Page 14 of Forced Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #3)

While Damon and Regina face off, I keep my mouth shut and try to understand the situation. Krista often talked about a rival pack that lived in the hills, a savage bunch of wolves with no honor, all of them killers and thieves.

I don’t know if I should be relieved or terrified. I thought he was going to organize attacks on the surrounding packs—Kit and Galen! I didn’t expect this.

“Alpha Damon,” Elder Mitchell says, keeping his tone light and respectful. “I understand you don’t have much experience dealing with official business. Unlike the other challengers, you’ve never been involved in the top circle—”

“How is your son, by the way?” Damon asks casually. “What was his name? Steve?”

“Scott,” Mitchell says curtly. “He’s with the healers now.”

“Hmm,” Damon hums, staring at Mitchell. “I suppose he’ll live, then. One of the lucky ones, I guess.”

Mitchell glares back at Damon, and a shudder runs through me as I remember how many men Damon killed or maimed to gain his position.

Right here, in this very room.

The shadows are so deep and the light so erratic, it’s almost as if I can still see the bloodstains on the walls and stone floor.

“By all means, educate me,” Damon says. “I’d like to know the details of our offensive maneuvers in the area, and what led to them.”

“You don’t understand,” Regina says, struggling to control her voice. “Valentine Creek has always been our enemy. They sneak into town in the middle of the night and steal. They murder our wolves when they are out hunting. It has been known for them to kidnap women, too.”

She gives both of us a hard look. It sparks my anxiety so badly, prickles of sweat run down my spine.

Is she saying Damon is doing this because he’s evil? Because he’s like them?

“Do you have proof of this, or only stories?” Damon asks.

“My grandmother personally told me about one of their raids,” Regina answers, getting animated. “They stole food and supplies, set buildings on fire, and many of our wolves were killed. It was after that attack that we sent sentries out to make sure they couldn’t come near our town.”

“And since then, what have you done?” Damon asks, stroking his chin. “Focused purely on defense?”

Regina looks away, trying to hide her disgust.

“Perhaps I can enlighten you,” Cora says. She sits at the other end of the dais, next to Bryce, leaving Ledra at Damon’s left. Mitchell is next to me, with Norman and Regina taking up the last chairs.

You could fit a lot more seats here if you wanted to. I wonder when Flint will be officially made the beta? I’m sure he’s out right now with Damon’s gang, having a great time. Probably terrorizing the town.

“Speak, Cora,” Damon prompts, and he appears genuinely interested in what she has to say. From what I’ve heard, Cora is more level-headed than Regina and tends to look for fair solutions instead of quick persecutions.

“I was also told of the attack Regina has described,” Cora says. “It was a devastating blow for us, which is why we ramped up our defenses.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Damon says with a low growl. “I asked what we were doing right now.”

Cora sighs. “We have a ring of scouts and warriors around the town, with sentries posted through the mountains. Their orders are to kill anyone who leaves the village.”

“Anyone?” Damon echoes. “Women, children, innocent men?”

“Yes,” Cora answers uncomfortably. “Anyone.”

“How many casualties have been reported?”

Cora looks away, and this time Ledra speaks up.

Krista was right—Bryce and Norman are as useful as boils on the butt. Obviously, it’s the girls who have the most power here.

“We don’t have exact numbers,” Ledra answers. “We don’t ask for them. So long as anyone leaving that place is killed, we are satisfied. We have to protect ourselves.”

“That doesn’t sound like protection,” Damon replies. “It sounds like genocide.”

“Did you not hear—” Regina starts.

“Yes, I heard,” Damon snaps. “And if it was simple defense, I’d agree. But you are effectively keeping that town prisoner. How are they supposed to hunt or engage in trade? They do have women and children there, you know. Innocents.”

“No one from that filthy place is innocent!” Ledra hisses.

I watch the conversation around the table with interest, but the longer it goes on, the more nervous I become. After Ledra’s comment, Damon glances at her, looking steadily into her eyes.

“What are you implying?” he asks, the hushed tone echoing through the room.

Ledra looks away uncomfortably, and Damon chuckles.

“Come now,” he says. “I can tell you’re all thinking it, and I’m getting sick of these underhanded little barbs. Why don’t you just come out and say it? All of this is true of me. Because I came from Valentine Creek.”

A shock runs through me, so powerful that I jump a little, rattling my chains. Damon looks over at me sharply, his eyes deep and sad, but he quickly turns his attention back to the council, who are now all talking at once.

Is this why he’s doing all of this? To free his hometown? If they’re all murderers and thieves, will any of us be safe?

Fear runs in my blood, making me shiver. I’m so twisted by anxiety, I can hardly breathe.

This is all adding up too fast, that wolves from Valentine Creek steal women, raid, pillage, and kill. And that Damon is one of them!

