Chapter 8
Hudson
“ W e’ve got a job, boys,” I called out as I walked into our shared apartment. The chorus of groans was annoying, but not all that unexpected.
“Omega?” Tate grunted out, glaring at me already in challenge.
“Yes, but this one will be worth it and I think you could relate, actually,” I said, trying to tempt the grumpy fucker into listening.
“No,” he argued, but Lane leaned forward and raised an eyebrow, urging me silently to go on.
We’d agreed to take on one last job. Tate was done with this work, it had taken its toll on him, and we were frankly tired of living fake lies. We’d amassed a small fortune, embellished by Tate’s trust fund and our years as escorts before we met him.
‘Escorts’ was a harsh word. Sex and scents were never on the table. We were mainly a hire-a-pack. They filled out the interest form and we picked and chose which ones vibed with us. It was generally meeting families or attending funerals, anything emotionally taking a toll on our client that they need backup for.
We met a lot of interesting characters, but god I was tired.
Some days it felt like I was a ghost. Always using fake names and identities, made up backstories, always some charade we concocted so no one ever saw us.
“Talk,” Tate growled, not all in yet but at least he wanted more information.
“She was claimed, bonded, bitten, and then later rejected by her alpha at eighteen. Left town for a few years but some complications have her moving back. She wants a fake pack to help her show him what he lost and force him to fight for her.”
“Why the fuck would she want him back?” Tate scoffed, taking an aggressive swig of his whiskey.
“They’re mates,” Lane said like it made complete sense. “Some part of her has to know for sure that it will never work.”
It was a guess, but a damn good one.
“This feels like the perfect final hurrah,” I said as I snatched Tate’s glass and took a swig before handing it back to the scowling alpha.
“I’m in,” Lane said. “Let me see her form.”
I handed it over. We always asked them to include a photo and some information about themselves. This omega was gorgeous, that might have been the reason I’d read more.
“She requested scent blockers,” Lane read out loud, unsurprised. We always offered to use them and almost everyone agreed.
Tate simply grunted.
“She’s an omega,” Tate finally said, voice rough and hard. He had sworn off omegas years ago and generally sat out on the omega led missions when he could.
But this was the last one. Would he really miss it?
“I know,” I said, sitting down and staring him down. Tate was an intimidating alpha. His brown hair was shorter, and held a slight wave, falling in front of his forehead. He was older than the rest of us at thirty-seven, his forehead showing the start of fine lines. I thought they only made him look more intimidating.
His dark hair and short beard and mustache combo worked for him. Even with the permanent scowl on his face.
During our jobs, he’d always been a bodyguard of sorts, keeping asshole families or rivals at bay.
I had a feeling it would come in handy this time, too.
His brown eyes were focused on me, bracing himself for my next words.
“We need you. This omega needs you and she gets to get the kind of revenge you didn’t have a chance to get.”
His family were the wealthy asshole types who thought they could control his marriage. He’d agreed out of loyalty, let himself get set up with an omega they adored.
Yet she left him at the altar, saying he was too controlling and that she’d found a real pack. His parents believed he ruined it, blamed and disowned him.
He lost everything that night and if not for his trust fund that they couldn’t take away, thanks to his grandfather, he would have ended up on the streets.
We found him later and he still hadn't ever truly let anyone in outside of us. We were pack and he couldn't deny that. Though, he made it clear, he wasn’t ready for an omega.
I held out hope that when we found her, he’d accept it. He’d see what it was supposed to be like, not the fucked up version his parents created.
“When?” Tate demanded. His eyes were still hard but this was easier than I expected.
“Literally this weekend.”
A smile moved across his face but it wasn’t humorous, just triumphant. “I have a prior obligation, remember?”
“Fuck,” Lane protested, running his tattooed hands through his hair. It was dyed a dark midnight blue that more often looked black. Between the tattoos covering nearly every inch of him, piercings, and dyed hair, he was every parent’s worst nightmare. Another reason our pack was picked more often than not. “I’m invested now.”
“So, we go ahead, you join us later,” I argued, kicking myself for letting him talk us into his yearly solo camping trip. He’d booked the reservation weeks ago, I’d just forgotten about it until now.
His scowl was back but he didn’t argue. “Fine. A few days then we’re done for good.”
“A few days,” I said, triumph in my voice as I snatched his drink again and stalked off, ignoring the growl of protest that followed.
I had a trip to pack for. Rockwood Valley was tiny. I’d looked it up. But it was gorgeous. The kind of place I could imagine settling down in.
Something about this omega, this job, called to me. I wanted to make our last job count and I had a feeling this one was just the thing we needed.
Grabbing down my suitcases, I started packing an array of clothing, ensuring I was covered no matter what popped up. Anything else we could find there or the city nearby.
It had been too long since we’d been out of the city and she had paid us for three weeks. That meant even with Tate’s yearly hermit trip, he’d get two weeks there with us.
Maybe Rockwood Valley would be the perfect place to settle down. I’d been in this business for over eight years. We’d made good money and were more than ready to settle down and figure out what we wanted to fill our time with.
Or rather, who.
Something in my gut told me this was it. This was where we’d find our pack.
Tate always scoffed at my intuition, but my gut was rarely wrong.
Okay, maybe it was half right, half wrong, but I stood by my instincts.
I’d gotten through my clothes, books, and a few random things before Lane walked in. His face was guarded as he sat down in the recliner I kept in the corner. I may be an alpha, but a cozy reading nook was a necessity.
“What is it about her?”
I glanced over at him. “You feel it, too?”
He shrugged. “I think she’s gorgeous, but we’ve done plenty of jobs for pretty clients. That town though?”
“Yeah, it’s exactly like we described,” I agreed. “There are still places to travel around there, and a city not too far to get our fill of city life.”
“The lake… I want a house on it,” he said. “It reminds me of home.”
Lane grew up in a small pack in Virginia. The small town he lived in was his favorite but he’d been in foster care after losing his family pack in a fire since no one else stepped up. With foster care you don’t choose where they move you. We met in our early twenties and by then he’d vowed never to go home again. Though, he always admitted to wanting to end up in a town just like that.
Just somewhere else. One without memories.
“Well, this is the perfect time to check it out. If we end the relationship like a breakup, nothing says we can’t stick around,” I said. “There’d even be camping around for Tate.”
He nodded, running a hand over his jaw.
Maybe we were all getting our hopes up for nothing. If so, there would be no harm done.
What the hell did we have to lose?