The Omega Purebred (Hell's Wolves MC Book 2) Read online

  Chapter Two

  EMMETT

  The Itinerant Chapter of the Hell’s Wolves pack had stopped for the night in a small town just outside of Providence, Rhode Island, but Emmett Burke had a feeling they were going to be here for more like a week.

  The problem was that everyone was tired. They’d been traveling pretty much nonstop since Kansas, and while that much open road was appealing, it could start to wear on you. Emmett knew he could depend on Pax, his right-hand man and the club’s enforcer, to be ready to ride at a moment’s notice. But even Pax was dead on his feet, and Emmett thought they all deserved a chance to rest.

  There was also the fact that they didn’t know where they were going next. Judah, his road captain, had presented two possible routes—one that would take them up to Maine, and another that would lead them down to Florida. The options had been debated hotly among the younger members of the pack, some of whom wanted to go to the beach and some of whom wanted to try the best lobster in the country and check out the haunted houses that were supposed to be up north.

  For now, Emmett thought, it made sense to live in the moment. Specifically, he was worried about the site they’d chosen to set up camp. They were in a cornfield by the side of the road, and though the stalks were as tall as the men in the pack, anyone who examined the field carefully would see the A-frame tarp they’d set up to sleep under. They’d have to pack up and move in the morning, at least a few yards over, if they wanted to stay here.

  The nomad life had its challenges, but Emmett loved it. He loved sleeping under the stars. He loved feeling that the entire continental U.S. was his home, not feeling tied to one place. He liked the freedom that came with not having to worry about bills and maintenance and the responsibilities that homeowners faced. And he especially loved the knowledge that every member of his pack felt the same way he did about it.

  Which didn’t mean they didn’t need a rest.

  The others laid, piled underneath the tarp, asleep or on their way there, but Emmett stood awake and watchful. It was always a little hard to unwind after a day on the road. His mind still raced as fast as his bike had been.

  Staying in Rhode Island would mean more than just getting some much-needed rest. It would mean the opportunity to take a job or two. They hadn’t worked since Oregon, and although The Hell’s Wolves could live off the land when they needed to, it was nice to be able to afford fast food and a nice cold beer once in a while. He had a feeling none of his packmates would object to the idea of making some money while they were here.

  He just hoped they’d be able to find a job. It wasn’t always easy.

  He heard a noise behind him and turned, always alert and attuned to danger, but it was only Pax. “I thought you were asleep,” Emmett said.

  “Nah,” said Pax. “Just thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “The next couple of days. They’re not going to want to move on, are they?”

  “Not likely,” Emmett agreed.

  “Do you think there’s work in Rhode Island?”

  “I don’t know,” Emmett said. “The Coywolves are in Providence, I know that.”

  “Coywolves?”

  “Big shifter pack,” Emmett said. “They take their name from a native species, but they don’t actually have any coyote lineage. They’re grey wolves, I think.”

  “I didn’t know there were any of us here,” Pax said.

  “Oh, yeah,” Emmett said. “The Coywolves have been in the area for decades. They’re one of the wealthiest, most established, shifter packs in the country.”

  “Bluebloods, huh?” Pax gave a feral grin. “You really think they’d want anything to do with the likes of us?”

  “I think there are things packs like that won’t do for themselves,” Emmett said. “Either they don’t know how, or they think they’re above it. But we’re shifters. Like it or not, there’s an animal side to us. There’s an animal nature to who we are and what we do. And no matter how much they want to live in the human world, they’re going to have animal needs. Yeah, I think we’ve got a very good chance with them.”

  “Did you know that before we came here?” Pax asked.

  “You know Judah plans the routes,” Emmett said. “I didn’t decide to come to Rhode Island.”

  “Okay, but you have final approval,” Pax said. “Come on. You knew this family was here, didn’t you?”

  “Okay, I did,” Emmett said.

  “And you didn’t think that might be a problem?”

  “Why would it be a problem?”

