.”

“Really?”

Far from the reluctance Cole expected, Josh seemed excited at the prospect. He felt a pang of guilt for not having done this sooner.

Josh went to change, and Cole headed into the stables, letting Thunder out of his stall. He was the most placid of the horses and the best choice for Josh’s first time.

“You’ll be good for me and Josh, right?” he said, patting Thunder‘s flank. “There’s carrot sticks in it for you. Maybe even a mint.”

“Does bribery work on horses?” Josh asked from behind him.

“Every time.”

He showed Josh the brush. “Usually I start with a comb, then a hard-bristled brush, and finish with this. It’s got soft bristles, see? But since we’re just letting you two get the measure of each other, we’ll stick to this one.”

Josh eyed the horse uncertainly. “Are you sure he likes this?”

“Definitely. Just take it slow. Start at Thunder’s neck and work back. Watch his body language. He’ll let you know if he’s not happy. Stay where he can see you for now. The biggest risk is him getting spooked and kicking you.”

The omega made a face. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“It won’t happen,” Cole assured him. “He likes you.”

He used the brush to demonstrate for Josh, letting the omega see the direction of his strokes, how firmly he pressed, and how Thunder responded to it.

“He really likes that,” Josh said softly.

“It feels nice. He gets hot and itchy under that heavy coat.”

He passed the brush over, noticing that Josh’s hands were shaking just a little. The omega was nervous, and Cole wasn’t certain if it was his proximity or Thunder’s. Placing his hand over Josh’s, he guided the brush to the horse’s flank.

“Nice, slow strokes,” he said softly. “See how he likes that?”

“Yeah,” Josh murmured.

The position of his hand put him close to Josh’s back, but the omega didn’t seem unhappy with the closeness once he had time to adjust to it.

“You try now.” Cole let go of the brush and rested his hand on Josh’s shoulder. His touch elicited a wince from the omega.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, tugging at the neckline of Josh’s T-shirt.

The omega shoved his hand away, stumbling in his haste to get out of Cole’s reach. Knowing panic when he saw it, Cole backed right off.

“It’s just a bruise,” Josh whispered, calming with each step that Cole took.

Cole had a good idea where and how he’d gotten bruised. He hid his anger, knowing Josh might not understand that it wasn’t aimed his way.

“There’s an aloe vera plant in the garden,” he said. “I’ll get you some after we finish.”

Thunder was a little unnerved by their interaction, so he petted his head in reassurance. After a minute, Josh moved closer. He lifted the brush and started again, using slow, even strokes. He even hummed a quiet tune as he worked. When he moved toward the horse’s tail, he hesitated again.

Cole went to help him, keeping his movements slow. They ended up close once more, Josh’s back touching Cole’s chest now and then as they worked. Cole didn’t mind, and Josh didn’t seem to either, even pushing back toward him as if seeking the contact. He liked Cole, wanted Cole to touch him, but there was an understandable hesitancy there.

Once Thunder was brushed, and Josh had fed him his treats, Cole led him to his stall. On the way back to the cottage, Cole stopped to break off a leaf from the aloe plant. When he tried to hand it to Josh, the omega looked mystified.

“Am I supposed to eat that?”

“No,” Cole said with a laugh. He showed him the broken stem of the leaf. “It’s got aloe in it. See that gel stuff oozing out? It’s got healing properties. You can put it on burns, bruises, scars.”

The bewilderment and disbelief on Josh’s face was oddly endearing.

“I could put it on for you, if you like?” he offered. It was as good a reason as any for them to touch, which he strongly suspected Josh was craving just as much as he was.

“Okay,” Josh said, his voice small. He reached for the neckline of his T-shirt and tugged it aside, revealing an almost-healed bruise.

Cole scooped some aloe onto his fingers and rubbed it into Josh’s skin with the pads of his fingertips.

“Any more? There’s plenty left in this,” he said, indicating the aloe stem.

Josh hesitated, then inched up his T-shirt and turned away from Cole, revealing a deep purple bruise in the small of his back. Cole hissed in sympathy. “That must have hurt.”

He squeezed more aloe out and spread it across Josh’s back, using small circles of his fingers to rub a light layer into the omega’s skin. He didn’t linger any longer than was necessary, not wanting to make Josh uncomfortable.

“How’s that feel?”

“Better, thanks,” Josh said, moving toward the stove. He reached for the kettle but hissed when his hand wrapped around the handle, letting go.

“What is it?” Cole asked, striding forward. They’d been gone for hours, there was no way that it was still hot.

“Just a splinter, I think,” Josh said, examining his palm closely.

“Let me see.” Cole held out his hand.

Josh placed his hand in Cole’s, and Cole took a look, running his finger lightly across the skin. It was a splinter, and it was in deep.

“Sit down. I’ll grab the first aid kit and some tweezers.”

He returned, setting the kit on the table, and dragging a chair over to sit right next to Josh. The omega held his hand out readily, and Cole took it in his again. He carefully teased the splinter out from underneath Josh’s skin. The omega barely flinched.

“There, all better. Good thing we still have this, huh?” Cole joked, holding up the aloe.

“More aloe?” Josh asked, looking amused. “Is that the answer to every problem?”

“I could kiss it better, if you’d prefer,” Cole offered.

“Can’t I have both?” Josh said, licking his lips. “The aloe and a kiss?”

Cole rubbed the aloe into Josh’s palm with lazy circles of his thumb as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the omega’s lips. Josh returned the kiss eagerly, running his hand through Cole’s hair.

They smiled at one another as they pulled apart, a little breathless.

“I thought that would never happen,” Josh said.

“All you had to do was ask.”

Before Josh could retort, and knowing it was a little unfair, he kissed him again. His fingers teased the nape of Josh’s neck, and he swallowed the omega’s moan.

Josh covered Cole’s hand with his, gently tugging it away.

“I… I don’t think I’m ready for more…” he said, panting for breath. His eyes were anxious as he waited for Cole’s response.

Cole was a little blindsided at the assumption that just touching Josh’s neck meant things had to go further. He eased back and cupped his cheek instead.

“Just aiming for a more memorable kiss, that’s all.” He had no intention of pushing Josh into anything he wasn’t ready for.

The smile he got from Josh was worth every word.

“In that case, maybe we could do more kissing,” the omega suggested. “In the living room, on the couch?”

“Sounds good to me,” Cole agreed, getting to his feet and holding out his hand.

And if they didn’t quite get that far, Cole kissing Josh breathless against the kitchen door moments later? Well, they had time to get things right, and they’d enjoy practicing.

Chapter Twenty

The next day, Josh found himself constantly distracted. He couldn’t help but fantasize about what his future might be like with Cole and the pack. It was a different life, a life he’d never imagined, even in his wildest dreams. Yet now that the possibility had dangled itself in front of him, he wanted it, badly.

It took a single text from Stewart, reminding him of where he’d come from, to bring him crashing down to earth. Who was he kidding? He was nothing but a diversion for Cole, and a charity case for the pack. They wouldn’t want an omega like him joining them. Not with his past, his reputation. Not with him admitting to Cole that he’d basically sold himself to get ahead in the industry, that he’d done drugs—willingly or not—and had a long history of making poor decisions or letting people make his choices for him.

He just wished he didn’t feel so comfortable when he was around the pack. With Cole, there was always a tension there, a frisson in the air that never quite dissipated. But when he was around all of them, it was different. He felt almost content, like he belonged. That was a dangerous feeling, and he needed to be wary of it. He had to take a step back, take himself out of the danger zone. And that meant keeping his distance from the packhouse. Easier said than done where Cole was concerned.

“We’re eating dinner up at the house this evening,” the alpha said as he passed him in the hallway.

“You know, I’m not really that hungry. You go, I’ll hang out here.”

Cole gave him a measured look and said, “Come for the company then. I know everyone was looking forward to seeing you again.”

Josh doubted that was true, but he couldn’t exactly challenge the alpha.

“I’m actually pretty tired. Maybe I should pass on it?”

Cole glanced at his watch. “Why not take a nap now? Dinner’s not ‘til seven. I’ll wake you when it’s time.”

Josh tried not to groan. Cole just couldn’t take a hint, could he? And if Josh came up with yet another excuse, the alpha would see through it and start demanding answers.

“Thanks. I guess I’ll go get my head down.”

A while later, as they walked the short distance to the packhouse, Josh decided that if he couldn’t talk his way out of visits to the house, he could certainly make Cole and the others think twice about inviting him.

He deliberately sat between Duke and Thorn at dinner, and opposite Cole, then put every effort into subtly, and not so subtly, flirting with the other two alphas.

It took a while before anyone cottoned on to what he was doing, except for Cole. Cole’s attention never wavered throughout the meal, his frown growing deeper with each casual touch and each smile Josh threw the guys’ way.

Thorn gave Josh a bemused but gentle brush-off when he got a bit carried away. Duke kept the banter up a little longer but kept trying to draw Cole into the conversation. By the time dinner was over, Josh felt satisfied he‘d demonstrated to Cole exactly how much better it would be to leave him at the cottage from now on.

They walked back in silence, Cole stomping ahead of him, his shoulders tense. He could tell the alpha was angry and was just waiting for the explosion, certain it would happen once they were out of earshot of the house. But they made it all the way back to the cottage without incident, and Josh felt the first twinge of unease in his chest.

“I’m going to make some coffee,” Cole called over his shoulder as they stepped inside. “You want some?”

He sounded… ordinary. Not angry, not pretending to be calm. He was just as he always was. But he had to be angry. Josh had spared no effort throughout the evening to wind the alpha up, and he was sure Cole knew it. So why was he pretending otherwise? If they didn’t have it out now, he’d just end up having to do it all over again the next day. One evening of ambivalent flirting was more than enough for him.

“Sure, coffee sounds good,” he said, following Cole into the kitchen. “I really liked that shirt Thorn was wearing tonight. All that training at the firehouse is paying off. He’ll be Mr. July next year for sure.”

Josh knew alphas. He knew what made them tick, what made them lose control. Cole had to be right on the edge of losing it. All he had to do was nudge.

“And Duke, he’s really rocking the hot single dad thing. Alphas can pull that off like no one else, don’t you think?”

Cole, in the midst of filling the coffee pot, shut off the water and set the pot down. He leaned his palms against the counter and just stood there, his shoulders tense, his gaze on the kitchen window.

“Cole, did you hear what I said?” Josh prodded.

He tried to sound casual, happy even, though his stomach was doing somersaults, his heart was racing, and his palms sweating. This was what happened when you baited a trap. Eventually, you drew in a monster.

Slowly, Cole pushed away from the counter and turned. Josh took an involuntary step back at the anger burning in Cole’s eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. All he could do was remind himself that this was his plan, he’d made this happen. Whatever came next, he’d brought it on himself.

Cole’s eyes didn’t leave his face, his gaze searching. He stepped forward, and Josh held his breath. All Cole did was skirt around him, slipping out of the kitchen.

After a beat, Josh followed him, stopping at the back door and watching Cole run across the grass to the tree line. The alpha paused there just long enough to throw off his clothes, then disappeared beyond the trees, shifting as he moved. A tall horse with a dark coat appeared among the branches for a brief moment before racing away. Josh was alone.

He stood at the threshold for a long time, listening for Cole’s return, and wondering what had happened. He thought they’d fight, Cole would yell, and he’d be banned from the packhouse for the rest of his trip. When he’d pushed just that bit too far trying to shove Cole over the edge, he’d expected thrown objects, maybe having to dodge a fist or two.

Cole had been angry, of that he was sure. But he’d walked away like his anger wasn’t Josh’s problem, wasn’t Josh’s responsibility to solve or make better. Which flew in the face of everything Josh knew. It was always the omega’s responsibility. Every time.

When he grew tired standing there, he went to check on the horses. Then he returned to the kitchen and sat there as the sun sank below the horizon, and it grew dark. Still, Cole didn’t return.

Josh began to worry. Hadn’t Cole himself said that he had bad days, days where he struggled? Josh had pushed and pushed him, for his own selfish reasons, never thinking about the cost to Cole.

With a groan of frustration, the self-loathing settling heavily in his stomach, he grabbed a flashlight and headed out into the dark.

Chapter Twenty-One

Cole was once again left second-guessing himself when Josh’s behavior during dinner got more erratic. None of what he and the others had talked about the previous day was visible. They were halfway through the meal before he realized Josh was trying to make some kind of point to someone. And that someone was most definitely him.

By the time the meal was over, he was irritated to hell. Like he’d been swathed in poison ivy and every inch of his skin itched with it. Josh, for his part, stayed quiet as they made their way back to the cottage. But there was an expectant air to his silence, like he was waiting for something.

As Cole made coffee, he began talking again. Just like before, Cole had the sense there was a purpose behind his words that had nothing to do with what he was saying. But all he heard were words he knew were designed to annoy him. And it was working. Between dinner and Josh’s unwillingness to back down, anger bubbled its way to the surface. Good thing Cole had plenty of practice keeping a lid on it. He forced himself to take a deep breath, stand up straight, and face Josh.

The omega’s expression held that same sense of expectancy as his tone. He’d been pushing for an outcome, and he thought he was about to get it. Cole did a quick read of Josh’s body language. He found the omega ticked a hell of a lot of boxes on his red flag list. All of them pointed toward fear and Josh’s fight-or-flight response being on a hair-trigger.

Cole kept his movements slow and deliberate, stepping around Josh and out of the room. The two of them were like unexploded ordinance right now, each just waiting to go off. And if they were in close proximity when that happened, they’d both lose their heads. The best way Cole could handle it was to take himself out of the equation.

He hit the cool air of the outside running, making his way to the edge of the woods. There, he shed his clothes, aware of Josh’s eyes watching him, though the omega stayed silent. He walked into the trees and shifted, throwing his head back as he sank to his knees. His feet and hands became hooves, a long neck replaced his own. Strength, power, and above all, speed, were at his fingertips.

It was all crowding in on top of him, the noise in his head inescapable—Dutchy, Andy, Jackson—everyone they’d lost. Josh, who was just another person he was failing to protect, even from himself. With a toss of his head, he raced off into the woods and gave himself over to the anger he felt.

It was dark when he came to, back in human form, splayed out on the grass in the middle of the clearing. He lay there, staring up at the sky, feeling calmer but still not settled. There was so much to atone for—he’d made so many mistakes.

First thing tomorrow, he’d tell Brax and Oliver they needed to move Josh into the packhouse or over with Thorn. Anywhere, so long as it meant he was safe and away from Cole. Josh had enough of his own problems without being exposed to the mess that was Cole’s life. He could paper over the cracks, pretend he’d turned a new leaf, but he was still the same shattered soldier who came home from war broken, like so many before him. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men… it would take more than an army to put him back together.

“Cole!”

He froze, hearing Josh’s voice in the distance. What the hell was the omega doing out here in the dark? The guy could barely keep his footing when it was light, nevermind stumbling around on a moonless night like this.

“Cole?” Josh called again. “Where are you?” It was followed a short, sharp cry and a loud thump.

Cole was on his feet and running before he’d had time to think.

“Josh?” he yelled.

“Here,” a subdued voice called from nearby.

Cole rounded a tree to find Josh on the ground, cradling his ankle between his hands, a cracked flashlight on the ground beside him.

“What are you doing out here?” Cole demanded.

“Looking for you,” the omega said, close to tears. “It’s all my fault.”

Cole ignored that, crouching down beside him. “What did you do to your ankle?”

“I caught it on a tree root, twisted it.”

“May I?” he asked, gesturing toward the ankle.

Josh let go of it and nodded. “It hurts.”

Cole gently ran his hands over it as Josh winced. “I bet it does. It’s already swelling. Can you move it?”

Josh did, hissing from the pain. “It really hurts.”

“I don’t think anything’s broken,” Cole said. “But you may have torn a ligament. You shouldn’t put any weight on it if you can help it.”

He glanced around, trying to figure out where, exactly, they were. He cursed under his breath when he worked out they were almost three miles from the cottage.

“How’d you even find me?”

Josh shrugged and avoided his gaze. “I followed your scent. Hedgehog, remember? I’m not completely useless.”

“You should have stayed at the cottage.”

“I couldn’t. You never came back. I was worried.”

“Oh, now you’re worried.”

“It’s my fault, I know it is. I’m sorry. You’re right to be angry with me.”

Cole sat back on his heels. “No, I’m not. And I’m the one who’s sorry, Josh. I shouldn’t have left you alone like that. Then you’d never have wandered out here and ended up hurt because of me. Not much of a Protector, am I? I couldn’t keep Dutchy or Andy safe. I can’t keep you safe. It’s only a matter of time before I fail the pack. We have so many enemies, and most of them don’t even have faces. They’re nameless laws and regulations, creeping up on us from the shadows.”

His thoughts spiraled into blackness again.

“Hey.”

He was startled by the press of Josh’s cold hand to his face.

“It’s just a sprained ankle. It’s not the end of the world. I drove you out here and then chose to come out after you. That’s not on you. And I don’t know who Dutchy or Andy are, but I’m sure you did your best for them.”

Cole kept silent. There was so much Josh didn’t know. So much Cole couldn’t tell him. So much Cole couldn’t tell anyone. The cost of saving the world seemed such a huge burden when placed all on his shoulders. Everyone else seemed to think they’d gotten off lightly.

“Here, help me up,” Josh said, squeezing his hand. “I’ll hop back.”

“No, you won’t,” Cole said. “You won’t be able to walk for a week if you do. I’ll carry you.”

“There’s no way you’ll manage. I know I’m not heavy, but these woods have it out for us.”

“Not like that,” Cole said, hesitating for a split second before plowing on. “I’ll shift, and you can ride home on my back.”

Josh’s eyes found his, the omega shaking his head.

“No. You said that was the hardest thing you’d ever done when you carried Zane like that. And he was your brother-in-arms, and he was dying. It’s a sprained ankle, I’ll live.”

“I’d rather get you home in one piece,” Cole said. “It’s the safest way. Besides, you’re an omega. Carrying you will be… easier.” He reached down and helped Josh up onto his good foot. “If it had been Thorn or Brax, and not Zane, there’s a good chance I couldn’t have carried them. Another reason why it was stupid of them to give me a medal for it.”

“How do you know what you could or couldn’t have done?” Josh challenged. “Because as much as you and Thorn clash, I don’t see any situation where you’d leave him behind, no matter what.”

Cole cupped Josh’s face in his hand.

“You have far too much faith in me,” he murmured. “I’ll go down onto my knees so you can climb on. No need for acrobatics, okay?”

He moved away to get the space to shift, then returned to where Josh was waiting, going down onto his knees. A moment later, he felt Josh’s hand take a firm grip on his mane and then the omega’s weight settled over his back.

“Ready,” Josh said, sounding strained.

Cole pushed up onto his legs, surprised at how light a weight Josh was. Doing his best not to jostle the omega too much, he made for home.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Each step back toward the cottage hurt, but not half as much as it would have if Josh had been on his own two feet. There was something steady and settling about being on Cole’s back, the horse’s warm weight beneath him. But Cole clearly wasn’t okay—angry, troubled, his past eating away at him. Josh had just made the whole situation worse, pushed and pushed until he’d driven the alpha away. He could help, could make it up to him. Just as soon as they got back to the cottage.

The ground leveled off, and Cole trotted faster through the trees. The cottage finally came into view, a light still on in the kitchen window, the back door wide open. Cole went down on his knees at the back door, and Josh clambered off, hobbling until he could lean against the wall and get his weight off his ankle once more. He watched Cole shift back in front of him, and then the alpha swept him off his feet and carried him inside. He laid Josh down on the couch in the small living room.

“I’ll just throw on some clothes and get an ice pack for that ankle. Don’t go anywhere.”

Josh huffed at that.

“Where would I go?” he called after the alpha as Cole retreated from the room.

“Knowing you, anywhere,” Cole said over his shoulder.

Josh deserved that.

Cole returned a few minutes later, barefoot still but dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He had a bandage in one hand and an ice pack in the other. Sitting on the side of the couch, he quickly and efficiently wrapped Josh’s ankle, propped a few cushions under his foot, and settled the ice pack around the injury.

“There, that should hold you for now,” he said. He went to get up again.

“Wait,” Josh said softly. “Stay for a bit, please. You’re angry, and I want to explain.”

“I’m not angry,” Cole insisted, but he did sit back down.

“Not even a little?” he nudged. “After everything I did and said today?”

“I’m not going to police your behavior,” Cole said evenly. “I don’t want to, and I don’t have the right to. Whatever that was about today, I don’t think it had anything to do with Thorn being Mr. July in the firefighter’s calendar.”

