Chapter Two
Will stroked Annie’s hair with a constant motion that served to both soothe him and give him courage. Holding his daughter, reminding himself of her existence, always centered him. Since the moment he’d felt her move inside his body, he knew that he now lived for someone else. Nothing mattered more in the world than taking care of her, keeping her safe, loving her as he’d loved no one in his relatively short and miserable existence. He prayed to gods he no longer believed in that this beta, Finn, spoke the truth when he said Annie would be welcomed into their new pack. If anything happened to her, he would die, too.
He was comforted by Caleb’s presence. The gamma had always been surprisingly kind to Will, if only because he’d been the one male who’d refused Magnus’ offer to breed him. No doubt that’s why the gamma sat in this truck. Magnus had never been the type of alpha to tolerate any dissention. When the strange shifter had approached the alpha with a request for a pack member, Magnus had seen an opportunity to rid himself of both an inconvenient omega and a gamma who dared to think for himself. Caleb seemed happy with the abrupt change in status. Hopefully he would prove to be an ally and protect Will and Annie in their adopted pack.
Although who was he fooling? If the new alpha forced Will to breed his pups or simply killed Annie outright for any reason, Caleb would be powerless to stop him. It would be worth the gamma’s life to outwardly challenge his alpha even if, as this beta insisted, the alpha wasn’t an “asshole.”
It wouldn’t come to that. He had to believe everything would be fine. After all, if Annie meant nothing to this so-called Rogue Pack, why would the beta be intent on buying a car seat?
Because he doesn’t want trouble with the human cops.
Shit, he needed to chill out. All of this whipsawing himself back and forth trying to anticipate what would happen was only serving to work him up. That wouldn’t help Annie. Who started to squirm. Her sweet face scrunched up in what he recognized as her waking-up-and-about-to-cry expression. He hastily unzipped his bag with one hand and groped around for the bottle of powdered milk he’d packed. Annie’s eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him, cranky, as was her usual mood first thing. Fumbling with the bottle and a canteen of water he’d also brought, he quickly mixed up the drink and managed to get the nipple into her mouth before she got off one good shriek.
His shoulders slumped with relief, and he relaxed completely when his daughter grabbed the bottle with both of her dainty hands and held on. He’d been forced to wean her earlier than he’d wanted because his milk had dried up. Just one more thing that left him feeling useless and a failure. But, Annie liked the dry milk well enough and had a healthy appetite for solid food. All of which he obtained through bartering, doing chores for the breeding females who were better positioned in the pack to obtain such rations. Annie was so small, she didn’t eat much, and she’d adapted readily to taking small bites of his meals. It left him feeling hungry constantly, which of course didn’t matter.
Only Annie did.
“She’s awake?”
Will started at the unexpected sound of the beta’s voice. Whipping his head up, he stared at Finn’s eyes in the rearview mirror. Just for a second their gazes locked before Finn switched his back to the road. Will felt the brief contact right down his spine with a strange feeling that pooled low in his belly. He tightened his hold on Annie.
He swallowed hard. “Yes, sir. She’s having some milk, though, and I brought a few snacks with me, so she’ll be good.”
Caleb turned in his seat and grinned. “I brought some snacks, too. A growing pup needs food. Plus, we can get more at the store.”
Something like a low level growl came out of the beta. “Yes, we will. No one goes hungry in the Rogue Pack.”
Settling back in place, Caleb said. “Yes, sir. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”
Once more, Will’s gaze met the beta’s in the mirror. He wasn’t sure what to make of Finn’s expression. Being used to placating more powerful shifters, Will cocked his head enough to expose more of his neck in submission and offered up a shy smile.
The beta’s face relaxed into a friendlier look. “And, I didn’t mean to be so snappish. Sorry, I’ve been on the road too long.”
Will’s eyes popped open. He didn’t think he’d ever heard a shifter apologize to an inferior pack member before. Maybe his new pack really would be different.
“I’ll be happy to spell you any time driving, Beta. Finn,” Caleb amended.
“Thanks, I’ll take you up on that,” the beta replied with a sigh. “I want to go as far as we can today before we have to stop at a motel.”
“A human one?” Caleb asked.
Finn glanced at him. “Are there any shifter ones?”
The gamma scratched at the back of his head and chuckled. “I guess not. Never stayed at a motel, though.”
“They’re nothing special, but we can’t camp. It’s still gets cold at night, so Annie shouldn’t sleep outside.”
Alarmed at the idea that his daughter would cost the pack even more money, Will found the courage to speak up. “I’ll take care of her, Beta. She’ll be fine.”
The beta didn’t respond right away. His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel enough to turn them noticeably white. “It’s Finn, and our itinerary is not up for debate.”
