Jason Dolley as Cal

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We make it to Esme's home about 30 minutes later. As always, any supernatural that comes to Esme abode feels a high energy and a mental buzz, and we are no exceptions. Her door has these huge cowbells hanging on them. Yes, cowbells. Why she would hang anything on her door when she can sense you coming a mile away is beyond me. They are bigger than the previous ones though.

Opening her door, we stagger in and there are some humans, weres, and a vampire in her shop. My hackles rise at the vamp. The vamp looks like a teenager, she gives me a haughty look that almost makes me give her a curtsy in return. Shaking away that feeling, I nod to some chairs in the corner of the store and the four of us drag ourselves over there to wait for Esme and Alpha Salim.

About half an hour later, everyone's gone except for the teenage vampire who stands by one of the outer display cases, browsing through the merchandise. Esme waves her hand, the door clicks shut, and her sign flips to close. She walks over to us, faces us, and sits down elegantly – on NOTHING, NADA, POOF! I tell you; I have ceased to be alarmed by Esme at this point.

"Cal, glad to see you made it. Alpha Salim should be here soon and then you'll be on your way and I can fumigate my home," Esme scoffs.

"See you have bigger cowbells hanging on your door."

Okay, with everything going on, why would bigger cowbells be the issue on my brain right now is beyond me. Sometimes I think Esme and I are too much alike.

"With all the unwanted visitors lately, I need bigger cowbells, so when all you undesirables enter my shop, your powers are minimized."

"Cowbells? That's what you want to know about? The woman is sitting on air, SITTING ON AIR!" whispers Raven.

I understand Raven's anxiety; they are not used to Esme after all. They've only had minimal contact with her and always when she's being a bitchy witch.

"So how powerful are you, really?" Raven asks Esme. An eerie silence descends in her store and we all go on full alert to hear her reply.

I swear to the Goddess above that everything after that question happened in really, really, slow motion: Esme slowly lifts her eyelids, looks Raven dead in her eyes as if she can see straight into her very soul, sporting a blank face with a fixed stare, for what seems like ages, she suddenly smiles creepily, returns to her blank face all without blinking. Scary as fuck. "No. I'm not that powerful" she replies.

"Yeah right and I'm the Queen of England," I sass at her.

"I doubt Harry or William will ever call you grandma," she sasses back at me.

"We need to get the fuck out of here," Raven says. "This place always gives me the heeby-jeebies."

The other two nod their heads in agreement.

"Believe me, this place is the safest place we can be until we move to Crimson River Pack. Esme will protect us with her life," I assure them.

"You maybe. The three of them? I'm not so sure."

The Omegas look at me in shock.

"She's just joking, just joking, right my bitchy witch," I try to calm my friends.

"Rigghhhtt, my favorite fur coat," Esme replies.

"You two are so funny, a witch and a wolf friendship, that's a new one," laughs the forgotten teenage vamp in the room.

"Meet Fredricka 'Freddy' Klyne-Winter everyone," says Esme, twirling her hand with a flourish.

"That's a mouthful," I joke. Next thing I know she's in my face with her fangs out, how did she get to my side so fast? Must be a vampire thing. Her smiling face now looks fierce and she bends to smell my neck, taking a deep breath.

"You do protect him, the veil around him is impregnable. And he smells so delicious, unfortunately I don't swing that way. But I might be interested in the doe-eyed beauty over there," looking straight at Serena.

"Fangs off Freddy, he's not for dessert, and I do believe the girl is not available either," Esme warns, and winks at Raven. Raven sits up straighter and looks away from Esme.

"Fine, I'm off," She zips up her jacket and walks out just as Alpha Salim walks in with another man, a younger looking version of himself. They walk in looking like they just came off a GQ cover shoot, and Alpha Salim bruised. They roar at her in passing and she hisses at them in return.

"Am I the only one who got a mental buzz as we entered this witch's house?" Alpha Salim asks.

"No, I think we all did, my brain is still buzzing," his look alike confirms shaking his head.

"It's an invisible body lo-jack. It 'jacks' your power in place while you're in my store. My very own personal invention," Esme cackles.

"Lo-jack, like the one you use on cars?"

"Yep, keeps your powers at a minimal in my home. God, what happened, Salim, you're all banged up. Don't tell me that the mutt and the pussycat had a fight? And I missed it? I would so pay to see that," Esme says with giddy joy.

I brush past Esme and walk up to Alpha Salim. He looks banged up like he went head to head with a boulder. "Are you okay Alpha? I'm so sorry to get you involved in my mess. We just need a safe pack," I plead.

"I'm fine but I had to tell your mate where―"

"Ex-mate" I correct him.

