Mihai never liked the alpha warlock known as Lukas. There was just something about him that was devious and wrong, like he would turn on them at the drop of a hat if it suited his interests. He seemed to be more like a lapdog for Phaeron than any werewolf could be. The warlock watched his pack warily as they made their way to Phaeron’s throne room for their summons. He seemed to be as frightened of them as he was of the vampire king.

The warlock had his fears misplaced. But then again, maybe that’s why Phaeron had ordered his werewolves to hunt for omega warlocks—they struck fear in everyone at the sight of them.

Well, not everyone. Sean had come to Mihai willingly, needing help. Granted, he hadn’t known that Mihai was a werewolf at the time, and even though they had shared that one kiss, he suspected that Sean would have never approached the werewolf had he known.

He rubbed at his lips where he could still almost feel that kiss from two weeks ago. Two weeks ago, his life had changed when he met the omega warlock. Sure, he had always felt that it was wrong to go hunting for the omegas, even worse to offer up money for another human being, but seeing Sean and who this was affecting cemented it in his mind.

No longer would he hunt omega warlocks. He didn’t know how it would happen, not with the dog tags around his neck. But somehow, some way, he would break free of his servitude and free his pack.

And somehow find Sean and tell him how much their chance meeting impacted him.

“Mihai?” Nathalie asked softly, bringing him back to the present. Somehow, the pack had made it through the maze of corridors in Phaeron’s keep, and they were all standing in front of his throne room now, the heavy oak doors shut and foreboding. Lukas watched them fearfully, like a sniveling little rat that Mihai would eat for breakfast as a wolf.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t do that. Phaeron had actually ordered him not to harm the warlock.

Even though he wanted to so badly.

“I’m all right,” Mihai answered Nathalie. “Just been a long trip.”

And not a particularly enjoyable one. The journey had been hard because Aaron and his cronies had resisted and defied Mihai at every turn, something that few wolves dared do to their alpha. But Aaron was second now. Aaron was gaining traction with his pack. Nathalie was still his third, but she had much less cachet with the pack now that she’d been beaten by Aaron.

And Mihai knew that Aaron was planting the seeds to overthrow him.

“Oh, come now,” Aaron mused with a wicked grin. “I didn’t think it was that bad of a trip. The only reason it could have been bad is if you weren’t looking forward to it, fearless leader. Maybe because you have things you are hiding?”

There was no way he could have known that Mihai let Sean go. They were alone in the alley. Mihai just had to assume that Aaron was playing mind games with him. Successfully, yes, but nothing that Mihai couldn’t handle.

He thought so at least.

Aaron in his boldness, took a step too close to the door, overtaking Mihai’s position in the lead. Mihai’s lip curled and he let out an angry snarl that was completely feral. He threw an arm out in front of the beta wolf and glared at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mihai saw Lukas shrink back at the show of dominance, but Aaron was unfazed. He only lifted an eyebrow and bent forward at the waist, gesturing for the alpha to go ahead.

“Proceed, fearless leader,” he sneered.

Mihai pushed open the door and strode into the throne room, pausing a safe distance away from the vampire king. No matter how many times Mihai saw Phaeron, he always had trouble remembering what the vampire king looked like. It was as if a cloud of animosity and darkness shrouded his memories of the vampire. Either that, or he blocked the memories out. He did notice that Lukas didn’t look up or make eye contact with Phaeron. As if he were afraid that the king’s very eyes would put him under his spell.

Mihai wasn’t concerned about that. Then again, he was already beholden to Phaeron.

“Ah, Alpha,” Phaeron hailed a little too jovially. “My wolves. Come closer.” He gestured for the werewolves to come into the room to file in. Mihai’s pack filled the space around him, but none refused to get any closer than Mihai. He took one step to appease the king—essentially getting “closer,” but that was as far as Mihai dared.

The king seemed to be amused by this show of defiance. He grinned wickedly.

“I see you’re still a proud wolf, Alpha,” he said.

“Because I’m proud of my pack and what we are,” Mihai ventured, crossing his arms.

Phaeron sat back with a derisive sniff, his amusement falling away. “But you shouldn’t be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Because that’s nothing in these past few years.”

Mihai opened his mouth to answer, but the king continued, his tone getting harsher and more forceful.

“I’ve taken care of your pack, haven’t I, Alpha? Made you fierce. Made you feared throughout Pristat. And yet, you haven’t been able to find me one omega warlock this entire time. One measly, small omega warlock. Had you been able to do that, you could have come home. Taken off those dog tags. Been free at least. But only if you had found me my omega warlock.”

Lies, Mihai told himself. Although the lies were doing the trick, because he could sense the werewolves around him looking at each other uneasily. Questioning his authority. Questioning their last few years on the road.

But there had been no omega warlocks. Not until Sean.

Was one omega warlock’s freedom worth his pack’s slavery? Mihai hated to think of the answer. But Phaeron had never made that promise to Mihai nor his pack.

There was no way Phaeron would ever willingly set his pack free. There was no way he’d ever stop at just one omega warlock.

But his pack, in their desperation, didn’t know that. He glanced back and could see Nathalie’s wide-eyed expression staring back at him, a mixture of hurt and shock. She fully believed Phaeron over Mihai.

“We are trying our best,” he said through gritted teeth. “But it’s hard when—”

“Hard when your own pack leader doesn’t turn in the omega warlocks that he finds,” Aaron cut in, boldly stepping in front again. Mihai was too stunned by the arrogance of the statement that the full implication of the second wolf’s words didn’t hit him right away.

