Reconciliation by Lisa Oliver
Chapter Four
Luka had been home from work for three days and he was slowly going insane. His small house was spotless, his lawns were mowed, and every weed that dared raise its head in his vegetable garden had been annihilated. He’d cleaned the grout in his bathroom, sorted out all his clothes and made up a donation pile, and even cleaned out his oven, which was a toxic experience his nose and wolf struggled with.
He’d already been to the police station again, although Luka couldn’t add much to his statement – actually he wouldn’t add more to his statement, rather than couldn’t, but the helpful officers had no way of knowing that. His outing did give him a chance to pick up his car, however, and secure the wallet he used to stash under his seat every time he was on shift.
His boss, Libby, had been horrified at his ordeal and the fact that he’d been abducted from the hospital parking lot, and she had insisted he take a full seven days off to recover. It was a kind thing for a boss to do, and probably necessary if the abducted had been human, but Luka wasn’t human and the last thing he needed was more time off.
Not for the first time in the past three days, Luka wished he had someone to confide in. He didn’t need to process the kidnapping situation – he’d already thought about it and shut those events away in his head. But the man who should be his mate wasn’t as easy to dismiss. Unfortunately, shifters tended to stay away from larger townships, and the ones he had heard lived in Montana were virtually recluses because of the hunting laws. Which didn’t give him many options in finding a friend he could be totally honest with.
Luka knew the stories. His father didn’t believe in waiting for a fated mate, which was probably just as well – he’d been married three times before Luka left home. But among the older pack members, when he was young, Luka used to listen to them talk about the magic that happened for those lucky shifters that met their fated ones.
The way a unique scent would overwhelm them, making the whole body come alive. There were always knowing chuckles when the whole-body experience was mentioned. Luka was in his late teens before he understood the innuendo. But mating wasn’t just the need to fuck and bite. According to the elders, shifters were blessed with their enhanced speed, superior strength, and sharp teeth to protect the one meant to stay by their side. Words like instinct, passion, possessiveness and drive were used to explain how a wolf shifter changed the moment they saw their mates. Instincts Luka had despite the small size of his wolf.
“Fuck this.” Luka collected his plate and utensils and went into the kitchen, his plate still half full. It was evening on the third day and having to stop his wolf from hunting out the dark-haired stranger was getting harder every hour. “I need a diversion so I’m bloody going out. No dark-eyed criminal element is going to stop me no matter how good he smells.”
Being gay in Great Falls did pose a few challenges, but Luka wasn’t looking for a hook up. Luka’s caring nature made it difficult for him to have sex with a random stranger. However, it also meant he could talk to people from all walks of life, and for this evening, fun conversation will be enough. I’ll go downtown and see what’s happening down there. Luka knew from discussions in the hospital cafeteria, there was a heap of bars and restaurants within a short distance of each other. There was a chance Luka would bump into someone he knew from work by going down there, but it wasn’t as though he was on sick leave.
Happier now he’d made the decision and had something to do, Luka quickly changed out of his sweats and donned a smart pair of pants, and a pale blue Henley. He pulled his long hair back, securing it at the nape of his neck and gave his reflection a critical once over. He wasn’t tall but his sharp squared jawline kept him out of the twink category. “I’ll do.”
The night wasn’t too chilly, but Luka grabbed a jacket anyway in an effort to blend in. Slipping his wallet into his back pocket and his phone into his jacket, he scooped up his keys and made sure the house was locked before walking around to his car. The drive downtown didn’t take long, and once he’d found a parking spot, Luka felt his spirits lift seeing so many people out having a good time. This is what I needed, he thought with a happy sigh.
/~/~/~/~/
Because of what happened with that darned wolf, Seth had to find somewhere else to drink and brood in peace. He was still staying at the hotel, having decided that having a deep bath and a comfortable bed at his disposal was better than martyring himself sleeping rough down in local parks. But the room wasn’t that interesting, and his Paulie app wasn’t a great conversationalist. Not that Seth wanted to talk to anyone, or so he told himself. He had developed a liking for people watching though, and so for the third evening in a row, Seth dressed in dark but reasonably smart clothes, and headed down to the lobby. The attractive receptionist gave him a wide smile when she caught his eye.
“Enjoy your evening, sir.”
Seth grunted a reply but didn’t stop, striding through the lobby, and out the main doors. If he went left, he could work his way down to the river, which is what he’d done the night before. But Seth was in the mood for something different and he turned right, heading to the busier part of town. As he came across more people wandering around, some in groups, others obvious couples, he slowed his steps. It was bad enough he stood head and shoulders above almost everyone else, he didn’t need to look like he was on the run at the same time.
At the third bar he stopped at, Seth spotted a couple of familiar faces. Curious, because the evening had been boring so far, Seth bought another whiskey and wandered over to where Cas and Wes were huddled over a small table. Grabbing a free chair, Seth swung it around and sat down, putting his elbows on the table. “What brings you to the great state of Montana? Visiting the blond git on his home turf?”
“Blond git?” Wes seemed puzzled and then his face cleared. “Oh, you mean him who should not be named. No, no. We’re not visiting. We’re on a job.”
“Wes is worried, sir,” Cas explained quietly. It always fascinated Seth how demons could blend in so seamlessly with mortals, although, like him, Cas was huge. “Our job concerns a shifter – a truly rare omega wolf who got abducted a few days ago by some local thugs. He managed to get away, but we’ve received notification those guys who took him are still looking for him, and he’s at risk of getting taken again. Our intel told us he was meant to be here this evening, but he hasn’t turned up yet.”
