NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team

by Chelsea Handcock

  “I’m sorry, I’m at a loss. I don’t think we’ve met before,” Ethan said putting his hand out to shake the man’s hand. Doing so was a test for both the man behind the bar and his bear. Touch was important to Shifters in many ways; the bartender would believe it was an offer of friendship or comradery when it was anything but. It was a test. Ethan needed to see if his beast was going to react, when nothing happened, he was puzzled once again. This shouldn’t be happening.

  “Sorry, Master Ethan,” the bartender was quick to return his greeting, “the staff was alerted to your arrival. My name is Neil.”

  “Ah, as I expected. Nice to meet you Neil. Have you been working at Free long? I don’t think I have seen you here before.”

  “Not long, Sir. I took over for Giles a couple of weeks ago when he had a family emergency. I’m a pinch hitter, I guess you could say. Master Lucas only calls me in when he is in a bind; we are old family friends.”

  Ethan knew the man was lying even without his senses. Lucas didn’t have any family, he had been orphaned as a child. His clan took him in, but didn’t allow for a familial connection to form, often moving him from place to place. He was a rare breed of Shifter, a white tiger; in their culture that meant he was revered, but also feared. Ethan and the others on the teams never let the superstition of Lucas’s lineage taint their relationship with him and counted him as close to their family as he would allow.

  “I see. The Sub at the desk informed me that Lucas is out with his Sub. Do you think he will be making an appearance tonight? I’d like to catch up with him. There seems to be a lot of changes going on at Free that have me concerned.”

  “I don’t believe he will be. You must be curious about the lack of clientele this evening?”

  Ethan thought, no shit, Sherlock, but didn’t express what he was thinking, waiting for the man to continue with this web of lies.

  “A couple of weeks ago,” the bartender leaned closer, “a local church group decided to stake out the front and back gates, taking pictures of the clientele as they arrived and left. They then posted the pictures with the names they could find on a social media site. We’ve been trying to shut it down, but the clientele is skittish. Master William has been working very hard to alleviate their fears, but I’m sure you know how it is. People that attend Free don’t want their faces broadcasted all over the internet.”

  “Ah, yes, I can see how that would be a problem. Maybe I should look into it, I do have certain skills that may be helpful in that area,” Ethan didn’t elaborate, and he noticed he didn’t need to. Red flags were zinging across his mind at record speed. His being a part of NAC wasn’t a secret in the Shifter world; it was considered and honor to first serve your country and then join the elite service of NAC. The teams were handpicked by Declan “Senior” Quinn and many Shifter males wanted the honor for themselves, but at Free, a place where anonymity was key, this man should have been oblivious to his talents, he wasn’t.

  “Oh, I don’t think that is necessary, Master Ethan, Master William has things well in hand. Oh, speak of the devil,” the bartenders face softened to that of a true submissive waiting for his master and a look of pure joy crossed it before he corrected himself. Ethan looked over his shoulder and instantly recognized the man from the surveillance tape earlier, the one who had been abusing the woman. Expecting his bear to go ape shit on him, he was surprised when he only received the slightest bit of discomfort.

  The man large as far as humans would think, but for a Shifter, he was on the small side, lean and lanky. Those attributes usually belonged to the cat family or certain reptiles. Ethan tried and failed to identify the man’s animal. Before the man could approach, Ethan checked his watch; he had been in Free for all of fifteen minutes and knew that he needed to get this show on the road. He had no idea if what they were pumping through the air would have permanent effects on him or his beast. Clicking the button on the side, he set a silent alarm for an additional forty-five minutes. He didn’t want to risk being here any longer than that.

  “Ah, Master Ethan,” the man came up and clasped him on the shoulder, “it is good to see you at Free. I have been trying to contact you for weeks, but you must have been out on a mission.”

  Ethan didn’t answer, he wasn’t going to give anything to this man.

  “No matter,” the man said laughing, “allow me to introduce myself. I am Master William, Dom in Residence of Free. I have a special treat for you tonight, Master Ethan. The lovely Sophie has been so eager to meet you that I have placed her in the blue room once I was advised of your arrival. A man such as yourself needs a little stress relief after doing such strenuous work.”

