Chapter Two - An Unwanted Burden

Byron’s POV

Don’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 and freckles like her brother. My concern was that she would be as feckless as him with a tendency to blame others for her own shortcomings.

We didn’t get off to the best of starts with her fainting away instead of obeying my command. When I realised she wasn’t faking I sent for my housekeeper who recommended sal volatile. The smell of ammonia took me back to when Grandmother was alive. I assumed Hannah had found the bottle in her old room.

While I waited I took charge of my newest, if temporary, acquisition, lifting her dead weight in my arms and carrying her over to a ladderback chair. Then I returned to my armchair and studied her. This was a pleasant surprise in more ways than one, though I had yet to identify her character.

At least she was wearing a dress. I preferred that in a female. Her fair hair was unbound and reached past her shoulders, drawing my attention to her hour glass figure. Her mouth was plump and soft-looking beneath a dainty little nose. I liked what I saw immensely. It would be a struggle to keep my hands off this one.

When I uncapped the bottle and held it beneath her nose her eyes opened and I saw they were a shade between blue and grey. Confusion quickly turned to alarm. I told her to relax using my Alpha aura and she instantly obeyed. Too bad she wasn’t mine.

My wolf, Gregor, agreed with me for once. We weren’t always in accord, him being from a long line of spirit creatures while my instincts were baser.

I soon discovered my ‘collateral’ had a mind of her own. She was quick to inform me her name was Liz and guessed correctly her predicament was down to her brother’s addiction.

If I had informed her how much he was in hock she may well have panicked.

Telling her indirectly she was a beauty had a surprising effect. She blushed, looking uncomfortable rather than pleased in any way.

“You don’t wear make-up?” I asked.

“Not to bed,” she shot back, then covered her mouth.

I tried not to laugh.

“No need to be coy,” I said. “I’ve already seen your panties.”

She was on her feet at once and I could tell just from the look in her eyes that she wanted to slap my face.

“You’re despicable,” she told me.

“Try it,” I challenged. “You’ll be on your way to my dungeon instantly. Crimson, an interesting choice.”

“I was pushed for time,” she pointed out.

“Sit down, Lizzy. I need to ask you something.”

“It’s Liz, Alpha.”

Nevertheless, she complied with my request.

“Are you going to be a brat?”

She raised her chin.

“Forgive me,” she said. “I’m tired. It always makes me tetchy.”

“That’s probably because you’re unfit. When was the last time you trained?”

The question rocked her.

“I don’t get much chance these days. I had a full session in the gym with Fiona back in March.”

“It shows. I can’t have you swooning all over the place, Lizzy. It will give my men the wrong impression.”

“What a romantic notion, Alpha.”

“That’s not what I’m about,” I barked.

Now she looked terrified.

It was going to be fun toying with her; I was still mad about that money I was owed. Bell had also borrowed heavily from me some months back, trading on our friendship, and was behind with the repayments.

“Can I ask a favour?”

The brave query deserved a better response. 

“Already? We barely know each other.” Her head drooped and I felt mean. None of this was her fault. “Ask away.”

“I need to text our Beta to let him know I’m unharmed.”

“Do it. Now,” I said.

“I – I don’t have my mobile with me.”

“You didn’t bring it? What kind of monster do you think I am? Don’t answer that,” I added, grinning.

“It’s in my suitcase, Alpha. I didn’t realise I would be deprived of that on arrival.”

Her courage would be her undoing.

I mind linked my own second-in-command. Lucas was quick to inform me where her belongings had been temporarily stowed. He agreed to fetch the case pronto.

“You won’t reconsider and send me back?” she dared, as he knocked once and came through the door.

“Not a chance,” I said. “Tell me, would you have told me about your phone or did circumstances force your hand?”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d let me keep it, Alpha.”

“Is that why you hid it away?”

“I don’t even have a purse,” she snapped.

Lucas’ round brown eyes expressed his shock. I had to do something, simply because we had a witness.

“Come here, Lizzy,” I said.

She rose with obvious reluctance. I knew a spanking was out of the question; she might rouse my beast.

When she was standing in front of me I made an outrageous request.

“You must be joking.”

Her glance at my Beta didn’t reassure her in the slightest.

“Don’t make me repeat myself, princess.”

Now he was the one who looked shocked.

Slowly, the acting Luna of the Moon Tides pack reached beneath her dress and tugged down her panties. She stepped out of them with barely a wobble. I bit back a comment about her matching shoes.

“Happy now?”

I held out my hand without saying a word. Bending, she retrieved them only to fling her underwear at my chest.

“You’ve done this before,” I accused.

Lucas’ shoulders began to shake.

“Go to hell,” she flared.

“Admit it, that turned you on.”

“Can I make that call now, or not?”

“Lizzy, you still haven’t answered me. Would you have deceived me about possessing the means to communicate with your pack?”

“Maybe,” she admitted.

“Are you intending to plot against me?”

She went back to the chair and lowered herself gracefully, without permission.

“No, Alpha, I just wanted to do the right thing.”

Part of me believed her, but females were devious creatures. I decided to play a game of my own.

“Take this up to my suite,” I instructed Lucas.

He nodded and left us to it.

Liz’s face mirrored her astonishment.

“Am I to be your slave?” she murmured.

“Don’t flatter yourself, girl. There’s a shortage of beds,” I told her. It was clear from her expression that she didn’t believe me. “Make that call.”

To her credit there was no hesitation.

“He’s not answering,” she said, after a brief time. “As I said, I was intending to text.”

“Leave a message on his voicemail. I want to hear it.” Her words were precise and to the point. “How come he let you be taken?”

“He’s away visiting relatives in the north.”

“And Alpha Bell left your pack unprotected to visit one of my casinos?”

Liz looked me straight in the eye.

“Now you know what I’m up against,” she said.