The Omega's Heart (Wilde Creek Four)

by R. E. Butler

  “Your dad is an asshole,” Brynn said, scowling. “Who the hell does he think he is, threatening us? And screw him anyway, you’re mated and he can’t give you away to someone else when you’ve already been claimed.”

  Acksel looked down at Brynn and smiled. “My fierce mate.”

  Brynn grinned.

  “I don’t want anyone to be hurt because of me. Ren took out the tracker on my car; I should just leave town.”

  Jeremiah growled. Acksel shook his head. “Don’t be foolish, Honey. The safest place for you is with your mate. I’m not happy about this situation, but no one threatens my pack or tries to pull a female away from her mate for their own purposes.”

  He rubbed his chin in thought and Ren said, “I’ll call Sam and have him set up a patrol around Jeremiah’s house; we can ramp up the patrols around town, too. I brought Honey’s things from the garage, but we can keep her car there until things settle down with her old pack.”

  Acksel nodded his approval. “Go home and take care of your mate, Jeremiah.”

  Jeremiah and Honey thanked the pack for their help and they went to the sliding door to get their shoes and coats. Ren joined them and set her bag and a quilt on the counter next to the back door. “I’m glad you’re staying, Honey. Your pack sounds like they’re stuck back in the bad old days.”

  Jeremiah had a feeling that if he’d been born into her pack, he’d have been kicked out when it was proven he was a non. Or maybe even killed.

  Honey smiled weakly. “Thank you for everything, Ren.”

  Jeremiah grabbed her things and opened the back door. She stepped out into the cold and inhaled slowly, the steam from her breath fogging in front of her as she exhaled. Without a word they walked away from the alphas’ home and to his house. Their house. The woods closed around them, and he realized she was seeing them in the daylight for the first time.

  “I had high hopes for myself when I was younger, before I discovered I couldn’t shift. I was going to be really high-ranked, the best fighter, tracker, and hunter. Then the full moon of my sixteenth birthday came and nothing happened. All day I’d felt flushed and anxious, and I could feel my wolf pacing in my mind, ready to let go. My mom assured me that the next month I’d shift for sure. But I didn’t. Another month went by, and then another. My dad first accused my mom of cheating on him with a human, but I look just like him, so it was obvious he was just being an asshole and trying to distance himself from my non-shifting abilities. He took off the next full moon when I stood outside of the alphas’ house and waited and waited for a shift that never came. He joined up with another pack and told my mom to come, but she stuck it out until I graduated high school and turned eighteen. Then she left, too.

  “There was a part of me that kept hoping I’d shift. The old alpha took me aside on my nineteenth birthday and told me that I was just fooling myself and it was best to accept what I truly was – a non.”

  They stepped from the woods into the backyard of their home. She turned to face him. “How could your mom leave?”

  “I don’t know. She’s not a bad person, but I was an adult and had a job and security in the pack. She missed my dad.”

  She cocked her head. “Our kids might not be able to shift.”

  A little bit of dread pooled in his stomach. “I don’t know. Anything’s possible.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “You don’t?”

  She shook her head. “Fully shifted wolves aren’t so great. You heard my dad. I just hope I don’t pass on any of his asshole genes to our kids.”

  He chuckled and hugged her. She settled against him easily, as if they’d been together for years and not for less than a day. It was a bit surreal.

  “I’m sorry that my family is threatening you and your pack.”

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know that I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you safe. Maybe your father was bluffing and hoping to scare you into coming home.”

  She peered up at him, her brown eyes glinting with happiness. “He can’t. I’m already home.”

  Chapter 9

  Tuesday passed quickly. Jeremiah opened his home to her so easily that it was like he’d been waiting for her forever. She didn’t really think he had, though. He’d been thinking seriously about leaving the pack and town and starting over somewhere. “Going human,” he’d called it. She was glad she’d found him before he left town. If things hadn’t worked out exactly the way they had, they would never have met.

