Omega in the Middle (The Rogue Pack Book 5)

  Omega in the Middle

  Copyright 2017 Samantha Cayto

  Published by Samantha Cayto

  Cover Art by Syneca Featherstone

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  “Please, sir, don’t make me do this anymore.”

  It was the tone of voice—both fear and despair—that caught Daniel’s attention, so much so that his feet stopped moving before his brain had a chance to form a what the fuck? Then the smack—the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh—had him turning and heading down the dim alley. He pulled up short and immediately took a defensive stand when a human man raced toward him.

  The guy paused long enough to say, “You don’t want any part of that, friend. I mean if the kid were willing, sure, but this is a little too rapey for my tastes.” With that, he picked up his pace and flashed by.

  Daniel processed the statement even as he caught the scent of the gamma farther up. And, an omega. The smells were so ripe, even his human senses could detect them. “Shit.” He rounded a couple of dumpsters and could now see what his nose had told him.

  The gamma had the omega pushed up against the brick wall of the building on the left. “Why do you have to be such a willful little bitch? You know I don’t like it when you make me hit you.” The gamma’s voice dripped with disappointment and regret.

  The beautiful, male omega held one hand to his cheek and sniffed back tears. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m trying to be good, but I don’t like sucking off these humans. Please, can’t I just be yours.”

  The gamma shook his head. “Don’t be stupid, slut. You know we have to eat. And, it’s just your mouth. You know your hole belongs only to me.”

  Daniel had to stop for a second and take in a deep breath because Gods, those words alone made him want to shift and charge and rip that fucking bastard into bits too tiny for any human to identify. His normally laid-back wolf had risen within him, snarling to be let loose. Knowing how sketchy living in a human world already was, he reined in his protective instincts and forced his wolf to stand down. He could handle this situation in a human way.

  A civilized way.

  “Get the fuck away from him, asshole.”

  Mostly civilized.

  Both the gamma and the omega jerked and looked over at him. The gamma, of course, recovered his surprise a split second later. Pasting a sneer on his face, he squared his shoulders and faced Daniel. The broad, thick body blocked his view of the omega.

  “This is none of your affair, Beta.”

  Daniel stopped a few feet away and shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, ready for a fight if need be. The gamma was bigger than he. No surprise there. Daniel, though, had the benefit of learning to fight in a human-style that hopefully eliminated that slight advantage. Besides, the gamma appeared to be a walking stereotype of his kind—not altogether on the bright side.

  “I beg to differ. A human just ran out of here talking about rape, and the omega is clearly hurting, so…”

  “So what? He’s my mate and being disobedient. I have the right to discipline him.”

  Daniel sniffed deeply and ostentatiously. “I don’t believe that. He’s not your mate. And, even if he were, that doesn’t give you the right to whore him out or beat him.”

  “Says who, you? I don’t care what you think.” The look on the guy’s face had deepened into outright hostility.

  Daniel sighed inwardly. In some respects, the gamma was right. They were not in a pack together. Daniel had no automatic right to dictate the guy’s behavior or any obligation to protect the omega. Still…he could smell the fear and misery on the boy, and walking away seemed like a douchy thing to do. He could hear his sire’s voice telling him how he had a duty as a beta to take care of others no matter what, more vulnerable shifters in particular.

  He shook his head. “Yeah, now see there’s our problem because I don’t care what you think. Step away from the boy.”

  In response to the order, the gamma partially shifted to elongate his snout and bare his fangs. He growled in warning, the talking part of the program apparently being over.

  Leaning forward, Daniel hissed. “Don’t be stupid! We’re in the middle of a human city. We settle this in that form, not as shifters.”

  Fortunately, the gamma wasn’t moronic enough to ignore that point. He morphed his face back and at the same time, pulled a switchblade out of his pocket. “Fine.” He crouched down, clearly no stranger to a knife fight and ready to “throw down” as the humans would say.

  Fuck.

  Daniel didn’t even bother to respond. Humans loved to posture and hurl insults before getting right to it. He preferred the more straight-forward shifter way. Without saying another word, he stepped forward and executed a roundhouse kick. The gamma yelled as his weapon went sailing out of his hand.

  The guy backed-up, cradling his probably broken wrist to his chest. “You fucker! That’s no way to fight fair.”

  Daniel kept up his guard while giving the gamma a tight smile. “Oh, was that how we were supposed to do it?” He shrugged as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “I figured given your use of a human weapon, we were playing by their rules. My bad.” He sneered. “You better decide what’s more important to you, your bones or the boy.”

  Murderous rage showed through the gamma’s eyes, but he only hesitated a few seconds before moving. He gave Daniel a wide berth as he edged away. “Fine. Take him. He’s a lousy lay and eats too much. His only value is in sucking dicks for money, and that’s now more trouble than it’s worth.”

  With that final, bitter pronouncement, the gamma fled down the alley. Daniel was careful to keep his eyes on the guy. He only turned his attention to the omega once he was sure the gamma had truly left the immediate area. Even then, he angled his body so that he could easily see the entrance.

