Secret Omega
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Mount Liberty Pack Book Two:
Secret Omega
By Kellan Larkin
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter One
Stone
Stone dashed through the long grass, racing after the rabbit. He couldn’t let it get away. Not when he was so close to starvation. His lungs burned from the exertion, and his muscles shook. He was running on empty. If he didn’t catch this rabbit, it wouldn’t be long now before his body gave up.
The setting sun shone in his eyes, blinding him, but he chased after the scent of the rabbit running for it’s life. Sorry pal, but it’s me or you. He was closing in, his mouth salivating. How many days had it been since he’d eaten? He’d barely had a bite of food in the weeks since his exile.
His hunger spurred him on. The rabbit was getting away. Stone’s body was just too exhausted to keep up. How depressing was that? He’d gone from being one of the best hunters in his pack to being unable to catch a damned rabbit.
In another moment, he knew the rabbit had gotten too far for him to ever catch, but he couldn’t stop chasing it. Couldn’t just lay down and die. The sun was still blinding him when he stumbled, his legs becoming caught on something. He fell face first, getting a mouthful of dusty earth.
He sat up coughing and looked to see what he’d stumbled over, laughing ruefully when he saw it was the bleached skeleton of another wolf.
Guess I’ll be joining you soon.
He flopped down in the crunchy dead grass next to the skeleton and shifted back into his human form. The sad thing was, it was the closest thing to companionship he’d had since his exile, and the wolf in him was grateful for anything that reminded him of his pack. He’d never realized what torture isolation could be. It was almost worse than the hunger. Almost.
During the rainy season, it might’ve been possible for a lone wolf to scrape out a living outside of pack territory, but in a dry spell? Stone didn’t know when the rain would come, but he was sure he wouldn’t live to see it.
“The afterlife isn’t so bad, right?”
His companion gave no response, and he chuckled darkly again. When Stone had been young, alpha pups often talked about how they wanted to die bravely in battle. He’d never seen the appeal, but he had to admit, a violent death sounded better than this wasting away.
He got up wearily, and started tracing the cold trail of the rabbit. He knew he’d never catch the poor thing. He just couldn’t stand lying in the dirt next to that skeleton any longer.
The sun was sliding away. Another night under the moon alone with nothing but his hunger for companionship. The dead brush scratched at his bare legs, but he welcomed the stinging distraction from his thoughts. He didn’t want to dwell on his own mortality tonight.
He kept walking as the moon rose higher in the sky. He had no destination. In the distance, the mountains loomed. He’d heard rumors that the omegas that fled the Bloody Fang pack a year ago had made a new home in the mountains. As alphas fought over the limited omegas left in pack territory, more and more packs debated raiding the mountains, but Stone knew those would be futile expeditions. There was no way a wolf could survive out here, let alone a pack of wolves, let alone a pack of omegas with no alphas to care for them.
Why had the omegas been so eager to rush to their deaths? It wasn’t as though life in the packs was bad. Certainly not as bad as starving to death. The worst was that the Bloody Fang omegas had rushed off with their children as well. To think all those pups had been brought here to die.
He kept walking toward the mountains, still unsure what his goal was when he started ascending the steep slope leading up. Maybe he just wanted to be closer to the moon.
He’d grown up being told that when a shifter died, his human body stayed on earth and became one with the soil, but his wolf spirit would rise up to the moon and live on. He’d been taught how to pray and worship in the moonlight. He snorted a laugh as he gripped at the brush to help pull himself up the mountainside.
When Stone had been a small pup, his omega parent had died giving birth. He’d sat by the bedside as the most important person in his world faded away. It was the first time the moon had failed to answer his prayers, but it hadn’t been the last. The moon had seen his suffering and decided he deserved it. Maybe he did.
He stumbled as he reached for another foothold, losing his grip and sliding down the rock face, scratching the front of his body and hitting the dirt with a hard thud. He exhaled a groan, rolling onto his stomach and staring up at the orb glowing in the sky. Maybe it was time to give up. Let the moon finally take his spirit. If it even wanted him. He would probably just rot away into the earth. Just as well. He was tired of the moon. It would be nice just to rest.
He closed his eyes, letting the world wash away as darkness enfolded him. His mind wandered back to his pack before he’d been exiled. He remembered how good it had felt to run beside other wolves as they hunted down their prey.
He could practically feel the wind rushing through his fur, hear the leaves rustling overhead, smell the scents of his pack surrounding him. His eyes snapped open. He hadn’t imagined that last one. He really could smell a pack nearby. And he smell something else—food.
Chapter Two
Peregwin
Peregwin wiped his sweaty brow and flopped into a chair. He’d been working over the cooking fire all day, but to his aching feet, it felt more like a lifetime. As much as the rest of the pack appreciated the food he prepared, there was no way they realized how much work went into it.