Josh let his hand cover Cole’s.

“Everyone knows Mr. July pales in comparison to Mr. March,” he said softly.

“Oh?” Cole said, leaning in. “And who would that be?”

“You, of course,” Josh said, pressing his lips to the alpha’s. See? He could turn this around.

Cole pulled back, his eyebrows drawn down in confusion. “Seriously, Josh? Now? After today, after the past few hours?”

Josh pressed his palm to the alpha’s chest. “I thought I could take your mind off things. Wouldn’t I make a good distraction?” He reached for his T-shirt, tugging it off over his head.

Cole stood up abruptly, staring down at him. “We are not doing this,” he said sharply and stalked from the room.

The rejection stung. Josh was left alone, T-shirt in hand, feeling every bit as pathetic as he looked. Once again, he’d messed things up. On top of pissing Cole off, and hurting him by dragging up the past, he’d also brought upon himself the rejection he’d been fearing. Cole would ask him to leave, probably the next day. He’d tell Oliver not to help him, and the pack wouldn’t want any more to do with him, and…

Panic surged through his chest, and he couldn’t draw in a deep breath. He sat forward, trying to relieve the sudden burning pain, but it didn’t work. Ducking his head down, he tried to focus on his next breath, but the overwhelming sense of failure, of the walls closing in on him, just wouldn’t loosen its grip.

“Here, I brought you some tea— Shit, Josh?”

There was the sound of a cup thumping onto a hard surface and then a hand touched his arm. Josh’s flinch was instinct and adrenaline, nothing more. But Cole didn’t know that.

“Hey, no. It’s okay. It’s just me.” He was silent for a moment as Josh struggled to drag in another lungful of air. “I can hear you’re having trouble breathing. Can you sit up a little for me? Do you have asthma? Is there an inhaler in your bag?”

He shook his head at that, lifting his tear-streaked face to peer miserably at Cole. The alpha looked worried, not angry, as his fingers wrapped lightly around Josh’s wrist.

“Okay, not asthma. Good. But your heart’s going a mile a minute. Is this a panic attack?”

Josh nodded his head, a few tears slipping free, feeling his face heat with the embarrassment of it all.

“Hey, we’ve all been there. You’ve seen me in full flight, remember? Middle of the night, stark naked, patting my chest like a moron, looking for a bullet wound that wasn’t there.”

That just made Josh feel worse. Cole had real fears to panic over. All Josh had was his own stupidity. He closed his eyes and shook his head, feeling his nose start to run. Great, now he was pathetic and disgusting.

“Josh, tell me how to help. Do you need space? Air? I could open a window.”

Josh sniffled loudly and hid his face again. He didn’t know what he needed. This had only ever happened when he was alone, and he’d just curled up and waited for it to pass.

“Hold on a sec,” Cole said, and his warm presence moved away. He was back seconds later. “Here.”

Josh peeked his eyes open and accepted the bunch of tissues Cole held out. He wiped his face, blew his nose, and ruined it all by sobbing again as soon as he’d finished, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. His chest ached as he forced another breath of air inside him.

Cole’s quiet voice reached him. “Later, we might talk about what brought all this on. Right now, I think we just need to get you comfortable. How does your bed sound?”

Huddling under the covers and hiding away from the world sounded like heaven right then. So he nodded and tried to swing his legs to the floor.

“None of that,” Cole said firmly. “You’re not walking on that ankle until morning. I won’t have anyone, horse or not, winding up lame at my stables.”

One arm went under Josh’s knees and the other around his back, and Cole lifted him easily into the air.

Josh hid his face against the alpha’s chest, knowing it wasn’t fair to take comfort from Cole but seeking it all the same. A few shallows breaths of the alpha’s scent, and he could feel himself starting to calm. But as soon as Cole set him down and stepped away, the panic welled to the surface again. He reached out blindly for the alpha’s hand, clinging to it.

“Let me just go get the ice pack and some cushions to prop your foot up,” Cole said. “I’ll be right back.”

He squeezed Josh’s hand gently before letting go.

Josh rolled into his side and curled up, trying to make himself small. That always helped before. He liked to think that was part and parcel of being a hedgehog shifter. Except, in his shifter form, he at least had spines to protect him. It got hard to breathe again, and he closed his eyes and tried to focus on just that, nothing else. Not the panic or the fear or the fact that he was making a complete fool of himself and ruining everything…

“Here we go,” Cole said, and Josh felt the alpha’s hands gently lift his foot and set in on top of a stack of cushions. The ice pack followed, cool against his hot, throbbing skin.

The mattress dipped as Cole sat on the bed behind him.

“Do you want me to stay?” the alpha asked softly, sounding almost sad. “Or would you feel safer alone?”

“Stay,” Josh said immediately. “Please.”

“Not going anywhere,” Cole said. “Not if you don’t want me to. And even then, I’d probably just wind up camped on the floor outside your room for the night.”

“Why?” Why was the alpha bothering with him after everything?

“Because you’re scared, and you’re hurting, and I don’t want you to be alone right now.”

“Me neither,” Josh agreed softly. “Not if I can be with you.”

There was a heavy silence as both their words sunk in.

“Is it alright if I move a little closer?” Cole asked.

“Please,” Josh said, and tried to explain. “I feel… exposed… like this. When I’m a hedgehog, I’ve got my spines to protect me. But when I’m not…”

“You’ve got me,” Cole said, settling against his back. His arm came up around Josh’s waist, a loose hold that felt comforting, not confining.

“I don’t deserve you,” Josh mumbled. “I’m such an idiot.”

“Hey,” Cole said. “It takes two to have this bad a day. We’re both idiots.”

The alpha’s breath was a warm puff against his neck, sending a shiver through Josh.

“I can live with that,” he said. “Idiocy loves company.”

“I thought that was misery.”

“That, too.”

For a while, neither of them spoke, and Josh’s heartbeat slowly settled, his breathing easing.

“What was that, back at the packhouse?” Cole asked gently. “You were trying to make me jealous, I gather, but why?”

Josh turned his head into the blankets and mumbled his answer, hoping Cole would let it go. He hadn’t counted on the alpha’s superior hearing.

“You thought it would stop me bringing you to the house? Why? I thought you liked going there?”

“I do, I guess. It’s just…”

“Just what?” Cole nudged, resting his chin against Josh’s shoulder.

Josh wasn’t ready to answer that, so he turned the tables on the alpha. “What did you mean before, about not being able to protect your pack? What happened to Dutchy and Andy?”

The alpha went very still against him, and Josh thought he’d made a mistake, his heart rate kicking up again.

“Shh,” Cole murmured. “Not angry, just thinking. That’s a Pandora’s box of a question you’ve just asked.”

“Forget I asked it,” Josh said quickly. It wasn’t worth upsetting the alpha again.

“No. You deserve an answer, especially after tonight.”

Josh decided the fairest thing was a trade.

“I’ll go first. It’s not that I don’t like being around your pack,” he admitted. “It’s that I really do. I’ve always had this… urge to care for other people, especially alphas. It kicks into gear when I’m around you all.”

“Sounds like a useful thing to have,” Cole said, his voice a little odd.

Josh tried to turn to look at him but the alpha stilled his movements with a gentle hand. “So why the avoidance?”

Josh shrugged. “I worry people will see it, will try to use it against me. Alphas always seem to know my weak points.”

Cole hugged him lightly. “I understand that, I do. But you don’t have to worry about that with us. With me. What you see is what you get.”

Josh was beginning to believe that might be true.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Cole hadn’t expected Josh to come right out and admit to his Keeper nature. He didn’t give it a name, so he didn’t know what it was, but it proved to Cole that he knew he was doing it. He just didn’t know how or why. And he worried it would be used to manipulate him, which wasn’t an unreasonable fear, given Josh’s history.

“My turn,” he said softly. “Dutchy and Andy were two members of our pack—our omega anchor and our beta linker. They were killed alongside Jackson in that mission I told you about. Jackson was our leader, and he was an alpha. He called the shots, took his own chances. But Dutchy and Andy… my role was to protect them, to allow them to do their jobs safely.”

“What happened?”

Cole swallowed hard and forced the words out.

“They were in a bunker, a sealed chamber, underground. I was at the entrance, keeping it clear, and watching their backs. I… I can’t share the details, but the simple truth is, we had to blow the place up. My job was to seal the door, to protect the structure above us that was full of civilians. Jackson stayed behind to make sure it went up, sent Dutchy and Andy out… but they got caught in a firefight on the way. They didn’t make it in time. They were ten feet away when I had to seal the door. They reached it just before the place went up.”

He took a deep, shuddering breath at that, remembering the thump of hands hitting the door, their shouts. A hundred times, he’d imagined their faces—the horror and betrayal in their eyes in that split second before the explosion raged.

“What would have happened if you’d waited for them?”

“I’d never have gotten the door sealed on time. We’d all have died. The floor above us would have collapsed, killed a bunch of other people.” And what was in that bunker might have become airborne, and the world as they knew it would have ended. That part, he could never, ever say out loud. The world could never know how close it came to disaster.

“Sounds like you were a hero,” Josh murmured. “Isn’t that what heroes do? Make the hard choices, sacrifice the few for the many?”

“I felt like a fraud when they pinned another medal to my chest,” Cole admitted. “I should have gone in after them when they ran into trouble, helped get them out.”

“But then who would have been there to seal the door?”

Josh posed the question Cole always asked himself when the doubts grew too big.

“We might have gotten out in time.”

“And you might not. I don’t have much experience with making the hard decisions, but this sounds like one of those. I know you feel you had choices, could have done things differently. But I think maybe you didn’t, you know?”

“Yeah,” Cole said, tired of it all but craving the absolution Josh’s words offered. “Maybe I didn’t.”

He pressed his face to Josh’s back and tried not to think too hard.

“Sleep, Josh. You’re safe. I’ve got your back.”

He was a Protector. Though he sometimes lost sight of that, it was still who he was, inside and out.

* * *

They woke to the sound of a phone ringing. Cole lifted his head and peered around, on alert but his mind fuzzy. Where…? Oh, right. Josh’s room.

The events of the night before came back to him as Josh pushed free from his arms and reached for his phone on the nightstand, silencing it. After a moment, he picked it up, blinking at the screen before groaning.

“Problem?” Cole asked.

“Stewart. That party he wants me to go to is on tonight. That’s why he’s calling.”

Cole settled back down on the bed behind Josh, wrapping his arm loosely around the omega’s waist. “You’re not thinking of going, are you?”

Josh hesitated. “No… but I don’t want to force Stewart into action before Oliver’s friend has had time to look through the contract. Maybe if I went, it would get him off my back for a bit?”

Just the thought of Josh at Simon’s mercy made Cole tense.

“That’s no kind of plan, Joshua.”

The omega glanced at him over his shoulder, appearing amused at the use of his full name.

“What do you suggest, then?”

“Let’s call Oliver and ask his opinion. I guarantee you, he won’t think going to that party is the answer, but he may have another idea.”

Josh rolled onto his back and smiled tentatively up at him. “Yeah, maybe he will.”

“I’ll call him,” Cole said, sitting up. “Then head out and check on the horses. Chores first, then breakfast. How does that sound?”

“Sure, I’ll fill the—”

Cole had to lunge for Josh, catching the omega around the waist and tugging him back onto the bed.

Josh let out a yelp of surprise. “Cole!”

“Sprained ankle, remember,” he murmured in Josh’s ear.

“Oh, fuck,” Josh said, adding a few more colorful swear words in there. “I really can’t go clubbing tonight, can I?”

“Nope. I’ll take another look at that ankle. We might need a second opinion. Good thing a doctor is only a phone call away.”

Josh flopped back onto the bed with a groan. “Do you think he’ll write me a note for Stewart? You know, ‘Please excuse this omega from this evening’s party. He has a severely sprained ankle—dancing is not recommended.’?”

“I’m sure he would. Would Stewart buy that or think it was an excuse?”

Josh looked thoughtful. “He’d say I could do all the entertaining I needed to do flat on my back. No dancing required.” The omega rolled over and hid his face in his pillow. “And he’d probably be right,” he added, his voice muffled.

“Well, fuck him, and fuck that party,” Cole said with feeling, hating the thought of strangers’ hands on Josh.

“Why don’t I call Stewart, and you can tell him that?” Josh said, turning his head to the side, his eyes glittering with amusement.

“Gladly,” he agreed, holding out his hand for the phone.

“I wish. Let’s see what Oliver thinks. If he agrees that you cursing Stewart out is the best plan we can come up with, we’ll have to put you on speakerphone. I want to hear every word.”

Cole made the call, and Oliver and Brax arrived after breakfast. By the time they walked in, he had Josh sitting at the kitchen table, his leg propped up. Brax took a look at it, unwrapping the bandages and closely examining the bruised, swollen ankle.

“How’d it happen?” he asked.

“Tree root,” Josh said shortly, glancing at Cole as he answered. “It was dark, and I got caught in it.”

“It’s a bad sprain,” Brax agreed. “Rest, ice, keep it wrapped, and keep it up. Try putting some weight on it tomorrow. Short distances, walking only, no hiking or running. Got it?”

“Got it,” Josh said. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Brax patted him on the shoulder. “I’ve got another house call to make, so I’ll get going.” He pressed a kiss to Oliver’s cheek on his way out the door. “See you at home.”

“Now,” Oliver said once Brax was gone. “We need a plan to keep Stewart off your back for a little while longer, right?”

“That seems to be the most urgent thing,” Cole said.

Josh nodded heavily. “The longer I dodge his calls and texts, the worse it’ll be.”

“Then we’re going to call him,” Oliver said. “And by we, I mean you, but Cole and I will be right here with you the whole time.”

“But what do I say to him? He’s not going to take no for an answer.”

“You’re not going to tell him no. You’re going to tell him that you’ve taken to heart what he said the last day, but that a lot has happened, and you need time to think everything over. That you hope he can understand. And then you hang up. Don’t try to explain further or justify yourself. Keep it short and clear. You’re not telling him no.”

“He still won’t like it.”

“He was never going to like it, Josh,” Oliver said quietly. “He only likes it when you’re easy and compliant. Any hint of independence, of defiance, and I’m guessing he gets angry and tries to guilt you into agreeing with him.”

Cole thought that sounded exactly like what had happened the last time Stewart had been there.

They went through a few scenarios of what Stewart might say or how Josh might approach the conversation, and Oliver got him to practice a few times with Cole. Cole hated playing the part of Stewart. Manipulation just wasn’t his style.

“Ready?” Oliver asked, holding out the phone.

Josh looked to Cole, his eyes anxious and fearful.

“We’ll be right here,” Cole promised. “Remember, he can’t touch you. You’re with us, and you’re safe, no matter what he says.”

“Okay.” Josh steeled himself and took the phone from Oliver’s hand. “I can do this.”

“You can,” Oliver agreed.

“You’ve got this,” Cole added.

Josh dialed and put the phone on speaker, all three of them sitting there tensely as it rang.

“Joey, what time do you call this?” Stewart said. “I rang you hours ago.”

Josh looked briefly panicked at the irritation in Stewart’s voice. Cole covered the omega’s hand with his and squeezed gently. Josh took a breath, and spoke.

“Sorry, Stewart. There were chores to do.”

“Well, we need to talk about your outfit for tonight. It needs to be a little more risqué than your normal style. I’m sending something with the driver. Now, don’t get into a hump over this, Joey. If Simon could have you walk in there naked, I’m sure he’d prefer that.”

Cole squeezed Josh’s hand again, and Oliver tapped the list of points they’d drawn up and practiced.

“That’s actually what I called about. I’ve really tried to take to heart what we discussed the last day. About my future—our future—in the industry.”

“Good,” Stewart said. “I’m glad you’re seeing things my way.”

“A lot has happened, Stewart. I’ve been really messed up since the tape. I need time. Time to think things over, to come to terms with everything.”

“Time?” Stewart said flatly.

“I hope you can understand,” Josh added.

“Now listen here, you ungrateful…”

Cole reached over and ended the call, tugging the phone from Josh’s hand. It rang again almost immediately, but he simply switched it off. “That’s enough of that.”

“I can’t believe I just did that,” Josh said.

“I can. You did really well, Josh,” Oliver praised warmly.

“You aced it,” Cole said, holding Josh’s hand between both of his.

“What if he sends the driver? What if he comes to get me himself?”

Oliver neatly solved that problem. “You won’t be here. You’ll be up at the packhouse, convalescing with that ankle. It makes more sense for you to be there, where there’ll be plenty of people around, than here with just the two of you.”

“I’ll drop you up there,” Cole said, seeing the omega’s hesitation. “And be back up as soon as I have the horses take care of.”

“I’ll head back now,” Oliver said. “We’ll see you both soon. Well done, Josh. And for your own sake, keep your phone off today.”

As soon as Oliver was gone, Josh let his head flop down onto the table, cradled in his arms. “I can’t believe I said all that. Stewart’s furious. I don’t know what he’ll do.”

“What can he do?” Cole said. “I mean, really? If he breaks the contract, he breaks the contract. He ends up with nothing or what little money you have, which won’t mean much to him.”

“But it means a lot to me,” Josh said quietly. “It took me years to save that much. If he takes it, I’ll have nothing—no job, no income, no roof over my head. I’ll end up in one of those omega shelters. They’re no better than the places they put me as a kid.”

“Not going to happen,” Cole assured him. “We won’t let it.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Josh wound up staying the night at the packhouse, in part because of his ankle but also because Oliver’s contract lawyer friend, Liam, was coming to see him the next morning.

Nervous, Josh could barely manage more than a few bites of breakfast. It wasn’t long before he found himself in Oliver’s office, across the desk from Liam with Oliver sitting right next to him. Oliver had offered to call Cole to join them, but Josh knew the alpha had things to get on with. He couldn’t keep dropping everything just to hold Josh’s hand.

“So,” Liam said, resting his hands on the stack of paper in front of him. “I’ve reviewed the whole contract, in detail.”

He paused, and Josh’s stomach sank.

“I’ve got no chance,” he guessed. “Stewart’s got the upper hand?”

Liam looked surprised.

“No,” he said, glancing at Oliver. “It’s quite the opposite. You’re actually the fourth person with a contract like this to come my way in the past few months.”

“Other omegas?” Josh couldn’t see an alpha ending up in a contract like that.

“Other omegas,” Liam confirmed. “What this contract represents is part of a larger case. You wouldn’t be going it alone; we’d be adding your name to the others. They’d all be decided on together. And that’s just the civil side of it. You also need to decide if, like some of the others, you want to pursue a criminal case as well.”

Liam spoke quietly, but the words seemed to boom in Josh’s head.

“Criminal? What does that mean? Am I in trouble? Did I do something wrong?” He knew getting a lawyer involved was a mistake.

Oliver caught his hands, holding them in his and waiting for Josh to look at him.

“No,” he said, slowly and clearly. “You are not in trouble. You did nothing wrong.”

“That’s exactly right,” Liam added. “Stewart and the agents he has close ties with, they’re a different story. They have a lot to answer for.”

Josh wasn’t sure he got it.

“Like what?”

“Fraud, for starters. Exploitation of a minor. Facilitation of a criminal act. But most of these charges would require one key piece of evidence,” Liam said.

“What’s that?” Josh asked, suspecting he already knew the answer.

“You. Your testimony. This can only happen with your cooperation, if you are willing to participate. No one can force you to. That decision does, and always will, lie with you.”

“You don’t need to make up your mind right now,” Oliver added, patting Josh’s clenched hands. “We won’t bring this case up with the authorities unless you tell us to.”

“If I don’t talk to the police, can you still get me out of the contract?”

“Most definitely,” Liam agreed. “You’ll have a stronger case with pending criminal charges, but there’s definitely a civil case all of its own to answer. We take on the contract either way, Joshua.”

He breathed a sigh of relief at that. He had choices.

“I’d like to think it over.”

“As you should,” Liam agreed. “But while I’m here, there are a few points I need clarification on. Are you okay to answer a few questions?”

Josh glanced at Oliver, who nodded encouragingly.

“I guess,” he said. “What do you need to know?”

For the next hour, he felt like they handled him with kid gloves. The easier questions, Liam fielded. When it was anything sensitive or awkward, Oliver took over. He had a knack for asking difficult, even embarrassing, questions like he was asking about the weather. It made it easier, somehow, to answer them.

By the time they finished, he felt wrung out, like there was nothing left to give inside him. With Oliver’s help, he hobbled into the living room and fell asleep on the couch.

He woke to a warm weight against his knees and opened his eyes to find Cole sitting on the floor, his arm over Josh’s legs.

