The woman tutted over her and cleaned away each new cut and bruise. “I can’t do anything about the bruising I’m afraid. I’ll keep an eye on them to make sure there is no long term damage. We’re wolves, so we’re quite resilient to a lot of stuff.” She hummed again, shaking her head. “Whoever did this deserves to die. An alpha wouldn’t be able to do this kind of thing. They’re bound to always protect. They cannot hurt their pack.”
Think again. Chain has discovered a way to hurt me and the whole of our pack.
She kept her lips closed. Chain had a way of knowing when he was defied.
“Were you with a human mate?”
Victoria jerked her head in acknowledgement.
Another tut and a shake of her head. “This disgusts me. I know other male wolves can inflict this kind of damage on other males as they’re not bound by their alpha, but for a human mate to do this, it sucks. Your mate wasn’t female, was she?”
Victoria shook her head. She wasn’t attracted to females.
If she could, Victoria would cry at everything the woman was saying. Chain had found a way to hurt them all without laying a finger on any of them. He’d also made other males in the pack do his killing for him. Male wolves couldn’t attack a woman or rape her. Other female wolves could hurt other females while males could hurt other males. The Alpha was bound to look over them all to avoid such conflict. It was a strange dynamic they lived in.
“There. You’re all better. Or at least, you’re all better for now.” Mandy cleaned away the mess, placed the blanket back over her and sat on the bed. “You rest now. Scorch will bring you some food, but I don’t want you to move unless you have to. Please, follow my advice, or you’ll be in a lot more pain.”
Nodding her head, she watched the woman leave. The moment she was alone, Victoria sat up staring down at her body. The wounds hurt, but the ointment the woman used helped her to feel somewhat normal.
Get out. Run away.
She climbed out of the bed and headed toward the window. Staring out over the snow covered mountains she was struck by the beauty of the scenery before her. She had never seen anything so beautiful in all of her life. The glinting snow struck her to the core. It would be a good way to die. Climbing up onto the window ledge, she looked at the rising sun feeling the chill in the air and the heat upon her skin. Once she killed herself, Scorch and the whole of this pack would be safe. Victoria didn’t see any other way out. This was her only option. Her fear of Chain was absolute. She would do whatever he asked to stop others feeling the pain he could inflict. If she gave Scorch to him, he’d be happy, and the whole of their pack would find some kind of peace.
****
Scorch entered his room taking a shot of brandy. His hands were shaking while his blood was pumping through his veins. The woman that had just entered his life was different. He sensed something about her that he couldn’t put his finger on.
“What? The little bitch doesn’t need you by her side?” Lidia said, cursing as she walked into view. She wore a sheer black negligee, one he’d removed from her once before. Wolves never had an issue with nudity. Lidia spent way too much time in the city surrounded by humans. He wore a pair of pants, and they were itching his skin. On the way to his room he’d passed several wolves, male and female, naked.
“You’re staying to bitch about a woman in pain?” he asked.
“She’s not part of your pack yet you go running to her like she is.”
“For a lawyer and an intelligent woman, you could have fooled me about being fucking stupid.” He whirled around, glaring at the woman he’d been fucking. Staring at her now he felt sick to his stomach. He smelled her jealousy, and it disgusted him.
“How dare you?”
He laughed. “I dare because it’s the truth. This is why you’ll never be a queen within a pack, Lidia. You’re cruel, selfish, and everything an alpha is not looking for.” Scorch looked her up and down, hating everything he saw. “You’re a good fuck, but an alpha is bound by kindness and acceptance. We cannot inflict pain on one of our pack. You possess neither of these qualities.”
“You bastard,” she said, raising her hand. The wolf inside him gripped her arm, stopping her from lashing out. He had no intention of hurting her, and so he held her arm steady.
“Do not start something you will never want to finish.”
A knock at the door sounded. Releasing her arm, he stepped away.
“Pack your things and get the fuck out of my pack. You’re not welcome here, and if you think you will be, I’ll have you escorted off my property.”