  “Don’t play dumb,” Pax said. “After what happened in Oregon, how could you possibly think otherwise?”

  “Oregon was a mistake,” Emmett said shortly.

  “And this could be a mistake too,” Pax said. “Our pack is already small, Emmett.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “My point is that Zane left us because someone showed him a different way of life.”

  “Zane left us for a woman.”

  “Yeah, a woman who showed him a different way of life,” Pax said. “You don’t think that could happen here?”

  “What I think is that we can’t just stop taking jobs because we’re afraid that someone might see something they like and abandon the pack,” Emmett said. “If one of us leaves the Hell’s Wolves for a settled life, it’s because they were never really a nomad in the first place. We don’t want people sticking with our pack because they don’t think there’s anything else out there for them, right? We want them to choose us.”

  “I just don’t want us to go extinct,” Pax said. “And we will, Emmett, if we lose people. We live on the road. We can’t raise a new generation, the way other packs can. You know that. We depend on people finding us and joining us. And staying with us.”

  “Did it ever occur to you,” Emmett said, “that what happened in Oregon might happen in reverse here? Okay, we lost Zane. But what if a member of the Coywolves doesn’t like the life he’s living and wants to join up with us? What if we leave with greater numbers than we rode in with?”

  Pax shook his head. “I hope it happens,” he said, but his tone made it clear that he thought it highly unlikely.

  “Get some sleep, Pax,” Emmett said. “We’ve got work to do in the morning.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll be along in a minute,” Emmett promised.

  Pax regarded him for a long moment, then turned and went back to the tarp where the rest of the pack was sleeping.

  Emmett lingered. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit, he had been badly shaken when Zane had decided to abandon the Hell’s Wolves. As the pack alpha, he knew he had the power to forbid members of his pack from deserting. They would have to follow any order he gave. But Emmett was reluctant to exercise that power over them, even though he knew some of the pack members—like Pax—thought he should.

  The problem was that ordering Zane to stay would have stripped him of his free will. And Emmett couldn’t bring himself to do that. He would have awakened every morning wondering whether Zane really wanted to be with them. And if he gave that order to the entire pack ... well, then they wouldn’t be a pack at all, would they? They’d be no better than slaves, only together because they had no power to break away.

  He would just have to hope that Zane’s departure hadn’t given any of the other pack members any ideas. He would have to hope that no one else would meet a woman and decide to leave with her.

  There could be no question of women coming on the road with them, of course. The Hell’s Wolves were a brotherhood, through and through. They went on cross-country runs, they shared a tent, and they accepted difficult and dangerous jobs. Involving women would slow them down, settle them down. No doubt, it would eventually lead to children, which would halt them in their tracks. Pax was right about that, at least. They couldn’t count on growing their pack biologically.

  Oh, who needs a big pack, Emmett thought. He liked the Hell’s Wolves as the
y were. He liked being a tight band who knew each other well enough to predict each other’s moves in a fight. New people would just gum everything up.

  He wandered back over to the tarp, crawled underneath it, and shoved Blake over to make room. Blake snuffled a little in his sleep but didn’t wake. Emmett settled down beside him and closed his eyes, but it was a long time before he managed to fall asleep.

  “YOU’RE KIDDING,” JUDAH said. “This place?”

  They stood outside a wrought iron gate, looking up at a huge estate on a hill. The house looked like it had been built sometime around the turn of the century, but it was well kept and in good condition. Considering that they’d spent the previous night sleeping in a field, Emmett could understand why his brothers were staring at the house as if it had dropped down from outer space.

  “I told you,” he said, “they’ve been living here a while.”

  “What are they, lawyers or something?” Judah asked.

  “I think they’re investment bankers,” Emmett said.

  “It’s weird that you even know that,” Pax said.

  “They’re not like us,” Emmett said.

  “Yeah, no shit.”

