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Run, Omega, Run

R.A. Alyse
Copyright © 2024 by R.A. Alyse

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical
methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact R.A. Alyse.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and
products is intended or should be inferred.
Book Cover by Khaoten Designs
Edited by Norma Gambini
 Table of Contents

Dedication:
Blurb
Author's Note
Content Warnings
Why-Choose Omegaverse World
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
Coming Soon
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Also by R.A. Alyse
 Dedication:

To anyone that has ever been misjudged – I see you <3

 Blurb

OMEGAS ARE TO BE CHERISHED, LOVED, PROTECTED . . .

. . . not sold to cover their parents’ debts.
But that’s what happened to me.
Now, I’m in the middle of a heat I didn’t want—nor was I ready to have. The scent of my dead alpha surrounds me while a
pack that hates me offers assistance that I’m sure is laden with strings.
Which leaves me with only one option.
I’ve gotta run.
 Author's Note

HELLO DEAR READERS,

Thank you for picking up this book. It is the second story in the Choose Me omegaverse world I am creating. All the books
are standalones within the series, and while there are crossover characters and an overarching background story, they can be
read in any order.
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did (or even if you didn’t), please consider leaving the
book a review. It really does help out and helps get the book to other readers that may enjoy it!
Love you all,
R.A. Alyse
 Content Warnings

Emotional abuse from parents

Sex Work
On page death/murder
Forced bond bite
Self-loathing/hate
Redemption arc
Daddy kink
Spanking
Attempted on page SA (not by MMCs)
 Why-Choose Omegaverse World

CHOOSE ME

This is a brief description of my omegaverse, as they are all a bit different. I tried to make this as concise and easy to
understand as possible, as the bigger points will come out during the book (I think).
Alphas are the biggest, strongest, most dominant of the designations. They are typically in charge of higher-class jobs. Males
have a knot and females have a lock that they use to hold an omega to them during intercourse. Most are members of a pack,
although there are some that prefer to be without a pack of their own. They will bite and claim designations (other than their
own) to tie a pack together, with one important caveat: omegas must choose them, not the other way around. Omegas will
typically bite first, and they must be agreeable to taking the alpha’s bite or the bond they are trying to form might never
complete.
Omegas are the sweetest, most nurturing designation. They crave the protection and security that they feel an alpha can
provide. Omegas are typically shorter than betas or alphas. They love soft, cuddly things and building nests. They are very
particular, and what is good for one omega might not be for the other. Omegas can be needy and clingy, but they are loyal to a
fault to those they love or claim as their pack.
Typically, there is one omega per pack, as omegas are the rarest of the designations. They release a “perfume,” a blast of
their unique scent when they are near someone that they may be compatible with or if turned on. They can take an alpha’s knot,
no training necessary. In fact, they crave that and need it often, especially during a heat.
Omegas have sensitive noses. They want to be surrounded by the smells that they like, typically those of their chosen pack.
They will take clothing, bedding, anything they can find that belongs to their pack and use that to build their nests.
Omegas in this world go into heat quarterly, starting at age twenty-five. They last three to five days, depending on the omega.
When in the throes of a heat, they become almost lost to a foggy state. They don’t know what time it is, what day it is, or how
much time has passed, just that they need their alphas/pack to help them through the growing urge to reach climax.
Bonding to a pack is normally done during a heat, although it is not necessary and some packs will bond outside of a normal
heat cycle. Claiming bites are typically given around scent glands. There are some on the wrists, neck, and inner thighs. Biting
near these marks helps a pack’s fragrances begin to blend. A bite given to an alpha from an omega, or vice versa, will never
fade.
At the age of eighteen, a person’s designation will become clear. Scents change, growth spurts happen for alphas, and
perfuming happens for omegas. If nothing changes, the person will remain what everyone starts out as: a beta. This is the most
common designation. Betas are average-sized and less dominant, but not nearly as submissive as an omega. They can be
trained to take a knot from an alpha, and most, if in a pack, want to. An alpha’s bite will solidify them into the pack, with or
without an omega. Omegas can claim them as well. However, that bite will fade and they will need to be bitten again. Betas do
not have a claiming bite of their own.
The goal for most alphas and omegas is to make a pack, preferably one they are scent matched to. Matches like that play a
major role in making packs, especially to omegas that have such sensitive noses. Betas’ scents are less strong and usually, they
come into a pack due to a preexisting relationship with either an omega or an alpha.
Scent matches usually do not occur before age twenty-five for omegas. Prior to that, they may like and enjoy a particular
person’s smell, but they won’t feel the pull or draw of a match. While it is possible that if a scent is a strong enough match,
alphas or omegas may react sooner, this is very rare.
All alphas and omegas in this omegaverse will attend an academy or school where they will learn about what their
designations mean. Omegas start school at twenty and attend for four years, graduating the year prior to their heat starting.
Alphas will attend as soon as they show their designation and go for two years, as they do not have heats to prepare for. The
schools they attend are separate.
Regarding omegas, there are local schools in every town that have an omega population. There are also several schools
spread throughout the country that parents can choose to send their omega to if they have the funds.
The “best” omega academy is the ORA, Omega Rising Academy. It is very expensive, so typically only the richest omegas
attend. Male and female omegas attend the same school. The goal of the ORA is that upon graduation, all their omegas will be
matched up and bonded to a pack.
Right before graduation, the ORA holds a mixer, where alphas are invited to come meet the omegas that are finishing school.
They mingle, chat, and they are allowed the opportunity to scent one another. It is very expensive to attend these mixers. Due to
that, the ORA feels confident in extending a guarantee that all their graduating omegas will leave school with a “good match.”
So far, they have never failed at this goal.
Some omegas will attend the ORA through a sponsorship. This means that a pack and the omega have come to an agreement
of sorts. They pay the omega’s way through school with the understanding that after graduation, he or she will join their pack.
The omega can always choose not to, and it’s not a requirement, but there has never been a case where the omega has not
chosen that pack as theirs. An omega that secures sponsorship is viewed as privileged because they already have a pack lined
up for graduation.
 Prologue

DREW

I WASN’T SUPPOSED TO be here. If my alphas knew I was listening to their conversation, they would be furious. But I had to
know what was going on. The secrets were killing me. I didn’t know why they didn’t think they could tell me, but I knew
something was changing and it was big.
Creeping closer​ to the office, I heard voices inside. My name was mentioned and my ears perked up. I could see Charlie
sitting on the couch through the slightly cracked open door. His arms were waving emphatically while he talked, but I was
having trouble making out the words.
Suddenly, the most gorgeous girl I had ever seen crossed in front of him. Her brown hair hung down her back in shining
waves. Brunette eyes flashed with ire as she snarled back at Charlie. Who was she? I needed to know. I wanted to know.
Something was telling me she was important.
“No. Absolutely not. There is no way I will ever let that happen. I’m the omega here. That means I say who is in the pack and
who isn’t. Me. Not you. Me. I will not allow or tolerate a beta! You are my pack. The three of you. Not anyone else. No other
omegas. No other alphas. And certainly no disgusting betas.”
My heart plummeted to my feet. She was talking about me? And my pack? I mean, I guessed they technically weren’t mine,
but I had always thought that they would be. That seemed to be their intention this whole time. I waited for someone, anyone, to
defend me, but only silence greeted my ears.
Slamming open the door, I glared at the three alphas that had stolen my heart and were now stomping it into the ground with
their refusal to speak up for me. “I can’t believe that I ever thought I loved any of you. I thought that what we had was
something special. That was all a lie. You were just stringing me along until you could get your omega. Well, congratulations,
you have her. I’m out.”
Spinning on my heel, I ran out of the house, not even stopping to grab my clothes. I was going home. Fuck this and fuck them.
And fuck that omega trash.
 Chapter 1

