Sometimes River felt like two people: the pack alpha he’d always been, in charge of many lives and confident in doing so; and Josiah’s alpha mate, completely smitten by the half-human half-omega and willing to do anything for him. Unfortunately, those two people were not always in agreement with each other.
As pack alpha, River knew he should have taken Sid as a mate when Patrick had been killed. If it weren’t for his promise to Josiah, he would have, and Sid would still be safe as part of the pack.
Would he? River asked himself. Sid told you he wasn’t interested in mating again. He chose to leave the pack and go to school.
River hadn’t hesitated to reassure Josiah he shouldn’t feel guilty, so why, when he was alone, did he continue to second guess himself? And why did he carry a vague resentment for the promise he’d made not to take another mate? He couldn’t help wondering if he should have gone with his gut with Sid and let Josiah grow to accept a polygamous relationship just as the omega had learned to accept everything else about werewolf life. No doubt, Sid would also have accepted River’s decision, and it never would have occurred to him to go to school.
Wolf packs had run successfully for thousands of years because of tradition, and River had gone against that tradition when he’d decided to let humans onto the compound. Like Josiah. But what it always came down to was River couldn’t regret Josiah, so he might as well stop thinking about the what ifs.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” David interrupted River’s thoughts. He stood shirtless and sweating, white-blond hair sticking to his temples and curling about his ears.
River blinked, wondering how long he’d been standing by the barn, looking off into the distance.
“Just wondering if we should plant some wheat next year,” he lied.
“We could,” David said. “But I call bullshit. That wasn’t what put that tense look on your face.”
River sighed. He might as well tell. He’d admitted his thoughts on the matter to his second-in-command before, minus the part about resenting Josiah sometimes. He laid it all out there, and when he’d finished, David grinned.
“You mean to say you two aren’t the perfect couple after all?”
“Shut up,” River huffed.
“Let’s take a run to the river for a swim,” David suggested. “After we’ve expended some energy, we can talk it out.”
River agreed. After stripping to their birthday suits, the two men gave into the shift and took off running.
The day was hot, and the water felt incredible on River’s bare skin once he’d shifted back to human form and dived in. He swam with the current for a while, David beside him, bringing back memories of their carefree childhood on the River Wolf pack compound. How long ago that time seemed to River now.
Once they’d exhausted themselves, the two alphas climbed onto the bank and spread out on the warm grass to dry in the sun.
“You know you’ve done a miraculous thing, River,” David said after a while. “Having not just one, but two successful packs in your life—that’s really something to be proud of.”
“Thanks, buddy. But sometimes I don’t feel so successful.”
David stretched his long legs and sighed, the breeze whipping his hair into his eyes. “That’s because you’re a perfectionist.”
“No, I’m not. I just feel the heavy weight of my responsibility to those in my pack. Sid isn’t safe where he is.”
“He’s also no longer one of the pack, by his choice,” David reminded him. “You can’t make him do what he doesn’t want to do. Honestly, I think it’s time we give ourselves a break. Times are changing, and we have to change with them.”
River sighed. “I guess you’re right. I think it bothers me more that I sometimes resent Josiah. I knew what I was doing when I took him as my mate. I knew he was part human and likely to be a challenge, but I did it anyway.”
“Because you fell in love with him. Do you think I was wise when I hooked up with Jax? A full human?” David chuckled. “Don’t try to lie because I know you had to have thought I was crazy.”
“I was too busy with Josiah to worry like I should have about you,” River said softly, shame rising in his chest. He had allowed Jax to live with David on the compound, and much of the pack hadn’t appreciated it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Nothing gets by you. And I appreciate it. I may not have ever said that before, and for that I’m sorry. You were a good friend fighting against your own pack for my happiness.”
River looked at David, surprised.
“Your job is difficult,” David continued. “You have to take so many things into consideration. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes. So to speak.” David glanced down River’s naked body stretched out in the sun. He turned and propped his head on his elbow. Raising a brow, he looked down at River.
“What?” River had no idea what his best friend was thinking, but David’s blue eyes were mischievous.
“Ever wonder why we never hooked up?” David asked. He looked serious, so River thought about it, but no matter how he turned it in his mind, thinking of David that way was like imagining having sex with a brother.
He stole a glance at his friend. David looked like he was giving the idea equal consideration.
They both crinkled their noses at the same time and said, “Ewwww!” Then they burst out laughing.
River wiped his eyes and sat up. “Thanks for this. A swim and a talk with my best friend was exactly what I needed.”
David sat up beside him. “You worry too much, and you’re too hard on yourself. As your second-in-command, I demand the next time you think you aren’t doing your job, you run it by me. I’ll set you straight.”
“Are you sure you don’t worship me a little too much to be unbiased?” River teased.
David shoved him hard, and River started laughing again.
“The day I worship you is the day I grow wings and fly.” David pulled himself to his feet and held out a hand to River.
The two grabbed up their clothes and walked back to the pack house.
“You okay?” River asked after a moment. “I know seeing Jax again had to be hard for you, even though it’s what you wanted.”
