CHAPTER SEVEN
DUSTIN
Hands stuffed in my pockets; I stare out the window of the Wolves legacy headquarters. “What the fuck was that?” I growl.
“I don’t know, Dustin,” Archer admits. “I was sitting next to her and couldn’t smell her. Maybe my close proximity awakened her.”
Sawyer chuckles.
I turn to my pack brothers sitting around the conference table.
“What’s so funny, Sawyer?” I bite out.
“Harper awakened last week,” he blurts out.
The guys and I stare at him intently.
“How do you know?” I ask.
“Because I’d been watching her. For some time now.”
Archer points at Sawyer. “I fucking told you to stop.”
Thatcher shakes his head. “I knew he wouldn’t obey.”
“Shut the fuck up, Thatcher,” Sawyer yells.
Thatcher flips him off.
“Archer, I told you guys she’s our mate even if I didn’t know until I caught her scent. Deep down I knew she belonged to the Barclay pack.” He closes his eyes. “Lavender, jasmine, and apples. She smells fucking delectable.”
“Sawyer, why didn’t you tell us she was our scent match?” Archer asks.
Sawyer folds his muscled arms over his big chest. “Because none of you deserve her. Honestly, I don’t either. But I’ll do everything within my power to show her she’s mine.”
I slam my palms on the table. “Yours?”
“Yes, Dustin. Mine. You have no intention of forgiving her.” He peeks at Archer and Thatcher. “None of you do. I won’t let any of you break my mate.”
“Sawyer, that’s enough. We’ve made the decision to move on,” Archer reminds him.
I furrow my brow. “Archer, if I hadn’t shown up in the building when I did, you’d have bitten her and tied her to our pack.”
Archer leans forward, elbows on his thighs, fingers raking through his red hair. “I nearly lost control. All I wanted was to lick her slick, knot her, and bite.”
Sawyer reaches out and clamps a hand on Archer’s shoulder. “Her scent is addictive.”
Archer locks eyes with me. “Dustin nearly took down every alpha in the English building today.”
Sawyer and Thatcher clap and howl, teasing me.
“He’s wild for her,” Sawyer adds.
I shake my head. “It was just a moment of weakness.”
The way her fingers felt in my hair reminded me how much I loved my little omega.
My little omega.
Dustin, she’s not yours anymore. She told you she’s looking for her new mate.
New mate my ass.
“Harper’s upset with us,” Archer starts.
“We didn’t tell her about the Wolves in high school.”
“We couldn’t become Wolves in high school,” I say.
“But we knew we were legacies and we’d take our place in the secret society,” Archer confirms.
“That was a bad decision not to tell her,” I admit sinking into one of the leather chairs across from my brothers.
“It’s time to discuss who will join the wolves,” Archer says, changing the subject.
We open our laptops ready to discuss how our recruits performed the other night when Archer answers his phone.
“Hello Dad.”
“Hey, Mr. B,” Sawyer yells out.
Archer’s smile disappears as he hops out his seat. “What,” he shouts.
“How could this happen?”
Archer grips his hair in frustration. “Dad, that’s between me and my pack. As far as the problem, we’ll look into it.” He disconnects the call.
“What’s going on?” Thatcher asks.
Archer scans our faces. “My father heard about how Dustin and I reacted to Harper today?”
My brows bunch together. “Why does he care?”
Archer blows out a breath. “I’ve been keeping this from you guys for a long time. As your pack leader and best friend, I know I should’ve told you all.”
I stand and grip Archer’s shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“My dad claimed I was just going through a phase, that I was only entertaining Harper because we’d known each other since we were kids. He said once high school ended; we needed to find a proper omega. Harper wasn’t good enough—didn’t come from our affluent world.”
I chuckle. “Who cares about our stuffy, fucking world? Harper brought light into my life. Hell, into all our lives.”
“Can’t argue with you there,” Sawyer mutters.
“Me either,” Thatcher says.
Archer rakes his fingers through his hair again. “Our fathers. The legacies. All feel the same way about Harper,” he admits.
“My father never said shit about my relationship with Harper,” I bite out.
Archer shrugs. “It makes me wonder did Sarah bait Harper for her own greed or for our fathers?”
“Fuck, if they did use Sarah to break us up it fucking worked.”
“I’ll press Sarah,” Thatcher says. “It won’t be the first time.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
Thatcher tells us how he questioned and punished Sarah back in high school.
“Harper still should’ve been stronger and not fell into Sarah’s trap,” Sawyer adds.
“I agree,” I say falling back into the chair.
Archer locks eyes with each of us. “Know this, I never planned to yield to my father. Harper was meant to be our omega.”
“Good to know.” I rub my brow.
“Let me guess your dad is worried we’re going to bond with Harper?” I meet Archer’s gaze.
“Yeah,” he confirms.
“Not looking for a stuffy omega,” I tell them.
Sawyer leans across the table. “You guys will never find an omega who will come close to Harper.”
I know what he’s saying is true. Honestly, I still love Harper.
I glare at him. “What do you mean we? Like you aren’t apart of our pack.”
“Hey, I love you all like brothers. I won’t let you all stop me from being with the omega who stars in my dreams every night.”
Thatcher folds his coiled arms tightly across his chest and fixes Sawyer with a sharp look.
“Good luck, buddy. I already told the alphas that Harper’s off limits.
My gut told me she was determined to find a new mate.
I found out she put an ad on the school newspaper’s website, looking for a beta mate. ”
I recall Harper mentioning she was meeting this potential mate. I ordered her not to, but she just cranked up her music and didn’t hear a word I said.
Sawyer slams his large fist onto the table. “I’m not worried. I’ll prove to my girl she belongs with me.”
Belongs with us, I want to shout. Damn it, I need to talk to Harper.
“What else did your father tell you?” I ask.
Archer’s voice is low. “Young women have been murdered.”
“What?” the three of us say in unison.
“Did they catch the killer?” Thatcher asks.
Archer pinches the bridge of his nose, frustration clear. “No.”
His eyes lock with Thatcher’s. “The police believe the killer is a wolf from our secret society.”