DREW

I CLIMBED OFF THE bus at the stop in my hometown. It was still early, only about seven o’clock, but already the humidity
was growing, making the June morning quite sticky. Sweat beaded on my brow as I rushed down the sidewalk.
The fifteen-hour bus ride—sixteen, actually, with rest stops—had done nothing to cool my ire. I was furious with my so-
called pack. Internally, I scoffed at that. They weren’t mine. They were nothing to me. Not anymore.
Yeah right. Keep telling yourself that.
My heart felt shattered. I had tried to tell myself not to get attached, that it was too good to be true, that they’d let me down. I
scuffed my shoe in the dirt as I passed the bar. For the first time, I understood why some people drank themselves into misery
every day. I just wanted this pain to stop. Love sucked. The only silver lining was that I found out now, as opposed to once I’d
become a part of the pack.
I had stuffed my useless cell phone in my back pocket. Useless because the only people that had the number were now
blocked. After receiving countless texts—that I had immediately deleted—and over thirty phone calls between the three alphas,
I’d had enough. There was nothing they could say to fix what they had done. I ended up turning my phone off entirely once they
started using spoofed numbers to get through.
My parents’ small home appeared in the distance, and I picked up my pace. I was excited to see them again. It had been
months since I was home. I probably should have told them I was coming back, but c'est la vie. Hopefully, with Riley off at that
fancy school of hers, my sudden return wouldn’t be too much of a hardship.
I opened the rickety gate, the rusty hinges squealing in protest. I was going to fix that while I was here. Right now, it served
us no purpose, hanging on by a thread the way it was. The cracked stone path that led to the front door was getting overgrown
again. Had no one taken care of the yard work while I was gone?
I reached the front door and raised my hand to knock before remembering I was home and could just walk in. Taking a deep
breath, I pushed it open. Inside, I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the light difference from outside to here. I shut the door and
moved farther into the house. Where was everyone? It was eerily silent. Dad should be down here getting ready for work. Dell
too​.
“Hello?” I called out. “Anyone home?”
I heard a noise upstairs, and I made my way over to the stairs. It was pitch black up there. Because of the early hour, I didn’t
want to turn any lights on, so I made my way up carefully. At the top of the stairs, I heard the noise again, a low whispering. It
was coming from my parents’ bedroom, and I moved in that direction.
I passed Riley’s room, seeing the door shut. That was odd. It shouldn’t be closed with her not home. It helped with the air
flow upstairs. As I walked by, I turned the handle and pushed it open without looking in. I crept up to my parents’ slightly open
door; I felt like an eavesdropper.
“What are we going to do, Franklin?” I heard my mother’s soft voice ask.
“I don’t know, darling. I just don’t know.”
“Why won’t they tell us anything? She’s hurting and they are keeping things from us. We have a right to know!”
“We do. I’m so sorry. I feel useless. Damn that school!”
School? Were they talking about Riley? I knocked once and pushed the door open without waiting for them to tell me to come
in. My mother’s face was full of shock when she saw me. My dad’s less so, but it was obvious he hadn’t expected to see me
there.
“Drew? You’re back?” he asked.
“Yeah, for now. What are you guys talking about? What school?”
My mother and father shared a look. “The damn ORA. They sent Riley home, and they refuse to tell us why. She’s been holed
up in her room for a month now. We can barely get her to eat or drink. She won’t talk to anyone. It’s like she’s a shell of
herself. They did something to her. I just know it.” My mother’s voice broke, and she curled into my dad’s chest, sobbing
quietly.
“She’s home? Right now?”
“Yes, son. In her room. Why?”
Without a word, I turned and rushed back to her door. At the threshold, I peered in and found Dell sitting on a folding chair
beside her bed. His head was in his hands, and he looked completely drained. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, and they had a
blurry, unfocused look to them. I cleared my throat, and he looked up. The sadness and look of absolute torture on his face
almost gutted me.
“What’s the matter, Dell?” I asked, stepping into the room.
My younger brother opened and shut his mouth several times, but nothing came out. He seemed truly at a loss for words,
which was so unlike him. He was normally so well-spoken and sure of himself. Dell nodded toward the bed, and for the first
time, I noticed the bundle on the mattress.
“Riley?” I asked, stunned.
The covers barely moved with my words. I walked around the bed to the same side as Dell and my face fell. What the fuck
had happened to my sister?
She had her covers and bedding bunched up around her in a semblance of a nest. The only parts of her that I could see were
her eyes and nose. Riley’s face appeared drawn, unlike her normal smiling expression. Tears soaked her pillowcase, staining it
under her. I heard a sniffle, and I fell to my knees beside the bed.
“Who do I have to kill?” I whispered to her.
Her gaze lifted to mine. The overwhelming heartbreak in them made me suck in a breath. I recognized that look because it
was the one I saw in the mirror now. Complete and utter heartbreak.
Quietly, so only she heard, I whispered, “It will get better, Riles. I promise.”
A stray tear dripped off her lash and onto her pillow. I reached over and brushed a loose curl off her forehead. My poor,
sweet sister. Her omega heart didn’t deserve this. Whoever had broken it was going to pay . . . just as soon as I found out who
they were.
Rising to my feet, I left her room, carefully shutting her door behind me. I rushed down the stairs and to the landline in the
kitchen. Dialing information, I asked to be connected to the ORA. I would get answers. Today.
The phone rang twice and then I heard, “ORA, Caryn speaking.”
“Hello, Caryn. My name is Drew. I was calling to find out if you could give me any information about my sister who
attended there recently.”
“Well, depending on what you are asking, I will try.”
“Wonderful. Her name is Riley Druman and until last month, she was a student there. I would like to know why she came
home and who she was close with while there, please.” I heard the keys typing in the background as she presumably looked up
my sister’s file.
“Oh, I’m sorry. We have no record of that name in our system, it seems.” Her voice held a vicious sort of glee.
“Excuse me?” I remained calm, hiding my growing anger.
“Yes, like I said, she was not and is not a student here. Maybe you have the school wrong. You should try the omega school
in your district.”
“My sister attended your school. She came home one month ago. Why the fuck are you saying you don’t have her info?”
“Now, sir. There is no call for that language. Like I said, no one by the name Riley Druman attended here. If they had, I
would have their file. Good day.”
There was a loud click. I pulled the phone back from my ear. That bitch hung up on me. No one hung up on me. Ever. This
was unacceptable. Clearly, my skills were fading, having been away for so long. That school was going to be sorry once I
figured out what was going on there. They wouldn’t get away with treating my family like this.
 Chapter 2

HILARY

I COULDN’T BELIEVE THE nerve of Pack Trinity. Telling me to get out. Me! Didn’t they know how lucky they were? I would
accept their premade pack; I just didn’t want any extras. Huffing, I walked back up the pathway to my house. I haughtily tossed
my brown hair over my shoulder as I walked inside.
Silence greeted me. Where was everyone? I wandered down the hallways, my heels clicking on the floor. My father’s office
door was standing ajar, and I saw him and my mother in there. They were talking with someone I’d never seen before.
Whoever it was could wait. My news was more important. I slammed open the door, hiding my wince as it hit the shelves on
the wall.
“Mom, Dad, stranger,” I addressed the room. “I just thought you would like to know that Pack Trinity and I parted ways
tonight. We are through.”
I watched my parents, but their reactions were not what I had expected. My father dropped the glass he had been holding,
shattering it on his desk. A sob caught in my mother’s throat. My brows dipped as I stared at them in confusion.
“It’s fine, you know? The mixer is next year. I’ll just find a new pack then.”
“A new . . . ,” my mother started but then stopped. She sank into the armchair near her and put her hand over her eyes like she
couldn’t bear to look at me.
My father’s jaw clenched. “Why did you part ways?”
“Because they wanted to put a beta in their pack. There’s already three of them. Why the hell do they need a beta too?
Disgusting. I told them they could either pick me or their puny beta. They chose wrong, and I left.”
Actually, they kicked me out, but that wasn’t important.
“You broke it off because of their wish for another pack member?” My father’s voice was deadly smooth, like he was
fighting not to scream at me.
“Well, yes. You’ve always told me how useless betas are. Why would I want one in my future pack?”
“Very true,” the strange man said, drawing my attention to him. “Betas are pathetic. You shouldn’t have to lower yourself to
that degree.”
I grinned. “Thank you, alpha—I’m sorry. I don’t know your name.”
He smiled at me and bowed low. “I’m Alpha Brown, but you, my dear, may call me Michael Jacob.”
I fluttered my lashes at him. He might be way too old for me, but I was currently down a pack. There was no harm in flirting,
right? I held my hand out to shake his.
“Pleasure to meet you, Alpha Michael Jacob.”
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” he purred, taking my hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it.
“Hilary!” my father snapped.
My face crinkled as I looked back at him. “Yes?”
“Please, go to your room. We have important things to discuss that don’t concern you.” The bite in his voice would have
bothered me if I wasn’t already so used to it. He didn’t seem to know any other way to talk to me.
“As you command, Father. Mother. Alpha Brown,” I said in farewell.
Alpha Michael Jacob was the only one to return my goodnight, and I slipped from the room. The office door swung shut
behind me, but bounced and remained open a crack. I walked a few steps away before bending to remove my shoes and
sneaking back up to the doorway. Whatever they were talking about, I wanted to know. I deserved to know.
“Well, that certainly changes things, doesn’t it, Mark?”
My father grimaced. He hated being called by his first name. “I’ll make sure it doesn’t. She will go back to them. I promise.
We will get your money. We just need a few more months. She has to return to school, but by the next break, I’m sure she can
convince them to take her back.”
 My mouth popped open indignantly. Take me back? Like hell. I was never going back to them. Not if they intended to take on
that beta. I didn’t care how hot they were. I was worth more than that.
“Hmm, we will see. I’ll give you three months to come up with the complete sum that you owe me, plus interest. If you don’t,
I’ll start taking things from you.”
I heard my father’s gulp. How much did they owe this man? We had plenty of money. Why weren’t they just paying him
whatever he was asking for? What would me going back to Pack Trinity solve?
“For a little motivation, I’ll leave you with this . . .”
I heard shuffling and then my father shouted. There was a resounding crack, and my mother started screaming. My father gave
a pained groan. I heard the alpha coming toward the door and I hurriedly backed up; I couldn’t get caught. Unfortunately, I
tripped over my feet and landed in a heap on the floor. The office door opened, and Alpha Michael Jacob looked down at me, a
smirk pulling at his lips.
“Sorry you saw that, darling. Tell your parents not to borrow money they can’t pay back in the future. I’ll see you soon.”
My eyes were wide in my head as he nodded at me and strode down the hallway. I heard the front door open and bang shut in
his wake. I lay sprawled on the floor for several seconds, until my mother’s increasing whimpers cut through my shock.
Scrambling to my feet, I rushed back into the office. My father sat behind his desk, cradling his arm, which was bent at an odd
angle. My eyes darted back and forth between my parents.
“Hilary,” my father said, his normal sharp tone dimmed with pain. “Why are you still here? Did we not send you to bed?”
I ignored his question. “What happened? Why did you let that man do that to you?”
His eyes narrowed. “We have no choice, Hilary. And now that you decided you were too good for that pack, next time it
might not be my arm. It could be your mother’s neck. Is that what you want? Your parents dead?”
“Wha—” How had this turned into my fault?
“Marcus, please, she doesn’t know . . . ,” my mother pleaded.
“If she thinks she’s adult enough to ignore my commands and eavesdrop on her parents, then she’s certainly old enough to
know the rest of it. We’re broke, Hilary. There’s nothing left. We had to take out a loan to send you to that school you just had to
attend. The banks wouldn’t give it to us, so we went to Alpha Brown. Now, we can’t pay and he’s furious with us.”
“What do you mean, we’re broke? Where did the money go?” I asked, panic clawing at my chest. There was no way we
were penniless. It just wasn’t possible.
“My firm let me go,” my father sneered as my mother hiccupped a sob. “No one is hiring, and your and your mother’s
spending habits bled us dry.”
“My spending . . . ?” What about his?
“Yes. Always having to have the best of everything. And that goddamned school. No matter. When you come back for autumn
break, you will go to Pack Trinity. You will apologize. And you will convince them to take you back. We need their money, and
you will get it for us. Do you understand, omega? You’re worth nothing to me otherwise.”
My father’s voice cut me to the quick, and I gasped. When had my father turned so cruel?
“I understand,” I bit out. Turning on my heel, I stomped from the room, muttering under my breath, “Doesn’t mean I’ll do it.”
 Chapter 3