He chided himself for that thought. They all worked hard. Every single member of the pack had been working to build their community since they escaped from the Bloody fang and set up their home in the mountains. It was a harsh place to carve out a life, but it was worth every drop of sweat for the future he and the other omegas were building together.
“Yumm!” A small coo sounded behind him, making Peregwin turn just in time to see his son Ollas reaching up to grab a jar of hot jam Peregwin had left cooling on the table.
“Stop!” he shouted. “That’s hot!”
He rushed in to scoop Ollas away from the table just in time before the small child grab for the hot jar. Ollas took one look at Peregwin’s frantic face and broke into tears.
“Dada’s mad,” he whimpered.
“I’m not mad you goose.” He kissed Ollas’s little nose. “I just didn’t want you to get hurt. You can have some jam when it cools.”
Ollas nodded, drying his face on the back of his chubby hand. Peregwin smiled. This was why all the hard work was worth it. His son had a better life h
ere than he could ever hope for back in the Bloody Fang where omegas were completely subservient to their alphas. Having a child was like wearing his heart on the outside of his body, but Peregwin wouldn't trade the vulnerability for anything.
He snuggled Ollas close, remembering the day he’d been born. Peregwin’s heart had sank when he’d realized his child was an omega, destined to live his life as a second class citizen within the pack. He’d had no control over his life when he’d been taken as a mate by the pack master of the Bloody Fang, but at least that nightmare had given him a beautiful child whom he loved with all his heart.
He set Ollas on the floor and sliced up a loaf of bread, smearing it with jam before giving it to him. Ollas cooed his thanks, smacking his lips as he devoured his treat. Peregwin smiled as he watched him. Sometimes he felt so busy that he forgot to appreciate these moments. It still amazed him that nearly a year had gone by since their little gang of omegas had started scraping out a home in the mountains. Every time he looked at Ollas, his son seemed to have grown more and more.
“Done!” Ollas held up his sticky hands to as evidence of his words. “More?”
“No you can’t have more you greedy little thing!” Peregwin laughed. “In hard times like this, no one can have more than their fair share—no matter how cute they are.”
Ollas pouted, which only made Peregwin laugh more. He cleaned up the jam covered little fingers and set to work packing up the food to take out to the workers who’d been slaving just as hard as he had all day. He smiled as he packed the food into a basket. It was hard work raising Ollas on his own, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.
The moon was glowing by the time he was ready, and outside, the mountain air was cool and refreshing after spending the entire day in the stuffy kitchen. Peregwin took a long stretch before strapping Ollas’s sling to his back and bundling the child up in it. Of course Ollas was old enough to walk himself, but it would take an eternity to get to their destination if they had to stop and look at every rock, flower and bug.
“Peregwin!” Someone shouted behind him.
He turned to see Edrik running towards him, rolling a bizarre looking one wheeled cart in front of him. Another one of his inventions. Peregwin held in a laugh. Some of his devices—like the traps for catching small animals—had been invaluable to the pack, but most of them...
“What in good moon is that!”
“It’s brilliant is what it is!” Edrik beamed proudly over his odd creation. “The one wheel design helps it move over the uneven terrain of the mountains.”
“It doesn’t exactly look stable.” Peregwin scratched the back of his head.
“Sure it is!” Edrik pressed. “Give it a try!”
Peregwin reluctantly took the two handles from Peregwin, immediately struggling to find balance with the wobbly little cart that was full of what looked to be plants and berries.
“Go on, push it!” Edrik insisted.
Peregwin took three steps before he felt the cart tipping over. He strained his muscles to keep it steady, but within seconds, it had collapsed into the dirt with a creaking groan.
“It takes a bit of getting used to.” Edrik let out a long laugh, but Peregwin stared in horror at the spilled mess.
“All that food!” Peregwin stooped to salvage what he could. How many of the pack would go hungry because of what he’d done?
“It wasn’t food.” Edrik shook his head. “It was just some spoiled fruit I was taking to set the traps with.”
“Thank the moon.” Peregwin joined Edrik’s laughter.
“I was stopping by to see if you had any scraps to contribute as bait.”
“Do you think I’d let even a bite of hard earned food go to waste? I use up everything that’s brought to me.”
“Too bad.” Edrik grinned. “The traps are working really well—they may even replace most of our hunters.”
“Rohan’s trainees will be devastated to hear that.” Peregwin chuckled. Back in the Bloody Fang, the omegas had never been allowed to hunt. Being able to chase after prey and bring back food for the pack was so empowering for some of the omegas. Peregwin couldn’t imagine them giving it up, even if the traps turned out to be a more efficient way of getting food. But of course, that was the beauty of their new pack. Everyone had the freedom to choose what they wanted from their life.
“Well, since you’re here…” Peregwin reached into his basket and pulled out some dried meat and bread with jam, handing it to Edrik.