  The omega hadn’t moved. His slender, short frame was plastered against the wall as if the poor thing was too afraid to relax. His hand still cradled his cheek, and his gaze was fixed on the dirty ground. Small tremors racked him. Fear draped him like a blanket. Everything about the boy made Daniel’s heart ache—from the lank, greasy hair to the threadbare clothing hanging off a too-skinny frame. The pitiful boy had obviously been neglected.

  Damn, Daniel wasn’t used to dealing with vulnerable shifters. “Hey,” he started with what he hoped was a gentle, non-threatening voice. The last thing he wanted was the boy to be afraid of him. “Everything’s going to be okay.” He resisted the urge to reach out and touch him.

  “Yes, sir.” The response, given in barely a whisper, held a clear hint of both dubiousness and resignation.

  “No, really.” Daniel stepped closer and angled his head to try to catch the omega’s eye. “Do you think you could look at me? Please,” he added because now was not the time to be a bossy beta.

  Lovely, long brown lashes fluttered as the omega lifted his gaze. He didn’t hold eye contact long, wincing while he tried to.

  Daniel plastered what he hoped was an encouraging smile on his face. “That’s it, honey.” That endearment popped out of his mouth automatically. Although the omega was of breeding age, he was still mostly a vulnerable pup. “What’s your name?”

  After a brief hesitation, the boy stuttered out an answer. “Bitch. Or c-cun
t, if it please you, sir.”

  Daniel’s wolf snapped out a snarl before he could stop it. The omega whined and shrunk closer to the wall, if that were even possible.

  Shit. He was making a hash out of this. The stupid thing was, he could do better. Living for so long among humans had taught him to hide his wolf side really well. What was his problem? It was as if the presence of this omega had caused his hard-fought discipline to evaporate.

  Holding out his hands palm first, he said, “Easy, honey. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just that no way your dam and sire named you those awful things, and I don’t care what that asshole gamma called you. What’s your name?”

  The boy’s pretty lips trembled, then opened, and finally one word popped out. “Ben.” He winced again, as if he expected to be punished for doing what he’d been told.

  Daniel briefly envisioned tearing out of the alley, tracking the gamma and beating him into the ground after all. Knowing that he couldn’t leave the omega alone or risk creating a scene in front of humans, he shoved his anger down and once more tried to convey a feeling of nice and easy.

  “Ben. That’s a nice omega name. I’m Daniel.”

  The boy didn’t respond, and Daniel hadn’t really expected him to. In fact, he would bet that it had taken all of Ben’s strength and courage to resist the gamma’s efforts to once again whore him out. Thank the Gods he had, otherwise, his miserable life with the gamma would have continued. And, speaking of which…

  “Just so I’m clear on this, that gamma wasn’t your mate, was he? My human nose isn’t very reliable. It won’t matter what your answer is,” he tacked on quickly. “You’re not going back to him no matter what. I promise you that.”

  “No, sir. We aren’t mated.” The omega’s gaze flitted up to his briefly, and in that second, Daniel could see the boy didn’t think it mattered regardless. Poor thing probably figured Daniel would treat him no better. Or maybe worse.

  Well, actions would speak louder than words in this situation. “Come on.” He gestured with his hand. “Let’s get you back to my place. I have an apartment close by. You’ll be safe there, I promise.”

  When the omega barely moved from his spot, likely frozen with fear, Daniel realized that he needed to take charge more firmly. He reached over and clasped his hand around Ben’s biceps. The boy still pressed his hand against his cheek where he’d undoubtedly been hit.

  There was only a slight resistance, yet it was there, testament that the omega hadn’t been entirely cowed. That was a good sign, actually, but Daniel couldn’t afford to let the boy slip away. Omegas weren’t meant to be on their own, and one in a human city would be especially vulnerable.

  A thought occurred to him as they left the alley. “Do you have any stuff that we can collect?”

  Ben shook his head. “No, sir, nothing. Gamma Kurt shared his things with me when I was good.”

  Daniel grimaced. That sounded awful, like the kid only had the use of something like a bar of soap and clothes if he did as told. “Okay, no worries. I’ll get you whatever you need.”

  “Thank you, sir.” That simple gratitude tore at him. An omega should take being cared for as a given.

  Daniel stopped at the mouth of the alley and shifted both his ears and his nose for a brief moment to check out the area. The gamma was nowhere to be detected, and the humans were mostly settled in their homes. On a Sunday evening with night falling, they wouldn’t be up for socializing. Unlike him, they typically had jobs that required them to be up early in the morning.

  The street he hustled the omega down was pretty deserted. The wind had kicked up a bit, thereby heralding the end of what had been a mild fall for southern Maine. The arm in his grasp shivered, which was hardly surprising. The thin shirt the boy wore wasn’t enough.

  Shit, with the immediate crisis over, Daniel had to give thought to what he was going to do with the omega. He wasn’t equipped to deal with a problem of this magnitude. His tiny one bedroom apartment wouldn’t be a suitable home for an omega for long, and choosing to live in a city meant he had no pack members to call on for help. Maybe the boy’s own pack was nearby, although really so what if it was? Somehow, Ben’s family had allowed him to be taken away by an abusive piece of shit who hadn’t even given the boy the courtesy of a mating.