  Jeremiah’s arms slipped around her waist as she stood looking out the bedroom window. “What are you thinking about so seriously?” His voice was deep and husky and made things low in her body clench in anticipation.

  She leaned her head back against his chest and rested her hands on top of his. “Timing.”

  “Hmm?” He nuzzled the side of her face and her spine tingled.

  “If you’d left the pack or if I had waited another full moon, we might never have met.”

  He stilled for a moment and then hugged her tightly. “Timing is everything,” he murmured, kissing her ear and then turning her slowly to face him. “Speaking of timing, we need to talk about a couple things.”

  He led her to the bed and they sat for hours, talking about the future. Everything hinged on whether or not her father would do something to force her to go back to Wyling River. She didn’t think her father would just throw up his hands and leave her alone, but Jeremiah wanted to plan for their future, and she liked his optimism.

  “I called my mom today to tell her that I’m mated now. She wants to meet you.”

  Honey scooted back until she was leaning against the headboard. “You don’t sound really thrilled with the idea.”

  He stretched out by her feet, rubbing her calf with one hand. “I guess I’m not. I’m not welcome in their home because of my dad, so we’d have to meet somewhere else. When we have kids, how am I supposed to explain that I’m not allowed to go into my own dad’s house?”

  His fingers bit into her calf for a moment and then he seemed to realize it and relaxed.

  “When our kids are old enough to shift… if they don’t, then they won’t be allowed in their house either, will they?”

  “Probably not. You could go and meet him, though. I’m sure my dad wouldn’t mind a fully shifting daughter of an alpha coming for a visit.”

  She shook her head. “Out of the question. I don’t go where you aren’t welcome.”

  He snorted. “That’s a lot of places, babe.”

  “What?”

  “You forget that I’m an omega. I don’t get treated well by a lot of pack members. I’m a second-class citizen, even among the omegas. A non-shifting wolf is a freak of nature, something to be ignored or feared, not welcomed.”

  “There are people in your pack who don’t want you around?”

  He shrugged, his face darkening as he tried unsuccessfully to hide how much it bothered him. She crawled to him, snuggling against him and resting her head on his shoulder. He covered her with his body, holding her close and tucking his head against her neck. “Can we change the subject?”

  She kissed his throat with a sigh. “Back to your mom?”

  He snarled a little. “Yeah.”

  “Okay. I want to meet your mom, so maybe we can have lunch with her somewhere. But if she wants to be part of our lives, part of our kids’ lives, then she has to make more of an effort. She might automatically get the title of grandma, but she can’t exclude you and expect me to go along with it.”

  His hands tightened where they rested on her back. “Where have you been all my life?”

  She smiled and hugged her arms around him a little tighter. “Too far away.”

  She was thinking about tugging off his shirt and exploring his amazing chest a little bit when there was a knock at the front door.

  He sighed and lifted his head. “We can ignore that.”

  “Let’s not be rude. It would be different if we were we
aring fewer clothes, but since we’re fully dressed, let’s go see who’s at the door.”

  He grinned sinfully. “I can get you naked in two seconds.”

  “Don’t you dare rip my shirt!”

  He laughed and slipped off the bed, pulling her with him and setting her on her feet. “We need to go shopping. You don’t have much, and you sure as hell aren’t going back to Wyling River to collect your things.”

  She opened her mouth to tell him he didn’t have to do that, but he pressed his lips to hers and pulled her against him tightly. “Don’t say I don’t have to, Honey,” he whispered against her lips. “It’s what mates do.”

  He licked her bottom lip slowly, and the wicked thoughts that traipsed through her mind would have made a biker blush. His eyes darkened and she felt the ridge of his erection press against her.

  “Company first,” he whispered, his voice tinged with amusement.

  Damn company.

  Jeremiah opened the front door to a young woman standing on the porch. “Hi Kammie. Do you want to come in?”

  “No, I can’t stay. I need to get back to cleaning Ren’s apartment.”

