Page 7 of Marked By Love

“You gonna tell me what the hell you’re thinking?” Scott demanded.

Royce glared out the windshield because what was he doing? He had no answers or reasons for his bizarre behavior other than it felt like it was what he needed to do. Royce didn’t think he could make himself forget about this, shake this relentless itch that’d taken up residence in the back of his mind.

Since he heard the omega was living here, he’d become senselessly fixated on the omega house. He couldn’t force himself to think past those pink front doors, no matter how hard he tried.

“Come on, man, I’m your friend. You can tell me, and I’ll do my best not to be judgmental,” Scott coaxed. “Unless you’re doing something utterly insane, then I invoke the right of friendship to mock you for life.”

“I don’t have friends.”

Scott rolled his eyes.

Yes, Royce had been to his house. Yes, Royce went to his and Freddy’s mating party, but they didn’t talk. However, Scott was a fellow wolf shifter, and there were things about them that were similar because of that. If anyone would understand it might be him.

“I don’t know,” Royce admitted. “I just, it’s ridiculous, I feel like there’s something, not wrong, but there’s something … I can’t explain it.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, the pang behind his eye started throbbing.

“Your wolf caught onto something?”

“Yeah, and the fucker isn’t telling me anything.”

“I get that frustration, I really do.” Scott turned to consider the omega house. “When Freddy first moved into Elk Cove, my wolf went nuts. I couldn’t sleep, I lost my appetite, and I kept finding myself wandering the town at night headed to the hospital, then the omega house, with no conscious thought of going there.”

“That’s different. Freddy was your fated mate, and your wolf sensed he was near and tracked the scent. This is … I don’t know. A threat?”

“If you think there’s something threatening the omega house, you need to tell Michelle and Argus.”

“I don’t know yet. I need to meet him first to know for sure.”

“Meet who?” Scott was skeptical.

“The new vet.”

“Dr. Abbott? He goes by Doc and isn’t living here.”

“What?!” Royce’s gaze snapped to Scott.

“Yeah, you remember all those omegas that got rescued a few weeks back. Well, most of them ended up here. The place is full. Michelle turned him away because the vet clinic has a place for the doctor to live.”

Royce scowled at the omega house as if it had somehow personally offended him.

“How do you know all this?”

Scott rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated huff. “One, I’m not a social shut-in, like you. Two, Freddy brought Gingersnap in for an appointment yesterday. If you hadn’t been camped out on this street the last few days, you’d know this,” Scott chided. “Come on, go home, shower, you stink. And Royce, if you know what’s good for you, stop stalking Doc. No one likes a pushy, butthead, alpha-hole.”

He didn’t go home. At least not right away. Halfway to his condo, Royce remembered his fridge was empty. He’d planned to go grocery shopping after finding the missing betas. But that had been before.

Before he’d seen the vet. Before this new omega had acted so strange. Before his wolf demanded he hunt down this threat.

Royce drove to the local grocery. Not bothering to make small talk with his fellow townsfolk, he loaded his cart with steaks, potatoes, butter, jerky, and soda—all his basic staples. He knew how to cook a wider variety, but since it was only him, he didn’t see the point in putting in any more effort than necessary.

He had a well-abused countertop grill and a microwave, his pots and pans having long been donated, because why keep something he didn’t utilize?

His plug-in grill was perfect for keeping him fed. Compact for if—when—he moved and indoors so he didn’t get caught outside and be forced to talk to his neighbors.

In line for the checkout, he idly listened to his townsfolk chatter. Meanwhile, he sent a litany of internal curses at his wolf—who was still silent. The furry bastard was probably brooding that he didn’t get his way.

Why had his wolf demanded Royce find the source of the mint smell? And why had he gone radio silent afterward?

Among the din, his attention snapped into focus. A little omega balanced a paper bag in one arm while his other rummaged through a hip bag. The omega had cool olive skin and dark hair, large round glasses … it was him!