Page 11 of Forced Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #3)

As the elders speak the final words of the ritual, a wave of triumph rushes over me. I close my eyes for a moment, feeling Winnie’s warm hands in mine and reveling in the soft hush of the crowd.

It was worth it. Every single thing I did to get here it’s all worth it.

Almost dying in the snow, even struggling with Winnie all the way down the mountain, feels like a triumph, though I didn’t fully enjoy it at the time.

I’d rather not force her, and it’s exactly why I entered into a legal contract with clear terms. I thought it was the best way to ensure cooperation and an amicable relationship.

I turn around to see the first families walking towards us. Winnie rushes over to hug a tall, willowy woman and the somber-looking man beside her. I don’t need to guess to know that this is her brother, Alpha Galen. And he’s looking at me like he could cheerfully tear my throat out.

I maintain my composure while he talks with his sister, but I don’t let it go on for very long. I know they could be cooking up some kind of rebellion. The last thing I want is a war.

I’ll take it, though, if that’s what they give me. I’m more than happy to throw down with force if they won’t accept my rule with grace.

When I extract Winnie from her brother’s embrace, I turn around, almost running straight into Regina.

How did the old bitch sneak up on me like that?

“Alpha Damon,” she says in a crooning tone. “I offer my heartfelt congratulations to you on this happy day. Your ascension is complete, and you have won a beautiful bride.”

“Thank you,” I answer awkwardly.

“Of course, the union must be consummated in due course, or your position will be contended. You’re aware of this?”

“I’m aware.”

“Good!” she says, too cheerfully. “I’d love to spend time with your bride over the coming days until we know each other quite well. Don’t we, Winnie?”

“Yes, Elder Glass,” Winnie

I give Winnie’s hand a tug. “You don’t have to call her that now. You outrank her.”

You could call her “shit-stained bum fluff,” and she’d have to bow and say thank you.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Winnie says. “I’d like that… Regina.”

“Wonderful!” Regina exclaims. “You go ahead with your duties, Alpha. I wish you luck with your reign.”

“Get out of my way,” I growl.

She bows her head and steps back, flashing a sweet smile that makes me want to slap her. Dragging Winnie with me, I go to the front of the room and stand on the dais of the fireplace so everyone can see me.

“Attention!” I announce. “Here is my first edict as alpha. Flint Matlock is now your beta. You will obey his word as if it were mine, and he is my enforcer. Understood?”

The crowd murmurs restlessly, but no one protests.

“Austin, Dylan, Logan, and Giles are my first counselors. They now replace members of the first families that answer directly to the elders. Is that clear?”

This time, the rumble of voices is far louder, and there is a shout of protest. When I see Regina moving through the crowd and asking everyone to calm down, my suspicion grows.

I’ll never believe this bitch is actually helping me.

“I know there will be changes we have to get used to,” Regina states, loud enough for her voice to carry. “But this is our new alpha, and we must obey him. For the sake of the pack, I ask for your patience and understanding.”

Regina turns to look at me, and her smile is as sharp and painfully beautiful as a cracked shard of her last name.

Not just her smile. Her eyes can cut, too, and deeper than any knife.

“Thank you, Elder Glass,” I answer. “Your support is appreciated.”

“Of course,” she says, bowing her head respectfully.

I fight the urge to say something nasty to her and gulp down the better part of my rage. “My first edicts are set,” I call out. “Are there any questions?”

The crowd mumbles, but no one speaks out.

“I’ll retire to my townhouse, then. The curfew in the town has ended. Mourning for the old alpha is done, and now my rule begins. What say you?”

“Long may he reign,” the crowd murmurs, a rippling wave of sound that fills the room with hushed reverence.

I notice Regina looking at me, a sharp grin still tugging the edge of her lips. I know she’s plotting against me, and I don’t even care. I’ll deal with her when I have to, and until then, she has to obey my orders.

When I walk towards the doors with Winnie, the crowd parts as people hurry to get out of my way. The sense of power I had when the ritual was finally completed increases tenfold, surging inside me like an oncoming tide.

I did this for power… but I didn’t really understand what it meant. I control the entire town, and everyone in it.

Out in the driveway, Flint stands waiting for me, a big black car parked behind him.

“Where’s my truck?” I ask.

“Drowned it in the river,” Flint says. “What, you don’t like this? It’s a BMW.”

