Running From An Alpha by Rachel Starkie

 

Chapter 2

Sean shifted and sighed, leaning on a tree, he smirked. He had lost her, again. Lost Zoya, the firecracker of a woman that had been evading him for nearly a year. His wolf whimpered, which made him rub his chest to comfort them both. Rejecting her was the most painful thing he ever had done, but he had no choice in the matter.

Their Alpha, Morgan, had seen just what she meant to Sean and told him he would kill her before letting anyone claim her. So Sean had to reject her when she realized they were true mates. He was a fool to give in and accept her first time, but his wolf pushed him. The thought of Morgan having her first, killed him, and now he had made it worse.

Omegas did not know their mates until after having sex. Alphas and Betas could, however, tell by scent, so his preemptive claims were justified. He knew before she did. Still, he never should have let it go so far. If he has stopped it, perhaps he would not have been tasked with retrieving her, only to have to hand her over to an Alpha that didn’t deserve her. While Morgan claimed to love her, Sean began to wonder if that was even possible.

He scanned the thick green underbrush, his lip slightly upturned.

“Lose her again?” The condescending voice of his brother made him turn.

“She was always a smart and fast little shit,” Sean watched Dale shake his head.

Dale had once been Zoya's best friend, but like Sean, he was driven away by their crazy Alpha. “Maybe we should just let her go. If she is happy, why force her back to a place she will be unhappy.”

Sean's smile faded, and his eyes glazed with a glare. “That would be going against our Alpha’s orders,” Sean wished it was not the way.

“And what? Forcing her back to a place where she will be treated like dirt is better?” Dale’s voice soared. He had tried everything to keep Zoya from his brother and, therefore, their asshole Alpha. Zoya loved her tech, and since Dale understood it, he could find her with precision, not that Sean understood that. Knowing, he took measures to warn her from the places unseen. This time he had failed. This time Sean took the initiative leaving before him, getting a drop. Fortunately, though, Zoya had a dishrag. A flour-filled dishrag, leaving Sean so covered that even his wolf has a white halo just long enough to get another great picture. Last time it had been a bucket filled with honey rigged over the apartment door. If Zoya fled before they arrived, she left a going-away present that Sean seemed to always trigger.

Dale could have grabbed Zoya when she fled, but what would have been the fun in that?

“Sean, you are also an Alpha. Remember, you could leave and make your own pack. Claim her and be happy,” Dale lowered his tone. They had talked about this several times, but Sean always refused.

“I don’t want to lead, and she is better off with a lead Alpha for a mate. She will be safer.” Sean insisted, even though the words were hollow, without any ring of truth to his wolf’s sensitive ears. Sean didn’t want leadership and didn’t want that kind of responsibility, no matter what perks it could afford. Morgan wasn’t perfect, far from it, and if Zoya’s accusations proved true, he might have had a hand in her father’s accident. It wasn’t right, but Alpha’s, like Morgan, ruled with fear and did what they wanted, and Sean was not one to swim against a raging tide.

At least she still has a fight in her. She’s outsmarted us all. The thought made Sean’s heart swell with pride.

Dale approached him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Sean, I don’t want to bring her back.” His admission made Sean look up sharply. “I have made up my mind. I am leaving the pack,”

Sean's eyes went wide with confusion and surprise. Dale was the last of his family. He couldn’t afford to lose him too. “What, why?” Sean could not stop the snap of his growl.

“Because I hate it. Life sucks as an Omega. As a male, I am not blessed with the ability to create life. I am a useless thing. Always overlooked, pushed away, and just mistreated. The only reason I am not used or abused like the others is they know you would kill them.” He sighs. “I am not happy. Maybe I can get Zoya to trust me, and we can run together? I can help keep her safe.” He took a step back, believing his following words would get a visceral and potentially painful reaction. “Maybe she will let me claim her. We could start a family around—” he jumped out of the way as his brother tried to grab him.

“Mine,” Sean roared.

“Really? Because you are acting like she is Morgan’s,” Dale snapped back but was shrinking away. Unlike Zoya, he was not brave or able to stand up to an Alpha wolf for long.

Sean blinked, sighed, and centered, “I am sorry, Dale, but he will kill her if we do not do this.”

Dale huffed. All the more reason to never go back. “Then go to the council.” He begged, but Sean shook his head and growled.

“What will they do? You know Morgan has people everywhere. She will never be safe.”

Dale lowered his saddened eyes. “We could all run. You could keep her safe,” Dale tried this tact before, and like now, it fell on angry deaf ears.

Sean glared, “Let's head back to the hotel. We will start tracking again tomorrow.” His hands fisted with agitation as he walked off, leaving Dale to follow.

Dale scanned the area. If he knew where Zoya was, he would have gone to her. In the end, he followed his brother, knowing he would never be able to live alone. He was not that strong. He was not made to lead, not like Sean. If only Sean could stop being a follower and take what he deserved, then everyone could be happy. Fear ruled the brothers. It was a fear of the unknown for Dale, but it was the fear of becoming like their cold bastard father for Sean.

Dale wished he could make Sean believe as he believed to his bones—that Sean could never be like the man that had so mistreated them and their beautiful, kind mother. Could never be so cruel just to look like a strong Alpha.

Sean bit his lip, his brother’s words raced through his mind. He could run with them. He was the best and really only accurate tracker in the pack. But was it the right thing to do? To go against his Alpha’s law? Sean was unsure. Hell, he knew his Alpha was evil. None of the pack was particularly good, but he had been raised to always follow your lead Alpha, no matter what, or the consequences would be devastating. Take away a single support beam, and the whole house falls.

His wolf wanted Zoya, and thus they were at odds most of the time because Sean so quickly gave her away. Sean believed that he had to do as he was told or wind up like his father, no matter the reasons.