Lone Wolf: MM Shifter Romance (Exiled Omegas Book 1), page 1
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2021 Tessa Kane
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by Christian Bentulan of Covers By Christian
Edited by Heather Caryn
To Kelly, this story would have never happened without our weirdly random and often NSFW messenger conversations.
No good deed goes unpunished.
After being exiled by my pack at seventeen, I've spent the last four years constantly on the move trying to avoid all ties to the shifter world.
Unfortunately, I can’t outrun fate.
When I step in to break up a fight, the shifters involved realize I’m a rare male omega. Not only does that revelation put me in the crosshairs of competing packs that would do anything to control me, it also leads me to cross paths with an Alpha who claims to be my fated mate.
Past experiences have left scars—both literal and figurative—and, fated mate or not, permanently binding myself to an Alpha is the last thing I want.
But Julien might be exactly what I need.
As my life erupts into chaos and new threats emerge from the secrets of my past, I realize this Alpha is different and placing my trust in him could finally allow me to have the one thing I've always wanted.
A home.
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Physical assault of a minor (Prologue- Keir is 17)
Depiction of the grooming of a minor (Chapter 53- no details of the physical relationship on page)
Instances of homophobic language
Contents
1. Prologue
2. One
3. Two
4. Three
5. Four
6. Five
7. Six
8. Seven
9. Eight
10. Nine
11. Ten
12. Eleven
13. Twelve
14. Thirteen
15. Fourteen
16. Fifteen
17. Sixteen
18. Seventeen
19. Eighteen
20. Nineteen
21. Twenty
22. Twenty-One
23. Twenty-Two
24. Twenty-Three
25. Twenty-Four
26. Twenty-Five
27. Twenty-Six
28. Twenty-Seven
29. Twenty-Eight
30. Twenty-Nine
31. Thirty
32. Thirty-One
33. Thirty-Two
34. Thirty-Three
35. Thirty-Four
36. Thirty-Five
37. Thirty-Six
38. Thirty-Seven
39. Thirty-Eight
40. Thirty-Nine
41. Forty
42. Forty-One
43. Forty-Two
44. Forty-Three
45. Forty-Four
46. Forty-Five
47. Forty-Six
48. Forty-Seven
49. Forty-Eight
50. Forty-Nine
51. Fifty
52. Fifty-One
53. Fifty-Two
54. Fifty-Three
55. Fifty-Four
56. Fifty-Five
57. Fifty-Six
58. Fifty-Seven
59. Fifty-Eight
60. Fifty-Nine
61. Sixty
62. Sixty-One
63. Sixty-Two
64. Sixty-Three
65. Sixty-Four
66. Sixty-Five
67. Sixty-Six
68. Sixty-Seven
69. Epilogue
A Note from Tessa
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Keir
Tonight is shaping up to be a disaster of epic proportions, nothing at all like how I pictured the day I’d become an official pack member.
A pack welcoming ceremony is supposed to be a celebration, but any celebratory feeling is lost in the shadow of last night’s violence and bloodshed. Everyone is already nervous and on edge, and the gruesome sight of a head mounted on a spike in the center of the compound certainly doesn’t help matters.
But Alpha Randall insisted we go through with the ceremony anyway.
The decision makes sense, I suppose. The challenge last night didn’t result in a shift of power since Randall won, but he probably wants to give the impression that doing so was so easy that everything is already back to normal. He wants to show how unaffected he is by the whole thing which—unfortunately for me—means performing this welcoming ceremony as scheduled.
And as soon as I shift, I’m as good as dead.
This might be my first time shifting with the pack, but it’s not actually my first shift. That happened about a month ago when I escaped into the woods after an alpha from another pack almost got me killed over something he did. I should have run as soon as I found my wolf form that night, but I was so upset over the betrayal of someone I thought cared about me that the truth of what I am seemed inconsequential.
I’ve always been a little different, but I didn’t know exactly how different until after that first shift. And it wasn’t until I read about wolves like me in a book I stole from the pack cleric’s office that I realized my differences would likely end in my death if anyone found out the truth.
If I were smart, I would’ve run then. If nothing else, I should’ve taken off yesterday in all the commotion after the failed challenge.
But I didn’t.
I have no money, no car, and nowhere to go. My pack lives in the backwoods of Alabama and is the only family I’ve ever known—even if it’s kind of a shitty one. I have no clue how to navigate the world on my own.
My instincts are screaming at me to run now, but it’s too late. I can’t sneak away without anyone noticing when I’m already standing in front of the entire pack with the other five wolves being welcomed into the pack tonight. At this point, there’s nothing I can do but cross my fingers and hope I can slip away before anyone gets a good sniff of my wolf form.
