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  Butch knew Mrs. Wilkins had reminded him to be gentle, but that promise flew out the window once he met Walker. Fuck, but this Omega seriously ruffled his fur in the wrong, or right way, depending how one looked at the situation. No other wolf in the pack ever caught his beast’s interest, but Walker had piqued his wolf’s curiosity the moment Butch caught wind of Walker’s scent.

  Some of the submissive pack members were terrified of him, but Walker seemed unafraid of challenging him. Then again, he sensed steel underneath Walker’s deceptive slender frame and also wariness.

  Had someone hurt Walker before? Was that the reason why this lone Omega moved in next door, to escape his past or perhaps make a new start in his town?

  So many questions and the only way to answer them was to get a little closer to this curious little Omega. Butch had woken up cranky, because of Walker. Butch initially wanted to confront his neighbor, but this little trip turned out to be an unexpected, welcome surprise.

  Didn’t Leon keep telling him to date more? No one had held Butch’s interest for very long however, and he made it clear to interested pack mates he was only looking for a fling. Walker, though, was different, although Butch couldn’t quite put his finger on why yet.

  “Hold on a second, what are you doing with that drill?” Walker asked, eyes wide.

  Roxy, the little traitor, started for Walker and rubbed her head into his leg, as if she were a cat, not a dog. Walker grabbed her to him and began stroking her fur.

  Butch snorted. “Roxy, you traitor. She's usually mean to strangers. Let me help you. What were you planning on doing anyway?”

  Walker regarded him for a couple of seconds, then jerked his head to a framed picture by the scarred table, a watercolor thing probably done by a kid. “I wanted to hang that. That’s all, but I can’t figure out how to work that drill.”

  “I’ll do it for you. Where do you want it, exactly?”

  The Omega, now petting Roxy in his arms, approached him like a cautious prey animal and pointed to a spot left of Butch. Butch accomplished the task within minutes.

  “Do you have a kid or nephew?” he asked, setting the drill aside, where Walker wouldn’t hurt himself.

  As Walker bit on his bottom lip and adjusted the photo, Butch’s gaze lingered on the vulnerable spot on Walker’s neck. There was some kind of faded mark there, the place a dominant shifter could place his mate mark on his submissive half. Butch frowned. Failed matings happened on occasion, but they were rare. Was that what happened to Walker?

  Asking the Omega outright might scare Walker away, and that was the last thing Butch wanted.

  “Why ask me that question? And no, I don’t have kids. Tried, but can’t. Maybe my Omega genes are flawed.” Walker said it off-hand, like he was talking about the weather, but Butch could tell being unable to bear children worried Walker.

  “This done by your nephew then?” he asked, nodding to the frame.

  Walker glared at him. Hell. Now what did he possibly do wrong?

  “I made that. I’m trying to pick up a new hobby,” Walker muttered. “I mean, all I know how to do is be the perfect domestic Omega mate and a little freelance graphic design on the side. I want to learn new stuff.”

  The word “mate” rang in his ears. Butch growled, unsure why he didn’t like the thought of Walker belonging to some other shifter, why his wolf was suddenly all riled up.

  “You’re mated?”

  “Why is my personal life your business?”

  Butch edged the Omega against the wall, eyes narrowed. He might like a little spark to his lovers, but he was still Alpha. “Answer the question.”

  “I was mated, but he died.” Walker sounded toneless. “Car accident.”

  Feeling like the world’s worst asshole, Butch gave Walker space to breathe. “Fuck, Walker. I’m so sorry to hear that.”

  It surprised him though, that Walker was still so lively, so fiery, because Butch had seen his share of couples where one died. The other soon followed after, because werewolves mated for life.

  “It’s fine. I mean, in a way, Terry died earned me my freedom. My former pack’s kind of traditional, old-fashioned. They arranged my marriage to Terry, but now that I’m second-hand goods, I’m useless, so I left.”

  A snarl slipped his lips. Butch didn’t like the off-handed self-deprecating way Walker talked about himself. “Never call yourself second-hand goods.”