DREW

WHEN I LEFT TOWN five months ago, I never thought I would walk in here again. I pushed open the swinging door into the
bar I had passed on my way home yesterday and tried to hide my grimace. It smelled so strongly of liquor and cigarettes.
Behind the bar was Hank, the grisly bartender. He looked exactly the same, just older. But I knew first-hand that if I ever
needed help in a fight, he was who I would call first.
I waved to him as I moved toward the back rooms, the ones that few knew existed and even fewer were allowed inside. The
guard standing outside of the entrance grinned at me and waved.
“Hey there, Drew! It’s been too long! What brings you back to these parts?”
“Heya, Duncan,” I greeted. “I’m back in town for a little while and I thought I should stop in and say hey to the boss lady.”
He snickered. “Probably smart on your part. Go on through.”
I thanked him and without knocking, I moved into the room. The person inside looked up, stunned. Clearly, she had not been
expecting to be disturbed.
“Hey there, Peyton,” I said.
“Drew Druman, as I live and breathe. Take a seat, fucker. Tell me about what you’ve been up to. What brings you back
here?”
I sank into the ripped, cushioned armchair across from her desk. Her eyes sparkled in the low light of her office. She reached
over and poured me two fingers’ worth of the expensive whiskey on her tabletop, handing me the glass. I took an appreciative
sip before responding.
“Things didn’t work out the way I planned, Pey. So, I’m back in town. Wasn’t planning on coming back, but here I am.”
“Here you are,” she repeated, her eyes tinged with a hint of sadness. “I am sorry things didn’t go the way you thought,
Drew.”
I waved a dismissive hand. “Meh, I’ll be fine. They weren’t the ones for me.”
Peyton gave me a look laced with disbelief. I had forgotten that she had been there in the beginning, when I had met the pack
of assholes. I might have been able to convince other people I was alright, but not her. She always could see right through me.
It was what made her so good at her job.
“It’s okay to not be okay,” she told me. “But I’ll respect your obvious unwillingness to talk about them right now. Tell me
about what brings you back to my bar.”
“Can’t a guy just wanna come say hey?”
She chuckled. “Of course you can. And I would expect nothing less. However, I know you too well. You’re here for a
reason.”
I sighed. “Yeah. I don’t know how long I’ll be in town for, but I was wondering if you might still have room for me on your
crew while I’m here?”
Her face softened. “You really want back in? Drew, we were all rooting for you when you made it out of this Podunk town.
As much as I would love to have you back, I don’t want you if it’s just a way to avoid your feelings.”
“Psht. Feelings. Peyton, you know me better than anyone. I don’t have feelings. Especially for those fuckheads.”
“You’re right. I know you better than anyone. Which is why I know you’re lying to me right now, Drew. I’ll let it slide this
time, but don’t hide from me. Got it?”
“Yeah, I hear ya, Peyton. So what do you say? Do you have space for me? Old times' sake?”
She studied my face for several seconds then grinned. “Of course I do, Drew. You were one of the best we had.
Unfortunately, I gave away your club bunk to another when you left, so I don’t have space here for you to sleep unless you crash
on the couches . . .”
“Oh, that’s fine. I am staying with my parents again.”
 “Isn’t that a tight fit with all of you at home? I saw Riley came back the other week.”
A scowl descended over my face. “Yeah. That’s another thing we might need to look into if we have time and I can borrow a
few people. The school she was at, the ORA, sent her packing. Now they refuse to even admit she was a student there or tell us
why they sent her home. She’s broken, Peyton. Someone broke her heart.”
Peyton’s own expression hardened at my words. “Who the hell could hurt a sweet thing like Riley? We’ll figure it out. Ask
I.T. to investigate it. He’s the best at getting that kind of info.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate it, Pey . . . I mean boss.”
She rolled her eyes. “You never called me ‘boss’ before. Don’t start now.”
I chuckled and rose to my feet, tossing back the rest of the whiskey. “You got it, Peyton. I’ll get out of your hair now.”
Smirking, she responded, “You do that. On your way out, check with Duncan about the next job we have lined up. I think
you’re going to find it right up your alley.”
My eyes gleamed at her words. “Perfect.”
Right as I reached the door and turned the knob, she called out to me. I turned to look back over my shoulder, and she said, “I
truly am sorry things didn’t go the way you planned, Drew. But I am not sorry it brought you back to us. Welcome home,
slugger.”
With immense effort, I refrained from rolling my eyes. “I hated that nickname, and I hate it even more now.”
“Oh, I’m aware. But it fits you so well . . . slugger.”
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up . . . omega.”
I ducked out of the door and slammed it shut behind me, just in time to avoid her scream and the glass she chucked. I heard
the cup shatter against the wood and I shook my head, laughing.
“You got an enormous set of balls on ya, kid,” Duncan said, eyes wide.
“Meh, she won’t hurt me. She likes me too much.”
He gave me a look that said he wasn’t sure he believed me but said nothing else about it. “You back on the team?”
“Yeah, for now. Peyton said to ask you about the next job we are running. Said I might really like this one.”
“Oh, for sure you will. We are going after the alpha you always hated.”
“Finally. Fill me in.”
For the next few minutes, Duncan went over everything that I needed to know about the job. It took me no time at all to leave
behind my real-life persona of Drew Druman. I sank right back into my club identity of Drew Benjamin, the enforcer for the
motorcycle club known as the Fate Fighters.
After getting all the details from Duncan, I made my way back out into the main bar area. I was looking for I.T. He had to be
here somewhere. He never left the bar if he could help it. Loner by trade and personality, he was the best there was in
computer hacking. And he was on our side. Thank the gods.
Finally, I spotted him. He was sitting in a back booth, hunched over a laptop. His hair desperately needed a cut. He kept
jerking his head to get his floppy bangs out of his eyes. His face had an intense look of concentration on it as his fingers flew
over the keyboard. I made my way over to him.
“Hey there, I.T.,” I said when I was next to his table.
He jumped and turned to look up at me, panic clear on his face. I had forgotten how easy it was to startle him when he was in
the zone. He shoved his thick, plastic-rimmed glasses up his nose from where they had slid down.
“Goddamn it, Drew, you scared me.”
“I’m sorry, I.T.,” I said before sliding onto the bench seat across from him. “How have you been?”
“Well, heart attack notwithstanding, I'm fine. Working. You? I thought you left.”
“Long story. I did, but I’m back now.”
He gave me a suspicious look. I knew before I left the bar, he would pull everything up about me he could find. Not that there
would be anything. I was always very careful not to leave a footprint behind. Nothing that could trace back to me.
“What do you need, Drew? I know this isn’t a social visit.”
“You’re right. It’s not. Well, I mean, I would love to chat with you, but I know you’re busy.”
“Exactly. What do you need?”
I sighed. “I need help getting into the ORA’s school system. They are claiming my sister never attended. They won’t tell my
parents or me anything, and I need to know what happened to her there.”
“Riley? What do you mean, what happened to her? What’s wrong?”
“She’s going to be okay,” I assured him, noting how upset he had gotten. That was something to think about another day,
though. “She’s just heartbroken. I can tell. She’s built herself a nest in her bedroom and won’t talk to anyone. We’re worried.”
“I’ll get the information by tomorrow.”
He ducked his head back down to his laptop, and I knew our conversation was over. I didn’t bother saying goodbye. I got up
from the table and moved back toward Peyton’s office. Duncan and another guard were switching places, and then Duncan and
I would grab the crew for the job we were running. I couldn’t wait to stick it to that alphahole, Brown. He needed to be taken
down a peg or two. And if we made out like bandits in the process?
All the better for us.
 Chapter 4

CHARLIE

WHERE WAS HE?