  “I mean, they’re not as concerned with keeping a low profile. They’re, you know. Upstanding citizens. Pillars of the community. I think the alpha is the city comptroller.”

  “What the hell is a comptroller?”

  “I don’t know. Does it matter? The point is, they have money and a nice house. But it’s still them. I mean, hell, can’t you smell them?”

  Five noses inhaled. Emmett knew they were catching the scent. It was potent. There was no way they could miss it.

  “All right,” he said. “We can’t all go in at once, we’ll scare them off. Xander, you and I will go.”

  This provoked a babble of protest. “Why him?” Judah demanded.

  “Because he’s the youngest,” Emmett said. “No offense, Xander, but you’ve never scared anyone in your life.”

  Xander shrugged amiably. “I bet you hadn’t either when you were sixteen.”

  He’d lose that bet. Emmett had been intimidating his peers since he was a toddler, a fact he hadn’t always enjoyed. It wasn’t fun to have other kids running away from you because you hadn’t yet harnessed your alpha instincts. But that was life, and he was used to it. He turned to the other four. “The rest of you, wait here,” he said. “We’ll signal you if you’re needed.”

  “Signal us how?” Judah asked.

  “Just watch the window,” Emmett said. “I’ll have Xander give a sign.”

  Judah didn’t look happy, but he couldn’t argue. Emmett was the alpha. Emmett’s word was law.

  Xander and Emmett headed up the long walkway that led to the house’s front door. “Do you think they’ll hire us?” Xander asked.

  Emmett shrugged. “It’s always a toss-up with these rich types,” he said. “They don’t want to get their hands dirty. They don’t want to stain their reputations. So, if something needs doing, yeah, they’ll hire us. But they’re so obsessed with keeping their noses clean that they might not need anything from us at all. We’ll have to wait and see. Ring the doorbell.”

  Xander, who was standing closer to the bell, reached out and pushed it.

  No answer.

  Xander rocked back on his heels and looked at Emmett. “Do you think they’re not home?”

  “No, I think they’re blowing us off,” Emmett said. “There’s a light on in the upstairs window, see? Someone’s in there.”

  “Maybe they just left their lights on.”

  “I don’t think so. Ring the bell again.”

  Xander did so. This time, Emmett could hear footsteps inside. He wanted to pound on the door and shout, to let whoever was inside know that they’d been heard, but he controlled himself. Don’t scare them off.

  The door opened. Just a crack, just enough for a man to peek out. “What?” he asked. “We’re not buying anything.”

  An inauspicious beginning, but never mind. “I’m not selling,” Emmett said. “My name is Emmett Burke. I’m the alpha of the Hell’s Wolves, Itinerant Chapter.”

  “I don’t know what that is. Is that a gang?”

  “We’re shifters,” Xander said, his voice teenage and eager. “Like you.”

  “Hush,” Emmett said, regretting what he’d said about a rich pack like this not caring about keeping a low profile. He’d probably given Xander the impression that this man didn’t care who knew he was a shifter.

  The man did indeed look deeply suspicious. “What do you want?” he asked.

  “We’re just passing through town,” Emmett said, trying to keep his voice low and soothing, trying not to intimidate this man. “We’re in search of odd jobs that might need doing. We knew there was a pack here, and thought we’d stop by and see if you needed anything done.”

  “Odd jobs?” The man’s eyes narrowed. “Like what? Lawn maintenance?”

  “If you like,” Emmett allowed. “Although, the kind of jobs we’re usually hired for are a little more...covert.”

  “You mean illegal.”

  “I mean, services you can’t necessarily find on the internet.”

  “Who did you say you were with?”

  “Hell’s Wolves. Itinerant Chapter.”

  “Itinerant?”

  “It means, we travel from town to town,” Xander said helpfully.

  The man scowled. “I’m aware of that, thank you.” He turned back to Emmett. “When did you arrive in town?”

  “Last night,” Emmett said. “Well, this morning, technically. We spent the night on the outskirts.”

  “You weren’t here last week?”

