Chapter 1
Chapter One
E merson woke to the soft jostle of his shoulder. Shocked, then frantic that he’d overslept. His heart pounded. He needed to get up quickly so he could get his siblings ready for school, even as his mind slogged through why he’d forgotten to set his alarm. He opened his eyes and peered at the inside of a plane, and frowned. Every seat was empty. The murmur of distant conversations filled the silent hum. His mind labored through the terror, trying to remember how he got there, then the night before came flowing back.
Emerson left home. He’d actually done it.
The flight attendant gave him a sympathetic look. “Sorry to wake you. You seemed like you needed the rest. We’ve arrived.”
Emerson cleared his throat and nodded. “Thanks. Sorry about that.”
“Take your time. I hope you had a great flight.”
For his first time on a plane, given the circumstances, he had. “I did.” He stood then and gathered his things before he followed the few remaining passengers out of the plane. Once inside the terminal, he gathered his bags from the baggage carrousel. For being so early in the morning, the airport was alive with activity. Announcements came every few minutes along with names being announced to answer phone calls. The smell of fresh foods and baked goods caused his stomach to rumble, reminding him, he’d barely ate anything before leaving.
Unfortunately for him, because of how he left, he also didn’t have any money or credit to grab a meal. He’d have to wait to eat until he got to the academy. As he stepped toward the front entrance of the airport, a man carrying a sign with his name appeared. He wore a suit and dark glasses, along with a neutral expression. Nothing about him seemed friendly or inviting.
“I’m Emerson James,” Emerson said, unable to look at the driver.
“Is that all you have?” There was an inflection in his tone. It bordered on put out and disdain. Also, the scent of the Alpha wrinkled Emerson’s nose. He didn’t smell like Callum, his stepfather or Orion, his stepbrother.
“Yes,” he replied. “I’ve got it, though.”
The driver grunted. He pivoted on his heels and started for the sliding door. “The drive takes an hour.”
“Not a problem.”
The trip took as long as the chauffeur said. Sitting in the backseat in silence, again, wasn’t new. Emerson couldn’t remember the last time he had a conversation with anyone his age or older since his mother’s death. So, he enjoyed the view instead. As the city disappeared behind him. Four-lane roads became two, winding up the mountain to a place called Cascadia Academy.
Whereas there had been no snow on the ground when he arrived at the airport, now feet of the white fluffy stuff covered every inch of grassy knolls and hill. Even the tree sprigs had snow clinging to their spindly branches.
The school sat behind a black wrought iron fence, with a monogrammed C.A. adorning the middle. Behind the gate, the gothic revival spires reached for the heavy purple-gray clouds. The cement and iron filigree accouterments gave the whole academy a creepiness he wasn’t prepared for. It was almost like several pairs of eyes stared down at him in disparagement and disgust. Like he was a filthy omega and didn’t belong.
The gates opened inward, and the driver pulled through, following other vehicles onto the property. The cobblestone driveway circled around a Grecian fountain with a giant lion face In the middle and small cherub creatures around the tiers of the basins. Despite the wintery mix and freezing temperatures, water poured from the mouth of the lion into each bowl.
Emerson shivered. Nothing about this place seemed friendly or welcoming. Doubt began to cloud his resolve. He knew the only way to break the unhealthy pattern his life settled into, was to leave and start over. Still, he wondered if he’d made a huge mistake doing so, so far away from home.
To his right, the door of the imposing building opened and a woman, no bigger than him, glided down the stairs to the car. She opened Emerson’s door and a burst of frigid air, caused goosebumps to form along his arms. She leaned in and grinned. “Hi.” The floral scent of the omega along with a hint of sweetness enveloping him soothing away his fears. Her pixie-like features held a happiness he envied. What could possibly make her so... Joyful?
Her bow shaped lips formed an inviting smile, while her doe eyes radiated a kindness he hadn’t experienced in several years, reminding him of how utterly alone he truly was. While her lyrical voice wrapped around him, warming Emerson’s insides. “You must be our newest recruit. I’m Daisy. You’ve met Jacobson.” She pointed to the man driving the car. “Why don’t we get inside? I bet you’re tired and hungry.”
Emerson nodded, slipping out of the backseat, clenching his hands around the strap of his satchel. “Thanks for accepting me.”
“Welcome to Cascadia.” She motioned him toward the stairs. “Jacobson, be a dear and get his bags. Also, stop being an asshole. It’s why you don’t have a mate yet.”
He growled at her, and she laughed.
The interaction stunned Emerson. No one, where he came from, ever dared to talk to an Alpha like she did. Yet, even as the driver growled, there wasn’t a hint of anger in his scent. If anything, it appeared the man grinned as he grabbed Emerson’s bag from the trunk of the car.
Interesting.
“This place is amazing,” he murmured, staring at the details of the buildings. There wasn’t an inch of the buildings that wasn’t covered in iron and concrete lattice work. At different peaks along the roofs sat menacing gargoyles, giving Emerson pause, because they’d appeared so life-like.
“Isn’t it?” She licked her bottom lip. “The inside is just as auspicious too.” Daisy opened the door. “So, do you want the droning history or just a few rough facts about the school?”
He wasn’t sure. “A little of both, maybe?”
Daisy nodded. “Sure. A little of both, it is then.”
Callum White slammed his fist against his desk. Three days. Where the fuck—No, who the fuck did Emerson think he was leaving the house in the middle of the night? The little bitch thought he planned everything out, too. From getting his siblings to and from school to making sure there was enough food in the freezer to last two months, so no one noticed his absence. The minute Callum found Emerson; he’d strangle the wayward omega. Then fuck him for good measure. Maybe then the errant omega would learn his place.
