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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

HENLEY

“T he guys and I have to do some errands, would you like to come with us?” I ask Camden. I talked him into coming to our house for breakfast, but it wasn’t without ulterior motives.

“What kind of errands?” Camden asks as he takes a bite of his pancake. Listening to his small moan instantly makes me hard. I swear, this omega loves food as much as he enjoys choking on my cock.

My Alphas smirk as they glance at each other but remain silent. They agreed that I would lead this conversation with Cam.

“I need to see my sister and touch base with my dad,” I explain, watching the curiosity and fear flicker in his eyes.

I know he’s afraid of River and Brooks’ fathers and I bite my lip, ready to meet his worry head on.

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” he murmurs instead.

Ah. “We haven’t known each other for long,” I remind him. “I think we should change that, don’t you?”

“Yes, but is it safe?” Camden asks tentatively, his hand dropping his fork to wring his hands. “I want to learn more about you all, but won’t your fathers recognize me or something?”

“No,” River interjects. “We aren’t going to tell our dads who your father is. They rely on Lee to get them intel. That’s his job. Whether it’s for the club or our safety at school, they won’t know shit unless he tells them.”

“You’re sure you won’t get in trouble for that?” Cam asks, clearly worried.

“I won’t,” I promise him. “Keeping who you are private is important until I can decide how to bring it up. That time is not going to happen today, Camden. Your father doesn’t have any photos with you, which means no one knows what you look like outside of his MC anyway.”

“Either way, we’ll protect you,” Brooks says sincerely.

Camden is still pale, but agrees to come with us. Thirty minutes later, we’re at the club house. Brooks, River, and I all told our fathers that we’re bringing over a beta that we want to bring into the pack.

This is our way of claiming him. Our fathers don’t care who we end up with, as long as everyone in the pack looks out for the other. It’s a moot point though, since Camden is actually an omega hiding from the world.

The guard on duty allows us through at the gate, his eyes narrowing at Camden for a moment before relaxing. I made sure to spray him with my descenting spray, but having so many alphas in a small space may put the descenter to the test.

As we get out of the car once we’re parked, we make certain to circle him as we walk inside the club house. People immediately glance over, but I make a beeline to my sister.

Luna is sweet, but even loonier than I am. She’s just as likely to cut you as hug you. It’s been too long since I’ve seen her, and the last thing I want to do is have her pissed off at me.

“Hey Luna,” I greet her with a smile as she jumps into my arms. Her hair is black with purple streaks, and my father told me that she’s giving him gray hair. Better him than me.

“Did you bring me anything good?” she asks teasingly. Luna’s version of that is gossip, candy, or a new weapon. Hopefully she accepts meeting Camden as payment.

“I brought a boy, but don’t get too excited, he’s mine,” I tease back.

My sister is going through a boy crazy phase, but it’s not going very well. Not one of the guys in the crew will touch her. My father made it very clear that he wasn’t above cutting off fingers for stepping over the line with her.

So instead, my sister has been leading a very isolated life. She’s also getting more and more batshit crazy, a trade off she told my father for withholding men from her. It was a really uncomfortable conversation, and I’m still laughing my ass off about it.

“You get all the cute gay boys,” Luna says, rolling her eyes as she jumps down.

“Why thank you,” River says with a grin.

“Even worse, you know how hot you are. It’s a good thing you’re all packed up, it’s an unattractive trait to gloat about your hotness,” she says while I chuckle under my breath.

“Camden, this is my sister, Luna,” I say, pulling him out from the cover of my Alphas. He wanted to get to know me, we may as well start with her before he’s introduced to the rest of the crew.

As if reading my mind, River and Brooks break away to find our dads. While we’ve talked about Camden with them, they need a heads up that he’s here.

“Hi, Camden,” Luna says with a wide smile. God, this is one of her crazier ones. There are different levels of crazy, but this is one I was hoping that she’d keep in her back pocket today. “You’re going to be good to my brother, right?”

“Yes,” he says with a nod, not understanding that she’s the biggest killer in this club house. “Lee is the best, Luna. You’re lucky to have such a great brother. He’s been really good to me.”

“Perfect. If you hurt him, you’ll see a much different side of me,” she says.

My sister gives me a sidelong glance and nods in approval.

“Come with me, Camden. I’ll introduce you around the crew,” she says, looping her arm through his.

