Read Online The Omega's Heart (Wilde Creek Four) by R.E. Butler - Free Book Online

happy to do it. He and Adam had become close
friends, but now Jeremiah wondered about Adam’s change in mood.
He’d been acting strangely and distancing himself over the last
couple of weeks. He made a mental note to stop by and check on him
in the next day or two to make sure he was okay.
    Exhaling loudly, Jeremiah pushed off the
couch and stripped off his shirt. His skin felt like it was on
fire, his flesh prickling with heat and awareness. Rolling his
neck, he walked to the back door, not even bothering to put on
shoes or grab a coat. The brisk cold that smacked him in the face
felt welcome against his fevered skin.
    “Shit, maybe I really am coming down with
something,” he muttered, taking a few deep breaths of the cold air.
It wasn’t snowing that night, and the sky was clear. The moon shone
brightly, illuminating the small grassy area between his house and
the woods. He was directly across from the alphas, but a big
section of woods separated them. He liked being close enough to get
to them if he was asked to come, but far enough away for privacy.
He was surrounded on three sides by woods, his closest neighbor a
mile down the road.
    Brushing the snow off the deck, he sat down
and rested his bare feet on the step. He gazed up at the dark sky
and let his mind wander. His wolf was pacing in his mind, and he
felt the familiar urge to run into the woods and hunt, but he
tamped it down. The closest he could come to shifting was if he was
in a rage, and then fur would sprout on his arms and legs, claws
would extend from his fingers, and fangs would erupt from his gums.
Over the years he’d occasionally gotten pissed off enough to
partially shift like that, but it wasn’t enough for him to be
considered anything but an omega. He should be thankful. If he’d
been born fifty years ago, he would have been killed because he
couldn’t shift, to prevent his damaged genes from contaminating any
future generations.
    A slight wind kicked up and he dropped his
head quickly to scan the woods. Something was coming. His wolf
whined and paced, and Jeremiah found himself unable to move from
where he was.
    A wolf trotted from the woods into the yard
and stared at him. He’d never seen her before, and he wondered if
it was the female who’d been staying at the garage after her car
broke down. He’d heard Acksel and the ranked males discussing her.
He hadn’t seen her until this moment, and he had the almost
uncontrollable urge to go to her.
    He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t
find any words to say. Things like don’t go and please
come here flitted through his mind, but all he could manage was
a soft growl that to him sounded pleading. He’d never been so drawn
to someone before, and he was afraid to move for fear that he’d
spook her and she’d run.
    Before he could muster the nerve to speak,
she began to shift, and he sat, mesmerized, as the pretty wolf
transformed into a beautiful woman.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Honey trotted next to Mia as they wove their
way through the woods. Around them, wolves passed by, intent on
finding their own prey. Since Honey didn’t know the woods, she let
Mia lead. It was nice hunting in different woods. Although she’d
gone to college, she had always come home for the full moon to hunt
in her pack’s territory.
    Mia stopped moving, and Honey mimicked her.
Mia lifted her muzzle into the air and sniffed loudly, and Honey
cocked her head and listened. She couldn’t hear anything but the
occasional sound of a twig snapping or leaves rustling as pack
members hunted.
    Mia gave a low bark and leapt forward, racing
through the dark woods toward prey. Honey followed, wanting to stay
with Mia so she didn’t get in trouble with the alpha. Even though
at this point it probably wouldn’t matter, since she was leaving
anyway.
    As she ran, she thought about her future. She
wanted to run away and hide, but she knew that eventually her
father would find her. Or rather, Shred would. If her father