His Runaway Omega (The Mountain Shifters Book 4) Read online

  Benjamin arched an eyebrow. "What kind of 'incident?'"

  "Well, he...bit someone."

  "An omega bit someone?"

  "I spoke with the Ice Canyon alpha on the phone the other night. Yuri is...spirited."

  "Sounds like it. Spirited or not, omegas aren't known for violence. I'm sure he had a reason."

  "I'm sure he did. You can ask him for yourself when he arrives on Monday."

  "What?"

  "He needs a permanent pack and we're a pack that happens to be in need of an omega," Heinrich said with a shrug. "If that's not fate, I don't know what is."

  "Clearly," Benjamin muttered.

  Heinrich gave him a look. "You just admitted you've all but given up on finding an omega and what you have been doing hasn't worked out so far. Give it a try."

  "You make it sound like we're not talking about my life mate here."

  "You said you always wanted what your mother and I had. Well, this was how we got our start."

  Benjamin frowned. "Wait, are you saying you and mom...?"

  "Had an arranged mating?" Heinrich finished. "Yes, I am. She belonged to a pack with a mated Alpha and three omegas, and I happened to be in need of a mate myself. Neither of us were happy about it at first, but we gave it a chance and I'm damn glad we did. What we have didn't blossom overnight, but I wouldn't trade it for the world and I couldn't love any omega more deeply than I love her."

  Benjamin listened in silent contemplation, sighing. "How does Yuri feel about this?"

  Heinrich tilted his head and seemed to be carefully considering his answer. Benjamin had never known his father to mince words, so anything he would feel the need to sugarcoat was concerning, to say the least. "I guess we'll find out on Monday."

  Chapter 3

  YURI

  Twelve hours in the back of a van since the last stop, and Yuri's rage had yet to subside. If anything, each jostle and bump of the road was riling him up even more, but he was conserving his energy for his new captors. He could hear the Ice Canyon betas whispering up front about how relieved they were to finally be rid of him. He had given Wayne, the one driving, a scar on his left hand as a parting gift to remember him by, at least.

  The Ice Canyon wolves gave him information only as needed, but he had been able to piece a few things together. After his "unwarranted outburst," a creative spin that conveniently left out the more pertinent details of the events leading up to the well-deserved bite Wayne had received, the bumbling Ice Canyon Alpha had finally decided it would be best to transfer Yuri to another pack.

  To his credit, Gerald was a kind Alpha, as far as his kind went. He wasn't the brightest bulb, but he seemed to genuinely care for his wolves and he had tolerated Yuri's presence longer than most. Few packs were eager to keep him once they realized he was far from the civilized Council omegas they were used to. Yuri had learned at a much younger age that it was far better to let them know what they were in for at the start, before anyone could get attached. Sooner or later, his true colors always shined through despite his best efforts to behave. To the Federation wolves who lived in a world painted with lovely sunset colors of orange and pink, a young omega whose white fur had been stained with red hues of war and who saw in shades of gray and black would never match. He would never fit in. They might as well have been different species altogether.

  Each time Yuri was moved to another pack was a bit easier than the last. Each time a bit less of him was left behind. The Gray Haven Pack had been the first to "rescue" him, and he had made the mistake of getting attached to the Alpha's mate, Tara, a petite omega with a soft smile and gentle eyes. She had been more of a mother to Yuri than his own ever had, and she would always scold the others when they mocked his accent or excluded him from their games. Yuri had clung to her as his refuge, but even she hadn't been able to do anything to defend him when her mate had sold him off like chattel in exchange for more land.

  It was then that Yuri had learned, for all their talk of civility and adoration, the Federation wolves saw omegas just the same as his fallen pack had. They were pawns to be used in games between Alphas, the only wolves who truly mattered. All omegas were tradable and expendable, but especially one who had no home or country to speak of.

  The van hit a particularly large pothole and Yuri lurched forward, his forehead colliding with the back of the seat in front of him. He recognized Wayne's satisfied laugh and muttered a curse in Ukranian the beta couldn't possibly chastise him for if he couldn't translate it. They had his wrists bound behind his back, but they had given up on gagging him for the ride when Chet, the other beta, had nearly gained a scar to match his friend's.

