I stumbled out of the portal and smashed my knees against a makeshift coffee table in the middle of the abandoned cabin. The barrel and piece of plywood keeled over and clattered to the ground. I hissed, jumping on the spot as I rubbed the pain away. Hitting your shin hurts like a motherhumper.
Trying to distract myself, I took in the sorry state of the place. When I was nine, Justin and I built this cabin to get away from everyone in the pack. I hadn't been here in years. A thick blanket of dust coated every surface. Sunlight filtered through the weather-worn planks holding up the roof. Dozens of spiderwebs clung to the ceiling, swaying in the light breeze drifting through the cabin's only window.
I shook my head at the faded happy memories. I didn't have time to dwell on how much simpler life had been back then. Without wasting another second, I hurried out and made my way toward my old house. I know, I said I'd never go back. But I needed the supplies I'd hidden in my closet—sealed under blood runes. Even if my parents had gone through my things, they'd never find them.
I crept through the silent forest, keeping my ears sharp for patrols. Nearing the wooden fence of my former home, I peeked over the edge. There was no movement, no sound. I hopped the fence and darted toward the patio door, my heart drumming in my throat as I scanned the kitchen. Hopefully, no one was home. I slid the door open and stepped inside.
"Why are we here?" Orion growled.
I slapped a hand over my mouth. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! My heart nearly popped a valve." My knees wobbled at his sudden appearance in my mind. "Why show up now?"
"I woke up and found your dumbass back in the place that screwed up our lives."
I scoffed, slipping out of the kitchen and into the living room. "I need to grab my stuff before we bolt."
Orion begrudgingly nodded, and I headed upstairs. Before I reached the landing, soft music and laughter drifted from my sister's room.
"Abort!" Orion barked.
"We can't," I whispered, creeping to my door. "This is the only chance we'll get." I slipped inside and shut it behind me.
In the closet, I shoved clothes aside on the back rail. Biting my thumb, I smeared blood on the wall. An intricate square of runes glowed to life. I plunged my hand into the rippling surface and pulled out a red backpack.
Inside were a laptop, fake passports and licenses, documents, and bundles of cash—everything I needed for a new identity. For years, I'd done security consulting and a bit of hacking on the side. Nothing major, but enough to make money while my siblings leeched off my parents. Paranoia had its perks; in my line of work, you always had to be ready to vanish.
I grinned as I pulled out a woven leather armband with a moonstone. It thrummed with stored energy. Most werewolves avoided magic, I didn't. I wasn't a warlock, but a talisman like this could work wonders. I fastened it to my right wrist, shuddering as the stone warmed, sending a rush of energy through me.
Next, I reached for the black bag stashed on the top shelf, its surface etched with expansion runes. I stuffed it full of clothes and shoes, then zipped it up.
"Well, look what we've got here."
I froze. Turning, I found my sister and her two lackeys blocking the doorway. She smirked, flicking her blond hair. "Why are you here, brother? Mom and Dad left to pick you up from the puppy factory." Her friends snickered.
I growled, stomping toward her. "Be careful, sister. Your whorish mouth will get you hurt."
Her grin widened—she didn't believe I'd touch her. "Come now, Caleb. I'm only asking why you're here when our parents are on their way to fetch you."
"It's none of your business. Now move."
She planted a hand on the doorframe. "You're up to something." Her eyes flicked to my bags. "Going somewhere?"
"Yeah. As far away from this disgusting pack as I can get. So move."
She tsked. "Unfortunately, I can't. You're not allowed to leave, remember?" Her eyes glazed over for a moment. Then, howls echoed outside.
Fuck. The little bitch ratted me out.
"Move!" Orion snarled. "We can't let the Alpha catch us!"
"I know!"
I moved to exit the closet, but my sister stood firm.
"Not happening, brother. Justin told me to keep you here until he arrives. Be a good little omega and wait for your master."
She giggled until it turned into a shriek. She and her friends slammed into the wall, crashing into the side table and headboard. I stepped out of the closet, smirking as she clutched her head.
She glared. "What the hell did you do to us?"
"Magic, my stupid little sister." I shoved the clothes bag into the red backpack, shrinking it with a push of energy into the runes. "Now, I have to go. Take an Advil for the headache."
I rushed downstairs. The front door burst open with shouts. I bolted for the patio, then sprinted into the forest toward the border.
"Caleb!" Justin's voice rang out. I nearly tripped when I glanced back—he and his father were right on my heels, with four others in tow. "Caleb! Don't do this! Let's talk!"
I snarled, picking up speed. The last time he said that, I ended up in a facility. "Go fuck yourself, you arrogant prick!"
I yanked the backpack off my shoulders and tossed it into the air. Orion surged forward, and I shifted mid-sprint. Snatching the bag with my jaws before it hit the ground, I tore through the forest, leaving Justin and his fleabags behind. Omegas were the fastest wolves in the pack—deltas came second.