I’m the oldest one up here at seventeen, not that anyone could tell by looking at me. The only other male participating in the ceremony tonight—Alpha Randall’s son, Luke—is three years younger than me, but he’s at least a full foot taller and as wide as two of me put together. He’s an alpha, so it’s not really surprising that he’s bigger, but I’ve always been smaller than even the other male betas.
I guess I know the reason for that now…
I’m more slender than bulky with androgynous features bordering on pretty. Big blue eyes, small upturned nose, and shiny black hair with a tendency toward natural waves. I chalked my appearance up to taking after my mom. She was a small, sickly beta who died in childbirth—something my dad never forgave me for, just like he never forgave me for not being born an alpha.
Not that being an alpha himself ever made my dad happy. He spent his whole life in his older brother’s shadow and never actually became the leader of a pack, the thing that would have earned him the actual title of “Alpha” with a capital A.
Well, after spending my entire life not living up to his expectations, at least I won’t have to deal with Dad’s disappointment in me tonight.
One less thing to worry about…
I brush my hair away from my face and try to focus on what Alpha Randall is saying.
“… proud to have these fine young people join us on their first pack run.” He motions the beta girl closest to him forward, then moves to stand behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Please welcome Macy.”
“Welcome, Macy.”
Randall moves on down the line, doing the whole call and repeat thing for each wolf. When he reaches me, his fingers dig into my collarbone painfully and I have to fight back a wince. He has never liked me, whether that’s just because he’s a bit of an asshole or he knew my dad was never happy as his second, I don’t know. I suppose it might not really matter soon anyway.
“My nephew, Keir,” he says in a flat voice.
There’s a slight pause before the pack says, “Welcome, Keir.”
Awkward.
“And finally, my son, Luke.” A proud smile curls at his lips. “Welcome.”
The crowd is more enthusiastic this time, yelling out, “Welcome, Luke!”
Luke gives the gathered shifters a tight smile, then shifts his gaze to the ground, seemingly uncomfortable with the attention.
Randall moves back to where he started, blathering on about history, pack, and traditions—the same nonsense he talks about at all of these kinds of things. Eventually, the moon rises over the trees and everyone strips out of their clothes.
Nudity isn’t a big deal among wolves, but I still keep my eyes fixed on the ground. No point in making things worse by drawing attention to myself. Once I’ve removed all my clothes, I cup my hands in front of my groin and wait.
By tradition, the pack shifts only on the Alpha’s command tonight.
The pull of the moon buzzes through my limbs and I clench my teeth to hold back my shift until the proper time. Maybe I can just run in
“Shift!” roars Randall.
The command rolls through my body and through the entire pack, twisting limbs, bending backs, cracking bones. Unlike my prior shifts, this one, called up unwillingly by the Alpha, feels unnatural—and really fucking painful. By the time I’m finished, it’s all I can do to stay on my feet and not curl into a whimpering ball. Dizziness runs through me and I stumble to the side, shaking my head, now on four legs. I can’t focus, my stomach twisting and roiling as I fight to hold my dinner in. All I can concentrate on is the pain in my limbs and this horrid feeling of wrongness.
I shake my head again, as if trying to clear away the mental fog. There’s something I’m forgetting, something I meant to do…what was it?
Too disoriented to pull my thoughts together, I stand there with the others, wobbling on my feet, and hoping this awful feeling passes quickly.
None of my other shifts—
Oh shit.
I need to run. That’s what I was supposed to do as soon as I shifted. I glance around at the rest of the pack. Everyone else seems just as disoriented—because of the command?—so I might still have a chance. Spinning around, I start toward the edge of the clearing. Before I can make it even three yards, someone growls and a furry shoulder slams into my side, pushing me to the ground.
Luke’s large reddish brown wolf looms over me, as close to a suspicious look as a wolf can manage on his face. This is likely nothing more than a show of dominance, but I really don’t have time for it. I whimper loudly and submissively bare my neck, giving him what he wants.
Yes, you’re a big bad alpha and I’m just little old me. I don’t want any trouble. Please, please, please…
He makes a dismissive noise and turns away. As soon as he moves, I jump to my feet and race toward the woods like my tail’s on fire.
But it’s too late.
Even as I register the flare of Luke’s nostrils when I pass him, another wolf’s teeth clamp down on my tail and drag me backward, my paws scrabbling at the ground. A high-pitched whine of terror is the only sound I can make as Alpha Randall uses his grip on my tail to slam me onto my back. He leans down, taking a long sniff at my neck, then bares his teeth. A low growl rumbles up from his throat as he recognizes what type of wolf I am.
An omega, a male one, something considered at best useless and at worst an abomination depending on who’s telling the story. And even worse than that, I’m a male omega whose dad challenged the Alpha—and lost—only yesterday.
Randall shifts back in the blink of an eye, his face twisted with rage and disgust. He leans over me as I cower with my tail between my legs and my vulnerable belly exposed.
