Falling Together (The Omega Haven Book 1)
Page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
Author's Note
Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
Author's Note
Falling Together
The Omega Haven: Book One
By Claire Cullen
Copyright © 2017 by Claire Cullen
All Rights Reserved
Chapter One
“Wait here.”
The shifter disappeared through the office doors, leaving Jake alone in the dim corridor, the lights flickering above him. He nervously tapped his fingers against his leg, shifting his backpack higher on his shoulder. He heard a burst of laughter from inside the office and winced. Were they laughing at him?
The door opened, the man looking him up and down, unable to keep the smirk from his face.
“You’d better get in there. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Gripping his backpack tightly, he slipped past him and into the room. It wasn’t a large office, made even smaller by the crowd of furniture that ringed the walls. In the center was a desk and, sitting at it, the Alpha of Eden City. Jake had heard a little about him and what he’d heard did not do the Alpha justice. He had that kind of ruggedly handsome look that had women and Omega alike swooning.
Jake stepped forward until he stood in front of the desk. There was no chair for him to sit on. The Alpha was reading and didn’t take his eyes from the page. When another two minutes passed, the Alpha having gotten through five or six pages, Jake cleared his throat.
“Hard to forget you’re there, what with your heart going like a jackhammer. But I have more important things than you right now, so you’ll wait your turn.”
Jake dropped his gaze, reaching a hand across his chest to catch hold of the strap of his backpack as it began to slip. It wouldn’t do to antagonize this shifter. He needed him.
The minutes continued to tick by, Jake horribly conscious of every movement of his body, how dry his throat was, how sticky his palms felt and the never-ending thump of his heart. With one word, this Alpha could be his salvation or could consign him back to the hell he’d just escaped.
The Alpha took up a pen and began to write, the scrape of the ink across paper loud in the silence.
“So, you want permission to enter Eden?”
The Alpha’s hand didn’t waver from its task.
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Alone?”
Jake nodded, then realized the Alpha probably couldn’t see him. Only when he looked up, the Alpha was looking back at him.
“You realize the dangers as an unattached Omega in the city? This isn’t a friendly place.”
“I know.” But what choice did he have?
“Your safety is your responsibility. I don’t mediate disputes and I don’t provide protection. You come into this city, you take care of yourself. No one else will do it for you. Only one rule here: you’re caught harming a human, you pay with your life, no questions asked, no excuses accepted.”
The words were harsh and were matched by the grating of pen on paper.
“If you had any sense, you’d go back to where you came from.”
Jake had enough sense to keep quiet. That wasn’t a question. The Alpha didn’t want to know his reasons.
“Fine. You have my permission to enter the city…”
The Alpha stood and after a long, awkward pause, Jake stumbled to get out the words. “Jake Torres.”
With a short huff of frustration, the Alpha strode around the desk, stepping right into Jake’s space, thrusting his nose against Jake’s neck. Jake ducked his head in submission.
The Alpha scented him, two sharp pulls of air. His proximity threw Jake off balance, even though he’d known it was coming. Jake stepped back as the Alpha did, but managed to trip over his own feet. Two hands caught him, yanking him upright, and he found himself caught in the Alpha’s gaze, dark-blue eyes that seemed to see right through him. One hand kept him steady, while the other cupped his cheek, his thumb tracing the line of Jake’s cheekbone.
Jake was almost afraid to breathe, the Alpha’s scent invading every part of him. He blinked, and the moment was gone, the Alpha stepping quickly back around the desk and taking a seat. He resumed his writing without a word or a glance as Jake struggled to catch his breath.
“Go, now. I don’t want to see you here again.”
Jake felt like he’d had a glimpse of something wonderful and it had just been torn away, leaving him empty and lost. Stumbling from the room, he found the first shifter leaning against the wall with his arms folded.
“See yourself out,” he said with another smirk. Feeling spaced, Jake weaved down the corridor. The sound of laughter followed him, but this time, he let it wash over him. He’d done it. He could stay. And that was all that mattered.
There was barely a knock on the door before it opened and Dave stepped inside.
“Unless it’s life or death, these monthly orders won’t review themselves.”
Dave paused in the doorway as if gauging whether to come any further into the room.
“Fine.” Will slammed the papers down onto the desk. Dave seemed to take that as his cue, stepping inside and shutting the door.
“We have another lost boy.”
Will groaned, tapping his hand against the desk. “Tell me this one's old
er than the last?”