“I’m glad I insisted, and I owe Josiah for sticking up for me to Mark and also for suggesting I take Brooks with me. Seeing the two of them together was great, and Brooks has been so much happier since then.”
“I’m glad,” River smiled, and then added, “I call first dibs on taking a shower.” The old plantation house wouldn’t keep enough hot water for two, and if River went first, David would have to wait at least half an hour to take his. Although the werewolves’ bodies naturally regulated themselves to temperature, none of the shifters particularly enjoyed a freezing cold shower when they could have a hot one instead.
David grinned. “Not if I don’t get there first!” He took off running, and with a curse, River ran after him.
* * * *
River managed to beat David in his race to shower despite the second alpha’s head start. Clean and dressed, River checked on the twins napping in their connecting room before leaving his and Josiah’s bedroom and heading for the stairs. Judging by the sounds coming from David and Brooks’ room, his second-in-command had found a way to while away the time until the water heated up again. The loud moans and quick back and forth squeaking of the bed had River adjusting his pants as he descended to the first floor.
Mark and Angela Newman were sitting in the living room with Josiah.
“This is a nice surprise,” he said, taking a seat beside Josiah on the couch.
Angela smiled. “River, hello. I was just telling Josiah that I’ve learned the omega who died in Nevada last month was indeed in the early stages of pregnancy, which concurs with our suspicions that whatever is being done to the shifters could well be centered on stopping reproduction. Josiah tells me that Sam’s heats have been erratic and short-lasting, and that makes sense as well. Throw a wrench into an omega’s heats, and the entire cycle becomes screwed up. Pretty soon, the alpha’s knot may not produce the optimum amount of sperm at the needed time. And what pregnancies do follow will be dangerous to both omega and baby.”
River’s upper lip curled in a snarl. The humans were indeed subversively working to eradicate their species.
Josiah put his hand on his mate’s arm, and a sense of calm washed through the pack alpha.
“What can we do about it?” Josiah asked, then coughed over a particularly enthusiastic volley of curses that drifted down the stairs.
Angela flushed but kept her eyes on the omega. “I’ve been in contact with an Agent Oaks of the FBI. He and his partner, Agent Kumar, have been watching Senator Parker but so far have come up empty. It’s unlikely the senator will do anything that could get any fingers pointed at him, but according to Jax, he frequents the Omega Oasis.”
River noticed Josiah pale at the mention of the place where omegas were being kept as sex slaves. He wrapped his arm around his mate.
“Which means two things,” Mark said. “Parker has a means of getting to the Omega Oasis undetected by the FBI and that he can be caught there. Once we break open the ring, the FBI can get the answers we need to help the omegas and betas afflicted by their drugs.”
“Why aren’t alphas being targeted?” River asked.
“We suspect either alphas are too strong to be affected by their drugs, or the humans are just too afraid to mess with them,” Mark answered.
“If the senator’s so careful, how will they catch him at the club?” Josiah asked.
“The only person we’ve got to rely on there is Jax. He’ll have to set up a sting.”
“That sounds dangerous for Jax,” Josiah said.
“The FBI’s been working the past couple of weeks infiltrating an agent into the place via the dark web,” Mark said. “Jax now has an ally inside, and as soon as the guy’s initiated into the club, we’ll know exactly where it is. Jax will still be the one to get the evidence, though. No way Parker’s going to trust a new guy around him when he’s there.”
A bitter taste settled in River’s mouth when he realized what Jax would have to do to obtain such pictures. It certainly wouldn’t be easy, and it definitely would be dangerous.
“Jax has relayed that it took some time to get there by car, but the fact that the senator is getting to the club undetected suggests a possible connection to where he lives or works. Possibly, the Omega Oasis lies under a building he owns,” Mark said. “We’ll find out soon enough from Agent Den.”
“What does initiation consist of?” River asked.
“We have no idea,” Mark said.
River nodded, still disturbed for Jax, but excitement stirred at the fact they were finally getting close to ending this.
Angela let out a breath, eyes alight. “For the first time in a long time, I really feel like we’re getting close.”
“We can’t thank you enough for being such a friend to us,” Josiah told her.
“Nonsense. You’ve all done so much for my research. We all want to put this feuding between our species to a stop.”
“I heard your team were unable to find a dart when they searched,” River said.
“That’s true. I wanted to speak with you about that. I’m not satisfied they were looking in the proper place, even with the map River drew for them to use. I wondered if a few who were on the run might search again with me.”
“That can be arranged,” River agreed. “When?”
“As soon as possible. Would tomorrow be all right with you?”
“Yeah. Sam will have to come along, and Leo will insist upon going in that case.”
“Briar and Sawyer should go,” Josiah added. “They’re the ones who escorted Sam home.”
“I’ll go, too,” River said. He looked at Josiah. “I supposed you’ll want to come to make sure I’m on track.”
Josiah grinned. “True.”
They made plans to meet outside the plantation at one o’clock the following afternoon.