🌕🩸🌲🌙🐾 Deputy Omega 🐾🌙 🌲🩸🌕
An hour of running at top speed later, I neared a cliff overlooking a sprawling lake. It was beyond the pack's boundary lines. But just as I exited the forest, a dark gray wolf intercepted me. With a yelp and a spray of dug-up dirt, we crashed to a halt. I kicked the wolf off me before shifting back to my human form.
It was my fucking older brother. How had they caught up so fast?
I snarled at him while rushing to grab my bag. Slinging it over my shoulders, I barely had time to react before the bushes to my right rustled and the Alphas appeared, my second brother alongside them. They shifted and began closing in.
"Clypeus tutelae!" I shouted. A wall of light shot up from the ground, stopping Justin and his pack members in their tracks. "Fuck off, Justin."
He froze, hands raised. "Caleb, we're not here to harm you. Just lower the shield and come back with us to the pack."
A fit of hysteria tore out of me. I laughed until my legs nearly gave out, wiping tears from my face. "That's never going to happen. You and your pack can go fuck yourselves. Do you think I'd believe a single word out of your mouth? I'm not brain-dead."
Justin flinched as if I'd stabbed him.
"I know you're angry with—"
"Angry? No. That word doesn't come close to what I feel for you. You're a fucking joke of a best friend. You sold me out! And for what? A pretty little omega? So tell me, Justin, was it worth it?" My chest heaved as I fought to keep my emotions from spilling over.
"It wasn't like that," he blurted. "I didn't want to use you that way, but the Elders had already agreed to the deal with the Northern Ridge pack."
"But you didn't fight it hard enough, did you?" I scoffed. If he'd truly been against it, he could have refused. But he hadn't. He'd stood aside and let the pack use me for their gain.
"It's not my son's fault, Caleb," Justin's father said, stepping in. "I agreed to the plan and convinced Justin to follow it, for the sake of the pack. If you want to blame someone, blame me."
"Well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it? You've got what you wanted—a new Luna. So why don't you all back off and leave?"
Justin looked defeated, his face twisting as if in agony. Good. He deserved it. My crush on him had burned away like mist under a scorching sun. Months ago, I'd hoped for something more. But I was a fool. He was just as selfish as the rest.
"Caleb, we can't," the former Alpha said. "The law is clear. Omegas aren't allowed to live outside their packs for their own safety. You have to accept that."
My eyes darted between the wolves, tracking every movement. I didn't care about the old bastard's words. Everything I needed to reinvent myself was in my backpack. All it took was pretending to be someone I wasn't long enough to fool the world.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you, Mr. Woodlock?" I said, venom lacing my voice. "You don't want to lose a valuable commodity you can pawn off to another ally when they need a pup. I've seen the omegas in the breeding facility; they weren't used just once, but over and over until their packs were satisfied. Then they were thrown into the arms of desperate wolves when their 'services' were no longer required.
"So forgive me if I don't believe the honeyed lies dripping out of your mouth. I won't let you, Justin, or those four old fuckers use me and then toss me to a—"
"That won't happen, Caleb," Justin cut in. "I promise we won't force you into another surrogacy contract. You'll have space and autonomy to do anything you want—if you stay in the pack."
The conversation was over. They were stalling, trying to keep me from leaping into the lake below. Several wolves tested the shield, but it held like diamond. I had to move before they called a witch.
"Just stop talking, Justin," I said. "I'm not staying here for you to betray me again. I don't believe any of you, and I never will. Staying in the pack would be foolish, and I don't want to end up as a teacher or caretaker for your spawn. Keep your gilded cage. I'll take my chances out there."
I backed toward the cliff's edge. Growls and yelps rose in the air. A blast of chilly wind whipped against my bare back—thankfully, the rune-stitched briefs I wore shifted with me.
"Caleb! Don't do this!" my brother Liam cried, waving his hands. "We treated you like shit and we deserve your hatred, but don't let it cloud your judgment. An unprotected omega is a sitting duck. The Wolven Council will declare you a criminal and hunt you down."
"For what?!" I shouted. "Choosing my own fate? For living the life I want instead of bowing to a bunch of holier-than-thou mutts who abuse their power? They can go fuck themselves! I've had enough!"
Before anyone could react, I spun and dove off the cliff. The wind battered me as I plummeted toward the dark water. Just before impact, I cast a water-repellent spell, coating my body and backpack. The hit knocked the air from my lungs, but at least the frigid water never touched my skin.
Breaking the surface, I gasped for air, shoving aside the pain as I swam for shore. Shouts from Justin and my brothers echoed across the lake, but I ignored them.
Reaching the bank, I slung off my bag and shifted into my wolf form, gripping it in my jaws. One last glance at my former best friend's distraught face—and then I was gone, sprinting into the forest in search of a new life, far from the pack's chains.