Kegan had run off, hoping to get to the forest. He knew Jade wouldn't take control as they weren't on speaking terms, so he just ran and hoped he could find a place to hide and think.

He couldn't stand to be in a room with Tali or have Calix know he was crying and having difficulties with his wolf. The worst part was that he couldn't escape Jade, as they resided in the same mind.

"I'm sorry," Jade whimpered, seeing how his actions had affected his other half. "I had to do it to protect you."

Kegan ignored him; he didn't want to hear it.

The forest grew closer, and Kegan felt some relief. In the Red Claw pack, on days when the Alpha was visiting other packs, Kegan often went and laid in the woods just outside their pack house area for peace and quiet.

He was about to break through the tree line when a low growl sounded to his right. Kegan slowly turned, his heart rate picking up and anxiety skyrocketing when he saw an Alpha approaching him, eyes clouded with lust.

Kegan wanted to slap himself. He couldn't believe he forgot about his heat, but the pain of betrayal stung more than the cramps, so he wasn't surprised.

"Go away," Kegan pleaded, backing away from the Alpha. "I have a mate."

The Alpha snarled. "Where's your mate right now then?" he asked, growling as he cornered Kegan against the wall of a house. His eyes kept flickering between brown and gold. "They're not here, meaning you're fair game."

"I hate Alphas," Jade whimpered, trying to help Kegan fight the urge to submit to the Alpha. "Shift so I can run."

"I'm not listening to you," Kegan snapped, trying to find a way out on his own. "You've given me no reason to trust you."

"I'm your wolf!"

"You stayed silent for twenty years and spoke to another wolf before ever talking to me!"

The Alpha towered over Kegan, but Kegan could see him trying to step backward whenever his eyes flashed brown. "Show me your neck," he murmured, seeing how guarded Kegan was.

"No," Kegan whimpered, trying to back away.

The Alpha grabbed his arm, but Kegan pushed him away, trying to make a run for it. He felt his leg being grabbed by the livid Alpha, so he screamed as loud as he could, hoping it would alert Astra or Kai, or at least a wolf who wasn't the unmated Alpha above him.

"Shut up," the Alpha snarled, more at himself than at Kegan, but it did not stop him from shoving the Omega to the ground and climbing on top of him. "Goddess, Omegas should not be allowed to smell like this.”

Kegan tried to push the Alpha off, but he was easily overpowered. Jade was also being no help, as he was whimpering and trying to keep himself from submitting instead of trying to help Kegan escape.

The Alpha got a grip on his hair and tried to force his head back, but as soon as he did, a low growl sounded behind him. The Alpha got up and turned, seeing Calix snarling at him. Tali and Kai stood behind him, with Astra hiding at the edge of the house near Kegan.

Kegan pushed himself away from the Alpha and against the house behind him, pulling his knees to his chest. He calmed down slightly when Astra ran over to him, quickly tugging the Omega away from the fight and toward Kai and Tali.

The Alpha growled at Calix, who snarled back, approaching Kegan's attacker.

"Snap out of it," Calix ordered, glaring at the Alpha. "Don't make me force you."

The Alpha snarled again, shifting into a large brown wolf.

Calix mimicked the action, his own black wolf with golden eyes coming to the surface. He and the other wolf circled each other, both growling and waiting for the other to make the first move.

Kegan stared at his mate, shocked that neither Kai nor Tali were attempting to stop the battle.

"Why isn't anyone stopping this?" Kegan asked in a hushed voice.

Astra sighed. "Tan is an unmated Alpha," she said, pointing at the brown wolf. "In a pack like ours, where everyone is equal and most of us don't fear the Alpha, if an Omega in heat is out and ends up attacked, the unmated Alphas aren't afraid to challenge the Alpha. Right now, Tan sees as more of a competitor than his Alpha, so Calix has to beat him in order to show him who's boss again."

