STORY EXCERPT

Hey, Erin, it’s great to hear from you, I’m glad you’re doing well and congrats on the baby. I’ll definitely meet you there. I’m not too far away from you, actually. It’ll take me about six hours to drive, so I can meet you tomorrow or the day after. Congratulations again,

Love,

Marco

He’d never ended an email to his brother with love before. It felt a little strange, but he almost felt as though it had to be done.

At least it was something.

Marco hopped out of bed. He was kind of giddy now, overcome with way too much energy that he didn’t know what to do with. It felt kind of weird, but at the same time…

He felt good. Better than he’d felt in a long time.

Like a weight had been removed from his chest. That was how good he felt.

He needed to pack up his shit. He didn’t have much. When he’d left his pack that day, and his brother, he’d taken only a single duffel bag with some clothes in it, and aside from that and his phone, there wasn’t really anything else.

Some toiletries, his toothbrush.

He had enough money for a bus fare and some food. His clothes that he’d left out to dry in the bathroom were done, so he packed those up, too.

He had his phone charger, his wallet. Marco did a quick check of the room, and all the while he kept checking his phone again for a reply from his brother, feeling too much like a little kid eagerly awaiting some awesome present.

He checked and checked again until he saw the reply come in.

All in all, it took five minutes.

As though Erin had been waiting for Marco to reply just the same way Marco had been waiting for Erin just now.

The email was simple, but he could feel the excitement radiating through it.

I’m so happy you replied! I was so worried. But that doesn’t matter right now. I’ll wait for you. Don’t worry. Do you need a place to stay? There’s plenty of room here. A bunch of omegas live in this clan as well. Silver, my mate, is letting a lot of people in. Not everyone is happy with that, but so far, it’s been working out well. Some dragons have left, and so have a few of the omegas, but everyone else here gets along. There’s a spare bedroom you can use in my house. Silver is excited to meet you as well.

I can’t wait to see you. I’m so happy you’re alive. You have no idea.

I love you, and we’ll talk soon.

Below all of that was Erin’s phone number.

Marco looked at those numbers. They were definitely different from his old cell contact.

He added that number to his contacts list then repeated the number a couple of times in his head. It was always good to have these things as memorized as possible.

He’d just gone over the fifth time repeating that number when there was a heavy knock at his door.

Marco frowned. What the hell?

He looked at the digital clock on the nightstand.

He wasn’t expecting anyone now. Or ever. He didn’t exactly have friends, no one he knew was aware of where he lived, and the only person he expected to knock on his door would be the manager of the motel, though once someone had drunkenly knocked on his door thinking they were at their own room.

He was on time with his payments. He made sure he always had enough money to have a roof over his head.

He went to the door and looked out the peephole.

There was a guy out there. A pretty good-looking guy.

Really good looking.

“Who is it?”

And why the hell are you so good looking?

Even stranger, why couldn’t he get over the fact that this guy was good looking? Marco loved women. He loved women with an hourglass shape who had boobs big enough to fit in his hand. Not that he hadn’t experimented a little when he was in college, but for the most part, he never got hung up on whether or not a guy was super hot.

Super hot.

“Pizza delivery.”

“What?”

Marco looked again. There was definitely a pizza bag in his hand. But he wasn’t dressed as though he was delivering pizza. Shouldn’t he have on a uniform? Or at least a hat?

“Where’s it from?”

“Mario’s pizza. You gonna open the door?”

No he fucking wasn’t.

Marco worked at Mario’s Pizza. He did their dishes for their eat-in guests. This guy wasn’t wearing the hat or the vest, and Marco didn’t recognize him in the least.

He looked around, flying into panic mode. The bathroom had a little window. He might be able to get out if he really tried.

The banging happened again. Harder this time.

“Dude, you’ve got the wrong place, sorry.”

“Pretty sure I don’t, dude,” the guy shot back. “Just open the door and pay for the pizza. We’ve had enough people prank-calling us.”

Yeah, sure he had.

Why was this happening now? He was so close to getting back to his brother. He didn't want the Dog Catchers finding him. He'd been so careful!

“All right, give me a second. I’ll grab my wallet.”

Maybe that was a bad thing to say. It seemed to tip the guy off that Marco knew something was up.

Marco locked himself into the bathroom just as he heard the door behind busted open.

He was so fucked.

