Liz’s POV
That night I couldn’t get to sleep for worrying. As acting Luna of the Moon Tides pack I’d been doing a lot of that lately.
Someone began to hammer at the door.
“Open up, in the name of Alpha Byron,” a loud voice urged.
If this was Ricky playing a prank, I would give him a piece of my mind. He was always forgetting his key.
I descended the staircase which led to the foyer only to see one of the Omegas had beaten me to it.
“What should I do, Luna?” Jeannie asked.
“Let him in, of course,” I snapped. Though I wasn’t mad at her.
Those bolts were heavy and stiff and she was so small. It seemed to take an age given that she had to fetch a stool.
The words of reproach died on my lips when I saw the men outside. There were three of them dressed in the colours of our Alpha neighbour, leaf green and earth brown.
What a time for our Beta to be away visiting his grandpups.
My legs began to tremble as I saw Eric lying prone close to the fountain.
“Can I help you?” I managed, wondering how badly he was hurt.
Mom had taught me that being polite could sometimes take the tension out of a situation and I was badly in need of that.
“Is Alpha Richard here?”
“He’s sleeping,” I lied, not wanting to let them know how defenceless we were.
“And you are – ?”
I looked up at the bearded speaker who towered over me by at least a foot, self-conscious in my checked flannel pyjamas.
“Acting Luna, Elizabeth Bell. Did our security guard meet with an accident?”
“You might say that.”
It was the one wearing the holster who spoke. I didn’t care for the smirk.
“Alpha Byron demands your presence,” the tall guy said.
“I don’t think so. He doesn’t rule me.”
“On the contrary. You are now his property.”
“What?”
I took a shaky step backwards.
“If you don’t believe us, wake your brother.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Pack some things and be quick about it,” the armed man threatened. “Comply, or Gavin will end this miserable Omega’s life.”
I gasped to see the third man, the swarthy one who had yet to speak holding a knife to Jeannie’s throat.
Thinking fast, I made what I hoped was a reasonable request. “At least let me shower and change.”
“You have fifteen minutes. Blondie here’s counting on you.”
I ran upstairs, hoping nobody else would come to investigate. We lived alone except for a few servants in a mansion separate from the packhouse, both of which had seen better days.
My mind was whirling. Could it be that Ricky owed money to Alpha Byron?
If ever there was an irresponsible Alpha, it was him. I had been acting Luna since Mom passed three months ago. Dad hadn’t been long in joining her in the ground.
I’d promised them I would always put the pack first.
We hadn’t yet appointed a Gamma and Delta after the previous two died of a fever. It left us vulnerable, a pack without either a strong leader or hierarchy.
Maybe I was wrong to submit so readily. Yet if it came to a war there was no way we could win.
I found a modest dress I seldom wore. Leaving my hair down and my face free of cosmetics other than a lip salve, I packed a small case, making a point. Then I left a message for our Epsilon, Dave, on his cell apprising him of the situation and telling him to do nothing until Alpha Richard returned.
Returning downstairs I saw that Jeannie had already been released and was kneeling beside Eric.
“Fetch the medic,” I instructed.
I wanted her out of harm’s way and was taking no chances.
What lay in store for me was anybody’s guess.
The one I knew only as Gavin was driving the SUV. I didn’t want conversation yet the silence was killing me.
Twenty minutes later we arrived at the Wild Horses packhouse. It wasn’t a ranch as the name might have implied. The pack had obtained its famed wealth from hotel chains and casinos. That explained the classy design of the three-storey building which definitely looked out of place on the edge of a desert.
The giant opened the door and gestured for me to get out. My throat was dry and I began to wish I’d drunk more than a single glass of water before surrendering myself to them.
A tall woman was waiting in the entrance, dressed to the nines. Her skin was flawless even without foundation and I lowered my eyes, knowing this was a ranking female.
“You took your time, Philip,” she said, scowling at the one with the beard.
“The Luna insisted on bathing,” he replied, making her huff.
That was when I realised she was probably not much older than me.
“Bring her,” she ordered, turning on her heel.
I envied that slinky walk yet there was no way I was going to emulate it under these circumstances.
The luxury inside was just blinding. Chandeliers emitted golden light from above while the carpet was as soft as a cat’s fur. I was amazed to see so many people up and about at this hour.
She led the way to a library. I tried not to stare at the pristine volumes of classic literature – my personal passion – as the door closed behind us.
