Two Months Later
“Please, the concert will only be a couple of hours. I’ll be home before you know it,” Vince pleaded.
Alphonse looked at him with cold dark eyes, gaze lingering on the bite mark on Vince, his mark of shame, before shaking his head. “It’s too close to the full moon, son.”
Son. Vince wanted to spit the word out. His father never treated him like a son at any point in his life. These days, Vince felt more like an animal than anything else, caged and unable to go anywhere.
Grabbing his wrist, Alphonse locked the silver-lined cuffs over his wrist. Vince was once again, restrained to the headboard of his own bed, like the months before. He first sensed the changes in him a few weeks after being bitten. The only reason his father hadn’t killed him was because the bastard felt some amount of guilt. Alphonse knew Vince getting bitten by a werewolf was his fault.
Vince had to quit school and stay in the house all the time. The shame of having an Omega werewolf for a son was too much for his father. So Vince was kept like a dirty little secret, a prisoner. Even his phone calls and texts were monitored, as if his father didn’t completely trust him. Alphonse had arrived on scene along with two trusted hunters after Vince was left for dead on the parking lot. To their shock, Vince healed alarmingly fast. His father told the other two hunters to never speak of the incident again.
“Dad, please.” It was the first time Vince ever called Alphonse that.
He swore he’d never beg or ask anything from this man, but Dominance’s concert meant the world to him. Despite the major upheaval in his life, the thought of going to the concert was the only thing keeping him sane. All Vince wanted was to hear the songs that gave him solace during the darkest moments in his life and to see his favorite bassist, Korey Strong. Other fans might prefer front man Mick Badder or man whore Steel, but it was Korey that frequently featured in his fantasies.
“Do you think I’ll really let you go watch a shifter concert? Are you in heat? Is that why?” His father jeered.
Vince hung his head. Omega wolves were smaller than the average werewolf, prized for their ability to give a dominant wolf pups, even the males. If he weren’t raised in a shifter-hating household, he wasn’t sure how well he’d fare in the outside world by himself. From what he knew, packs constantly fought for Omegas and traded them like tributes.
“You wouldn’t survive out there,” his father continued. “I knew I had a weakling for a son, but I never thought you’d be stupid enough to get bit.”
He nearly snapped, tugging at his restraints and baring his teeth. It startled his father, but only momentarily. “Are you forgetting who sent me on that errand?”
“This discussion is over. I’ll take off your cuffs in the morning.”
That was as good as a dismissal. His father shut the door behind him and he heard the bolt clicking shut. Right, his father acted like he was a dangerous animal when Vince didn’t even know the first thing about being a shifter.
He hadn’t even had the chance of shifting to a wolf yet. Vince could feel his animal under his skin though, struggling to break free. Flopping against the pillows, he took a good look at his room. More or less, it looked the same save for the sound-proof walls and the new bars on his window.
His father said he was doing this for Vince’s own good. Vince suspected his old man simply didn’t have the heart to kill him. His phone vibrated on the night stand beside the bed, but with his hands cuffed, he couldn’t reach it. Sally’s name flashed across the screen. Then Reed started calling.
It was a bloody miracle his friends didn’t abandon him as soon as he dropped off the radar. Deciding he could do nothing for now, he slept. Vince was rudely awakened by someone shaking him. Snarling softly under his breath, he opened his eyes, shocked to see his two best friends standing there, looking alarmed. There was a third guy in the room he didn’t recognize. The animal in him rose, recognizing another shifter.
“Is he safe?” Reed asked.
Sally was the one who shook him. “Vince?”
Vince found his voice. “Is this real? What are you guys doing here? You need to leave before my dad comes back.”
“Your father is on a hunt with his buddies. I’ve incapacitated the guys keeping watch downstairs,” said the shifter.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
“Wilson Green. It was my brother who bit you in the parking lot.”
His stomach churned, remembering his father and other hunters searching for the werewolf who attacked him. They’d been doing this for years. It came as no surprise to him they managed to shoot the werewolf dead. “Are you here for vengeance?”
Wilson shook his head. “My brother lost control of his wolf. I didn’t realize there was a casualty. I found your scent, traced you here, but when I couldn’t get to you, I went to your friends.”
“We were worried, Vince,” Sally sounded furious. “Your dad never answered any of our questions. Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. Wilson approached the bed and grunted when he saw Vince’s restraints. The werewolf looked pissed.
“Wait, you’ll hurt yourself,” Vince began.
Wilson tugged at the cuffs. It gave, but he caught the smell of burning skin and winced.
“Why are you helping me?”
“I’ve got word these hunters are planning to use you as bait.” Wilson finally freed him from the last pair of cuffs. Vince glanced at the indentation left behind on his wrist. The silver hurt a little and made him feel a little dizzy. He tried to stand but Wilson grabbed his hand.
“Careful,” Wilson warned, releasing him once Vince was able to walk on his own.
“Wilson says you need to disappear for awhile,” Reed told him. “We’re thinking, road trip.”
He swiped his phone and wallet from the bed stand. “I’m going to Dominance’s concert over at Garage City.”
That made Wilson laugh. “A fan, huh?”
“Mega fan,” he corrected.
“I made a wrong assumption of you, Omega. I thought you would need more convincing to leave this shit hole. If you see Korey, send my regards.”
His eyes widened. “You know Korey Strong?”
“Stop chatting and start packing,” Sally pointed out and helped him pack a few clothes in his bag.
