by Sam Crescent
“The alphas know what to do. Some of them are so old. They all have books they consult that talk about an alpha before them. Scorch keeps diaries in his office about his time. His father before him and so on all kept them. I promise you, the alphas will know what to do.” Mandy looked out of the window. “I want you to know that I’m thankful you came forward and didn’t go through with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“David and Scorch were the best of friends growing up. They’ve been through it all. Scorch was best man at my and David’s wedding. He was there at our mating.” Mandy stopped, rubbing her hands down her thighs. “If something happened to Scorch, David will follow him. There is no way my man would allow Scorch to walk to his death. Thank you for telling the truth. I couldn’t live without my David.”
“Scorch is the nicest man I know. I’m not the kind of person who can do that.” Tears filled her eyes, remembering the pain. “When Chain was hurting me, I knew I’d rather die than be forced to do something I didn’t want to do.”
“Do you love him?” Arnold asked.
Jerking to the front, she saw the man glaring at her.
“Yes, I love him.” The words were out before she got chance to stop them. “I love Scorch.” She smiled as the words didn’t make her feel alarmed but happy, really happy. They arrived at the store thirty minutes later. Arnold hadn’t spoken a word after his question. Climbing out, she followed Mandy around the supermarket. As they were nearing the meat section, she spotted the toilet. “I’m just going to go and freshen up.”
“Okay, what’s your favorite, lamb or beef?” Mandy asked.
“Whatever everyone else likes.” She opened the door to the toilet, walking to the sink. Staring at her reflection she wondered if she could see any real sign of her lost virginity. Her neck was covered in marks from his lips. She shivered remembering what it felt like to have his lips on her body.
You’re in love with him.
“Who would have thought?” She looked at the water in the sink with her hands inside. “Everything is going to be all right.”
The light overhead flickered. Looking up she frowned before returning her attention to her reflection. Behind her stood Chain with his arms folded, glaring at her. He didn’t move but looked her up and down. She couldn’t believe she was looking at him. Her heart raced as he tugged out the silver chain he kept around his belt.
She made a mad dash for the door, but he caught her. The chain touched her skin, and he did not.
“What the fuck are you doing here? Where is the fucking alpha I asked you to bring me?” He snarled the words close to her face. Victoria wished he would just touch her and get it over with. Once he touched her, the forced change would occur. As she clawed at the chain around her neck, he tugged, spinning her back to face him.
Victoria couldn’t speak. He leaned in close inhaling her scent. “You’ve fucked him then.” His nostrils flared with his anger.
Tears were bright in her eyes as she looked at him.
Mandy, someone, help me.
No one was coming to her rescue. She was all alone with a mad alpha. Victoria wasn’t an idiot. There was no way she was stronger than he was.
Whimpering, she looked in his eyes seeing the real evil lurking there. While she’d been with Scorch Victoria had forgotten about the evil in the other man.
“Scorch’s cock is good enough for your tight cunt but I’m not?” he asked, growling at her.
She remained silent, terrified of saying the wrong thing.
“Get me Scorch and I’ll let you live. You’ve got a week, and then I’m coming for you. He can’t keep you protected, Victoria. Don’t think for a second he knows what he’s doing because he doesn’t. You’re my bitch, and you’ll learn your fucking place once and for all.”
He let go of the chain, turned and jumped out of the bathroom window. Looking up at the window she saw where he’d come from. There was no getting away from him at all. She wasn’t safe so long as he was alive.
Crying, tears spilled over her cheeks. With Chain alive, no one was safe, not even her.
****
“What are you trying to say, son?” the eldest alpha, Edward, who looked in his late fifties but had to be close to a hundred and fifty asked. Scorch looked at all the alphas wishing he knew what else to say.
“Chain, the leader of The Clan, is planning to separate the bond between wolf and man.” Scorch looked at David, who simply nodded at him. “He’s going to kill me so he is the one in control.”
Another alpha that looked to be a few years younger, leaned in close whispering, “I know, Alfred. This is all disturbing to say the least.” Edward held his hand up. “We know who you’re talking about, and we were planning an intervention of some sort, but we didn’t have any proof.”
“What proof do you have?” Alfred asked.
“My mate. I found her bound to a tree waiting with multiple wounds over her skin. She’d been washed of all scent. I took her in and nursed her back to health with the help of my pack. We’re a destined mated pair, and once this is over I will be taking her as my own. Her family has died at the hands of this monster along with many others.”
“This is not proof,” Alfred said.
“I’m speaking clearly for you all to get the picture of the risk her life is in. She was sent to gain my affection, lead me out to make me vulnerable, so Chain could kill me. If she hadn’t fallen for me, I fear it could have happened. Any male who feels the need to mate is vulnerable. Without knowing about Chain’s true intentions, I would have been defenseless. We all know that an alpha killing a fellow alpha is not what our laws allow. We’re bound by our wolf to be good to our pack. Chain has found a way to hurt his pack without forcing on the change.”
The men started to mutter, and Scorch continued on.