  Walker stiffened. “That’s what I am. It’s not so bad.”

  “No. You seem perfect to me, although you could learn some manners.”

  Walker stared at him in surprise, a lot better than the blank look that came over Walker’s face when he talked about himself.

  “What, little Omega? Speechless for once?” he couldn’t help but ask.

  “No one ever called me that. Perfect,” Walker whispered. “What’s this, some kind of cruel game?”

  “What the fuck? I don’t play games, little Omega. Never had the need to. I’m the kind of man who’s blunt and likes to get my hands dirty. Can’t you tell? I’m flirting with you.”

  “Flirting with me?” Walker looked so stunned, as if he couldn’t comprehend why anyone would do that.

  Butch took a chance. “Go out with me.”

  The Omega looked baffled and pressed his lips together. “No.”

  It was Butch’s turned to be surprised. No one had ever refused him before, and it was an odd feeling, rejection. His wolf blistered. There was no denying Walker felt the attraction between them, and he wasn’t about to back down now. “Why?”

  “Because you’re an imposing stranger, and I’m not the least bit attracted to you.”

  Oh, Butch was going to call Walker out on that little error. He stepped forward, and Walker took one back.

  “That’s a lie. I can smell you, Omega. You have the hots for me, the same way I do for you.”

  As if Walker knew Butch was checking out his hard-on, Walker cutely turned to one side.

  “I’m not ready to date. Didn’t you hear what I said? My mate died.”

  “You also said you didn’t love him. That’s why you’re still standing right now.”

  Walker let out a breath. “You’ll find nothing but disappointment if you go out with me.”

  “Who says?”

  “Me.”

  “Let’s do a little experiment.”

  “What kind?” Walker looked at him suspiciously.

  “One kiss. If there’s zero chemistry between us, I’ll back off and never bother you again.” Butch wasn’t a gambler by nature. He was the kind of guy who second-guessed every decision, but he was beginning to think the fates had brought him to Walker.

  “You promise?” Walker said. “You’ll really leave me alone?”

  “Aw, baby. You haven’t even given me a chance and you want me gone?”

  “Don’t call me ‘baby’.”

  “I can call you whatever I want.”

  “Kiss first.”

  “Making demands of me now?”

  “Let’s just get this over with,” Walker muttered.

  Butch would have been offended, would put a stop to this if it were any other guy, because he might be an Alpha but he never forced himself on the unwilling. However, he detected the faint hope in Walker’s voice. This Omega had walls that reached the sky, internal barriers designed to keep any man out, but he wasn’t just anyone.

  Butch closed the distance between them, and this time, Walker didn’t flee.

  “If there’s a spark between us, you’ll have to admit you’re wrong and you’ll go out with me,” he added.

  “Wait a second—”

  Butch didn’t let Walker finish. He clapped the back of Walker’s neck and slanted his lips over the Omega’s. Fiery explosion erupted between them, and Walker leaned closer, responding to the kiss. Butch sucked on Walker’s lower lip, nipping on his upper. When he prodded his tongue between Walker’s lips, the Omega opened up so he could deepen the kiss.

  He f
elt Walker rubbing his body against his, and he moved his hand up Walker’s shirt, touching smooth, tempting skin that burned fever-hot. Just like a switch turning off, Walker gave his chest a push.

  Despite wanting more, Butch withdrew. Walker even let out a little moan, but the Omega quickly changed his expression to that of stubbornness.

  “T-that doesn’t prove anything,” Walker stated.

  Instead of pushing, Butch backed down. He wasn’t giving up though. Wolves could be patient predators, and he finally understood when it came to Walker, he had to give the Omega some breathing room. Despite that, though, his inner animal was in turmoil, angry this Omega refused to acknowledge there could be something good between them.

  If Butch didn’t get out of there soon, he might explode and do something he’d regret.

  Butch gathered Roxy in his arms. To her credit, she didn’t bite at his fingers.

  “Wait, where are you going?” Walker demanded when he was near the door.

  “First you wanted me to leave, then you change your mind?” Butch asked, then let his growl fill up the space, letting Walker hear how displeased his wolf was. “I’m not the sort of man you can play games with, Omega.”