“I like it,” I chuckle. “Where’d you get it?”

“Car dealership. It’s a gift to the new alpha.”

“Really? A gift?”

“Yep. He asked me to give it to you personally. Said it would be his honor to have you drive it around town.”

Looking at the sleek lines of the car with admiration, I realize I still haven’t understood the full reach of my power.

I never expected something like this.

“It will happen a lot,” Winnie says quietly to me. “Especially since you are a new alpha who fought to take the position. People will want your favor and your goodwill.”

“So this is a bribe?” I snap angrily.

Winnie shakes her head. “No. Bribes come with conditions. Gifts like this are merely an appeal to you, a request for consideration. People who give in this way also want to be associated with your power. The owner really will feel honored if you drive it around town.”

“Still feels like a bribe,” I say. “Maybe I should pay for it.”

“No!” Winnie exclaims, squeezing my hand. “You’ll insult him terribly. It’s a gift. He wants you to know that he expects nothing in return. If you refuse these gifts or abuse them, you’ll be known as a terrible alpha. A man without honor.”

“Maybe that’s exactly what I am,” I say provocatively.

Winnie looks away.

“So are you taking it, boss?” Flint asks.

“Of course I am. But did you really drown my truck?”

“No,” he answers, chuckling. “She’s parked back at our old camp. Don’t worry.”

“Good. I’ve had that truck longer than I’ve known you.”

“I’m well-aware I’m not your favorite,” Flint jokes. “Now get out of here.”

Letting go of Winnie, I watch carefully as she gets in the car, not relaxing until she shuts the door behind her.

Should I lock it? Would she really jump out while the car is moving?

I glance over at her as I start the engine, and she looks calm, staring out the window as if she’s bored. Most of her bruises have faded, and her skin is a perfect, creamy white, set in a pleasing contrast against the deep red of her hair and the fresh green of the dress.

I try to think of something to say, but it quickly becomes obvious there is no way to start a casual conversation with someone you just kidnapped.

Talking has never been my thing. If in doubt, I just punch my way out. That can’t help me here.

I let the silence deepen, glaring out the windshield at the setting sun. I don’t want this to be awkward, but Winnie isn’t giving me much choice.

When I pull up in front of the townhouse, I feel strange, like I’m trespassing. This building has been the home of the alpha for generations. Technically owned by the Brents, but now freely given to me as the winner of the alpha’s challenge.

I’ve never even stayed in a house this nice, let alone lived in one.

“Is this your place?” Winnie asks.

“It is now. I haven’t actually been inside.”

“Oh, right. This is the private residence in town. Krista mentioned it, but I don’t think they ever used it.”

“Well, it’s mine now,” I mutter defensively.

“Of course it is,” Winnie retorts with an edge of sarcasm.

“Let’s go inside,” I say, sighing.

I get out of the car and walk closely behind Winnie, still wary that she might run.

Was it a good idea to take the ropes off? But it didn’t feel right having her restrained during the ceremony.

I take the big silver key and put it in the lock, a bit amused by the screech and groan the door makes when I shove it open.

Just like a real fairytale castle.

“Wow, it must have been a while since anyone’s come in here,” Winnie remarks, walking into the foyer. “That door could use some oil.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “Cleaners came through yesterday, I think, but they would have gone through the back. I suppose I’ll get a handyman in to look at a few things.”

As I watch Winnie turn around slowly to admire the paintings on the wall, the full reality of living in a house like this hits me. I suddenly feel like I’m drowning in a cesspool of arbitrary shit that I never even knew existed.

At Grandpa’s cabin, if a roof plank fell off, I just nailed on a new one. If a window broke, I covered it. We didn’t even really clean the place. I’ve been in this fancy house for ten fucking seconds, and already it looks like too much work!

“We should head to the kitchen,” I suggest. “Are you hungry?”

“Sure,” Winnie answers, turning to go down the hall. I follow her, flicking on lights as I go and getting a sinking feeling as I see how big the place really is.

Do I really have to live here? I feel like I’m going to get lost. I was more at home out in the abandoned cabin.

The kitchen is separate from the dining area, so Winnie and I end up sharing tea and sandwiches at the counter. She keeps her eyes down and doesn’t talk to me, which only adds to my anxiety.

It’s like the whole fucking town is shoving it right in my face that I’m not good enough, even this damn house!