“How did you guys get in?” He glanced at the missing bars on his window and understood.
“We need to leave before the grunts downstairs wake up,” Wilson interrupted. “Come on.”
With the werewolf’s help, they were back on the ground. Vince still couldn’t believe this was happening. A sprint towards Reed’s car and they were on their way. Vince rolled down his window and let the breeze hit his face.
“Sorry for taking so long to get you out,” said Reed by the wheel.
Vince shook his head. “No, I’m really grateful. Thank you, Wilson.”
The big guy only gave him a wolfish grin. “Reed’s going to drop me off soon. I wish you the best of luck.”
* * * *
“You excited for the concert tonight, baby?” Korey overheard Bo asking Steel at one corner of the lounge reserved for the band.
“Oh yea, but I’m even more excited to have you,” Steel replied.
Korey culled the urge to roll his eyes.
On the other end of the room, Mick was snuggled up with Stefan lips locked together and Mick had a hand down Bo’s jeans. Another couple who couldn’t get enough of each other. Korey sighed and put on his headphones to block out the other sounds and closed his eyes.
When Mick alone had found his mate, it had been okay, tolerable. Steel was the last man he expected. Steel had never been interested in mating, because Steel always declared no man could tie him down. By some miracle, Bo managed to do just that.
Both Bo and Stefan were human mates to his brothers. Well, technically Mick and Steel weren’t related to him by blood but they were brothers in every sense of the word. All three of them came from nothing, three boys raised in a town that hated paranormals. Being bitten in high school made them pariahs, abandoned by their families and friends. Best or worst times, they endured it together. Once they turned eighteen, they left that shit hole and worked hard to get a foothold in the music world.
Here they were now, ten years later, the most successful all-shifter band in the country. Fame and fortune, they had it all. Except it hadn’t been enough. Korey had been the dreamer of the three. Mick and Steel were skeptical of the whole mating gig. Mating wasn’t a gig though. It was something fucking amazing all shifters had—the opportunity to find that right soul that would complete them.
Five years ago, Korey thought he’d soon get it all. He would have a supportive mate and he’d be earning a living doing what he loved, hoping Dominance’s music would reach the ears of the lost souls, like the three of them long ago. That dream died when Roger left him, deciding he could no longer take the pressure of the kind of lifestyle Korey and the others lived.
Music or love—Korey would have stopped playing for Dominance, until he found out the real reason Roger left him. Roger wanted the whole white-picket fence deal, including marriage, kids and a mini-van. Korey couldn’t give him that. His music was too important to him. Music didn’t just soothe the soul, it reached deep within and gripped the heart like a claw. Like dirty ugly love.
Yeah. There was a reason why all the songs Korey had been writing lately were all about loss and pain. A tap on his shoulder made him open his eyes to see Mick and Steel grinning down at him. Apparently, both Bo and Stefan had left the lounge. He took off his headphones. There was a knock on the door, the manager telling them they were about to go on stage in five minutes.
Korey stretched and yawned. Mick and he grabbed their instruments, tuning both guitar and bass. Something about his Alpha wolf felt odd tonight. Korey could sense it lurking under his skin, eager to come out. It was restless, as if it were searching for something or someone. Strange. Korey cracked his knuckles as they took position on stage. Even the feel of his bass didn’t give him much of a relief.
“Korey, something bothering you?” Mick asked, probably sensing his agitated wolf.
He shook his head. “Once we start, I’ll be fine.”
Mick shrugged and went back to his position. Korey could hear the screaming crowd from behind the curtain. Most of the time, even on stage, he hardly heard the audience. Korey let the music consume him, finding comfort in the energy that came from the instruments of his fellow band members and Mick’s voice. Tonight though, every detail seemed vivid and his ears caught every sound. What the hell was happening to him?
Shit. He needed to focus on giving the fans what they came for.
* * * *
“We’ll be around. Text us when the concert’s over,” Sally told him.
Vince groaned. Tonight, he was wearing a new ‘Bite Me, Korey!’ shirt, because he left his old one back at the house he’d probably never return to. He appreciated Sally and Reed’s help, really, but he could handle this on his own. To his surprise, Sally’s ticket included an invite to an exclusive after-party. It turned out Sally’s ticket was a lucky winning number in a random draw.
He suspected his two best friends were ‘out on a date’ tonight to keep a close eye on him.
“Guys, I can take care of myself.”
Reed nodded in understanding, tugging his girlfriend away. “Have fun, man.”
Free of his watchers, Vince happily joined fellow concert goers inside the stadium. It didn’t matter he was going alone. He was just elated to be here and his spot was so close to the stage, he could almost touch it. A guy with a shaved head and completely covered in tattoos eyed him from the left of him. He shuddered. It must be all in his imagination.
Once the music filled the speakers and the lighting on stage came, he completely forgot about his unnecessary worries.
“How are you all doing tonight?” Mick’s voice came through the surround-sound speakers.
Everyone screamed and he did the same. Oh God. He was really here, listening to a live concert of his favorite band. Finally, what he’d been waiting for for two months became a reality. He jumped and sang the songs with the others. His gaze lingered on Korey Strong strumming beside Mick the entire time.
The man of his dreams always seemed focused on either his music or his band mates whenever Vince watched a video of their concert. Tonight however, something about Korey’s bass felt different, energetic and restless even.
For a moment, their eyes crossed. Korey stared right at him. A shiver of a different sort crawled down his spine.