  He slammed the door shut behind him, thinking about explaining himself then deciding against it. Butch returned to his apartment to set Roxy down, but he couldn’t stay in the confined space. He didn’t need to go to the pack house today, but he’d head over there so he could run the familiar neck of woods he called his home.

  After making sure Roxy was fed and had settled into her dog bed, he grabbed his keys, exited the apartment, and took his bike to the pack house, which was located on the outskirts of town. After parking his bike, he strode inside, bumping into Leon.

  “Butch, I thought it was your day off,” Leon said, then frowned, studying him. “Your wolf’s on edge.”

  “I finally met my match.”

  “Whoa. What do you mean by that?” Leon knew him for years though and probably understood he was not in the mood to talk, so the Beta didn’t press.

  “I’m going for a run.”

  “Got it. No one’s to disturb you.”

  “I’ll leave the fort in your hands.”

  With that, Butch headed right for the woods behind the house, stripped down, curled his belongings to a ball and reached for his wolf. Dark brown fur covered his chest and shoulders. Organs and bones reformed to that of his massive beast. He wasn’t a pretty wolf and knew that. Butch was all muscle, even in this form, and larger than any wolf in the pack. A tank, Walker called him.

  With a snarl, he hit all four paws and bolted for the woods. Butch needed to think, assess his next move because if Walker thought things were over between them, the Omega was wrong.

  Chapter Three

  Long after Butch left in a furious mood, Walker stared at the picture frame hanging perfectly on his wall and cursed himself for being so hasty. Dominant wolves, especially Alphas, had a massive amount of pride, and he’d just insulted one.

  He took deep breaths.

  “That was that,” he muttered. Walker should be happy, right?

  After that, his wickedly sexy Alpha neighbor should leave him alone, but was that really okay? Walker touched his lips, still swollen from that mind-altering kiss. Until Butch, he hadn’t known kisses could ever be that intense, that wonderful. Butch’s touches were capable of searing his skin, too, and he all but wanted to beg the Alpha to strip him bare and have his way with him.

  What really shook him was the Alpha’s intense golden gaze, telling him to never call himself “second-hand goods” again. Oh, none of his former pack mates would say those words to his face, but he heard them talking and knew what happened to Omegas who no longer had value in the pack.

  Goosebumps appeared on his arms, which he rubbed at.

  Someone coming to his defense felt odd, as strange as the emotions Butch incited in him when he was close. Walker never felt that out of control of his own body. Instincts drove him to yield to Butch, see where a single kiss could lead, but like the coward he was, he backed away, scared.

  He’d been chained to one man ever since he was eighteen, and Walker was twenty-five now. He wasn’t too eager to be mated to another one so soon.

  I wouldn’t mind if it was a fierce, strong protector like Butch.

  That thought frightened him, because it was true. Butch might just be his next-door neighbor, a stranger, but he hadn't heard any bad rumors about him from fellow townsfolk. Why Butch wasn’t mated yet, he had no clue.

  “I can’t let things end this way,” Walker finally whispered.

  His wolf pushed at him to make amends, because despite all his enthusiasm about starting a new life and moving into a new town, some part of him felt lonely. Walker had lived with his pack, with the other Omegas, before he mated Terry. He’d never been alone, until now, but it wasn’t just the notion of isolation that frightened him.

  Butch had given him a glimpse into something he’d wished for all his life. When he’d been younger, he’d been incredibly naive, believing he could find his one true mate, that he could choose for himself as opposed to letting his parents make those decisions for him. He fantasized about a dominating lover but one who also possessed a tender side, just like Butch.

  Walker decided he was going to make things right, but how?

  Walker eyed his never used kitchen. The oven ought to work, but he didn’t have any ingredients for baking. All Omegas in his former pack had been taught how to cook, bake, and maintain a household. He should put those skills to good use for once, although Terry had always made faces when Walker made his famous chocolate fudge brownies.