Should’ve been glad I allowed the orphan to stay with us after his mother died.
“You look like shit,” Benji, Callum’s assistant with the firm and best friend, said, putting his hands into the pockets of his trousers.
“Thanks.”
“Worse than shit. Smell like ass and pheromones too.” He plopped into the chair across from Callum and sighed. “You know, this whole situation is your fault. If you weren’t such a callous unfeeling bastard, the kid would still be waiting on you hand and foot.”
Callum rubbed his temples trying in vain to stave off the coming migraine. “What the fuck do you know?”
“Everything,” Benji replied, leaning forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. His tawny hair brushed his forehead, and his hazel eyes filled with accusation, like he knew all that went on in Callum’s home. “Doesn’t take a fucking genius to know you’ve had an omega in your home for five years without proper parenting.”
“His mother died. His father fucked off and died too.” Callum huffed out a breath. “You know what, this is none of your business, and I’m still your boss.”
The whole conversation came out of left field. It’d only been a week since Emerson fled into the night. Callum didn’t need some underling telling him where he went wrong with his stepson. Especially when the boy never opened his damn mouth. As far as Callum was concerned, he’d been the injured party not a runaway omega.
“Then act like it, asshole. You’ve been a brooding, moping dick for the last week. Anytime someone asks you a damn question, you bite their fucking head off.”
He had.
Callum thought Emerson would’ve returned in a couple of days. The boy put distance between them. Snuck around the house. Tried to be as invisible as much as possible most of the time. Callum didn’t press the matter because Julia passed away and the boy clung to his mother before her passing. Emerson had been so close to her, in fact; he hadn’t seen the truth of her. Nor had Callum until it was too late.
She was a synth user.
Julia overdosed on illegal heat suppressers because she liked the floaty place her mind went whenever she took them. That, according to the medical examiner, was the chemical properties in the drugs giving the user a euphoric high before plummeting their system into a mind numbing low. If the mixture wasn’t just right, like in Julia’s case, the person who took the pill would die almost instantaneously from their heart rupturing due to the extreme stress placed on the structure and valves.
“I didn’t ask for your help, Benji.”
“Well, it’s either take the offer or go home. Upstairs is watching you.” He sighed, sitting back. For a beta, he acted like he didn’t give a damn about anything or anyone. Yet, here Benji sat, trying to get Callum to snap out of his mood.
“Shit.” Callum scrubbed his face. “He left in the middle of the night and didn’t say a damn thing.”
“Didn’t say anything or didn’t think his presence matter either way?” Benji hedged. “Sounds like to me; he got fed up with you and Orion.”
“How the fuck would you know? Not like you’re best friends with him,” Callum spat. His stomach twisted with guilt and rage. Embarrassment crept across his flesh.
“You also forget I have a nineteen-year-old who just left for the academy,” Benji replied.
Callum’s head dropped. The academy was a broad term for finishing school for omegas. By the time the omegas finished their refinement training, a mate would be waiting for them. Benji was right, he’d forgotten. Worse, Emerson asked him several times to sign the papers, and he’d acted like he hadn’t heard the request.
Being at home taught Emerson everything he’d need to know about Alphas and omegas, along with taking care of the home. He did it every day as it was. He didn’t need some fancy schooling to show Emerson his place within society.
“You’re about fucking worthless, Callum. The only thing wrong with you right now is that you don’t have a built-in nanny anymore, and you can’t play your fucking games with your son.”
“You don’t know a damn thing about us,” he spat, his rage slowly transforming into shame. “If you did, you’d have known to keep your mouth shut before you sat down.”
“Well, just call me your nonexistent conscience. Something you’ve needed for the last five years.”
Truth was, Callum went on a bender. After Julia’s death, everything spiraled out of control. He had three small children ranging in ages eight to five and a stepson who’d rather be anywhere but home. Seemed like, even though Julia had a drug problem, she held the family together better than he could. “Get out. We have work to do. Sitting here with me, acting like I’m the bad guy, isn’t doing your job.”
“You are the bad guy, Callum. Here is my wish. I hope you get what you deserve. I hope Emerson never comes home and you’re always left wondering what happened to him.” With that, Benji shot to his feet and strode toward the door. “Oh, and I’ll be speaking with the higher ups to get transferred to someone else within the firm. Your actions have consequences, Callum. Reap them.”
Callum grunted. It was only a little after eight in the morning. He’d barely sat down at his desk and Benji reamed his ass with no prompting. What the fuck? He exhaled. In the week since Emerson disappeared, the stack of work on Callum’s desk quadrupled. He couldn’t focus. Had been irritable. Of all the things Benji said that was correct, calling Callum the bad guy, hit the nail on the head.
He couldn’t say what fully changed the dynamic between them. Other than Julia being a druggy and dying. However, slowly over time, he began to ignore his stepson. Maybe it was because Emerson was a painful reminder of his mother. Or because the little omega smelled like thyme, sweet milk and chamomile. Maybe it was the way his dick thickened every time he saw the boy.
Emerson like his mother, had long silky russet-colored hair that fell in waves around his hips. From his full lips to his hooded eyes and high cheekbones made a stunning visage. Staring at him from behind, Callum had to remind himself every day Emerson wasn’t Julia. He’d never be Julia. Yet his body still wanted Emerson.
What kind of fucked up shit was that?