“Early twenties. Nervous.”
They were all nervous. He had that effect on people.
“I don’t suppose you want to pretend to be me and scare the wits out of him?”
Dave grinned. “Doesn’t seem ethical to deprive you of your sacred duty.”
“Think he’ll turn tail and run if I growl?”
Dave contemplated the question. “No, he has that determined look some of them get. You know, you could just refuse him entry.”
“We’ve already talked about this. If I actually start acting as Alpha, it’ll snowball. Suddenly everything in this city will be my responsibility. Every squabble between wolves will be mine to adjudicate. I don’t have the patience for that.”
“You, impatient? I hadn’t noticed.”
“What happened to the kid from last week?”
“Jeff took him home. Halfway there, he propositions Jeff in the car. Jeff stops the car, locks him in, calls his Pack, and waits for them to come pick him up.”
“Did they say why he ran away?”
“His father, the Pack Alpha, took a new mate last year. Mate gave birth to an Omega. Kid has a hissy fit about not being special anymore so Dad sends him to his Uncle’s orchard for the summer, thinks a bit of hard work will do the trick. Kid decides to get his revenge by coming here. I mean, how do you even raise a kid like that in a wolf Pack?”
It was so ridiculous, that Will couldn’t help but laugh at the whole thing, and Dave joined in.
“Too much pampering, too little hard work. Speaking of work, I have to get this order out by end of day. You’d better send in the next sacrifice.”
“You’re not going to eat him, are you?”
Will grinned. “Knowing these Omega, he’d probably take it as a compliment. ‘Have another bite, Alpha, isn’t my flesh so sweet?’”
They both laughed again, but as Dave reached the door, Will schooled his expression into a scowl, trying to turn his attention back to the orders.
It was days like this that he felt far older than his twenty-eight years. He was sick and tired of dealing with every wolf that wanted entry to the city. If Stephen hadn’t been so stupid as to have gone and gotten himself killed, none of this would be his problem. Especially not the multitude of Omega that seemed to see the city as a sanctuary instead of what it was, a trap. No other city in the country with an open wolf presence allowed unattached Omega in. But Eden had always been different. It wasn’t Will’s place to change that. He was just the caretaker until someone else decided they wanted to step up to the challenge. He wished them well, whoever they were.
The Omega came inside and stepped up to the desk. Will ignored him, focusing on his paperwork. It was a good tactic to weed out the ones who wore their bravado like a shield. He could cow them with a look that would send them running home with their tails between their legs. But the minutes passed and all the Omega did was clear his throat. He didn’t respond to Will’s scathing comment, except to drop his gaze to his feet. Will knew it was going to be tough to run this one off. Whatever was behind his decision to arrive on Eden’s doorstep, it wasn’t the usual frivolous, idealistic crap that most of the young wolves’ heads were filled with when they arrived.
He gave it his best shot, emphasizing that there would be no protection here, no rescue if he got into harm’s way. The Omega barely flinched, his jaw set in determination.
Will gave in, granting him the permission he craved. A few weeks in the city might just convince him that whatever he thought he was running from wasn’t as bad as what he’d find here. Sometimes young wolves had to see these things firsthand. Will just hoped he didn’t fall straight into the deep end.
Standing and rounding the desk, he performed the only really formal, traditional part of the request, leaning in to scent the Omega. Omega all smelled good to him but there were degrees. Omega who hadn’t come of age, like the one last week, were like unripe fruit, barely a hint of anything from their skin. Ones like this guy, Jake, their scents had matured. Will paused for a moment as the scent hit him, sending a ripple across his vision, his hearing. He smelled so good that Dave’s joke about taking a bite from him didn’t seem so funny anymore. Just one taste…
He came back to himself to find he had cupped the Omega’s cheek and was running his thumb across his high cheekbone while staring into the Omega's dark eyes. Shit.
Letting go as fast as if he'd been burned, he returned to his seat, and dismissed the Omega, warning him not to come back. Strays like him were not his responsibility. No matter how tantalizing their scent.
“Well?”
Dave had returned.
“No go. He wanted in. Hopefully, a week or two will see him off before anything really bad happens.”
“Maybe we should start arranging for a soft mugging or something to scare these guys off a bit quicker.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” he replied, laughing. The recollection of the Omega’s scent hung at the forefront of his mind but he forced it back, ready to consign it to distant memory. He couldn’t go through that. Not again.
