Page 8 of Fated to the Wolf Prince

He snarled, and leapt to his feet, not deigning to respond. Instead, we turned and raced back up the steep bank, arrowing toward the tree line as if a grizzly was after us, but I knew, even if he wouldn’t speak again.

He was running back to our mate.

We wereclose to the pack headquarters when the distinct feeling of unease ran through the pack bonds, sparking my awareness. It was Reed, and the tug on the bonds left no doubts that whatever the problem was, it was urgent. My wolf kicked our speed up another notch without question. Reed was my blood brother. If he needed us, we ran like the wind.

We wove between trees, dodging limbs and leaping over downed deadfall with the ease of a predator on a hunt, kicking up dirt as we flew past obstacles. Reed was waiting for us when we rounded the corner of the main lodge and skidded to a stop to avoid hitting him. He had a pair of gray sweatpants in hand, so I quickly changed back. He didn’t beat around the bush as he passed me the pants.

“The ODL is here.”

My head snapped up, shocked. “What? Why would they be? We don’t have any omegas here. These are all adult wolves, of age to be mated. The ODL does their foul work when wolves are babies.”

“I know, and I told them that, but they’re refusing to leave.”

I snarled, irritated at the snag in our otherwise smooth execution. My father could be here at any time—he wouldn’t tell me when, because that would ruin his fun of surprising me, but I knew it would be soon—and I wasn’t going to have the Omega Defense League hanging around, causing a scene.

“Where are they?”

“I had them escorted to your office. Didn’t figure we wanted them stinking up the hallways.” He sneered, and I shared his opinion. The Omega Defense League was a necessary part of life, or so we were told. If you asked me, they were relics of a bygone era and a waste of good wolf kind.

“Let’s go. The sooner we get them out of here, the better.”

“Couldn’t agree more, Alpha, but they wouldn’t leave unless they spoke to you.”

I growled, not surprised, but highly irritated.

I stormed through the mostly quiet halls, my anger simmering hotter the closer I got to my office. It was necessary at every birth to allow a member of the Omega Defense League to come and test the child for omega powers. But with every wolf being tested and found not to be omega at birth, there was no call whatsoever for them to be here, unless they were after Gracelyn’s baby, who wasn’t due for another month, at least.

Besides, it turned my stomach, what they did. Killing innocent babies just because one of their designation had turned bad hundreds of years ago? It all seemed like a bad myth. Omegas were reputed to have special powers, strong enough to shift the dynamics of even a whole pack. Most were said to have gentle effects: healing, fertility, persuasion. Until Narcissa.

Narcissa was the first and only omega to ever have the power of war, and she used it to gather to her the strongest, most bloodthirsty wolves the world had ever seen. Then she went on a mission to find her fated mate, and none would do besides Bran Cadogan. High alpha of all Europe at the time. When she mated him, her plots expanded past one band of angry wolves and suddenly encompassed a continent.

But that was a myth from the past, and the three odious ODL representatives in front of me were aright nowproblem.

A lesser fae, a shifter—lynx, by the cat-piss reek of him—and a vampire, each wearing polished silver armor stamped with the interlocking ODL insignia. They stared imperiously down their noses at Gael as I shoved the office door open, letting it bounce off the wall. Gael was leaning forward, both palms planted wide on my desk, glowering back.

“To what do I owe the displeasure?” I refrained from snarling, but didn’t soften my glare. The lynx stepped forward, ducking his head briefly in a show of respect.

“Alpha Kane, we are here to investigate a report of omega magic. We will be as efficient as possible, but due process must be followed any time a report is filed.”

“I want to see the report,” Gael said. He was standing at my side now, arms crossed over his chest, but no less domineering for the shift in pose.

The lynx flinched back from the alpha bark pushing the words and held up both hands. “My comrade will be happy to provide it.” He waved for the vampire, who strolled forward in a lazy way that pissed me off. I growled, lifting just one side of my lip as he dropped the paper to my desk rather than placing it in Gael’s outstretched hand. Rude, smug bloodsucker.Bastard.

Gael ignored the slight, picking up the paper and scanning it before passing it to me. What I saw made me growl louder.

Anonymous tip: Omega magic sensed at the Pack Blackwater gathering.

“That’s it? This is why you’ve stormed into my office in the middle of the night, with nothing to go on and no children to be assessed?”

“I wouldn’t saynochildren,” the lesser fae drawled from his post against the wall, looking bored. “My senses tell me there is one, unborn. The mother seems to be in distress, which can be an early sign of omega energies.”

Reed lunge-stepped forward angrily, an unusual break in self-control for him. We were all on edge tonight, and these fools weren’t helping. Gracelyn was his cousin. Of course he’d take offense at them sniffing around her and her pup.

I placed a hand on his shoulder, urging him to back down. I had this well in hand.

“As you’re aware, due process is to be notified within three days of birth. Our pregnant mother is not due for at least a month. Therefore, you’ve arrived regrettably early. As you yourself have already stated, there is onlyonechild on the premises. And unless you’ve failed spectacularly to fulfill your stated purpose… there couldn’t possibly be any adult omega energies here. Now, you’ll see yourselves out, and remember not to step foot onto my territory again unless summoned.” I held up a hand toward the door, a clear dismissal.

The vampire bristled, but none of them moved for the door. A red haze teased the edges of my vision at their blatant disrespect, and my wolf pushed to the forefront. The lynx shifter cringed back, clearly affected by my dominance and ire, but stubbornly didn’t budge.

---