Chapter 6: Royce - Marked By Love

His nose snuffled in the cold weather as he finished his circuit around the veterinarian’s cabin.

Royce had called into work the previous day and again this morning, refusing to leave his vigil at the vet clinic. Something about Doc was wrong; why else would his wolf have perked up at his presence? Why else would an omega be mixing suppressors with alpha birth control?

And why couldn’t he smell him?!

Now that Royce had scouted the omega’s living space, he was positive the omega was taking magical suppressor in addition to the pills. The scent of the omega should have been thick in the air, permeated into the ground as he was the only one living here. Instead, a faint undertone of general omega musk lingered in the wind. It was as if the omega hadn’t spent any time there at all, his scent all but gone.

Royce didn’t like that one bit.

After the grocery incident, he’d done a bit of research on his smartphone. He didn’t like anything he’d found. Phrases like ‘eliminate their scent,’ ‘hide,’ ‘completely untraceable,’ and ‘long-term damage’ were repeated heavily in each article.

Why would an omega do such a thing? Obviously because he was hiding something, and himself. If he had secrets that important, then Doc must be dangerous; that’s why Royce’s wolf wanted to hunt down the omega. He’d sensed deception and danger.

Honestly, if Royce hadn’t been a wolf shifter, he doubted he would have picked up the scarce lingering of mint the omega left behind.

With the first light of orange and pink dawn, the omega scurried from the cabin to the clinic. Just like every other time Royce had seen him, large, round spectacles sat on his nose and sweaters were wrapped over a turtleneck. Royce bet his car and his life savings that the omega wore turtlenecks to help further hide his scent. He also wouldn’t put it past him to have a neck guard beneath the shirt.

Coureque was the most popular brand, their neck guards were stocked at every pharmacy in every settlement he’d been to. It was a stiff fabric laced with charcoal that tied around the neck and sat against the upper shoulders, covering the scent glands.

This omega was going to extremes to not be found. Royce should go to Argus about this. Whatever was going on, this omega had brought a litany of secrets and dangers to Elk Cove. The head alpha should be warned. Maybe that’s what he would do today … then again perhaps not.

For some unfathomable reason, Royce wanted to stay camped out at the omega’s home. Whenever the thought absently crossed his mind, the idea of another alpha, stronger and higher ranking than Royce, being here made his hackles raise and a growl rumble in his chest. He should stay and observe for longer, then he would confront the omega. No need to bring any other alphas into this mess.

With the doctor tucked away inside the clinic, Royce lumbered to his SUV, phased, and snuck into the back. Normally he would have done this before the omega had woken and the sun started to rise, but another storm had moved in, and the freezing rain was thick enough to obscure people’s vision.

He was just pulling his henley on when the back passenger and the driver’s side doors opened simultaneously. Scott slid in beside him while Amelia took the driver’s seat.

“Royce.” Scott sighed dramatically while Amelia fixed him with a glare from the rearview mirror. “I thought I told you to leave Doc alone.”

“This area is next to the forest,” Royce protested. “How do you know I wasn’t parked for a midnight run?”

“Cut the shit, jackass,” Amelia said. “Hershal brought Stardust in for an appointment yesterday, he saw your car.”

“Stardust?”

“Stardust is Hershal’s cat! You’ve met her three times!” Royce opened his mouth to retort—now that she mentioned it, he did remember Stardust. She was giant, fluffy, gray, and mean. Before he could voice any of this, Amelia cut him off. “And don’t you give me your bullshit. Stardust is a cat, you’re a dog. She wasn’t being mean, it’s just her nature.”

“She slapped me.”

“Well, maybe you deserved it.” Amelia’s face flushed, and her features became hawk-like. “Don’t you disrespect my mate’s cat, you mangy mutt.”

“Alright, alright,” Scott soothed. Coincidentally, Royce also didn’t get along with Freddy’s cat, Gingersnap. Seriously, why did all the omegas have to have cats? “Listen, Royce, you can’t do this. You just can’t. Now if your alpha kicked in and you’re interested in wooing this omega, I’m gonna be the first to tell you, you’re going about it all wrong. I know it can be hard to control, but I can help you.”