  Honey frowned. “I didn’t make a mess there, and I cleaned before the full moon last night.”

  “It was great, probably better than it had looked in years, considering no one ever stayed there. Ren asked me to do a total clean, washing the windows and steam cleaning and everything, so that if anyone ever does stay there in the future, it’s ready. But anyway, the reason I stopped by is because I found this when I pulled the cushions off the couch.” She held out Stacy’s diary. Honey hadn’t unpacked her bag yet, so she wasn’t aware that it wasn’t inside.

  The leather-bound cover looked weird, and Kammie said, “I’m really sorry about that. It went flying when I tossed the cushions aside and it hit the table just right and split the binding. I know a place to send it to so it can be rebound. I’d be happy to pay for it.”

  Honey looked down at the diary and noticed something golden glinting inside the binding.

  Jeremiah answered for her, “It’s not a problem, Kam. Thanks for bringing it over.”

  “Anytime. See you later.”

  He shut and locked the door, then turned to her. “What is that?”

  “It’s my grandma’s diary. I read it while I was hanging out at Ren’s place.”

  She walked into the kitchen and pulled a sharp knife from the block on the counter. She slipped the blade into the edge of the binding and slid it down. The binding split open, and Honey put the knife down and pulled a necklace from inside. It was a delicate chain with a tiny diamond heart hanging from it.

  “I’ve seen this before,” she said, laying it on the counter and flipping through the diary to find the pictures. When she found the photos of her mom, she saw her wearing the necklace. Tears stung her eyes and she looked up at Jeremiah, unable to speak.

  “Is that your mom?” he asked softly.

  She nodded.

  “Aw, sweetheart,” he said, folding her in his arms and surrounding her with his warmth.

  He held her while she cried for the mom she didn’t remember and the grandma who had been taken too soon. After the tears eased, Jeremiah put the necklace on her. She picked up the diary and they walked to the couch and sat.

  “I have no memories of my mom. When she left, my dad got rid of all her photos. Stacy kept them all these years. She moved into the house when mom left, and raised me. I always knew my dad was a harsh male who would just as soon kill as forgive someone who had wronged him, but I never knew that Stacy suspected he killed my mom, and was going to kill her.”

  “Couldn’t she have taken you away if he was so horrible?”

  “He’s not the kind of alpha who respects human laws. If she’d tried to take me away, he would have found us both and probably killed her.”

  “Do you think your mom is really dead?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think she’s alive. I always thought that it was strange that she just left, and after reading the diary and Stacy’s beliefs about her leaving, I’m inclined to think she’s really gone.” She blinked at the tears that stung her eyes again. “I don’t want to think that he killed my mom and his own mother, but it’s a real possibility. He won’t let me walk away, even though I found my true mate. I can’t see him letting my mom — his mate — walk away alive.”

  “I’m glad you’re not in his pack anymore.”

  She was, too.

  * * * * *

  Wednesday evening, she and Jeremiah walked through the woods to the alphas’ home. Brynn had invited them over for dinner, and although she was happy to visit with the sweet human again, she felt like Jeremiah wasn’t happy. She wasn’t sure why, until they walked into the house and Acksel immediately pulled him aside and gave him a list of things to do for his and Brynn’s upcoming wedding. The wedding was set for Valentine’s Day, which didn’t leave a lot of time for things to get done, since January was almost over. Jeremiah’s face was carefully blank while Acksel told him what he expected to be accomplished in the days leading up to the wedding. The ceremony was taking place at their home for a small group of pack members and guests, and the reception was taking place at Luna’s – the entire pack was invited.

  She could see that although Jeremiah appeared to be happy to help out, he really wasn’t. His posture was ramrod straight, his eyes sharp and glinting with unhappiness. To his credit, he never let on that he wasn’t pleased, and she was sure that was born from years of keeping his feelings bottled up. She recognized his unhappiness, though, and it tore her up.

