Brought to Heel

by Delta James

“Summer and Gina. I’m sorry, Dylan. I don’t know how they did it, but I’ve got some of the men out looking and the rest are gathering waiting for your orders. Megan and Lacey are under lock and key in your study.”

  “Take Skylar to our room, put a guard at the door.”

  “Dylan…”

  “Shhh. Love. Mind me.” He left Skylar with Nick and ran toward where Matthew and the others were forming a search group.

  Nick waited for Skylar to head to the house. She did so, saying to him, “I’m going to check on the girls and will remain with them until Dylan returns.”

  “No, Skylar, you won’t. Dylan very specifically said you were to remain in your room.”

  “I will look to my former pack members to ensure they’re all right.”

  Nick took hold of her elbow. “No. You will do as you were told. Don’t make me force you to go to your room. Dylan would not be pleased.”

  Skylar growled at him and pushed her anger toward him with an alpha wave. Nick was surprised at its power. It caused him to stagger a bit, but he held firm. “Let go of me,” she growled at him.

  “That’s enough, Skylar. You may be his mate and may be an alpha in your own right, but in this pack you will answer to him and to me when I’m acting in his stead. You either walk up to the house or I’ll drag you over to him. I guarantee you push that wave at him and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”

  “I said to let go of me.”

  “Fine. Your mate can deal with you.”

  Nick dragged her toward Dylan, who looked up to see Skylar being brought to him. Dylan gave his last instructions to the others and then went to meet Skylar and Nick.

  “Your mate refuses to do as she was told.”

  Skylar growled at him. Before Nick could do anything, Dylan growled back. “So, you would disrespect your beta? Not your best choice.” Dylan took hold of her, pulled her to him and bent her over, holding her by her waist, and landed a hard swat to her backside.

  Skylar was humiliated that he would punish her anywhere other than the privacy of their room. Granted, he didn’t bare her backside, but the thin linen slacks she had on offered her little protection.

  Dylan peppered her backside, adding a new level of increased pain to the ache previously left behind.

  “Ouch, Dylan. Stop!”

  “Did you not hear me tell you to go to our room?” he said calmly as he continued to spank her. While her trousers certainly allowed his blows to be felt, he thought to himself that spanking her bare bottom was far more satisfying.

  The swats continued until Skylar began to dance, trying both to get away from him and to alleviate some of the pain he was causing her.

  “Please, Dylan, I just wanted to check…”

  Landing one last hard swat to the middle of her derriere, he said, “I don’t much care what you wanted to do at this point. You can now go to our room, get naked, and stand in the corner to wait for me to come discipline you.”

  “Dylan…”

  “Enough. You either do as you’re told and all you will get is another hand spanking, Or continue, and you and my belt will have another chat. Do you hear me?”

  Nick stood quietly, not wanting to look at either of them. Nick had thought her alpha wave was impressive, but it was nothing compared to one of Dylan’s. Their alpha was furious with his mate and Nick could see Skylar could feel his anger on many levels.

  “I asked you a question, mate. Do you need some more persuasion to answer it respectfully?” growled Dylan.

  “No. I’m sorry. I was just worried about my girls.”

  “They are not your concern, they are mine. If they knew nothing of this, they will be allowed to return to their rooms while we sort this out. If not, they will learn firsthand what happens to naughty girls in my pack.” He turned her toward the house and gave her a final swat, causing her to yelp as she jumped forward from the impact. “Upstairs and in the corner now.”

  Skylar stood for a moment debating the consequences of defying him. Realizing she had no chance of getting to her girls, she thought to mitigate the punishment Dylan would be handing out when he joined her. She turned to Nick. “I apologize, Nick. I should not have taken out my anger and displeasure on you when it was my mate with whom I am angry.”

  Nick inclined his head and smiled at Dylan. He knew that it had been a huge concession on her part to apologize. “Apology accepted. However, I doubt it will lessen your punishment with our alpha.”

  “That would be correct. I said get to our room.”