“Providing he doesn’t make skin to skin contact the wolf will not come out. He is free to hurt them, and according to my mate his choice of weapon is a fucking silver chain. I say we’ve got our fucking proof. This man is going to try to kill an alpha, and once that happens he will be more powerful than all of us combined. There will be no stopping him once he achieves his goal.” Scorch stopped, looking at all the alphas in turn. They were finally understanding the gravity of what he was saying. “I’m not here to cause waves with you. This man is dangerous. An entire pack along with all of our kind is at risk. I’m asking, no I’m begging, you all to realize the severity of the situation.”
David reached out, touching his arm. “They know what you’re saying, alpha. Let them all think about what you’ve got to say before you do anything radical.”
Nodding, he took a step back. His heart was racing. He needed to know what they were all thinking and feeling. Turning away, he ran fingers through his hair in order to do something with his hands.
“I hate this,” he said, talking to David.
“I know. You’re doing what you can. Give them a breather. Allow them to make a decision.”
The time passed slowly, painfully slowly. He looked up at the sky wishing there was something more he could be doing. Instead, he stood waiting for their input.
After what felt like an eternity but was only a few minutes, they called him back. Heading inside, David at his side, he faced the other alphas.
“Over a hundred years ago there was a man like you talk about. He, erm, he didn’t like being at the mercy of his wolf, and so he killed a fellow alpha taking the mate of the deceased, control of the pack, and also breaking the bond with his wolf,” Edward said. Scorch saw Edward was troubled by what he was saying.
“Why are you telling me this?” Scorch asked.
“No alpha could kill him. If we take out a fellow alpha then we break our bond with our wolf.” Edward sighed. “The problem was this man went mad. The power inside him was too much for him to handle. No alpha can stop anyone who breaks that bond.”
“We can’t leave Chain like this. He will kill an alpha, and then you’ve got the sam
e problem.” Scorch rubbed his eyes, feeling more tired than he ever had throughout his life. “What other suggestion do you have?” he asked. “How did you defeat this other man?”
“With no end in sight to his torment, this alpha, this abomination, started killing men, women, and children of his surrounding pack. There was no stopping him at all.”
“This is not a great story,” David said.
“Like all bad men, an end was in sight, but the true alpha of the pack had been born. This boy grew up in a good pack that was slowly brought to its knees by this abomination. Then, the alpha attacked his mother, and this young boy rose up above all the others. He killed the alpha with a strike of his steel blade, taking the pack and creating a new alpha with fresh blood,” Edward said.
“What are you saying? We’ve got to find the true alpha of The Clan pack? Chain is the true alpha,” Scorch said, getting angrier.
“You’re too young, Scorch. You and your friend are too young to understand these details. That is not the entire story. For the last hundred years I’ve been studying this strange occurrence that happens within some alphas.” Edward looked at the other alphas. “When one alpha starts this battle of becoming evil, hurting the pack and trying to kill other alphas, there is someone within the same pack who has the power to take the pack from him,” Edward said.
“You’re saying the answer to our problems is actually living in The Clan pack right this instant?” Scorch asked.
“Yes, we couldn’t act accordingly the last time something like this occurred on our soil.” Edward took a deep breath. “That is no longer the case anymore. We can go, contain Chain, and the true alpha will rise up, show himself and be able to kill Chain, rising up to the alpha status. The loophole for the new alpha to kill Chain is the wolf’s true passion is protection. Chain is no longer protecting his people. He’s hunting and killing them. The new alpha is taking out a threat, which is why the bond will not break. The true intentions are within the heart and soul.”
Scorch looked at all of them. The satisfaction was clear to see on all of their faces.
“If that’s the case then we need to do it sooner rather than later,” Scorch said, thinking about Victoria. He couldn’t leave her alone with that maniac waiting to hurt her.
“We will.”
Edward and Alfred along with the other alphas agreed on a date five days from then. Scorch and David agreed to be with them when they took control of Chain. They decided on the best course of action to get Chain vulnerable.
With every second that passed with a strategy in place, Scorch felt happier. Chain shouldn’t be allowed the chance to hurt people. He would see to it that Victoria was not harmed.
Once they had concluded business, they all shook hands. Scorch and David headed out catching up with the other members of their pack who waited on the outskirts of the forest, protecting them. None of them spoke as they headed toward their homes. They stayed in wolf form on the run for the next three days only stopping when it was absolutely necessary.
They fed on the wildlife in wolf form, resting, drinking from lakes and rivers. All the time Scorch thought about his woman. When he saw home in sight, he picked up his speed. He was tired, but he’d rest over the coming days. The only thing he could think about was getting to his woman. At the back door he turned back into his human form, entering the house. He found Mandy sat at the table, crying.
“We’re back,” he said, frowning at her state. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Victoria.”
Scorch ignored whatever else she had to say. Running up the stairs, he charged into her bedroom. She wasn’t there. Going into his own bedroom, he found her curled up by the window, cupping her neck. Startled eyes met his. He hated seeing that look shining back at him.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked, approaching her.