“Any problems, Mo?”
The casual query came from the man sitting in an armchair close to a faux fireplace. I could only see him in profile yet recognised him instantly from the TV.
“Apparently not,” the woman said.
“She came willingly enough.”
This from the man with the holster, the one whose name I still didn’t know.
“You may go. All of you.”
I hung my head, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot with someone who had control over me for the foreseeable.
When the command came to go and stand in front of him, I froze. My legs literally turned to jelly, shock setting in at last.
“Forgive me, Alpha,” was all I managed before crumpling to the floor.
I came round on a hard chair, with an unpleasant odour under my nose.
“Grandmother’s smelling salts. Works every time.”
“Spirit of hartshorn,” I murmured, amazed to find I wasn’t bound.
“If you say so. Byron Sebastian Archimedes. I own this house and everything in it.”
Including me. I was this close to saying it.
“Liz Bell,” I said. “You – you can’t keep me here.”
“Oh yes I can, beauty, thanks to your brother.”
I felt my cheeks burn even though the shame wasn’t mine.
“How much does he owe you?”
“More than you know.”
I took the time to scrutinise my captor. He was broad chested with glossy black hair cut short, a sharp jawline and hawk nose. The green eyes which snapped back towards me, somehow sensing my attention, were both piercing and intimidating.
I was being assessed in my turn.
“Is Ricky okay?”
“He’ll live. Tell me,” he leaned back in the armchair, steepling his fingers, “are you going to be a good girl or do I seize your pack and all its assets?”
Byron’s POVDon’t ask me why I decided to play craps that night. Maybe it was because I wanted to teach Bell a lesson. I knew his pack was in crisis and here he was, newly declared Alpha, gambling away their assets. They had been traders of renown once, only moving away from the coast because of Alpha Laurence’s whim.Maybe I should do them a favour and integrate them into mine. I’d thought about it more often than not yet I always hesitated. Would I have appreciated a friendly takeover were I the one in charge?Mo was disgusted with me. My elder sister had nothing but contempt for our struggling neighbours.“Byron, he’s not you.”I wish I had a dollar for the number of times she had said that recently.And now I had an additional problem in the form of his sister.As I waited impatiently in the library for the acting Luna to be brought to me, I speculated on what she may be like. It wasn’t so much her physical attributes I was thinking about, though I assumed she would have red hair
Liz’s POVFrom the moment I opened my eyes and saw him I was lost. I did my best to hide it, even from myself. Maybe that was why I didn’t fear him at first. Then things became a little heated – Dad always said I’d trip over my own feist – and I was so embarrassed to know he’d seen my panties. Crimson was an unusual choice but they were one of the few clean pairs I had. Other than that I packed thongs.Answering back only brought me more humiliation and left me without them in front of him and another man.Shame didn’t show because of my anger and I wasn’t aroused, which didn’t surprise me. Tanya obviously didn’t like his wolf; she was notoriously picky. This was going to be really frustrating in more ways than I had anticipated.At least he allowed me to contact Beta Ian. It would have been nice to hear a friendly voice but it wasn’t to be. Part of me wondered why.On hearing that I would be sharing Alpha Byron’s quarters I feared the worst. Whether or not he took me as his slave my
Byron’s POVWhen Mo sent me that mind link in a panic I knew I couldn’t just leave her to it. Yet I didn’t trust my ‘collateral’ not to run. Sending my guards after her would only lead to unpleasantness – for her. She wasn’t ready for the kind of punishment I usually dished out, healthy or not.On the point of stuffing her panties into an empty drawer I reconsidered and dumped them in my laundry basket instead. I’m not that much of a pervert, though degradation is one of my sweeter pastimes when I’m not actually hands on.The beauty in the next bedroom intrigued me. Maybe having Ricky owe me wasn’t such a bad thing.Currently Alpha Bell was not in my good books, failing to answer my texts. Seizing Liz with his blessing was my way of ensuring he returned to take care of his pack rather than do a runner. The alternative reason for him being incommunicado was something I didn’t want to dwell on.My sister rolled her eyes at my interference, liking none of this. She was often moody and sh