“Sleeping beauty awakens,” the alpha announced with a grin.

Josh managed a weak smile that faded quickly when he remembered the meeting that morning.

“Tough start to the day, huh?” Cole said quietly. “You should have called me. I’d have been here.”

“You had things to do,” he said.

“I’d have made time,” the alpha insisted.

Josh thought it was better that he hadn’t, given some of the questions Oliver and Liam had leveled at him.

“You’re here now,” he said instead, yawning and stretching.

“So I am,” Cole said, yawning in answer. “You want some lunch? I can hear Zane and Kira in the kitchen getting the food ready.”

But the last thing Josh wanted was to have to pretend to be social across the dining room table.

“Could we go back to the cottage? I need some time to think.”

“Of course,” Cole agreed. “Whatever you need.”

Thorn dropped them off a few minutes later, and Cole wrapped a supportive arm around him as they made their way inside. Josh sat at the small kitchen table, stirring his tea absentmindedly, while Cole made them grilled cheese sandwiches.

“They said I have two choices,” he told the alpha.

Cole nodded for him to continue.

“I can pursue a civil case, just the contract. Or civil and criminal cases. Which will make the civil case stronger and probably scare the crap out of Stewart.”

“Did they explain what kind of criminal charges Stewart might be looking at? And why?”

“Uh-huh. They said the stuff that happened before I turned sixteen is fraud and exploitation of a minor. What happened after I turned eighteen is a little less serious because of my age, but the argument is that because Stewart had control of me from so early on, it makes that more serious too.” He was silent for a long moment before he added, “I wasn’t the only one. They told me that, too. I probably know them, maybe I’ve met them at parties, maybe I’ve worked with them. It was done to them, just like it was done to me.”

The more he thought about it, the angrier he felt. At the time, he’d been convinced Stewart had been his guardian angel, saving him from a life of misery. Now? Well, he mostly wondered how he’d been so blind to it all.

“And what way are you leaning?” Cole asked.

“I don’t know. It’s a big decision to make.”

“It is,” the alpha agreed.

Josh waited to see if he’d say anymore, if he’d weigh in with his opinion, but he didn’t make any attempt to sway Josh. So Josh voiced his thoughts out loud.

“Just the civil case by itself would be quicker, easier. But then Stewart gets to walk away at the end. Gets to pick his life back up, start over, maybe do this to someone else. If I go to the police, even if it comes to nothing, people will know what he did. They’ll know the kind of person he is.”

He slapped his palms against the table in frustration. “I don’t know which is better. All I know is, I’m tired of other people having control over my life. I’m ready to take back the reins.” He paused and added, “And I don’t want him to ‘rescue’ another omega like he did me.”

Cole sat down next to him, sliding his hands over Josh’s.

“You’re very brave,” he said. “And I have no doubt you can do whatever you set your mind to. Why not take today and tonight to think it over? Sleep on it, see how you feel in the morning?”

He smiled at Cole, taking the alpha’s hands in his. “I guess that’s as good a plan as any.”

Though he felt his mind was already made up. He just had to be brave enough to see it through.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cole watched Josh call Oliver from the kitchen table first thing the next morning.

“I’ve made up my mind,” Josh told him. “I want to pursue both cases. The civil and the criminal.”

They talked for a few more minutes while Cole busied himself brewing coffee.

“Feel better?” he asked when Josh finally set the phone down.

“Yeah,” the omega agreed. “Now all I need to do is get this ankle fixed, so I can start pulling my weight around here again.”

Cole waved that off. “There’ll be plenty of time for that. I had another plan for this morning, actually.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“I thought you might like to go riding.”

Josh looked surprised. “You mean on a horse?”

“No,” Cole joked, bemused. “On a camel. What do you say?”

“I’ve always wanted to ride a camel,” Josh said. “But all those humps make it look awkward. Maybe we should stick to horses for now.”

“Exactly what I was thinking. Thunder is the best one to start on.”

“Not Ginny?” Josh teased.

“Sure, if you want a lesson in being thrown off.”

Josh made a face at that. “Are you sure I’m ready? Being thrown off doesn’t sound like much fun.”

“It won’t happen, I promise. Not riding Thunder, at any rate. I’ll be right there with you the whole time.”

“Okay,” Josh agreed, breaking into a smile. “I can’t wait.”

Cole cleared their breakfast plates, then helped Josh out to the stables.

“I’ll get him saddled today; you just watch. Grab some carrot sticks. He likes his rider to sweeten the deal.”

While Josh did that, Cole let Thunder out of his stall and got the saddle on him, accompanying it with plenty of pats and soft words of reassurance. He knew there wouldn’t be a problem. Thunder was an older horse and one of the most sedate in his stables. Both he and Josh would enjoy the ride.

“Ready?” Cole asked Josh as he attached a leading rein.

Josh hobbled over, looking a mixture of excited and anxious. Cole knew he’d be fine once he and Thunder got the measure of each other.

“Come say hi,” Cole said, “and offer him some carrot.”

Josh moved to his side.

“Morning, Thunder,” he murmured. “Brought you a treat.”

He held out the carrots sticks, and the horse stuck his nose out, sniffing curiously before swiping a stick with his tongue and munching on it. In less than a minute they were gone, and Thunder was nosing at Josh expectantly.

“He thinks you’re hiding more,” Cole said with a laugh. “Come on, let’s get you up.”

Cole kept a reassuring hand on Thunder as Josh moved to the horse’s side.

“Whenever you’re ready,” he said, holding out a hand.

In one smooth move, they had Josh up and astride the saddle, Thunder barely reacting to the change.

“Well done, Thunder. Good job, Josh. Is it coming back to you?”

“Most of it,” Josh said, sounding more excited than nervous now that he was actually up.

Cole took hold of the leading rein and brought them outside into the paddock.

“We’ll do a slow circuit around the edge,” he said. “Then, if you’re feeling comfortable, you can take the reins for a bit.”

As they walked, he went through the various signals that Thunder knew. He was a well-trained horse; he’d just gotten a little long in the tooth for his old home. He’d see out his retirement with Cole and the pack.

“He’d be good with the kids,” Josh said. “He’s so calm and placid.”

“He would,” Cole agreed.

“So why haven’t you brought them by yet?” the omega asked curiously.

“Thunder might be ready,” Cole confirmed. “But Ginny certainly isn’t. And I’m not.”

“You’ll get there,” Josh said, sounding oddly confident.

“You always have more faith in me than I have in myself,” Cole admitted.

“That’s just because I have perspective. You’re too close to see it.”

Cole huffed a laugh at that, but… Josh had a point.

“I’ve been thinking,” Josh ventured. “About talking to Kira.”

Inwardly, Cole cheered.

“Yeah? That’s great to hear, Josh. What changed your mind?”

“I don’t know. But it got me wondering. Have you talked to her?”

Cole walked right into the trap before he had any inkling it was there.

“Me?”

“Yeah. About the nightmares, the bad days, the stuff you talked about that night I sprained my ankle?”

“No,” he admitted. “I haven’t talked to her.”

“Have you spoken to anyone?”

“I talked to you.”

“I’m not sure that counts,” Josh said.

“I talk—talked—to Brax sometimes. But back then I didn’t know how badly he was struggling with everything. There I was, just freely adding to his burden.”

“So now you’ve got no one?”

“Kira wouldn’t understand,” Cole said haltingly. “I couldn’t tell her everything.”

“Then you need someone to talk to who you can tell everything to. Or someone who already knows.”

Cole stopped walking, turning his gaze out into the woods.

“No one knows, Josh. They know the others were retreating and that they never made it back. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell them that they were so close that I could see them, hear them. That they got to the door.”

He heard a thump behind him and looked around to find that Josh had climbed off Thunder’s back and was standing there, staring at Cole.

“You’ve carried that by yourself, all this time?”

“I couldn’t share it,” Cole admitted. “Every time I tried to say it, the words stuck in my throat. And then it was too late.”

He suddenly found himself with an armful of omega as Josh wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

“It’s going to be okay, Cole,” Josh assured him.

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice cracking.

“Yes,” Josh said firmly. “It wasn’t your fault. It’s all going to be okay.”

It felt good to hear someone say it out loud. What he’d wished and hoped and prayed to hear. Now, if only he could believe it.

* * *

They walked Thunder back to the stables, Josh sitting down to rest his ankle while Cole took off the saddle and brushed him down. He patted Thunder’s flank reassuringly as he settled him back into his stall.

“You did good today, buddy.” He glanced over at Josh and added, “You too.”

Josh smiled at him, then yawned.

“We haven’t tired you out already, have we?”

“I told you, it’s all this fresh air.”

“Or maybe it’s the fact that you switched your coffee for tea again this morning?” Cole suggested with a grin.

“Maybe,” Josh admitted.

Halfway back to the house, when he saw Josh wince putting weight on his ankle, he swept the omega up into his arms.

“Your chariot awaits.”

“Don’t be silly. I can walk.”

“After you’ve had a rest.”

He carried Josh to his room and settled him down on the bed. When he tried to move away, the omega grabbed hold of his shirt and tugged him down, pressing his lips to Cole’s.

Cole returned the kiss, cupping his face gently. Josh’s fingers tangled in his shirt, drawing it up, and Cole helped him tug it off, going back in for another kiss.

Josh kissed him back eagerly, his hands roaming Cole’s back. Cole deepened the kiss, nudging his tongue against Josh’s lips until the omega parted them, letting out a low moan as their tongues met.

When Josh’s nimble fingers started to undo his pants, Cole gently covered them with his hand.

“What’s the hurry?” he said, panting for breath.

“You don’t want to?” Josh asked, wide-eyed.

“I don’t want to rush into anything,” Cole told him, swiping his thumb across Josh’s lower lip.

That was the wrong thing to say, as Josh pushed himself out from under Cole, drawing his knees to his chest.

“You don’t want me.”

“That’s not it—” Cole tried to tell him.

“I know I’m not good enough for you,” Josh said softly. “Not good enough to join the pack. But I must be good enough to fuck, right? Otherwise, why are you keeping me around, going to all this trouble to help me?”

Cole sat back on his heels, startled. “That, what you just said, that’s exactly why I don’t want to rush into anything. You think I don’t want you? That the pack doesn’t want you?”

“No one wants me,” Josh contended hoarsely. “You won’t even sleep with me.”

“Well, I’m definitely not sleeping with you just to prove a point,” he ground out.

“Why not?” Josh argued, his voice rising. “People have slept with me for far less incentive.”

“Because I’m falling for you. Falling hard. I’m not going to fuck that up by letting you think all I’m interested in is no-strings sex. What I want from you is much more than that.”

Josh opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, shocked to silence.

He tried again. “You—”

“I’m falling for you,” Cole said softly. “Falling in love with you. That is what’s happening here.”

He opened his arms, and Josh closed the distance between them, pressing close to Cole and hiding his face in the alpha’s neck.

“I’m sorry I yelled.”

“And I’m sorry I didn’t make my feelings clear. Look, it’s okay if you don’t feel the same…” Cole was very aware Josh hadn’t made any mention of the l-word. He wanted the omega to know there was no pressure, that none of the help they were giving was contingent on his feelings being returned.

“I didn’t think you’d want me like that,” Josh admitted. “I was afraid to let myself hope.”

“Then I guess we’re both fools,” Cole teased softly.

He eased them down to lie on the bed, pressing another soft kiss to Josh’s lips. They’d start with some honesty and go from there.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Josh wasn’t sure if it was the talking or all the kissing that made him feel better about things with Cole. Either way, he was beginning to see it as the start of something big, something real, and not just a passing fling. He didn’t push for more when Cole gave him a kiss goodnight, settling in his own bed with a sense of satisfaction.

He’d never met an alpha who hadn’t jumped at the opportunity to have him in their bed. But now he knew that it wasn’t rejection or lack of interest, but something altogether more novel. A respect for him, for what he and Cole might have together, that mattered more than how good Josh was between the sheets. Still, Josh hoped Cole wasn’t going to play the chivalrous knight card for too long. There was only so much sexual frustration an omega could take.

Oliver had promised to get started right away on pursuing the criminal case against Stewart. But he warned Josh that it could be a while before anything happened. Josh didn’t mind. He could be patient. His life was now filled with things worth waiting for.

So he was surprised when, only two days later, Oliver sat down with him and Cole to impart some news.

“This is moving faster than I’d prepared you for,” Oliver told him. “Liam passed on some of the details of your case to the relevant precinct, and they referred him to a special task force that’s been set up to look into these sorts of situations.”

It all sounded very cryptic to Josh.

“The bottom line is,” Oliver continued, “two officers from the task force would like to come here and interview you. They want to arrange a date for that, sooner rather than later.”

“When were they thinking?” Cole asked, while Josh was still trying to get his head around it all.

“Tomorrow or the day after. Of course, only if Josh agrees.”

“I still have a choice?” he asked. “Didn’t I already agree to this?”

“You said you were amenable to cooperating in a criminal case against Stewart,” Oliver said gently. “You can change your mind about that at any time. It won’t necessarily stop the investigation. It just means that making a case against Stewart, one that can be pursued in court, is far less likely.”

“If you need more time to think it over…” Cole added.

“No.” Just hearing that he didn’t have to do it helped Josh make up his mind. “I want to do this. Soon, please.”

“I’ll call them right back,” Oliver said. “And see if we can arrange it for tomorrow morning. That way, you haven’t got it hanging over you all day.”

He slipped from the room, leaving Josh alone with Cole.

“For what it’s worth,” Cole said, “I think you’re doing the right thing.”

“I hope so.”

Sometimes he knew it, right down deep inside. Other times, uncertainty and doubt swirled around inside him, taunting him.

“How about we go out to eat this evening?” Cole offered. “Change of scene and all that.”

“Could we stay in?” Josh countered.

“Sure.” There was a teasing smile on Cole’s face. “You, me, hot cocoa, and a good book.”

“I was thinking takeout, loud music, dancing…”

“We might bring the cottage down on top of us,” Cole said with a grin.

“Worth the risk,” Josh replied, grinning back at him.

* * *

His stomach was like a ball of lead the next morning. Only two bites of toast and a few sips of tea made it past his lips. He could see the concern in Cole’s eyes, but the alpha didn’t voice it. Instead, he kept up a light conversation, distracting Josh as best he could as the time ticked ever closer.

Josh hadn’t been sure what to wear, but Oliver had told him to pick whatever made him comfortable. He stuck to jeans, an old, worn T-shirt, and a pair of sneakers that were falling apart.

“Dressed-down chic, huh?” Cole said when he saw him. “I like it. Understated, but there’s no way I’d miss you in a crowd.”

The praise and the way it was delivered made Josh tingle inside as they trekked over to the packhouse. They were early, and the driveway was empty, much to his relief.

Oliver met them at the door.

“Liam’s here. We wanted you to have some choice over who’d be in the room with you. And since we’ve heard everything already, we can help if anything’s missed, and we’ll know better when you need a break. If you want Cole with you…”

Josh had no doubt Cole would be there in a heartbeat if he asked him. But he also didn’t want to put Cole through that. For such a protective alpha, especially where he was concerned, some of it would be really hard to hear.

He turned to Cole and gave his best attempt at a smile.

“I think I’ll need someone on the outside, ready with moral support and chocolate.”

“Moral support, check. Chocolate, check,” Cole said easily. He hid his relief well, but Josh caught it all the same. “I’ll stick around the packhouse the whole time…”

Josh reached for his hand.

“No, there’s no point in having you stuck here going stir crazy while I’m in there doing the same thing. Go keep busy with the horses, or help Thorn out, or whatever there is that’ll help you feel useful. I have Liam and Oliver, they’ve got my back. I’ll be okay.”

“If you’re sure,” Cole said, his eyes searching.

“I’m sure,” Josh promised.

They leaned in and kissed, pulling away quickly, conscious of eyes on them.

“See you later,” Cole said.

“Not if I see you first.”

Josh followed Oliver to his office and took in the altered layout. The desk had been pushed against the wall, and a bigger, conference-style table was in the middle of the room. There were three chairs on one side, facing the large window that looked out into the garden. The two chairs on the other faced the entrance into the room.

“This way,” Oliver said as Josh looked around, “you’ll be closest to the door if you need to leave, but you’ll also be able to see outside the whole time, which will hopefully make it a little easier.”

It was a small thing, but it might make a big difference.

Liam poked his head in the door. “They’re here. I’ll go greet them and bring them in. Josh, do you need anything? We’ve got water and snacks on Oliver’s desk. And there’s tissues on that shelf right behind you.”

“Thanks, Liam.”

Josh grabbed a few tissues and stuck them in his pocket just in case, then sat down in the middle seat. Oliver took the seat to his left.

He felt a little on edge and anxious as they waited for the police to arrive. There was this throb of guilt inside him, even though he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong.

They heard a knock on the door before it opened again, and Liam came inside followed by two people in suits. The first was an alpha, a fact which sent Josh’s heart briefly into overdrive. The second man, shorter but older than the first, was an omega.

“Josh, Oliver, these are Detectives Fellows and Morgan.”

Josh stood and turned toward them, knowing he must have looked stunned. An omega detective? He knew omegas could join the police, but the idea that one of them could actually make a career out of it, could be promoted up the ranks, seemed as shocking as it was satisfying.

“We appreciate you coming all this way, Detectives,” Oliver said smoothly, shaking both men’s hands.

Josh maintained an awkward silence, envious of Oliver’s coolheaded response.

“It’s no problem,” Detective Fellows said. He was the alpha, and his gaze moved between all three of them, calm but watchful.

Detective Morgan seemed to be watching Josh almost as closely as Josh was watching him.

“We thought Joshua might be more comfortable on familiar ground,” he said. “Police stations aren’t generally built to put people at ease. Quite the opposite.” He held a hand out to Josh. “It’s good to meet you, Mr. Karsley.”

“Um, Josh is fine.” He shook the detective’s hand before sinking back into his chair.

The others took seats too, and Josh clasped his hands together, trying to hide how badly they were shaking.

The detectives exchanged a glance, and then Fellows addressed him.

“We know it wasn’t an easy decision for you to come forward, Josh,” he said warmly. “So we want to start by saying how great it is that you have. Even if it’s too much, and you can’t handle it all today, that’s okay. Some people want to get it all over and done with in one go. Others can only manage bits at a time. For some people, it’s more than they can take. No matter how hard they want to, for their own sake, they just need to let it go.”

“We’ll take our cue from you here, Josh,” Detective Morgan added. “If you need a break, just say so. If you want to skip a question and come back to it later, we can do that. We know it’s a lot, but believe me when I say that we have heard it all before. Don’t worry about shocking us, don’t worry about what we might think. Whatever you can tell us, in as much detail as you can remember, would be of immense help. Not just for you but for the others who were and still are in your position.”

Josh took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and nodded.

“I’m ready,” he told them.

* * *

The day was, for lack of a better word, grueling. It was like the longest script read-through combined with the tension of the most difficult to shoot scenes. The ones no one wanted to do over, so there was all that pressure to get it right the first time. Just as he had after his first meeting with Liam, Josh felt emotionally and physically empty. Like he could just sit and stare at a wall for hours, the world passing him by.

He wandered around aimlessly, looking for Cole. It took half a minute of staring at a clock for him to realize that, despite how he felt, it was still only early afternoon.

“Cole’s out with Thorn,” Brax explained when he and Oliver encountered Josh circling the first floor for a second time. “I called him, and they’re on their way back. Should be here in half an hour or so. Why don’t you go sit down in the living room? It’s nice and quiet in there.”

Josh wandered inside but couldn’t settle. He spotted sunshine through the window and opened the door out into the garden. There, he found Duke and Jack kicking a ball around.

“Play, Josh?” Jack asked, toddling after the ball.

“Um, sure,” he said, glancing at Duke who nodded and smiled.

After a few minutes of watching Jack squeal any time he so much as tipped the ball, Josh sank down onto the grass. He watched as the toddler lost interest in the game and started pulling up tufts of grass and dandelions.

Duke settled down next to him.

“How’d it go?”

“Okay, I guess. They asked a lot of questions, and I gave a lot of answers.”

“Cole was wearing a groove in the floor with all his pacing, so Thorn dragged him out on an errand. Zane went with them to play referee.”

Josh smiled at the image of them in the truck, Zane sitting between the two alphas to keep them at bay.

“Of course, he won’t need to do that much longer, now that you’re here.”

Josh, tired beyond belief, assumed that Duke was referring to him and Cole. “I guess he won’t. Lucky him.”