  Except, thank the Gods for that. If the gamma had mated with the boy, he probably wouldn’t have given up so easily. It would have meant a fight to the death right there in the middle of an alley of a major road downtown. It would have been a messy affair, and Sunday night or not, it would have been noticed. So, yeah, small mercies. And on that note, it was equally good that the boy hadn’t been around any alphas recently because he wasn’t in heat or breeding. A pregnant male omega was the mother of all things entitled that which must be hidden from humans.

  He was getting ahead of himself, though. That trait tended to get him into trouble. When you spent too much time looking ahead, you often tripped over what was right in front of your nose. First thing was to get the boy to a safe place, fed, and washed. Washing actually should come second to safety because the kid did stink—like he hadn’t had a chance to bathe in days. And, his light skin looked dirty even in twilight.

  So yeah, shower. Then food. Lots of food because there was slender and there was emaciated. Damn fucking gamma—Kurt—probably had taken first crack at whatever food he’d bought from forcing Ben to kneel in front of strange humans in dirty alleys…

  Ben jerked and whimpered, telling Daniel has grip had tightened with his anger. “Sorry, honey. Almost there.”

  As if that were comforting to the boy. He didn’t know Daniel, and probably figured he was heading into another abusive relationship, albeit one with a reliable place to stay. Maybe that was enough for Ben, too, because he must have been living rough with Kurt for a while. He would have to get the whole story out of Ben at some point. For now, though, with the apartment building within sight, the first step was almost completed.

  He escorted Ben up the front stoop and kept a hold on him while punching in the key code for the door. He hated being so domineering, yet he worried that the omega might bolt out of fright or some misplaced loyalty to the shifter who’d controlled him for so long. Fortunately, none of his neighbors were around as they entered the elevator. Humans were easy to get along with and to fool, but he didn’t want to have anyone like noisy Mrs. Webster on the first floor ask him questions about Ben.

  Their luck held when they were able to get into the apartment without been seen. The moment he had the door shut, he let go of Ben and turned on the overhead light so the boy wouldn’t be stuck in the near dark of a strange place. The omega didn’t move a muscle, staying right where he’d been put. He had, however, put his hand down. The livid red splotch on his cheek was easy to see.

  Daniel looked at it with a narrowed gaze. “He walloped you good, huh?”

  Ben recognized the question as being rhetorical, so he kept his mouth shut and his gaze on the shiny hardwood floor. He didn’t dare speak, or move, or breathe practically. Sure, Kurt had backhanded him when he he’d been stupid enough to balk at sucking off yet one more human. The defiance had come out of nowhere, too. He still couldn’t figure out why this time had been different. Kurt had whored him out countlessly in dirty alleys and men’s rooms. It had been nothing new, and the man who’d bought his services had even seemed like a nice guy. Not the type to use his dick to choke Ben.

  Something had snapped, and he’d regretted his plea the moment the words had left his mouth. And, he’d really regretted it when Kurt had sent his head snapping back. But, what had he expected? Kurt had never taken any resistance to his authority well. A worse punishment had undoubtedly awaited him if this beta hadn’t shown up. He would count himself lucky if he weren’t scared shitless of what this strange shifter intended to do with him. Kurt had been a known quantity. This guy, Daniel, not so much. His show of kindness didn’t mean anything, either. Kurt had been as sweet as sorghum
when he’d bought Daniel off his sire.

  “We’ll get a cold compress on that once you’ve showered.”

  Ben snapped himself out of his own thoughts. The guy who can hurt you is talking now, so pay attention. “Yes, sir.” Hearing that he was going to get a chance to bathe perked him up. He hated the smell of himself, but he also knew that washing was a privilege that he had to earn. With patience that Kurt had beaten into him, he waited to see what the price for the shower would be.

  “Come on.” The beta gestured toward a short hallway before leading the way.

  At the end of it was a small, tidy bedroom. The whole place was small, yet neat and clean. It smelled wonderful, as well, like citrus. It gave Ben hope as he dutifully followed the beta that the man led a better life than the one Kurt did. Having a safe space where the humans weren’t constantly surrounding him, away from the weather that was turning cold, seemed like a definite step up regardless of what the beta would demand. If the guy simply kept Ben to himself, that would be a vast improvement.

  The beta surprised him. Instead of taking him into the bedroom, he veered right and into a bathroom. Along with the usual sink and toilet, it had a shower stall at the far end. The beta went to it and started the water flowing. He took a few seconds to fiddle with the temperature before standing back. Then he reached into a recessed, narrow closet and pulled out a couple of big, fluffy towels and set them on the side of the sink.

  He shot Ben a tight smile. “Okay, take off your clothes and leave them on the floor. I’ll try to wash them, but I have a feeling that, other than your sneakers, they’re toast at this point. I’ll see about finding you something of mine to wear.”

  Ben widened his eyes at that pronouncement. The fact that he wasn’t going to be expected to stay naked was a nice surprise. The times when Kurt had set them up in a motel for a few days, he’d kept Ben’s clothes from him while a parade of men had come in to use his mouth. Maybe this beta really would be kinder to live with.