I needed my boy home. Yesterday. Summer was bleeding away, and we were no closer to finding him than when he’d left us.
Xavier had looked everywhere but was coming up blank. It was like Drew Benjamin didn’t even exist.
I couldn’t believe he’d taken off like that—without letting us explain or correct his misjudgment of the situation. Damn that
snotty omega, Hilary, for ruining this for us. If we didn’t find Drew soon, I was going to hunt her down myself and kill her. Why
did we have to scent match to the fucking bitch?
Damn my nose.
Thankfully, we hadn’t told her that little tidbit of information, and thank the gods we hadn’t tried to bond her to us. We’d
escaped her vicious clutches, not that I’d ever wanted to be in her clutches to begin with. Hell, none of us did.
We’d known the minute we met her that she was a vindictive, spoiled brat in severe need of a spanking . . . or five. My hand
had twitched every time I was around her, yearning to toss her over my lap and give her the discipline she was so sorely
lacking. There was no other reason. Nope. None at all.
Angry with myself, I turned up the speed on the treadmill I was on until I was in a full-out sprint. I needed to do something
with all this anxious energy. I felt out of control, and I hated it. Something had to give.
“Charlie! Slow down before you pass out!” my packmate and one of my two best friends, Nathan, said from the doorway into
our gym.
“I’m fine,” I growled out.
“No, you’re definitely not fine. Take a break, come for a swim with me.”
I huffed but slowed the treadmill down and then stopped it. I caught the towel Nathan tossed at me, mopping the sweat from
my brow. He didn’t wait for me and instead strode over to the enclosed, indoor pool we’d put in the year prior. At the edge, he
stripped down to his birthday suit and tossed a wink at me over his shoulder before diving into the crystal-clear water.
I rolled my eyes. What a cheeky bastard. Nathan was swimming laps by the time I joined him, my sweaty gym clothes left in
a pile on the tile around the water. Dunking my head to cool off, I made my way across the water’s surface in a backstroke. It
had been too long since I’d gone for a swim. I’d forgotten how great it felt to be here.
Beside me, I heard splashing and knew Nathan was coming my way. Hiding a grin, I spun in the water and started swimming
away from him. I heard his gasp and then silence as he tried to catch up. It was pointless, though; I was the superior swimmer.
Reaching the end of the pool, I prepared to dive under and swim back. Right as I took a gulp of air, someone shoved me
down. Panicked for a second, I fought against the person holding me, getting free of his grip easily. My head popped up out of
the water a split second before he did. Nathan was laughing maniacally, his wet hair plastered to his forehead.
“Nathan! What the hell?”
“I’m sorry, Charlie. I knew I couldn’t catch you swimming, so I may have cheated a little.”
“I oughta bust your ass,” I said, but I was grinning. He was such a goofball.
“Meh. You aren’t my daddy,” he said, sticking his tongue out at me.
I growled playfully and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him toward me. “Sometimes, I think you need one, with how often you
tease me, brat.”
“It’s just so much fun. I love when your eye twitches. Yeah, like that!”
He pointed to my left eye, where I could feel the corner was indeed twitching. He tested my every sense and inclination. But
damn, did I love him for it. I grabbed the back of his head, threading my fingers through his locks, and pulled his lips to mine. I
devoured his mouth, claiming him once again in a kiss that quickly turned heated. He might have been as alpha as I was, but in
times like this, when we were together, there was no doubt who was in charge.
“Fuck, I’ve missed that, Charlie.” He moaned as our lips pulled apart.
 Underneath the water, I could feel just how much he enjoyed that as his hardening dick brushed against my own. I leaned my
forehead against his, holding us both up while I treaded water. “Are you feeling neglected, Nate?”
“Never. Not from you. Just sad. We had a good thing going. We were so happy. Now everything is falling apart.”
“It’s not.” I grunted. “I won’t let it.”
“This might be one thing you can’t fix.”
“Lies. I can fix everything.”
“Of course you can, Charlie. But we really hurt him. I don’t think he’s coming back. He blocked all our numbers. It’s been
months!”
With a sigh, I moved us to the edge of the pool. “I know, Nate. I miss him too. So much. We will get him back. I promise you
that.”
His face revealed his heavy sadness and doubt, though his eyes shone with a tiny bit of hope. He knew if I said I intended on
doing something, I would move mountains to make sure I accomplished it.
I tucked Nathan’s head into my shoulder and wrapped him in a hug. I needed to remember that I wasn’t the only one hurting
right now. My pack relied on me to hold us all together. Speaking of which, I glanced over my shoulder when I heard the door
to the pool room open once more. Xavier spotted us and made his way over to the side we were on.
“Are you having a cuddle puddle and didn’t invite me?” he asked with fake annoyance. The glimmer in his irises let me
know he didn’t mean it.
“You’re always invited to the cuddle puddles, Xavier. Get in here,” I commanded.
Grinning, he ripped off his clothes and jumped into the water beside us, a small wave cresting over our heads. He popped up
and swam close to my side, wrapping his arms around both Nathan and me. I kissed the top of his head and repositioned myself
so I could put my arm around him as well. This was almost perfect. We were just missing our center. Our Drew.
Not wanting to ruin the moment, I shoved the thought of him from my mind. My pack needed me right now. We needed each
other. No matter what Nathan said, I’d been neglecting them. We had to reconnect. And I knew just what to do.
Hanging onto my lovers, my friends, my pack tightly, I kicked my legs so we were propelled toward the shallow end. As
soon as my feet brushed against the bottom, I stood, still holding Xavier and Nathan close to me. The way I positioned us, their
cocks brushed against mine with every step I took. My whole body shuddered with the feeling of pleasure that it was giving
me.
At the steps leading out of the pool, I released my hold on them. “Follow me.”
I walked up the stairs and out, dripping water everywhere. I strode toward the changing room we had next door, knowing that
they would be right behind me. Entering the room, I went right to the massive walk-in shower we had installed. I cranked the
water temperature up and stood right under the spray.
I glanced back over my shoulder to see Xavier and Nathan watching me, eyes glinting with lust. I winked at them and
crooked a finger for them to come in. Neither one wasted any time, and they quickly joined me under the water. I turned to face
them fully, my erect dick jutting up by this point. I snagged Xavier’s head and pulled him to me for a deep kiss, our tongues
slipping and sliding over one another’s. Nathan stood beside me patiently, waiting his turn, and when I broke off from kissing
Xavier, my mouth found his by instinct.
Xavier’s hands were running up and down my side, fingers tweaking at my nipples and rolling them between his forefingers
and thumbs. I groaned into Nathan’s mouth, my eyes blazing with need.
“Fuck yes, Xavi. Don’t stop.”
He lowered his head and his tongue lapped at my nipple before he engulfed it and sucked it between his lips. My hips jerked
up of their own accord. I was desperate to feel one of them wrapped around me. Before I could even ask, Nathan fell to his
knees, opened his mouth, and swallowed me down.
I roared out in ecstasy, and my head tipped back to the ceiling, the sound echoing off the tiled walls. “Goddamn, Nathan.
Your tongue is magic. Fucking yes. Take my dick.”
I thrust forward, hearing him gag slightly, but that only spurred me on further. My hands went to his hair, and I gripped him
hard, earning a whimper of pleasure from his pretty lips. I held him still as I rocked my pelvis hard and slow into him. Each
pass forced him deeper onto my dick. My growing knot bumped against his lips, and he popped his tongue out to lick at it. My
body shook with the effort of holding myself back.
Next to me, Xavier also dropped to his knees. He peered up at me through his thick lashes, his gaze heated. “May I have a
taste, alpha?”
I moaned and pulled back from Nathan’s glorious mouth. Nathan whimpered and tried to take me back, but I twisted to
Xavier. “Open up, suck me as well as he just did.”
Xavier’s mouth dropped open, his tongue sticking out. I glided my dick over it and then, in one smooth move, straight down
his throat. I felt him swallow around my girth and I was lost. Grabbing his hair, the same as I had Nathan, I pounded my cock in
and out of him. I was much rougher with Xavier, but I knew he could take it. He loved when I lost control like this.
Eyes hooded, I peered down at my packmates. It wouldn’t be long before I covered both of them with my cum. Nathan
seemed to know a split second before me. He crowded next to Xavier, his mouth open wide. I pulled back from the wet heat
that was my lover and groaned as I gripped my cock. I stroked it once, twice, three times and then roared out as jet after jet shot
from my tip, covering both of their faces. Some splashed down onto their chests, and I staggered backward against the wall,
sliding onto the bench seat, attempting to catch my breath.
Xavier and Nathan turned to one another and, with a smirk in my direction, they began cleaning each other off. Not with their
hands or the washcloths. Oh no, they used their tongues. My dick was never going down at this rate. Nathan licked across
Xavier’s chest then stuck his tongue out to show Xavier my cum that he was holding in the middle. Xavier gripped him around
the neck and slammed their mouths together. Their tongues swirled against one another’s and swapped my release between
them.
“Fuck, that’s so goddamned hot.” I groaned.
Xavier winked at me and then lightly tapped Nathan’s side. “Turn around, lover. I want this ass.”
Nathan scrambled to obey, getting on his hands and knees. He wiggled his ass in Xavier’s direction but soon stopped as
Xavier pressed two fingers to his hole. I leaned forward, watching expectantly. I loved seeing them fall apart under one
another’s skilled hands almost as much as I loved them falling apart under me.
Xavier’s fingers slipped inside Nathan and they both groaned. Xavier scissored his digits back and forth, opening up our
packmate. He added a third and then a fourth finger before pulling out entirely. Nathan whined in protest and jolted backward,
trying to get Xavier to go back inside.
He didn’t have to wait long. Xavier reached outside the shower, to one of the many places we had lube stored around this
house, and slathered some onto himself. His hand stroked up and down his length, and I licked my lips appreciatively. He saw
me watching.
“There’s plenty of dick here for you too, alpha,” he offered.
“Don’t tempt me. I want to see you fuck him. Show me how he makes you feel.”
“With pleasure.”
With those words, he rammed himself forward, holding Nathan’s hips and burying himself to the hilt in one stroke. His
growing knot slapped against Nathan’s cheeks and they both shouted, “Yes!” Xavier pulled and pushed Nathan as if he weighed
nothing, using him like a Fleshlight as they chased their mutual pleasure. My cock, which had slightly deflated, sprang back up.
I grabbed the base and started stroking myself in time with Xavier’s thrusts. He saw what I was doing and moved his hand so I
could have a clear view.
Fuck, I loved watching them together.
Nathan’s voice rose in cries of bliss as I watched his eyes roll back in his head. His cock bobbed under him, looking full and
in need of release. Xavier’s thrusts stuttered as he grew closer and closer to finding his own pleasure. Sliding to the floor, still
stroking my cock, I made my way to the erotic pair in front of me. There was just enough room for me to shimmy under Nathan,
and I did so.
Opening my mouth, I took just the tip of him between my lips. Immediately, his hips jerked, trying to get me to take more of
him in. Grinning around his length, I did. I slobbered all over him, listening to the sounds above me as Xavier got closer to
reaching his finish. Xavi’s hand found my cock, and he pushed my hand off myself and took over. Nathan moaned and his pelvis
dipped farther, forcing me to take him all the way.
In moments, as if we’d rehearsed it, all three of us were cumming. Nathan’s delicious cum filled my mouth, and I greedily
gulped it all down. Mine spurted from my cock, shooting up and then covering Xavier’s hand and my stomach. Above me,
Nathan yelled out in joy as Xavier filled his ass. Xavier slammed into Nate hard enough that his knot popped inside, locking
them together.
Panting, they fell to the side, and I lay on my back, gasping as my heart slowly returned to its normal rhythm.
“Gods . . .”
“Fucking . . .”
“Damn it . . . ,” we all said one after the other.
“That was amazing,” I said.
“Mm-hmm,” both of my pack members mumbled in agreement.
“I love you both so much.”
“We love you too. Let’s not go so long apart again, yeah?” Xavier said.
“I’m sorry I’ve been in my head. I didn’t mean to make you all feel neglected.”
“You didn’t. It’s just, we need each other right now. Even more so with Drew not here,” Nathan clarified.
“I know. And we will find him. I promise you. Both of you.”
“We know you will. We believe in you.”
I closed my eyes, taking in the delicious mishmash of all our scents. The room was drenched in pancakes, bananas,
pineapples, cake, and syrup. I took a deep inhale of all of it as I absorbed their words. They believed in me. Now, I just had to
come through.
Drew, wherever you are, get ready, baby. Daddy’s coming for ya.
 Chapter 5

