A Cowboy for Caleb (Great Plains Shifters Book 1) Read online

  “It’s for the best,” Caleb said, giving her his most reassuring smile. “I don’t belong here, and as long as I am, I’m just going to make things harder for Dustin. Please, just…tell him I’m sorry.”

  “No!” Ariel lunged but the beta held her back. Caleb could hear her struggling as the other Alpha led him out to a black car waiting on the front lawn. There were tears in his eyes as he watched the farmhouse disappear through the window. When he’d first driven into Sawyers with Dustin, he was convinced that his life was over. In his time within the small, idyllic pack, he’d come to rediscover a part of himself that he’d assumed—that he’d almost wanted—to be closed off forever.

  As they drove away, Caleb felt like he was leaving part of his heart behind. The only thing that had ever come close to that feeling was losing Alec, but the fact that this loss made his heart ache even more only confirmed that he’d made the right decision in leaving.

  As long as he stayed in the Meadowlands Pack, it was only a matter of time before he betrayed Alec again. To know Dustin, to see him everyday and be filled with the warmth a single glance from the Alpha stirred within him, was to love him. It was bad enough that Caleb couldn’t keep his own heart from treachery, but at least now he wouldn’t be able to take Dustin down with him.

  It was better this way. He had to believe that was the truth.

  Chapter 17

  DUSTIN

  Dustin woke to brain fog so thick he could barely process what was in front of him, even if he could see it alright. He was still in the hospital, but this time, when he sat up, Caleb was nowhere to be found.

  Something was wrong. It was the deep sense of knowing that came from the same internal source that had woken him up in the first place, and as he staggered out of bed, it was the thing that kept him moving even though he seemed to have forgotten how his legs worked.

  His head was bandaged and it swooned before he could reach the door. He’d barely turned the knob before the door flew open and his mother was there on the other side.

  “Dustin!” she cried, throwing her arms around him. “You shouldn’t be out of bed, dear.”

  She tried to push him back into the room, but Dustin took her shoulders and looked her square in the eye. “Where is Caleb?”

  The guilt in Noreen’s eyes made his heart race with all the fearful possibilities. Guilt was one of those emotions that Noreen was so adept at inflicting on others, but it never seemed to trouble the woman herself. If she felt bad, there was a reason.

  “What did you do?” he demanded.

  “I didn’t want it to happen this way,” she said, wringing her hands. “I mean, I did, but I changed my mind when I saw how he was when you were hurt…”

  “Mom,” Dustin growled. His patience was slipping further and further away. “Where. Is. Caleb?”

  She swallowed hard. “Futurus sent some Federation officers to bring Ariel back, and Caleb took her place.”

  “What?” he roared, releasing her because he didn’t trust himself to be that close. “Why would they do that? They had no fucking right to come here and take either of them.”

  “They found out about the baby,” she said warily.

  “What? What baby?”

  “Ariel was pregnant.”

  Dustin watched her closely. “Why do I feel like you knew, and what does that have to do with Caleb?”

  “I found out about his past, Dustin. He’s not who you think he is,” she said defensively. “I was scared for you. Worried you’d get caught up with him like Alec did, so I—”

  “So you blackmailed him,” he snarled. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together, knowing his mother.

  Noreen looked away, ashamed. Not nearly as ashamed as she should have been, perhaps, but ashamed. “I already lost one son to him. I wasn’t going to lose another.”

  “You didn’t ‘lose’ Alec, mom, and certainly not to Caleb. You pushed him away a long time before that,” Dustin snapped. He’d wanted to say those words for so many years, but he didn’t have the patience or the strength to hold them back anymore, not knowing that Caleb was out there and she had something to do with it.

  “Dustin!” she cried.

  “Enough. I don’t have time for your self-pity. If you want someone to humor you, go find the mate you threw away like everything else that doesn’t fit your perfect ideal,” he growled. “I’m going to find my mate.”

  “Your mate?” she cried.