  Skylar came back to him, stood on her toes, and kissed him. “Yes, Dylan,” she said quietly. She walked up to the house.

  “Nick, make sure she gets there. She may decide if she’s already in trouble, she may as well do what she wants. If she gives you more trouble, let me know. I’m leaving you in charge of the house. Question those girls and see if they know anything. Then put them under lock and key. As my mate is indisposed, please ask Bianca to act as hostess for the afternoon.”

  “Yes, Alpha.” Nick followed Skylar but motioned to Bianca to join him.

  “What’s going on?” Bianca asked.

  “Dylan needs you to step in as hostess. Skylar is indisposed and three of the Bae Diogel girls have gone missing.”

  Bianca glanced in Dylan’s direction. “He’s got to be pissed to the extreme. And I take it Skylar’s being indisposed is at our alpha’s orders?”

  Nick nodded. “Yes. While you see to the guests, have Susannah go to Dylan’s study. That’s where we have the others. Have her make sure they are comfortable and soothed as best she can. Tell her to wait for me to get there.”

  “You aren’t going to punish them for what the others did, are you?”

  He kissed her. “Bianca, you know better. Naughty girls don’t get punished unless they’ve done something for which they deserve it. Go do as I asked, please.”

  Bianca went back to their guests, ensuring they were comfortable and enjoying themselves. She found Susannah and asked her to see to the other Bae Diogel girls.

  * * *

  Dylan gathered his men together. He could see Jean-Michele from New Orleans headed their way.

  “Shit, this is the last thing we need,” said Dylan.

  “Do you want me to head him off?” asked Matthew.

  “No, I’ll deal with him.” Dylan stepped away from Matthew. “Jean-Michele, welcome. I hope your accommodations are acceptable?”

  “Other than being away from all those beautiful women—both from Bae Diogel and from your own pack—they are lovely.”

  Dylan smiled. “Yes, I am surrounded by beauty in all its forms. I’m sorry that my mate is indisposed.”

  Jean-Michele laughed. “From what I saw, you seem to be the cause of your mate’s indisposition.”

  “Saw that, did you?”

  “I see and know most things, my friend. I take it there’s trouble? Uninvited guests or naughty girls?”

  Dylan chuckled. “The latter. Three of them decided to absent themselves from the party.”

  Jean-Michele nodded. “Is the fair Lacey among them?”

  “No, Lacey seems to be coming to terms with the reality of her situation. I have my men looking for them, they won’t get far.”

  “As you know, several of my unmated pack members insisted on joining me. We can be discreet and are happy to be of help.”

  Dylan eyed the younger man and realized the assistance was being offered with no strings attached. “That would be most helpful. Some of my men have already shifted and will pick up their trail. Perhaps you and one of your men could join one group and I could take the other two members of your pack and join the other?”

  “Sounds like an excellent division of labor. Lead on,” said Jean-Michele as he motioned to his men.

  Dylan led them to where his men were staging and split up the two teams. It appeared that the girls had left together and then split apart. Half of the men shifted to their wolf form, scented the wind, and headed in two separate dire
ctions. The other half split as well and followed them.

  * * *

  At the foot of the stairs, Skylar stopped and turned to Nick. “I know Dylan said…”

  “Enough, Sky. Had you not forced the issue so that I had to get Dylan involved, I might have been persuaded to let you at least speak to your women. But you forced my hand and I have no other choice but to ensure you follow Dylan’s orders. Please don’t put me in the position of having to tell him you once again refused to mind him.”

  “Would you at least tell them that I’m not with them at Dylan’s insistence?”

  “No. I won’t cast Dylan as the bad guy. Darby and her friends are responsible for this fiasco and I won’t have you complicating it or making matters worse. Now, go upstairs and to your room.” He calmly waited at the foot of the stairs and watched her go up and into their room.

  Nick turned and walked into Dylan’s study. The remaining members of Bae Diogel were waiting. Susannah seemed to have done an admirable job of keeping them calm.

