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“Browntown? What in the name of…?”

“Well, since Jagger calls to inform you of everything we do, some of the others thought it might be better to go to a human-owned but shifter-friendly bar instead. Plus, I bet the owner of that place doesn’t have your phone number.”

He was right. I didn’t deal much with humans. Maybe that needed to be amended.

“And the polar bear?” I asked, not using his name since I knew using it would certainly give me away.

He shrugged one shoulder. “He said he’s not going. Something about getting all the wood cut for the winter.”

I got up from my desk and went to the window, and, sure enough, even as the sun set in the distance, Toklo smashed through log after log, only stopping to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his brow.

“Loyal as fuck if you ask me, alpha. He never stops—only to eat and sleep.”

I grunted, again, so I didn’t give myself away.

Yes, he was loyal to the pack. Yes, he worked hard. But there was more beneath the surface, and, as the thought fluttered through my mind, he turned and faced my window.

That was when I knew what I had to do.

A man like that, an omega of honor, should never look up at me, unless he was on his knees.

“Fred, ask him to come to my office,” I barked before whirling on him. “Now.”

“Yes, alpha.”

The man was gone in a second and actually sprinted toward Toklo. The omega had the gall to argue with Fred but then looked up again at my window and shrugged.

He grabbed his flannel and pushed his arms into it then began to button it

up.

No need if I have my way.

Shit. What the hell was I doing? I had a momentary panic as I realized what

I was about to do. I hadn’t even had the balls to go down there and get him myself.

But minutes later, when he with those almost translucent-blue eyes walked

in, I knew I had no other choice.

The omega was mine, whether he knew it or not.

“Shut the door,” I said and flicked my finger for Fred to get out. He scampered away and was halfway down the stairs before Toklo could shut the door.

“Alpha, is something wrong?” He took a step forward.

“Please, call me Sheppard. I’ve…I wanted to talk to you a bit. Sit down, Toklo.”

He did as I asked and finished buttoning his shirt. I took a deep breath then let it go, steeling myself to ask him.

“You have shown your loyalty, Toklo. No one in this pack works as hard as you.”

He cleared his throat, and a faint blush bloomed on his cheeks. “Except you, Al…Sheppard. Except you. I’ve looked to this window, more than a few times well past midnight, to see your light on.”

I nodded. Nothing else I could do. He was right.

“You came here to mate with me, isn’t that right? To be my husband? My omega?” Gods, the words felt right on my tongue.

“I did.”

“And have you tried to find another alpha on the app?”

This was starting to sound more like an investigation than a proposition. I needed to change my tone and quickly.

“I have not. Why would I?” Oh…shit.

“I’ve come to respect you greatly in the past days, Toklo. I…” I grasped the underside of the desk for a bit of added strength. “I was wondering if you would still consider that offer, even though I’m not the person you were talking to on the app. I mean, I know I don’t have a lot to offer and I can certainly be—”

“Yes.”

His answer stopped my throat from working temporarily. “What did you say?”

He squared off his shoulders and sat up straighter. “I said, yes. I would be your husband and omega.”

“Oh. Well, in that case, we can get you a bedroom here in the alpha house and—”

“No,” he quipped back. “That won’t do.”

I felt my brow draw down. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, if I am to be your husband and your omega and we are going to give this a real shot, then I should move into your room. Don’t you think?”

My bear clawed at my breastbone.

Mine. Ours. Have him. Keep him.

“You would be okay with that? I promise not to try anything on you.” Why in the hell was I making promises I couldn't keep?

“You mean, unless I want you to,” he murmured.

“Yes, omega. If you want me in that way, I wouldn’t hesitate.”

He nodded. “When should I move in? Should we have a ceremony or…” “You can move in tonight,” I replied, shocking myself.

“I’ll go get my things.” He got up and walked out. And then I had to stop myself from passing out.

He wanted me, too. I just knew it. Toklo was mine.

Chapter Sixteen

Toklo

Holy hells! When Sheppard called me in, I had been so into the rhythm of woodcutting, I hadn’t wanted to stop. I’d shrugged off the beta he’d sent to get me, the earbuds keeping me from hearing what he was trying to tell me. Pouring all my worries and tension into the strokes, I yelled at him to go away, but he grabbed my arm and held it over my head. Finally, I turned to look at him and happened to tip my head up in time to see the alpha watching from his window.