“Woo him? I’m not interested in wooing anyone!” Royce yelled. Why? He had no idea. He hadn’t had a temper since he turned nineteen.

“Then why are you stalking the doctor?” Scott asked. Royce pursed his lips. He didn’t have an answer. “That’s what I thought. You need to leave; otherwise, it’s going to Argus. And then you’ll get kicked out of Elk Cove.”

His thoughts raced. He could tell them, the birth control, the suppressor, it wasn’t normal. But he kept his mouth shut. Odd as it sounded, part of him didn’t want to betray the veterinarian’s confidences. Which made no sense no matter how he looked at it.

If he was hunting this omega to ensure he wasn’t a threat to Elk Cove, then Royce shouldn’t give a damn about his confidences. He should be screaming from the rooftops that something was wrong with him. But he wasn’t.

Why though?

He needed … He needed to get close to the doctor. That’s it. If Royce was able to see him, be in the same room as him, it would all be okay. Yes, that’s what he needed: Royce needed to see the doctor, to be in the same room as him. It was urgent … But he couldn’t do that.

Why couldn’t he do that?

He had to see the doctor. Simply being in the same room would make it better. Getting a good look at his face, Royce needed to see the omega’s face … It was imperative that he lay eyes on Doc.

But no, that wasn’t it.

The more he tried to put his finger on it, to pinpoint why, the worse his brain fog got. The only discernible thought in his head was that he needed to be in the same room as Doc. It was starting to hurt his chest.

Why was his chest hurting?

It would get better if you were in the same room as Doc, a small part of him screamed that over and over again.

He was an unmated alpha without a pet. The only reason he’d be anywhere near this omega or the clinic would be to woo him, as Scott suggested. The thought of wooing any omega right now made his stomach clench and churn. He doubled over with a groan.

“When was the last time you ate?” Scott’s face became concerned. Amelia, meanwhile, was still glaring at him from the rearview mirror.

“I don’t—I went to the grocery, but I … I think I left without my cart. I can’t remember.” Royce ran a hand through his hair. Why was his forehead clammy? “What day is it?”

“Saturday.”

“Thursday evening, I think.”

“That’s it, you’re going home,” Scott said.

When Royce didn’t make a move, Amelia asked, “Do I need to hot-wire your car and force you?”

“What?” Royce blinked hard. The brain fog was becoming unbearable; when had he slept last?

Why couldn’t he see Doc?

“You might want to let me drive. Amelia, you can follow us in your car,” Scott said.

“Nah, I’ll just pop this pretty little dashboard open and—”

“Stop!” Royce only just caught up to the conversation. “No, don’t deface my car, damn it. I’ll leave. I’ll drive. Go home, eat, sleep.”

“And then tomorrow you’ll go to work and not bother the doctor.” Amelia didn’t say it like a question, but still Royce answered.

“Yes.”

It was a downright lie. Royce knew he’d be back. At the very least, he had to confront the omega about why he was hiding, and what he was doing in Elk Cove.

“Good, now be a good boy, get your keys, and drive your ass home.”

“I’ll go with you,” Scott offered.

“No, it’s fine. You’ve done enough.” Royce dug his keys out of his jean pocket and got out of the car. Freezing rain splattered his face, cooling his skin where he’d sweated through his henley.

When had he gotten so hot?

Taking the driver’s seat after Amelia, he started it up and put the AC on blast. It was helping to clear the remaining fog from his thoughts.

A nominal amount of shame crept up his neck as Amelia and Scott stood on the side of the road watching him drive away. Why was he being so illogical right now? He was an enforcer, damn it.

An enforcer with a track record of impeccable behavior, he was a shining example of alpha control and strength. In his thirty-six years, he’d never been this irrational—acting without clear intent.

Turning the corner, he headed east to the line of alpha condos on the other side of town. The storm picked up, and he squinted out the windshield, reaching to turn his wipers up.

Before he could clear his line of sight, something hit his wheels with a sharp cry and a terrible crunch. He slammed on the brakes, put the car in park, and leapt out.

Taking in the mess on his car tire and the streak of red and fur on the asphalt, the air left his lungs as the blood drained from his face.

Holy fuck, he’d hit a dog!