  “Well, ladies. It would appear three of your sisters left you behind.”

  “That isn’t true and you know it,” challenged Megan as she took a step toward him.

  “I would think, Megan, having found yourself over my knee once already you would choose to speak to me in a more appropriate and respectful manner.”

  Susannah stepped between them. “Meg, Nick didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

  Meg snorted. “Ever the omega.”

  “Megan, that’s enough. Mind your attitude and your tone or I’ll fix both for you.”

  Lacey stepped forward. “Beta, that’s not overly helpful. You have to admit, we’re under quite a bit of stress and your words were, at best, provocative. Megan, you would never have spoken to Roz in that manner. I really do think you should apologize to Nick… even if he started it.” She grinned at Nick, who couldn’t help but smile back.

  Megan started to say something and then paused. She changed her mind and replied, “You’re right, Lacey. Roz wouldn’t have put up with that either. I am sorry, Nick, for speaking to you that way, but not necessarily for the words I said.”

  Nick laughed. “I could have done without the modifier at the end, but as Lacey said, it hasn’t been easy on any of you. I really do wish you’d accept that we aren’t the bad guys and that Dylan is doing his best to see that you can be happy.” He held up his hand to ward off the protests. “I know you thought you were happy before, but not being mated is unnatural to our kind—male and female. And so, it may not be what you want, but it doesn’t have to be bad. Susannah is mated to a member of this pack as are Anna and Skylar. And Roz seems to be quite happy with the alpha of the Hamptons.”

  Anna stepped forward. “They really aren’t bad guys. Josh is so sweet to me. I have to say if I had to give up being free, then being mated to someone like him isn’t bad at all.”

  Nick walked over and wrapped his arm around Anna. “Thank you, Anna. We’re all very glad you and Josh found each other. And if he hasn’t told you, Josh is over the moon to have you as his. Has he told you that?”

  “Not in so many words.”

  “One should never equivocate with one’s mate. Let me cuff the boy upside the head and set him straight for you.”

  Anna giggled in response.

  Nick continued, “Keep in mind, ladies, that in a good pack, ensuring the safety and happiness of the females is paramount. Lacey is right, I could have spoken better and more kindly remembering that the situation in which you find yourselves was not of your choice. Let me start over. Three of your sisters have chosen to run away. They won’t be successful and will spend a suitable amount of time over my knee or Dylan’s. Dylan is out right now bringing them back. My job is to ascertain if any of you knew about it.”

  “And will there be consequences if we did?” asked Lacey.

  Nick nodded. “Most likely. The level of your participation will determine the severity of your punishment. Anyone like to confess?” He eyed them one by one.

  “I should have known. She didn’t say something directly but I knew Darby was becoming more and more distraught. I just didn’t want to get her in trouble,” said Anna.

  Nick hugged Anna to his side. “There’s knowing and then there’s knowing. If she’d said something and you chose to remain silent that’s one thing, but I don’t think I have any reason to have Josh punish you again. Anyone?”

  “Thinking back, we probably all should have. They each said some things that in hindsight should have given an indication of their intentions.” Having been the omega for Bae Diogel, Lacey felt things deeply.

  Nick smiled at Lacey. “Again, that doesn’t rise in my mind at least to the level of really knowing. Hindsight is always twenty/twenty. No one knew anything more specific beforehand?”

  They all shook their heads and Nick believed them. “What now?” asked Lacey.

  “Dylan wanted you all under lock and key until the others are brought back into the fold. I don’t have enough men here at the house to allow much individual freedom. But if I have your word that you’ve been truthful and that you’ll behave and stay on the main patio, I won’t put you back in your rooms. Anyone here not willing to give me their word?”

  As he suspected, they were all more than amenable. He opened the patio doors and they joined the rest of their guests and the pack outside.

  Bianca joined her mate. “Letting them loose?”

