Omegas Unchained (The Rogue Pack Book 8) Read online

  Kael ambled up, tugging at the crotch of his borrowed jeans and holding a piece of denim in his fist. “Here,” he said, holding out the offering. “Not even Lorcan has something that will fit you, so his mate cut down a pair of pants.”

  Graydon snatched the cloth from his beta and held it up. He scoffed. “Cut-offs? What a ridiculous thing for me to wear.”

  “With respect, sir, nothing you do is such because you are the alpha.”

  Graydon snorted. “Don’t try to flatter me. You’re terrible at it.”

  Kael grinned. “I am, I really am, but I’m also right. You can pull off the look. I promise that pretty Green Mountain omega will be duly impressed by the way this bit of cloth will hug your junk.”

  The snarl erupted from him before he could keep it in check and he bared his teeth. “Do not speak of him. Don’t so much as think of him.”

  Kael went from easy-going friend to submissive pack member in an instant. He dropped his gaze and bared his neck. “Sorry, Alpha, I meant no offense.”

  Graydon forced down his ire. He was really trying to rein in his own aggressive behavior. It had its place, of course. Being strong and quick to act was the way to keep his pack both prosperous and safe. That was especially true as it got bigger, and the humans expanded more and more into shifter territory. Still, he didn’t want to perpetuate the old standard of the vicious alpha. His pack deserved better than that. He would never be the easy-going type like Elijah, but having more patience wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

  The omega will expect it.

  He put his hand on Kael’s shoulder. “I know you didn’t.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize, except that would take things too far. His sire’s lessons of what it meant to be a strong alpha were too ingrained for him to change that much.

  An explanation, however, wasn’t amiss. “You weren’t to know that the boy is my fated mate.”

  Kael’s eyes went wide. “I should have guessed given your reaction to seeing him.”

  Graydon winced inwardly at the mention of his intemperate reaction. Knowing what he did of the Green Mountain Pack, he should have understood that their alpha wouldn’t simply sell his brother. The impulse to claim the boy destined for him had been too great for such consideration, however.

  “Yes,” was all he said, ignoring the flare of deep need as thoughts of the omega crowded in.

  “May I ask, what’s it like to meet the one?”

  It’s like having a tree fall on you, a kick to the balls, and a stone weighing on your heart. Those were his thoughts, but he couldn’t say any of it. He was the alpha and couldn’t afford to show such sentimentality to anyone, not even his oldest friend from puphood.

  “It is powerful,” was all he would allow.

  His dick, naturally, lacked any kind of discipline. Despite his efforts, it rose up like a club in testament to how much the mere mention of the omega filled him with uncontrollable desire.

  Kael’s gaze flicked down, and he held out his hand. “Sir, with no sigmas available, may I help you with that?”

  Graydon appreciated the offer. Like any dominant, his second in command was willing to provide sexual services to a superior when needed. It didn’t diminish his standing. A hand job was little enough, too. It didn’t require much interaction, and if he closed his eyes, he could pretend it was the omega. Except, no, that wasn’t right. Now that he’d met the one shifter in this world intended for him alone, he didn’t want anyone’s touch other than his.

  “No. Thank you,” he added because courtesy cost him nothing. “I’ll take care of it myself. I’d better or I’ll never fit into these shorts,” he added with a grin.

  Dropping his hand, Kael returned the look. “Yeah, well if there’s anything else I can do, like distract Elijah to give you a clear path?”

  Graydon’s grin widened. “You know me so well. I am going to have to find a way around the boy’s alpha. Otherwise, I will have to fall back on tradition, and I really don’t want to abuse our host’s hospitality by challenging his other guest.”

  “Just say the word, sir, and I’ll do what I can.”

  Graydon simply nodded before adding, “I’m going to find a place of privacy because that seems to be a thing around here. I’ll meet you for first meal at the longhouse.”

  “Breakfast, sir,” Kael corrected, as Graydon had already told him to do. He wanted them to fit in with the others for the gathering.

  “Right.” He turned and stalked off to the woods, one hand fisting the shorts, and the other already grabbing his straining dick.