“We meant no offense, Alpha—”

“Of course, we didn’t mean you, Alpha—”

“Please just listen—”

“Silence!” Damon roars, standing up and slapping his hands down on the table.

“I don’t want to hear any of your bullshit.

I don’t have to explain myself, but I will.

I’ve never even been to Valentine Creek—well, not that I can remember, anyway.

Yes, my father came from there, but I grew up here, as you will recall. ”

The elders all seem to search their brains for information, and I can tell most of them aren’t even sure.

“Then after the tragic death of my mother, I lived with my uncle in the woods,” Damon finishes softly.

Ledra claps her hands. “Yes! That’s right, I remember. You were in my daughter’s science class, and she told me—”

Ledra stops talking abruptly, a terrified look on her face.

“No, by all means,” Damon says, gazing at her. “Tell me what she said.”

“Ah. She said she was sad to see you go.”

“I bet,” Damon chuckles.

At this point, I really don’t know what to believe. The evidence is clearly stacking up that Damon is a bad guy from a rough place, and it could be extremely dangerous to take our eyes off Valentine Creek. On the other hand, he does seem genuinely concerned for the welfare of innocents.

It could be an act. Just a way to get the council on his side so they’ll happily accept his orders.

With a sinking feeling, I realize how much Damon actually needs me. This isn’t strictly about the broken contract or needing a mate for his ascension.

I, personally, have connections to the alphas of nearby packs. If he wants to take over the Range or get more territory, I’m a very valuable bargaining chip. He could hold me to ransom or use me as a weapon. The possibilities are endless.

“Enough!” Damon yells. “I’ve heard your protests, and they mean nothing to me. I will dispatch my own men to your front lines and recall your scouts. I may leave sentries closer to our border, but there will be no more occupation in the town of Valentine Creek.”

“On your head be it,” Regina swears with a sneer. “Lives will be lost, our pack will suffer, and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

“I’ll risk it,” Damon says. “I’d rather put myself on the line than approve the suffering of innocents.”

“Your definition of innocent is different from mine,” Regina mutters. “But I submit to your will, Alpha, as we all must.”

“Good,” Damon says. “I’ll be heading out to give the orders soon, and I’d like all of you to communicate with your personal guards so this transition goes smoothly.”

“Understood,” Regina says, her voice calm but her eyes blazing with fury. “Since we have wasted so much time on this, we have little left, and most of the items on the ledger will have to be put aside for the next meeting. But there is one more point we must discuss.”

“What is it?” Damon snaps, clearly done with any attempt at civility.

“Heirs,” Regina says with a cruel smile.

“You’ve come this far, Alpha, and I have nothing but congratulations for you.

But all of us know the consummation must take place before the next full moon, or your position can again be contested.

Your mate’s willingness to bear a child also weighs on this decision. ”

I see Damon clench his hands as he glares at her, and my heart flutters in my chest.

I could still get out of this! All I have to do is refuse to consummate the union!

At first, I feel relief, but it’s swiftly followed by a wave of confusion so intense, I feel sick to my stomach.

In any other situation, I’d want to explore this connection between us. I’ve never been so turned on by anyone before—ever. Iris is right, this is what I was looking for… but if I do it, I’m really bound to him… forever.

Looking up at Damon, my confusion only gets worse.

Under the white light of the torches, his black hair gleams with edges of silver, the long, dark strands falling across his forehead into his eyes.

His eyes are always beautiful, but when he’s animated like this, they shimmer with flickers of gold and burn with an intensity beyond that of an ordinary wolf.

There is something special about him. I can feel it. But he scares me, and I can’t deny that.

Memories from this morning trickle back into my mind, and as I remember the part where I bent over right in front of him, fiery shame rushes through me. My cheeks are so hot, I know they must be blazing red for everyone to see.

I can trust him, I guess. I know a lot of guys who wouldn’t have stood still through that kind of torture.

Damon and Regina are yelling at each other again, and I can’t bring myself to pay attention. I’m conflicted now, even more so than I was before.

I can really get out of this! He can chain me up for two weeks if he wants to. But after that, if we aren’t consummated, he has to let me go. He’ll lose his position. Everything will go back to the way it was.

But is that what I want?

Damon turns to look at me, and the intensity of his glare sparks arousal inside me. A throbbing ache between my legs that I can feel through my entire body.

I’ve never craved like this before. I never even really understood what this was about. Wanting someone, aching for them, needing them…

I turn my eyes away, looking at the floor so I don’t have to face him.

I’m sure he can see the need in my eyes.

“I understand you, Regina,” Damon says, his voice cutting through my brain fog. “You needn’t remind me again. Consummation must take place within two weeks.”

Damon reaches down and grabs my chain, yanking me to my feet. He puts an arm around me possessively, glaring at the others.

“I assure you, the matter will be handled—immediately.”