I wanted to curl up into a ball and die as Kade stared at me with that unpredictable glare of his. He was either two seconds from smiling or slapping me, and I could never tell which. So I braced myself.

“Harry, my boy,” Kade spoke, his voice like a bubbling brook of blood. “Why so solemn looking tonight? Did you run into some trouble at the mill?”

“No, sir,” I said quickly. “No trouble at all.”

Keeping my eyes lowered, I saw Kade bring his gaze to Anthony, who shook his head.

“Now that’s not being honest, Harry,” Anthony laughed, puffing his cigarette. “You lyin’ to your pack alpha? That what you’re doing?”

“No, sir,” I pleaded. “There wasn’t any trouble—”

“He got himself an admirer,” Anthony told Kade, and I felt my heart drop. Kade was very… protective, to say the least. It wasn’t an emotional thing – he didn’t really care about any of his omegas, but we were his property, and he didn’t want anyone infringing on his property.

“Oh, is that right?” Kade asked, turning his attention back to me. His eyes were like spotlights, and I felt like a prisoner trying to escape who’d just been discovered trying to jump the fence. “Someone had their eyes on you?”

I didn’t know what to say. This was one of the many situations with Kade where it seemed like nothing I said would be right. If I said no, he’d ask me if I was calling Anthony a liar, and they’d both pile on me and I’d probably end up with a beating.

If I told him yes, he’d want to know who he was and ask me whether I wanted to leave him, and if I failed that test, I’d probably get beaten as well. So, even though I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do, I kept my mouth closed.

There is no right thing to do, I thought as Kade sighed.

“Did you lose your tongue, little omega?” Kade asked me, the threat of violence on his lips. “Or are you ashamed of what you might say?”

“An alpha was talking to me,” I finally said. Maybe if I downplayed what happened he’d accept that. “But I told him to leave me alone.”

“Why did you tell him that?”

My head was spinning, searching for the proper response. It was like a game of chess with Kade, and I rarely, if ever, won.

“I told him…I told him I was spoken for,” I said, trying to sound truthful. It technically wasn’t a lie – that is what I had said.

Kade didn’t answer right away. A breeze blew across the lot, filling my lungs with the smell of stale beer, trash, gas and smoke. I felt a tickle in my throat but I forced myself not to cough or clear my throat. Just making a sound right now in front of Kade terrified me. He owned this moment, just like he owned me.

Anywhere else in New Hampshire right now would have been a beautiful night, but this disgusting truck stop was like stepping into another world, a world run by a tyrant, and after meeting Seth and being overtaken by his sweet scent, the scent of my fated mate, my soul was crying out for rescue.

And that’s when it hit me.

The wind shifted for a moment, blowing against my back, and I almost lost it as my lungs were filled with the scent of my mate.

Seth!

He was here! It took everything in me not to wheel around and scan the lot for him. Kade must have read something on my face though, and I felt his slender finger beneath my chin as he lifted my face to his.

“Something on your mind, boy?” He asked threateningly. “Is there a problem? Don’t you like being part of this pack? I provide for you, don’t I?”

“Yes!” I blurted out, my body starting to quiver. “Yes, Kade. I – I love it here.”

Kade grinned. He knew I was lying, but he also knew he had me backed into a corner and was in control. There was nothing Kade liked more than power, and being in control.

“That’s right,” he chuckled. “So, Anthony, tell me about this alpha from the mill.”

“I chased him off pretty quick,” Anthony said proudly. “He had his eye on this guy though, that’s for sure. Would have scooped him up and taken him home if I’d given him half a chance.”

“Is that right,” Kade mused, obviously pleased that a piece of his property was in such high demand. “Well, I guess I have an eye for the good ones. Speaking of which, Anthony – there’s a new omega in the back of the truck. I broke him in this morning, you’re more than welcome to have some fun with him if you’d like.”

Anthony’s whole face lit up. It wasn’t often that Kade allowed his alphas one of his omegas, and these guys were such sleazes that they didn’t mind sloppy seconds. In fact, they saw it as an honor.

“Shit, Kade, you serious?” He gasped, taking a final drag from his smoke. “Think I’ll take you up on that offer!”

With a wink in my direction, Anthony headed off in the direction of the main truck where Kade stored his omegas. They’d be chained up in there, linked to the walls, and all of them would have to watch as Anthony did whatever he pleased to the new omega.

Help, Seth! I was crying out inside, but the tears did not fall from my eyes. I’d learned a long time ago that Kade despised open displays of emotion, and trained myself to push the tears down inside when I felt them coming.

I watched Anthony go, when Kade stepped in front of me and locked eyes with me.

“I hope Anthony is right,” he said slowly. “I hope that alpha learned his lesson and won’t be after you again if you return to the mill.”

“He did,” I said quickly. “I’m sure.”

“You’re sure?” He asked me. “How can you be so sure?”

Trembling, I did my best to hold it together. “I just…I just am.”

Kade took another step forward, and suddenly froze. Something flashed behind his eyes and he looked at me like he’d never looked at me before. There was a hunger in his gaze that terrified me.

“Well, would you look at that?” He asked, sniffing the air with delight. As his eyes closed, I knew. He didn’t even have to speak. I already knew.

“Your heat has come.”

Oh, no…

“Are – are you sure?” Of course he was sure, but I didn’t know what else to say.

“Oh, yes,” he smiled, eyes still closed, inhaling the scent of my heat. I knew what this meant – it meant he was going to take me…tonight.

Seth!

I wanted to cry out, but the rest of our pack was here – countless men. They’d swarm me and Seth before we could get ten feet off the lot. There was nothing I could do.

“Come with me,” he said, locking his hand around my arm like a vise. “It’s time for you to become a man.”