In Morgan’s daydreams, his arrival in Blue Mountain was met with joy. A pleased Ricky viewed his efforts to find him as proof of his devotion, and together, they returned to Golden Valley and began their lives as mates. Being realistic, however, Morgan suspected he would have to actually apologize and explain his behavior in order to earn his Omega’s forgiveness, which was fair and reasonable. What Morgan did not anticipate, however, was an unwelcome party consisting of two Alphas radiating anger and his mate nowhere in sight.
Exhausted but excited, anxious but hopeful, he pulled into one of the parking spots in front of the Alpha house, drew in a deep breath, and willed his muscles to relax as the oxygen flowed through his body. Yes, the men he presumed were the Grant brothers were using their body language to send him a clear message of aggression and disdain, and yes, he was alone on pack lands far from his own and where he knew nobody. But he was too much of an Alpha wolf to be scared by the latter and, he supposed, not enough of one to have his pride triggered by the former.
Slowly, Morgan stepped out of the car, keeping his posture relaxed and his arms at his sides. Fights didn’t worry him, not after spending so many years successfully defending his position and his pack from outsiders hoping to unseat him. But no matter how many times the blood of another Alpha had coated his tongue as he took down a challenger, he had never gained a thirst for battle, so he wanted to keep this visit civil and free of violence.
“Hi. You must be Mitchell and Frederick Grant.” He walked toward the Alphas who were now approaching him, their shoulders back, chests out, and teeth bared. “I’m—”
“We know who you are,” said the smaller of the two men. “You need to get off our pack lands.”
Morgan hadn’t had time to learn much about Blue Mountain, but he knew the basics and that was enough to realize the not-as-tall, not-as-wide, not-as-muscular, not-as-scowling Alpha was Frederick. “No problem,” he said as he stopped his approach and smiled, determined to deescalate the tense situation. “I’m here for Ricky Marx. If you can please have someone get him, we’ll be on our way.”
Mitchell, who was now less than two body lengths from him, growled.
At the same time, Frederick said, “Leave.”
Assessing the situation, Morgan locked eyes with the Alpha who hadn’t yet spoken but clearly was the bigger threat. “I’m not leaving without Ricky.”
Mitchell squeezed his fists, cracking his knuckles.
“It wasn’t a request,” Frederick said. “Get in your car and get out of Blue Mountain.”
They were at an impasse, for which Morgan hadn’t prepared. Admittedly, he wasn’t in prime condition. Two months of minimal sleep and frequent travel had worn down his body, and anxiety over finding his mate and integrating him into his pack had exhausted his brain. But despite his scuffle with Berger, he genuinely hadn’t anticipated a situation where other Alphas would stand between a wolf and his mate.
“If it’ll make you more comfortable, I can wait in my car while you get Ricky,” he offered, wanting to avoid violence, “but when I go home, he’s coming with me.”
“Not going to happen, friend,” said Frederick, not sounding the least bit friendly.
“I don’t want to fight,” Morgan said as he as rubbed his palm over the ribs that had only recently healed from the battle at Purple Sky.
Mitchell scoffed.
Grinning at his brother, Frederick shook his head and then he looked at Morgan. “Believe me, it won’t be much of a fight. Get out of here while you still can.”
As he pondered why two enraged Alphas were nearly frothing at the mouth in anger and provoking a fight with a stranger, when all he sought was what nature intended—to be with his destined mate—Morgan remembered an evening many years earlier when his brother had shouted at his father about the power of male Omegas to manipulate and seduce. At the time, Morgan had brushed it off as Jerold making excuses to justify his misdeeds; now, he wasn’t so sure. His brain flooded with memories of the many challenges he had defended against Iredell, yet another Alpha who acted irrationally over a male Omega.
But even if his mate’s presence in Blue Mountain was the cause of their obstinance and regardless of the reality that defeating two Alphas would be more difficult than his battle with Berger, if a fight was Morgan’s only avenue to his mate, Morgan would use teeth and claws. Not letting himself get distracted, he shook off the past and focused on the Blue Mountain Alphas, who were likely to attack him at any moment.
“I won’t leave without talking to Ricky.”
“Nobody likes a man who can’t take no for an answer,” said a heavily pregnant woman exiting the Alpha house.