  While Brynn chatted happily about the upcoming wedding over dinner, Honey worried about Jeremiah. Pack rankings were put into place so that the most efficient males — the best fighters and trackers — were highly ranked and able to work to keep the pack safe. Lower ranked males still had responsibilities, and even the unranked omegas were given a modicum of respect. But some, like her mate, who were pushed into their roles through fate, were stuck in a position where they were reduced to running errands.

  “You were quiet through dinner,” Jeremiah mentioned as they walked back to their home.

  “I don’t like how they treat you. You’re a strong male. You shouldn’t be an omega just because you can’t shift.”

  He chuckled mirthlessly. “It is the way it is, Honey. I wouldn’t be welcome in any other packs because I can’t shift. At least our kids have a fighting chance of being accepted if they’re able to shift. It’s no hardship for me to be in the pack, because they’re helping to keep you safe.”

  She had seen two wolves patrolling around the night before, when she got up to get a drink.

  “What did Acksel ask you to do?”

  He exhaled loudly and gave her hand an extra little squeeze. “Brynn likes cinnamon, so I’m tasked with finding more of this plant that smells like cinnamon. It’s called Shooting Star, and it’s hard as hell to find this time of year. It’ll cost a bundle.”

  “Why can’t you just use cinnamon oil to mimic the smell? You could find some pretty silk flowers and use the oil to create the scent she likes. It seems crazy to spend money on flowers just because of the way they smell.”

  He hummed. “I hadn’t thought of that. She wanted cinnamon-scented flowers for the centerpieces.”

  “You know what’s neat? Bowls of water with candles floating in them. I bet you could get cinnamon-scented floating candles, maybe even flower-shaped ones.”

  He looked down at her with a smile. “You’re very clever, sweetheart.”

  She grinned as he opened the back door to their home and ushered her inside. “It just seems to me that you can do something equally as pretty for the centerpieces without spending a crazy amount of money. Why cinnamon, anyway?”

  “It’s her favorite scent.”

  “I guess we all have a favorite.”

  “What’s yours?”

  She licked her lips. “You.”

  He chuckled in s
urprise. “Me?” His arms went around her and he pulled her against his body.

  She rubbed her cheek against his chest and inhaled. “I followed your scent in the woods. You smell amazing.”

  “You never did rub yourself all over me,” he added with a chuckle.

  “I can do that now if you’d like.” She blinked up at him innocently, but his smirk told her that he didn’t buy the act.

  Just as he lowered his head to kiss her, his phone rang. With a short growl, he pulled it from his pocket and answered, “Kincaid. Oh, hi Alfonse. Sure, I’d be happy to. You can meet my mate, too. See you in a few minutes.”

  “I thought we were going to rub against each other?”

  He tucked the phone into his pocket and sighed, rubbing his cheek against hers. “We will in a little bit. Alfonse is an elderly wolf in the pack. His furnace keeps going out and he can’t get it started without some help. It’s too cold for him to go the night without heat, and he’s not lucky enough to have a fireplace in his house. It’ll just take a few minutes.”

  “I’d love to go with you.”

  It didn’t take long to climb into his truck and drive to Alfonse’s. The small home was in what Jeremiah called the ‘retiree development,’ where some of the older wolves had congregated. Wolves aged like humans; although they didn’t get common illnesses and diseases, their bodies did wear out. Arthritis and bone and muscle problems were prevalent in the elderly. Stacy had just started having joint pain before she died. A few more years and she probably would’ve had trouble shifting. Shifting could heal a lot of injuries, but it couldn’t stop time.

  Jeremiah held her elbow as they walked up the slick sidewalk. “I need to salt the sidewalk. It’s dangerous to have it iced up.”

  “Do you do the shoveling?”

  “Adam and I do most of it. There aren’t a lot of omega males in our pack that aren’t elderly. Females tend to do the inside stuff like cleaning and cooking for those that need it, which leaves the outside stuff to the males.”

  She looked up at him as he knocked on the front door. “I don’t see why able-bodied males can’t do their own yard work.”