  He felt stupid tending to a perfectly natural need while hiding behind a tree. But he’d come to this gathering committed to broadening his pack’s allies. He wanted, as well, to advance to a more modern way of life, so long as it didn’t mean giving up the important traditions of shifters. Integration with humans didn’t have to mean total assimilation. Or if it did, they could count him out. He was determined to be an alpha in the best sense of the word—doing what was good for his pack without giving into the false narrative that everything human was better than uniquely shifter customs.

  He planted his legs in a firm, wide stance as he jerked his cock. He didn’t draw out the process or savor it. This was a need being met, nothing more. It was no different than eating first meal. Breakfast. Gods, as if what one called the basics of eating mattered. He knew how to pick his battles, however, and terminology didn’t make the cut. Fulfilling his destiny with his fated mate did. He just had to go about doing it in a way that didn’t cause a fight, or worse a war.

  His balls tightened as he tore the climax out of them. With gritted teeth, he worked his dick until his seed spilled. He uttered a muted grunt while his wolf howled in both relief and frustration. Ever since seeing the Green Mountain omega, the beast inside had been difficult to control. The concept of diplomacy didn’t mean anything to his wolf. The sight of the boy, the perfect mate for him, had sent the creature into a frenzy. Not shifting had been excruciating, one of the hardest moments of his life.

  Thinking of the boy made him come again, less powerfully and with a mere dribble of seed, but testament to how on edge he’d become. He wiped his hand clean on nearby leaves before yanking the shorts on. It took effort to stuff his still half-hard dick into the worn material, but he managed. Enough of him was covered to meet his host’s standards. At least he assumed as much. It was a ridiculous thing to worry about. Nudity was natural. If wearing clothing had been a requirement for this gathering, then why hadn’t the Rogues said so?

  Not that he had much clothing anyway. He stayed as far away from humans as possible on a daily basis. A few times a year, he would venture into their domains to help with his pack’s basic needs. It hadn’t occurred to him that he’d have to cover himself among his own kind. He scowled as the button on the jeans gave way under the pressure of his too big body. This is ridiculous. Irritated beyond what the situation called for, he stalked back to the compound and over to the longhouse.

  The food was being laid out already along trestles set up on the porch. He hadn’t been inside the main building but could tell from the outside it wasn’t big enough to comfortably hold all of those gathered. This wasn’t the type of pack, either, that had the dominants sitting down first to eat while the servients waited their turn. He approved of this policy, as it happened. He employed the same one. While servients were destined to do just that, serve, dominants had a duty to protect. Making sure the weaker pack members were well fed was a part of that.

  His sire wouldn’t have agreed, one of the reasons Graydon hadn’t hesitated to overthrow the old fucker. In that sense, Graydon knew he was more like Lorcan and perhaps the perplexing Elijah than it appeared. He agreed with his sire, however, in believing that an alpha took what was his and held onto it without apology or even explanation. As he approached the porch, the sight of the omega destined to be his mate reminded him of that.

  Ethan. Graydon’s wolf howled and prowled
under his skin. He was calling to the omega’s wolf in the timeless way of their kind. Except there was no answer. The connection that should have formed instantly when they met didn’t exist. Not on the omega’s side. Gods, how had something basic to their species’ physiology gotten lost in such a short period of time? Evolution had somehow changed that among most of the modern shifters.

  Graydon inwardly scoffed. Devolution, more like. Many might disagree with him, but to him, this was a step backward. If Ethan’s wolf could recognize his mate, then he might have already had him. Thoughts of mounting the boy caused his cramped cock to twitch and strain within its confines. He told it to calm the fuck down. The same went with his wolf. If Ethan was to be his, he’d have to go about convincing the omega they were destined for each other. From everything Graydon had seen, Elijah indulged his brother. Surely if the boy wanted Graydon, the deal would be made.