“Lucky for all of us,” Duke said. “Oliver is the best thing that happened to Brax, and the whole pack has benefitted. But you being our Anchor is the most amazing thing that’s happened to this pack since we lost the others.”

Josh blinked, feeling like he’d missed a trick.

“Anchor?”

“Sorry, that’s military-speak for Keeper. We weren’t sure at first, Cole especially. True Keepers are rare these days. It’s a stroke of luck that we found you. Or that you found us, I guess. Sorry, I won’t go on about it. I know you’ll have heard enough about it from Cole.”

“Right,” Josh said slowly, playing along. “But I guess you’ve all been talking about it.”

“Yeah. You are sorely needed. Oliver and the others are doing their best, but with four alphas in close proximity and the only omega in our midst a Defender? We’ve been tearing strips off each other. Having you there to even it all out will make a nice change.”

“Of course,” Josh said, his heart constricting painfully as he pushed to his feet. “You know, I think I’m going to head back to the cottage and take a nap. When you see Cole, will you tell him?”

“Sure.” Duke stood as well, looking concerned. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You look pale.”

“Long day,” Josh said, forcing a smile onto his face. “I’ll be fine after some rest.”

He turned and walked away, doing his best to hold back the tears until he was beyond the tree line. Then they fell freely down his face, blurring his eyes as he stumbled through the woods.

Cole lied to him. This was never about the alpha falling for him. They’d figured out he was a Keeper, something they badly needed for their pack. Josh was far from the ideal candidate, but he’d do for now. How long would it be before they found someone better? Someone to replace him? He had no doubt that the moment they did, he’d be kicked to the curb. Packs like this wouldn’t keep people like him around, not if they had any choice in the matter.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Cole jumped out of the truck the second Thorn slowed to a stop. He jogged through the rain and into the packhouse.

“Josh?” he asked Oliver when he met him in the hall.

“I saw him outside with Duke and Jack not that long ago,” Oliver said. “I think they’re in the living room.”

“How’d it go?”

“It was rough on him,” Oliver admitted. “But he held up well. The detectives will be in touch again in a few days. I’d say Josh is in dire need of some food and comfort right about now.”

“Coming right up,” Cole promised. “Just as soon as I can get him back to the cottage.”

He continued through the house, finding Duke and Jack in the living room but no Josh.

“Have you seen—”

“He took off for the cottage twenty minutes ago. Said he needed a nap. He looked exhausted and a bit upset, actually.”

“Damn it,” Cole said softly. “Thanks, I’ll head back now.”

He got the keys from Thorn and called to Brax as he left, dashing out to his truck. He hoped Josh had reached the cottage before the rain started. His unease grew the closer he got to home. This wasn’t the first time Josh had taken off back to the cottage for refuge. But this felt different.

He parked by the door and jogged inside. Before he’d even stepped foot in the door, he knew Josh wasn’t there. He checked the omega’s bedroom. His bags were missing, all his clothes gone.

“Josh?”

There was no answer to his yell, but he knew there wouldn’t be. He checked the rest of the house. There was no sign of him and no sign that he’d ever been there, not even a note. He was gone, and Cole didn’t understand why.

Checking his watch, he headed back to the front door. Josh hadn’t planned to leave, of that he was sure. So he couldn’t have been gone that long, and he had to be on foot. There was only one cab service in town, and they didn’t like to come out this far on a whim.

Cole jumped back into his truck and drove out of the driveway, turning left toward town instead of right toward the packhouse. If Josh had gone this way, he’d only be a mile or so up the road thanks to being weighed down with bags and hampered by all the rain.

He spotted the omega before he’d even reached the next crossroads. Josh was trudging along the side of the road, his head down, a hood thrown up to shield him from the rain. Cole drove ahead of him and pulled in, jumping out of the car and jogging back to him.

“Josh? What are you doing? Where are you going?”

The omega glanced up, his eyes flashing with fear before anger overtook it.

“That’s none of your business,” he snapped, trying to walk past Cole. “Leave me alone.”

His response left Cole stunned and confused.

“Josh, I don’t understand. Talk to me. What’s happened?” He stepped closer, blocking the omega’s path.

“You lied to me,” Josh yelled. “That’s what happened.”

“I haven’t lied to you. Just stop and talk to me. We can sort this out.”

“No, you’ve said enough. Feeding me all that crap about ‘falling for me’, about wanting more, when all that time you knew I was a Keeper. You didn’t want me; you needed an omega to anchor your pack. And when you find a better one, I’ll be back where I started.”

It took Cole a moment to shake off the shock of Josh’s accusation.

“That’s not what’s happening here, Josh. Not at all. Please, let me explain.”

“Why? So you can tell me more lies? Make empty promises we both know you’ll break when someone better comes along.”

It hurt Cole to hear that Josh had so little trust in him, and worse—so little faith in himself.

The omega stepped around him again. Cole didn’t try to stop him.

“Where will you go?” He had to shout to be heard over the wind and rain.

“Back to Stewart,” Josh admitted, not looking back. “At least I know where I stand with him. No surprises, no disappointments.”

That was the worst possible decision Josh could make right then, and Cole had to make sure he saw that.

“Josh, think this through. You’ve just spent all day telling the police what Stewart has done. They’re going to be questioning him soon.”

“I’ll tell them I’ve changed my mind.”

He followed Josh, walking alongside him.

“It doesn’t work like that. You’ve already reported the crime, provided evidence that it happened. They can’t just pretend you didn’t. If you go back to Stewart, you’ll be in danger.”

Josh’s face crumpled. “What choice have I got? I have nowhere else to go.”

“Then stay and talk,” Cole pleaded, grasping his arm. “Please.”

Josh pushed him away, then shoved him again, his face a mask of hurt and anger.

“Stop it. Stop pretending you care. You alphas are all the same. You’re just out for what you can get from me.”

Cole could see words weren’t going to be enough to get through to Josh. He reached for him when Josh went to turn away but stopped at the flash of fear in his eyes. Instead, he sank to his knees on the ground, the rain soaking through his jeans, and lifted his eyes to look at Josh. The rain poured over his head and ran down his face, mingling with the tears.

“I fucked up, Josh. I should have told you that we suspected you might be a Keeper. I didn’t, and that’s on me. But it’s not for the reason you think. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want this to happen. Didn’t want you to think that you being a Keeper was what I saw in you. Because it’s not. That is not how mating in a pack works. Brax doesn’t love Oliver because he’s a Defender. And I don’t love you because you might be a Keeper.”

Josh was listening, and he wasn’t running away. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“I love you,” he said, praying Josh heard him. “Because you’re you. You’re fierce and brave. You’re not afraid to let your opinion be heard or to call out bullshit when you hear it.”

He pushed slowly to his feet, keeping his hands by his sides, doing his best not to look like a threat right then.

“I held off on talking to you about the pack stuff, because I didn’t want to scare you off. It’s a big fucking responsibility to join a pack. I feel the weight of it every day. I wanted you to walk in with open eyes, not out of desperation, not because you felt cornered and out of options.”

Josh was calming down, really hearing him. The omega let one of his bags slip off his shoulder and fall to the ground.

“But my being a Keeper is important to your pack?” he asked. “It would make a difference?”

“Yeah.” Cole wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. “We would be lucky to have you, Josh. And I don’t mean as a stand-in, as the person holding down the fort while we looked for someone better. I mean we’d be lucky to have you. As a Keeper, you have so many choices. The military would snap you up in an instant, train you as an Anchor to work with one of their alpha teams. You’d walk into a nursing scholarship anywhere in the country with a little effort. And that’s just for starters. There are easily half a dozen other paths you could take.”

Josh stared wide-eyed at him but didn’t speak.

“That’s why I haven’t brought it up yet. This is a big conversation, Josh. Last week, all we had were suspicions that you might be a Keeper. I didn’t want to rush any of this. I wanted to focus on you and me.”

Josh's shoulders heaved. He looked away, and then back at Cole.

“Someone should have told Duke that. He kind of spilled the beans.”

Cole grimaced, then shook his head ruefully. “He got a little ahead of himself. He’s just excited; we all are. But we also know that we don’t look like the most appealing prospect to someone with your undiscovered talent for anchoring. Plenty of people, omegas especially, won’t come within a mile of a pack.”

Josh stepped closer. “So you and me, is that…”

“That’s real. More than real, Josh. You and me, and you and the pack… those are two separate but interwoven issues. I didn’t want them confused with one another. That’s why I waited on bringing the Keeper thing up. I’m sorry. Really and truly. Can you forgive me?”

Josh shook his head, and Cole’s heart sank until he heard the omega’s next words.

“I’m an idiot.”

“No. You’re just someone who, understandably, has some serious trust issues. Who just happens to have had the misfortune to attract a guy with serious communication problems. We can work on that. All of that. But later. Can I please just get you out of the rain and home? It’s killing me to watch you standing out here. You’re going to catch pneumonia.”

Josh gave a half-sob, half-laugh.

“Please,” he said, pushing forward into Cole’s arms.

Cole hugged him tightly, then guided him to the truck, helping him in and stowing his bags. He turned up the heat to maximum, slammed the door shut, and turned them around, heading back toward the cottage.

As they drove, he kept half an eye on the road, the rest of his attention on Josh. He had to remind himself every few seconds that Josh was okay, he was safe. And he was going to stay that way.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Josh had a towel in his hand. He hadn’t quite figured out why. As he stood in the living room, watching Cole get the fire going, he wondered how he’d ended up back there. His emotions from before, those familiar feelings of betrayal and disappointment, were muted now. Distant. So he just stood there, watching Cole, feeling the soft fabric of the towel beneath his fingers.

The little spark of flame grew bigger as Cole fed wood chips into the fire. Josh watched it, entranced, aware that he was shaking and shivering as much as the flame seemed to be.

“There,” Cole said, standing up and turning toward Josh. “It’s taken. It won’t be long before it—” He caught sight of Josh and cursed softly.

Josh stared up at him as the alpha slowly approached, his hands outstretched. He took the bunched-up towel from Josh’s hands and set it aside.

“Let’s get you out of those wet things, hey?”

Josh glanced down at himself. His clothes had darkened in color, weighing him down and sticking to his skin. No clothes seemed better than wet clothes. His fingers shook as he reached for his jacket, but Cole was there to help, guiding it off his arms and dropping it onto the floor. His T-shirt came next, peeling off his back and chest, settling onto the floor next to his jacket. A sad little pile.

He glanced up to see Cole watching him expectantly but unsure why.

“Pants?” the alpha asked.

Josh stared at him blankly, and then the alpha reached for his jeans, tugging them down his legs and off. His boxers were next, and Josh was happy to be free of the damp material. Before he had time to consider his nakedness, Cole had picked up the towel again.

“Dry off with this,” he said with gentle firmness, pressing it into Josh’s hands. “I’ll get you some clothes.”

Josh’s bags were sitting by the door. Cole cursed as he unzipped the first one and stuck his hand in.

“The rain’s soaked right through. Nothing’s dry. I’ll get you something of mine.”

Josh watched him leave, coming to his senses enough to start drying off with the towel in his hand. The fire crackled louder, the first hints of heat rolling off it. It only made Josh more aware of how cold and wet he was.

By the time Cole returned with a bundle of blankets and a small pile of clothes, Josh was wringing the worst of the water out of his hair.

Cole tossed the blankets down onto the floor in front of the fire and brought the clothes over to Josh.

“Here,” he said, pulling a T-shirt from the pile. “Put this on.”

He helped Josh get it over his head and slip his arms into the sleeves. Josh’s movements were all wonky and uncoordinated. Being cold sucked. But he was able to tug the hem of the T-shirt down. It hit him at mid-thigh, the worn material soft against his skin. It didn’t escape him that it smelled of Cole, the alpha’s scent heady and soothing at the same time.

“That’s better,” Cole said. “I have some sweatpants,” he added, holding them up, “but I think you’d fall out of them.”

Josh shook his head. “This is good.”

His eyes landed on Cole’s clothes, still sticking to his skin. “Now you.”

“In a second,” Cole promised. “First, let’s get you situated.”

‘Situated’ meant sitting on the plush rug by the fire, wrapped in one of the many blankets Cole had gathered.

While Josh huddled there, Cole stripped in the middle of the room and dried off. There was practiced efficiency to his movements: he wasn’t showing off or trying to get Josh’s attention. But he had it all the same. Josh let his eyes run all along the alpha’s body, appreciating the strong muscles of his shoulders and back, the V of his hips, the length of his—

He only realized he’d been caught staring when Cole laughed softly.

“Can I get dressed?” the alpha teased. “Or do you need a few more minutes.”

Josh sighed, thoroughly distracted from how wet, cold, and miserable he’d been.

“If you have to,” he mumbled.

Cole shrugged a T-shirt on over his head and yanked on a pair of sweatpants. Josh’s disappointment at the loss of his view was eclipsed seconds later when the alpha joined Josh by the fire, sitting right next to him. Cole was quiet but attentive, wrapping another blanket around Josh and urging him closer to the hearth.

“Lie down,” Cole said, folding another blanket to act as a pillow.

He lay down behind Josh, pulling a fourth blanket over them both and pooling their body heat as he settled an arm around him. The heat from the fire soaked into Josh from the front as the alpha’s warmth pressed against his back.

The blankets around him quickly grew to feel scratchy and uncomfortable against his skin. He shuffled around, unwinding them and pushing them away.

“Josh?” Cole asked.

“Too many blankets.”

“But you’re still cold,” the alpha said, trying to wrap him up again.

Josh freed the last blanket and rolled over, pushing himself against Cole’s chest. It wasn’t enough. There were still clothes between them, rough and itchy now where they’d been soft and warm before.

When he tried to pull off his T-shirt, Cole’s hands caught his. “Josh?”

“I want… I need… you. Just you. Not this.” He tugged at his T-shirt in frustration.

“Okay, okay,” Cole said, helping him off with his T-shirt then tugging off his own at Josh’s insistence.

And then they were skin-to-skin, his body pressed to Cole’s. The heat from the alpha was heavenly, and Josh clung to that. The warmth from the fire licked at his back, and he finally started to heat up.

“Better,” he murmured, his face buried in the crook of Cole’s neck.

“Good.” Cole’s hand cupped Josh’s neck briefly before sliding down to his back. “We’ll have you warm in no time.”

Their body temperature wasn’t the only thing to heat up as the minutes passed. Josh pressed a kiss to Cole’s neck, feeling the alpha shudder against him. He did it again, and again, loving every tiny reaction he pulled from him.

Cole’s hand, which had been pressed against his upper back—a warm, steadying presence—moved higher to cup his neck again. Josh kept up the kissing and stroked his palms across any bare skin he could reach. Which was when Cole’s fingers started kneading the nape of his neck, sending warm bursts of pleasure across his body.

“I want you,” he told the alpha, arching into Cole’s touch.

“What do you want?” Cole asked softly.

“Sex. With you. Here. Now.”

The alpha’s low chuckle sent something stirring in Josh, inching down toward his groin.

Anticipating the alpha’s refusal, Josh tried again. “Please. Pretty please.” He waited with bated breath, expecting to be let down gently.

“Are you sure this is what you want, right now?”

“I’m sure,” he promised, on tenterhooks waiting for Cole’s answer.

“It’s what I want too.” Cole’s fingers danced across the back of Josh’s neck again, prompting a low moan from him.

“I’ve got stuff in my bag,” Josh offered breathlessly. “Condoms.”

He caught the warm smile on Cole’s face before the alpha kissed his lips.

“I’ve got it covered,” Cole promised. “Give me two minutes, okay?”

With one more quick kiss, the alpha left the cocoon of warmth and padded away into the house.

Josh lay back down, watching the door anxiously. He reached a hand back to his neck, pressing idly at the skin there. Cole was big. He’d need all the help he could get.

The alpha returned, tossing a box of condoms and a packet of lube onto the blanket.

Josh made a face at that, prompting Cole to arch an eyebrow in inquiry.

“I hate the feeling of it,” he said, nodding to the lube.

“It’s more of a just in case,” Cole said, kicking off his sweatpants and reaching for the condoms instead.

Josh busied his fingers against the nape of his neck as he heard the tear of a condom wrapper. A hand closed over his, Cole making a sound of muted inquiry.

“It’s usually enough by itself to get me ready,” he explained.

In his experience, most people didn’t spend enough time or effort on the warm-up. Better he took it into his own hands.

When he reached for his neck again, Cole stopped him. Josh glanced at him, uncertain. He wanted this to feel good, to feel effortless. Not like a job he couldn’t wait to finish.

“Trust me,” Cole said softly, squeezing his hand.

Josh let the alpha guide his hand back to his side. Then Cole urged him up onto his knees, facing the fire. The alpha sat behind him, his legs either side of Josh.

His hands found Josh’s tense shoulders, massaging them gently. He moved closer and closer to Josh’s neck until his thumbs pressed lightly into the soft skin there.

“Chin to chest,” Cole urged.

Josh did as he was told, and let out a low, mewling moan when Cole kissed the nape of his neck. The alpha’s skilled fingers teased the edges of his gland.

Cole knew every trick in the book, and he used all of them: fingers, lips, tongue, and even teeth, biting down gently and forcing a cry of pure pleasure from Josh’s throat.

By the time Cole was done, he’d wrung half a dozen pleas and moans from Josh’s lips. Josh was wet and more than ready for him.

When the alpha’s hands urged him down onto his side, he moved willingly.

“Are you sure?” Cole murmured.

“I’m sure.”

The alpha’s hand wrapped around his knee, urging it up, spreading him. He felt a finger tease across his crease, over the soft skin of his balls and back to circle his entrance. It pushed inside, Cole letting out a low groan of pleasure matched by Josh’s own.

“You’re ready for me,” the alpha murmured.

“Always,” Josh promised. “If you kiss like that.”

He’d never had someone give his mating gland so much attention. His whole body felt alive with it, a throbbing need centered between his legs.

Cole chuckled and leaned forward, seeking his eyes.

“Believe me, Josh. That is just the beginning. I could spend all day stroking your neck, just tiny little touches, again and again, until you can’t think straight.”

It sounded like heaven.

“Yes. Take me out of my head, Cole. Please.”

Cole kissed his shoulder in answer. He pressed his hand to Josh’s knee, spreading him wider, and eased forward.

The stretch felt amazing: tightness and pressure gave way to the most gorgeous friction as every inch of Cole’s length and girth pressed inside.

“Okay?” Cole’s voice was heavy with tension.

“You’re… you…” Josh was tongue-tied but in a good way. He nodded instead, reaching a hand back, needing to touch Cole, to ground himself on the alpha.

“Then let’s see if we can’t send you soaring,” Cole said. “Get you looking down on us from above.”

The words were meaningless, but Josh got it. Cole pulled out, almost to the tip, then slowly pushed back in. He did it again and again, intense and steady, giving Josh no choice but to feel every inch of sensation.

Cole gradually sped up, settling into a faster rhythm, his hips snapping against Josh with each thrust. His hand around Josh’s knee let go to press against his stomach, then slowly inched downward to wrap around the base of Josh’s shaft. Josh moaned loudly at that, thrusting into Cole’s hand.

If this had been any other alpha, Josh would have been doing more than moaning. He’d have been praising them, constantly aware at all times of his expression, the position of his body, of theirs. Cole didn’t give him room to think. Each thrust filled the space inside him, pushed every thought from his head, and left nothing but feelings of pleasure and closeness.

“I’m close, Josh,” Cole warned, and then he rolled him onto his knees.

The shift in position made Cole’s next thrust sink deeper. The alpha’s cock dragged against that spot inside Josh, the one that ached for contact but rarely got it.

“Please,” Josh moaned; the first word he’d spoken since Cole had started thrusting in earnest.

The force of the alpha’s next thrust rocked him onto his hands and hit that spot inside him again, sending a shock of pleasure through his body. He tightened around Cole, and the alpha growled, chasing the sensation. Cole’s hand on Josh’s shaft pumped him in time with the next thrust and the next, until Josh couldn’t hold out any longer, falling apart with a long, drawn-out cry.

Time fell to pieces, and the room faded around him. All he knew was the press of the alpha inside him, where their bodies joined, and the ecstasy that stretched right up to where the alpha’s lips kissed his neck.

The last thing he remembered was Cole’s arms around him, easing him to lie on the floor. Warm words of praise murmured over and over in his ear. Sleepy but sated, he smiled.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Josh was out for the count, a smile on his face. Cole didn’t want to disturb him, so he just curled up behind him, content to have the omega safe and settled. Once the fire died down, he lifted a still-sleeping Josh into his arms and carried him to bed, climbing in beside him. They slept soundly until morning.