Chapter Two
The manager flicked through his CV, then gave Jake another once over.
“Two years’ experience managing accounts for a small business?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Up-to-date certs?”
“That’s right.”
Jake wasn’t sure if he should answer things the manager could already tell from the piece of paper he was reading.
“And… Bellain. That’s in Pack territory, isn’t it?”
His heart sank.
“Yes, sir.”
The manager set the CV back down on his desk.
“Sorry, son. I don’t think you’d be a good fit for the business. We’re looking for someone with a bit more experience.”
For a job that was basic data entry?
“I’m a hard worker and I’m diligent. You won’t regret hiring me.”
The manager wouldn’t quite meet his eyes. “Like I said, not a good fit.” The ‘because you’re a wolf, and an Omega’ was left unspoken.
“Thank you for your time,” he said, taking his CV back when the manager held it out. He stepped outside, feeling another wave of disappointment hit him. His fifth rejection in three days. It wasn’t his qualifications. It wasn’t his experience. If his address didn’t give them pause, because they’d some familiarity with Pack territories, then his appearance did. Being human, they couldn’t tell from his scent that he was a wolf, but there was something about how an Omega looked that tipped them off. Jake could see it himself, not just in the mirror, but in other Omega he’d come across. There was an innate impression of vulnerability that they gave off, with their slighter frames, their more delicate features, their postures. It was supposed to invite the attention and protection of an Alpha, but all it was doing for Jake right then was losing him job opportunities.
He’d tried sprucing himself up, holding his posture like that of an Alpha, but it didn’t seem to do anything to convince anyone that he was worth a chance. The rhetoric around Omega was that hiring them was a risk, because an Omega meant Alpha trouble, not to mention pregnancies, mat leave, kids. And there was no law that said you couldn’t discriminate against someone for what lay hidden under their skin. Especially when that someone wasn't human.
He checked the directions he’d hastily scribbled down in the internet cafe that morning. There were two more places to try before the end of day. Eventually, his luck had to break. Someone, somewhere in this city would hire him.
Two weeks later, and his elation at being permitted to stay in the city had all but faded. From the moment he’d stepped out into the city streets, nothing had gone right. He’d found a dingy boarding house to stay in, but he'd had to leave by the window on the fifth night after the Alpha in the room next to him decided he wasn’t taking no for an answer. The landlord had refused to give him back his money. “You paid for two weeks. Not my fault you’r
e leaving early.”
That had put him in the unfortunate position of having to use the remainder of his money for a new place to stay. Still, he thought he'd be okay; he'd find work and everything else would fall into place. First, he'd tried for work using his qualifications, then he'd looked for more general work. Finally, in desperation, he'd applied for every job he saw advertised, every sign in a window, no matter how menial. But nowhere wanted to hire him. They suspected, if they didn’t outright ask, what he was.
He found himself on the streets, no food, no shelter, and no way to fix things without, at minimum, an address to give a prospective employer. Not to mention finding someone willing to even take a chance on him.
It only took a few days for food to become his biggest issue. Weeks without enough, a few days of dumpster diving, and he was past desperate.
Taking shelter in the doorway of a boarded up clothing shop, he took stock. He’d tried, he really had. But it hadn’t worked out. He’d have to go back.
“Hey.”
The neighborly tone had him on alert and ready to run. It didn’t take long for the city to disabuse him of any notion of friendliness. He’d spent two weeks dodging Alphas. But this wasn’t an Alpha. The young man’s small stature gave away his Omega status.
“Whoa, sorry. Almost had you jumping out of your skin, didn’t I?”
Jake didn’t answer, eyeing the stranger cautiously.
“You mind if I shelter here? That shower’s really picking up.” He shook his jacket, sending a spray of rainwater into the air.
“Sure.”
“Oh, man. What a day to be out without an umbrella. Might need to invest in a raincoat.”
He took a wrapped package from under his jacket and opened it to reveal two Styrofoam boxes.
“Man, I love taco fries. My roommate is more of a cheese fries kind of guy.” He paused, peering up at the gray sky above them.
“But as much as I love him, I’m not risking drowning in that deluge just to get him a carb fix. You want?” He held out a box to Jake. The smell was making Jake’s mouth water, but still…
“I couldn’t.”
“Sure you could. They’ll just go to waste otherwise. I might be a greedy bastard but even I won’t manage both portions.”