CHAPTER 3: DAMIEN

Lucien stormed off, irritated at me defending his former omega. I followed Kai’s scent toward the pack gates, spotting three Alphas gathered around something.

"Have any of you seen Kai?" He'd always related well with pack members, visiting them constantly despite his position.

They turned upon hearing my voice, trying to hide whatever had held their attention behind their bodies.

They all had the same dark hair and darker eyes, likely brothers.

"Alpha Damien, good day," one said, his black eyes glancing behind him nervously.

"Alpha, has that omega caused trouble before leaving? If he has, we'll make sure to catch him and bring him back to you," another one said. He seemed unusually eager at the thought of attacking Kai.

"Have you seen him or not?"

They cowered at the harshness of my tone, which had slipped into an alpha-like voice.

The one on the edge shifted, giving me enough room to spot the item behind them. The familiar tiger print caught my eyes. They stepped aside when a growl slipped from my lips.

Kai's suitcase sat open on the concrete floor, his clothes scattered across it. One of the Alphas turned, shoving his arm behind his back.

"Hand it over." Another growl, over an omega that wasn't even mine. Sure enough, the Alpha extended his hand, revealing a small snow globe that had been a constant in Kai’s hands.

One of the few things that remained from the pack he'd been chased away from before meeting us.

My fingers scraped his, snatching the snow globe away from him. "I'll deal with all of you later. Where did he go?"

It was pretty clear what they had done, or intended to do, considering he'd likely have run away.

"He ran out of the pack grounds. At least he had the decency to do that. Now with him gone, Alpha Lucien can have a proper mate."

My eyes twitched. Proper mate. Before either of us knew what was happening, my hand wrapped around his throat. He gasped in more shock than actual pain.

"I'd avoid talking ill about him from now on. For all you know, that's your future luna you're speaking about."

Their eyebrows drew into frowns, confused as to how a rejected omega could ever become luna. While they pondered on my words, my fingers loosened around his neck.

As soon as he broke free, he bowed low and shoved his friends away. "Let's get out of here."

They rushed off until they got back into the pack and off the borders. Kai’s suitcase was a mess. They'd pulled everything apart, all because he was an omega without protection.

Those Alphas would be dealt with later. For now, finding Kai was the priority. Grass crunched beneath my boots, the clouds roaring loudly. A storm was coming. The sky was already a dark grey.

Kai wouldn't be able to find shelter by the time the rain started, which shortened the period I had to find him alive.

Sighing with resignation, I crossed the pack boundaries into the forest, hiding behind a tree and stripping off my clothes. The black T-shirt went first, then the trousers.

Once my underwear followed, my wolf howled in my head. My bones crunched and bent, fur growing out to replace my skin. I howled loudly in my wolf form, searching for the sweet strawberry scent that Kai always had.

The snow globe rested between my teeth, safe for when I gave it back to him.

After a few minutes of running, the heavens opened and rain poured down, sharp and unforgiving. Not the kind of weather any omega should be caught in.

The rain washed out his scent slightly, forcing me to rely more on tracks to locate him.

I knew he was close when, above the noise of the water crashing into the dirt and mud, someone sneezed.

The puddles splashed beneath my paws as I took deliberate steps toward the tree the sound had come from.

Kai lay beneath it, curled up into a shivering ball. My wolf form leaned forward, nudging him slightly until he stirred.

He pulled back immediately, staring at me like he would any monster.

This position felt oddly familiar. Just like the first time, all those years ago.

My knees bent, low enough for him to be able to climb onto my back. He looked confused for a second before he caught on and gripped onto my wet fur, throwing a leg over it.

I'd expected him to fight, make a scene about how he was okay on his own. But his lips were shaking and his body wouldn't stop trembling.

He was freezing. My wolf rose to its full form, shifting to allow him to lie down comfortably, then ran to the only location I knew where he would be safe.