The Merciless Alpha(erotica)

“Talia Stillwater, Lone Wolf,” I said as I shook his hand. I was glad I’d had fifteen hours of driving to get used to being around a vampire, so I wasn’t as nervous as I should have been. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

The other two, Eduardo and Anastasia, introduced themselves as Malcolm came down with champagne and a tray of snacks. “Please, eat. You are still healing, she-wolf.”

The tray was heavy on meats and cheeses, and Malcolm handed me a tall glass of juice. “Marceline helped me escape, and I am in her debt for that. She said you might have use for me.”

Jarrod nodded. “She did, but you are not ready yet to perform the service we would ask of you. If you agree to my proposal, we will shelter you, provide for your needs and train you into the weapon you can become.”

“Weapon? Me?”Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“Yes. You want to take your Pack, and for that you must become a fierce warrior who can defeat a strong male Alpha. We will help you train until you are that she-wolf. In return, you will help us to eliminate problem wolves our Council wants gone, but without implicating our kind in the act.”

“You want me to kill werewolves for you?”

“A few, and no one who does not deserve death. You will know who and why, and if you don’t agree they deserve death we will not force you. You solve problems for us in a way that won’t blow back on the Covens.”

I owed the Alphas nothing, I thought to myself. “I agree to your proposal,” I said as I held out my hand.

“Excellent,” he said. “Eat some more, then Malcolm will take you to your room. You must be tired, and we will discuss this further at dinner tonight.”

He led me to a room, it was large and beautifully furnished with antiques. My clothes were already hanging in the armoire or in the chest of drawers, and my documents were on the desk. Malcolm pulled the draperies closed to darken the space as I caught a glimpse of the gardens and the pool. “I will wake you an hour before dinner,” he said as I walked around.

“Half an hour, I’m not a person who takes a lot of time getting ready,” I said.

“Very well, Ma’am. If you require of anything, this intercom goes to the kitchen and one of the staff will provide it.”

“Thank you.” He left, and I pulled my clothes off and walked into the large bathroom. The shower was amazing, and now that my wounds had healed I scrubbed myself well before putting on a long shirt and crawling into bed. I slept like the dead.

Fitting since I was in a vampire coven now.

Ch. 10

Erica’s POV

I drove my Mini Cooper back to the Pack House garage and parked it before going back to my room which I shared with two other girls. Michelle was waiting on my bed for me. “What did you do?”

“Nothing I will tell you,” I said.

“Is she alive?”

“Barely.” I took a quick shower and changed to make sure no scents would follow me to dinner, but there was no hiding my scent in the woods. In her room I could claim it was residual from last night if they didn’t go in there right away. Michelle followed me to the dining room, which had been decorated in celebration of the new Alpha for the Tomah Pack.

My stomach churned as I watched Alpha Todd come up on the elevated front table with the Alpha Council and the visiting Alphas and Lunas. Chairman Andreas said a few words of congratulations, ending with everyone raising their glass in a toast to his new position. Alpha Todd then addressed us all. “Thank you for joining me and the Tomah Pack as we usher in a new age of peace and prosperity. I would like to acknowledge the help of the Alpha Council in this difficult time, as well as the support of the surrounding Packs. I look forward to continuing the alliances that our Pack has always treasured.”

I noticed that the LaCrosse Alphas were not smiling at that, in fact they were glaring at him. That alliance would not be easily repaired after what had happened to Talia, and what he said about searching for Tania. I sent to Michelle privately. “Now that Talia was no longer in the Pack, would anyone bother to look for her sister?”

“Alpha Todd won’t. She still has the Alpha bloodline and if mated to an Alpha, could challenge for the Pack again.” She shook her head. “Do you see all those sluts trying to get Todd’s attention? Word is he’s planning to audition Lunas every night, and his calendar is already booked weeks out.”

“Selene, I can’t believe they would fuck that,” I said.

“For a chance to be Luna, they’d do more than that. Bunch of bitches, and just wait until he starts traveling to other packs.”

We stopped talking as the dessert came out, a turtle cheesecake that was to die for. I was halfway done when I felt eyes on me; looking up, the Alpha was staring at me, livid. People started moving away from me as he stood. “ERICA CONNALLY, COME HERE,” he growled.

“Oh fuck,” I said as Michelle looked at me in horror. I got up, walking forward to the table. His dominance washed over me and I dropped to my knees, showing my neck in submission.

“Erica, what did I order when my challenger was banished?”

I looked up at him, shaking, and somehow found my voice. “You said no one was to speak her name or help her in any way, and anyone who did would be guilty of treason.”

“And what did you do?”

“I packed some of her things and left them for her outside the territory, sir.” There were gasps in the room as they realized what was happening. I was as good as dead.

“And if someone helped her?”

“They would be committing treason, Alpha.”

The room was silent for a few moments. “The last thing I wanted to do to start my reign is to deal out punishment, but the first thing YOU did was to commit treason. Warriors, strip her and take her to the punishment pole.” The men moved forward, claws ripping off my clothes with little regard for the skin under them as I shook in fear. Michelle ran forward, but I shook my head no; this was my choice and my punishment.

I was led out of the room and the entire Pack followed, along with the guests. My legs started to give way in my fear, but the men just lifted me so my feet barely touched the ground. The pole looked to outsiders like a flagpole, but it was anything but. My hands were tied together with the rope before they were pulled high, lifting me up onto my toes. The warrior tied the rope off, leaving me helpless. “Relax your body, struggling will make the pain worse,” he said as he stepped back.

The Alpha came close as I sobbed. “For the crime of treason, Erica Connally will receive twenty lashes before she is branded and cast out.”

I started to cry harder, hearing others cry and plead for mercy, but it was not to come. The Alpha unfurled the whip; it had silver dust imbedded into it, slowing the healing and increasing the pain from each cut. I closed my eyes and tried to relax, but when I heard the whoosh of air and the crack, it took a second for the pain to explode in my mind and all other thoughts ended.

I screamed in agony.

The second was on its way before my scream ended, and they kept coming. Pain mounted until I couldn’t scream any more, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t think. I didn’t even recognize when it was done until he was next to me again. He was holding a metal brand, heating it with a propane torch until it glowed red-hot. “Treason against a Pack is one of the worst offenses a wolf can commit. Death is too good for a traitor; instead, we mark their cheek so all who see them know what they are and why they are rogue. She will live the rest of her life in fear, running from Packs, being beaten or used by whoever wants to, trusting no one and not being trusted. She is the lowest of the low.” He grabbed my hair, holding me tight to the pole before the brand was pressed to my left cheek.

I must have passed out, because I woke up in a man’s arms. My back and buttocks were aflame from the whip, and my cheek ached from the brand, which was followed by rubbing in silver dust so it would scar badly. I opened my eyes, I was cradled to a broad chest, his arms supporting my legs and my neck. I took a sniff and recognized the scent, I had visited the LaCrosse pack with Talia and Tania before. “Alpha Clark?”

“You’re safe, child,” he said. “We’re almost home.”

I didn’t understand, I was rogue and branded with the ‘T’. There was no Pack that would take me in. My life was over, no man would ever consider mating me now. “Home?”