Cole woke first, thinking over the day before and what their next steps might be. As much as he might like to hope that the previous day’s ending said a lot more than anything else, he still had some damage control to do where Josh and the pack were concerned. The first person to talk to was Josh, and then he’d tackle the pack.

“Do you always look this grumpy first thing in the morning?”

Cole glanced over to find Josh watching him, a sleepy smile on his face.

“Most days,” Cole teased. “Before I’ve had my coffee.”

“Coffee sounds good,” Josh said, stretching. “And cinnamon buns.”

“Coffee I can do,” Cole agreed. “Anything more than toast or a bagel requires an errand run.”

“Toast and jam,” Josh amended. “That’d be nice.”

“Breakfast in bed, coming up.”

When he returned, they ate their toast, drank their coffee, and Cole broached what he’d been mulling over.

“How would you feel about talking over where we might go from here?”

Josh chewed and swallowed a bite of toast, looking thoughtful.

“Doesn’t last night answer that question?”

Cole knew it wasn’t that simple.

“Last night was about you and me. That’s a whole other question to you being a Keeper.”

Josh was quiet for a moment.

“You said I had options. I think I’d like to know what they are.”

Cole grinned at that. “I’ll tell you what I know, but there’s some gaps in my knowledge. Oliver should be able to fill some of those, and Brax knows a military recruiter. That guy’ll charm the pants off you, but he’ll give you a good rundown of your options. Shouldn’t be too hard to get someone from a nursing school admissions office to fill in those blanks.”

Josh gave an awkward shrug.

“I can’t really see myself as a nurse. Or in the military. I don’t think I’m cut from that kind of cloth.”

“And I think you’re selling yourself short.”

“You just want to see me in uniform,” Josh teased.

“I’d like your permission to talk with the pack. I want to bring everyone up to speed, and to see if we can talk to you about what your options are with us.”

“Do you need my permission?” Josh asked.

“No, but keeping you in the dark almost lost us everything yesterday. I won’t risk that again. I won’t risk you again.”

The soft smile Josh aimed his way was a sight to behold.

“Okay. Then I guess it’s alright with me if you talk to the pack.”

Cole cupped Josh’s cheek and kissed him on the lips.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

They finished their breakfast, and Cole went to take care of the horses. He left Josh to rest but wasn’t surprised when the omega appeared outside to help him a few minutes later.

“I thought you were relaxing.”

Josh shrugged. “I know it sounds strange, but I kind of find chores relaxing. Not just working with the horses, but all the other stuff too.”

“It doesn’t sound strange,” Cole promised him. “Sometimes, there’s nothing more I like than to grab a sweeping brush and set to.”

They worked side by side for an hour before Josh headed inside and Cole made his way to the packhouse. He’d sent everyone a text after breakfast, telling them they needed to talk. They were all gathered in the living room when he arrived.

“I think this might be a first for you, Cole. Calling a pack meeting,” Brax said with a grin. “Is there something you want to tell us?”

Damn it. They thought he was coming with good news about him and Josh.

“Duke jumped the gun yesterday and let the cat out of the bag. Josh learned we think he’s a Keeper, and he took the news pretty badly.”

Duke pressed a hand to his face as Oliver spoke up.

“Badly how?”

“Packed his bags and took off on foot, in the middle of all that rain. He thinks—he thought—that was why we were keeping him around. So our pack would have a Keeper until someone better came along.”

“Damn it,” Duke said. “I’m sorry, Cole. When I spoke to him about it, it sounded like he knew. If I’d realized…”

Cole gave a sharp shake of his head. “Wasn’t your fault, Duke. I should have told him sooner. That’s on me.”

“You talked him around?” Brax asked.

“He’s agreed to stay for now. In return, I promised we’d be open and honest going forward. And that we’d make sure he was aware of the options available to him as a Keeper.”

“Our pack isn’t good enough for him?” Thorn sounded amused rather than insulted.

“All he’s known since he was fifteen is people manipulating and taking advantage of him. What happened yesterday made him believe we might be doing the same.”

“And you told him we weren’t,” Thorn said.

“Of course. But we need some time to rebuild the trust between us. I think it’s only fair that he knows he has choices. He’s never had that. All he’s had are people dangling ropes in front of him and telling him they’re lifelines.”

“Tell him we’d like to audition for him,” Brax said. “Ask him to give us a chance to show him what pack life is like. What he’d gain by joining us.”

“We’d all like that,” Oliver agreed. “Since he’s going to be around for another few weeks anyway, why not make the most of this time? If he decides by the end that pack life isn’t for him, he hasn’t lost anything.”

The others agreed, and Cole felt the makings of a plan fall into place.

“I have a question,” Thorn said, looking troubled. “Because, by now, it’s pretty clear you and Josh having a thing going on.”

Cole didn’t deny it. He and Josh were growing closer.

“Where does that leave you if Josh decides against joining the pack? Could a relationship where one party is pack and one isn’t even work?”

It was an important point, one Cole had been trying not to think too hard about. It made his head hurt.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t want to have to choose between all of you and Josh. Either way, I lose. It would be like cutting myself in half. I’d say my chances of finding happiness would be pretty miserable if that happened.”

“Then let’s hope that eventuality doesn’t become reality,” Brax said.

“Being pack is a big responsibility,” Oliver said softly. “I can understand why Josh might be hesitant. But if he loves you, do you really think he’d make you choose?”

“Turn it around,” Cole said. “If I love him, would I really force him to join a pack if he didn’t want to?”

They’d reached a stalemate, no one happy but no solution to be found.

“Here’s hoping he loves all of us enough to take us on,” Duke said. “Or this is going to be a mess of epic proportions.”

“I like to think we’re pretty lovable,” Thorn joked. “Cuddly, even.”

“Yes,” Oliver said blandly. “Like a pack of teddy bears. With claws and teeth.”

Cole stood and stretched, ready to get out of there. He couldn’t see talking it over getting them much further. The only person who could make a difference now was Josh.

“Tell Josh we’ve having a movie night tonight,” Brax told him. “You’re both very welcome.”

“I’ll let him know,” Cole said. “Can’t promise he’ll agree to come. He’s still rattled after yesterday.”

“All the more reason he should come over. It’ll give us a chance to clear the air,” Oliver encouraged.

“I’ll do my best to convince him.”

Who didn’t like movie night? Maybe the lure of popcorn would be stronger than Josh’s anxiety.

Chapter Thirty

Josh followed Cole into the packhouse. He couldn’t decide how he felt about being there. When he’d left the day before, it had been with the certainty that he wouldn’t be back. And yet, there he was.

Duke was the first to greet them, a sheepish grin on his face.

“I hear I really put my foot in it,” he said, nodding to Cole. “I’m sorry, Josh. I know that wasn’t how Cole wanted you to find out. I got a bit carried away.”

“That’s okay,” Josh told him. “I get it.”

“Zane’s making the popcorn. He’s afraid if he lets Thorn do it, it’ll end up on fire like last time.”

Josh laughed, but he was the only one. “Seriously?”

“What can we say?” Cole threw in. “The guy likes fire.”

He followed the alpha to the living room, where they kicked off their shoes and went to sit down.

“Where are the kids?” Josh was surprised not to see any.

“Kira, Nathan, and Alice volunteered to take kid duty this evening,” Oliver said. “We’ll probably have a cub or two down here at some point.”

“We switch it around,” Brax added, pulling the curtains and throwing the room into darkness. “Sometimes we watch a kid-friendly film, and everyone joins in. Otherwise, we take turns with the kids depending on who’s interested in whatever film we’re watching.”

That sounded more positive. So it wasn’t just the betas and Oliver being left with all the childcare.

“What are we watching tonight?” he asked, settling onto the couch next to Cole.

Oliver curled up on the second couch, leaving space for Brax.

“It’s Thorn’s choice. Some secret agent action thriller with a side helping of romance. Lots of explosions,” Oliver said.

“I like explosions.”

“Great,” Cole said, giving him a look. “But we have backups if you’d prefer to watch something else. Maybe take a look?”

“I’m sure whatever Thorn chose will be fine.”

“What if you’ve already seen it?” Cole pressed.

Josh wasn’t sure what he was getting so twisted up in knots about until the alpha said, “Or what if you know someone in it?”

“You mean, what if I’ve had a bad experience with someone who’s in it?” he said flatly.

“We just don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” Oliver said.

“I’m not made of glass,” he grumbled. “If I don’t want to watch the movie, I’ll leave. I won’t make you change your plans because of me.”

“That kind of takes away from the whole point of you spending time with the pack,” Brax pointed out.

Josh felt like he was dealing with a posse of first-time directors. So anxious about doing a good job that they tried to micromanage every moment.

“It would really help if you could all relax a bit. I’m not going to decide whether I join the pack or not based on Thorn’s taste in movies.”

There was a stunned silence as Zane and Duke carried in bowls of popcorn.

“I should certainly hope not,” Zane said. “Thorn has terrible taste in films.”

“Hey, I heard that,” Thorn groused, following them in with stacks of glasses and cans of beer and soda.

“Good to know you’re not going deaf,” Zane said. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”

He grinned at Josh, and Josh smiled back, relaxing a little. That was what he needed, people at ease, happy to joke and insult each other. Not walking on eggshells around him, afraid the wrong word might set him off.

The others grabbed seats around the room. Duke sat on the couch to Josh’s right, next to Oliver. Zane and Thorn settled on the floor in front of Cole and Josh. They turned the lights down, passed around the drinks and popcorn, and sat back to watch. The first half-hour of the movie was engaging, full of excitement and explosions. And then it became a tense game of cat and mouse.

At some point, Josh’s concentration broke, and he realized he was surrounded by virtual strangers, most of them alphas, all people with expectations of him. A panicky sensation started in his chest, like pins and needles. He glanced toward the door, but there were two people between him and the exit. His heart rate kicked up a notch. Next to him, Cole shifted position, and Josh could feel the alpha’s gaze on him.

Without Josh saying anything, without Cole uttering a word, the group around him moved. Thorn, who’d been sitting on the floor leaning back against the couch right next to Josh, swapped places with Zane, and Duke moved to the other end of his couch, leaving Oliver next to Josh. Their changing positions also left a clear path to the door. If he wanted to leave, there was no one in his way.

The anxiety in his chest eased, and Cole leaned toward him, bumping his shoulder. Josh noticed how the alpha didn’t put an arm around him, subtly ensuring that he didn’t feel trapped or confined. He slowly calmed down, seeing their reaction as more than proof of their sincerity. It was a clear sign of how close they all were with each other, and how in tune they were with him, that they hadn’t had to say a word. They knew instinctively what he needed, and they gave it to him.

Later, as he walked home with Cole, the alpha’s arm around him, he brought it up. He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed that he’d panicked over watching a movie. But Cole waved it off like it was no big deal.

“We’ve all had bad days,” he said. “Bad moments. Yours are no different.”

“You were in the army. You’ve seen war. I think that might be a little different.”

“Look at it this way,” Cole said. “You’d do the same for me, right?”

“Of course.”

He felt better hearing it put like that, as if it was give and take. He didn’t want to be seen as the weak link, the one they had to tiptoe around for fear that he might break.

“Your pack is pretty awesome,” he told Cole. He meant every word.

“Yeah, they are,” Cole agreed with a grin. “And I’m glad you think so.”

* * *

Josh woke alone in Cole’s bed the next morning, finding a note from the alpha that he was at the packhouse, he’d be home soon, and that there was breakfast waiting for him in the kitchen. He sat up and stretched, welcoming the day.

He dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt and padded into the kitchen, smiling at the bowl of granola, milk, and honey set out on the table. He pulled out a chair, ready to sit down, when he heard the sound of a vehicle arriving. Cole hadn’t said anything about a delivery, but maybe he’d forgotten. Breakfast would have to wait.

There was urgent knocking on the front door before he reached it.

“Coming,” he called, hurrying to open it. “Cole’s not here—” He pulled the door open only to freeze halfway, spying a familiar and unwelcome face.

“Good,” Stewart said. “Wouldn’t want anyone interfering, would we, Joey? You and I need to have a little talk.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Cole found himself awake just after dawn the next morning. The nightmare had been stark but mercifully short. Josh lay sleeping next to him, looking relaxed and peaceful. Cole wished he could find peace like that. And maybe, with Josh and his pack’s help, he could.

He made breakfast for Josh and left a note for the omega before hiking over to the packhouse. There, he found Brax in the garden with Nate, Alice, the three boys, and two of the cubs.

“Morning,” Brax called. “Joining us for breakfast? Kira’s making her special scrambled eggs on toast.”

“Sounds tempting,” Cole said, “but I’ll pass this time.”

Brax took a closer look at him, then handed the cub in his arms off to Nate.

“Take a walk with me?” he asked.

“Sure,” Cole said, relieved that he didn’t have to ask.

They wandered into the woods, taking a winding path through the forest.

“You look like you could use a good night’s sleep,” Brax said. “And I’m the one with four small cubs.”

“Yeah,” Cole said, forcing out a laugh. “Nightmares, you know?”

“I know,” Brax said quietly. “Anything in particular on your mind?”

Cole blew out a breath and pushed through his reluctance to talk.

“Dutchy and Andy. They’ve been in my thoughts a lot lately.”

Brax glanced over at him. “That have anything to do with Joshua?”

“Yeah. I think maybe it does. And it doesn’t.”

Brax stayed silent, leaving space for him to talk.

“I told Josh something. Something I should have told you a long time ago. But…”

“But I was a mess. You knew it, even if you didn’t know why. I’m sorry, Cole. I should have been there for you.”

“You were barely keeping your own head above water, Brax. You couldn’t hold me up too.”

Brax stopped walking and turned to him.

“Well, I’m here now. Maybe it’s time to get it off your chest?”

Cole took a breath and just came out with it.

“The bunker door took eight seconds to seal. I timed it.”

“Okay.” Brax frowned and waited for him to continue.

“Jackson’s countdown was at ten when I shut the door.”

“You couldn’t wait any longer,” Brax agreed. “Two seconds is not a large margin of error.”

Cole took another deep, hitched breath. “Dutchy and Andy made it back. I saw them, just before I closed the door.”

His hands were shaking, his breaths growing shallower.

“They reached it before the explosion went off. I— I heard them.”

Hands banging on the metal, voices calling. Just for a split second before—

Brax was suddenly right in front of him, one hand on Cole’s shoulder, the other cupping his face.

“If that door wasn’t sealed when the explosion hit, all three of you would be dead right now. And Zane, at the top of the stairs. And many of the civilians on the floor above. We weren’t even halfway through the evacuation.”

Cole met Brax’s eyes, shaking his head.

“I could have got them out and closed the door.”

Brax shook his shoulder.

“But not sealed it,” he said, his voice low and insistent. “Not airtight. The explosion wouldn’t have been contained. We couldn’t have been sure that what they were cooking up in that bunker was destroyed.”

Cole knew, he knew, and yet…

“They were right there, Brax. Right there. And I… I…”

“You saved the world. It came at a fucking high cost. To you, to us, to Dutchy, Andy, and Jackson. But you made the right call. No one ever said being a hero was easy.”

Cole snorted at that. “Hero is just a word people throw around to make themselves feel better for sending other people into danger and expecting them to come out in one piece on the other side.”

“Doesn’t make what you did any less important, no matter what name you put on it.”

Cole tried to look away, but Brax wouldn’t let him.

“I can’t stop seeing their faces, seeing the look in their eyes as I shut that door,” he admitted.

“They knew,” Brax said softly. “They were aware of every detail, every risk, just like you were. If it had been you inside the bunker and them on the other side of that door, what would you say to them now?”

Cole thought about that for a moment. “I’d want them to know that they made the right choice, that it wasn’t their fault, and that I didn’t blame them.”

He couldn’t get absolution from his dead teammates. But it wasn’t them he needed it from. He had to forgive himself.

“It could have been any one of us, Cole. Any one of us at that door, any one of us trapped behind it.”

Cole had wished many times that he’d been on the other side of that door, but less so in recent weeks and months. He’d started to remember what it was to have something to live for.

“This isn’t a burden you should have carried alone,” Brax said, his eyes sorrowful.

“We’ve all carried burdens,” Cole insisted. “You got the raw end of the deal where that was concerned, not me.”

“Let’s not argue over who had it worse. It was crap for all of us, and I’m sorry you felt you couldn’t come to me.”

“I’m here now.”

“Yeah.” Brax grinned. “And I’m glad.”

They heard shouts from the house.

“Breakfast is ready,” Brax said. “Are you sure you won’t join us?”

“Josh is waiting, and I’ve got to take care of the horses. Next time,” he promised.

“Tomorrow,” Brax countered. “Bring Josh.”

Cole agreed readily.

He left for the cottage, a lightness in his step. Josh had been right—it had felt good to tell someone, someone who was there, who understood.

His happy mood faded when he heard yelling—Josh’s voice. He took off running toward the cottage, racing around the side of the house and toward the front.

He was greeted by the sight of Stewart trying to force Josh into his car, the omega twisting, turning, and fighting him off. There was blood running down Josh’s face. Cole ran at them, belatedly seeing what Stewart had in his other hand—a gun.

He reacted before Stewart even saw him coming, grabbing the arm holding the gun and forcing it away. With his other hand, he grasped Stewart’s wrist, forcibly separating him from Josh.

“Run, Josh!” he yelled.

The omega didn’t need to be told twice, his footsteps racing away around the cottage, leaving Cole with only Stewart and the gun to worry about. The agent was stronger than he looked, emboldened by the rage Cole could see on his face.

“Get the fuck off me,” Stewart growled. “That omega is mine.”

The gun went off, the sound surprising them both. But whereas Stewart wasn’t used to gunfire, Cole barely blinked. He snatched the gun from Stewart’s hand and tossed it aside, punching the agent in the face for good measure. And then he threw him face down on the ground, getting a knee into his back and pinning his arms behind him.

“And stay down,” he grunted, reaching for his phone.

Thorn was his first port of call, the alpha promising to be right over and to call Brax and the local police. The sheriff wouldn’t be happy to see Cole’s face again, but at least he was on the right side of this one.

Conscious of the fact that Stewart was recovering enough to try to fight him off, and worried about Josh, Cole pulled the keys to Stewart’s car from the agent’s pocket. Then he dragged Stewart to his feet and over to the trunk. He popped it open, tossed Stewart inside, and slammed it shut again before he had a chance to try to get out. Then Cole leaned his weight on it and waited for the cavalry.

Thorn arrived on his motorcycle a few minutes later, pulling up next to him.

“You’ve got him in the trunk?” Thorn asked, trying not to smile.

“He had a gun, Thorn. And he had Josh. I’m not taking chances here.”

“Well, the deputy is on his way. I’ve got Stewart. You go check on Josh.”

Cole clapped Thorn on the shoulder and ran around the house, searching for the omega’s trail. He stopped and called the packhouse.

Oliver answered.

“Did Josh get to you?”

“No, there’s no sign of him. Brax and Duke are on their way to you.”

“Okay. Call me if he turns up.”

It was then that Cole spotted Josh’s clothes on the ground. Okay, the omega had shifted. Which meant he was covering a lot less ground than a running human. But he’d be better able to hide. Smart choice.

Cole took off toward the woods but paused when he saw blood drops on the ground leading to the stables. He ran in that direction.

“Josh?”

There was no answer to his call, and as he stepped inside, all seemed quiet.

“Josh?” he called again.

He was just about to leave when he noticed that Thunder seemed oddly restless. If it had been Ginny, he wouldn’t have paid much mind. But Thunder…

Crossing the stables, he peered into Thunder’s stall. There, at the back, he spied a hedgehog huddled under a small mound of hay. It was a good hiding place for a scared omega, but not a safe one for a hedgehog. A kick from Thunder could easily injure or kill Josh in his fragile shifter form.

“Hi, Thunder,” he said softly as he opened the stall door. “How about you go and head on out into the paddock? It’s a nice day out there, I’m sure you’d like to see it.”

Thunder tossed his head unhappily but trotted forward, not needing any encouragement once he spotted the open stable door.

Once he was out, Cole let the stall door fall closed and leaned against it.

“Hey there, Josh,” he greeted softly. “It’s okay to come out now. Stewart’s been handled, the pack is here, and the police will be arriving any minute. You’re safe. You can change back any time you’re ready.”

It would be better if Josh was back in human form before the police arrived, but Cole wasn’t going to rush him.

Turning his back to give the omega some privacy, he took off his jacket and hung it over the stall door.

