I lay, chained to the creaky hospital bed, idly tracing the cracks in the ceiling, bored out of my mind. The questioning with Agent Bennette had ended with him storming off, red hair mussed from frustrated raking. Poor guy didn't find anything juicy despite rifling through my things; all those fake passports and identity docs I had? Worthless, he'd muttered. Sure, they weren't something I liked having on me, but when you're trying to stay off the Wolven Council's radar, you take what you can get.
And no way was I selling out Quinton. He might have been a nervous wreck most of the time, but he was a decent soul, too skittish to mess with anything bigger than his little forgery gig. He helped people who needed a fresh start or a buffer from some ugly past—mostly battered spouses trying to disappear, guys who didn't think a prenup mattered until it was too late, or wives left with nothing when their partners decided younger was better. It wasn't glamorous work, but Quinton did his best to help people patch up their lives.
The TV stayed off because I didn't need to see another "Housewives of New York City" marathon. If I had to watch one more scene of women clawing at each other with diamond-encrusted nails over some ridiculous scandal, I'd lose it.
Drama. Right. I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut as I sent a silent plea to the Moon Goddess for a shred of patience. A familiar scent—mint with a hint of daffodil—hit me just before the door swung open, and then I was engulfed in a bear hug that nearly knocked the air out of me. Blond hair flooded my vision.
"My baby!" my mom's hands flew to my face, her blue eyes combing over me like she was checking for hidden wounds. Her voice trembled. "Look at you—you've grown! Oh, I missed you so much." She planted kisses on my cheeks before smacking my chest lightly. "Running away from the pack? Really? Did you have to make us worry so much? We could have figured something out, you know..." Her voice cracked, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
From the foot of the bed, my father stood like a silent sentinel, gaze heavy, judging every inch of me. Six years had added flecks of gray to his dirty-blond hair and deepened the permanent frown lines on his face, but he was still built like a boulder in that green polo shirt, muscles straining beneath the fabric as if ready to break free.
"How are you, son?" he asked in his deep, resonant voice that echoed through the sterile room. Son, huh? Funny choice of words, coming from him.
I managed a tight smile. "Oh, you know—just living the dream." I gave the handcuffs a shake, the metal jingling against the bed rail. "This really adds to the ambiance."
His eyes narrowed, jaw clenched. "You could have avoided this if you'd only accepted your duty."
Anger flared up, my nails digging into my palms as a low growl escaped my throat, vibrating the window nearby. "And what exactly is my duty? To be the pack's... toy? To be pawned off to the highest bidder so you can score points with some spineless alpha who needs a baby machine?"
My mom's gasp echoed around us, her hand flying to her mouth. "We'd never force you into that again, Caleb. The first time was worse enough."
I gave her a hard look. "Maybe, maybe not, but it sure felt like you had other plans for me." The words came out bitter, twisted with the years of resentment I'd kept locked up. "So tell me—why are you both here?"
My father's lips pressed into a thin line. "The Wolven Council has convened. They'll call for you when they're ready. You've broken enough laws to ensure they won't go easy on you. This entire mess could have been avoided if you'd just trusted us to handle things. Justin convinced the elders to let you live quietly—hell, he tried to get his father to agree to let you go to college." He shook his head, disappointment written all over him. "And then you threw it all away."
His words were a needle prick—meant to sting, meant to make me feel guilty. But regret? I felt none. Justin had made his choice years ago; I had made mine. I'd rather be hunted than stuck there, caged and beholden to everyone else's plans.
I smirked, blowing a few loose strands of hair out of my face. "Save your breath. If you think the Council scares me, you're wasting your time. They can howl and snarl all they want, but I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me beg."
A new voice cut in, calm and unassuming. "Good, then you won't mind coming with us."
I turned, my gaze falling on a nondescript man dressed in black military garb, stoic expression broken only by the glint of metal shackles in his hands.
🌕🩸🌲🌙🐾 Deputy Omega 🐾🌙 🌲🩸🌕
The heavy chains clanked with each step, boots sinking into the plush carpet that lined the hallways of the Wolven Council's headquarters. Six Enforcers flanked me, eyes straight ahead, faces a mix of tension and boredom as we halted before a foreboding red door. At first, I'd thought the F.B.I. had dumped me in a hospital, given the sterile walls and the distant hum of medical equipment, but a closer look told me otherwise. This was the Council's detainment center, complete with its own medical ward. Guess they wanted to keep all their little "troublemakers" in one convenient spot.
Every employee we passed took their turn staring, and whispering as we moved down the halls. Their judgment hung thick in the air, each set of eyes trying to size me up, likely wondering what crime I'd committed to end up here. And maybe a part of me should've felt scared, or maybe even guilty, but I didn't. Six years of freedom? No pack breathing down my neck, no Council cronies telling me what to do? That alone had been worth every risk. If they wanted to haul me in for that, fine by me.
Behind the red door, I could hear a swell of voices, muffled but clear enough to recognize the tone: judgmental, self-righteous. They probably thought I was some kind of renegade monster—someone who'd torn through the rules, and shredded every ounce of "tradition," just because I wanted the same damn freedom that everyone else seemed to take for granted. I shook my head, catching the sidelong glance of the bailiff by the door. The man ogled me, eyes creeping over my body like I was some snack he'd found in the fridge at midnight. Disgusting.
"Can we get this circus act over with before the idiot busts his load in one of your faces?" I broke the silence, nodding toward the bailiff, whose cheeks flared crimson. "I think we'd all prefer to avoid the show."
One of the Enforcers behind me stifled a laugh, only to receive a sharp, stony glare from his superior—a man who seemed to be made of mud-brown scowls and one solid, unyielding unibrow.
"Speak only when spoken to," he grumbled, voice gravelly.
I snorted. "Yeah, that's cute. But I'm not your lapdog, so take your command-and-control show and shove it."
The officers stiffened, shoulders going rigid as the lead Enforcer marched up, eyes blazing with indignation. He leaned down, his crooked nose practically touching mine, and spat, "You're skating on thin ice, Omega. Push it further, and you'll be begging for mercy before this is over."
I rolled my eyes, tilting my head up to meet his stare. "You think I care? Your little council is overrated. I don't bow to them, and I sure as hell don't bow to you. Now, can we get this moving, or should I risk suffocating on whatever you ate for breakfast?"
A guttural growl reverberated through the hall, the lead Enforcer's face twisting with rage before he stormed toward the door. "Open it," he barked to the others. "Let the Omega meet his fate. I'll relish watching him finally break."
I couldn't help the grin that crept onto my face. Whatever happened in there, one thing was certain: I'd give those self-important Council members a run for their money before I went down.
Just then, a familiar voice rumbled in my mind. "You're really looking forward to this, aren't you?" Orion, my wolf, finally stirred, groggy from the long silence he'd kept. Lazy mutt had spent most of this whole ordeal snoozing. "As if I have other plans in here," he snarked.
An officer behind me gave a nudge, prodding me toward the door as it slowly swung open. The Council's chamber loomed beyond, dark and foreboding, every eye waiting to size up the "rogue" they'd dragged in for judgment.
Orion huffed, resigned. "They won't be quite so smug if they realize we're not bending to their will, no matter what."
"At least it's been a hell of a ride," I replied, a slight nod of agreement.
I stepped forward, feeling the weight of those chains more than ever but barely noticing as that silent promise passed between us. Whatever they had in store, they wouldn't get the satisfaction of breaking me. Not today.