Reaching up with my free hand, I released an earbud, and the flow of the beta’s orders came through. “Now, omega! Get your ass up there before I have to drag it.”

The guy came up to my chin, so that wasn’t happening. He only managed to stop my arm because he caught me off-guard, or he’d never have been strong enough or had the leverage. But it wasn’t his orders I obeyed—although I would have as well, since he was above me in pack hierarchy.

“On my way.” I left the axe in the stump, slipped on my shirt, and buttoned it up, and marched toward the alpha’s house, prepared to accept whatever criticism came my way. If he wanted me to cut wood faster or slower, to take my meals alone in the bunkhouse…I’d do those things. I hoped he wouldn’t ask me to be a stool pigeon, though, because I couldn’t do that. If they were planning to do something criminal or dangerous, I’d have a real moral dilemma, but in this case, it was simply stupid.

I knocked on the doorframe and waited a whole second and a half before I heard his deep voice. “Come in and shut the door.”

As Fred disappeared, I did as he asked. “Alpha, is something wrong?” “Please, call me Sheppard. I’ve…I wanted to talk to you a bit. Sit down,

Toklo.”

And nothing I’d prepared for up until now prepared me for what he had to say. Despite his instant rejection of me as a match from the app, he’d changed his mind. I tried to find reasons in my brain not to accept his offer, but nothing came up.

I wanted him.

He offered to have me live in the house, but I held out for what I came for. I wasn’t moving into the house, unless we were going to give the real thing a try. I held my breath until he agreed then hightailed it out of there as quickly as possible to gather my belongings before he changed his mind. I chided myself that if he did, it wasn’t meant to be.

I’d have said Sheppard was not the mind-changing type except for the 180 he’d just done where I was concerned.

That vote of confidence came from someone I hadn’t heard too much from since I got here. Especially since I wasn’t going running on my own and hadn’t found anyone else to go with—wasn’t even sure who I was allowed to go with.

You’re sure, huh? It was good to have someone to talk to about this.

Yes. A polar bear of few words.

I’ll take your word for it, but now that he’s willing to try the mating thing, how do I know I won’t get my heart shredded in the end? Because wasn’t that the real issue? As long as I was just a lowly pack member, I could hold back some of my feelings, some of my heart. Sleeping next to him in the bed, that wouldn’t be the case.

You humans are all about wanting to see the end of every scenario before it even starts.

Didn’t you just tell me you could? My bear half could be frustrating and hard to decipher sometimes.

No, I said he won’t change his mind. We’re a catch, you know.

So, if you’re so sure he won’t change his mind, why can’t you be as sure I won’t get my heart shredded?

Because we don’t know if we’ll want him forever yet. We haven’t seen all his flaws.

Hmmm. That was interesting. He’d been all about the mate thing since we got here, and that would mean forever to him. Although he wasn’t much on explanations and had already said more than I’d expected, I was so keyed up, I pushed it. How can a mate not be forever?

And nothing. He’d said his piece, and I’d probably get no more. With all of this in mind, I returned to the bunkhouse, glad everyone was out working—or loitering more likely—and packed up my stuff. I wasn’t as lucky when I crossed the space between the bunkhouse and the alpha’s home. A couple of the guys from my table were there, pretending to rake something, and they stopped and stared.

“What happened?” I couldn’t remember this one’s name. “Did you get thrown out because of last night? I guess it’s because you’re not a pack member yet.”

I ran a few responses over in my head without breaking stride before

saying, “No, everything is fine.”

“Then where are you taking your stuff?” He wasn’t going to let it go, but before I could decide how much he needed to know—well, it was nothing, but how much I would be willing to say— Fred showed up.

“What are you two doing? You’re supposed to be weeding the vegetables, but since you don’t seem to want to do that, get over to that woodpile. The alpha’s new omega has already cut five times what any of you have in the last month. I’ll be back in an hour, and I expect to see progress!”

I didn’t wait around to see their reaction, just picked up the pace and slipped into the house through the kitchen door.

The alpha’s new omega. Everyone would have known eventually, but now the news would be everywhere before lunch.

Chapter Seventeen

Toklo

I’d never know if it got everywhere before lunch though because there was a “fencing emergency” and all low-level hands were called out to deal with it before the cattle ended up on the road or trampling where they did not belong. Not many packs had herds like ours, but we had access to wider ranges than most, I learned, and so, why not raise most of our own food if possible? The animals were allowed to graze on federal lands, but there were places we did not want them to go.

