Alpha Doms Box Set: 9 Delicious Stories + 10 Sexy Heroes = 19 Reasons to Indulge

by Christin Lovell

  Her features crumpled, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. I tugged her to me, wrapping my arms tightly around her.

  She lazily pushed at my chest. “Stop. Please.” There was no fight in her; her words were merely a plea.

  My wolf roared, echoing the outrage I felt. I would never forgive her family for putting her through this.

  “Jayson, please let me go.”

  “Why? So you can run away again?” I didn’t hold back my upset.

  She slumped in my arms, finally giving in. “It should be me.”

  I jerked back, feeling as if I’d been slapped. “What?” I growled.

  She kept her gaze downwards. “You should have kicked me out. It’s not their fault I am the way I am.”

  Her self-disgust incensed me, shooting furious bullets through my veins. “You don’t even know why I abolished them.”

  She peered at me through hooded lashes. “Why did you?”

  I didn’t realize the corner I’d backed myself into until it was too late. I didn’t want to hurt her. The last thing I wanted to do was to unleash their derogative comments on her.

  I slid a crooked finger beneath her chin and lifted her head. She immediately looked away. “Look at me.”

  She closed her eyes, taking a breath before opening them and focusing on me. She was trying to be so strong. I could see the waterfall of emotions in her eyes, yet she did her best to veil them.

  “I chose to keep the best of my pack. I kept the ones willing to comply with my new rule of unity. There will be no more segregation. Everyone is to be respected equally, especially you.” I traced the outer edges of her full cheeks.

  Heat colored her creamy skin. “You didn’t have to do that.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, so full of pain, so full of worry.

  Damn it! She shouldn’t have to worry. She should just be. I was the alpha. I was supposed to shoulder her concerns, tend to her needs, and protect her battered spirit.

  “Don’t argue with my choices,” I clipped.

  She moved away right as her dam broke. Tears openly streamed down her face. She hugged herself. “They’re going to hate me, Jayson. They know I’m the reason for this. I’m the only one they’ve ever treated differently, and rightly so. I am different. You can’t punish all of them for my issues.”

  My wolf clawed at my chest, pouncing with his back legs as he attacked me; he fought to reach the surface and claim our mate, to reassure her of our allegiance with a single bite.

  My muscles flexed as I shuddered, fighting for control. She was trying me. Her distress both maddened me and decimated me. She shouldn’t feel this way. Had I been the alpha I ought to have been, she wouldn’t have questioned my moves. She would have enough self-confidence to demand better treatment.

  Her silent strength was undeniable to survive the ridicule she had her entire life, but her soul was clearly damaged from their lashes.

  “You’re not different; you’re better,” I stated.

  She swiped at the salty water tumbling down her cheeks profusely. My heart broke as I watched her struggle to suppress her emotions. I knew this was years worth of tears; I knew this was years worth of suffering bursting to the surface.

  I felt like a worthless piece of shit. Damn it. I might as well have been the one single-handedly taking swings at her self-worth. I should have changed this. I should have protected her. I should have stepped up and leveraged my authority sooner. I was the reason she was broken. All the while, she blamed herself for the sins of others.

  This was a fucked up situation. I should have claimed her long ago.

  My wolf snapped at me, agreeing with my latest musing.

  I studied Laina. She’d closed her eyes and fisted her hands; she pinched her eyelids as she bit her inner lip, obviously trying to regulate her reaction and stunt her tears.

  Slowly my own self-deprecation washed away and was replaced by a fierce determination. What got me into this mess was me allowing her to prance around freely. What prolonged her silent suffering was me not claiming her sooner, forcing the pack, at the least, to give her respect as the alpha’s mate. I’d come to that realization last night, and nothing had changed this morning. It was time.

  —

  Chapter Seven

  LAINA

  Abruptly, Jayson threw me over his shoulder and scurried for the stairs.

  I pounded on his back, kicking my feet to no avail. “Put me down! Stop!”