  "Almost here," Chet called in a singsong, flashing Yuri a smug grin in the rearview mirror. "Bet you're real excited to meet your new beau."

  Yuri rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the mountains rolling past the window. The fabled Council lands were as beautiful as the others said, he would give them that. The territory had earned its reputation as one of the most exquisite regions within Federation control. He wasn't naive enough to think the wolves who inhabited those lands would be any different from the ones in the icy tundra he had always known.

  After a seemingly endless countryside, a small village finally came into view. It looked like a scene out of the painting that had hung in Tara's craft room. As the van pulled up in front of a sprawling yet cozy looking homestead, Yuri found his curiosity warring with concern. This pack was certainly a good deal smaller than Ice Canyon. It would be hard to blend in. Not that there was any chance of that, anyway.

  Wayne got out first and as the door slid open, the beta made no effort to hide the delight he was taking in the handoff, just as he had made no attempt to hide his opposition to his Alpha's decision to take in a refugee in the first place. He grabbed Yuri's arm and dragged him out of the vehicle unceremoniously. The omega stumbled a bit and found himself staring down at the grass. It was so green it almost didn't look real. Maybe he really was in a painting.

  The door to the large house in front of them opened and two alphas came striding out. Yuri recognized their rank immediately. It wasn't just their scent, it was the way they carried themselves. They were both handsome and the cut of their jaws was too similar for them not to be related. Father and son would be Yuri's best guess. The younger man's hair was the same jet black shade the other's had been before the specks of white came in around his temples. As they grew closer, Yuri realized their eyes were even the same dark shade of blue, but the younger man's were a bit darker. Stormier. His handsome face hadn't yet been etched with lines around the mouth from years of smiling as his father's had.

  Yuri found himself the object as well as the giver of assessment as both men came to a stop not far off and looked him over. The older alpha frowned, turning his kind face solemn and Yuri took an instinctive step back. Perhaps those dark eyes saw better than most if he was already displeased with the omega being offered to his pack.

  "Why the hell is he bound like that?" The younger alpha demanded, stepping forward. Wayne flinched, far from the brazen young buck he was around his own pack. Chet had never even bothered to come out of the van.

  "He's vicious, Sir," Wayne muttered. "It was the only way we could get him here."

  "Take them off. Now." The alpha may have been young but his voice was rough and carried more authority than Yuri had ever seen Gerald exercise. Wayne fumbled for his keys and nearly dropped them in his attempt to undo the restraints holding Yuri's arms behind his back. Once they were off, the omega winced at the stiffness that came with exercising previously restricted movement.

  "Are you alright?" The younger alpha asked, his tone softening as he looked at Yuri. The omega looked away quickly. He hadn't expected an alpha to condescend to making eye contact with him, never mind addressing him directly.

  "I'm fine," he said, rubbing his shoulder.

  "Take him inside, Benjamin," the older alpha said without taking his cold gaze off of Wayne. "I'll settle
up out here."

  Without further hesitation, the one named Benjamin put an arm around Yuri's shoulders and led him towards the house. The omega flinched at the unexpected touch, but he wasn't about to stick around for the sake of saying goodbye to his delivery boy.

  As soon as the front door opened, Yuri was assailed with warmth from the huge fireplace in the center of the room. The house was fully decorated with sturdy looking furniture in rich, dark shades of wood and hand-quilted blankets and pillows draped over the couches. There was a whole wall of books and a few magazines littered the end tables, the only sign of clutter in the otherwise pristine abode.

  Yuri was still contemplating his surroundings when he realized Benjamin was staring at him with a look he could only register as pity. "Your wrists," the alpha murmured, reaching out to take Yuri's hands before he could protest. Something dark flashed in Benjamin's eyes as he swept his thumb over the red marks the cuffs had left on Yuri's wrists. "How long did they have you in these?"

