Everyone has that special someone - their first love. The memory of that person who brings butterflies to your stomach and a smile to your lips. My first love was Owen Moore. He was my best friend's older brother - a broad, strapping alpha who never failed to make me feel safe. I spent most of my childhood at the Moore's house, their open warmth a welcome relief from the cold reception my own parents gave me. Owen never looked twice at me then. Now, I'm back in Blackwater, teaching at the local school. Owen's in Blackwater, too, protecting and serving as part of the police force.

Saying I've had a crush on my best friend's older brother, Pax, most of my life is like saying the big bang was just an explosion. It's true, but I'm not sure that quite captures the essence of its true enormity. I don't think my advanced physics knowledge is going to help me figure this one out. But I think for once I'm okay with not knowing, as long as Pax and I don't know together.

I'm a fun-loving guy who doesn't take life too seriously. If there's something I want, I go for it. Why not? Life's too short to slide into the grave with regrets. But what I don't do is go for men who aren't out and proud. Been there, done that. The only real way to get to me is to hurt my brother, but now that Sawyer's happy, he doesn't need me anymore. I'm stoked for him, I am! But seeing my friends and brother paired off is a constant reminder of the one thing I don't have but desperately want: Jude.

I can’t love him. It’s not allowed. Twenty years ago, I made a promise. If anything ever happened to Marc - my best friend - I'd step up and take care of his wife and baby son. I never thought I'd have to honor it. His wife, Lindy, is holding in there. But his son, Mason, isn't coping very well at all. It's gotten so bad that he may have to postpone his final semester of university. All I want to do is look out for him, and having me around seems to help. But I have a secret. It’s more than grief. Mason wants me - the way an omega wants their alpha.

When Sy learned that Connor, the young familiar who’d been staying with him, had been captured, he knew immediately that he could find him. After all, what use was it, him being a Necromancer, if he couldn’t locate lost souls? The fact he was hosting Dakar’s parents at the time shouldn’t have made it an issue. After all, they were pack-oriented and understood the need to bring a family member home. Didn’t they?