  I jumped when he smacked my ass. The sting of his hand connecting with my sensitive flesh sent tingles of awareness through me; of warmth and longing rather than fear. My body’s physical reaction ceased all my fight.

  My wolf pranced about, anticipation silencing four years of crying.

  I scowled. She was a traitor. She was so quick to throw herself at Jayson, tossing her ass into the air.

  My pulse fluttered rapidly as he opened the bedroom door. The alpha was the strongest in many aspects, including physically; it was why he was the leader. It was why there was no escaping this.

  I dug deep, searching, seeking fear, trying to find an ounce of concern that indicated I didn’t want this, but I didn’t find any. The truth was, I wanted Jayson. I craved him. I wanted to lick every groove, every bulge of his muscles. I wanted to give in. I wanted to be his, but I couldn’t do that to him.

  I heard several locks being slid into place and finally a metal key being placed atop something. He had me facing his oversized master bedroom. The furniture matched the grand size of the space. Dark woods gave it a masculine feel, especially against the grey walls. A cabernet colored comforter was the only dot of true color.

  He spun around walking towards the bed, giving me a glimpse of the door. I gasped, my lungs refusing to expand as I caught sight of the three dead bolts and two keyed locks on the door; all of which appeared locked and secure. I really wasn’t getting out of this.

  My wolf pranced with delight. I wanted to smack her senseless.

  I jolted as he laid me down on the bed, face down. He immediately covered me, yanking my hands up over my head. I jerked on his grip, trying to get away, but failed. I felt the cold metal slip around my wrists. Knowledge shot through me, sending a reflex of panic bursting through my chest, making it hard to breath.

  He leaned down next to my ear. “I’m not going to hurt you. Just relax.” He gently kissed my temple. The gesture was so sensual; it sent my mind into disarray. He was soft and hard, rough and careful.

  The second he slid off of me, I pushed up on my knees, trying to gain leverage to budge the restraints. They didn’t even creaked though.

  I studied the handcuffs. Sure enough they were platinum, one of the few metals wolves lacked the strength to bend.

  I jumped, chafing my skin against the metal when Jayson pulled my shoes and socks off in quick succession, before my mind could process what he was doing.

  “What are you doing?” I couldn’t withhold my indignation. He was my alpha, for now, not my handler and certainly not my husband.

  I turned my head trying to see what he was doing, but he moved quickly. It was as if he’d planned this. He knew the angles I would be checking and made sure he stayed in the shadows, just out of my peripheral vision’s span.

  Without warning, he yanked my legs straight, causing me to plop down onto the mattress. I tumbled, struggling to break his grasp. I froze the second the smooth metal circled my ankles. My shoulders slumped as I sighed. I was completely helpless. I had no leverage, no escape. I was at his mercy.

  I listened as he linked the cuffs to the bed, the same as he did with the ones above. He’d taken my height into account and all. There was a generous chain between the restraints and the bed.

  The reality of the situation was fresh in my mind. Knowing what I should feel, I waited for the fear to come, but it didn’t. I waited for rage to engulf my heart, but alas, it didn’t. The single thing that won out was defeat.

  I shrieked when he dragged down my pants, stopping just below my a
ss, exposing the widest part of me. My lungs refused to expand as cool air kissed my skin. I wanted to yell, I wanted to know what was going on, but my mind blanked. I could only focus on the fact that I was tied up and being stripped. Sadly, I was all too aware of the fact that fear was still absent, and worse, my body warmed.

  His hands caressed the back of my hips. I held my breath as he pressed his lips against each ass cheek, kissing my flesh. “I love this part of you.”

  Shock registered as chills chased down my spine. I hadn’t heard him right. There was no way he could like my double-wide sized rear. I opened and closed my mouth several times, opting to remain silent rather than make a fool of myself.

  He moved away and I immediately felt cold, empty. I never should have let him touch me. That one tiny intimacy opened the black hole in my chest, exposing my loneliness.

  “This is how this is going to work. I’m going to ask you some questions. I demand nothing but the truth. If you lie to me, I’m going to spank that pretty ass of yours.”