  Yuri watched him warily, slowly withdrawing his hands to his sides. "All day."

  Benjamin's jaw clenched and the way his fists balled up at his sides made Yuri flinch instinctively. The look of horror that registered on the alpha's face a moment later gave Yuri pause. "Did they...hit you?" His tone was full of disgust.

  "No," Yuri said carefully. And they hadn't. Not the Ice Canyon wolves, at any rate. After all, they were civilized and civilized wolves preferred to punish bad behavior in subtler ways. Isolation, shunning, making sure that he wasn't allowed to participate in any of the privileges the other omegas got as a reward for minding their manners and towing the line.

  Benjamin relaxed a little and when he reached out to touch Yuri's cheek, the omega forced himself not to recoil. Best to measure his reactions until he knew what this alpha was capable of. Especially since there were two of them. "I can't imagine what you've been through," he murmured. "But things are different here. No one is going to hurt you."

  Yuri scoffed and he regretted it immediately, but there was no undoing it. The alpha was watching him so closely he surely must have noticed, but he didn't say anything. He didn't retaliate. Maybe he was just waiting for later, Yuri decided. No alpha could be that calm. Gerald was different. He had been born without the spine his kind was known for. He was more of a beta than an alpha, as if the Spirits had goofed during the manufacturing process and realized too late to correct their mistake. If the rage that was present in Benjamin's gaze when he had seen the marks those cuffs had left--a reaction of indignation over the fact that someone would dare to mark up his property, no doubt--the man was no simpering pushover and that anger could just as easily turn to other targets.

  Like all the others, Benjamin would show his true self eventually. Yuri intended to make sure it was sooner rather than later, but he would mind himself for the night. Until he had rested and recovered enough from the trip to fight--or run, depending on how things went.

  "You must be exhausted," said Benjamin. "Have you eaten?"

  Yuri shook his head.

  "We thought you'd be here a bit earlier so we already had dinner, but there's a plate keeping warm in the oven," he said, nodding for Yuri to follow him down the hall. The dining room was as big and warm as the rest of the house and Yuri waited for permission to sit at the large oak table in the center of the room. A moment later, Benjamin set a plate in front of him and Yuri's stomach growled, reminding him of just how long it had been since his last meal. Chet and Wayne had stopped to eat on the way, but they had, of course, offered him nothing as punishment for his insubordination.

  "Go ahead, help yourself," Benjamin said, taking a sip of what smelled like coffee as he sat across the table from Yuri.

  Yuri wasn't accustomed to eating in front of an alpha, but he took a bite and found that he had to restrain himself from eating as fast as he wanted to. Whoever had made the roast and vegetables was certainly a gifted cook.

  "I like your accent," Benjamin said, leaning forward on the table. He winced a little, like he wasn't sure of what he had just said. "You're uh, from Russia, right?"

  Yuri watched him curiously. "The Ukraine."

  "Right. Sorry."

  Yuri blinked. He had never had an alpha apologize to him, never mind over something so trivial, and he wasn't quite sure how to respond. "You are the Alpha of this pack?" he asked warily.

  "Soon to be," said Benjamin. He seemed grateful for the change in subject. "My father, who you sort of met a second ago, is our acting Alpha. He's turning things over to me once it's official."

  "Official?"

  "Yeah, the mating." Benjamin frowned once Yuri's silence made it clear he had no idea what he was talking about. "You do know why you're here, right?"

  Yuri looked down at his lap, worrying at the mark on his wrist that had faded only slightly. "Because the Ice Canyon Pack is tired of putting up with me."

  Benjamin opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His brow furrowed and he seemed to be about to try again when the older alpha came into the room, looking a bit wearier than he had a moment ago. "Ah, good, you've eaten. How's the food, son?" he asked kindly.

  "It's very good," Yuri said carefully, his face growing warm. It wasn't very dainty to clean a plate so quickly, but he had been too hungry to let any of it go to waste.

