by L. C. Davis
His Runaway Omega
L.C. Davis
Copyright © 2016 L.C. Davis
All Rights Reserved.
Acknowledgments
Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
L.C. Davis acknowledges the trademark status of all brands and copyrighted works mentioned in this work of fiction.
Warnings
This book contains explicit male/male sexual content. Sexual themes include knotting, mate marking, self-lubrication, MPREG and a dominant alpha with a submissive omega. HEA, no cliffhanger, no cheating.
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Chapter 1
BENJAMIN
Benjamin Stillwater was cursed when it came to omegas, of that much he was sure. At the age of twenty-six, he was far from an old timer by human standards, but by alpha wolf standards, he was quickly approaching confirmed bachelor status. On the eve of his younger sister's eighteenth birthday, Benjamin found himself surrounded by every eligible alpha in the Council lands, and he knew the meaning of the gleam in their eyes far too well to extend them the charity of hospitality.
Lita, the doe-eyed omega Benjamin had spent his adolescence protecting and fawning over as the baby of the family, was no longer a baby. The math added up, but he still couldn't bring his heart to accept it. One of those eager young bucks was going to imprint on her, sweep her off her feet and take her back to his own pack to begin an adjacent yet separate life. It was only a matter of time, and it was natural. A fact of life and a milestone to be not only expected but celebrated. The love of an omega was a goal that had inspired the greatest achievements and the gravest errors committed by alphas. For the omega he loved, the one who had been destined for him and him alone, an alpha would fight, lead, conquer and, if need be, kill without a moment's hesitation.
Lita deserved all that and more, and she was surrounded by her family and an entire pack of wolves who would ensure any potential mate who looked her way could provide everything she deserved. As his father's natural successor to the role of alpha in the Cold Water Pack, Benjamin knew exactly what being a leader entailed. Exactly what was expected of him. Strength, integrity and cunning were the bare minimum. To be a great alpha, one worthy of the faith his pack had placed in him, Benjamin knew he had to be a good man as well as a strong wolf. Leadership was an honor, not a right. Benjamin's father, Heinrich, had instilled that value in him ever since he had been old enough to understand his role within the pack. For his part, Benjamin had trained and sacrificed and studied to become worthy of that role and of the mate who was destined to rule at his side.
At one point, he had been certain it was Jenny. The pretty red-haired omega was talking with a few betas across the garden, a wide smile on her lips as she smoothed down her hair. The ring on her left hand glimmered in the light of the waning crescent overhead. Engagement rings had never been a part of the Cold Water Pack's tradition, but the trend had spread like wildfire ever since the mating ceremony between the new Blue River Alpha and his omega, Jesse.
Benjamin took a sip of his drink and turned his attention elsewhere. Anywhere, really. He rarely touched the stuff, preferring to stay sharp in case the situation demanded it, but if there was ever a decent excuse for a drink or two, surely it was the night every single alpha in the Council was sniffing around his younger sister with his ex-fiancée in attendance.
"Ben?" Jenny's voice was soft and musical, just as it always had been. Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder and Benjamin took a second to put a smile on his face before he turned to greet her.
"Jenny," he said in the most welcoming tone he could muster. "So glad you could come."
"I wouldn't miss Lita's party," she said softly, looking him over with a twinkle in her light blue eyes. They had once shone like that for him, back in the days before the appearance of the verum alpha and omega had sparked a chain reaction of mate bonds in the Council lands. Jenny had grown up in the house across from Benjamin's. She had been a year behind him in school and he had simply taken it for granted that one day, she would be his mate. Jenny had plans of becoming a doctor and Benjamin's parents weren't yet grandparents who longed to retire so they could spend more time with their family, so there had been no pressure on the young couple to make things official. Mating was something the pack elders had assured them they had plenty of time to do, and it seemed as inevitable to Benjamin as eventually taking up the mantle of Alpha or watching the sun rise over the water. And then there was Hank.
Hank was an alpha from outside the Council system and his diplomatic visit to the Cold Water Pack had turned out to be a fateful moment. Benjamin knew Jenny's claims of love had been as genuine as his once were, but he also knew from the moment she met Hank that what she felt for the other alpha was something else entirely. Benjamin realized in hindsight that what had transpired between Jenny and Hank was the spark of a mate bond, but even then, even before the verum Alpha and omega pair had changed everything, he had known he didn't stand a chance. He had bowed out gracefully, both to save himself the inevitable romantic failure and because he loved his childhood sweetheart enough to want to see her happy, even if it was at another alpha's side.
Besides, there was no standing in the way of destiny. When the Spirits set their minds to something, it happened, and no alpha was strong enough to resist. Another omega would come--his omega--and when it happened, Benjamin knew he would be relieved that it hadn't worked out with Jenny. Of course, it hadn't worked out with Cameron, either. Or Jesse. The third time, in Benjamin's case, was not the charm.