  “Yeah. I imprinted on Caleb, and I thought keeping it from everyone, even from him, was the best way to protect him from you. Obviously, I was wrong.”

  Noreen stared at him, shellshocked.

  “Just answer one question,” he said, squaring his shoulders. “It was you that tipped off the Smiths to the fact that Ariel was here, wasn’t it?”

  “They had a right to know,” she said unapologetically, even though Dustin could hear the hint of doubt in her voice.

  Dustin clenched his jaw. He’d expected as much, but actually hearing her admit it and knowing what little respect she had for his authority? That stung, even coming from her. “When I was in the woods, I saw a wolf. That’s what spooked Bismuth, and I know it was the scout those Smith pricks sent to check up on Ariel. You told them about the baby, didn’t you? Did you let them onto our land?”

  “No!” she cried. “Of course not!”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I didn’t! Dustin, I would never do anything that could hurt you. All I’ve done, I’ve done to protect you!”

  “Well, your selfishness almost got me killed and now my mate’s God knows where, so I’d say you’ve done a pretty shitty job of that,” he snapped. “I don’t need your protection. You’re my mother, and if you weren’t, I swear you’d never set foot in this pack again, but you will respect me and when I bring Caleb home, you will respect him as my mate whether you like him or not.”

  “But he—”

  “I know about his past,” he snapped. “I was waiting for him to tell me, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about him. And it doesn’t change what you’ve done.”

  Without waiting for her response, Dustin took off and ignored the nurse who was calling for him to return. He met Zander on the edge of the pack and the other Alpha rushed over to him.

  “Dustin! Are you —?”

  “I’m fine,” he said firmly. “Where is Caleb?”

  Zander hung his head in shame. “I’m so sorry, Dustin. They came when I was out looking for the wolf you saw, and by the time I got back…”

  “I don’t blame you,” Dustin answered. “But I do need your help. You know where this pack is?”

  “Yeah. I tried to go myself, but their border’s surrounded by Federation guards. Evidently, the Smiths are deep in bed with the Federation and Futurus.”

  “Good,” Dustin growled. “That’ll make it easier to get them all in one place when I burn their house to the fucking ground.”

  Chapter 18

  CALEB

  When Caleb first arrived in the Smith household, chaos erupted. Bradley—the Alpha whose supposed claim was at the center of it all—was out at work, and his parents weren’t at all what Caleb had pictured. Denise was a flustered omega and her mate, Stanley, was a polite yet stern Alpha a good two decades older than she was. As confused as they were by Caleb’s presence and Ariel’s absence, they had been surprisingly kind for people who were willing to send the Federation police after a scared, pregnant omega.

  Then again, Caleb knew from experience that the more likely someone was to try to control others, the more timid they were in person. He sat on the sofa in the middle of the high rise apartment building the Smith family owned. Theirs wasn’t a traditional pack in the sense that they had abundant land, but most of their packmates lived comfortably within the building, and from what Caleb understood, Stanley was well-connected member of the Federation’s advisory committee and a major donor to the Futurus Initiative.

  To their credit, the Smiths had lis
tened patiently to Caleb’s explanation of why he’d chosen to come in Ariel’s place, and even though he could see the disapproval on their faces, they hadn’t tried to interrupt him.

  “I understand what you’re saying,” Stanley began. “But the girl did sign a contract. The child could be our son’s, and if it is, I don’t want my grandchild out there with some random Alpha.”

  “With all do respect, Mr. Smith, the baby doesn’t belong to your son,” Caleb said firmly.

  “You don’t know that,” Denise huffed.

  “I know Ariel. She’s head over heels in love with Henry. He imprinted on her, and she feels the same way,” he said, feeling the strangest sense of pity for the older couple. He also got the feeling that they were far more desperate for the baby to belong to their family than their son was. “I know the Futurus Initiative exists to make a way for life when nature doesn’t take its course, but surely there’s room for understanding when it intervenes anyway?”

