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No, I’m not wrong. No way can some little girl be the one who leads us to our perfect omega.

Chapter

Three

Autumn

“No! Absolutely fucking not! I am not going to some backwoods, redneck alphas’ house!” I shout at my brother through my bedroom door. “What even are they? Farmers? Ranchers? Do they sit around chewing hay and talking about cows all day? Because if that’s my life for the next month, I might actually lose my mind.”

“Autumn, you don’t have a choice. It’s them, or comin’ to the clubhouse with me for the lockdown. You said, and I quote, ‘I’d rather go down a slide of razor blades into a pool of cayenne pepper, than be in the same place as that lying ass bitch Peter.’ So, what did you want me to do? You can’t stay here. It’s not safe.” I hear something thump against my door and assume it’s his forehead.

Peter is one of the prospects for the Renegade MC, where my brother is the Secretary. I was hoping he’d be my alpha after he was flirting with me at a club party a few months ago. Hell, I even let his punk ass finger me. If I knew then I was going to catch him knot deep in that club whore, Heather, I never would’ve done it. He tried to tell me he just needed to blow off steam and that he was drunk, but I don’t give a fuck. I may be an omega and needy by nature, but I won’t be treated like that.

Sadly, Peter didn’t get the message. A few weeks after I caught him fucking Heather, I made the mistake of stopping by the clubhouse to see my brother. Peter wouldn’t leave me alone the entire time. He kept trying to corner me, acting like if he could just get me alone, he’d somehow change my mind. All it did was piss me off more. Then he had the audacity to tell me I was overreacting.

Since then, he’d been blowing up my phone nonstop. It finally got bad enough that I got smart, and told my brother I’d been getting prank calls from old friends at Silver Creek Academy. He immediately drove me to the local cellular store and had my number changed.

I haven’t given it to anyone.

No way in hell am I telling my brother his prospect turned into a stage-three clinger. He’d probably have Peter murdered or some shit, and while I hate the guy, I’m not sure his death should be on my hands.

“You could stay here with me, and then I’ll be safe. Easy-peasy, see?” I sass him as I flop down on my bed and stare at my ceiling.

“You know I have to be at the clubhouse durin’ a lockdown. Not only is it mandatory for members to be there, but especially officers. There are two choices, Autumn: either pack your shit and get to the clubhouse and I’ll follow you on my bike, or get in the cage and head to Tripp’s.”

I can hear the impatience growing in his voice, and I smile that I’m the one causing it. Hunter has been my guardian since our mom died when I was fifteen. He’s always been an overbearing and strict ass. But this? Sending me off to stay with his old friend from high school in bumfuck Montana is too far. I don’t even know what these guys do for a living beyond “live in the middle of nowhere.” If they expect me to milk cows at sunrise or something, they’ve got another think coming.

“I’ll take my chances here. Whoever is looking for Gidget won’t come here. I’m a nobody to them, so I’ll be fine. You go on ahead and I’ll check in!” I pick at my cuticles while I shout at him through the door.

A growl quickly replaced by a sigh comes from the hall before the door flies open, and I jump off the bed. “What the fuck!?” I scream.

“I’m not playin’ these childish fuckin’ games with you, Autumn. You’re not staying here until I know it’s safe. For once in your life, just do as you’re fuckin’ asked. Please!” Hunter barks, storming around the room, shoving clothes and my other belongings into a bag.

“You kicked my freaking door open! You’re gonna pay to fix that.” I stomp my foot at him as I ball my fists at my sides. Heat crawls up my neck, jaw locking so hard it aches.

“It’s my fuckin’ house, and I’ll kick the door down if I want. Pack what you want to take, or leave it behind. We leave tonight.” He takes the bag he shoved full of clothes and storms out of the room.

A tear rolls down my cheek as I slowly move around the room, filling my big rolling suitcase with pajamas and my bathroom stuff. Hunter thinks I’m being a brat, and maybe I am, but I don’t want to leave him. He’s all I have left now that Mom’s gone. How can he just ship me off to live with strangers? Doesn’t he see how hurtful that feels from my perspective?

I’m an omega, and he’s sending me thirty-two hours away to live with alphas I’ve never met, and he hasn’t even seen in almost a decade. What if they hurt me? Or they’re just god-awful? What if I go into heat? I’ve been taking my suppressants since I go to the clubhouse frequently, but what if they fail? I’ve never had a true heat, just the mini heat-like symptoms that come when you first reveal as an omega. As soon as we found out, Hunter had me at the HeatWave getting blockers so that I could still go to the clubhouse with him.

Wiping my eyes, I shove a few blankets and stuffed animals in the suitcase, in order to have some scent of home while I’m gone, and roll it over by the door. I change into my flare leggings and a hoodie because I’m not making that long drive in a skirt and top. Haphazardly, I throw my hair up into a messy bun with my favorite Sherpa scrunchie and call it a day.

Grabbing the suitcase, I haul it to the stairs and drag it behind me to the main floor, reveling in the thump it makes as it bounces down every step.

“Very dramatic. I love you, Autumn, so that’s why I’m doin’ this. I just want you safe. Don’t you see that I’m makin’ the best decision I can, since you won’t come to the clubhouse?” Hunter puts his hands on my shoulders and looks down at me tenderly.

“I know you think you’re doing what’s best, and you think you’re keeping me safe. Doesn’t mean I have to like it, and that you’re not an asshole.” I shove him away from me and move to the pantry to grab the little cooler our mom bought years ago for road trips.

Hunter sighs and leaves the kitchen, heading in the direction of his room I’m assuming, to pack a few things for his drive there and back.

Opening the fridge, I pull out some Dr Peppers and water, and toss them into the cooler. Then, moving to the pantry, I pick out some snacks we can eat on the road. Hunter’s ass better be stopping to feed me three square meals on this trip, or I will fucking riot.

Happy with the snacks I’ve packed, I set the cooler on top of my suitcase by the door. Now, to wait for my brother. I head to the living room and sit on the couch, turning the TV on as I get comfortable. As I scroll mindlessly through our DVR to find something to watch, I can’t help but hope these alphas are as kind and good as Hunter assures me they are. If not, my ass is out of there. I’d rather deal with my pissed-off brother than stay with some assholes indefinitely.

Deciding on The Alpha Bachelorette, I hit play and lean back, getting sucked in watching Charity meet all the omegas and betas that are competing for a chance to be part of her pack. Wonder what it’s like to want to be in a pack so badly that you’re willing to look a fool on national television, and brave enough to take the chance to be dumped for the world to see? Also, I wonder what it must be like to be Charity, with twenty betas and omegas who have come from all over for a chance to be part of her pack.

I couldn’t even keep one alpha from sinking his knot in some loose club beta, so the chances of having a whole pack someday are looking slim.