"I'm sure Lita is grateful you and Hank could make it," Benjamin said, taking another sip of scotch to hide his grimace. He didn't like the bitterness he felt in the other alpha's presence, but that did nothing to ease it.
"I think she's a bit distracted," Jenny said wryly. Benjamin followed her gaze across the garden and could hardly see Lita through the sea of alphas vying for her attention. Their father was not far off, watching in equal distaste. He would keep an eye on the yapping pups, at least. "Any idea who she'll choose?"
"You know it doesn't work like that these days." The look on Jenny's face made Benjamin regret his words immediately. This was why he didn't drink. Now he was a lightweight and a single sip was enough to loosen his tongue. He set the half-finished glass aside.
"Your mate is out there, Ben," she said gently. "It's just a matter of time."
Benjamin gave her a placid smile. By far, the only thing worse than having the omega he loved run into another alpha's arms was being the object of her pity. "Oh, don't think I'm broken up about it or anything. There's plenty of work to be done in this pack without worrying about courtship rituals."
Jenny tilted her head and gave him that look. The one that said, "I know you as well as you know yourself and that's nonsense." Of course, her tongue twisted it into far gentler terms. She was an omega, after all. "We grew up t
ogether, remember? You've never wanted anything more than to be a husband, except maybe to be a father. You're going to be incredible at both of those things, and I know it'll happen soon."
As she spoke, her hand went to her stomach and Benjamin realized he'd been holding his breath. The fact that she was mated now couldn't entirely extinguish the old impulses. The familiarity the years had forged between them. Her scent was different. "You're expecting."
Jenny's face turned pink and she looked away. "Yes, but please don't tell anyone. We haven't announced it to the pack yet and we want it to be a surprise."
"They won't hear it from me," he promised, managing his first genuine smile of the night, faint though it was. "Congratulations, Jenny. I'm happy for you. Both of you."
She smiled brightly and looked up as the other alpha approached. "There you are," Hank called, nodding to Benjamin as he offered his hand and pulled his other around his mate's waist. "Good to see you again, Benjamin."
"Likewise," Benjamin said, returning the handshake. Heinrich had always taught him that the only thing worse than losing was poor sportsmanship, and it was a belief that Benjamin was certain would serve him well one day. He took that on faith, since he certainly didn't have any experience to go off of. "If you'll both excuse me, I believe I need to go remind the Oakridge Alpha-in-training of where his hands belong."
Once he was free, Benjamin found himself lingering on the outskirts of the party, wondering when he had ceased to be part of his pack the way he had been his entire life. It wasn't that the others excluded him by any means, but even the betas he had grown up with had paired off with their own mates. A few of them even had children of their own to raise.
One of those children happened to be toddling awfully close to the edge of the fountain in the courtyard. Benjamin glanced around but couldn't see the pup's parents anywhere. He made a dash and caught the back of the small girl's overalls before she could fall in. "Easy there!"
She stared at him with all the wide-eyed wonder of a teenager meeting her favorite pop idol for the first time. The Cold Water Pack was one of the largest in the Council region, but Benjamin still recognized the girl as the youngest daughter of Thomas, his former classmate and future beta, assuming Benjamin could get his act together and take on the role of Alpha before the next generation was old enough to lead.
"I'm so sorry," Thomas called, rushing through the crowd. Benjamin passed the girl into her father's arms as the beta continued to apologize profusely. "Man, Karen's gonna kill me. You take your eyes off them for one second..."
Benjamin laughed, ruffling the girl's hair. "No harm done. Just maybe explain to her that it's beta fish that live in the water, not beta wolves."
"Keep making bad jokes like that and you'll be an excellent father," Karen said, coming up beside her mate. Thomas looked like he was afraid to turn around for fear of seeing a ghost. Karen cleared her throat and took the girl from her mate's arms. "Thank you, Benjamin. At least someone is paying attention."
"Don't mention it," Benjamin said, giving Thomas a sympathetic look as his mate led him away.
She was right, of course. Benjamin knew he would be a good father one day, and a good mate, if given the chance. He had his own father to thank for setting a proper example of both. Now it was just a matter of finding an omega so he could put that knowledge into practice.
Chapter 2
BENJAMIN
Once the party was over, Benjamin found himself cleaning up what he was fairly certain was an entire forest's worth of paper products from the courtyard. His father was breaking down a table across the courtyard and Benjamin rushed over when he saw the man's knee give out.
"Dad," he cried, helping him over to a chair.
"I'm alright," Heinrich said, waving him off. "Just my bad knee. Keep fussing over me like your mother does and I'll make you sit through my old war tales again."
Benjamin gave him a humoring smile, but the color of the older Alpha's face made him doubtful the matter was that simple. "You're exhausted and mom says you haven't been sleeping well. Go inside, I can finish up out here."
Heinrich looked around the garden that had nearly been returned to its orderly state and frowned. "Guess I have been burning the candle at both ends."