  Why, oh why, did my pussy have to flutter in response to his harsh tone? This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I should have kept my distance.

  I struggled to keep the last of my barriers, the final walls of protection around me. If I gave in, we’d both lose.

  “Why don’t you stick up for yourself?”

  I turned my head, but he moved to the foot of the bed. I sighed. “Does it matter?”

  I startled when he smacked my ass. His hand landed a sharp blow to my sensitive skin, creating a dull throbbing sensation in my lower half. “I said I’ll ask the questions. Now answer me.”

  My pulse rocketed. I turned my face into the mattress. How could I answer that when didn’t even know? I just didn’t. It didn’t seem worth it. It would always be them against me, regardless of what I said. “It’s not worth it,” I mumbled into the sheets.

  He slapped my ass again, the same blunt pain spreading through my center. “Do you think you’re not worth it?”

  I bit my lip, closing my eyes. I shrugged my shoulders.

  Another harsh blow landed on me.

  My wolf stilled at the newest hit. Awareness prickled her. A wilted growl emerged from within her.

  “Answer me, Laina.” His voice was low and menacing, causing goose bumps to break out on me.

  I remained still and silent. I would rather have been naked in front of a crowd than to truly expose my inner insecurities, my true self, the weak little girl who just wanted to be accepted the way she was.

  Another severe smack pricked my rear. “I’m not letting you go until you answer me, Laina.”

  I clamped my lips together, bracing myself for his next move. I’d rather him be left wondering about me than to truly know me.

  I swallowed hard, tears moistening my eyes, tugging on my heart. The realization stunned me. That was the answer. I’d rather be covered in a layer of fat than to allow anyone to get close enough to me. It was my protection. If I didn’t love myself, how could I expect anyone else to love me? I couldn’t. Rather than suffer that rejection over and over, I padded myself with physical walls of fluff that acted as a barrier. I barred myself from getting close to anyone. It was a security blanket I wasn’t about to let go of, especially not in the presence of male flawlessness.

  Jayson was gorgeous, everything a woman could want in a man. He stood just over six feet with spiked light brown hair that was always styled to messy perfection. His brown eyes were deep, rich pools of lusciousness. The striations of honey, chocolate and bark were everything a female were loved. The cuts and angles of his body were sharp; deep grooves defined every muscle. His tan complexion reminded me of sun-filled days by the river; it was sun kissed beauty, just like him.

  He struck my ass again. My flesh was already beginning to numb where he’d made his presence known on me.

  When I remained silent for another thirty seconds, his hand whacked my flesh, which I was certain was red by now.

  I fought back the tears threatening to slip over the rims of my eyes. I closed my eyes, trying to channel my place of serenity. I needed Mother Nature’s whispering strength; I needed her fortitude.

  Another slap resounded through the space as the ache immediately mellowed.

  In the back of my mind, I knew if I would just let go, that I could probably enjoy being tied up by the man I’d yearned for for four years straight. But I couldn’t let go. I wasn’t ready to let go. I suppose the greatest awareness I had was that, if I did let go, he would know the worst of me. He would know all my dirty thoughts and secrets; he would know exactly how I felt about myself and him. Who would want me after those truths were exposed? If I was too scared to admit them even to myself, how could I expect him not to run when I faced them beneath him?

  I lost track of time; I lost count of how many times he spanked me. I’d always been good at removing myself from situations mentally. I did it every time I ate, mindlessly stuffing myself to numb the emotions I could never let go of. I’d snuck food, more food than my high were metabolism could keep up with.

  When life got hard, when someone made a nasty comment, when my parents went on about my size, I slipped away to comfort myself with food. I drowned my sorrow in a new sorrow.

  My family didn’t talk about our problems. We buried them. My parents’ fights were swept beneath the rug; my father and brother’s anger issues were swept beneath the rug. Nothing existed unless we spoke it into existence. The one exception was my weight. They couldn’t hide my problem; they couldn’t protect their reputations with me around. I was their largest issue, their biggest problem in every sense of the statement.