I was learning a lot. We didn’t eat a lot of beef back home. More fish and wild hunted animals. At least someone had thought to pack food for us, so we paused midafternoon to eat sandwiches and chips before returning to our task. The alpha was out with us for a few minutes at the beginning, to make sure it was an accidental problem and not something more sinister, but he left satisfied long before we ate our lunch. I watched him ride away in a pack pickup, wishing I could go, too. Already, my bear and I hated it when he was out of our sight. If this didn’t work out, I didn’t know if I’d survive it.

But the best cure for yearning was hard work, so I turned my attention to the job at hand, joining the fence-fixing crew while some of the others rode away on horseback to round up the livestock. Unlike wood splitting, I had never even tried to be a cowboy, but I wanted to be an asset to the pack in any way needed.

The others were all used to working together, but they shared their tools and helped me learn what was needed to accomplish our task. It wasn’t that complicated, but the sun beat down on us since the cattle had not been thoughtful enough to trample their fence in a shady area. As I held a section of wire, I looked longingly at the trees a few hundred yards away. My bear and I weren’t good at hot weather, but we’d better learn to be.

As the sun sank, some of the guys got lights out of the back of the pickups, and we continued our work. One of the cooks showed up with big pots of stew and slabs of cornbread, and we paused again, just long enough to shovel it all in then returned to fencing until we were done. It was after ten, and I heard grumbling from some of those who’d been planning their little getaway that it was too late and they were bone tired.

I hid my smile at their words. One less thing for my alpha to worry about tonight. Tomorrow was another day, though, and they hadn’t given up the idea. He’d have to deal with them sooner or later. I felt sure he’d handle the situation.

We still had another hour of work anyway, helping to get the escaped cattle back behind the repaired fence and watching to see if they were going to make a run at it for any reason. Like a regular grizzly—or a shifter who didn’t belong to the pack and had a taste for beef—or troublemaking. But of course, neither was likely to show up while we were here, so I piled into the back of a truck with some of my fellow fence fixers and closed my eyes as we rode back to the alpha house and the bunkhouse.

I didn’t wake up until we came to a stop in the yard, but when the others started for the bunkhouse, I went the other way. I was aware of their eyes burning into me from behind, but now was not the time to discuss this. I didn’t know how far word had traveled, and we’d all been working so hard I hadn’t had any real conversations with anyone. The alpha would make whatever explanations or announcements he felt necessary, and I was every bit as tired as the others. Maybe more since I’d been up and chopping wood long before they got their asses out of bed.

Stumbling up the stairs, I wondered how the evening would go. It was at least midnight, I’d been up since well before cockcrow and had only a few hours of sleep before that. I wanted to be everything my alpha could wish for, but right now I was a mass of aching muscles, sweaty skin, and exhaustion.

The alpha’s chamber was the largest in the building, of course, and when I trudged into the room, I found him seated at a desk in the corner, reading something on a tablet, a furrow between his straight brows. He was so intent, he didn’t seem to notice me and I tiptoed to where my things were still in their duffel, not wanting to interrupt his concentration.

But as I moved toward the bathroom, wanting to wash away the dirt and sweat of the day’s labor’s his voice stopped me. “Welcome, omega. This is our home, now, and I trust you will let me know if you lack for anything.”

I turned toward him, drawn by the tone, by his scent, and by the desire just to look at him. “Thank you.” It was too little, but I had no great words to share. None would be enough, anyway. Destiny had brought me to this point. From pariah status in my former pack to alpha’s omega here. “I’m just going to get cleaned up.”

“I’ll have a snack brought up while you bathe. You must be hungry.”

I shrugged. “We were well fed by your cooks. I know things aren’t perfect here, but the pack members are good people. They all worked very hard this afternoon, and I understand they believe all the cattle were found.”

He snorted. “Hard work? That’s a change, but I’m glad to hear it. Perhaps you are a good influence on them.” He stood and moved toward the window. “Looks like everyone is home for the evening.”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Cheese and crackers and fruit sound okay?”

“Yes, alpha.” I moved toward the bathroom, wondering if the cattle had indeed knocked down the fence on their own or if the alpha, in his wisdom, had found a way to make everyone work too hard to go out and play.