Chastened, Will ducked his head and focused on Annie. She’d drained the milk and now sucked on air. Pulling the nipple out of her mouth, he put the bottle back in his pack and lifted her up so that she could look around and burp out any bubbles that might cause her pain. As usual, she fisted his braid and tugged on it playfully while she took in the passing scenery.
Caleb pointed at the windshield. “The turn-off for the store is coming up on your right.”
“Got it.”
Seconds later, the beta swung the truck onto the side road, then into the parking lot of a large home goods store. Will had never been here before. He’d never been anywhere, really. He stared in fascination and with a bit of unease as he unbuckled himself and opened his door. Before he could slide down to the ground with Annie in his arms, he found Finn standing in front of him. How had the beta made it around the truck so fast? And, why was he helping Will out? No one had ever extended that kind of courtesy to him before, except not an hour before, this stranger had helped in a similar way when he’d staggered with the pitcher. As with that time, the touch of the other shifter’s hand, even for a brief moment on his elbow had a weird affect. Almost like an electric shock.
“Th-thank you,” he stuttered out, and his cheeks heated with embarrassment.
The beta tugged him gently out of the way and shut the door to the truck. When he let Will go, Will felt the loss of contact. Instinctively, he hugged Annie tighter.
“Da!” she said in response, tugged his braid and kicked her legs as much as she could within the constraint of her sling.
He wasn’t sure if she meant the word to refer to him or it was just the easiest thing to say so far. Either way, he enjoyed hearing it. He had no one to ask about these things. The other omegas and the sigmas who’d become mothers gave him a wide berth, taking their cue from Magnus and his mate. Will and his pup had effectively become pariahs within their pack. The only time he’d gotten help with Annie was when he was doing his pack-assigned chores. He worried about how things would work in his new pack. Hopefully someone would be willing to watch her on occasion until she was old enough to be left alone for a while.
There he was borrowing trouble again, though. No sense fretting over something that hadn’t happened yet. Instead, he concentrated on the store they entered. Finn took the lead and Caleb took up the rear, like any good gamma. Will felt perfectly safe walking in line between them. The place was huge, but fortunately there weren’t many people shopping. Being around humans always made him nervous. In that sense, being mostly restricted to pack lands had suited him just fine.
Finn stood staring at the big signs hanging from the ceiling. “Baby stuff,” he muttered, then snapping his fingers, led them to the right.
Will’s eyes popped at the sight greeting them in Aisle Seven. He’d never seen so many things geared toward pups. Babies, of course, human ones. Still, pups spent their childhood in human form, so the vast array of items suited shifters, too. Other than a couple of plastic bottles and rubber nipples that another omega had tossed aside, he had nothing like this for Annie. Everything she wore and played with had been made by him by either using tossed away scraps or cannibalizing his own clothing. As he followed the beta down the aisle, he stared wistfully at all the things he’d never be able to give his daughter.
Finn stopped in front of the section lined with car seats and crouched down. He studied a couple of different ones before looking at Will. “Hold her up a minute. I want to see how big she is.”
Not very. Will freed her from the sling and held her by her underarms for inspection. She kicked her chubby legs and yanked at his braid still clutched in one precious fist. He winced, of course, but smiled as well because Gods, he loved her so much, it made his heart ache.
The beta stared up at her, blinking rapidly. “She’s so tiny.”
Annie reached out her free hand. “Da!”
A stricken look passed across Finn’s face. Will quickly turned Annie around and pressed her against his shoulder. “It’s the only word she knows,” he hastened to explain.
Coughing, Finn switched his gaze back to the car seats. “How old is she?”
“Eleven months.”
“Small for her age.”
“Yes.” At least it came naturally to her. He’d made sure she never went hungry.
“Not surprising considering you are, I suppose.” The beta was back to muttering, although Will heard him well enough and blushed. His lack of physical stature had always bothered him. Even for an omega, he was on the short and skinny side.
Caleb stepped past Will. “We’re going to need the rear-facing kind, but this one,” he said, pointing at an elaborate-looking seat. “Converts as the kid grows. Looks like the best bet, although it’s on the pricey side.”
Finn stood. “Yeah, that’s the one we want. The pack has a few pups now and although we have some car seats already, one more will be useful, especially one that converts for older kids. It’s worth the money.”
Will wanted to argue the point, but kept his mouth shut because he was only a lowly omega and it wasn’t his place to school a beta or a gamma on anything. He’d already said enough in the truck and had been lucky not to get a backhand for his insolence. So, he watched Caleb pull a boxed-up version of the seat Finn had decided on. He jiggled Annie to keep her occupied and realized her diaper needed changing. He wondered if there was a bathroom in the store that he could use. Before he had a chance to ask Caleb, Finn moved on to stare at a colorful portable crib. The pack had a few of them, although Annie had never been in one that he was aware of.