  Every pound on me was a pound of fear, a pound of sorrow, a pound of pain. I couldn’t deal with them, the same way they couldn’t deal with me. While my parents and brother snidely made their feelings known, I choked mine with food. Worse, rather than empower my wolf, I buried her deep inside me, beneath my emotions, dwindling her the way I had my self worth. And, rather than run to Mother Nature for help, I swallowed another chip, another cookie, another morsel of something I shouldn’t have.

  It was all my fault. That was a hard bite to swallow, a hard reality to face. Had I handled things differently, I could have prevented this.

  As time dragged on, my body began to grow weary. Confronting what I’d done to myself, to those around me, for the past twenty-six years was exhausting. My mind could wander, but the emotional reality of my personal abuse was enough to drain me.

  Even as another harsh smack landed behind me, I was able to slip away into oblivion, into the dream world, where it would never matter that I was twice the weight of my fellow female weres. It was a place that I could be who I wanted to be, who I longed to be without the fear of rejection, without the fear that Jayson would wake up the next day full of regret.

  —

  Chapter Eight

  JAYSON

  How the hell did someone fall asleep while they were being spanked? Damn. I’d really underestimated her defense mechanisms. She completely shut down.

  My wolf roared, his anger reverberating through me. I fisted my hands as I stared down at her swollen, red flesh. I’d wanted to increase my strength, wanted to shake her into cognizance, but I didn’t want to hurt her. I’d watched her extremely closely, gaging every slight reaction from her. I was desperate though.

  I spun on my heels and punched my fist through the wall, grunting in rage. She was the most infuriating, beautiful woman I’d ever met. Apparently it was going to take more than a little physical reprimand to break her.

  I didn’t know how long she would be out for. I could only imagine the effort it required for her to close herself off like that.

  Damn it. It’d gone completely wrong. I wanted her to open up to me. I wanted to help her. I wanted to empower her, not to beat her into unconsciousness.

  I scrubbed my face, the whiskers of my sprouting facial hair scraping against my palms. I refocused my gaze on her. A new wave of determination erupted
from within as my wolf continued his angry song.

  I wasn’t giving up on her. It looked like I was going to have to up the ante. I was going to have to keep her teetering between pleasure and pain, a place that kept her body guessing and her mind active; it was a place where she wouldn’t be able to hide from herself or me.

  I quickly got to work, grabbing what I needed from my supply chest. With everything open and ready, I focused on Laina. I unlocked her cuffs and set about stripping her. As much as I wanted to take my time and touch every part of her, feel every curve as I exposed it, I had to remain focused on the big picture, on the end goal. The moment she was naked, I refastened her restraints. It was only then that I allowed myself to step back and enjoy the view.

  God, she was breathtaking. Every part of her was round, was soft, silky curves that I knew would be heaven to cuddle. Her face was flush, her cheeks stained with tears. Even seeing the physical depths I’d pierced, she was still beautiful. I couldn’t stop myself from caressing her cheek, trailing my fingers down her neck, across her pulse point and along the center of her, leading to her apex.

  Inhaling deep, her scent overwhelmed me. Her delicious aroma sent my wolf into a frenzy. I could easily release him to bite her while she slept. But I pressed down on him, holding strong to my control. At the end of the day, this was about her, not me. I hadn’t been thinking straight when I’d set out to claim her. What good would it do to have her beside me if she resented the position? If we weren’t a united front, they would never respect us.

  I sighed. This would have to be her decision. It would have to be her choice whether or not she surrendered herself. I could tie her up forever, but until I breeched that impenetrable wall around her, I would never have all of her and she would never accept me.

  I was selfish enough to take whatever I could get from her, but I loved her enough not to. I loved her enough to hold off on my own wants and needs for her benefit. To an outsider, I was sure spanking her, restraining her, all of this looked like a power trip on my part. But it was when you were brought to your knees, forced to face the darkness at your lowest that you realized how strong you were, that you could face anything.