Page 49 of Hunting Their Omega

The hostility in his dark gaze set me on edge. His eyes slid to Winnie, then back to me.

“What do you want?” Winnie ground out.

Without saying a word, he stepped to the side and held up his hands.

My heart beat rapidly in my chest as Winnie narrowed her eyes. She placed her hands on my shoulders and led me around him, but unease coiled around my neck the closer we got.

When we were directly in front of him, Winnie snapped her jaws in warning.

“Easy. No one’s going to hurt you,” he rumbled. His eyes shifted to me. “You, on the other hand, might want to be careful walkingthrough town so late. Wouldn’t want another incident to happen when no one’s around to protect you.”

“Be careful,” Winnie said. “I wouldn’t want your words to be misunderstood as a threat.”

He laughed darkly. “Just friendly advice for our breeder.”

I growled.

“Oh, looks like you have some bite after all,” he murmured.

He turned on his heel and shoved his hands in his pockets, whistling a low, haunting melody as he strolled away.

“Fucking creep,” Winnie bit out.

The whistled tune followed us as we hurried down the path. It buried itself in my mind, sinking its claws into the bubble of comfort I had slowly built over the weeks in Hidden Creek.

Who the hell was he?

Even as I caught sight of my home in the clearing ahead, the encounter with the male wolf lingered in my thoughts.

Chapter 18

Bishop

Wynn wanted to hold the meeting immediately, but our first attempt was unsuccessful. Things had gotten so heated that he ordered all the males to keep their eyes averted when Isolde was present. Alaric and I gave him a few days to cool down, but it was time to address the misconceptions that had festered for far too long.

“That’s bullshit,” a craftsman called from the back. “Why would they keep the Omegas separated if they weren’t the key to revitalizing the shifter race?”

I growled a warning at the male, and he quickly bent his neck in submission.

A palpable mix of confusion, rage, and desperation snapped through the air. Tensions had been brewing within the pack for three days, and now, as all the males assembled, the hostility and uncertainty were overwhelming.

We stood at the forefront of the hall, commanding the attention of the males in attendance with a united show of dominance. Alaric had positioned his most seasoned Enforcers at all the exits to contain the crowd if things got out of hand.

“Have I ever lied to you?” Wynn asked. “Have I ever lied to anyone in Hidden Creek?”

“No, Alpha,” the craftsman said.

“Then why would I start when the pack is on the verge of re-establishing itself?”

Murmurs raced through the crowd.

I stepped to Wynn’s side, pushing my Beta’s calm into the maelstrom of testosterone. “We understand that you have many questions and concerns, which we will get to. However, we need everyone to calm themselves. There are many rumors about Omegas, not just within Hidden Creek’s borders but throughout the entire sanctioned territory. Alpha Wynn, Commander Alaric, and I want you all to know which of those are lies.”

“As Alpha Wynn said, we will not lie to you,” Alaric said. “We are a pack. Family. Therefore, our knowledge is your knowledge. We believe many misconceptions come from the Council, though we are unsure why they tell half-truths and lies to sanctioned packs.”

The room erupted with voices, questions overlapping each other until they were indiscernible. Wynn held up his hand, and the hall quieted once more.

A male stood. “What mistruths have we been told?”

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