Alpha Bait (4 page)

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Scorch asked, taking a seat beside her.

Her heart pounded inside her chest at his closeness.

“Yes, children are always wonderful and beautiful.” She smiled at him before returning to watch the antics of the children. Giggling, she took a piece of toast from the stack on the table and started to eat it.

“You look much better today,” he said, grabbing a piece of toast.

She noticed most of his pack was watching them together. They didn’t look unhappy at her presence, and they were all nice to her. “Thank you. The rest has been wonderful, and everything has healed up. Thank you for finding me.” Being in Scorch’s company made her feel protected.

“It was my pleasure.” They ate in silence, and she listened to everyone talking. This was how a pack was supposed to be. Chain kept them terrified to move or to even breathe.

Memories of his treatment made her sick to her stomach. Nibbling on the toast, she tried her best to ignore the man beside her. His charisma made it hard for her to stay away from him. They’d spent a great deal of time together, watching movies or playing chess. They didn’t need to talk their time was wonderful without speaking.

After breakfast was finished, she helped to clean away the dishes before heading out into the fresh air. She breathed in deeply, loving the cold against her skin.

Victoria jumped as a jacket was draped over her shoulders.

“I don’t want you to catch a cold,” Scorch said.

“I can’t catch a cold.” She chuckled, sinking inside the warmth of the jacket. His scent surrounded her.

“We can catch cold if we don’t keep ourselves healthy. You didn’t eat enough breakfast. You need to keep your strength up, Tori.”

He’d taken to calling her Tori rather than her full name.

“I’m fine. I’ve got more than enough meat on my bones to keep me going.” She put the jacket on completely, turning around to face him. “You’re being so good to me, and you don’t even know me.”

“I know I like spending time with you. The pack adores you, and there’s something about you that pulls me in.” He took a step closer, and she couldn’t stop the flood of arousal that gripped her from his closeness. Victoria had never been with a man before. Chain wouldn’t allow any of the men within the pack to mate with other women.

“You’re fun to be around, too. Is it okay if I have a walk around? I’ve been cooped up all day, and I just want some fresh air.”

“Do you want to do that alone, or can I join you?” he asked.

Deny him.

Don’t be fucking silly. Accept his invitation.

“I’d love your company.” He took her hand, and together they walked out of the gate, walking away from the house. Glancing at one of the windows she saw several pack members watching them. “We’ve got some, erm, we’ve got some attention.”

She nodded in the direction of the window. Scorch laughed.

“You’re a mystery to them.”

“I’m not much of a mystery at all. I hope no one thinks I’m someone special.” The guilt clawed at her. Chain believed her seducing Scorch gave her more power over the other man. She wasn’t required to hurt or weaken Scorch. The only thing she needed to do was seduce him.

“I know. You’re different, and they see it.” He kept hold of her hand as they headed toward the tree line.

The snow crunched underneath her feet.

“Do you stay here all the time?” she asked.

“Most of the time I stay here. When I need the warmth I head down to the city. I rarely feel the need to leave. This place is in my gut. It’s part of who I am.” The way he spoke she knew he was passionate about his pack and the place where he lived.

“It’s a beautiful home, and your pack is thriving.”

“I’m lucky. I know not all packs have what I’ve got.”

“No, they don’t.” She thought about Chain and the damage one of his moods could create without even trying.

“Your pack is not a good one?”

“No, it’s not.” She gritted her teeth as she thought about Chain. How could she lure Scorch to his death?

Tell him the truth.

“I’m sorry you don’t have a good pack. Have you ever considered leaving?” Scorch asked.

“Leaving? I didn’t think you could leave a pack once you were in one.” She leaned against a tree looking up at him. Victoria was struck by so much need spiraling within her. He hovered over her, but she didn’t feel afraid of him. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her at all. His touch was always gentle, and his voice never rose in anger. The woman, Lidia, had disappeared that morning a week ago.

“No, Lidia, the woman you met when you first arrived.” She nodded, showing him she knew what he was talking about. “She’s not part of any pack at all. No one has any claim over her loyalty. Her parents live southwards and are part of a pack down there. I’ve had three men leave my pack looking for something else. There is no law that forces you to remain within one pack.”

“What about loyalty?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, reaching out to push some hair off her face.

“
Don’t your pack
swear loyalty to you and to the pack?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t mean they have to stay around. I’m not a tyrant, and I don’t demand that my pack stick around when they’re unhappy. They can leave whenever they want. Some never leave while others come and go all the time.”

“You seem so open.” She tried to pull away from his touch, but he kept hold of her.

“Does your alpha force you stay with him?”

Victoria couldn’t lie to him. “Yes. None of us are allowed to leave. We have to stay and do as we’re told. There is nothing else out there for us.” Biting her lip she tried to stop the flow of words, but the moment she started talking she couldn’t seem to stop. “He hurts us every chance he gets. We can’t stop him.” She stopped speaking when she was about to tell Scorch her alpha’s name. No one was safe with Chain out there ready to hurt the next woman who rejected him.

“Can you tell me his name? I can make him pay for everything, Tori. I promise you.”

She shook her head. “I can’t do it. I’m so sorry.” Victoria pulled away from him and took off. She heard him following her, but she needed to get away and start life once again. Victoria needed to put Chain behind her.

“
Tori,
wait.”

Running was what she needed to do to clear her head. She didn’t turn into her wolf form. She ran to escape the problems clawing at her. Victoria didn’t watch where she was going, and then she felt arms wrap around her waist.