  Denise and Stanley looked at each other and Caleb could see the defeat in their eyes.

  “And you,” Denise began, eyeing Caleb suspiciously. “You’re willing and able to take her place?”

  “I’m fertile, if that’s what you mean,” Caleb said quietly.

  “And how do we know you’re not going to try running off with another Alpha like she did?” Stanley demanded.

  Caleb smiled sadly. “I am in love with another Alpha,” he admitted.

  Denise gasped knowingly. “I knew it was too good to be true. This damn program is just one failure after another!”

  “I’m not going to leave,” Caleb said quickly. “I’m here because I believe Ariel deserves a chance to raise her baby with the man she loves.” He took a deep breath and rested his hand on his flat stomach. It always hurt to think about the fact that he should have had a baby of his own in his arms by then. Sometimes, it hurt just to look in the mirror. Even if he had been able to stay with Dustin, part of him feared that he would never be able to love another baby the way he loved the one he’d lost. Maybe it was better this way. He could give the Smiths what they so desperately wanted, and surely the child would have enough love to compensate for what he just couldn’t give.

  Dustin deserved a mate who could give him everything, including a family. Including his whole heart.

  “But I’m also here for me,” he added quietly. When he saw the look of confusion on the couple’s faces, he explained, “I can never be with the Alpha I love. It’s wrong for so many reasons, and that’s never going to change. I’m not going to lie and tell you I’ll be a perfect mate for your son. I could never love anyone else that way again, and it’s for the best, because everyone I do love ends up suffering for it.” His voice broke, but he forced himself to continue. “I don’t come from a good family. My mother gave me up when I was five, and my relatives all got tired of me before long. I’ve done things in my life that I’m not proud of because I felt like I had to in order to survive. I can’t even promise that I’ll be a good parent, but if you let Ariel live her life, I’ll do what I can to give you what you want and stay out of your way.”

  Denise and Stanley listened in silence. The Alpha’s expression was as blank and somber as always, but there was genuine compassion in Denise’s eyes. Maybe his life here wouldn’t be so bad, after all. At least he wouldn’t have to face Noreen’s ire anymore. She’d won. He hoped that was enough to keep her from lashing out at the next omega who came along. The one who actually deserved Dustin’s love.

  “Dear, we don’t care about your past,” Denise said gently. She looked to her mate, taking his hand. “We just want Bradley to have what we have. We know we’re not going to be around forever, and we’re worried that he won’t continue our legacy. That he’ll be…alone.”

  Caleb could hear the fear and pain in her voice. He could understand, in a way. He’d never even gotten the chance to hold his child, but in those few months of falling in love with it, he’d learned what it was to put your hopes and dreams into another being. To see a future that was at once full of endless possibilities and infinite opportunities for it all to go so horribly wrong.

  “I understand. Believe me, I do.”

  “I suppose there’s no reason to hold Ariel to her obligations as long as we have an heir,” Stanley said, obviously trying to find a way to release her that left his ego intact.

  Alphas. Sometimes Caleb feared them, but mostly, he just pitied them.

  The front door opened and a handsome Alpha who appeared to be in his late thirties froze in the foyer. “I got your call, what’s—?” He broke off when he saw Caleb. “Oh, for the love of… another one? I thought we were done with this.”

  “Bradley, just listen,” Denise said, jumping up from her seat to go to her son. “This is different. This one wants to be here.”

  “I sincerely doubt that if he’s part of that godforsaken program,” Bradley snapped, looking Caleb over worriedly.

  “They’re right,” he said, standing with his hands folded demurely in front of him. “I agreed to come in Ariel’s place.”

  Bradley stared at him like he’d just spoken in gibberish. “I appreciate that, and I’m very sorry for your trouble, but I’m going to have to send you back where you came from.”

  “Bradley, be reasonable!” Stanley bellowed, stalking over to them. “You’re almost forty years old, it’s time you settled down!”

  “I have settled down, dad! Just because you don’t recognize my relationship as valid doesn’t mean I’m alone,” he snapped.