  How to go about it, that was the issue. He’d have to woo the boy, like a sigma would when trying to get a mate. It involved talking sweetly. Not exactly Graydon’s strength. He was used to barking orders, literally. And, Omegas liked gifts, didn’t they—soft, pretty things? Yeah, that was outside his area of expertise, as well. He’d do it, though. He had to, otherwise he’d spend the rest of his life in torment.

  “Enough whining,” he muttered to himself.

  He found his men standing to one side of the larger group. They all wore the bare minimum to cover their nakedness. Even so, they stood out among a crowd populated with impressive dominants. He was proud of that fact. His betas and gammas carried themselves with the raw power and physical attributes that had served their species well over the millennia of their existence.

  “Alpha,” they said in unison with the respect he took for granted.

  He joined them with his legs planted and his arms folded. “From the smell of things, our host is being most generous with his food.”

  “Indeed,” Kael replied. “We’ve been told that the breeding members and the pups are being served first. I don’t think the Rogue dominants do personal hunting in the mornings, either, so I assume the servients ensure there is plenty to go around.”

  Graydon merely grunted at the obvious. His gaze kept returning to where Ethan wandered back and forth from the kitchen to the porch. Each time he disappeared inside, Graydon stayed focused on the door until the boy reappeared. It spoke well of the omega that he was helping out. This was no pampered pup, and learning that made Graydon want him more. Not that he had a choice in his desire. Still, it was helpful if he at least liked the boy.

  The approach of the Rogue’s alpha forced him to refocus.

  “Good morning, Graydon.” Lorcan held out his hand.

  Graydon clasped it in the old shifter way, forearm to forearm, before responding. “To you, as well, Alpha Lorcan. Your pack puts on an impressive meal.”

  “We were fortunate in our harvest last year and trade well with humans. I invite you to come eat inside my office with Elijah and me. I think an alpha meeting to discuss issues vital to all of our packs is the best way to begin our gathering in earnest.”

  Graydon nodded his head. “I agree and accept.” It would also possibly bring him closer to the omega, who was once more out on the porch.

  He waited for Lorcan to turn before falling into step beside him. No orders for his men were necessary. Kael and the others already knew that their duty was to socialize with the others of their ranks.

  Within a few feet of the steps, Elijah materialized from around the corner. “Morning, Lorcan. I hear a private breakfast is in the works.”

  “Yes, if you’re amenable.”

  “Sure.” He flashed a grin. “Graydon.”

  “Alpha Elijah.” He hadn’t given either of these alphas leave to be informal with him. Understanding that they had a different way of doing things, he didn’t make an issue out of it. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to adhere to his own code of conduct.

  “Just Elijah, please,” the Green Mountain shifter said. “If we’re going to form alliances, we should become better acquainted on a personal level.”

  “Agreed,” Graydon allowed, appreciating the man’s acknowledgment of his customs. “I am honored to be on a first name basis with you both.”

  “This makes for a good start, then,” Lorcan interjected.

  They walked up the steps, both Graydon and Elijah giving way to Lorcan as the host to go first. There wasn’t sufficient room for them to walk abreast. Besides, it gave Graydon a chance to switch his attention to Ethan. The omega stood beside the long table, helping to plate food for the other servients.

  The boy’s gaze flicked in his direction, then returned and for a few seconds, their gazes locked. Graydon couldn’t help inserting his desire in that look. The omega’s eyes widened and his cheeks turned a fetching pink. That meant something, didn’t it? The boy was embarrassed or intrigued. Not scared, though. Graydon was sure nothing like that showed through the omega’s stare.

  His wolf chuffed before howling full force yet again. His impatience was irksome. Except because Graydon’s focus remained on Ethan, he saw how the boy jumped and dropped some utensil he’d been holding. That’s when the omega broke their connection and busied himself with resuming his task.

  Interesting. It might have been nothing more than coincidence. His instincts told him otherwise. Although he couldn’t detect it, he thought the omega’s wolf might have heard his own. Happier than he had been a few minutes ago, Graydon followed Lorcan into the house, graciously letting Elijah go before him.

  “Oops, sorry there.” The Green Mountain alpha issued the apology as he reached out to steady some omega he’d bumped into.