DREW

I CLIMBED THE STAIRS to Riley’s room, completely downtrodden. I.T. had no luck finding information on her. The ORA had
indeed erased all traces of my sister from their system. Even the backed-up data on the cloud was empty. We knew nothing. But
every day, I saw my sister fade further and further. It was a struggle to get her to eat, and she was losing weight way too
rapidly.
She was never alone for long anymore. Either Dell, our parents, or I were always in the room with her. I felt bad every time I
barged into her space unannounced. An omega’s room was sacred, and none of us respected that any longer. But it was a
necessity at this point. We were all concerned one day, she was just going to fade away in front of our eyes.
I entered her room and saw Dell crouched next to her, pleading once again for her to tell him what was going on. I knew it
was useless. She sealed her lips tighter than the lug nuts on my bike. I caught Dell’s eye and kneeled on the other side of
Riley’s mattress. He asked her to please talk to him. I heard her sigh and roll away from him. Unfortunately for her, I was
waiting for her. She saw me and her brows dipped in defeat. I gave her a soft smile, trying to appeal to her.
“Little sis, please talk to us. We need to help. We can. Please let us.”
Riley choked on a sob and swiped at her cheeks. My eyes snagged on her wrist and understanding shot through me. How the
fuck . . . ? I didn’t take my eyes from her as I asked Dell to give us a moment. He protested, but something in my expression
must have made him rethink that. Dell sighed and got up to leave.
At the door, he paused and looked back at her. “Riley, I love you. We all love you. Please, don’t fade away from us.”
He left, closing the door behind himself. Riley tried to bury deeper in her makeshift nest, but my hand dove into her blankets,
and I ignored her indignant gasp. I grasped her hand and pulled her wrist out to the light. Just what I thought. She had a bite.
“Who are you bonded to, Riley?” I growled out, barely restraining my ire. Her confused look and subsequent denial didn’t
help matters. “Then what’s this?”
I shoved her wrist under her nose, where the bright-white bond mark was clearly visible. Riley ripped her hand from my
grasp, staring at it in concentration. She sat up, the first genuine movement I had seen from her in weeks.
“Some . . . ,” she whispered in awe.
I shook my head in bewilderment. “Some? Some what?”
“No. Storm. Storm bonded me to her.”
My eyes flashed. “Did you agree to this, Riley? Did you know what was happening? Or did the alpha take away your
choice?”
“Alpha? What? No, Storm isn’t an alpha. She’s my friend. My roommate. My omega.”
“Riles, you have got to explain. Now. No more ignoring us.”
She nibbled on her lower lip. “Alright. But please promise you won’t judge me.”
“I won’t judge you. I can’t promise my reaction will be what you want because I don’t know what you are about to tell me,
but I can promise I will never think less of you, no matter what it is.”
“That’s all I ask.”
She took a deep inhale and then started a story I never in a million years would’ve guessed. Storm and she had met on the
day of her arrival at the ORA. Apparently, she was supposed to have been rooming with another omega that was a royal bitch,
and Storm had come in and saved the day. They became fast friends, and then, as the months passed, they became more. Riley’s
cheeks were bright red as she told me about how her hormones had ramped up after the spring break. She didn’t tell me exactly
what happened, but I could connect the dots.
My sister had found a scent match. Another omega. It was unheard of, but I could see the signs in her. I knew it was real. No
wonder she had been practically fighting for the will to live. Her bond was strained and incomplete. Her omega senses had to
be all over the place, not knowing what to do. She was probably going slightly feral, not being near her bondmate.
 At the end of her tale, I asked her, “Do you happen to know her last name?”
“Yeah, it’s Vareth.”
I blinked. There was no way. “Really?”
“Yeah, why?”
I snorted. “I know her.”
“What?” she asked me, her voice cracking a little with disbelief.
“Well, not exactly. But I know of her. My pa—my friends know her family. I’ll give them a call and see what we can find
out, alright? It’s going to be okay, Riles. You’re going to get her back. I promise.”
She launched herself out of bed and into my arms. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
I chuckled and set her back on her mattress. “You’re welcome, sis. Now, please try to eat something. Let me go make my
call.”
She nodded eagerly, her eyes shining for the first time in months with hope. Quietly, I left her room and made my way to
mine. I dug into my closet and pulled out my phone. It was probably dead by now. Who knew if they would even answer at this
point? I had ignored them for almost three months.
I pressed the button to turn it on and saw I somehow had just enough battery for a quick call. Hopefully, they’d pick up. I
scrolled through the three options on who to call and decided to try to reach Xavier. He was always the more levelheaded out
of the three alphas. I clicked his name, and the phone started ringing right away. I stiffened my spine and put the cell to my ear.
Here went nothing.
Four rings later, I heard Xavier’s surprised voice on the other side. “Bug? Is that you?”
I ran my tongue over my teeth. I hardened my heart against his nickname for me. He had no right to call me that. “Yeah, it’s
me. I have something I need you to tell the Vareths. Tell them Riley is here with me. She needs Storm. Now.”
“Are you serious? Really? Bug, are you sure?”
I reared back from the speaker. How dare he question me? “Yes, I’m fucking sure, Xavier! She’s my goddamned sister!”
“I’m sorry, bug. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have.” I rattled off my address. “Tell them to bring her here, please.”
I punched “end call” on the phone and turned it back off. Fuck. I wasn’t naïve enough to think they wouldn’t be coming along.
There was no way I was prepared to meet them. I needed to harden myself against them and their wily ways. They didn’t
deserve my heart. Not any longer.
I stomped from my room, slamming my door, intending to go for a walk to cool off. Unfortunately for me, my father was
standing in the hallway. He crossed his arms and gave me a look that plainly said he wanted to talk. My shoulders drooped, and
I gave him a small nod. He turned and briskly made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen. Motioning for me to sit, he
collapsed into the chair across from me.
Meeting his eyes, I saw just how tired and worn down he really was. I felt horrible. I knew Riley’s despondent attitude
hadn’t helped matters, but I, too, had shut him down every time he’d tried to talk to me. Not to mention the stress he was under
at work.
“I’m sorry, Dad.”
“What for, son?”
“For not talking to you. I know you’re worried.”
“Worried? No, I’m not worried. I’m furious.”
Shocked, I looked up and met his fiery gaze. His eyes blazed with his anger.
“Why are you mad?”
“Why am I mad?” he asked incredulously. “I don’t know, Drew. What could I possibly have to be mad about, hmm? Could it
be that my oldest son up and left us with barely a goodbye? Or that when he returned, he was a miserable bastard to everyone
around him? That is, when you bothered to be home? Or could it be the fact that I heard from Jerry at work that he saw you
running with that gang again? Hmm? Do you think that might be a reason?”
“They aren’t a gang,” I defended weakly.
“Bullshit.”
“They aren’t. It’s a motorcycle club.”
He raised his brow. “I fail to see the difference.”
“We don’t go around terrorizing people for the fun of it. We don’t run drugs or guns. The Fate Fighters stand up to those that
think they are above everyone else. We help people, Dad.”
He scoffed. “Right, just like you guys ‘helped’ take that money from the alpha in town?”
“He’s an asshole! He had more than enough to share and he didn’t.”
“That wasn’t your decision to make!” he roared, slamming his hand down on the table, making me jump. “That was his
money. His belongings. You had no right to go in and take them because you felt he had too much.”
“It wasn’t just that,” I muttered.
 “Oh? Tell me what else it was.”
I growled and stood up from the table, pacing back and forth. “Don’t you see the way he treats everyone? The way he talks to
people around him? Or hell, the way he stares at Riley like he thinks he owns her? You know as well as I do all the rumors
floating around about him. How he killed his first omega, how he probably has abused or hurt more that we don’t know about.
He’s a fucking creeper, Dad. He needed to be knocked down a bit.”
My dad sighed and rubbed his temples. “It doesn’t matter. Rumors are rumors. It wasn’t your right to go in there and destroy
his livelihood.”
“You know, this is exactly why I don’t talk to you about what I do. You don’t understand.”
“You’re damn right I don’t understand! We didn’t raise you like this, Drew!”
“You didn’t fucking raise me at all!” I screamed, my anger finally reaching a boiling point.
“What the hell do you mean by that?”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Come on, Dad. Riley and Dell always got more attention than I did. I’m not blaming you. I get
it. They are special. But I needed attention too, you know. I always got pushed to the side.”
“That’s not true . . . ,” my dad denied, horrified.
“It is! After Riley and Dell presented as an omega and alpha, it was like I no longer existed. I was a part of the town’s
bowling team for four years. How many of my meets did you come to?” I asked. “You don’t remember? I do. Three. Four years
and you guys made it to three meets. Every time I had one, either Riley or Dell had something going on and you both made it a
priority to help them. You promised me you’d be there next time at every single one.
“But each time, I got let down. It was to a point where I stopped telling you guys when they were. I knew you wouldn’t make
it anyway. Riley needed you more. And of course, Dell had things going on too. His alpha academy graduation was the same
night as my meet for state. I didn’t begrudge you going to his graduation over my silly game, but it hurt.
“I know I’m not as important as them, but can you blame me for looking for attention elsewhere? The Fate Fighters were
there. They took me under their wing and made me feel like I belonged for the first time. Can’t you understand that?”
“Drew . . .” My dad’s stricken expression said it all.
“Look, it’s fine. I’m fine. But don’t go getting all upset over my choice of friends now. They mean the world to me.”
“Drew, son, we never meant to make you feel you were less important than your siblings. We love you all equally. I’m sorry
we weren’t there for you like we should’ve been.”
“Like I said, it’s fine. I’m grown now. I understand more than I did then.”
My dad’s eyes were brimming with tears. My jaw clenched as I tried not to let it affect me.
“Look, I got Riley to talk to me. I know what happened to her at school. She bonded to another omega, and her mood is
because that bond is strained. I called some people, and they are going to get the omega here. She will be just fine as soon as
that happens. However, I think these people I called will come with her. I don’t want to see them right now. When they come, I
plan on being far away from here.”
“Drew . . .” My father seemed incapable of saying anything other than my name.
I shook my head. “I’m going to the Fate Fighters’ clubhouse tonight. Don’t wait up.”
I turned and strode from the room, crashing right into Dell. He’d heard the entire conversation, and he gave me a desolate
look. I didn’t blame him, or Riley, or my parents for the way I’d felt growing up. I knew my siblings needed more attention,
especially being born into a family of betas that had little to no knowledge about their designations. I side-stepped Dell and
patted him on the shoulder.
“It’s cool, little bro. Take care of Riles, would ya? I’ll be back tomorrow. Maybe.”
Then, without a backward glance, I left the house. Outside, I jumped on my midnight-black crotch rocket that had red
phantom flames painted down the side. With a roar, I peeled out and away from my home, heading straight for the clubhouse. I
needed a stiff drink.
 Chapter 6