  Nick nodded. “I really don’t think they knew anything. At the end of the weekend, Dylan’s going to have to make some decisions. The more they get to mingle with these guys, the more comfortable they’ll feel and perhaps he can figure out where to send each one.”

  “Funny, I don’t recall you and Dylan giving me much latitude in who I would be mated to,” she teased.

  “That’s because you’re a very naughty mate and he knew it would take someone with a strong hand who was willing to apply it daily to your backside to get you to behave.” He kissed her. “Have you shared with them that you weren’t exactly enamored with me when I marked you as mine?”

  “I have, but they all think you’re sex on a stick so it doesn’t count. Although I must say the men who are here are a dishy lot.” Nick growled low. Alphas weren’t the only ones who didn’t share well with others. She reached up and kissed him. “But not nearly as dishy as you.”

  “Damn straight,” he muttered and she laughed.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dylan and his group separated from Jean-Michele and the rest of the men. Those who had shifted to their wolf form were busy casting for scent on both the wind and the ground. Finally, one of them found their target and took off baying.

  * * *

  Jean-Michele watched as Dylan’s men shifted and picked up the girls’ scent. He had brought three of his unmated pack members with him. It was his hope that he would be allowed to take at least two of the girls back with them to New Orleans. His pack was heavily weighted with unattached males and needed to start bringing females into the pack if they were to remain strong and healthy.

  He wasn’t opposed to human females being turned, but not unless and until they had given their informed consent. He’d had to oust one pack member for turning a girl without her consent. They had seen her through the change. She had been furious and had left the safety of the pack for a few weeks, but had then returned asking to become one with them. She was now happily mated and was expecting her first offspring in the next few weeks.

  He was trailing the shifted wolves to try and find their quarry when he caught the whiff of something. He stopped and inhaled deeply. There it was, a distinct female’s scent with a hint of crepe jasmine behind it. Crepe jasmine was abundant in New Orleans. Jean-Michele smiled and inhaled again. There you are, mate; I knew you were here, but apparently not the one Dylan intended for me. No matter. No man or wolf will keep you from me.

  Jean-Michele removed his clothes and smoothly shifted to more readily run down his prey. It was sai
d the alphas from his line could always tell their soulmate by the crepe jasmine that seemed to be an integral part of their scent. Jean-Michele began to howl what he hoped would be the last mournful song in search of his mate.

  * * *

  Darby had heard the members of Dylan’s pack closing in on them. She, Summer, and Gina had separated from each other. She stopped and listened intently. She could hear the group trailing them separate into two smaller groups. Darby shifted and headed toward the beach. They had chosen low tide as a time and means to escape from the Calon Gwyllt’s estate. She heard a lone howl and felt it reverberate through her bones. No. This cannot happen to me. I will not be mated again. I want to be free. The howl sounded again, changing to a baying sound toward the end. Whoever he is, he’s got my scent. Damn.

  Darby ran for the beach for all she was worth. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She heard the mournful song again and it staggered her. The pull to reverse her course and find her mate was strong, but she refused to heed its siren’s song. She ran on down the incline from the bluff above the beach and down to the dunes.

  She had just reached the sand when once again she heard him call. Only this time, she felt the last vestiges of an alpha roll. He knew she was close and knew she was resisting him. If he got any closer, the alpha roll combined with his song would literally knock her off her feet and he would be on her before she had a chance to recover.

  Her paws had barely touched sand when she heard him call and felt the alpha wave he sent her direction hit her with considerable power. It knocked the wind out of her lungs, struck her feet from beneath her, and rolled her in a heap onto the beach. Before she could regain her bearing or shift back to human form, he was upon her. He grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and pinned her to the ground.

  Jean-Michele had no desire to mark and knot his mate in her wolf form. He shook her by the scruff as she fought to free herself from his possession. He pinned her to the ground in such a way that she could feel his need for her. She needed to know that if he chose to, he could make her his and none would be able to say a word. He felt the mark of another alpha—it was a bitter taste in his mouth. His need to remove it from her body was overwhelming. He shook her again.