Page 22 of In the Mouth of the Wolf

But if we came out the other end of this and she did decide to bond with our pack... It had seemed like an impossible dream to even consider that we’d have an omega of our own someday. Maiingan Hollow was a special enclave just for shifters, and from what I’d gathered talking to the village heads of similar communities, omegas had disappeared everywhere. Just like our ability to shift into our inner wolves, it was a vital part of our biology and identity that we’d lost in the past century.

We could survive without shifting and without omegas, but those two experiences were supposedly the greatest joys in an alpha’s life. I felt like I’d been cheated out of my true purpose, no matter how fulfilling my job as mayor was. My bed was empty and at night, my chest ached, a deep longing punctuating every moment I was alone.

But that could soon change. If my pack did this right, we could have our very own omega.

My house was old and had been built by the alpha who had first founded our town. The nest room had been converted to a storage closet ever since I’d moved in, and I couldn’t wait to finally use it for its intended purpose.

But in my rush to leave, I didn’t even think to clear it out at all. We could set up a temporary nest in my room until we redecorated, since that room was the warmest. I didn’t mind sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms or even the couch until then.

I laughed, surprised at how far ahead of myself I was getting. Camden had the biggest house, with room not just for a nest but the whole pack. It made way more sense for us all to move into his place.

Maybe this would finally bring Elias back home, too. There was no way he’d be able to handle living in Chicago if he had an omega back up here.

I upped the speed on my windshield wipers and groaned to myself. The roads were worse than I had thought, and I fought back my instinct to rush. If I went too fast and spun out, I’d get there even later.

Slow and steady – pretty much the opposite mantra of an alpha shifter, but it would have to be mine tonight if I wanted to meet her.

I sang along to “Back in Black” by AC/DC, wondering what kind of music she liked. I’d love to make a playlist for her, something we could listen to together.

Visibility was piss poor, but I knew these roads like the back of my hand. I chugged the rest of my energy drink, rolled down my window, and howled into the snowy abyss.

10

ARCHER

Marlowe was still asleep when we pulled up outside of Camden’s cabin nestled deep in the north woods.

We were all on edge, especially Camden after driving the whole distance himself. I had offered several times to take over, but he had refused to let anyone else drive his “baby.” I had thought he was referring to his truck at first, but he pet Marlowe reverently, kissing her on the forehead as we made our way inside.

Reading about the effects of an omega’s heat was one thing, but experiencing them was something else entirely. My cock was in pain, my erection having lasted hours. The rest of the pack was just as bad off as I was, and we grumbled about needing to take long showers, making sure not to wake Marlowe.

Elias carried her into one of the bedrooms, laying her down gently. We watched as she winced, her arms searching for the heat of an alpha now absent from her touch.

“Go take care of yourself,” I whispered to him. “I can handle omega duty for the next few hours.”

“We should watch her in pairs.”

Elias and I turned around to Camden, who stood with his arms crossed as he gazed at her. His focus snapped back to us while we waited for an explanation. “At least I’m honest enough to admit I can’t be trusted alone in here, something you two haven’t yet. We need to be ready to pull each other off her if we feel the urge to rut.”

“Who would have thought Cam would be the voice of reason tonight?” Elias smirked, his hand absentmindedly grabbing his crotch.

Camden snorted and rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Go blow your load in the shower. Just make sure you clean it up, though. I don’t want to be scraping cum off the walls all week.”

Elias raised his eyebrow. “Aye aye, captain. Thanks for the permission to jack off.”

Marlowe stirred and Elias grimaced, closing the door silently behind him while he left to find some relief.

I took off my shoes and crawled into the bed next to her. She sought me out immediately, her hands grabbing my arms and pulling me close. I settled her into my chest, purring her and myself into a blissful sleep.

“Which one of you bitches is going to help me with all these groceries?” Nolan yelled out cheerfully.

It must have been around four or five in the morning, and before any of us could warn him, Marlowe’s eyes shot open and she sniffed the air. She must have been pleased with Nolan’s scent because she soon released a wave of her own. I cringed at the sound of bags dropping, his heavy footsteps running down the hall as Camden crouched, ready to pounce. He burst into the room, his face glazed over with lust.

Marlowe raised herself up on her elbows, biting her lip and whining sweetly. Camden tackled Nolan to the ground before he could jump on top of her. Nolan was fighting and kicking like a wildcat while Camden dragged him out.

“I told you, no knotting!” he yelled.

Nolan roared, too far gone to articulate a response.

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