"Right, told your ex-mate where you are. I told him to give you space and since you are no longer his pack member, any contact with you has to go through me, your new Alpha."

"Oh boy, that must have pissed off Alpha Darric," Roland murmurs.

"And you are?" asks Alpha Salim turning to Roland.

"Roland Tyler sir. And this is Raven Hayes and Serena Keary and thank you for accepting us into your pack."

"You're welcome. And this is Joaquim, my brother. Well, are you ready to go? Esme already sent your things a week ago. It's an hour flight and you need to get settled in before our monthly heatwave."

"Monthly heatwave?" I ask.

"Think of it like your version of the full moon but with a lot more sex than you werewolves ever have."

"Oh."

We definitely have a lot to learn.

I turn to Esme and give her a hug. For the first time ever, she hugs me back, hard, and she didn't let go of me first.

"See you soon, behave okay. All you pups and cubs try and get along."

The other Omegas skirt around Esme and follow Alpha Salim. As we pass Joaquim he calls out to Roland.

"Roland Tyler? Who gives their child two first names, that's so unoriginal?"

"Joaquim Taylor? Who gives their child a name that rhymes with "hacking', as in hacking up phlegm, that's so disgusting."

"Watch it, boy."

"I'm not a boy and at the very least not your boy."

Okay, someone please tell me where my quiet, studious, verbally challenged Roland disappear to? And who's this wolf suddenly sashaying past Joaquim? I quietly walk by Joaquim and I could sense his anger and something else. Oh my goddess! Lust? For Roland? I catch Alpha Salim looking at his brother with a sad smile on his face. We are not even at the pack yet and we have to contend with mixed were mating. Great, just great!

We get into their car. A sleek-looking monster on wheels. Now, I don't know cars, but I know an expensive one when I see it. There are two similar looking gas guzzlers with more werecats in them waiting for us. Serena and Raven sit in the back, Roland and I in the middle and Alpha Salim and Joaquim in front. The tension in the car is so thick between Joaquim and Roland, and between all of us and Alpha Salim. He is an Alpha after all and our experiences with Alphas have not been good, and to be honest, they've been horrible.

"Crimson River Pack has been in existence for centuries. We steadily became the largest werecat pack in the states, second only to The Nightshade Pack in Eastern Europe. I am the current Alpha and I inherited the title after a bloody challenge. Unlike Werewolf packs, the Alpha position in Werecat packs are earned not inherited or entitled. You must demonstrate by your strength and intelligence that you can lead even if you have Alpha blood in you. We have members all over the nation. Unlike werewolf communities, our families can live anywhere they wish but must register birth, death, marriages et cetera, with the pack."

He continues, "we are very social as you'll find out. We do not believe in entitlement. You want a position, and you believe you can do the job you fight for it; you earn it. Everyone in the pack contributes to the success of the pack. As new members, I suggest you take a few days to get the lay of the land and then let me know what you can offer, what you can contribute to the continued success of the pack. I know this is a mouthful, but I wanted to give you a short summary of life in a werecat pack".

"Yes Alpha," we all respond. I mind link the omegas to ask if we can share info about our business with him. They all agree we should.

"Umm, one other thing, most of the younger unmated cubs are 'cloth challenged.' I mean they like to walk around naked or nearly naked. Ignore them. So, what was the silent conversation about?"

"I think we may already be able to contribute to the pack, Alpha."

"How?" he asks, looking puzzled.

"This is not something Alpha Darric or anyone else in the pack knows about..."

"Am I going to have to go a second round with your ex-mate?"

"I warned you about interfering in wolf pack affairs, Salim. Who knows what other surprises they have in store for us?" Joaquim whispers.

"If this gets me closer to my mate, I'll do anything. I told you that."

"Your mate may not be who you expect," Joaquim says. And I catch him looking at Roland through the rear-view mirror.

Taking a deep breath, I begin.

"We are the owners of WOOD Inc.; we make and sell herbal medicines. We sell our products in Esme's shop but mostly online. We were in the process of hiring a few more employees to handle our increase in demand. We hope to continue and grow the business as planned while in your pack, sir."

"Wow, wait, we order WOOD products from Esme all the time. With all the training and fighting that we do, those creams and lotions are amazing, they heal us faster and better than human medicines. Our pack doctor, Derek, has tried to duplicate it and has been unsuccessful, I'm sure he would love to meet you. He loves your product. Are you telling me you own the company and not Esme? You continue to amaze me. You all are no ordinary omegas, are you?" he says, shaking his head.

"Apparently not," replies Joaquim looking at Roland with renewed fascination and Roland returns with a snooty look. Joaquim smiles and whispers, "Game on, Roland With Two First Names. Game on."

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