Hunted

Chapter One

Cameron:

Cameron bolted upright in bed, sweat pouring off his body.

"Cam, are you all right?"

A gentle hand brushed the skin of his neck. Still in flight or fight mode, Cameron rebelled against the touch.

"Hey, it's okay." Colby kept his voice soft. "It's just me, Cam. No one's going to hurt you."

At last, the voice of his brother filtered through his panic. Cameron fought the urge to growl from his embarrassment as he realized his fifteen-year-old brother was witness to his nightmares yet again.

For the last month, Cameron had been having the same dream. Another, stronger, wolf chased him in the woods. It wasn't really him being chased though. It was someone else, and it was his fear and pain that Cameron saw through his eyes and felt as though it was his own.

"You had the dream again," Colby said.

"Yeah," Cameron replied though Colby hadn't asked a question.

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't know."

Though Cameron wouldn't have admitted it to his little brother, he didn't want to know. That dream scared the crap out of him.

"It'll be okay," Colby said, snuggling against his back.

"I know," Cameron snapped. "Stop trying to molest me."

When he tried to pull away, Colby tightened his hold. "Don't be a dick. Wolves feel better when they sleep in piles."

"Wolves do, but we're not wolves right now. We're human."

"Were you a wolf in your dream?"

"You know I was."

"Then stop being a dick and snuggle with me."

Before Cameron could reply, his bedroom door opened with enough force for it to hit the wall.

"What are you homos doing?" Carver said, and Cameron cringed at the word.

Carver was only joking, but Cam hated hearing the slur from his little brother. It made him fearful of what would happen if he knew the truth. If he knew that Cam was gay.

Being gay wasn't against the rules in their pack, like it was in some. Several bonded pairs in their pack were gay, but none of those pairs were fated mates. The bigoted wolves said that was because Fate knew better than to give a gay wolf a mate of the same gender. Mates were meant to procreate.

As the next alpha, it was pointless for Cam to admit his attraction to guys. The pack might accept gay bonded pairs, but they wouldn't want a gay alpha since that would keep him from producing the next alpha heir.

"Cam had the dream again," Colby said softly.

"I know." Carver sobered his expression. "I could feel it."

Colby nodded. "Everyone could probably feel it."

Cameron's face heated. This was the problem with being the next alpha in line. Everyone in the pack, especially the younger wolves, could feel his emotions. Most of the time he didn't care, but at times like these he hated the invasion of privacy.

"You okay, Cam?" Carver asked, still standing in the doorway.

Cameron smiled at his brother. Carver, eleven months younger than Colby, wasn't anywhere near as good at expressing his emotion as Colby was. It was obvious from the look of longing on his face that he wanted to join their puppy pile, but his pride kept him from admitting it.