Seth stilled. “An omega wolf? I thought they were extinct.” Frowning, he had to ask. “Is the first name of this wolf you’re looking for Luka?” It can’t be anyone else. It’s not like wolf shifters get abducted every day.
“Dr. Luka Sterling,” Wes nodded, pulling out his phone and tapping the screen. “It’s freaking amazing how well this guy has done.” He waved his finger at his screen. “Luka has been living on his own without a pack for more than forty years – going to university, becoming a doctor and then working in hospitals all over the country. He has no family ties, no apparent support system – people all say how hardworking and friendly he is, but he’s got no real friends. All reports from the different hospitals he’s worked at claim he’s a dedicated and caring doctor, but he’s totally independent. Never stays anywhere for long, always up and moves to a different town well before his lack of aging would be noticed. He’s a very, very, unique omega.”
Forty years? Seth’s mental imagery of a guy who still looked like a pup shifted. He was still hellishly young according to Seth’s standards, but he wasn’t a baby. “I thought historically shifter omegas,” Seth tried to keep his dislike of shifters out of his tone, “I thought they were all about keeping the home fires burning and looking after a mate and children?”
“Dr. Sterling is in a class of his own,” Cass said, leaning on the table like Seth was and keeping his voice low. Not that anyone was paying attention to them. “His alpha father, by all accounts, is a hard ass who was initially gutted to find out his only son was an omega. You have to remember this was sixty years ago, and everyone knows male omegas are gay, which was illegal back then. But instead of coddling him or trying to make a good bond match for him, the alpha encouraged Luka to look after himself, rely on his own achievements, and not to trust anyone. Luka took those lessons to heart.”
“That’s all very well and good,” Wes’s elbows joined the others, “but at the heart of it, Luka is an omega. He might have all the trappings of a successful life, but he’s as much wolf as man, and his wolf side takes comfort and strength from people he can trust. How Luka has managed to live the way he has for so long is a huge testament to how strong he is, but this abduction business could be the breaking point for him. Fuck, these thugs could be hunters for all we know, tracking him down to imprison him for another alpha. We don’t know enough about the situation to be sure and I need him to be safe.”
“My Wes is so protective,” Cas said with a huge smile. “You know, until we heard about Luka, everyone assumed the only omega in existence is young Dean from the Cloverleah pack. But we’ve been lucky to actually find another one. Kane, that’s the alpha at Cloverleah, is really keen to meet him.”
“Cloverleah, Cloverleah.” Seth tapped the table. He knew the story of course. Most paranormals in existence knew it was the men from Cloverleah who managed to vanquish three dark elves. It was the omega who was part of that success, according to accounts. “Doesn’t this Dean you mention have weirdly strong powers now he’s mated?”
“That’s why he was always getting kidnapped.” Wes glanced around and then leaned closer. “Dean has the ability to stop wars, can you believe that? He can calm everyone down with a single thought. He literally walked in between two warring factions of shifters and made all the opposing side shift and put their clothes back on – and he did it just by talking to them. And now that he’s true mated he can’t be compelled by alphas, like omegas used to be. This is why Kane wants to take this new one into the pack. Luka probably doesn’t realize it, but he’s a walking target for any despot alpha who thinks he can rule all paranormals simply by having an omega by his side. I can’t believe his father didn’t keep him safe. Kicking him out into the world and insisting he be independent and look after himself was so irresponsible.”
“Now, come on, my mate,” Cas said gently. “Omegas died out well over a hundred years before. There was no reason for Luka’s dad to think he was anything more than an anomaly with white fur and back then, anomalies in a pack could get you killed. Yes, there was a good chance he’s known Luka is an omega, but he might not have ever understood what that meant. Teaching his son to be independent might’ve been the only way Luka’s father knew how to protect him and stop him from being abused.”
“Yeah, well I’m glad Zeus put us onto this one.” Wes sat up and pushed back his chair. “In the meantime, Luka isn’t here, where we were told he would be, so we’d best check out the other bars around here and then head to his house and see if we can find any trace of him there. I don’t know why these thugs want him so badly. All Zeus would say is that it was something to do with money, but Luka would command a fortune on the black market if any old-time paranormal groups found out he was alive and running around on his own. We’ve got to find him.”
“I’ll check out his house, if you give me the address,” Seth said quickly, his heart sinking at the idea Luka could be taken to leverage him for the money he took from Marlo. “It’d be faster that way, while you check the bars,” he added when Cas looked at him with a quirked brow. “Hey, I’ve got nothing else to do, and clearly this little shifter is important in the scheme of things, so let me help just this once.”
Cas and Wes shared a look and then Wes shrugged. “It would be helpful. From all accounts, Luka isn’t very tall which will make him hard to spot with all these people out having a good time and everyone’s wearing so much perfume and cologne it’s damn near impossible to hunt for his scent. Let me give you my number, and you can add me as a contact. That way you can call and let us know if you found anything at the house when you get there.”
Seth handed over his phone, unsure how to add contacts, as Wes called it. Wes tapped on his screen, and then his own phone dinged. “Now, I have your number too, and I’ve input Luka’s address for you,” he said, handing the phone back. “Let’s get on. I have a bad feeling about our omega doctor. He needs to be found.”
For the first time in a very long time, Seth agreed with a wolf shifter.