“I’ll leave this here for you,” he added, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

He didn’t have long to wait before he heard soft footsteps and the swish of material as Josh slipped his jacket on. He glanced around to find Josh watching him, wide-eyed. There was a bruise on his cheek, his lip was split, and his face was tear-stained.

Cole pulled open the stall door and opened his arms, letting Josh come to him. The omega all but threw himself into his embrace, letting out a sob as he clung to Cole.

“I’ve got you,” Cole promised. “You’re safe.”

Hearing more cars arrive outside, he led Josh out toward the cottage. Brax and Oliver met them at the door, Oliver going inside ahead of them to get Josh some clothes.

“Police are here,” Brax said, nodding to the front. “They’re busy dealing with Stewart, but they’ll want to talk to you both any minute now.”

“They can wait until he’s dressed,” Cole said, taking the clothes Oliver returned with.

It didn’t take long to get Josh into a T-shirt and pants, the omega shivering like he’d been dunked in ice.

By the time the deputy stepped inside, they had Josh on the couch in the living room, curled up and clutching a blanket.

The deputy’s eyes softened on seeing Josh.

“This the victim?” he asked carefully.

“Yes. Deputy Thomas, this is Joshua. Josh, do you feel up to answering some questions?”

“I’ll try,” Josh said shakily. “It all happened so fast.”

Cole took a seat on one side of him, and Oliver on the other. The deputy kept his questions short and to the point. Cole filled in any blanks he could, then took over with his part of the story. By the time they’d finished, the deputy’s face was grim.

“Well, that’s quite a list of charges this guy’s going to be facing. They’ll be given more weight considering that the crimes happened on pack land.”

“If I might have a word with you outside, Deputy,” Oliver said, getting to his feet. “There’s a deeper history to this situation and some charges already standing that might have played a part in what happened here today. Maybe I could bring you up to speed and pass you on the contact details of the other police agency involved?”

Cole was immensely glad Oliver and the others were there to handle that, clearheaded and keeping their cool. All he could think of right then was an overpowering need to protect Josh from further harm.

Josh’s calm quiet was eerie at first. Cole just held him close, stroked his hands along Josh’s arms and back, and talked to him now and then.

Slowly, he came out of the haze of shock he’d fallen into—looking around more, tugging at the blanket around his shoulders, squeezing Cole’s hand.

“That was some knight in shining armor routine,” the omega said suddenly. “He had a gun and everything, and you just ran right at him.”

Cole gave a laugh of relief and hugged him tighter. “He’ll never touch you again, Josh. I swear it.”

“I believe you,” Josh murmured. “I’m safe, because of you.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Josh woke to find himself in Cole’s arms, laid out in the alpha’s bed. Something had changed, he could feel it. As he lay there, mulling it over, Cole’s nose pressed against the nape of his neck. The alpha inhaled deeply, making a rough noise of contentment as he woke.

“Josh?”

He sounded sleep-addled but curious. So Josh wasn’t the only one who knew something was different. But what?

Josh turned in Cole’s arms, a smile on his face, ready to greet the alpha. And then it hit him.

“Fuck. I’m in heat.”

It was like an icy bucket of water thrown over him, dousing the warm comfort from moments before. He jumped out of bed and ran for the bathroom, slamming the door closed and locking it. He stayed there, pressed against it, breathing hard. This couldn’t be happening, could it? Not now. Not yet.

He felt another unmistakable wave of lust run through his body, making him shudder right down to his toes. Oh yeah, this was happening alright.

There was a knock on the door, and he jerked back, eyes wide.

“Josh?” Cole said quietly, his voice rough with sleep. “It’s just me. Can I come in?”

“I need a minute,” he called back, hating how his voice cracked. “Or a week,” he muttered, letting his forehead rest against the door.

Talk about bad timing. What was he going to do now?

“Hey,” Cole said softly. “I know you’ve had a really horrible few weeks, and maybe this just seems like another problem piling on.”

Josh snorted at that. That’s exactly what this was. No ‘seems’ about it.

“But it doesn’t have to change anything. Not if you don’t want it to. Please, Josh. Come out, have some breakfast, and we’ll talk this through.”

Josh was far from ready to face Cole, not in his present condition.

“I think I’ll stay put, thanks all the same.”

“Josh—”

“Back off, Cole. This is me asking for space, not to be pestered with twenty questions.”

There was a short, heavy silence.

“Okay. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me. Or if you want to go back to bed, I won’t disturb you.”

Josh didn’t believe that. The second there wasn’t a locked door between them, Cole would be by his side, checking on him. That thought gave him pause. Other alphas would be testing the waters, seeing if Josh was up for sharing his heat, getting pushy about it. Cole wasn’t like that. He’d make it clear what he wanted, but he’d never assume his needs superseded Josh’s. It was refreshing for all that it could be annoying sometimes.

After another few minutes of leaning against the door, Josh pushed away and started the shower. He turned the heat down to barely warm, wanting the chance to clear his head. As he undressed, he caught sight of his face in the mirror and stepped closer, confused by what he was seeing—his bruises and cuts from yesterday looked better, not worse. As if they were well on their way to healing up.

By the time he stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around himself, he could hear a new voice in the cottage. He moved closer to the door and listened, his ear pressed to the wood. It was Oliver.

Deciding then and there that he wasn’t the kind of omega who hid in bathrooms just because he’d gone into heat, he forced himself to open the door and walk casually down the corridor to his room. Before he reached it, Oliver’s voice called out.

“Josh?”

He stopped and peeked over his shoulder. “Hi. Cole called you?”

Oliver shrugged. “He called Brax, Brax called me. And here I am.”

“Alphas are such worriers.”

That got a grin from Oliver. “You’re telling me. Want to talk?”

“No… but also kind of yes.”

“Then lead the way.”

They wound up sitting side by side on the edge of Josh’s bed. If Oliver noticed the bed hadn’t been slept in, he didn’t comment on it. Josh let the silence build as he tried to decide what he wanted to say. It wasn’t that it was hard to put his thoughts into words so much as that he didn’t want to start the conversation, afraid of where it might lead.

“I’m fucking everything up,” he got out eventually.

Oliver gave him a sideways glance. “Because you’re in heat?”

“Now is not the time for this.”

“I can see why you might think it’s not ideal. But your body obviously disagrees.”

“Obviously,” Josh scoffed, “my body is a crazy, backstabbing traitor.”

Oliver choked a little at his words, his eyebrows shooting up into his hairline.

“I have to admit, I can kind of see the logic,” he said.

That got Josh’s attention.

“Logic? What kind of warped logic are we talking about here?”

“It’s not as crazy as you seem to think. Yesterday, Stewart tried to take you away by force. Cole stepped in and saved you. Comforted you afterward. Your body saw a threat, followed by a strong, stable, protective alpha. It’s trying to stake its claim.”

Josh didn’t see it like that at all.

“So this isn’t my body being weak? Betraying me?”

“How so?” Oliver questioned.

“Two shifters fought over me, and now my body is saying ‘to the victor go the spoils?’”

“If Stewart had managed to take you, you wouldn’t be in heat right now. It doesn’t work like that.”

“Are you sure?” He certainly wasn’t.

“Yeah, I am. I’ve done a lot of reading around this since joining the pack. Spontaneous heats happen in reaction to something that triggers a big emotional response. But it’s not triggered by the negative emotions—the fear that you felt yesterday with Stewart. It’s triggered by the positive stuff—the relief, the comfort, the love—that you felt toward Cole afterward. It’s often misunderstood because the two events, the trauma and the resolution, are so closely linked. But in the absence of trauma, spontaneous heats still happen. Like when an alpha and omega are reunited after a long period of separation, the rush of happiness and good feelings that comes with that can be enough to trigger a heat.”

Oliver seemed so certain, his argument so logical, that Josh started to feel a whole lot better about it. As much as the stark fear from yesterday was at the forefront of his mind, it was that moment in Cole’s arms that he felt strongest about—safe, protected, loved.

“What do I do now, then?” he asked, hoping Oliver would have all the answers and not just the lore. But he knew it was cheating to expect the omega to be his guru of all things in his relationship with Cole.

“Now, you and Cole have breakfast and talk things over. Decide together what you want to do. It’s… early in your relationship for a heat, and a pack mating, and all that implies.”

Josh wondered what it did imply, other than him joining the pack.

“So you’re saying maybe I should see out this heat alone?”

“No, I’m definitely not saying that. Just because it’s sooner than you might have planned, doesn’t make it the wrong thing for both of you. It doesn’t mean it’s the right thing, either, but you two have to decide that for yourselves.”

Josh mused on that, nodding slowly. “I guess Cole and I do have a lot to talk about.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Oliver said. “Call me anytime, night or day. Especially if you have questions after you and Cole talk.”

“Thanks, Oliver,” he said, catching the omega’s hand in his.

“It’s no problem. Have a good heat, whatever you decide.”

Oliver left Josh to get dressed and was gone by the time he wandered into the kitchen. Cole stood with his back to the sink, his fingers drumming against the counter.

“I’ve got pancakes warming in the oven,” the alpha said. “If you’re hungry.”

“Famished,” Josh admitted.

It wasn’t long before they were sitting at the table, digging in. Cole kept sneaking glances at him, worry in his eyes.

“Maybe we should approach this in a ‘rip the band-aid off’ kind of way,” Josh suggested. “Give me the worst of it, quick bullet points.”

“Worst of it?”

“Whatever it is you’re afraid to tell me because you think it’ll scare me off. Oliver kind of prepared me that this wasn’t your ordinary ‘hey, want to share my heat and have lots of great sex’ conversation.”

“Right,” Cole said awkwardly. “I guess it’s not. Okay, highlights of a heat when pack mating is a possibility. First off, mating bonds in a pack are pretty much unbreakable barring the death of a spouse or child.”

“Okay,” Josh said, swallowing hard. “I can see why that might be the case.”

Cole plowed on.

“There’s a really high chance of falling pregnant, with multiples. It’ll be an ultra-short pregnancy. Closer to three months instead of nine or ten, and you’ll be pretty uncomfortable for the second half. Oliver spent most of his last trimester in shifter form.”

Josh stayed silent for a long, long moment.

“You’re not joking, are you?”

“It’s just how it is with packs. Bonding is a serious commitment—”

“No, I mean… Oliver was only pregnant for three months with those four cubs.”

“Uh-huh. It’s very unusual to get pregnant a second time. You’ll have plenty more heats, they’re all about alpha-omega bonding, but babies chiefly only happen the once.”

“I guess I can see the benefits of getting it all over and done with. But four is a lot of kids.”

“Protectors and Keepers father fewer, usually. The further away you are from the center of the pack, the fewer cubs in a litter.”

“Huh, okay. I guess that makes sense.” He glanced at Cole’s apprehensive face. “How do you feel about all this?”

Cole reached across the table and took his hand.

“I’m ready to do this,” he promised. “It’s what I want. But that doesn’t mean it has to happen now. The choice is, and will always be, in your hands.”

“I knew you’d put it like that.” He thought it over. “So if we went ahead, in a few days we’d be properly mated, with a bond and everything?”

“Sure, and probably a few babies on the way.”

“Well, it’s not like I have anything better to do,” he joked.

“Are you sure?” Cole asked. “There’s all those opportunities for Keepers we’ve been talking about…”

“I wouldn’t make a good military anchor or a nurse, I don’t think. But I could be good for your pack. I could help out just by being myself. I feel I have a purpose when I’m with you all, that I belong. I like how that feels.”

But he knew Cole needed to hear more than that.

“And then there’s you. I… I want to be with you, Cole. I love waking up beside you every morning, doing chores side-by-side, arguing, laughing. I love all of it. I love you.”

Cole stood up, rounded the table, and crouched next to Josh’s chair.

“I love you, too.”

“Then what the hell are we waiting for? Bed, now.”

He jumped out of his seat and into Cole’s arms. The alpha lifted him easily, and Josh wrapped his legs around Cole’s waist. Their journey from kitchen to bedroom took far longer than it should have, both of them distracted, kissing and tugging off each other’s clothes.

Finally, Cole’s bed was within view.

“Are you sure about this?” Cole said, drawing Josh’s underwear down his legs. “We could grab condoms; I could help you through it. No mating, no bond, no babies.”

Josh wrapped his arms around Cole’s neck and kissed him until they were both breathless.

“I want this,” he promised the alpha, holding Cole’s gaze. “I want all of it.”

He thought Cole would lie him down on the bed but instead, the alpha stretched out on his back.

“You wanted to do all the work this time, right?” the alpha teased.

Josh grinned, happy to accept the challenge. He straddled Cole’s legs, pressing his hands against the alpha’s thighs as he bent down. Cole was rapidly growing hard, his cock pressing upward. Josh pressed a kiss to the base, licked a long, slow line up along the shaft and took just the head of Cole’s cock into his mouth, teasing with his tongue and sucking lightly. Cole was rock hard within seconds, and Josh pulled away with a satisfied smile.

“Oh, fuck,” Cole said. “If you do that again, I’ll lose it.”

“Can’t have that,” Josh said with a teasing frown. “We haven’t gotten to the main event yet.”

He reached a hand behind him, ready to ease himself open, but Cole’s hand on his arm stopped him.

“Let me,” the alpha said. “Please.”

Josh nodded and scooted forward. Cole slipped a hand behind his head, his fingers kneading at the nape of Josh’s neck. His other hand dipped lower, prompting Josh to throw his head back and moan when the alpha pushed a finger inside him. His heat had made him wet, but he still felt every inch of the stretch when Cole pressed a second finger inside. A third had him anxious for more, and he glanced down at the alpha’s waiting cock eagerly, pushing back against Cole’s hand as he did.

“I need more, Cole,” he begged.

“Well, you know where to find it,” Cole said, easing his fingers free.

Josh pressed a hand to Cole’s hips, pushing himself up as he grasped hold of Cole’s cock. The alpha’s hands went around his waist, steadying him but letting Josh have all the control.

His eyes found Cole’s as he slowly lowered himself. His breath hitched as the head of the alpha’s cock slipped inside, Cole’s eyes widening.

“You feel incredible,” the alpha whispered. “So good, Josh. Taking all of me like it’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t feel like nothing,” Josh panted out.

It felt like pressure and pain and wonderful pleasure all wrapped up together. His body was tight and unyielding at first, until it slowly gave way. He felt the press of the alpha’s balls against his skin and closed his eyes, giving himself a minute to adjust. When he tightened around the alpha, it drew a low moan from Cole.

“If you do that again,” Cole warned hoarsely, “I think I’ll come then and there.”

Josh grinned down at him. “I’ll save it for the grand finale.”

Cole’s hands found his and held onto them tightly.

“Ready?” Josh asked.

“For what?” Cole teased.

“Well, I was planning on riding you until you came harder than you’ve ever come. But if you’ve got a better idea...”

Cole’s breath hitched. “No, no. Far be it from me to stand between an omega and his plan.”

In answer, Josh pushed himself up off Cole and sank back down. The alpha groaned and pressed his head back, his hips thrusting up to chase Josh as he pushed up again.

“Not one to just lie there and take it?” Josh teased.

“I like the chase,” Cole admitted.

Josh leaned down and pressed a kiss to Cole’s lips. “Then catch me.”

He started riding Cole in earnest, crying out each and every time the alpha’s cock brushed against that spot inside him. Pleasure built and built within him, leaving him desperate for more. Cole’s hands found his hips, holding Josh steady while the alpha thrust upward, again and again, meeting every push of Josh’s body. They were in sync, a hot and heavy dance of their bodies.

“Josh.” The tension in the alpha’s body told him he was as close to the edge as Josh was.

On Cole’s next thrust, he tightened his body around the alpha, crying out as Cole came with a rough shout. Josh’s own release was a moment slower, building up and up until it crashed over him, a heady pleasure that knocked all thoughts from his head.

He found himself drawn down into Cole’s arms, the alpha pressing kisses to every patch of skin he could reach. Josh let himself sink into the embrace, laughing softly at the thought that this was just the start of something amazing.

Chapter Thirty-Three

It was late, and they’d been trying to sleep for over an hour, but Cole could see it just wasn’t happening for Josh.

“What do you need?”

Josh just shook his head, throwing an arm over his eyes.

Cole knew the early stages of heat could be like that, making an omega uncomfortable in their skin without providing a clear path to relief.

“Can I try something?”

Josh squirmed around and let his arm fall away.

“I don’t think I’m up for another round of sex. I’m so tired. I just can’t shut my mind and body off enough to sleep.”

“I wasn’t thinking sex, exactly. Just something to relax you. I’d do all the work; you’d just have to lie there.”

The omega nodded, lifting his head to follow Cole’s movement. “Sounds good to me. What did you have in— Oh.”

Cole tugged back the covers and slid down the bed until he was at eye level with Josh’s groin.

“This okay?”

Josh swallowed hard and laid his head back down on the pillow. “Very okay.”

Chuckling, Cole wrapped his fingers around the base of Josh’s shaft. He didn’t want to draw this out, didn’t want to tease the omega. Josh was exhausted, and his heat would only be stronger come morning. He needed relief and rest.

With a hum of anticipation, Cole opened his mouth and took Josh inside. The omega’s hips lifted off the bed as he moaned, long and low. Cole pressed down gently but firmly, needing as much control as he could get given the angle. His tongue teased the underside of Josh’s cock, groaning in pleasure at the taste. He hummed again, knowing how the vibrations would feel across the omega’s sensitive skin.

Josh panted above him, struggling to be still and not thrust upward. Once Cole was confident of his position, he eased his hand away from Josh’s hips and let him thrust up into his mouth, taking shallow breaths through his nose as his lips and tongue worked Josh carefully.

It didn’t take much for Josh to climax, a startled shout escaping the omega’s flushed lips. Cole caught his hips to still him as he swallowed around Josh, slowly pulling back.

He glanced up at his soon-to-be mate, finding Josh floppy and relaxed against the mattress. He pushed up the bed to lie with him, tugging Josh to lie with his head pressed against Cole’s chest, right over his heart. Josh was asleep in minutes, his face peaceful, a calm settling over the room. It didn’t take long for Cole to follow suit, worn out by the day’s events and knowing that tomorrow held plenty more excitement.

* * *

Josh’s heat reached full swing early the next morning. In contrast to the restless first half of the night, he fell into a deep sleep for the second, waking after dawn. Cole hustled him out of bed and into the shower, climbing in with him. Josh’s groan of pleasure as the water cascaded over him went straight to Cole’s groin. He urged his body to calm, not wanting to get ahead of himself. They were all over each other in the shower, taking turns washing each other, soapy hands gliding across smooth skin.

Cole cupped Josh’s chin in his hand, running his thumb over the omega’s lips.

“You’re almost healed.”

“Yeah,” Josh said hoarsely, clearly distracted by Cole’s touch. “It’s weird, I’m normally much slower to heal.”

Frowning, Cole took a closer look.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Cole assured him. “I just think this might be your proximity to the pack. Tends to go hand in hand with faster healing.”

“But we’re not fully mated yet, are we?”

“Pack knows pack. Mate or not, I think we’ve claimed you as ours.”

Josh was quiet for another moment, and then he pushed up onto his tiptoes and kissed Cole’s lips.

“I want you to claim me,” he said. “I want to feel that I’m yours, inside and out.”

“All in good time,” Cole assured him.

“In good time better be soon,” Josh warned with a teasing grin. “An omega’s patience only stretches so far during a heat.”

In answer, Cole lifted Josh into his arms, urging the omega to wrap his legs around his waist. His half-hard cock pressed against Josh’s stomach, leaving the omega in no doubt about his feelings.

“An alpha’s patience isn’t limitless either. But let’s strike a bargain. Breakfast first, huh?” When Josh hesitated, he whispered, “I got cinnamon buns.”

Josh broke into a smile as he melted into Cole’s embrace. “Done. You are the best alpha.”

“You only like me for my buns,” Cole teased.

“And your cream cheese frosting,” Josh contended.

With some difficulty, he got Josh out of the shower, dried, and dressed. They sat at the kitchen table, but Josh’s mind was clearly on anything but the food. He could barely sit still, constantly reaching for Cole, running a hand up and down his arm as if to reassure himself that Cole was really there.

Finally, seeing he was fighting a losing battle, Cole lifted Josh into his lap. He wrapped an arm around his waist and held out a slice of sticky cinnamon bun.

“Food first,” he insisted. “Then sex. You need all the fuel you can get for the next few days. Oliver would tell you the same if he was here.”

“If Oliver was here,” Josh mused, “this would be a very different kind of party.”

Cole had no doubt Josh had been to parties like that, but he didn’t ask. The omega talked about his past when he wanted to, but Cole didn’t like to pry.

