I lay on my bed, wide awake, staring at the cracked egg shell ceiling as I waited for Dwayne to return.

“I should have gone myself,” I said out loud to no one in particular. My cabin was the last in line to be restored and was still a little rough around the edges. Being the pack leader, it only felt right to make sure everyone else was comfortable before I went ahead and spiced up my own living space.

But now, all I could do was picture bringing Chase here and wonder about what he would think.

It was obvious he came from money. He wasn’t a spoiled little brat, but the guys he were with were, at least one of them.

Buck.

That son of a bitch was lucky I was able to control myself. My wolf had been begging to be let loose on his ass. All I’d wanted was to tear him limb from limb and take Chase for myself – where he belonged.

But what would he think of a place like this? Portsmouth wasn’t exactly the upper west side of Manhattan, but it wasn’t a slum in the middle of nowhere either. Plenty of rich people lived there, in and around the city, and I wondered if Chase had ever even spent any time in a camp like this, let alone want to live in one.

When I first came here, I saw a hope for a future. I could see the transformation of the place, from a dump to a home for the pack, but now, when I looked around my cabin, all I could see was a shithole not fit for Chase in any way why whatsoever.

The unfinished floor boards were covered in dirt. I leapt from my bed and snatched the janitor’s broom from the closet and swept furiously, kicking open the door and brushing the filth out into the night.

Letting the door shut behind me, I eyed the last few days of trash I’d let pile up – a bad habit of living by yourself. Snatching a garbage bag, I tossed the empty wrappers and bottles away and set the bag outside.

“Better,” I mused. But still not good enough.

The paint on the walls was faded, and chipped and cracked on the ceiling. I’d been wanting to get to it, but with all the other stuff that needed to be done around the camp, my own walls hadn’t been a priority.

“Fuck it,” I said, pulling open the door and stepping out into the night. It was only nine o’clock. I could get to work on the walls and ceiling and sleep outside in a sleeping bag. It was nice out, or I could shift and go for a run then sleep in the comfort of my fur. But as I stepped outside, I caught a scent and looked up to see Dwayne coming up the driveway.

“Dwayne!” I called out in surprise. Despite Dwayne’s deep caramel colored skin, he shifted into a flawless snow white coat. As he came toward me, he returned to human form. “Did you find him!?”

Dwayne nodded and grinned. “Sure did, boss.”

“Where!?”

“Just outside of Portsmouth,” he explained, putting both hands on his hips to catch his breath. His body was heaving. He obviously hadn’t stopped running since his discovery. I stepped over to the hose and turned the faucet on.

“Have a drink, buddy,” I told him. He took the hose and sucked down more water than I thought possible before dropping it to the dirt.

“Buck dropped the other two alphas off at one of their houses,” he continued. “Then took him back to his parents house.”

“He lives with his parents still?” I sneered. Dwayne nodded in agreement.

“Son of a bitch,” I said, shaking my head. I moved back to the faucet and shut the water off, thinking. “Any security?”

“Nah,” Dwayne shook his head. “He’s just a guy living at home with his parents. He doesn’t have a pack or anything.”

“Just a couple of douche bag lackeys,” I said. It was hard to believe, having been the head of Kade’s security before heading out on my own. Most packs were pretty territorial and suspicious of outsiders, but I guess Buck hadn’t even gotten to that stage yet, which made his claiming of an omega even stranger.

“So,” Dwayne said slowly. “You gonna go get him?”

It didn’t even take me a second to answer. “Yes.”

“All right,” he said, taking a deep breath, preparing to shift again.

“No,” I said, putting out a hand. “You’ve done enough tonight.”

“You sure, boss?” He asked, looking skeptical.

“What, you don’t think I can handle one spoiled little rich kid?” Dwayne smiled and nodded.

“Don’t tear his head off,” he joked as I stripped down, leaving my clothes on the porch.

“I’ll try not to,” I grinned.

My wolf stirred, and I shifted. As I leapt off the steps, and felt the wind on my ears and the night’s air against my fur, I felt more alive than I’d ever felt before.

When I’d met Chase, I’d been possessed. I was lost in the experience, overwhelmed as I tried to make sense of the situation. And just as I’d started to get a handle on things, he’d been taken away from me. But now, I had a purpose.

I was going to find Chase, my omega, my fated mate, and I was going to take him as mine. He was mine, Buck just didn’t know it yet. And if he didn’t understand that, I’d make him understand.

Chase, I thought, as though my words could somehow reach him. I’m coming for you, baby. I’m coming.