I’d probably never know.

Chapter Eighteen

Sheppard

We did not consummate our union. Yet. The night was awkward, to say the least, but somehow, we’d allowed our baser or perhaps more expressive natures to take the lead, and so, when I woke the next morning, there was a beautiful omega plastered to me. On his side, he faced me. His features were so soft and peaceful as his arm lazily draped over my waist and mine did the same to his.

His long, dark eyelashes fanned over his cheeks, and I had to strain to hear his soft breaths, even in the early morning and with my heightened shifter hearing.

Maybe he was simply sleeping well in my bed.

Fuck, that made me want to puff my chest out with pride. I’d given him something, at least.

I leaned in closer, so tempted to press my lips to his forehead but refrained when he sat straight up in bed and flung the covers from his body, reminding me of how close to naked he was.

I waited for him to get his bearings before speaking. He finally turned around and gave me a faint smile. “I forgot where I was.” He tossed himself back on the mattress and covered his eyes.

“And now that you remember?”

“I haven’t changed my mind if that’s what you’re asking, Sheppard. This is where I want to be…unless you have changed your mind.”

I pulled him against me and gave in to my urges, nuzzling his neck, making him gasp. “I have not.”

“What do you do first thing in the morning?” he asked, turning again to face me. He trailed his finger down my body from the base of my throat down to my stomach. Every muscle he touched twitched with need.

I sucked in a breath and held it for a moment, just soaking in this memory. “I get up and shower and go eat breakfast with the pack. Nothing much else to do. I try to stay off my email and work things until after that.”

“Mmm.” He splayed his palm out along my abs. “So, the mornings are pretty free. Good to know.”

“Why is that good to know, omega?” I mimicked his movements from before but used my hand instead of a finger to skim his skin from his throat to the waistband of his boxers. He scissored his legs back under the sheet. He must’ve been cold. I moved closer and hooked one of my legs around his to warm him.

He smiled and closed his eyes as I did. “Good to know the mornings will belong to us.”

Oh, gods, he was tempting, and his words brought every part of me to life. “You can have the nights, too, and in between meetings and lunch and…” I chuckled along with him.

“How about we start with a kiss this morning?” He put his hand on the side

of my neck and tugged me forward. He asked for what he wanted, and I already loved that about him. I craved someone who told me what they needed in bed and in our relationship.

Mostly because I wasn’t the most perceptive person in those areas.

Our gazes locked while he rocked onto his back, pulling me closer. Bracing my hands on either side of his face, I pushed up so I hovered above him. “I’ve been wanting to do this since the first time you were in my office.”

He tapped his finger on my lips. “I would’ve let you. Gods, you have no idea how sexy you are, do you, alpha?”

I pulled back a little. “What did I say about calling me that?” I reached down and popped his hip, a tiny spanking.

“I know, but here, like this, with you about to kiss me, with so many more things fluttering through my mind, you are my alpha in this bedroom, not the pack alpha, but mine.”

I growled out my approval before leaning forward and pressed my lips against his. He groaned as our connection deepened and licked at my bottom lip. Turning my head, I gave him better access. His hips bucked as his fingers now pressed into my back muscles, kneading them, pulling me closer until there was no space between us.

I moved so my knee was between his legs and pressed my rock-hard erection against his hip. “Feel what you do to me, omega.” I pulled away only for an instant.

“Sheppard, you can—”

My phone blasted out my alarm tone, kicking us both out of our bubble of lust and bliss.

“Shit,” I groaned, turning it off then collapsing onto the bed, my face in the pillow.

He laughed and touched my arm. “That was enough for now. But do us a favor and make that alarm earlier.”

“What now?” honestly did not know what to do with myself in this moment.

“I’m going to take a shower. You can join me if you promise no funny business. I won’t have our first time in the shower.”

I chuffed out my frustration. “Then I’d better shower separately. Because you, Toklo, are completely irresistible.”

He got up and grabbed his clothes from the dresser where he had put them the night before. “As are you. I’m already thinking a lunchtime visit might be nice.”

Gods, one turn of fate and my life would never be the same.

As I watched him go to the shower and give me a look over his shoulder, I’d never been more grateful for it.

Chapter Nineteen

Sheppard

I snuck into my office and answered a few emails before breakfast then slipped back into the room There were some things I needed to go over with Toklo. “Good morning.”