  Caleb got the feeling he was watching a conversation the Smith family had had many times before.

  “Leon is not a proper mate!” Denise cried. “He’s an Alpha. You can’t have a real future with him, and you certainly can’t have children. What if one of you imprints on an omega ten years from now? What then?”

  “Funny, I don’t recall you being concerned about destiny when Henry imprinted on that girl you brought here,” Bradley said, folding his arms.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Caleb began, his head pounding with a migraine he could only attribute to confusion. “But am I right in saying you already have a mate?”

  “No!” Denise and Stanley cried at once.

  “Yes,” Bradley said firmly. “My parents may disagree on the terminology, but I am very much spoken for.” He sighed, dropping his briefcase by the door. He went to stand in front of his parents, touching both of them on the shoulder. “Mom, dad, this has gone far enough. I’ve told you, I want no part in this arranged mating program and I won’t have you parading random omegas around me when I’ve already made a commitment to someone else. It’s disrespectful, and it’s not fair to Leon or to anyone else you involve.”

  Bradley reached to pull his collar back and Caleb saw the solid black outline of a mating mark. He knew that Alphas and betas formed a mate bond from time to time, but an Alpha bonding with another Alpha was even rarer.

  Denise turned into her mate with a distressed whimper. Stanley put his arm around her and patted her back in consolation. “We’re just worried about what’s going to happen to you if Leon takes a mate. A mate he can actually impregnate.”

  “Neither of us want children, dad. I know that’s impossible for you to understand, but even if we did someday change our minds, we’d adopt. We’ve already talked about it,” Bradley said with a sigh of pure exasperation. “You have to stop trying to make my decisions for me, and you definitely have to stop dragging other people into it.”

  “We’re just trying to help,” Denise said softly.

  “Well, try to be less helpful,” Bradley pleaded, looking over at Caleb. “I’m sorry, I don’t even know your name.”

  “Caleb. I’m from the Meadowlands Pack.”

  “Of course,” Bradley groaned. “I believe your Alpha is the one who left me all those threatening voicemails after Ariel ran away.”

  Caleb pursed his lips, but he couldn’t help smiling. “That sounds like Dustin.”

  �
��I’m sure he’s worried about you. Let me take you back to him.”

  “Bradley,” Stanley protested. “Think about this.”

  “I have,” the other Alpha said. “Just because you don’t like my answer doesn’t mean you don’t have to live with it. If you can’t learn to, then Leon and I will both leave this pack. Is that what you want?”

  “Of course not,” Denise cried. Her eyes were filling with tears. “Please, don’t do that.”

  “Then start learning to respect my choices,” he said, his tone softening even though he remained firm. He offered a hand to help Caleb up the steps that led to the door. “Let’s get you back home.”

  Caleb hesitated. He certainly didn’t want to stick around and get in the way of an Alpha who’d already found his mate, but he didn’t feel like he could go back to Dustin, either. Getting up the courage to leave the Meadowlands had been hard enough and he wasn’t sure he could work it up again if he did find his way back to the pack his heart already recognized as home.

  “Are you alright?” Bradley asked worriedly.

  Before Caleb could answer, he heard the sound of a motorcycle engine tearing down the street. Bradley crossed the room to look out the penthouse window and sighed. “I have a meeting in the morning. I don’t have time for all this nonsense.”

  “What is it?” Denise demanded.

  “It’s his Alpha, I’m assuming,” Bradley said, nodding to Caleb. “Along with a few dozen of his friends.”

  Caleb rushed to the window and sure enough, Dustin was standing below, taking off his helmet as he dismounted his bike. Zander was right behind him and from the looks of things, there was about to be a showdown between their pack and the Smith family’s guards.

  Caleb’s heart beat faster and relief filled him at the sight of the Alpha not only awake but moving around like nothing was wrong with him. His relief was short-lived when he realized that there was bound to be a pack war if he didn’t stop it.