Page 33 of Lost Wolf (Exiled Omegas #2)

Thirty-Three

Luke

Things move quickly after that, or at least it seems that way with everyone rushing around and the triumvirate finally showing up—in force. Yang requested immediate backup once she received the distress signal from the satellite messenger and the triumvirate did not disappoint, a unit of fifty praetorians jumping into action as soon as they arrive.

First, the bodies are taken care of, including Earl’s which Wanda had buried in a shallow grave near the building where the humans picked me up. Then, the praetorians call the entire pack together to create a list of pack members, get statements from any witnesses, and generally explain what’s going to happen from here on out.

I did not become the Rockcastle Alpha by killing Wanda. Or at least that’s the story I’m going with. I’m more than happy to pass that responsibility off to the triumvirate. I’m not sure who they’re going to appoint as the new Alpha, but I also don’t really care.

Not my circus, not my monkeys.

That sounds a little callous, but I have enough to deal with without taking on the problems of yet another pack. At some point, I still have to figure out what to do about Doc and what’s left of the Smyrna pack.

After thanking Ollie’s new friend Taylor for staying with Macy and making sure she gets some medical care—she’s not back to normal, but she’ll be fine—I snag Ollie’s arm and take him back to the Alpha’s house. It’s an hour past dawn and I’ve been awake… I have no idea how long, but I’m tired. The only thing I want to do is find a bed and curl up with my mate.

To sleep.

Both of us are way too exhausted to do anything else. Hell, we don’t even shower before crawling under the covers and promptly passing out. Kind of gross, but at this point, my only thought is not my sheets, not my problem.

Sometime later, I wake up with Ollie snuggled up to my chest, his head under my chin. He’s got some leaves tangled in his hair and there’s a smear of dirt on his cheek, but he’s never looked more beautiful to me.

I lie there holding him—and maybe watching him sleep like a creeper—until his eyes blink open and find mine. He grins and darts up to kiss the tip of my nose before nuzzling his face into my neck.

“Hey,” he says. “Good… afternoon?”

I glance around the room, looking for a clock and failing to find one. “Sure. We’ll go with that.”

He laughs and rubs his cheek against my chest. “We should probably get up.”

“Probably,” I agree, not moving.

We stay in bed another hour before dragging ourselves first into the shower and then downstairs. There’s food laid out on the table, and a bunch of people I don’t recognize are milling around. I fix plates for both me and Ollie and the two of us make polite small talk with the other shifters for a while before heading back upstairs and back to sleep.

Having sex with a houseful of strange shifters downstairs simply isn’t an appealing prospect for either of us.

We stay in Rockcastle for another two days to allow Macy time to fully heal before heading home to Sweet Water. I’m still a little apprehensive about how the pack will take the news of my male omega mate, but I’m pretty sure nothing Sweet Water can do could be any worse than what we went through in Rockcastle, right?

Dusk is just starting to fall when I pull the SUV to a stop at my house in Sweet Water. I turn the vehicle off, then sit here for a few seconds, staring blankly out the windshield.

Reaching across the center console, I grab Ollie’s hand. “I’m not sure what we’re going to be walking into, but I’m glad you’re here.” I swallow and look down at our intertwined fingers. “And I want you to know I won’t let anything happen to you, even if that means you and I walking away from here, from the pack.”

“I already know that, Luke.” Ollie grips my chin and lifts it so I meet his gaze. “What happened to Keir is not your fault. You were just a kid.”

“But…”

“No,” he says firmly. “Keir’s forgiven you. It’s time you forgive yourself.”

Somehow hearing Ollie say that finally makes it real.

“Okay,” I whisper, a lump in my throat.

Ollie smiles and pats me on the head. “Good boy.”

I let out a playful growl and grab him, pulling him over the console and pretending to gnaw at his neck.

Macy makes a gagging noise from the backseat. “Can’t you guys save that crap for later?”

I flash a grin at her. “Are we upsetting your delicate sensibilities, Mace?”

She scowls. “Just because I don’t want to watch you maul each other doesn’t mean I’m ‘delicate.’”

I huff out a laugh. “You’re right. I’m sorry. We’ll”—I smile at Ollie, giggling from his position half in my lap—“try to control ourselves.”

“See that you do.” Macy gives me a stern look, but the corners of her mouth twitch with amusement.

The three of us get out of the vehicle, Macy gabbing the bags, and head into the house. Linda’s sitting on the couch and she startles as I walk in, jumping to her feet.

“I’m sorry. I just—”

“It’s okay, Linda,” I say. “You’re more than welcome to sit on my couch with as much time as you spend cleaning my house.”

She smiles softly and dips her chin. “Welcome home, Alpha.”

“Thank you,” I say.

“What about me?” asks Macy from behind me. “Don’t I get a greeting from my own mother?”

Linda rolls her eyes and pulls Macy into a hug. “Welcome home to you too, dear.” Her gaze returns to me. “Would you like me to heat up some dinner for you and your…” Her eyes dart to Ollie. “Guest?”

Time for trial run.

I plaster a smile on my face and rest my hand on Ollie’s lower back. “Linda, I’d like to introduce you to your new Alpha Mate. This is Ollie.”

Her mouth forms an ‘O’ of surprise. “But…”

“He’s male?” I say, forcing my smile to stay in place. “Yes, I’m aware.”