He popped his head out of the bathroom and smiled at me around his toothbrush. In a few seconds, he came out, dressed in jeans and a tight-fitting thermal Henley. “Good morning again, Sheppard.”

“I had some emails to take care of this morning, so I went down to the office,” I muttered all strung together like one word.

“Thank you for giving me space. I…” He wrung his hands then took a seat on the trunk at the end of the bed. “Is there some kind of protocol I need to follow this morning? Or am I just supposed to report back to work? Do I have a different job description now?” He chuckled, and his neck got a little red. “I have no clue how to be a pack alpha’s omega.”

I sat next to him, allowing our hips to touch but barely restraining myself from tucking him under my arm and pulling him against me. “I would like you to sit next to me at breakfast, and at every other meal, from now on. And as for work, I would like you to be with me during the day in my office. Eventually, there will be tasks just for you, but until then, I’d like you to get an idea of what I deal with in a day. And I’d love to hear your input on anything. Aside from being my mate, the alpha’s omega serves as an advisor to me, and I’d love for you to lend your knowledge to me and us as a pack.”

“Sheppard, I don’t know if—”

“I do,” I interrupted him. “You are intelligent and hardworking. You’ve shown your loyalty and personal courage on more than one occasion. I want your input and your presence.”

His ocean-blue eyes met mine. “You want me with you?”

I reached out to stroke his face with the back of my hand. “Yes. I want you with me as much as I can. As much as you can.”

He covered my hand with his. “Okay. I can do those things.” I made sure to smile at him. “I know you can. And Toklo?” He paused in getting up. “Yes?”

“Ignore the whispers. Because yesterday you were a newcomer, and today you are my mate. There’s bound to be gossip. Try to be as strong as you can.”

A nod was the only confirmation I got. Hand in hand, we walked downstairs and were greeted with gasps and clattering of silverware.

“Pack brothers and sisters, Toklo has accepted his place as my omega. You will respect and treat him with the…well, with more respect than you treat me. Is that clear?”

The baring of necks was all I needed in response. “Good. Everyone eat up. There’s plenty of work to do.”

I tipped my chin at Ren and Holt. They’d brought Toklo here, after all.

We filled our plates and sat down. Toklo scooted his chair closer to me and my chest puffed out with pride. He wanted to be near me, and he wanted everyone in this room to know.

It was like he’d claimed me publicly.

Holt stood just as I had a forkful of eggs lifted to my mouth.

“A toast to the new omega of our pack.” He held up his orange juice glass, and I almost choked…on air.

And to my surprise and delight, everyone followed suit. “To the Omega!” they all shouted.

My parents had once said an alpha is only as good as his mate and that a pack without an alpha pair would never be quite under control.

Toklo, this man who showed up at my gate with his bags and an app…well, seemed like he was the answer to everything.

Chapter Twenty

Toklo

What does an omega do for his alpha? So far, he sat in the corner of the office and watched various pack members and others with connections come and go and have meetings. They all pretended I was not there, but nobody was fooled. Since the betas had set up our meeting via the app, I’d expected more support. And they weren’t hostile. Just not exactly warm either. Had I offended them in some way?

Maybe they held it against me that I’d been in the bar the other night. But there was nothing I could do about it for now except hope that, over time, they’d accept me. The best way to make that happen was to “act it until I be’d it” where being the alpha’s omega was concerned. I’d watch for ways to help out and make things run as smoothly as possible.

My jaw stretched wide in a yawn, and I curled up with one leg under me in the chair, letting the voices drone on. I understood some of it, but most of the discussions related to funds and improvements and upcoming important dates and some new members who weren’t bears at all. A lynx and…

That was where I faded out.

“Omega?” Sheppard’s voice pierced the fuzziness in my mind, and I blinked hard until he came into focus. “Ready to go to lunch?”

“Oh hell, tell me I didn’t fall asleep.” I struggled to stand up with one leg asleep, and he reached out and hauled me to my feet. “What will everyone think of me?”

Everyone had already left the office, so at least I didn’t have to face their judgy expressions. Not that I could blame them. And Sheppard’s smirk didn’t help. I was about to apologize, grovel, promise never to do it again when Fred stuck his head in the doorway and winked. “You two coming, or should I tell them to save you a plate because you’re up here continuing what you did all night?”

My jaw dropped. Is that what they thought?