STORY EXCERPT

Hey, Erin, it’s great to hear from you, I’m glad you’re doing well and congrats on the baby. I’ll definitely meet you there. I’m not too far away from you, actually. It’ll take me about six hours to drive, so I can meet you tomorrow or the day after. Congratulations again,

Love,

Marco

He’d never ended an email to his brother with love before. It felt a little strange, but he almost felt as though it had to be done.

At least it was something.

Marco hopped out of bed. He was kind of giddy now, overcome with way too much energy that he didn’t know what to do with. It felt kind of weird, but at the same time…

He felt good. Better than he’d felt in a long time.

Like a weight had been removed from his chest. That was how good he felt.

He needed to pack up his shit. He didn’t have much. When he’d left his pack that day, and his brother, he’d taken only a single duffel bag with some clothes in it, and aside from that and his phone, there wasn’t really anything else.

Some toiletries, his toothbrush.

He had enough money for a bus fare and some food. His clothes that he’d left out to dry in the bathroom were done, so he packed those up, too.

He had his phone charger, his wallet. Marco did a quick check of the room, and all the while he kept checking his phone again for a reply from his brother, feeling too much like a little kid eagerly awaiting some awesome present.

He checked and checked again until he saw the reply come in.

All in all, it took five minutes.

As though Erin had been waiting for Marco to reply just the same way Marco had been waiting for Erin just now.

The email was simple, but he could feel the excitement radiating through it.

I’m so happy you replied! I was so worried. But that doesn’t matter right now. I’ll wait for you. Don’t worry. Do you need a place to stay? There’s plenty of room here. A bunch of omegas live in this clan as well. Silver, my mate, is letting a lot of people in. Not everyone is happy with that, but so far, it’s been working out well. Some dragons have left, and so have a few of the omegas, but everyone else here gets along. There’s a spare bedroom you can use in my house. Silver is excited to meet you as well.

I can’t wait to see you. I’m so happy you’re alive. You have no idea.

I love you, and we’ll talk soon.

Below all of that was Erin’s phone number.

Marco looked at those numbers. They were definitely different from his old cell contact.

He added that number to his contacts list then repeated the number a couple of times in his head. It was always good to have these things as memorized as possible.

He’d just gone over the fifth time repeating that number when there was a heavy knock at his door.

Marco frowned. What the hell?

He looked at the digital clock on the nightstand.

He wasn’t expecting anyone now. Or ever. He didn’t exactly have friends, no one he knew was aware of where he lived, and the only person he expected to knock on his door would be the manager of the motel, though once someone had drunkenly knocked on his door thinking they were at their own room.

He was on time with his payments. He made sure he always had enough money to have a roof over his head.

He went to the door and looked out the peephole.

There was a guy out there. A pretty good-looking guy.

Really good looking.

“Who is it?”

And why the hell are you so good looking?

Even stranger, why couldn’t he get over the fact that this guy was good looking? Marco loved women. He loved women with an hourglass shape who had boobs big enough to fit in his hand. Not that he hadn’t experimented a little when he was in college, but for the most part, he never got hung up on whether or not a guy was super hot.

Super hot.

“Pizza delivery.”

“What?”

Marco looked again. There was definitely a pizza bag in his hand. But he wasn’t dressed as though he was delivering pizza. Shouldn’t he have on a uniform? Or at least a hat?

“Where’s it from?”

“Mario’s pizza. You gonna open the door?”

No he fucking wasn’t.

Marco worked at Mario’s Pizza. He did their dishes for their eat-in guests. This guy wasn’t wearing the hat or the vest, and Marco didn’t recognize him in the least.

He looked around, flying into panic mode. The bathroom had a little window. He might be able to get out if he really tried.

The banging happened again. Harder this time.

“Dude, you’ve got the wrong place, sorry.”

“Pretty sure I don’t, dude,” the guy shot back. “Just open the door and pay for the pizza. We’ve had enough people prank-calling us.”

Yeah, sure he had.

Why was this happening now? He was so close to getting back to his brother. He didn't want the Dog Catchers finding him. He'd been so careful!

“All right, give me a second. I’ll grab my wallet.”

Maybe that was a bad thing to say. It seemed to tip the guy off that Marco knew something was up.

Marco locked himself into the bathroom just as he heard the door behind busted open.

He was so fucked.