DREW

DROWNING MY WOES IN alcohol was a piss-poor decision. My head was throbbing this morning. I kept forgetting I wasn’t
twenty-one anymore. My body wasn’t metabolizing the liquor like it used to. I knew the closer I got to thirty, the worse it was
probably going to get, too. I groaned and rolled off the couch where I had dumped my sorry ass last night, sometime around two
in the morning.
My knees hit the floor with a thunk, and I grimaced, the noise sounding like a gunshot. Stumbling to my feet, I made my way
blearily over to the restroom. After relieving my screaming bladder, I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wake myself
up. In the mirror, I met my bloodshot eyes and winced. I looked like shit.
I left the bathroom and moved over toward the bar. Hank was there, wiping down the counter with a rag that looked like it
was doing little more than pushing the grime around, it was so filthy. I hoisted my aching body up onto a stool with a groan.
“You look like death warmed over, kid,” he said to me, placing a glass of what looked like tar in front of me.
I gave it a disgusted look but picked it up and tossed it back in one shot. “Fuck, that’s nasty.”
“Maybe, but it will do the trick. Hank’s Hangover Cure hasn’t failed anyone yet.” He took the glass back from me and poured
me a cup of water. “Drink that too. You’re dehydrated as fuck. I’m not sure what demons you were trying to drink away last
night, but you sure gave it the ole college try.”
I chuckled and then sobered. Fuck, that hurt my head. I rested my forehead on the bar rail with a grunt. “What time is it?”
“Just after ten. Why? You got someplace to be, champ?”
I grunted. “Not particularly. Just some apologies to make.”
“Ah,” he said knowingly. “One of those nights, huh?”
I nodded, took the glass of water, and tipped it up, chugging every drop. The ice clinked against the cup, and the chill went
right down my throat, into the pit of my stomach. Slamming it back down on the counter, I thanked Hank and started out the
door. I knew I’d hurt my dad’s feelings yesterday. I felt like shit about it. He didn’t deserve that. He was a great dad, and my
mom was wonderful. It wasn’t their fault that they’d had two children with special designations after I was born. I owed them a
huge apology for talking to them the way I did.
I’d parked my bike right outside the bar, and I jumped onto it, kick-starting it as I did. Twisting, I grabbed my helmet from the
back storage box and pulled it down over my face. Just as I was about to pull out of the parking lot, Peyton appeared in the
doorway. I walked my bike over to her and lifted the visor on my helmet.
“I don’t know how much of last night you remember,” she said, and I snorted. “But I want you to know that I don’t want you
back here. Not for the foreseeable future. Your pack is coming back, and I think you need to give them a chance to explain.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re kicking me out?”
“No. Never. But I am demanding you take a leave of absence until you can figure out what it is you really want. I love you
like the brother I never had, Drew. You deserve to be happy, and I think they can provide that for you. I want you to take the
opportunity they present and run with it. If it doesn’t work out, you know we are always here. But if it does, and I truly think it
will, I don’t want you thinking you have to come back here. We will be okay without you. But I don’t think you’ll be okay
without them.”
I blinked at her, taking in her words. I hated to admit it, but I knew she was right. Without them, I was miserable. No matter
what I tried to tell myself, I knew I was in love with all three of them. They really were the bright spots in my dim world. I
couldn’t say anything to her, just nodded in thanks. She gave me a soft smile and a wave, then disappeared back into her bar. I
watched the door for a few seconds after she entered, then I backed up my bike, revved the engine, and took off for home.
The wind whipped at my clothing as I sped down the road. I leaned over my handlebars, helping with the resistance, feeling
my bike pick up speed. Nothing beat this feeling. I felt so free while I rode this powerful machine. Houses whizzed by on the
edges of my vision, gone before I could focus on them.
 Ahead, I saw my house, and I downshifted in preparation to stop. I pulled my bike around the back and turned it off. Yanking
my helmet off my head, I shook out my sandy blond hair. I put the helmet on my handlebar and dismounted. Suddenly, my hair
stood on end on the back of my neck. Something was wrong.
My eyes darted around as I tried to figure out what the issue was. I saw nothing out of the ordinary. I tilted my head, straining
to hear. My blood ran cold. I spun and took off at a sprint around my house.
“HELP! Please, someone hel—”
My sister’s cry cut off, and I saw red. Someone was hurting her, and they were going to pay. Rounding the corner, I watched
as she lashed out and kicked the person holding her. He dropped her, and she started scrambling away from him. I heard a
snarl, and my eyes locked on the shape that had dared to grab her from her own home. Alpha Brown. That fucking asshole.
I roared and lowered my head, dashing right toward him. Connecting with his side, I threw him to the ground. I saw and felt
nothing except a need to see his end. This fucking alpha thought he could come in here and steal my sister? Fuck that!
My fists slammed into his face over and over. I heard his tooth crack, and blood covered his face. I yelled how much I
despised him. He got his wits about him and shoved me off, his arms swinging wildly. His fist connected with my left cheek,
and my brain felt like it was rattling in my head. He might’ve been an alpha, but he didn’t know how to fight. His subsequent
attempts to hit me were wild and missed. Sadly for him, each of my punches met some part of his body.
“She’s mine!” he screamed. “I’m claiming her. No one else has yet. I have rights. I’m an alpha!”
“She is not yours. She’ll never be yours. It’s her choice, and by her screams, I’d say she’s made it pretty fucking clear she
doesn’t want you!”
I continued to rain down my method of justice on his pathetic ass, pleased each time I heard a crack from one of his bones.
Then, out of nowhere, I felt arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me off.
“What the fuck?” I yelped, struggling against the person holding me tightly to them.
“Hush, bug. Let us handle it,” Xavier’s voice said in my ear. Then, to the alpha lying on the ground, he asked, “What’s going
on here?”
“Thank goodness you’re here. This stupid beta attacked me while I was trying to take my omega home. I want him arrested.
Someone call the cops,” Alpha Brown said, blood dripping from his jaw.
Xavier’s grip tightened on me, and he growled. I knew Alpha Brown’s words had pissed him off. Before he could say
anything to the asshole, all hell broke loose as someone I’d never met spoke up. My eyes darted back and forth between all the
newcomers and Alpha Brown. He stormed off in a huff and my shoulders deflated. It was then that I remembered who still had
a hold of me.
“Let me go, Xavier,” I demanded.
“No chance, bug. Last time I let you go, I didn’t see you for three months. We’ve got a lot to discuss, and we aren’t leaving
without you.”
“Fuck off, Xavier. There’s nothing to discuss. Go on home to your omega girlfriend and leave me be.”
I jerked against his hold, thrilled when I broke free. I started toward my house, fully intending to get inside and shut the door
on these jackasses’ faces. Of course, that was too good to be true. I got knocked off my feet within seconds and felt my world
spin on its axis as Charlie tossed me up and over his shoulder.
“Let me go, asshole! I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“What the hell is going on here?” my dad said, appearing in the doorway.
My mother’s face popped out next to his arm. “Drew? Are you alright?”
“Mom, Dad, tell these fuckheads I’m not going with them!”
“Oh, well, um . . . ,” she floundered.
“We apologize, Mr. and Mrs. Druman,” Xavier said with a bow. Fucking dipshit. “We didn’t mean to cause a scene. It’s just,
we have some things to discuss with Drew here. Some things he left out and some misconceptions he has.”
“There were no misconceptions! Dad, tell him to put me down,” I raged, slamming my fist into Charlie’s back as I picked up
my struggles.
My dad rolled his lips in like he was fighting a smile. “Son, they seem pretty adamant about you going with them. Maybe you
should listen to what they have to say.”
“You’re serious?” I asked, stunned.
“Hush, Drew,” Charlie said with a smack to my ass. “Listen to your father.”
I reared back and stared down at him in shock.
My dad chuckled. “Yeah. I can see why you’ve been so mopey the last few months. They’ll definitely keep you on your toes.
You take care of my son. If he comes back here as pissed off and miserable as he was the last time, mark my words, I’ll make
you regret it.”
“We promise,” all three assholes chorused back to my dad.
“Carry on.”
They ignored my protests as they hurried to their waiting Range Rover and shoved me into the back seat. Xavier was on one
side and Nathan on the other, trapping me between them. Charlie climbed into the driver’s seat and took off, leaving my family
behind.
Another random document with
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“If I do not hurry and find Globicephalous, this house of safety may
become a house of death,” Pinocchio began to think after lying still a
long time. “Perhaps if I try I may be able to walk around like a hermit
crab. Let me see.”
Slowly the marionette stuck out first one leg, then another; then his
arms came out, and lastly his head appeared. Holding the shell with
both hands he tried to walk around.... Impossible. After a few steps
he was exhausted.
“Too bad! It is so comfortable here! If only I had a horse! ’Twould be
like riding in a carriage!”
While he was thinking thus, he saw not far away four fish like the
ones he had seen under the hammerhead. An idea flashed through
his head.
“Oh, if I only could!... The horses!...” he whispered.
Trying very hard, he succeeded in dragging himself near them. The
fish were very busy. They were looking for small crabs to eat, and
paid no attention to him. Trembling in every limb, Pinocchio went on.
As soon as he was near them, he bent over slowly. How kind the
little fish were! As soon as they felt the shell on their heads they
stuck to it. Just what Pinocchio wanted! In a moment he felt himself
rising in the air, or rather in the water. The remoras were strong and
pulled him along swiftly.
“Hurrah! Here I am in a flying machine!” screamed Pinocchio,
clapping his hands. “I feel like a prince, and not even a king has a
carriage like mine! Hurrah!”
 CHAPTER IX
Pinocchio forgot all his troubles, and was full of fun and mischief.
Grasping a long thin seaweed and using it as a whip, he went gaily
along.
“Up, up, my little horses! Trot, trot,—gallop, gallop,” he
sang at the top of his voice.
The fishes obeyed him well and in a short time they
had gone a long way. Pinocchio soon became so bold
that he whipped a dory which was passing by, pulled a
horrible bullhead by the tail, and slapped a red mullet
that was studying him with interest.
Meanwhile the horses ran and ran, wherever they
wished. Soon Pinocchio saw that they were near the surface of the
water.
 “‘Up, Up, my Little Horses!’”

