Chapter 3
Nico
Canyon Brook proper was a stark contrast to the home I’d grown up in, and every time I ventured here, I was quickly reminded of the privilege I had.
While the families ruled this area, it was mostly the home of humans, half-shifters, and rogues that refused to align with anyone.
. The streets were dirty and overcrowded, homes were rundown, and all local businesses relied on the protection of the families to keep their livelihoods going.
It was also obvious which family ran each section.
My father had always believed that happy followers meant loyal followers.
The parts of the city controlled by the White Wolves were some of the most affluent and well taken care of.
There was no graffiti lining the walls, the streets were clean, and there was even a human park for the young ones.
Businesses thrived in our territory, and we even offered programs to train citizens if they wanted to pursue different means of employment.
It was why I was meeting M in the Grizzlies’ territory. It was risky, but if anyone recognized me in ours, they’d call my brother before I had a chance to blink. I wasn’t na?ve enough to think he’d never find out. I just hoped it would be too late for him to do anything about it.
M might have refused to give me his name, but I knew who he was.
Maxim Chervosky was loosely affiliated with the Grizzlies.
Enough of a connection that he wouldn’t be wigged out about my family insignia, but far enough removed that he shouldn’t recognize me as Santino’s little brother.
Plus, the Grizzlies had an understanding and somewhat of a truce with Santino.
It wouldn’t be as dangerous as it would be wandering into other territories.
We were meeting at a club owned by the Grizzlies. It was another risk, but one I felt was worth it. As desperate as I was, I still wasn’t so reckless that I would meet a complete stranger, an alpha bear shifter at that, somewhere private.
The driver dropped me off in front of the building, and I quickly paid him and climbed out, my heart hammering in my chest. This was it. I’d made it this far, and finally, I’d be making a decision for myself, not while under my brother’s thumb.
I walked up to the entrance, wishing I had a way to contact M.
A massive bouncer stood in front of the door, watching me with scrutinizing eyes.
I met his, refusing to back down. He was a bear shifter too, but I couldn’t tell what kind.
Despite the name, most of the Grizzlies weren’t actually grizzly bears.
The Grizzly leader was a polar bear actually.
I opened my mouth to ask the bouncer where I could find M when I saw him walking out of the shadows.
He was even bigger in person than he’d been in the pictures.
He was an alpha bear so his size shouldn’t surprise me, but my throat was still dry as I took him in.
He could break me in half if he wanted to, and no matter how deadly I was with a knife, I wasn’t sure I could stop him.
“Well, hello, little wolf. I wasn’t sure you would show up.”
My gut churned. That was what Lio called me. Only, when Lio did it, I felt special. With M, it felt mocking, condescending. I hated hearing that nickname on his lips.
I forced a smile, my nerves getting the best of me. I shrugged, trying to act casual, even though M could probably scent how nervous I was. “Yeah, sorry about the last couple times.”
He smirked at me, causing me to shiver. There was something very unnerving about his nearly black eyes boring into mine, and as he took a step closer, I had to fight every instinct to not retreat, but I refused to give up ground.
His hand reached out, and it was a fucking miracle I didn’t flinch as his calloused thumb ran up and down my cheek.
This close, I could make out the tattoos on his neck, and there were a lot of them, which was surprising.
Shifters healed quickly, so most of us only had our family insignias and maybe one or two other tattoos since it took special ink to get them to stick.
Emilio was the only shifter I knew personally to have more than three.
Just the skin I could see on M’s neck and arms was covered in them.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, but it was almost a taunt.
I took a staggering step back. But I didn’t get far before his beefy hand tightened around the back of my neck, holding me in place.
“What are you doing?”
“Um, I think this is a bad idea. I’m sorry I made you come out here, but I’m just gonna go home.” I tried to break out of his hold, but he held me tightly in place. With as little movement as possible, I reached for one of my blades, prepared to fight my way out of this if I had to.
His smile turned evil. “Sorry, little wolf. I was going to wait to do this when we were alone, but I can tell you don’t trust me. I don’t have time to waste.”
M pulled something out of his pocket, and I didn’t even think. My hand found the hilt of my knife, and just as M aimed at my neck with a fucking needle, I stabbed him through his thigh.
“Ahhh, you little fucker!” Like I said, the guy was massive, so he didn’t fall, but his grip on my neck loosened enough for me to wrench away.
I pulled the knife in one swift move and sidestepped his clumsy swipe at me.
His bulk gave me the advantage because I was fucking fast. I ducked one more grab and turned to run, only to see the bouncer plus three other alpha bears blocking my path. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I gripped one of my other knives but didn’t let loose yet. I was way too outnumbered.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, my chin tilted up, meeting each of their eyes.
If they thought I would go easily just because I was an omega, they were sorely mistaken.
I was a fucking Diangi. I’d been taught by the Patri of the White Wolves and his second how to handle myself.
These fuckers might still best me, but I would take some of them down with me.
The bouncer grinned. “Oh, not much,” he drawled.
With my attention on him, my guard was down enough that I didn’t notice M behind me until I felt a prick and was injected with whatever the fuck he had. M stayed there but didn’t touch me, probably didn’t want to get stabbed again before the last wound healed.
I couldn’t waste any more time, but I also didn’t know their end game.
Obviously, I hadn’t been as careful as I’d thought and they knew who I was, but they weren’t trying to grab me.
Why? Now would be the time. I was outnumbered in enemy territory with whatever drug they’d put in my system.