Um… shit. There’s no way I’m going to be able to get between them without having a fight with her and maybe a knife wound. Fuck.

“Luna,” I say in warning.

“No one will fuck with him while he’s with me,” she reminds me as I sigh.

Standing there as she leaves with my omega, I’m quickly made aware of the eyes they’re drawing as they walk away. It’s as if it took their leaving for my awareness to return. Now I’m able to clock everything and how interesting Camden suddenly is.

My dad walks over as he watches the way that the crew is responding to him, and how an alpha tries to touch Camden. I know that he took a scent blocker pill today. No one should be reacting to him so strongly. Stiffening as if to walk over, I stop as Luna calmly stabs the fucker. She really is my favorite sister.

Granted, she’s my only one, but still.

“The guys said the pink-haired guy is someone you’re seeing now?” Dad asks, sounding confused. “I know when you fall for someone, it’s hard, but I thought your pack wanted to find an omega?”

“Things change,” I say, struggling not to swallow around the lie. As much as I want to tell him, I can’t yet. Camden needs to know he’ll be safe and accepted by my Alphas before I can do that.

Over the next hour, things get more and more weird. This crew is like family to my pack, Camden came with us, yet some of them are sniffing around him as if they’re willing to disrespect us.

I have no idea what’s drawing them, but I’m starting to worry that Camden’s descenting spray may not be working.

Shit.

RIVER

Cracking my knuckles as I watch Lee finally pull Camden away from the crowd beginning to form around him, I wonder if it’s time to go.

Adan, part of Pack Hawthorne walks over with a worried look on his face, his gaze on Camden. I’m not sure if he wants to throw him out or what.

“I thought you would be smarter than to come in with an unclaimed omega,” he hisses at us, crossing his arms. “You must be crazier than everyone thinks we are.”

“What are you talking about?” I glare at him. “He’s not an Omega. Camden is a beta.”

He stares at me as if I’m the stupidest person in this room and I want to fucking stab him for it. What the hell is his issue?

“He’s not an omega,” Brooks repeats my statement.

“You wanna bet money on that one?” Adan asks with a snort.

“Yes. Because we’d know if he was an Omega right?” Brooks looks at Adan, but Adan’s still wearing that stupid look on his face. Brooks frowns. “Camden said he’s a beta. He sure as fuck doesn’t smell like one. I’d think we’d know the difference.”

“Nah, there’s no way. Delicate features, smaller body, softer voice. Everyone in this room seems to be able to tell but you,” Adan mutters, shaking his head in disbelief. “You really think he’s a beta?” Adan sighs heavily. “Get your heads out of your asses. He’s got to be doing something to mess with his scent, guys. He’s obviously hiding his designation and omegas don’t hide like this unless there’s a reason. He’s also really anxious and twitchy.”

“No,” I shake my head. “He’s like this with us too, but that's because we weren’t the nicest to him when we first met.” I don’t tell him he’s also like that because he’s in fear of his life that his father is going to find out he’s gay. “Cam is more relaxed with Lee for some reason, and we are easing into things with him. He’s a beta, and he’s ours. ”

I’m not sure what the hell Adan is on right now, but he’s pissing me off.

Lee walks over to us with Camden as if noticing the intensity of our conversation, his brows drawn down with worry.

“I think we may need to go,” he says, glancing over his shoulder as Alphas continue to stare at Camden, quickly looking away while I make eye contact and growl.

I don’t like how they’re looking at my fucking beta. Like they want to eat him up. I’d slit their throats before I let them lay a fucking finger on him.

“Hey,” Adan says, leaning in a little too close to Cam and breathes deeply before shaking his head. “Are you on some type of scent blockers, Camden?”

Cam blanches, his eyes growing wide as if he was caught with his hand in a cookie jar before weaving on his feet. My spine stiffens, heart racing at his reaction as Lee wraps his arm around him protectively.

“I…no. Why… why would you ask that?” Cam asks, his voice thick with panic as his eyes frantically flick between the group of us. He fucking whimpers, and things begin to fall into place.

The extra lubricant when I was fucking him, the way he acts around us, so many damn secrets. Like a movie on fast forward, every little detail of our interactions together replay in my mind, highlighting everything we seem to have overlooked.

This can’t be right. He can’t be a fucking omega, can he?

“Lee,” Brooks growls under his breath, glaring at him as Cam trembles. “Wanna tell us what the fuck is going on right now? Because I think we’re beyond lies now, don’t you think?”