“When I reach the top, I shall be able to see where I am. I will then
swim to the coral reef and find Globicephalous,” he thought.
But on the surface of the water such a surprise was awaiting him that
he forgot all about coral reefs or dolphins.
All around him mushrooms were hanging. They were of all shapes
and sizes, and of a hundred beautiful colors. Some had round
heads, which looked like soap bubbles. Some looked like inverted
glass bells; others like brightly colored umbrellas. Still others seemed
to be made of emeralds and sapphires. From all of them, long
beautiful silvery threads hung down into the water. The waves
moved them about, and the sun playing with them made them look
like so many rainbows.
Pinocchio was amazed at so much beauty. As far as eye could reach
he could see only these beautiful objects. It was a sight to arouse
wonder in any one.
“I wish some one were here to tell me what those wonderful things
are!” he thought.
What so attracted Pinocchio were medusæ. They also are animals
belonging to the zoöphytes.
These medusæ have no solid parts and cannot live out of the water.
If taken out and left in the sun they dry up and soon nothing is left of
them. Some of them are as small as a penny, and others are very
large.
“If I could only take one,” sighed Pinocchio, hanging way out of his
shell in his efforts to touch them.
His four horses, as if to satisfy him, came near to the medusæ in
order to eat a few. The marionette tried to imitate them, but he had
no sooner touched them than he let go very quickly.
“Oh, oh!” he cried, shaking his hands, “they prick like so many
nettles.”
He did not know it, but he had used the right words. In fact,
fishermen often call medusæ sea nettles.
“My dear mushroom rainbows,” he said, bowing low, “you may be
very beautiful, but you are not for me. Good-by.”
Just then the fishes reached the
surface of the water. But they did not
stay there long. A fearful storm was
rising. Great black clouds hung low,
almost touching the water.
The waves were white and ragged
and lashed angrily. The medusæ had
disappeared. Very gladly Pinocchio
cuddled in his shell, and very happy
he was when he found himself again
at the bottom of the sea.
There all was calm. For, strange to
say, even though the most terrible
tempest may rage on the sea, deep
down in it the water is always calm.
“How lucky it is that I did not start to
swim,” thought Pinocchio. “I should have been killed surely.”
On and on the fishes went. But finally they became tired and stopped
near a rock. Here were some of the most beautiful shells imaginable.
After resting awhile the fish continued their journey. Pinocchio went
along happily.
For a time he seemed to have forgotten what danger he was in. He
let himself be carried along without a thought of the future.
The party was now passing through the midst of a great number of
eels. Who does not know an eel? Even Pinocchio knew them.
He might, however, have very easily mistaken a common eel for a
conger eel, or for a burbot, sometimes called ling. It was this
ignorance of his which led him into trouble.
To him the eels were all alike. So he pulled the tail of one, pinched
another’s round body, or shook a third one by the nose. The poor
things turned and struggled. But this only afforded greater fun for
Pinocchio.
But, oh! He had no sooner touched a large red eel’s tail, than he
gave a scream of pain. His shouts of laughter were changed to
moans, and in his struggles the marionette fell out of the shell and
tumbled on the sand.
“Help! Help! I am dying! Some one has killed me!” howled Pinocchio,
so loudly that he could have been heard a mile away.
“Who is howling so? What is happening down there?” a deep voice
called.
Pinocchio heard nothing. He could only think of his pain, and
scream. He made such a noise that even the deaf could hear him.
“Well, may I know what has happened?” called the same voice,
nearer now. “Why, it is Mr. Pinocchio!”
The words were uttered by a large dolphin with a head as round as
an electric light globe. That dolphin was Globicephalous.
“You mean I was Pinocchio. Now I am dead, so I am no longer
Pinocchio.”
“Why, what has happened to you?”
 “‘Help! Help! I am Dying!’”

All Pinocchio could do was to struggle on the sand.