Shoving his hands in his back pockets, the beta grimaced. “We’re going to need one of these, too. The motels will have beds and Annie shouldn’t sleep on one of those. She might fall off.”
Alarmed that even more money would be spent, Caleb found the courage to speak up. “Caleb and I could, um, maybe share a bed with Annie between us.”
“No!” The beta turned to glare at him with such a fierce expression that it caused Will’s heart to skip a beat. He immediately tucked Annie under one arm and twisted so the she was out of the line of fire if he was about to get a smack.
Finn’s face relaxed immediately. “Sorry. I mean it wouldn’t be safe, either. Caleb might squish her or something.”
The gamma chuckled, defusing the tension. “Yeah, I hear you on that.” He looked at the crib. “So, this one?”
Finn nodded. “Yes. I’ll get it.” He reached up and pulled another big box down and tucked it under his arm. Then he scrutinized Annie. “Diapers.”
“I have more cloth ones in my bag,” Will reassured him because this was getting silly. Too much money was being spent on a pup that their new alpha wasn’t even expecting. Annie didn’t need store-bought diapers. Will could wash the ones he’d brought each night in the bathroom sink. The beta didn’t need to know that they were really no more than rags.
The guy shook his head anyway. “We’re going to be on the road for a few days, and the days are going to be long. You won’t have a chance to wash and dry cloth diapers, not easily at least. I think I saw disposable ones toward the front of the aisle.”
The beta, being a beta, didn’t give him any further chance to argue. He simply walked past both Caleb and Will and expected them to follow. Which they did. At least he allowed Will to pick out the type and size of diaper. And, ordered Caleb to grab two more packages after Will picked up only one. With an inward sigh, Will gave up his struggle and decided to appreciate how much easier it would be to travel with Annie if he could toss her dirty diapers.
He tried not to ogle the wad of cash Finn took out at the check-out. The cashier had to consult with her manager to make sure they’d accept American dollars. Will’s education about the world outside the pack was limited, but even he knew about exchange rates and figured the store was giving Finn a crappy one. It didn’t seem to matter, however. Surely a beta understood such things far better than a lowly omega.
They trudged back to the truck, Will gathering Annie close given that the temperature had dropped. She was fairly warmly dressed in knitted clothing that he’d made himself. He still worried she’d get chilled. He silently chastised himself for forgetting to ask about the bathroom.
“Um, Beta?”
Having secured the portable crib box in the back of the truck, Finn was wrestling the car seat out of its container. He didn’t look at Will as he said, “What?”
“I need to change Annie before we get started. If that’s okay.”
“Of course. Caleb, lend him a hand. I’ve got this.”
“Sure.”
Laying Annie on the back seat, he gave her one of the strips of venison jerky he’d packed. She busied herself with sucking on it while he changed her. With Caleb’s help and the incredible ease of the disposable diaper, he was done in no time. Annie gave him a sloppy grin around her stick of meat when he lifted her back up. With a smile of his own, he pressed a kiss against her forehead. No matter his mood, she always managed to lift his spirits just by being so adorable.
A sort of strangled cough caught his attention. Finn stood by the open door on the other side of the back seat, watching him with sad eyes. Before Will could fathom what made the guy look that way, the expression changed to one of indifference. Gods, the beta was such a moody guy. Good thing Will was used to Magnus being the same way.
Finn jutted his chin toward the wet diaper Caleb so helpfully held. “That’s her diaper? It’s a rag.” He grimaced as he yanked on the belt securing the car seat.
Embarrassed, Will hid his gaze against Annie’s head. “It’s all I have.”
Finn swore. “Dump that thing in the trash can, Caleb. Then we’ll hit the road.”
“Yes, sir.” The gamma hustled over to the front of the store to toss his wet bundle.
“In you go.” Finn tugged Will back into the truck. Then he helped him strap Annie into her new seat.
She pulled the jerky out of her mouth and screwed up her face. Will knew that the next sound they’d hear would be a wail of epic proportions. His daughter was used to being tied to his chest, and she obviously wasn’t happy with the change in situation.
“Uh, uh,” the beta admonished gently. “No fussing, sweetheart. Your daddy is just keeping you safe.” Amazingly, Annie froze before sticking her treat back in her mouth and eyeing Finn. “Good girl.” Backing up, Finn shut the door without another word.
As soon as Caleb returned, they took off once more. The sun was setting by that time, and while the truck continued its journey down the highway, Will settled back against his seat. He put one hand on Annie’s thigh so that she’d feel his touch and stared out the window.
The next thing he knew, they were coming to a stop.