  "Sue will be pleased to hear that," the older alpha said with a smile, offering his hand. Yuri looked at it for a moment before realizing the man expected a handshake. The alpha's grip was gentle but firm and as warm as the fireplace glow. "I'm Heinrich Stillwater and you've of course already met my son, Benjamin. We're pleased to have you here, Yuri."

  "Thank you." His voice was hoarse, so he took a sip of water and watched both alphas warily as they sat across from him. The kinder Heinrich and Benjamin were, the more on edge Yuri became. He was used to alphas putting on acts, but this was a fairly elaborate one and it made him wonder just what they were trying to cover up.

  "He doesn't know why he's here," Benjamin muttered, running a hand through his hair.

  Heinrich looked between them, his easygoing expression melting into one of deep concern. "Surely Gerald told you something?"

  "I don't usually speak to him," Yuri said, swallowing hard. "What am I to do here?"

  Heinrich and Benjamin looked at each other for a moment before the latter finally spoke. "You're here because I need a mate," he said slowly. "I just assumed they would have told you that much."

  Yuri's eyes grew wide and wild. He wanted to get up and run, but he knew there was nowhere to go in this strange land where the native wolves couldn't easily find him. So that was it. Those bastards had sold him to decorate another alpha's bed. His fists clenched in his lap so hard his nails nearly dug into his palms. He had thought the last pack had learned its lesson when their alpha had nearly lost his eye trying to take Yuri to his bed.

  "This isn't something that needs to be figured out now," Heinrich said in a gentle tone. "I'm sure Yuri is tired from the trip. Ben, why don't you show him to his room and then you and I can go have a word with Gerald?"

  "Just what I was thinking," Benjamin muttered, getting to his feet. He gave Yuri a thin smile, but it was the sadness beneath it that gave the omega pause. "Where are your things?"

  "Things?"

  "You know, your clothes and stuff," Benjamin clarified.

  Yuri hesitated. What little he had accumulated after being transferred between five Federation packs--or maybe it was six now, he had stopped keeping track a while ago--had been tossed out on the side of the road when Wayne decided it would be a good way to punish him for his insubordination.

  "Never mind," said Heinrich. "Sue'll take him into town once he's rested and they can get everything he needs."

  Benjamin muttered something Yuri couldn't quite make out and walked up the stairs. Yuri followed him reluctantly, relieved when Benjamin made no attempt to force him into the room at the top of the stairs.

  "You'll be staying here," the alpha said,
his voice still rough with anger. Yuri could tell it wasn't directed at him, but he couldn't imagine who it was for or on what account.

  Yuri looked around the spacious bedroom, outfitted in clean linens, a thick bear skin rug and curtains that tied it all together. He backed into the room slowly without taking his eyes off of Benjamin. When he realized the alpha had no intention of following him in, he looked back and frowned in confusion.

  "This is your room," Benjamin said, clearly reading the omega's bewilderment as he leaned in the doorway. "You have it to yourself."

  "Where do you stay?"

  "I have my own place on the edge of the village."

  "But I thought you brought me here to..."

  "Mates don't live together until a mark has been placed," Benjamin offered. "Some packs in the Council are a bit more lenient where that's concerned, but we're fairly traditional here," he said with a wry turn to his words that Yuri couldn't even begin to understand.

  "So you're not going to sleep with me?" Yuri asked, unable to hide his disbelief. He regretted his question immediately when Benjamin responded by staring at him like he had sprouted a second head. No, make that a third.

  "We don't..." The alpha looked away, clearing his throat. "We don't even know each other. There's a process."

  There was a lot about that statement that puzzled Yuri, but he chose to question the last bit first. "Process?"

  "I would court you," Benjamin explained. When Yuri waited for further explanation, he continued, "It's like dating, only with the clear intent of claiming you as my mate when it's done. I would take you places to get to know you better, give you gifts, and then I would mark you as my own after a respectable amount of time." He hesitated. "You do know what marking is, don't you?"

  "Of course," Yuri muttered. "I've just never heard of all that leading up to it."

  "It's tradition for most Council packs," Benjamin said, sighing. "Guess not everywhere."