“Well, will you tell me what the matter is?”
“I can’t.... I don’t know.... I’m dead.”
“Who has hurt you?”
“Some one has killed me.”
“Who?”
“Fire ants! Oh! Oh!” screamed Pinocchio.
But by this time the marionette was beginning to feel better. He
opened his eyes and looked at the dolphin.
Well! did you ever see a jumping jack come suddenly out of his box
when the box is opened? In just the same way did Pinocchio jump to
his feet when he recognized Tursio’s servant. His pain was forgotten.
“Globicephalous! Oh, Globicephalous! How glad I am to see you!” he
cried, and running up to the dolphin, he hugged him wildly. Or, at
least, he tried to do so, for his wooden arms did not go very far
around the dolphin’s neck.
“What happiness it is to find you once more!” Pinocchio kept saying.
“I had almost lost hope of ever being with you again.”
“But will you tell me what was the matter with you?”
“Oh, have I not told you? I have been killed!”
“But by whom, pray?”
“By fire ants! Will you see if you can take them off? Oh, they are
beginning again. There must be a million of them!”
“I don’t see any on you!”
“Then you must be blind! Hundreds of ants or mosquitoes must be
on me. They have heated their stingers red hot, and now they are
enjoying themselves by sticking them into me on all sides. Oh! Oh!”
Globicephalous turned the boy around. “I see nothing!” he said
finally.
“But I feel everything! I am being bitten, cut, torn to pieces.”
“That’s queer! How did this pain begin?”
“Why, I was playing with some eels, and just as I touched a red one’s
tail, why....”
“Oh, now I understand,” interrupted Globicephalous. “You touched
an electric eel. Still, I don’t see how an electric eel comes to be
around here. Usually they are found only in rivers. It must have been
a lost one. All you can do is just to bear it. In an hour or so it will
stop. You have had an electric shock, that’s all.”
“And that eel did it all?”
“Yes; that eel did it all, and the torpedoes can do it, too.”
“But I only touched the eel with a stick.”
“It doesn’t matter. The shock is very strong, so strong that
sometimes it may even kill a fish.”
“You are right! The shock is strong!”
“Well, you will be all right. Now jump on my tail. We must return to
the rock. Soon Mr. Tursio and Marsovino will be at the meeting
place.”
“But are we not far away from that meeting place? I looked all over
for it this morning.”
“Oh, no, we shall soon be there.”
Little by little the pain stopped, and Pinocchio thought no more of the
eel. Or if he thought of it, it was only to resolve never to touch it
again, not even with a stick.
 CHAPTER X
“Good evening, Messrs. Cetaceans,” said
Pinocchio, bowing low to Tursio and Marsovino as
soon as he saw them coming.
“Why, where did you learn our family name? You
called us fish once upon a time.”
“Globicephalous told me. I know now the difference
between a fish and a cetacean.”
“You have taken lessons from a servant? Why, I
thought you were ashamed even to be seen
walking with one.”
Pinocchio was silent. He was beginning to learn manners.
“Well, Pinocchio, to-morrow morning you are to come with us to visit
my friend Beluga. You may walk around a little now with Marsovino;
but after your walk you are to go to sleep. I want you up early to-
morrow.”
While the marionette was listening to Tursio he had noticed a bright
red eel lying quietly among some weeds. The mood for mischief
again seized him. He smiled to himself. Approaching Marsovino, he
pulled him gently by the fin, and said to him smilingly:
“Come with me. I want to show you something. Look in those weeds.
There is a beautiful electrical machine there.”
“An electrical machine!” Marsovino was full of interest. “Where is it?”
“Stick your nose among the weeds and you will see it.”
The dolphin did as he was told. Pinocchio laughed up his sleeve,
and very quietly hid himself behind some friendly rocks.
“Oh!” suddenly screamed Marsovino, leaping backward. “An
electrical machine! Why, it is an electric eel, you mean boy! That was
an unkind joke, Pinocchio.”

Yes, that mischief maker, seeing the eel again, thought he would
play a trick on the poor dolphin.
Tursio, hearing the screams, had come nearer.
“The electric eel! You poor boy! How you must suffer!”
“Luckily the eel was asleep, so I had no great shock.”
“Yes, luckily. When it is asleep, it does not hurt much.”
“But how did you ever get near him?”
“Why, Pinocchio—” and then he stopped. Why should he tell? But he
was too late.
“Oh, that Pinocchio. Well, remember, marionette, usually one gets
paid in his own coin. Now you look tired. Stop stretching yourself and
go to sleep.”
“Very well, Mr. Tursio,” came meekly from Pinocchio. “But may I ask
a favor of you?”
“What is it?”
“Seeing that we are near the island, may I sleep there to-night? I
found a small cave there this morning, and it looked comfortable.
May I, Mr. Tursio?”
“Why, surely, my boy.”
“Thank you. But will you please sleep near? I should feel better if I
knew you were near.”
“Very well, my lion tamer.”
Globicephalous then took Pinocchio on his back and rose with him to
the surface.
“I wonder what those two dolphins are talking about,” he thought,
seeing Tursio and Marsovino whispering together.
Tursio seemed little pleased. Marsovino was begging for something.
Finally the good old dolphin smiled an unwilling “yes” to his pupil.
“It may teach him a lesson,” Pinocchio heard Tursio say, and he
wondered at the words. Soon he forgot all about them.
“Good-night,” he called, jumping on land and disappearing into the
cave.
He gathered some seaweed and made a soft bed.
“This is very good,” he said, lying down. But soon he found out that
he could not sleep.
He could not understand why. He was so tired, after two nights of
sleeplessness, but still his eyes would not close. Everything around
him was so quiet that he began to be frightened. He got up and
looked out on the sea. It was as black as ink, oh! pitch-black.
“How horrible the sea is at night,” grumbled the marionette.
 “‘Good-night,’” he called.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he wished them in
again. As if the waves had taken offense at his remark, they were
suddenly turned into fire. It seemed as if millions of stars had fallen
into the sea.
Pinocchio ran out of the cave. As far as eye could reach there was
nothing but this fiery sea. The bright, shiny water rose and fell in
silvery waves. Millions of sparks were thrown up into the air and fell
back again.
“Oh! the sea is on fire,” shouted Pinocchio, and that O-o-o-o-h was
the longest that had as yet come from his mouth. “And then Mr.
Tursio tells me he is not a wizard.”
He could hardly be blamed, poor ignorant little marionette. That
scene certainly belonged more to fairyland than to real life.
It was the phosphorescence of the sea that attracted Pinocchio’s
attention. Sometimes this is so wonderfully beautiful that seen once,
it can never be forgotten.
 “‘Oh! the Sea is on Fire.’”

Our wooden hero was so awe-struck at first that he could only stand
and gaze at it. Finally he gathered courage, and went nearer and
nearer the water. And when a wave touched his feet, he jumped
back for fear of being burned. But he found the water was just as
cool as before.
“Why, this fire does not burn! How queer! What can it be?”
In his ignorance he could not answer, but I shall answer for him.
The phosphorescence of the sea is produced by millions of very tiny
zoöphytes, so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye.
These minute zoöphytes have a sheen like fireflies. When they light
up all together, they make the ocean look like a sea of molten gold.
While Pinocchio was still gazing, the fire went out just as quickly as it
had come. The night was again as dark as ink. This was not much to
the marionette’s taste, so he started back to his cave. Glancing
toward the sea again, it seemed to him that the dolphins were not in
the same place.
“I hope I’ll be able to sleep now,” he thought. “I am so tired.”
But he had hardly reached the mouth of the cave when, with a
shriek, he turned and fled. Why?
An awful, a horrible monster was hanging at the mouth of the cave. It
was more than a yard long, and with a mouth like an oven. On its
head were two long horns; and its body was shining in the night,
frightful in its shape and color. Can you imagine Pinocchio’s fright?
“A dragon!” he shrieked. “A dragon in my cave! Help! Help!”
Running madly toward the sea, he never stopped until he reached
the dolphins.
 “‘A Dragon!’ he shrieked.”

“Globicephalous, for pity’s sake! Tursio! Marsovino! Help! Wake up!

A demon is in my cave! Yes, come and see—his mouth wide open,
ready to eat me up. If only you could see the size of his horns!”
But when the dolphins awoke and realized what was happening,
they only laughed and laughed. Pinocchio could not understand. He
looked from one to the other. Finally he said, “Well, I don’t see
anything so funny. What is it?”
“Look at the brave boy! Look! Look!” called Marsovino, bursting with
laughter.
“I thought you threw stones into a lion’s mouth,” shouted
Globicephalous, making fun of the poor fellow.
“Lions are one thing, demons another,” explained Pinocchio, almost
crying with shame.
“But what demons are you talking about, anyway?” asked Tursio.
“Come, and you will see.”
When they reached the cave, there was the dragon still hanging. His
eyes were still glaring, his mouth still wide, his body still shining in
the night.
“B-r-r-r-!” came from our shivering hero.
“Look at it well, you foolish boy. What do you think of it? A demon?
Where are its eyes? Doesn’t it look more like a mere fish?”
“Yes, well?” asked Pinocchio, who didn’t know what to think.
“Well, it is a fish. Sometimes it is called fishing frog, sometimes
goosefish, and sometimes sea devil from its horrible looks.”
“Marsovino has just paid you back for your joke. He took the dry skin
of this fish, filled it with water, and inside of it put two sunfishes.
When you thought he was asleep, he was hanging it up. It has given
you a chance to show us how brave you are.”
Pinocchio felt very small. Slowly he approached the monster and
looked it over. How foolish he had been!
“What a horrible mouth you have, my fish,” he said. “And what is this
horn doing at the top of your head?”
“That helps him to get his dinner,” explained Tursio. “Other fish are
caught on the horns, and the frog has nothing to do but eat them.”
“Well, I was frightened,” admitted the marionette, soberly.
“We have lost enough sleep by this time. To bed, all of you,” ordered
Tursio.
This time Pinocchio did not have to wait long for sleep to come. He
was soon dreaming about sharks, flying machines, sea devils, and
electric eels.
 CHAPTER XI
“Pinocchio, Pinocchio, make haste! make haste!”
called Marsovino the next morning.
“Very well,” sleepily came the answer. “But why
must I get up so early?”
“Do you call ten o’clock early, you lazy boy?”
“Ten o’clock!” Pinocchio could hardly believe his
ears.
“Yes, and in one hour we must be with the white
whale. He is expecting us for dinner. So make haste, as we have no
time to lose.”
Pinocchio, hearing about dinner, was ready in no time. He was soon
on Tursio’s back, waiting for the dolphin to start. Before long they
were on their way.
After a short trip around the island they came to a beautiful little nook
in the rocks. Here lived Beluga, the white whale.
Dinner was ready, and all sat down around the table. And what do
you think the table was? An immense flounder! Yes, don’t laugh; it is
true.
The flounder is of the same family as the sole. All these fish have a
thin flat body.
As they have to lie on the mud most of the time, they can only look
upwards. So they have both eyes on the upper side of the head.
On Beluga’s table were all kinds of fish: large ones, small ones, flat
ones, and round ones.
Pinocchio ate of everything. When he had finished, nothing was left
on his plate but a couple of eyes and a few tails. Afterward, noticing
that his plate was also a fish, he thought it would be a good idea to