"You could delegate a bit, you know." Benjamin chose his words carefully since the last time he had broached the subject, their discussion had ended in an argument. Heinrich seemed too exhausted to argue that night, but that wasn't much of a relief.
"I suppose I could," Heinrich said, letting out a heavy sigh. He patted the empty chair beside him. "Sit down, son. There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, and I guess now's as good a time as any."
Benjamin sat down, listening in wary silence. Heinrich was rarely in a somber mood and while the man's fuse was a mile long, Benjamin knew a serious talk was rarely a good thing. "What is it, dad?"
"I went to Dr. Smith last week."
Benjamin frowned. "About your knee?"
"That's why I went," Heinrich grumbled. "He decided to do a full workup while I was there."
"Tests? What kind of tests?"
"EKGs, and all sorts of other anagrams," Heinrich muttered distastefully. Benjamin's worry grew. It was hard enough to get an alpha into a doctor's office, never mind to get him to submit to a battery of tests. If Heinrich had agreed to them, there had to be a reason.
"Are you alright?"
"I don't know." For the first time in his life, Benjamin heard uncertainty in his father's voice, usually so full of knowing and calm. "They're running more tests. It's all a whole bunch of bullcrap, and I don't want the family getting worked up about it."
"Please tell me mom knows."
"Of course she does." There were only two people the Cold Water Alpha answered to. The first was Barnabas, the verum alpha, and the second was Heinrich's mate and Benjamin's mother, a tiny woman who barely came up to her mate's shoulders and weighed half as much as he did. "There's just no sense worrying everyone when it might be nothing."
"But it might be something," Benjamin ventured. "If the doc didn't think that, you wouldn't be telling me this right now."
Heinrich put a hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed. The young alpha told himself it was just his imagination that his father's grip seemed a bit weaker. "I plan to be around for a long time to come and I have no intention of leaving this pack or this world without holding my grandchildren. Even so, this whole thing," he said, waving vaguely around him as he shifted his weight in his chair, "has got me thinking about other things."
"Things like your only son becoming an old maid?" Benjamin offered in a wry tone.
Heinrich snorted, but the amusement tugging at his mustache didn't meet his eyes. "I know you've had a rough go of finding a mate. It's harder now than it was in my day," he said, scratching his graying beard. "Not like it was with your mother."
"I always wanted you guys had, even as a kid," Benjamin admitted. "To find someone to pour my heart into like you did, and have that love returned."
"You talk like you've given up on that." Heinrich frowned. "I can see it in your eyes."
"I've met every omega in the Council lands. If it was going to happen for me, I'm just starting to think it would have."
"There's more to a mate bond than that 'aha' moment, son," said the older alpha, resting a hand on his son's shoulder. "It's about commitment. The bond you forge over time, with devotion and action. That's what matters most."
"That's what I always thought."
Heinrich sighed. "That brings me to what I wanted to tell you. This whole situation with my health has gotten me thinking about a lot of things, the future of this pack being chief among them."
Benjamin listened anxiously as his father continued, "I'm not getting younger or healthier. You're the age I was when I took over from my father, and you've handled the responsibilities I've gradually been shifting over to you well. It's no secret to me or to the betas that you're ready to take on the role o
f leader in name as well as duty."
Benjamin frowned. "But I don't have an omega." It wasn't unheard of for an Alpha to continue leading his pack after his omega had passed away, as the verum Alpha, Barnabas, had for so many years, but to take on the role without ever having been mated in the first place was unprecedented.
"I know," Heinrich said with a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "And I know you've been wanting to do things the right way, waiting for love at first sight, but I figured now you might be open to doing things the old way."
"I'm not sure I follow you."
"How would you feel about an arranged mating?"
"Arranged?" Benjamin echoed, grimacing.
Heinrich rolled his eyes. "I thought that might be your immediate reaction, but hear me out. There's an omega living with the Ice Canyon pack up in Canada. His name is Yuri and he's been shifted from one pack to another ever since he was rescued."
"Rescued?"
"In the war," Heinrich murmured. "You've heard of the Arctic Pines Pack?"
The name was familiar but Benjamin hadn't heard it in years. Not since his last history class. "Weren't they allies of the Mountain Ridge wolves back when Allen Teak was in charge?"
"That's right. They were even more brutal than the Mountain Ridge wolves, if anything," Heinrich said, growing somber. "From what I understand, Yuri has had a harder time integrating into a pack than the other wolves who were rescued, which is to be expected of an omega who's been through something like that."
"Yeah," Benjamin agreed, feeling a pang of sympathy for the wolf he had never even met. Omegas were far from weak, as so many alphas made the mistake of assuming. Benjamin knew just how strong they could be, and his own mother was proof of that. Even so, they were sensitive and he couldn't imagine one thriving in an environment even harsher than Mountain Ridge. "Wait, are you thinking of having him sent here?"
"He's out of options, I'm afraid," Heinrich said carefully. "There was a, uh, incident at Ice Canyon and they need to have him moved as soon as possible."