I didn’t think it would kill me. They had easier ways to do that, and that would be a great way to start an all-out war with Santino.
Not that Santino wouldn’t rain down hell on them now, but at least some of them might survive if I stayed alive, and I thought, at least hoped, they were smart enough to realize that.
I was an excellent bargaining chip and no good to anyone dead.
Think, Nico. But it was so fucking hard when it was so damn hot.
Hot? It wasn’t earlier, yet I was sweating like fucking crazy.
I pulled on my collar with my hand not holding my knife.
My fingers touched the pendant on my neck.
If I survived this, Santino would never let me out of his sight again, but at this point, I didn’t care. I needed help.
A shiver wracked through my body, and one of the bears growled.
Another’s canines dropped. All their eyes darkened.
Fuck, what was happening? That wasn’t normal.
Something was going on. My thumb found the back of my white wolf pendant and I pushed into it, alerting Santino and Emilio that I was in trouble.
As soon as it was activated, I was calmer.
My brother and Lio were on their way. I just had to make sure I survived until then.
“Well, what the fuck are you all waiting for? You have me surrounded. You scared of a little omega?”
One of the bears snarled and took a step closer, their hand shifting to a nearly black paw, but the bouncer stopped him.
“Not yet. Wait.”
Wait? For what? I considered shifting, but that might put a bigger target on my back. If I could get away, I would have a chance of staying under the radar till I was found by one of our guys.
One of the bears shifted, giving me an opening.
I casually stretched my legs, getting ready to make my move.
My core tightened painfully and slick leaked from my hole.
I froze. What the fuck? I shouldn’t be leaking slick.
Since I hadn’t had my first heat yet, I hadn’t started producing it.
And I wasn’t due for my heat for a while.
The needle.
“What the fuck did you do?” I screamed at them.
M spun me around so I was facing him. “You think I just wanted to take that tight virgin hole? Come now, little wolf. This will be so much better. With you in heat, you’ll be able to take all the bear cock we can stuff you with.
You’ll be full with at least one of our cubs, and your brother will be forced to do what we say. ”
I barked out a laugh. “That’s your plan? Do you seriously think forcing my heat early and raping me will get Santino on your side?” I couldn’t help it—I laughed again. “Fucking dumbasses. Not to mention, first heats don’t lead to pregnancies.” M grinned evilly, like he knew something I didn’t.
More slick leaked from me.
All at once, the bears froze, their noses twitching as they smelled my heat on me.
There was no denying it now: whatever that drug was had forced my heat early.
But I’d be damned if I’d let any of these fuckers touch me.
M grabbed for me again as the others got closer.
My knife found M’s stomach this time, and I left it exactly where it was, spun around, and threw my other knife at the bouncer, silently cheering as it landed right in his neck.
The others hesitated for just a split second, but that was all I needed.
Fuck not shifting now. My heat was already a beacon. I needed to move. I shifted in one fluid motion and nearly took the hand off the bear that tried to grab my muzzle. He stumbled back with a scream, and I took off.
I had no idea where I was going except east, toward White Wolf territory. Funny how just an hour ago, I’d been trying to avoid it, and now I’d do anything to be there.
There were the telltale roars of shifted bears behind me, but I paid them no mind.
There were people everywhere, but no one was trying to stop me.
They weren’t helping me either, but the fact that they weren’t interfering spoke volumes.
They were scared of the Grizzlies, too scared to help someone who was clearly of the Diangi line, but they didn’t have enough loyalty to assist my pursuers either.
I cut down an alleyway. Gunshots sounded not far away, and then screeching tires, as if someone must be chasing me in a car. Had more of them shown up?
I couldn’t think about that now. All my heat symptoms felt heightened in my wolf form, making it harder to keep running.
Luckily, my survival instincts outweighed everything else.
Just keep heading toward our territory. The tracker in the pendant would lead Lio and Santino right to me. Just keep running.
I yelped as fire hit my hind leg. It caused me to slide across the nasty asphalt, but I regained my balance, pushing past the injury. Two bears filled the exit behind me. I leaped on a dumpster and then over a fence, pain radiating through my leg as I landed.
It wasn’t healing, which meant the bullet must be lodged in, but I couldn’t worry about it. Fleeing was my only option.
I ran another block with them on my heels.
A few bullets flew past me, but I managed to avoid them.
Crossed another block. It was getting harder to run.
My limbs were getting heavy, and not just because of the wound.
I could feel my slick leaking down, the fur matting on my hind legs.
I wouldn’t last much longer. Where was Lio?
Santino? Surely, they should have found me by now?
I whined, loud and pitiful.
There was an anguished howl, one that could only come from a wolf. Everything went quiet. Turning very slowly, I kept my movements as measured as I could in this form, and that was when I scented something very familiar and very comforting.
Pack. Family. Brother and mate.
The word lodged in my brain. Mate? My gaze caught Emilio’s.
The world stopped moving. I was aware of everyone around me, but my wolf could only focus on Lio.
He howled loudly, making it very clear he wanted to go to the person he was sure would be a worthy mate for us, even as my human portion tried to catch up.
I always knew I’d be able to scent my perfect match, my fated mate, after I went into my first heat, but never in a million years had I expected that to be Lio.
It was my dream and nightmare wrapped into one.
But I couldn’t deny my wolf’s reaction as I lowered myself to the ground and bared my neck to the one he was positive was meant to be mine.