But Phaeron narrowed his eyes at Aaron, shifting closer to the front of the throne.

“Your Majesty,” Mihai said, clearing a too-dry throat. “I—”

Phaeron held up a hand without taking his eyes off Aaron. “Let him finish.”

Aaron casually put his hands in the pockets of his trousers, a cocky taunting move that had Mihai bristling. From his stance, Mihai could tell that he was enjoying this.

Probably because he thinks he has me cornered.

Over his dead body. He’d kill Aaron before the beta wolf could take over his pack.

“Surely you felt it, my king?” Aaron held up his dog tags, and they clinked together. “The moment when your most faithful servant defied you? That’s why you called us here, isn’t it?”

Phaeron stroked his salt and pepper goatee as he peered down at Aaron, malicious interest dancing in his eyes. “I’ve been looking for an explanation for that tug back on that leash I have on you that night. That is why I called you to my keep.”

Mihai shot Aaron a warning look, but his attention was diverted as Nathalie tugged at his sleeve.

“What does he mean?” she hissed to him.

Mihai opened his mouth to ease her thoughts, but he flinched as Aaron spoke, ripping through his reputation.

“Our pack leader let an omega warlock go,” Aaron said calmly. “He met one in the Eastern Hills, kissed him, and let him go.” He shrugged in a show of mock innocence, but it only served to make Mihai’s blood boil. “With everything on the line for my pack, Your Highness, I don’t understand why he would let him go, when your orders are to bring back any and all omega warlocks that we find.”

The silence that followed Aaron’s words was terrible. It was as if every member of Mihai’s pack was holding his or her breath.

And the worst part about it all? It was the truth.

How did Aaron know? He must have spied on Mihai that night without him knowing. Mihai had been preoccupied with the omega the entire time. Mihai hated himself for being so stupid. He should have been more secretive.

He should never have met Sean, even if that had been the best kiss of his life.

Too late now for regrets.

Phaeron finally turned his gaze to Mihai. “Is this true, Alpha?”

“Let me explain,” Mihai said, feeling his legs buckle. He never thought it would come to this.

“No.” The one word echoed through the throne room, reverberating in Mihai’s chest. Phaeron’s nostrils flared. “I can figure it out myself, because you can’t be trusted.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, rolling his head as he scented the air. The vampire king’s eyes opened, and he focused on Mihai again as a low smile came to his flips. “You’re a double alpha.”

Mihai’s entire world shattered around him. The entire pack gasped in shock.

Mihai swallowed thickly, sweat breaking out on his brow. “Your Majesty—”

“Silence!” the king thundered, and there was power in his voice. “You have hidden this from me this entire time, and I’m not pleased. Why didn’t I see it before?” His lip curled. “You made sure to mask your smell with your status as an alpha.”

“King Phaeron,” Lukas said earnestly, his voice slightly strangled, but he managed to cut in front of Aaron’s reply, for which Mihai was thankful. “Do you wish me to take care of the double alpha?”

Maybe death by the alpha’s warlock’s hands was preferable to seeing Aaron in control of his pack.

Phaeron considered Lukas’s offer, raising an eyebrow in consternation. The entire time, Aaron was giving Mihai a side-eye, gleeful in his triumph. It took everything Mihai had not to storm over to the beta and rip out his heart.

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

Mihai couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped his lips.

“I’ve decided to punish him in another way. Through his dog tags.”

Mihai’s head whipped toward the king, and, to his horror, realized why Lukas refused to meet the vampire’s eyes. Because once he met those black eyes, he couldn’t look away, couldn’t close his eyes.

Couldn’t do anything other than listen to Phaeron’s words.

“You will remain alpha of your pack,” the king said. “Because I am a generous king, and know that it is not my business who runs your mangy pack. But you won’t be able to lead them—not until you find that omega warlock.”

Mihai felt the familiar magic ripple along his skin. The magic that signified his shift into a werewolf. Hair sprouted like grass along his skin, his bones snapped and cracked as they moved into different position.

Only this time, it hurt. It never hurt when Mihai shifted, but he could feel every snap of his tendons, every muscle rearranging itself. It was excruciating.

“You will remain as a werewolf,” Phaeron continued as Mihai’s vision changed to black and white, a sign that he had finished shifting completely. “You will not be able to shift back to your human form. Instead, since you have the omega warlock’s scent, you will hunt that warlock, and bring him to me.”

Despite himself, Mihai let out a whine, something that was completely out of character. He was an alpha. He was a badass.

And this vampire king had brought him to his knees.

Immediately, he felt the compulsion of the dog tags telling him to run, to sniff out the omega warlock. For once, he was relieved that he hadn’t looked at the napkin that had the location of the haven  for free werewolves.

It would buy Sean some time. It would buy both of them a little more freedom.

Not that Mihai had any freedom left. Not with those damn tags around his neck.

“Oh, and Alpha,” Phaeron said, cutting through his thoughts. “Since you are unique—a double alpha—you’re useful to me as well. For such loyal service, I’m going to give you what you want. You kissed him after all.” He smiled. “When you bring that omega warlock to me, you’ll be a part of the greater experiment.”

No, Mihai wanted to howl. Not that. Not that complete invasion of his freedom. Of his happiness.

As if reading his thoughts, Phaeron grinned wider. “You’re going to sire me some hybrids with that omega warlock.”

And Mihai realized that his nights would never be his own ever again as the power of the dog tags settled his brain into a more primal state. The need to hunt and satisfy his master descended upon him, driving him forward, settling on the task at hand.

He threw back his head and let his pain loose in a howl.