Liz’s POVI couldn’t think straight at that point.“You wouldn’t – he didn’t – ?”“Join me for breakfast. I usually eat up here. What would you like?”I couldn’t help myself, I yawned.“Can I let you know later, Alpha? All I want to do right now is sleep for a week.”“I’m afraid that’s out of the question,” he said.“Maybe an hour?” I wheedled.Was I flirting with him? This had to stop, right now.“You’re not listening, Lizzy, and it’s making my wolf angry.”“Is that how it works? I wouldn’t know.” I saw his face and launched into a hasty explanation about how I didn’t hit it off with mine.“Ridiculous. Impossible. Untrue.”“I only wish it were.”“Look, Lizzy, my order is a standing one with the Omegas. I like toast and a boiled egg. Shall I tell them to double up?”I froze, only now realising how it was bound to look, me sitting there in his bedroom with him. Was there a table or did he usually eat in bed? My wolf either didn’t know or wouldn’t say.“Yes, please. What time?”“Fifteen
Byron’s POVI had to admit the jeans suited her yet she had deliberately flouted my order. I wouldn’t tolerate that. So what if she was weary and troubled. I hadn’t been in any other state since I became Alpha. It went with the territory of ruling a pack, something I guessed she was no stranger to these days.Had I seen her at that mating ball last year? I doubted it. Because Seb would have led me to bed her. I was more cautious.He’s my alter ego, taken from my middle name. Gregor might have a split personality or something. Goddess knows what’s wrong with Liz’s wolf, Tanya.We’d been thrown together at a difficult time all because of her happy-go-lucky brother.Mo was almost out of her mind with grief and tended to take it out on her inferiors. The investigation I’d started without telling her was well under way, though no leads as yet.Trevor was the Alpha of a southern pack who’d chosen to live with us, allowing his younger twin, Tony, to take over. He’d gone missing shortly after
Liz’s POVI decided a trip to the kitchen was a good idea. I was hungry now and would only get lost if I tried to escape. Sure, I knew enough not to venture into the desert. Other than that my sense of direction was hopeless. Orienteering was a complete mystery to me. And the Alpha would only drag me back, personally or otherwise.He had granted me the right to keep in daily communication with our Beta so I could serve them remotely. It may just be enough until any takeover.Hoping I wouldn’t receive a hostile reception, I headed downstairs in the jeans he seemed to dislike and a long sleeved blouse. My hair was piled up in a messy bun, though there was little I could do about the dark circles. I’d brought cosmetics but didn’t feel inclined to use them now, not when I was probably going back to bed afterwards.The Alpha had mentioned a garden. Perhaps I could sit out there, though I wasn’t about to test my boundaries tonight.I encountered Beta Lucas in the corridor.“Going somewhere,
Liz’s POV If there’s one thing I can’t stand among all nature’s creatures it’s a snake. Sure, spiders fall into the creepy crawly category and I hate close contact with them but by and large we go our separate ways. A reptile isn’t cold blooded for nothing and tends to strike first and fail to regret later. “Is it poisonous, Alpha?” “Very. If you hear a rattle … ” “Stop winding her up, By,” Mo said. “Oscar’s harmless and ancient. He’s a milk snake, they’re non-venomous.” “He likes his rodents, though.” Was he testing me? I decided it wouldn’t hurt to respond in kind. “You’d better watch out then, Alpha,” I said. Mo covered her mouth with her hand, trying to control her spluttering. “Right,” he said. “Upstairs with you. Now!” And I realised I’d crossed a line. “Lighten up, By. Liz didn’t mean to insult you.” “Yes, she did. You know I don’t accept that from anyone. Especially when there’s a witness.” “What are you intending to do to her?” “Make her handle Oscar,” he said.
Liz’s POVByron wouldn’t allow me to return to my room other than to fetch a nightie. I was dreading having to share his bed. He’d vowed not to take advantage but I doubted he would be able to keep his hands off me simply because I was female and available.Maybe I was doing him a disservice, but Ricky wouldn’t have hesitated to claim one thing and do another. It had happened before to several unfortunate Omegas within our pack and even the late Gamma’s daughter had to be consoled by none other than yours truly. The only fortunate thing was that his liaisons hadn’t resulted in any illegitimate pups so far. Or maybe that was a worrying thing in terms of our pack’s future.Yet if we were to merge on my marriage or even before and Alpha Richard was still missing, would it really matter?I bit my lip, feeling bad for thinking like that. Tossing and turning, the covers corkscrewed around me, I was unprepared for the tirade from my mate on waking. It was four a.m. and he hadn’t had a wink o