Fighting against the hold, she was pressed to the floor, rolled over and her arms held above her head. “I’m never going to hurt you,” he said.

Tears ran down her cheeks as he held her still.

“I’m a horrible person,” she said, whispering the words so only he could hear. They were alone together outside, but she felt like everyone was watching them, waiting for something to happen.

“No, you’re not. Let’s agree to not talk about your pack and your past.”

“You’d do that for me?” she asked, shocked.

“Yes, I would. This is your pack now. This is your new beginning. We don’t have to discuss anything of the past. In fact, you don’t have a pack.” He released her hands, sitting back and giving her enough room to sit up. “I’m Scorch of the Fire Pack. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She stared at his hand debating what to do with his touch.

“Erm, I’m Victoria.
Life unknown.”
They shook hands. The new beginning had started between them. “Can I get up?”

“Sure.” He went to his feet and helped her up. “My home is your home.”

Words failed her as he kept hold of her hand. She liked the way his touch felt on her skin.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, honey. I’m an alpha not a monster.”

Victoria didn’t argue with him as he took her around the grounds never further than five miles from the house. The snow felt wonderful under her feet. For a short period of time she thought about Chain but cut it off. He couldn’t touch her here. She knew with Scorch in her life, Chain couldn’t hurt her.

He’d find a way.

Ignoring the warning, she walked back into the house, ready to start a new life in a different pack.

****

After dinner had been served and many couples headed to bed Scorch stayed behind to play pool with David and several of his friends. The last week had been hectic with Victoria’s arrival. Everyone talked constantly about her presence within the pack and what it meant. He didn’t mind the gossip. The Fire Pack had always been partial to gossip.

“How is she handling things?” David asked, taking his shot.

“I don’t know who her old pack was. I think the alpha has found some way to hurt them.”

David paused, staring at him. “Are you sure? No alpha has been able to hurt a pack before. It’s insane to even think like that.”

“Everyone knows that the alpha is bound to his wolf and cannot be broken. The alpha wolf takes care of its pack, not hurts it.” Blake, another pack member spoke up.

Scorch agreed with them. In all of his years as alpha he’d lost his temper once with a pack member, but he’d paid dearly for the experience. He remembered the forced change, the feel of his bones breaking, shattering underneath the command of his beast. Every second had been a lesson to his human side to never allow anger, pain, or evil to rule his actions. The wolf would not see a member of its pack hurt.

He recalled the weeks of pain as his body grew accustomed to being human once again. His father had stepped down as alpha, giving Scorch the pack. He’d been so scared at the time, and his father had said the best alphas learn from their mistakes. Providing he never put the pack in danger, the wolf would never make him pay.

Since that moment, Scorch learned to control his temper and to understand the beast within him. His temper declined. There was never a forced transition. However, Scorch, like many alphas, knew about the process to tear the control of the beast from the man. His father had shared the knowledge with him.

If an alpha was to fight with another alpha and win, the one who won would have shattered a part within the beast’s soul. That shattered part would no longer hold a grip on the human. The human would be in control and could do whatever they wanted.

No alpha had ever wanted so much control to go out and kill another alpha. Scorch hoped no one ever tried. That kind of person would become pure evil, and the evil would spread throughout the pack turning his followers into wild beasts.

“It’s not something I ever want to consider,” Scorch said. “I don’t want to think of how an alpha could go out of his way to hurt a pack member.”

They’d all seen her when she arrived. The bruises alone were sickening while the cuts just forced the issues deeper.

“No alpha could want that kind of power. It’s out of control,” David said.

Scorch agreed with him. The very thought was frightening. When the game was over he wished all of his men good night and headed up to his room. Victoria still occupied the room next to his. Opening the door, he found her curled up in a ball facing the window. All of the females had gone out of their way to make her feel welcome while also giving her clothing. A lot of their women were particularly slender. He had sent one woman out to get Victoria plenty of clothes her own size.

The scent of her humiliation had been too much for him to bear.

Satisfied with her sleeping he entered his own room, tearing off his clothing as he did. Naked, he stood to look out over the darkness wishing there was something he could do to stop whatever pain Victoria was feeling. The last thing he wanted to do was witness her pain. Pouring himself a drop of brandy, he walked to the bed and got under the covers. He settled back, listening to the sounds of the night go by.

Howling, hooting, and many other sounds drifted from the forests and beyond. Drinking down the last of the brandy, he lay back and closed his eyes. There were many wolves out there in the world. Some didn’t turn into man at the end of the full moon while there were many who did.

Rubbing a hand over his face, he tried to get Victoria out of his mind. He thought about the length of her red hair gliding over his body and the shocking color of her eyes as she stared at him, waiting. He saw her standing by the window, her hair cascading down her back, tempting him to do more than simply look.

He reached down under the covers touching his rock hard cock. Whenever he was around Victoria all he wanted to do was fuck her, claim her. His wolf recognized her as his mate, and all Scorch could do was hope he kept it together long enough for her to grow used to him.

Her innocence was still intact. No one could wash the smell of virginal blood from her veins.

Claim her.

Fisting his length, he kept his eyes closed as he pictured Victoria, smiling at him. She was naked without any bruises or scars marring her body. In his mind she begged for him to come to her.

Scorch rubbed the pre-cum along the tip, spreading it down his shaft. He worked his cock thinking about her lips, her cunt, and especially the tightness of her ass. Her ass looked so fucking plump and inviting.