Chapter One
Tripp clutched at the edge of the truck’s seat in an effort to keep from being jarred too much as his brother navigated the bumpy dirt road. His body already ached from their long journey and no amount of rest during the down times seemed to help beyond a few more hours of travel. The pup growing inside him had become so big that it stretched every muscle he had. And the strain of the now-rough ride had it twisting with agitation, which in turn disturbed his wolf. No one was happy with the situation, including his brother.
Tripp clutched his belly with one hand as he turned to Blake. “How much longer, do you think?”
Blake grimaced, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly while he kept his gaze on the path in front of them. “I’m sorry. I don’t know.” He spared Tripp a glance. “Can you hold on for a while longer? If I don’t find signs of the Green Mountain Pack in a few more minutes, I’ll pull over and you can rest.”
“I’m fine. No need to stop on my account.” He really didn’t want to add to his brother’s troubles. It was bad enough that they’d had to flee their pack because of Tripp. Blake had done an amazing job keeping them safe in the human world over the winter. They were hopefully on the last leg of the journey.
Blake’s mouth tightened. “You don’t have to do that. Omegas don’t have to be brave.”
“Neither do sigmas,” Tripp shot back, his discomfort making him irritable. His brother had been nothing but fearless and loyal. What he’d done to protect Tripp had been far outside anything a sigma was supposed to do. “Sorry. I do understand how much you’ve done for me. If we can find dominants to take care of us both, I want to get there as soon as possible.”
“Gods, that pup is nearly as big as you are.” Blake flexed his fingers and leaned forward to peer through the windshield. “We’ve got to get you somewhere safe before you whelp.”
Tripp winced as the truck navigated another rut, jostling him. “Do you think the Green Mountain alpha will take us in?”
“I’m sure of it. Who wouldn’t want a breeding omega? The forums said this was a modern pack, too. Alpha Elijah has a good reputation.”
Tripp didn’t understand what his brother was saying. Not really. Blake had explained to him about computers and the internet and how shifters had their own places where they talked about their packs and issues important to wolf shifters in general. He wasn’t sure he truly got it all, but Blake did. He’d been the one working with humans to buy them what they needed as they made their way north. He’d gone to what was called a library and looked to see if there was any place they could seek refuge. There had been a few possibilities—the Rogues and the Green Mountains being the two closest acceptable packs to where they were. Blake had chosen Green Mountain because while the Rogue Pack’s alpha was known for sheltering the unwanted of their kind, he still seemed too primitive to trust with their situation. Alpha Elijah was hopefully modern enough in his thinking to overlook his and Blake’s circumstances.
Blake slowed the truck to a stop and tapped his fingers. “I’m sure this is the right road. Nothing else made sense according to the directions I found. The compound is just really far back from the main street, that’s all. We only need to be patient. Let’s get out and stretch our legs.”
Relieved for the rest despite what he’d said, Tripp pulled his door’s handle.
“Stop!”
He immediately complied with his brother’s orders. Although they were both servients, Blake’s sigma status made him better equipped to make decisions. And he was older, so he had more experience in…everything. In comparison, Tripp didn’t feel he was any more competent than the pup he carried.
Tripp looked around to see what the danger was. A flash in the tree line caught his attention. Panic shot through him before being replaced by relief. The gamma he’d spotted had to be from the Green Mountain Pack. There was no way that those chasing them had gotten ahead and anticipated their direction.
Blake turned off the truck. “Stay here.”
Tripp rubbed his belly to soothe himself and his pup as his brother stepped out of the truck with his hands up and out, then he raised his chin to bare his throat. Tripp’s breath caught. His brother was so vulnerable now. He could only hope these guards to the Green Mountain packlands wouldn’t attack first and ask questions later. He wasn’t worried about himself. No pack would likely harm a breeding omega. But a sigma...
“Please,” Blake called out. “We need help.”
Two gammas bounded down toward the truck on either side. Blake froze. All Tripp could do now was watch and pray that he hadn’t caused his brother’s death.
****
“Nearly a hundred percent of our vegetables have survived planting. We should have a good crop and the orchards are promising a greater yield than last year.” Graham couldn’t help grinning at his alpha. “Maybe we should open them up for apple picking. The humans seem to really love that kind of labor as a fun activity for the whole family.”
There was a collective groan around the council table. Everyone treated it as the lame joke it was, but underlying that response was the knowledge they were heading toward a point where their two species really would mix. Better for that to happen on their lands and under their control.
Elijah drained his cup of coffee. “That’s all good news. Thanks, Graham.” He looked around the room. “Anything else to report?”
Before anyone could answer, a young gamma came bursting into the room, almost panting like an eager pup. “Sorry to interrupt, Alpha, but we need you out front.”
Everyone joined the alpha in jumping to their feet.
“What’s the danger, Draco?” Elijah barked out the question, his normally laid back demeaner changing in an instant to his alpha power mode. That side had been coming out more often now that his mate had whelped their first pup.
“There isn’t any, sir. It’s just…well, we have a truck approaching with a sigma and a breeding omega inside.”
“What kind of dominant is with them?” Graham asked before Elijah could. As the alpha’s top beta, he had to be prepared to deal with any problem.
The gamma’s expression turned almost gleeful. “That’s the thing, sir. They’re alone.”