Lee gives us both a guilty look and it’s like a punch to the gut. “He was terrified to tell you,” Lee says unrepentantly. “It’s my job to protect him, even if it means from you. I was trying to wait until Camden was ready.”

Adan sees the way that Cam is almost hyperventilating, and snaps his fingers in front of his eyes to get his attention.

“You are safe here, but the scent blockers confuse everyone when you look like an omega,” he says.

“I thought they made me safer,” Cam breathes, his voice low like he’s on the verge of crying.

“So you are a fucking omega?” I ask with a growl, needing to hear the words as anger builds inside me

“Yes,” he croaks out, glancing at Adan before choosing his words carefully. “My family won’t understand that I'm both gay and an omega. I’m sorry I lied, but I didn’t know what else to do. I was so worried they’d kill me, which is why I started taking them. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. It was never my intention.”

The anger inside me starts to die back down when I see the pure terror in his eyes. Fuck. Fuck! Of course he was afraid for anyone to know. His father is a sick bastard and I wouldn’t second guess him killing his own son for being both gay and an omega.

“This crew is pretty good about collecting strays and the insane,” Adan says and Cam’s shoulders relax a little. “You’ll fit in just fine.”

Inclining his head as if done with the conversation, he walks back into the middle of the room.

“Who wants to play a round of pool?” he asks, effectively taking the attention off of us.

Slipping out the back door with my father’s eyes on us, I find a corner of the porch for a little privacy.

“We’ve been shitheads,” Brooks grunts. “There was no way Lee was going to tell us you were an omega with how we acted before.”

“You shouldn’t have lied!” I yell at Lee, knowing the now pulsing music in the building will effectively keep our conversation private. He lied too and he’s not getting off that easily. “We tell each other everything, and you didn’t tell us about the overdose either.”

“I… ah, overdosed on my scent blockers,” Camden says, bravely stepping in front of Lee as if to protect him. Lee looks stunned, but it’s clear Camden can be fierce in his own way. “It was messy and awful, but Lee helped me as soon as he found out. I wasn’t ready to explain it all because we were just getting into a better place.”

“You know who his father is,” Lee says softly. “He explained himself really well just now. Cam, you don’t have to protect me from our alphas. They won’t hurt me.”

“Never,” Brooks and I say adamantly.

I run a hand through my hair, trying to get my temper under control. I’m pissed at Lee, but I don’t like the way Cam looks at me. Like he’s uneasy. The thought of Camden not feeling safe around us again makes me pissed at myself.

“He’s right. We won’t. My temper runs hot and Lee is used to it,” I add. “I’m pissed that I missed so many of the signs that you’re our omega and not a beta.” I look him in the eyes when I say this next part, needing him to know there's no grounds for an argument. “I want you to stop taking the scent blockers. You’re safe to be yourself around us. You're an omega. Our fucking omega,” I growl. “Don’t fucking hide from us. And, I hear they can be really addicting. I won’t allow that crap to take over you.”

“They are,” Camden says sadly. “They’ve become my security blanket, and I worry all the time that they may be failing.”

“Then stop,” Brooks encourages. “Promise us you will.”

Cam reaches out for Lee’s hand, and I watch how he readily grabs it.

“You’re stronger than the pills,” Lee murmurs in his ear. “You can let them see the real you. They’re ready and so are you.”

Camden takes a shuddering breath, and I can see that he’s visibly trembling.

“We’ve shown you that we will protect you,” I remind him. “The lies make it hard to know what we’re protecting you from though. Let us see the real you. Drop the pills and the bullshit.”

His blue eyes meet mine before he nods.

“Okay,” he whispers. “I’ll trust you. No… no more scent blockers or descenting spray.” His hands tremble as he runs them against the back of his neck. “This is really scary for me. I’ve been hiding for a long time. That's all I know at this point.”

“Let’s get out of here. You can stay the night with us,” Brooks says, grabbing Cam’s other hand to pull him into motion to walk toward the car. I guess we’re done socializing for today. Thank god, because this experiment took years off my life.

Adan was right. We need to claim him, and that means putting in the work to show Cam that we can also be trusted with his heart.

Oh Baby Boy, you have no idea just how much things are going to change. Guess I can knot that tight little beta ass.

Not beta. Omega. He’s a fucking omega.

Our omega.

Things just got a whole lot more interesting.