“Shift.” The whispered word vibrates with the same command from earlier, and I’m helpless to do anything but obey.
My fur recedes and my limbs reform, leaving me naked on my back in the dirt with my Alpha towering over me, one of his feet pressing against my ribcage and holding me down. I wrap my hands around his ankle and try to push him off.
“Please. I didn’t—”
“Silence,” hisses Randall as he presses harder into my chest, compressing my lungs. My ribs creak under the strain and I fight to get a full breath, my mouth opening and closing like a landed fish. Blackness creeps along the edges of my vision as tears drip from the corners of my eyes and trail down the sides of my face.
This is it. He’s going to kill me. I knew this would happen, expected it even, but I’d held out at least a little hope that maybe… things could be different.
I’m an idiot.
Randall sneers at me, leaning a little more of his weight onto my body and practically crushing the air from my lungs. Something cracks in my chest—a rib, most likely—and Randall finally lifts his foot away, disgust twisting at his lips. I roll to my side, curling into the smallest ball I can manage as I cough and fight for air, every inhale bringing a stabbing pain from the broken rib.
“Get up.”
The Alpha command rolls over me and I scramble to my feet, fear and pain making my movements stiff and jerky. My shifter healing is kicking in, but it’s not immediate.
“How long have you known?” asks Randall in a bland voice.
“About a month.”
“And you didn’t run?” He eyes me with something almost like respect. “Did you think your daddy was going to spare you? Did you stick around thinking he was going to win?”
“No,” I say. I knew better than that. My dad never spared me from anything.
“Then why stay?”
“Because this is my home and—”
“Because you’re a fool.” He waves away a few younger pack members lingering in the clearing, then motions the large, reddish brown wolf forward. Luke.
My cousin shifts back without being asked and stands beside his father, uncertainty furrowing his brow. A couple of seconds later, two more men move to stand with Randall. One of them is John, the man who took my dad’s place as second after the failed challenge, and the other is Malachi, the pack cleric.
“Omegas are sacred,” says the cleric. “They are meant to be helpmates and guides to their Alphas, mothers to the pack. But a male omega serves no purpose except to lead Alphas from the path of righteousness. They cannot bear children. They are nothing but an unholy mistake of nature.”
I guess that means Randall and company are in the ‘omegas are an abomination’ camp.
I swallow and glance up to meet his eyes for a second before moving my gaze back to the ground. “I can’t help what I am.”
“No, you can’t,” says Randall almost conversationally. “But I will not let you lead this pack astray.” He jerks his chin toward Luke. “Hold him.”
“What? Why?” My cousin looks so horribly confused in this moment that I almost pity him. Sure, the kid has never been particularly nice to me—he is his father’s son—but I doubt he’s ever put any serious thought into killing someone.
“Just do it,” snaps Randall.
I want to spare Luke this—he’s so damn young—and tell Randall that I don’t need to be held in place, that I won’t run…
But I read some stories of what has happened to male omegas in the past and I don’t know if those are promises I can keep once it starts.
Luke moves forward, eyeing his dad as he does, then grabs me by the upper arm with one hand. One of the other men snorts because that’s definitely not what Randal meant. It doesn’t really matter though once the first fist flies at my face, the shifter strength behind it breaking my nose and shattering my cheekbone. From there, it’s nothing but a blur of agony and whimpered screams, flesh bruising and bones breaking much faster than my shifter healing can keep up with.
There are 206 bones in the human body and they must break every one of them once and some, the larger ones like the femur and the ulna, they break at least twice. I’m probably unconscious for some of it, but I can’t tell because my entire world has become nothing but pain. At some point, they finally stop. All of them are panting from exertion or adrenaline, even Luke, who I’m fairly certain didn’t take part beyond holding me up.
They must be taking a break—for themselves, not me—and they’ll probably allow me to heal for a bit before starting again. It’s the same thing Randall did to my dad after the challenge yesterday. Beating. Take a break. Beating. Take a break… so on and so on until there was nothing left to heal. Weirdly enough, that gives me something to aim for before I die.
My dad always called me weak and useless. Even taking a beating isn’t new to me, but if I can survive more rounds of this than my dad? Well, then at least I beat him at something.
People say our wolves are the animal side of us, wild and ferocious. But I don’t think actual wolves would ever do something like this to a packmate. Humans? I’m pretty sure they do shit like this daily.
I let my mind drift as far away from my pain-wracked body as I can, following the wind with my thoughts as it drifts through the trees.
I’m alone now. I’m not sure how much time has passed, but I’ve healed enough that blood no longer bubbles from between my lips with each breath and the agony has lessened somewhat. Footsteps sound at the edge of the clearing and grow closer until a pair of boots blocks my view of the woods. There’s a thud and something falls to the ground beside my head.