“So, Winnie,” I begin, deciding I might as well get the hard part over and done with first. “I think we should discuss your duties.”

“Excuse me?” she answers, looking up with wide eyes.

“You’re my wife. The luna. I expect you to be by my side at all official meetings and support me in all my new laws.”

“Okay,” she says, finishing her sandwich. “That seems reasonable.”

“You’re to dress appropriately and refer to me with respect at all times.”

“Excuse me?”

“And show affection in public. Nothing overdone, of course. Just hand-holding, kissing my cheek, that kind of thing.”

Winnie’s eyes are getting wider as she stares at me, and her cheeks turn a sweet, rosy pink.

I love it when she blushes. She’s so cute.

“We’ll have servants, of course,” I go on. “So, you won’t be expected to do any housework, but I do expect you to care for me most of the time.”

“Care for you?” she echoes.

“Yeah. Bring me coffee in the morning, make sure there’s always clean clothes ready, that kind of thing.”

For almost a full minute, all she does is stare at me, and the color slowly drains out of her face.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

I shake my head. “No. Believe me, if this were a joke, you’d know it.”

“You have to be out of your goddamn mind!” she says, her voice rising. “You kidnap me, drag me down the mountain, force me into a shotgun marriage, and now you think I’m going to kiss up to you in public and bring you fucking coffee!”

I don’t even move in the face of her outburst, calmly looking into her eyes as she gets up on her toes to yell at me, clenching her fists by her sides.

She’s so fucking cute!

“I would call that rescuing you, saving your life, and ensuring your compliance with a contract you willingly signed,” I say in a steady voice.

Her eyes flicker, and she steps back a bit, one of her hands twitching as if she wants to slap me.

Well. Looks like this is about to get interesting.

“How dare you,” she bites out. “You threatened me, you threw Krista in the dungeon—”

“Which I had every right to do. She moved against me directly, so I had no choice. I could have had her arrested or killed. She got off easy.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

I chuckle softly. “Perhaps I was never fully in it to begin with. Krista didn’t just disobey the alpha; she interfered with a legally binding contract. Porter’s has, like, ten pages of terms and conditions.”

“You read them?”

“Sure. Didn’t you?”

Winnie’s mouth twists as her fury rises, and I watch with fascination as the emotion floods through her, making her cheeks flush and her blue eyes burn like they’re lit with flames.

“I don’t care!” she yells. “I’m not serving you, or any man! It could be carved in fucking stone, and I still wouldn’t do it! You can’t make me—”

She makes a sudden gesture, and I grab her arm. It wasn’t fully clear if she was just waving her arm for emphasis or actually about to slap me. Either way, my fingers wrap around her wrist, and the change in balance makes her fall against my chest.

Her eyes are inches from mine, and our lips are almost touching. I can feel her sweet breath caressing my face, and the thick scent of strawberry and vanilla suddenly engulfs me. My head spins, and I can’t think.

My hands grip her soft waist, sliding across her back. I feel her lean into me and get up on her toes.

When her lips touch mine, a powerful wave of lust crashes into me, hardening every single inch of my body. My arms tighten around her, crushing her soft curves against me until she moans and squirms. I open my mouth, searching for her tongue and finding it with my own.

Winnie writhes against me, gripping my shoulders with her hands as she wriggles up to kiss me even deeper. Swept away by the moment, I let go of her and reach down to pull up her skirt.

The second my arms release her, Winnie shoves herself away from me and runs for the front door. My brief moment of shock doesn’t give her much of a head start, and I catch her before she even makes it to the foyer.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Damon, no! Please, just let me go!”

“How am I ever supposed to trust you?” I yell, throwing her over my shoulder. “You really had me going there for a minute, but maybe you really are just like the other girls!”

“What?” she demands, but I don’t answer.

I was good enough to fuck. One night with the bad boy just for kicks, but none of them actually wanted to be my girlfriend. No one ever loved me.

I trudge up the stairs, holding tight to Winnie’s legs. At the landing, I take a look through the rooms, finally finding the master bedroom with a massive wrought-iron bed.

Convenient.

I throw Winnie down on it, yanking the cord of the bedside lamp out of the wall so I can tether her to the frame.

“Don’t worry, dear,” I mutter. “I’ll get you a better leash, but this will do for now.”

I turn and leave, focusing on finding some stronger restraints for her, and trying as hard as I can to ignore her tears.