Her brow furrows. “I see that,” she says slowly. “What I was trying to say was, but you’ve only been gone for a week or so.”

“Ollie and I are fated mates,” I say, nonplussed. “So, you don’t have a problem with the fact my mate’s a guy?”

Linda blinks at me. “Why would I?”

“He’s expecting torches and pitchforks,” says Macy in a dry voice.

Linda frowns. “Some of the older pack members might grumble about it, but the rest of the pack—myself included—won’t care as long as you’re happy. I know Randall and his ilk would have taken an issue with your mating a male, but you’re our Alpha now.”

“But I’m not Randall’s biological son,” I blurt out, slightly panicked for a reason I don’t understand.

Beside me Macy face palms and lets out a long sigh.

Linda reaches toward me, hesitates for a second, then places her hand on my shoulder. “I already know that. I’m pretty sure half the pack does. Nobody cares. Especially not after all you’ve done for us since taking over.”

“Really?” I ask, almost squeaking the word.

Linda laughs. “Of course, you silly boy. Did you really think anyone who matters cares that asshole was not your real father?”

“John cares,” I say.

“Yes, and that’s one of the reasons I left him. I’ve been living with Macy for almost a year now.”

My head swivels toward my second. “And you neglected to mention this?”

“I’m pretty sure I did,” she replies. “You just weren’t paying attention.”

“Oh, well…” I stammer. “I’m happy to have your support?”

“And I’m happy to give it.” She pats my arm. “I’m going to go heat something up for you all to eat.”

I gently take hold of her arm, stopping her. “Thank you, Linda. Really.”

“You’re welcome,” she says, face softening. “But no thanks are needed.”

Linda continues on to the kitchen and whips up meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans like some sort of magic trick, then calls us to the table. She accepts my invitation to eat with us, making a plate for herself and taking the seat next to Macy.

As we eat, we regale her with the story of our journey from Smyrna to Madison to Rockcastle. And everything in between.

“To tell the truth, Luke’s actual father wasn’t any prize either,” says Macy when the subject of Randall comes up again.

“Neither was his brother,” says Ollie. “He even tasted bad.”

“You won’t hear any arguments from me,” I say, leaning back in my chair. “I’d just as well never see anyone from Rockcastle again.”

Ollie goes still and darts a glance at me. “I still want to find my brother… or find out what happened to him after Wanda sold him to the humans as a fighter.”

“Of course.” I gently squeeze his hand. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like I wouldn’t support you in that. I’ll do everything in my power to help you. If nothing else, I’ll get Remy to do the research.”

Ollie gives me a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Anything for you,” I say, pressing a kiss to his cheek as Linda beams at us.

After dinner, it’s time for the next hurdle: introducing Ollie to the pack. Linda’s words have assuaged most of my fears about the pack’s reaction, and even though part of me wants to put it off, I’ll feel better getting it over with.

Using the pack bond, I call everyone together, then go stand in front of the house and wait, Ollie on one side of me and Macy and her mother on the other. Most of the pack arrives quickly, gathering in a small crowd by my driveway. John, however, shows up a couple minutes later than everyone else.

I ignore his tardiness and raise my voice so I can be heard by everyone. “I know this is pretty informal, but I wanted to get it out of the way since you’ll be seeing him around.” I motion Ollie forward. “I’d like to introduce Ollie, your new Alpha Mate.”

Murmurs break out, but the pack sounds more surprised than anything else.

Except for John. He steps forward, a sneer on his face. “And you think we’re just going to accept this abomination? Randall would—”

“ Silence ,” I say in a clipped voice, putting the power of an Alpha command behind the word.

John’s mouth snaps shut and his eye widen briefly before narrowing on me with a glint of anger. I flash my teeth at him and he tilts his head to the side, baring his neck just enough to be respectful.

“Randall is dead,” I say in a flat voice. “And I’m the Alpha now. If you don’t like how I run things, then leave.” I let my gaze pass over the gathered shifters. “In fact, if there’s anyone else here who feels the same way as John, you’re also welcome to leave.”

Nobody moves, though I catch a few of John’s cronies darting glances at him as if waiting for him to do something else.

John turns to face the pack. “There’s no way all of you are happy having a fa—”

My hand shoots forward, grabbing him by the throat. “I will not tolerate any disrespect toward me or my mate. If you can’t handle that, then you will no longer be a member of this pack. Do you understand?” John’s eyes go wide with fear and he nods his head frantically. I release him and flash my teeth. “Get out of my sight.”

John scurries away like the rat he is, and the rest of the evening goes smoothly. I’m not so sure John’s done making trouble, but I am done letting him get to me.

Once pretty much every member of the Sweet Water pack— my pack—has greeted Ollie, the two of us head back inside. I bring him up to my bedroom and draw him into bed, curling myself around him with his back to my chest.

Ollie twines our fingers together and presses a kiss to my palm before bringing our joined hands to rest over his heart. “Thank you,” he says softly.

“For what?”

“For everything,” he replies. “You offered me safety when I was lost without a name and gave me something I thought I’d never find again: a home.”

I squeeze his hand and bury my nose in his hair. Ollie might never recover all of his past, but I’m proud to be at his side as we move into the future. Together.