  “No,” Emmett said, confused. “We were on the West Coast last week.”

  “Can you prove it?”

  “Why would you think we were here last week?”

  “Wait, I can prove it,” Xander said. He fished in the pocket of his jeans for a moment and pulled out a receipt. “Here. It’s from a convenience store in Omaha, see? And there’s a date.”

  The man opened the door enough to snatch the receipt from Xander’s hand. He looked it over carefully, handed it back, and then opened the door all the way, suspicion still written all over his face.

  “I’m Matthew Lang,” he said slowly. “I’m the alpha of the Coywolves.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Emmett held out a hand and tried to conceal his shock. This cringing, fearful man was an alpha?

  Lang hesitated, then shook Emmett’s hand. “Why don’t you two come in and sit down,” he said.

  Emmett followed Lang into an ornately appointed living room. He shot a look at Xander, hoping to communicate that the boy should keep his mouth shut. Xander had gotten them in the door, and Emmett would give credit where credit was due, but now, it was time for the men to talk.

  He took a seat on the couch. Xander sat beside him, and Lang perched on the edge of an uncomfortable looking armchair opposite them. “I apologize for my skepticism,” he said. “You’ve arrived at a strange time.”

  “What do you mean?” Emmett asked.

  “Our pack’s omega has gone missing.”

  Emmett leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. Lang had spoken as though he expected Emmett to be shocked, but the truth was that the kidnapping of an omega was such a regular event that it was almost boring. Most packs wanted an omega to call their own, and omegas were rare enough that plenty of them were willing to resort to unethical measures to get one. “Do you know where she is?” he asked.

  “No,” Lang said. “But it’s crucial that we get her back. She just came of age, and she’s very valuable.” He leaned in as though confiding a secret. “She’s a direct descendent of the line of Cavallon.”

  Emmett had no idea what that meant, so he didn’t respond.

  “You can understand how the timing looked suspicious,” Lang said. “Someone kidnaps our omega, and then, a week later, someone shows up offering to do under the table odd jobs
for us? If you were the kidnapper, it would be a good way to get paid for her return.”

  “Sir, if I’d kidnapped your omega, I wouldn’t go through all this rigamarole to juice you,” Emmett said. “No offense, but it’s obvious you’re loaded. I’d just ask you to pay me for her return.”

  Lang sighed. “I guess that does make more sense.”

  “We’ve tracked kidnapped omegas before,” Emmett said. “Do you want us to find yours for you?”

  “How much do you charge for that?”

  “How much are you willing to pay?”

  Lang hesitated. “Ten thousand,” he said. “Ten thousand if you bring her back safe and whole.”

  Emmett blinked. He didn’t want to let his astonishment show on his face, but ten thousand was more money than the Hell’s Wolves had ever had. He could feel Xander grow tense beside him, waiting to hear his response.

  “Fifteen,” Emmett said, his voice cool as steel.

  “Okay, fine,” Lang said. Inwardly, Emmett shook his head. He’d known this man had no mettle. “Fifteen. That’s fine. Just get her back, will you?”

  “Is she yours?” Emmett asked. “Your mate?”

  “What?” Lang shook his head. “No, no. Not mine. She just belongs to our pack. She’s ours.”

  “I see,” Emmett said. There was something unpleasant about the way the man talked about his omega, as if she were a piece of property, but that wasn’t any of Emmett’s business. “All right. Give me a photo of her and something with her scent. We’ll do what we can to get her back for you.” He didn’t like Matthew Lang, not one bit. But a job was a job, and fifteen thousand was fifteen thousand. The rest of the Wolves weren’t going to believe this when he told them.

  Chapter Three

  HAZEL

  No one had ever taught her what to do if she was kidnapped.

  All her training had been to avoid being kidnapped. Stay in the house. Always travel in groups. Don’t go out at night. And now, she had violated all three of those rules. It was the very first time she had gone against Matthew’s wishes.