She dropped her hand, and he saw the bruises on her flesh. Going to his knees, he looked at the marks, knowing without her saying a word who they were from. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”
“You can’t. It’s what he wants.” Her voice was croaky.
“How long ago did this happen?” he asked. His wolf was clawing to get out and take out the man who’d tried to hurt his woman.
“Three days ago, alpha,” Arnold said. “They were a lot worse. They’ve faded a little.”
Turning around he saw Arnold, Mandy, and David standing in the doorway. In Arnold’s hands was a silver chain.
“She was so worried about you. I invited her to get some supplies,” Mandy said, crying. “She went to the bathroom. When I noticed she’d been gone a long time I went looking for her. I found this wrapped around her neck. I think she passed out.”
David was rubbing her shoulders trying to ease her.
“It was Chain,” Victoria said. Her lip wobbled, and Scorch lost it.
“Get out!” He shouted the words out to the rest of his back. Scorch wanted to be alone with his woman, and they were only going to ruin his time with her. The door closed behind them leaving them alone. What the hell was he going to do?
Chapter Nine
Victoria stared into Scorch’s concerned blue eyes. She had missed him over the last few days. Ever since Mandy found her passed out in the bathroom all she’d wanted was his arms around her telling her it would be all right. She felt like a pussy, but it was what she needed from him.
“You’re not leaving again, are you?” she asked.
“Not yet. There’s stuff you need to know, but it can wait. All of it can wait. Can I hold you, Tori? It has been too fucking long since I had you in my arms.” He didn’t give her a chance to speak before he tugged her into his lap, sitting by the window. The sun was going down for the day highlighting the entire sky in different shades of red, gold, and yellow. Sinking his nose against her neck he inhaled her fragrance. She missed him so damn much in the last few days. What happened with Chain only made her miss him all the more.
“I missed you,” she said.
“You’re reading my mind, baby. I fucking missed you so much.”
She chuckled, but she knew it was forced. Chain finding her had terrified her.
“I don’t know how he knew where I was going. I mean, he shouldn’t have known where I was going, should he?” she asked.
“I don’t know. He’ll never get the chance to hurt you again.” He kissed her head. She wished she could believe his words. No one could protect her from Chain until he was dead.
“You’ll need to kill him,” she said.
“I can’t kill him, baby. I promise you we’ve got a plan in place. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
He kissed her head.
Victoria didn’t want pacifying. She needed to know the plan. Chain scared her, and if she was scared then the rest of her pack were scared. She couldn’t just walk away like she always wanted to.
“Tell me now.”
“You’re tired.” He kissed the fading marks around her neck. His touch made her shiver. Heat spilled between her thighs into her panties. Closing her eyes, she let out a moan, wishing with all of her might she could stop her reaction to his touch.
“No, I’m not tired. I’m fed up with having to live in fear. My family tried, and they lost their lives trying to get the right pack for me. I don’t want to risk another’s life because I didn’t do the right thing.” She held his hand where he caressed her cheek. “Please, Scorch, I love you. Tell me what’s going to happen.”
“You love me?”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s all you can think about?”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes, I love you, Scorch. I love you so much I wonder how I can even think with the love I feel for you.” She smiled up at him, drawing his hand down to her beating heart. “You’re in here with me all the time. I promise you, it’ll never change.”
“Baby, I love you so fucking much.” He slammed his lips down on hers. Victoria gave in to him feeling his tongue plunder her mouth. She moaned, opening u
p to his searching tongue.
Victoria turned in his arms, straddling his lap.
“No, I can’t do this,” she said, pulling away. “Tell me what you’ve got planned first.” She pressed her fingers to his lips stopping him from kissing her.
“You’re going to be difficult?”
“You bet your ass I am.” She folded her hands under her breasts, staring at him.
“Fine, in a couple of days I’m going to be heading out.” His fingers played with the button of her shirt. “You’re going to lure me out to where Chain wants me. The alphas are going to be close by when it happens. They’ll follow us, and when Chain is about to attack they’re going to surround him.”
She dropped her arms seeing through their plan. “That’s it? That’s the fabulous plan? Chain will see through it. He will never risk his life like that.”
He covered her mouth with his palm. “No. The alphas know what they’re doing. They will not risk my or your life, I promise.”
“Scorch, you’re making a lot of promises you can’t keep.”
“No, I’m not. I trust this plan, and I trust them. They’ve handled something like this before.”
Victoria froze. “Something like this has happened before? When?”
“A long time ago. They’ve studied it, and they’re more prepared now than they’ve ever been before.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
She smiled, wishing there was something else she could say to him. Leaning down she pressed her lips to his, moaning as he stroked along the line of her lips.
“This plan needs you, Tori. I hate getting you involved after everything you’ve been through.”
“I’ll do everything you want me to. I’m not letting him get away with hurting any more people.” She looked down at his stomach thinking about her parents. “He’s taken too much from me. I won’t let him win.”
“That’s my girl.” His fingers sank into her hair, pulling her down to his lips. He stroked along her lips with his tongue then plundered her mouth. Whimpering, she cupped his face as the pleasure crashed through her. “I’m going to make love to you tonight.”