“Another few bites, Josh,” he coaxed, holding up the rest of the bun.

Josh took the sticky cake from his hands and proceeded to make the most sinful noises as he demolished it, squirming around on Cole’s lap as he did. It meant that, by the time they were done with breakfast, Cole was rock hard and more than ready for what came next. They stopped by the bathroom to wash off the worst of the stickiness, and then Cole held out his hand with a flourish.

“Your bed awaits,” he told Josh. He was determined to show the omega just how fulfilling sex and heat could be.

Josh grabbed his hand eagerly, seeming only too happy to follow his lead.

When they got to the bed, he shed his clothes and went to lie down. Cole stopped him.

“I was thinking something a little different. How about you kneel beside the headboard? That’ll give you something to hold onto.”

A shudder ran through Josh as he moved to his knees. Cole climbed up on the bed and slotted in behind him, running a hand through the omega’s hair before drawing his head forward. It revealed the nape of Josh’s neck, the stretch of skin there inviting and enticing.

Cole started with his fingers, light taps that had Josh closing his eyes and letting out little hums of pleasure. He pressed deeper, feeling for the edge of the mating gland, knowing he’d found it when Josh gasped loudly and pressed back into his hand.

With a low chuckle, he kneaded deeper, pulling a long moan from Josh, whose hands were fisted against his thighs.

“Good?” Cole asked.

All Josh managed was an incoherent mumble that became a strangled moan when Cole replaced fingers with lips, kissing the nape of Josh’s neck and sucking the skin lightly.

From the way Josh just couldn’t keep still, his hips jerking with every panted breath, Cole knew he was ready. He slid his hands down Josh’s arms, grasping the omega’s hands in his, and urged him forward to wrap his fingers around the headboard.

“Just to give you something to anchor to,” he murmured.

Josh gripped the wooden frame loosely, his body pliant as Cole’s hands found his hips, urging his knees and thighs just that bit wider.

“Ready?”

“Yes,” Josh breathed.

Cole pushed forward, pressing inside with one smooth thrust. Josh’s hands tightened around the headboard as the omega cried out, pushing back against him.

There was no mistaking what Josh wanted, what he needed. Cole pulled back and thrust in again, settling his own hands on the headboard right next to Josh’s.

Each time he plunged inside Josh, the omega’s vocal calls of pleasure filled the air around him. Cole thrust faster, harder, watching how Josh’s hands took such a tight hold that his knuckles turn white.

As the heat built up between them, Cole let go of the headboard and wrapped his arms around Josh instead, drawing him upright. It changed the angle between them, making each thrust deeper but with less force behind it. It gave Cole better control of the pace for what came next, though it meant Josh had only him to rely on for balance.

Josh reached his hands back, clinging to whatever part of Cole he could reach, seeking to ground himself. Cole gradually sped his thrusts back up, easing a hand down to stroke Josh’s cock while his other arm crossed Josh’s shoulders.

“I’m so close, Cole,” Josh panted. “Any second now and I’ll—”

Cole redoubled his efforts, kissing Josh’s neck as the omega’s body tightened around him. With one final thrust, he bit down gently on Josh’s nape, and they climaxed together. Josh went perfectly still in his arms, his head thrown back as he cried out, his whole body arched toward Cole as Cole’s own orgasm washed over him. He could feel the pulse point beneath his mouth on Josh’s neck, could feel the way the omega’s body tightened reflexively around his cock, milking every moment of pleasure from him. It felt like it went on forever, the pleasure slowly ebbing away, leaving every inch of Cole’s skin tingling.

As he released Josh’s skin, he pressed a soothing kiss to it, loving the little sound of contentment that pulled from Josh. Mated and bonded, something he had long doubted he’d be lucky enough to have.

Josh sank back against him, boneless, his face a picture of pleasure. Cole let them both fall back against the bed, rolling him onto his side.

“Josh,” he murmured. “Doing okay?”

“Ask me when my brain turns back on,” the omega mumbled. “I think I blew a fuse.”

That was answer enough for Cole. As Josh drowsed, he let his hand skim up and down the omega’s body, marveling that he was lucky enough to find a love like this.

* * *

Waking was followed by another round of sex, and then their first visitors. They heard Oliver before they saw him, the omega giving them plenty of warning before he poked his head in the door.

“Good, you’re awake.”

“Sort of,” Cole said, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

“We brought food.” Oliver gave Cole a significant look. “Zane’s got it in the kitchen.”

Taking that as his cue to make himself scarce for a few minutes, he kissed Josh on the lips and then got out of bed. He paused to pull on some sweatpants and padded past Oliver. The door closed behind him, and he imagined the two omegas, thick as thieves, discussing the ins and outs of the heat and how it was going. He hoped he was measuring up.

Zane was standing in the kitchen, unloading plastic boxes and bags.

“We weren’t sure what you two would like, so we brought a mixture,” he said. “How’s it going?”

“Good, I think. It feels like we’ve bonded.”

Zane grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s great news, really and truly.”

“How are the horses? I should get a chance to go and check on them later.”

“Thorn and I have got it covered,” Zane promised. “They’re doing fine. Well, Ginny was a little peevish with Thorn, but that’s normal for her.”

“That’s normal for anyone dealing with Thorn,” Cole joked.

“He and Brax have also been keeping an extra watch on the periphery, what with you being otherwise engaged.”

“Thanks,” Cole said. “I appreciate it.”

He grabbed two plates from the cupboard and started putting together some food he thought Josh would like. Nothing too fancy or messy, something they could eat easily. While he was doing that, Oliver arrived, Josh on his heels. Both omegas were smiling.

“All okay?” Cole asked.

They shared a look, their smiles growing.

“Sounds like you two are having a good time,” Oliver said. “We brought protein shakes for Josh. It might be an easier way to get food in over the next few days.”

“Thanks, I’ll make sure he gets them,” Cole said.

“Then we’ll leave you to it,” Oliver said, gesturing to Zane. “You know where we are if you need us.”

And then they were gone, leaving Josh and Cole alone again.

“Should I make you up a shake?” Cole asked, spying one of the packets.

“I think I’d prefer some of that right now,” Josh countered, pointing to the plate Cole was making up. He yawned loudly, wavering a little on his feet.

“Head back to bed. I’ll bring the food to you,” Cole said.

“Dinner in bed,” Josh teased. “Sounds like heaven.”

“Let’s hope it tastes like it.”

He went ahead and made a shake for good measure, deciding it wouldn’t do any harm to have one on hand. Then he gathered up all the food and beverages and carried them into the bedroom. Josh was dozing, but he woke with a smile when Cole settled back into bed.

“Yum, that looks great,” he said as Cole set a plate of cubed cheese and fruit between them. The omega ate some but tired quickly. Cole took over, picking up pieces of cheese and slices of fruit and holding them to Josh’s lips. He ate each one with little happy moans. When he went so far as to lick the juice from Cole’s fingers, Cole knew they didn’t have long before the next round. He set the plates aside, coaxed Josh into drinking a few mouthfuls of the shake, then let the omega roll him onto his back, catching his chin and pressing a kiss to his lips. This would certainly be a heat to remember.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Josh sat next to Cole in the back of the car, tugging nervously at his shirt as they pulled up to the entrance of the courthouse. Cole and Oliver had helped him choose his outfit, but no matter how many times they assured him it was suitable, he still felt like his growing pregnancy was obvious. It wasn’t that he didn’t want anyone to know he was pregnant. He just didn’t want Stewart or Stewart’s lawyer to know that little detail. Or the media, for that matter.

In the month since he and Cole had mated, his body had gone through a rapid set of changes that had left him dizzy, and a little disconcerted. When he found himself avoiding looking in the mirror every morning, he finally broke down and talked to Kira. What she said made a heap of sense—his former career had placed a lot of importance on his looks, his body, and having that change in ways beyond his control was scary. He wasn’t sure he’d ever grow to love the pregnant look, but he was excited for what it meant for him and Cole.

“There’s quite the crowd out there,” Oliver said from the front. “I can call security, see about them letting us in around the side. They might make an exception, especially for someone in your condition.”

Josh lifted his head and took in the mob of people.

“No. I won’t hide from this. How many other omegas in bad situations are going to be watching this? I want them to see me walk in there with my head held high.”

“Well said,” Cole murmured. “Even if I’d much prefer to get you inside the safest way possible.”

Josh patted the alpha’s hand in reassurance. This was just the first hearing, where Stewart would enter his plea. It didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but since it was unlikely Josh would be able to attend too many other hearings in person over the next few months, he wanted to be there for this one.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked Cole. “I don’t mean us running the gauntlet out there. I mean hanging around in the courtroom for this. They’re going to run through the list of charges, in detail. You might not want to hear all that.”

And with the person who’d hurt him, who’d put him in danger, so close at hand, he worried a little about Cole’s ability to keep himself in check.

Cole cupped his cheek. “Trust me,” he said quietly. “I’m here for you, I won’t leave your side. And Brax and Oliver are here for both of us.”

Josh relaxed at that. “I know. I just don’t want to put you through more than you or I can handle.” This trial was going to stretch them both to their limits, even if it was the right thing to do.

“Ready?” Brax asked as they came to a stop outside. The gathered crowd peered through the windows at them as security guards came down the steps, clearing a path.

“As we’ll ever be,” Josh said.

Cole and Brax got out first. Josh followed Cole, while Brax went around the car to get Oliver. The crowd around them pressed in.

“Joey, is it true that you’ve—”

“Joey, Stewart Bozdale says you’re a liar. Have you any response to that?”

Cole’s arm went around him, the alpha supporting him but not hiding him away from prying eyes. It buffered him from the glare of the camera lights, the shouts, and the stares as they headed up and into the courthouse. Josh didn’t let himself huddle into Cole’s side—he forced himself to stand up straight, to keep his head up, and his eyes forward.

“Joshua,” a voice called from up ahead of them. “The Omega Actors Guild stands with you.”

Startled at hearing his full name, he glanced that way to see a group of omegas with banners. He knew at least one of those faces, giving them a smile and a nod as he walked by. So he had some supporters out in the world. Small a group as they might be, it was far better than nothing.

They got inside and were directed to a small side room. True to every experience he’d had of the court system so far, they sat and waited.

Nine o’clock became ten. Became ten-thirty. Cole and Brax took turns pacing the room. Tired of watching them, Josh jumped to his feet.

“My turn,” he announced.

At their looks of bemusement, he added, “Alphas aren’t the only ones who can wear holes in the floor. Besides, my back is aching.”

He waved off their concern, distracting himself by walking back and forth across the floor, trying not to step on the edges of the tiles. That was a game he’d played back when he was a kid. No matter what group home he was in, there was always a tiled floor to play on.

It was almost eleven o’clock, and Josh was just starting to get hungry when Liam came in.

“What’s the delay?” Oliver asked.

“Good news,” Liam said. “I just heard from the prosecutor. Stewart has accepted a last-minute plea deal.”

Josh sat down with a thump. Was that good news?

“What does that mean?”

Liam took a seat opposite Josh.

“For you, it means no need to sit through a trial, no giving evidence, no being cross-examined. Not having the minutiae of your life torn apart up on the stand.”

“And for Stewart?”

“The most serious charge on the table meant an automatic twenty-five-year sentence if he was found guilty. The prosecutor agreed to drop that charge in return for Stewart accepting a fifteen-year sentence with the opportunity for parole after ten years. In exchange, he has to admit to everything in open court and give evidence against those others who were implicated in the investigation. If he fails to fulfill his end of the deal, he gets thirty years, no parole.”

Ten years? It sounded like a good deal—for Stewart.

“I know it doesn’t seem fair,” Oliver said. “But from what the detectives have hinted at, Stewart really is the lynchpin in all this. This way, a lot more bad guys get what’s coming to them, and a lot more omegas get justice. Stewart will never get the chance to hurt another omega; he’ll never work in the industry again when he gets out. His life is over. Yours is just beginning.”

Josh let his eyes close and nodded. “I think I’d like to end this chapter of my life,” he said, pressing a hand to his bump, “sooner rather than later. Besides, it’s not like I have a choice, is it?”

The criminal case was out of his hands. If the prosecutor thought this was for the best, then so be it.

“There is one decision you do get to make,” Liam said. “You still have the chance to make an impact statement, like we talked about.”

“When?”

“At the sentencing hearing, which will be in about… forty minutes.”

So soon? Josh had not planned or prepared to be doing any talking in the courtroom today. But it looked like this would be his only chance.

“Forty minutes? Okay. I’ll be ready.” Determined, he looked around the room.

“I’ve got pens and paper,” Oliver said. “We’ll get started right now.”

Cole squeezed Josh’s hand. “You’re doing great.”

“If someone gives you a voice, it seems wrong to waste it,” Josh told him.

It was almost an hour later before he stood on the stand, next to a stoic-faced judge and a sympathetic court transcriber. His hand shook where he gripped the paper, but his voice didn’t waver as he spoke. He kept it short, wanting it to be memorable and impactful, focusing on Stewart at the start but ending on a different note.

“I was fifteen when Stewart came and spirited me away,” he concluded. “I thought I was being rescued. If ever there was a sign that we live in a broken society, it’s when exploitation looks like rescue, because the alternatives were so much worse. Stewart was not, by far, the only one who failed me and the other omegas he took advantage of. The system failed us, society failed us. I hope we can learn from this and make things better for all of us.”

Stewart kept trying to meet his eyes, but Josh avoided his gaze, stepping down and rejoining Cole and the others.

Then it was Stewart’s turn to speak, to tell the truth about all he’d done.

“I want to start by saying how sorry I am…”

Josh couldn’t listen to it. Luckily, he didn’t have to. When he stood up, so did Cole, Brax, and Oliver. Stewart’s voice faltered. The four of them moved as a group, standing outside the courtroom until they heard the judge’s voice again. They stepped inside for just long enough to hear Stewart being sentenced, and then all Josh wanted was to get out of there.

The crowd outside was louder than they’d been on the way in.

“Joey, do you have any comment?”

“Joey, what do you want to say to your fans?”

He ignored them, climbed into the car, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Can we go home now?”

“We can go wherever you want,” Cole promised him.

“Just home.”

Halfway there, Oliver’s phone kept beeping persistently.

“Uh, Josh,” the omega ventured. “There’s something going on I think you should hear. Do you mind if I turn on the radio?”

“Sure.” He sat up from where he’d been curled against Cole, curious as to what was happening.

The radio came on mid-report. “…leaked courtroom documents show the actor, made infamous by his sex tape with Joey Kinsley, is currently facing serious charges relating to that encounter. His agent has made a statement denying any wrongdoing. Rumors abound that he’s about to be dropped from his latest project, a multi-movie adaptation of the…”

Oliver switched the radio off.

“It’s all over social media. He has been dropped from those movies he used the tape to get.”

“But there hasn’t been a trial yet,” Josh said. “There might not even be a trial.” The prosecutor had been clear that the evidence wasn’t exactly rock solid. But maybe with Stewart’s testimony…

“Right now, he’s getting trial by social media. We might not like it, but… turnabout’s fair play. He put you through that on a whim, without sparing a thought for what it might do to you,” Oliver said.

Josh curled back into Cole’s side as the alpha wrapped an arm around him.

“Then I guess this isn’t really over, is it?”

“It will be,” Cole said. “These are just the death throes.”

He closed his eyes and tried to let the rest of the journey wash over him. Soon he’d be home, and there’d be nothing to worry about but chores, horses, and grumpy alphas. That he could handle.

“They’ve got dinner waiting for us at the packhouse,” Oliver said. “Then you two can head home.”

Josh didn’t voice any objection to that. After a stressful day like today, he and Cole needed to see the pack just as much as the pack needed to see them.

“What’s for dinner?” he asked.

“Enchiladas,” Cole said. “Nathan’s specialty, when he’s in the mood for cooking.”

They turned into the driveway, and Josh felt Cole tense next to him. He sat up just as Brax said, “What the hell?”

There were a bunch of cars in the driveway, all big four-wheel drives in dark colors. As they braked to a stop, another car drove up behind them, blocking their exit. They were suddenly surrounded by people in uniforms, aiming guns at them.

“What’s going on?” Josh asked. “Who the hell are they?”

“Military,” Cole said shortly, as they were directed out of the car. “Stay here,” he added.

Josh sunk deeper into his seat as Cole raised his hands. The door beside the alpha was pulled open, and Cole stepped out. Brax did the same from the driver’s door. As soon as they were clear of the cars, the soldiers closed in, pushing both of them onto the ground and cuffing them.

“Oliver?” Josh asked, huddled in the back seat and watching with wide eyes. “What’s happening?”

“Someone’s trying to screw with our pack,” Oliver said, sounding pissed. “But it’s not happening. Not today. Follow my lead, okay?”

He got out of the car. Not knowing what to think or do, Josh followed.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Cole was not expecting the welcoming party that met them at the packhouse. Military, clearly, but he didn’t recognize any faces. Brax, on the other hand, seemed all too familiar with one man in particular.

“Officer Greggs.”

“Dr. Braxton. As you’ll recall the last time we met, I told you this wasn’t over.”

“And a county judge told you to back the hell off. You’ve got no jurisdiction over a civilian pack, and we’ve proven that’s exactly what we are. Our pack—”

The officer shoved a piece of paper in Brax’s face, silencing him.

“New orders, challenging the continued existence of your pack without military oversight.”

“On what grounds?” Cole asked. “We fall under civilian law now.”

“It’s a question of stability. A pack with four alphas, four betas, and only a single omega is an unbalanced mix. Ordinarily, the civilian authorities would intervene, but with all your alphas being ex-military, it falls to us to bring you to heel, so to speak.”

The look of triumph on Greggs’s face was sickening.

Oliver stepped forward.

“May I see those orders, Officer Greggs?” he said calmly. He even managed a smile. The best Cole could do was grit his teeth and not curse the officer out.

“Mr. Turner, we meet again. Of course, be my guest.”

Josh hovered behind Oliver, peering around nervously. Cole followed his gaze, spotting Duke, Thorn, and Zane already in the back of cars. He had no idea where the kids were—still inside the house, maybe? With Nathan, Kira, and the other civilian betas, if he had to guess.

“If I understand this correctly, the key issue is the ratio of omegas to alphas?”

“Omega to alphas,” Greggs said succinctly. “And not even an Anchor at that, I’m led to believe.”

“No,” Oliver agreed quietly. “I’m no Anchor.”

“That would be me,” Josh said, stepping forward. “And seeing as counting isn’t your strong suit, that makes two omegas to four alphas.”

Greggs eyed him dismissively.

“We’re aware of your presence here, Mr. Kinsley. You’re here as a volunteer, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Your information is out of date,” Oliver said sharply.

“Is that so?”

“A whole month out of date,” Josh added.

“Saying it doesn’t make it true,” Greggs argued. “You’d say anything right now to weasel your way out of this.”

Josh pulled his shirt taut, revealing his bump. “My babies and I would beg to differ, Officer Greggs.”

Greggs frowned at that. “That doesn’t prove anything.”

“Will a bond certificate signed by the county clerk do?” Cole all but growled. “Because we have that, too.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll take you all in and sort this mess out on base. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Cole saw the flash of fear in Josh’s eyes and tried to get to him, only to be stopped by two pairs of hands as the soldiers guarding him dragged him toward a vehicle.

“Are you sure this is the best course of action, Officer?” Oliver said coolly. “Have you thought through the potential consequences?”

“I have orders. All I’m doing is following them.” He turned to his men. “Get them in the cars, and then bring out the betas and the kids.”

Josh gave a sudden anguished cry followed by panicked breaths as he wrapped an arm around his stomach and fell to his knees.

“Josh?” Cole shouted as Oliver rushed to his side.

“It hurts,” the omega said. “The babies.”

“He’s faking it,” Greggs said. “We don’t have time for this. Cuff him and get him into the car.”

Another pained cry from Josh had the soldiers eyeing him nervously.

“He needs help,” Cole demanded. “Brax is a doctor. Let him check Josh, please.”

“We’ll get him checked out on base,” Greggs said, turning toward the vehicles. “Load them up, get the ones from the house, and—”

“Do you know what the penalty is for interference with a pack that results in the death of a child?” Oliver called out suddenly. “Because I do, Officer Greggs, and you won’t like it.”

“We both know there’s nothing wrong with him.”

“Are you willing to bet your life on that,” Cole asked softly. “Because that is what’s at stake here. If your actions take my cubs from me, the pack will seek retribution. A life for a life.”

“No court, military or otherwise, will agree to that.”

“Have you checked state laws recently, Officer?” Oliver called. “Pack law still supersedes any other. Cross the border and you’d have a different story, but we’re not across the border, are we?”