"What if he-"

"Calix is the strongest wolf here," Astra said, rubbing Kegan's back to soothe him. "He won't lose, I promise. Tan’s wolf has been unbearable lately…”

Kegan nodded and shut his mouth, not wanting to annoy Astra.

Astra sat down on the ground, clutching her small baby bump, and urged Kegan to sit down as well. Once they were both on the ground, Kegan began to pull at blades of grass on the ground, not wanting to watch the two Alphas battle it out.

Snarls and growls rang out in the air, making Kegan wince. All he could remember was the growls of Leon when he messed up and of the Red Claw pack who treated him like nothing but a toy to mess around with.

"It's okay," Astra purred, emitting her calming pregnancy pheromones, which were meant for soothing pups. They also worked wonders on calming other wolves, Kegan included.

"Thank you," Kegan whispered, allowing himself to lean against Astra and accept her scent.

A few minutes passed and Astra nudged Kegan's arm.

"It's over," she said, nodding toward the Alphas.

Kegan glanced over and saw that Calix's wolf had tackled Tan's to the ground, and it was snarling at the brown wolf.

Then, both men shifted back, putting on their clothes that had been cast aside when they first shifted. Tan looked dazed, kneeling on the ground before the Alpha and gripping the sides of his own head. It was clear he was speaking, before Calix waved him away.

"Kai, will you and Astra take Kegan back to my room and help him relax?" Calix asked, not looking at the Omega. "I have to handle a few things."

Kai and Astra simultaneously agreed, helping Kegan up and ushering him back to the pack house.

Over the past few days, before Kegan entered his full heat, he learned that only a few wolves lived in the pack house, and they were Calix's most trusted friends.

Kai was his Beta so she and Astra lived there, as well as his other friends whom Kegan hadn't met, because they were away on pack business. He figured that Tali must live there, though when she approached him earlier that day was the first time he'd seen her since the car ride to the Blood Moon pack.

"You should go bathe, honey," Astra said as soon as they entered Calix's room. "It might help calm you down, since Tan's scent is still on you."

"What's going to happen to him?" Kegan asked, hoping he wouldn't have to interact with the other Alpha for a long time.

Kai helped Astra to sit down in the armchair before turning to Kegan. "He'll most likely be punished and be expected to do extra patrols for letting himself get out of control like that. Unfortunately, even the best of our young warriors get out of hand when they smell an Omega in heat," she said, kneeling in front of Astra and kissing her stomach. "You won't have to see him, though. Calix will understand that you're afraid of him and keep him away from you until you choose to allow him near you."

"Tan is a good guy," Astra said sadly, leaning her head back against the headrest of her chair. "Shame that he had to be out and happened to run into you. He'll probably try to come begging for forgiveness."

Kegan frowned, looking down at his feet. "I don't want to ruin his life," he muttered, hoping the pack wouldn't look down on Tan for his mistake.

It wasn't just out of pity for the Alpha, but also because Kegan feared that if Tan was punished, he'd blame it on Kegan and seek revenge.

"You didn't," Kai promised with a smile. "These things happen by accident, which is why Omegas are supposed to stay home during their heats."

Kegan felt guilt burn in his gut when she said that. He'd been told by Astra that Kai tended to be really passive aggressive, so he wasn't really surprised by the statement, but it didn't stop the guilt.

"Stop making him feel bad!" Astra scolded, glaring at Kai.

Kai lifted her hands in surrender. "I'm just saying! You've never left the house during heat!"

"I was born and raised here," Astra growled.

Kai rolled her eyes, sitting on the floor beside her mate. "If this baby is as stubborn as you, I want a refund."

Kegan shut the door to the bathroom, ignoring the banter between the two. He turned on the tub and stripped off his clothes, climbing into the water and closing his eyes.

"Kegan?" Jade asked, sounding timid and nervous.

"What do you want?"

"Could you at least try to accept our mate? Please? Zakai says it's hurting him that you won't give him a chance."

"You say that like I have a choice," Kegan said aloud, shutting his eyes and feeling the water ripple around him.