  His phone beeped in his pocket, and he fished it out, thinking it could be one of his clients. One of the benefits of working as a freelance graphic designer was the fact he had little work about moving anywhere he wanted. He frowned at the number. It was a text from Derek, asking him how he was doing, where he was. It would have been acceptable, if Derek was playing the role of concerned former brother-in-law, except Walker couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps, Derek wasn’t as he seemed.

  It didn’t matter. Derek was gone from his life.

  Walker didn’t bother replying. He’d received a couple of concerned messages from former pack members, but the pack probably only wanted to keep tabs on him. The doorbell rang, and hope flared in him. Could it be Butch?

  He hurried over to the door, opened it and hid his disappointment at seeing Mrs. Wilkins.

  “I’ve just finished grocery shopping,” the little old woman said. “Could you help me get my door?”

  “Sure, not a problem.” As usual, she carried around a little wheeled basket with her. He helped her with that and conversationally, said, “I met Butch.”

  “Did you now?” Was it his imagination, or did she wink at him?

  “Oh yeah. He’s… I don't know how to describe him.”

  “I told him to go easy on you.”

  “Really? Easy?” he couldn’t help but comment.

  She laughed. “Butch can be too much sometimes. Most people think he’s a brute, but he actually has a good heart. He’s a decent Alpha, too. I knew his parents, before their untimely demise anyway.”

  “Wow. You did? That means Butch must be living here for a long time.”

  Why would an Alpha stay in a neighborhood like this, given he knew the local pack was doing pretty well?

  “This was Butch’s parents’ first home, and to my knowledge, he never moved. He doesn’t stay here all the time though. Sometimes, he finds it more convenient to stay at that pack house of his. It’s better in my opinion. He needs to be surrounded by family,” she babbled on.

  Walker didn’t know how he ended up in her apartment but what the heck. He helped her put her groceries away, catching a couple of baking supplies in one of her top cabinets.

  “What happened?” he asked, curious about Butch more than ever.

  “It was a tragedy, but that’s Butch’s sto
ry to tell. Butch became Alpha at a young age, but he’s held the pack really well, but everyone, including other shifters and paranormals, have been wondering why he’s never chosen a mate.”

  Mrs. Wilkins took a seat on one of the chairs in the kitchen and told him where to put what. Walker was only happy to help, if that meant getting more information on the gorgeous Alpha next door. Besides, he and Mrs. Wilkins were sort of kindred spirits, both widowed and lonely.

  Mate. Walker used to associate that word with prison. True, Terry was no tyrant, but Terry didn’t stop their arranged marriage either. Walker was luckier than most Omegas in his pack because Terry had been more modern, but that didn’t mean he could sugarcoat things.

  “Can you do me a favor, Mrs. Wilkins?” he abruptly asked.

  “What’s that, dear?”

  “I sort of had a fight with Butch, but it’s all my fault. Can I borrow some of your baking ingredients?”

  She slowly rose to her feet. “Of course. I know Butch’s favorite. I’ll even give you the secret recipe if you tell me what went down between the two of you. You can tell me little more about yourself in the process.”

  “Sounds like a fair deal.”

  ****

  Hearing a door nearby closing, Walker groggily raised his head from the table. His neck ached slightly, and he realized he’d fallen asleep while doing some banner design work for a client. Shit. Was that door slamming Butch?

  Rubbing at his eyes, he looked at the batch of cookies Mrs. Wilkins insisted he placed in an adorable ribboned box with a grinning Pom on the top, perfect for Butch. He got out of his seat, exited the apartment, and came to a halt in front of the Alpha’s door. His palm started to sweat.

  He’d never been this nervous in his life. Walker knocked, trying the doorbell when that didn’t work. No response. Was the Alpha ignoring him?

  “Butch went in to retrieve Roxy, but he went right out, dear. I think it’s a safe bet you can catch Butch at the River West pack house,” Mrs. Wilkins announced.

  He hadn’t even heard her come out of her apartment. He narrowed his eyes at the little old woman. “Do you notice everything?”

  “Very few things entertain me these days. Plus, I think you two will be wonderful together.”