“One more omega isn’t going to make a difference,” Greggs insisted. “Why not come quietly now? We’ll just be back here in a few days or weeks, doing this all over again.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Cole said.

“We don’t recognize your authority,” Brax added. “Our pack is stable, we have sufficient omegas, mated and bonded, to ensure it stays that way. Now let me help Joshua, unless you want what happens next on your conscience.”

Greggs looked around at his men, but most of them avoided eye contact. They weren’t happy to be there any more than Cole was happy to see them.

“There is nothing wrong with that omega. It’s just a stupid trick.”

Josh gave another pained cry, drawing all eyes to him. Cole watched as the omega pressed a hand to the front of his pants. When he pulled it away, his palm was smeared with blood. Cole growled and fought to get to him as the soldiers around them muttered unhappily.

Greggs froze. Cole saw the fear in his eyes that he tried to cover with more bluster.

“You can’t escape forever. My superiors want a pack under their thumb. They’re going to keep trying. Another omega isn’t going to make you untouchable.”

“If it gets you the fuck off our land, then that’ll do for now,” Cole growled. “Get us out of these handcuffs, and let Brax help my mate.”

Officer Greggs walked back to his vehicle, his pace slow and measured. Only when he had the door open did he gesture for his men to let Cole and Brax go. Cole almost went for him, but Brax’s hand was on his shoulder, urging him away.

“If you step foot on our land again, Greggs,” Cole shouted after him as he raced across the yard, “you’d better watch your back.”

Reaching Josh, he crouched down beside him. Around them, the soldiers were freeing the others and piling back into their vehicles.

“Where does it hurt?” he murmured.

Josh just shook his head and stayed bent over. His hand snaked out and grabbed Cole’s wrist.

Cole relaxed at the feeling of Josh’s strong grip on his arm. He picked him up and carried him inside. Oliver and Brax ran ahead of them, while Thorn and Zane stayed outside to make sure their unwelcome visitors left.

“I’m okay,” Josh promised as soon as they were in the door. “I didn’t want them to take you, so thought I could buy you some time.”

“But the blood…”

“I dug my nail into my palm, that’s all. See.”

He showed Cole the tiny, crescent-shaped cuts in the center of his palm. Cole set him down carefully on his feet, looking him up and down, and pressing his hands to Josh’s stomach. The omega was pale and trembling finely, but he managed a weak smile.

“You were faking it?”

“I am an actor,” Josh replied.

Cole let out a relieved laugh and pulled the omega into a hug.

“Where are the others?” he asked Brax over Josh’s shoulder. “Where are the kids?”

“In the living room,” Oliver said, appearing behind them. “They’re all okay, just freaked out by all the commotion. Kira’s putting a movie on. She wants us all to come in and join them.”

“What do you say?” Cole asked Josh, giddy with relief. “Feel up to watching TV with the kids?”

Josh gave a nod but still looked troubled.

“That was what you meant, wasn’t it? You said that there were threats out there, written in laws and statutes, and that you wouldn’t see them coming. That’s what that was.”

“Yeah,” Cole said softly, brushing a strand of hair from Josh’s forehead. “That’s what that was. And it was a close one. There’ve been a few more since the last time they were here, but we got advanced warning and headed them off at the pass. This one slipped through the net somehow.”

“Likely by design,” Oliver said darkly. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence they chose today, when the pack’s alphas would be very obviously divided, given the court case.”

“But thanks to you,” Cole said to Josh, “they didn’t have a leg to stand on.”

“It wasn’t going to stop them,” Josh pointed out, not looking reassured by anything they were saying. “They were taking you anyway. Taking me, too. Where would we have gone? What would have happened?”

The omega looked close to tears, and Cole pulled him into a hug, rocking him slowly.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m sorry. You’re right, it was close. Too close. And it shouldn’t have happened. But we’re all here, we’re all safe. And we’re going to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“How?” Josh demanded tearfully. “If you can’t see the danger coming, how can you protect against it?”

Oliver waded in.

“By shouting loudly from the rooftops, letting the world know we’re here. If we have public opinion on our side, if we have eyes on us, they won’t dare touch us. Think of the outcry if they did.”

“I could help with that,” Josh said, sniffing quietly. “There are already lots of eyes on me. Why don’t we use them?”

“That might not be fair to you,” Cole argued.

“Being separated from you and locked up in some army base won’t be fair to me either. I’d rather have a choice I can control than no choice at all,” the omega snapped.

Cole ran a hand down his back, trying to soothe him as the omega closed his eyes and took another breath. He winced, a hand on his stomach.

“Josh?”

“It hurts,” he said. “Here.” His hand pressed low on his bump.

“Brax?” Cole asked.

The alpha stepped forward, pressing his palm where Josh noticed the pain.

“That’s a contraction,” the alpha said grimly. “It’s weak but it’s there.”

“What does that mean?” Josh asked, frightened.

Cole took him back into his arms, waiting to hear what Brax had to say.

“It means you’re stressed out, and your body can feel it. Let’s get you lying down, with Cole and a hot water bottle. The sooner you relax and let go of some of this tension, the better.” He paused and added, “If you’re both comfortable, having a few more members of the pack with you would help.”

“Anything,” Cole said, looking to Josh.

The omega nodded. “Whatever we need to do.”

They spent the rest of that day and night in bed. Oliver stayed a few hours with them, one or two of the cubs with him at all times. Everyone took a turn, from the smallest right down to Brax. Eric told Josh a bedtime story, Duke sang a song his mother had taught him, Kira led them through a meditation. By morning, Josh was fast asleep, his face free from worry.

“How’s he doing?” Oliver asked, padding into the room with a cub over each shoulder.

“Sleeping. Hasn’t had a contraction since before midnight. I think we’re in the clear.”

“Thank heavens for that,” Oliver said. “It was just one too many stresses yesterday.”

“But we weren’t alone. We had the pack, and you’ve seen us through.”

“Always,” Oliver said softly. “Get some rest, Cole. You’ve earned it. The pack is safe for now, and your mate is well. Let your mind rest.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

After his scare, Josh was only too happy to accept Brax’s recommendation of modified bed rest for the remainder of his pregnancy. At first, it meant plenty of naps in his hedgehog form, lots of breaks between chores, and no heavy lifting. It also meant no horseback riding, which made Josh a little sad. But it was only for two months, and riding in his condition didn’t exactly sound comfortable anyway.

“Let me take that,” Cole said, snatching the water bucket from his hands.

“I can manage an empty bucket,” he said with a laugh, trying to steal it back.

“I’ve got it,” Cole told him. “You look tired still. Why don’t you go back to bed?”

“All I do these days is laze around in bed. That can’t be good for anyone. Couldn’t we go for a walk in the woods?”

Cole glanced doubtfully up at the sky. “Looks like rain.”

“Then we’ll get wet. It won’t kill us.”

When Cole hesitated, he started to get a little ticked off.

“Can we stop with the whole ‘overprotective alpha’ routine? Everything is fine. I’m fine, the babies are fine. We just had an ultrasound yesterday. Three healthy, happy, growing babies in there. I’d like one equally happy omega out here, not one whose limbs are atrophying from lack of movement.”

Cole winced at that. “Okay, you’re right. Just let me fill the water trough, and we’ll stretch our legs.”

Josh, feeling he’d been a bit harsh on the alpha, pressed a hand to Cole’s arm.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.”

“It’s okay. Oliver and Kira have been saying the same thing. That I’m swaddling you in cotton wool, and it’s going to drive you crazy.”

“It’s not like you haven’t had reason to feel protective of me,” Josh said softly. “Between the court case, the military, and our scare. That’s a lot to have to deal with when it’s in your very nature to protect.”

“Yeah. The urge to grab you and find a safe place to hide out is pretty strong most of the time.”

“All the same,” Josh continued. “The court case is over, there’s nothing left for us to do there. We've got that writ of protection from the courts—the military can’t touch us for at least the next six months. And—”

“And you and the babies are doing just fine,” Cole murmured, pressing his hands to Josh’s bump. The babies shifted around in there, doing what felt like little somersaults.

“Exactly,” Josh said, letting his hands rest over Cole’s.

The alpha stole a kiss, taking Josh’s hands in his. “Six weeks to go,” he murmured.

“I know. I don’t know whether it’s too soon or not soon enough.”

Cole laughed softly, his breath warm against Josh’s skin as he kissed him again.

* * *

Not soon enough was definitely the answer. Josh had never known it was possible to be so uncomfortable in his own body. Parts of him he hadn’t even known were there ached. He felt like he had the back of a man three times his age, and there was no comfortable position to lie in anymore.

He spent as much time as possible in his shifter form, curled up in a pile of blankets on his bed. Cole often curled up with him, in human form because the practical implications of a horse in the bed just didn’t work. Sometimes the others in the pack joined him—Oliver’s fox, Brax’s wolf, Zane, Kira, Alice. Duke and Thorn stayed in human form. Josh didn’t even like to think of the practicalities of a bear versus a human-sized bed. The company balanced out the discomfort somewhat, but Josh was still counting down the days until his pregnancy would come to an end, and he’d get to meet his cubs.

He found himself awake one night, listening to the patter of rain on the cottage roof. Shifting back to human form, he sat up against the headboard, watching Cole sleep next to him. In some ways, it felt like he’d fitted seamlessly into the alpha’s life. Like there’d been a Joshua-shaped hole, and he’d just fallen right into it. For someone who, as a child, always felt like a spare part, like a piece that didn’t fit, it was a revelation to have such easy acceptance. And not just from Cole, but from the whole pack. They all knew the worst things about him, and yet it didn’t seem to matter one bit. It wasn’t desperation or that they had no other choice. They valued him highly. It made Josh take a good, hard look at how he saw himself. He’d slowly started to give himself a bit more credit for all that he’d achieved, for all that he’d survived. He’d been lucky, sure. But it wasn’t just luck that had gotten him where he was.

He glanced at his phone on the nightstand but didn’t reach for it. Since he’d become the official ‘unofficial’ pack spokesperson, he’d made sure he had a prominent presence on social media. Enough to raise awareness, to raise the pack’s profile so that the military couldn’t move against them without people taking notice. It was starting to lead to some debate over the place of packs in modern society. The debate was still marred by the misinformation that seemed to be everywhere, and the warped view of packs that had grown up around it. But people were listening to Josh. Getting someone to listen was a start.

He sucked in a breath as his stomach tightened painfully. His body had been doing that on and off, practicing for the cubs’ arrival. When the pain grew sharper instead of easing off, he blew out a breath and gritted his teeth, sitting forward to try to ease the pressure on his back.

“Josh?” Cole asked, awake and alert next to him.

“Just a Braxton Hicks,” he said, scrunching up his face as the pain dragged on.

“Are you sure? From where I’m sitting, that looks like a contraction.”

It finally eased off, and he sighed with relief. “Well, I guess we’ll know soon enough, won’t we?”

Cole sat up next to him, and Josh leaned his head against the alpha’s shoulder.

“Can’t sleep?” Cole asked.

“Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Me, you, the pack, the future.”

“You’ve got a lot on your mind.”

He murmured sleepily, dozing against the warmth of Cole’s body.

“Ow, fuck.”

The pain was back, with a vengeance.

“Josh?”

“Contraction,” he panted. “Definitely a contraction.”

Cole’s arms tightened around him. “Okay, just try to relax. Do your breathing, like you practiced.”

“I don’t think any amount of breathing is going to make this pain bearable,” he said, gritting his teeth.

“That’s what my hand is for,” Cole replied, placing it in Josh’s palm. “Squeeze as hard as you need to.”

Josh laughed at that, distracted from the pain. “Do I have to add self-sacrificing to overprotective?”

Cole snorted. “Probably. If I could take this pain for you, I would.”

“I know.” Josh patted him on the shoulder as the contraction eased. He let his eyes close again. “I’m going to try to sleep while I can. This might be a long night.”

He sighed happily as Cole’s fingers threaded through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. This felt nice. He could stay like this forever. Of course, the next contraction would be there any minute, and on its heels would be babies. It might be a while before they had a quiet moment like this one. He’d enjoy it while it lasted.

* * *

“They’re three minutes apart, Josh. It’s time to go to the packhouse.”

“No.”

Josh was adamant. He wanted to stay right where he was.

“We talked about this, remember? About having all the pack around us, having Brax’s clinic right there, it being the safest place…”

“I don’t care,” Josh gritted out as another contraction built to its peak. “I want—I need—to stay here.”

He saw Cole glance helplessly at Oliver and Brax.

“If here’s where you need to be, then here’s where you stay,” Oliver said finally. “You feel safe here.”

Relieved, Josh nodded, a few tears escaping down his cheeks. Cole was back by his side a second later, wiping them away.

“We’ll be right here with you the whole time,” Cole promised.

“I’m holding you to that,” Josh said grumpily. “No sneaking out for pizza and beers with the guys.”

Cole grinned. “Never.”

When the next contraction hit, he felt a sudden, unmistakable urge to push.

“Showtime,” he called. “Places, everyone.”

Cole laughed. “I don’t know how you can joke at a time like this.”

“Joke or cry,” Josh insisted. “Pick one.”

“All the jokes,” the alpha decided. “I’ll start. Knock-knock.”

Josh tried to laugh and groan at the same time, curling his face into Cole and breathing through the pain. The alpha’s arms wrapped tightly around him and stayed that way as the hard work of labor began.

To Josh, it seemed to go by in a flash of images. Cole’s hand stroking his face, holding a cool cloth to his forehead. Oliver’s wide eyes, his face breaking into a smile as he held up a tiny baby for Josh to see.

When that baby was placed in Josh’s arms, time slowed to almost nothing.

“He’s beautiful,” he said with a sob, adding, “He has your ears.”

“They are handsome ears,” Cole agreed softly, his voice hushed.

When the pain began again in earnest, they handed their firstborn off to Kira.

The second and third of their triplets came almost back-to-back, and Josh found himself with a baby in each arm, staring down at them in bewildered confusion.

“How are we ever going to tell them apart?” he asked plaintively.

They were identical in every way he could see, from their omega scents to their tiny noses.

“We can put a little ink mark on each of their feet until you learn which is which,” Kira said softly, peering down at them with a smile. “Identical twins are rare in a pack pregnancy. How special.”

She handed their alpha son to Cole, and Josh let his eyes roam from baby to baby. They were theirs—his and Cole’s. And the pack’s. Loved, cherished, and very much wanted. The tears came unbidden, but he couldn’t push them back. As one, the pack members in the room crowded forward, surrounding him and Cole, hugging them, hands patting them.

“Welcome home,” Cole whispered, and though Josh knew he was talking to the cubs, he couldn’t help feeling that it was him who’d found a home among this lonely pack.

Epilogue

Cole lowered Zach into the bath, watching the baby’s face as he took in the warm water surrounding him. There was a pause where Cole knew it could go either way, prepared for screams to fill the air. And then Zach wriggled, waving his arms and kicking his legs.

“We have a winner,” Cole said. “Bath time is now officially your favorite time of the day.”

Zach stared up at him, wide-eyed.

“Okay,” Cole conceded. “Second favorite. Maybe third.”

On the mat next to him, Tyler cooed loudly, kicking his legs in the air.

“Your turn next,” Cole promised. “I’ve only got two hands.”

And with three babies, two was never enough. Still, every time he saw his sons, every time he touched them, he was amazed that this was his reality.

Josh joined him, carrying a fussy Connor in his arms.

“He didn’t go down for a nap?”

“No,” Josh said. “I think he smelled the bathwater. You know how much he loves the bath.”

He walked the fussing baby up and down the room while Cole got Zach clean.

“There we go,” he said, reaching for the towel and wrapping Zach in it. “One clean baby.”

“For how long?” Josh said darkly.

“Oh, I think the record so far is seven minutes. Don’t worry, we’ll beat that sooner or later.”

He lay Zach down on the mat next to Tyler, ticking him under his chin. Josh knelt beside him, leaning his head against Cole’s shoulder.

“Some days, I look at them, and I can’t believe they’re ours,” the omega said, echoing Cole’s thoughts.

“I know how you feel,” he said softly.

“Your sleep’s been restless these past few nights,” Josh added. “Want to talk about it?”

Sleep had been eluding Cole, who found himself musing on the past a lot as he sat watching their sons sleep.

“I’ve just been thinking. About Dutchy, Jackson, and Andy.”

Josh stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

“They gave up their lives, just like I would have done. Except it wasn’t me, it was them. For the longest time, I thought that was the problem. It was all in vain, all meaningless, because I couldn’t pull myself together and actually live the life that their deaths gave me.”

“And now?” Josh prompted gently.

“They didn’t die for nothing. They died so kids like ours could have a future. So I could have a future. I’m going to make it one they could be proud of.”

“You are far braver than you know.” Josh hugged Cole and kissed his cheek. “One day, when they’re older, we’ll tell them. About how you saved the world for them and how you saved me.”

“We saved each other,” Cole said. “I was headed down a dark path before I met you. You turned my head, and here we are.”

“And here we are,” Josh echoed.

It was as good a place to be as any Cole could have dreamed of.

* * *

Josh sat on a blanket in the paddock, surrounded by baby hedgehogs, watching Cole. The alpha was on the other side of the field with Eric and Zane, helping Eric ride Thunder. They’d decided on a breakfast picnic, since rain was forecast for later that day.

The rest of the pack were gathered on blankets nearby, the sound of mewling cubs and laughing babies intermixed with all the chatter. The only person missing was Thorn, on his way home from a night shift at the firehouse.

“I can’t believe how much they’ve grown,” Kira was saying, stroking Connor’s spines with her fingers.

“They eat like horses,” Josh said with a grin. “Must be Cole’s influence.”

The alpha looked over on hearing his name and smiled.

Brax’s phone rang, and he wandered off to answer it. Oliver came to sit next to Kira, a sleeping fox cub in his arms.

“At least you’ll only have one foal to deal with when the time comes,” he said, nodding to Tyler.

“One will be more than enough,” Josh agreed. “Hedgehogs are tricky as it is. You take your eye off them for one second, and they’ve disappeared.”

They were so small, they could fit into any nook and cranny in the cottage.

“You need eyes in the back of your head,” Alice agreed, flopping down next to them. “Speaking of, Brax is trying to get your attention, Oliver.”

Oliver glanced over his shoulder, handed the sleeping cub off to her, and went to talk to his mate.

A few minutes later, Cole carried Eric across the paddock on his shoulders, the little boy triumphant after his first horse ride.

“He’s a natural,” Cole declared. “Took to it like a duck to water.”

Oliver and Brax walked back over, deep in discussion.

“Problem?” Josh asked them. They all sensed a shift in the mood to something more expectant. Was danger headed their way?

“Thorn found a cub up a tree,” Brax explained.

Josh blinked, assuming he’d misheard. “He rescued a cat?”

“Is he going for firefighter of the year award?” Cole joked.

“No,” Oliver clarified. “Cub. As in shifter cub. Leopard, he thinks, and an omega. Poor thing sounds traumatized.”

“He’s bringing him here, to the packhouse,” Brax added.

“Here?” Josh asked, surprised. He was sure there were procedures—police, hospitals, social workers. Thorn couldn’t just bring a lost cub home with him.

“We’re technically the closest safe haven for minor omegas, and we’re still officially government-contracted so, yeah,” Oliver said. “I’m actually surprised something like this hasn’t happened before now. I think they were sending local omegas further afield once our pack status became public. Not anymore.”

“Then I guess we’re up,” Kira said, getting to her feet and helping Alice up.

“They’ll be here in ten,” Brax said.

The others started packing up and getting ready to head back to the house. Cole and Josh helped pack away the food and toys and fold the blankets, waving the others off. Then Cole stretched out next to Josh on their blanket, the cubs clambering all over him.

“Never a dull moment in this pack,” the alpha remarked.

“Just the way we like it,” Josh agreed with a laugh.

Dark clouds rolled overhead, and they gathered the cubs up into their arms.

“Time to go home,” Cole said, wrapping his free arm around Josh’s waist.

“No place I’d rather be.”

Josh knew there’d be trials and excitement to come, but it would never change the fact that here, he’d found love, a pack, and a home.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading Keeper, the second book of The Lost Pack series. I hope you enjoyed Josh and Cole’s story. If you have a moment to spare, reviews are always appreciated!

If you’d like to hear about new releases in this or other series, you can sign up to my mailing list here or visit clairecullenbooks.com.

* * *

Cover Designed by Cormar Covers

Copyright © 2019 by Claire Cullen

All Rights Reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincident.

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.