Edrik’s eyes went large, his grin spreading. “I don’t suppose I could sneak an extra slice of bread?”
Peregwin tisked. “Half my job is preparing food, the other half is making sure everyone gets their fair share.”
Edrik laughed. “Well, I had to ask.”
Peregwin left him and headed toward the sounds of construction. The pack was hard at work every day, putting up new buildings and expanding their little village. Peregwin was just happy his own contribution to the pack put such a smile on everyone’s faces.
As soon as he approached the build site, the dozen workers stopped what they were doing and murmured excitedly.
“Need a hand with that?” A man much larger than any of those around him asked. Rohan was the only adult alpha in the pack. He’d earned the omega’s trust after helping them escape the Bloody Fang.
“Paws off.” Peregwin pulled out the chopping knife he kept tucked in his belt and waved it menacingly.
“I was just offering to help.” Rohan held his palms up in surrender to the feisty omega.
Peregwin laughed, pulled out a loaf of bread from his basket and handed it to Rohan along with the knife. “Then you can slice this.”
Rohan went to work slicing the bread, and Peregwin kept a watchful eye on him as he got out a ceramic pot of and started ladling soup into bowls. Not a crumb of food would be misappropriated as long as Peregwin was on guard.
His gaze wandered over Rohan’s muscled frame. Curse the moon, his heat must be coming on. Of course Peregwin had no interest in Rohan. After all, he was mated to Peregwin’s best friend and they had a precious son together. But there was no denying he was attractive, and being that he was the only adult alpha for miles, well, he probably got more than a couple second glances from the omegas of the pack. Especially since he always worked shirtless.
As the gang of hungry workers lined up to get their rations, Peregwin leaned over to Rohan.
“Have you seen Briar around?”
A strange expression crossed Rohan’s face. “He’s… err, not feeling well.”
“That’s a lot of days he’s been unwell this moon.” Peregwin said sympathetically. Then he lowered his voice, saying with just a hint of awkwardness. “I’m going to need some, err, heat suppressant.”
“Not sure if Briar’s been up to preparing it.” Rohan scratched the back of his head. “You can pop in and ask though.”
“No, never mind. I think I have a little left from last moon.” He didn’t need to bother briar if he was sick. “Maybe I should pop by and offer to take Danas off his hands though.”
Ollas jumped up and down in his sling when he heard the name of his playmate.
“Don’t worry about it,” Rohan said. “We’re about to finish up here for the day. I’m going to head home soon”
“You’re making some great progress!” Peregwin’s heart filled with pride as he looked at the long wooden hut the team was constructing. “This’ll make a great meeting place.”
“Actually, we’ve been talking, and think it’d be better served as a school.”
“A school?” Peregwin cocked his head.
“Somewhere we can educate the kids on the history of our pack.”
“That’s an amazing idea.” Peregwin stared wide eyed at the building that had suddenly taken on a new meaning. This would be where they raised the next generation of pups. It represented everything their pack stood for.
A small needle of doubt pricked at Peregwin’s heart. Did their p
ack really have a future? With only a handful of alpha pups in their little band, it was hard to imagine how they might pass their way of life down to future generations. On top of that there was the scarcity of food up here in the mountains.
He shook himself out of his thoughts. He would not allow himself to doubt their pack. They’d used their cunning to escape captivity and they would stop and nothing to give their children a better life than they’d ever hoped for. He just had to work harder.
He finished doling out the food he’d brought and gathered up his serving supplies and tucked his knife back into his belt. Ollas had fallen asleep in his carrier, little head resting against Peregwin’s shoulders. Must be nice, he thought as he trudged uphill, back to the hut he lived and worked in. He hadn’t had a solid night’s sleep since Ollas had been born and he was up every morning before dawn, rolling dough, chopping vegetables, stoking fires. He still had a mountain of mess to clean before he could go to bed. He let out a long sigh, stroked Ollas’s dangling hand, and reminded himself that all his work was worth it.
Ollas stirred, his little tummy rumbling. “Jam?” he murmured in a sleepy daze.
“Is that all you ever think about?” Peregwin chuckled. “Tell you what, you can have my share.”
His laughter cut short as they came into view of the hut. The door was ajar. Would he have to shoo away yet another cheeky thief trying to nick extra food? He quickened his pace, pushing into the hut, ready to shout his lungs out at whoever was raiding his cupboards. But as soon as he entered he froze.
The scent of an alpha was heavy in the air.
“Who’s there?” He called out.
A shadow moved in the corner, darting out toward him. Peregwin didn’t think as his hand flew to the knife in his belt. A howling cry rang out through the night as he plunged the blade into soft flesh.
Chapter Three
Stone
Pain radiated from his shoulder as Stone opened his eyes. The wound burnt with an unnatural fire, as if the blade he'd been stabbed with had been poisoned. That would explain the grogginess weighing his eyes down.