  The boy fumbled with the platter in his hand. “Forgive me, sir. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  The omega kept his gaze down, the perfect example of a shy and obedient servient. Comely as the boy was, he held no interest for Graydon. None could with Ethan around. Not so Elijah. The guy turned on the charm, giving the omega a broad smile.

  “No, it was my fault entirely. And how awful would it have been if I’d caused you to drop all that delicious smelling bacon. Mind if I take a slice?”

  The omega’s face flushed red, although from embarrassment or shyness, Graydon couldn’t tell and didn’t care. He simply wanted to get inside before his wolf convinced him to go over to Ethan, bend him over the table, and mount him—food be damned. His sexual appetite mattered more than any other at the moment.

  But no one cared about his needs. The omega was holding the platter up. “Please help yourself, sir.”

  Elijah plucked up a strip and bit it in half. “Hmm, fantastic. Did you finish it off with a bit of maple syrup?”

  Oh for fuck’s sake!

  Graydon would have muscled his way past the other alpha except he couldn’t do so without pushing Elijah into the boy. So, he tamped down his impatience and gave into the temptation to watch Ethan some more. If the omega’s brother was going to create the opportunity, no reason for Graydon to take the noble route.

  “I, um, didn’t make it, sir,” the Rogue omega replied.

  “Oh, well tastes like it.” The guy popped the rest of the piece in his mouth. “I’m Elijah. And you’re…?”

  “A member of my family by way of my mate.” This from Lorcan, who must have finally realized his guests were no longer following him. He didn’t look particularly happy to find one of them chatting up the omega.

  Elijah didn’t seem fazed by Lorcan’s arrival. “Really?”

  “Yes. It’s okay, Ryan. Continue with what you were doing.”

  The boy rushed to escape.

  Elijah trailed him with his gaze before following Lorcan back into the longhouse. With a last look at Ethan, Graydon brought up the rear. He hadn’t seen the inside before and he was impressed with the level of construction. He knew the other packs thought his lived in caves still. Which wasn’t entirely untrue, and they were right in thinking his pack lacked the sophistication of th
e Rogues. One of the things he hoped to learn from this gathering was information on construction matters, such as electrical wiring and better plumbing.

  Lorcan led them down a hall and into a room dominated by a large table. It was laden with various food and drink. “Help yourselves. I hope you understand that the kitchen sigmas are busy and I don’t want to reassign one to serve us.”

  “No problem, man. I can make do for myself.” Grabbing a plate, Elijah did just that. “So, this Ryan is unmated?”

  Graydon didn’t need to be waited on, either, and did the same. He had to give the Green Mountain alpha credit for having larger balls than first appearance had indicated. He was already pursuing a member of Lorcan’s family while eating at his table. Gutsy.

  “He is now, yet still nursing his first pup. His mate was my enemy and also sire to my mate.” Lorcan’s gaze turned flinty. “Why? Are you going to offer for him?”

  Elijah flashed a grin, the kind that could easily earn someone a punch or a bite. “Maybe. Is there a problem with that?”

  Graydon’s estimation for the guy was going up by the second. It also gave him potential ammunition in his own endeavors where Ethan was concerned. That was especially true with the next exchange.

  Lorcan paused in his own serving efforts. “Not as such, no. But I must warn you that while I reserve my natural right to choose his next mate, I’ve also given him the final say. If you want the boy, you’ll have to court him.”

  Elijah was in the process of pouring coffee, a stupid adaptation to human life, in Graydon’s estimation. The man chuckled. “I’m down with that. I approve of it, actually. I did the same with Ethan.”

  His face fell and he fumbled the pot as he put it back on the table. “Of course, that didn’t turn out so well.”

  “Because you gave him to a weak alpha,” Graydon couldn’t help interjecting. When Elijah glared at him, he wasn’t cowed into silence. “A strong one would have kept his mate no matter what.”

  Of that, he was certain. Even if Ethan were truly barren—a ridiculous notion that he emphatically rejected—it wouldn’t stop Graydon from claiming him as his fated mate.