  The leer the man was giving him creeped Ethan out. Ethan knew his reputation and what this William person would expect from him. He would be wrong, but Ethan had no desire to correct him. He had a reputation in the club as a sadist, hell, his own teammates thought him to be one, but that wasn’t really the case. He loved to redden the bottoms of willing Subs, but he never went further than what they needed or wanted. One Sub he had worked with often told him that it was his often cold and aloof demeanor that got him the reputation he had never warranted. Only a select few knew the truth, he didn’t revel in inflicting pain, but wasn’t opposed to it either. If he was playing with a masochist, then he always delivered what they needed and prided himself on that ability. His true passions lied in bondage and control.

  “I thank you, but I feel I must warn you I never play with a woman who I don’t know or have at least had a conversation with, this is out of the normal, and quite frankly, making me a bit uncomfortable.” Ethan wasn’t lying; he knew that if he just went along with whatever he had planned, William would become suspicious, so he voiced his concerns.

  “Yes, I figured as much, but at you can see,” William said waving his hand around the room, “we are a bit low on submissives. I thought to make your time here memorable and called Sophie in to accommodate you, but if you prefer, other arrangements can be made.”

  William was being magnanimous but Ethan could clearly see through the act. He didn’t want to him to consider anyone other than the mysterious Sophie.

  “No, I believe I will meet with this Sub you have been raving about. It’s been a while since I was able to stretch my wings,” Ethan added, just enough of a glint in his eyes to promise a good show. Ethan watched as Williams eyes dilated and his body straightened. He was pleased with himself and excited by what he thought Ethan would be doing tonight. “Unfortunately, tonight will need to be a light night. I have a meeting in the morning that I can’t attend out of sorts.”

  “I see,” William was quick to accommodate, “no one would want you to be out of sorts for your, meeting.” Ethan noticed Williams pause and sneer at the word meeting. This was a man who got his way often and readily, Ethan altering his plans for the evening wasn’t something he had considered. Ethan almost laughed, this man wasn’t going to know what hit him because Ethan never did what someone else expected of him.

  Chapter 8

  Sophie couldn’t believe she was doing this, well, she could, it was the story of her life. Waiting in a room in a sex club naked, kneeling on the floor was just a new dynamic to add to her ever-changing nightmare. Waiting for a man to do what he wanted to her. Hell, she should be used to it, but this was beyond what she had expected. The Overseer had never gone this far before. Sophie was considered tainted or unworthy, so she was never touched sexually for fear of that taint rubbing off on the worthy. The only thing she could come up with was that this man she was waiting for had to be human. That could work to her advantage, a human she could handle, even possibly beat regardless of his size. She had the training and the skills, but then where would that leave her sister. Damn it, she wished she had a normal life.

  Looking around the room, she was surprised by its elegance. The room she had been in previously had been bland, almost utilitarian in nature. This room was painted a dusky blue with creamy white trim. The furniture was ri
ch and robust, mahogany maybe? Everything from the paintings on the wall to the bedding screamed high class and elegance, but those touches only hid the true nature of the room. If a person looked closely enough, they would see eye hooks tragically placed, chains and ropes hidden and blended into the decor. The complementing carpet under her knees was soft and plush, keeping the cold hard floor beneath at bay. If she wasn’t in her current position, she would have loved to squish her bare toes in it. The four-poster bed with canopy and lace curtains completed the look, but when she looked closer, she noticed the silk ties that seemed to be part of the bedding. Damn, what had she gotten herself into now?

  She had to keep on reminding herself that she was doing this for her sister and nephew. The Overseer promised if she got the man Ethan Lord to take her to his base and located Skylar Thomas as well as the child he was so interested in, he would allow her to see her family. It had been months.

  Just thinking of the Overseer sent chills down her spine. The man was hateful and mean. She tried to never look him in the eyes because of the pure evil she often seen within their depths. He reminded her of that preacher in in poltergeist. Gaunt, lean, menacing. He didn’t wield a bible, but used his fists, Tasers, and whips, often calling her a mongrel who needed to learn its place.

  She and her sister had been taken off the streets years ago and placed in a facility where they were poked and prodded. It was determined very early on that Sophie was not what they were looking for or wanted, but her younger sister Carley was. Sophie fought for the two of them to be kept together, but she held no power until the people holding them decided she could be of use in other ways, mainly to keep her sister compliant. That knowledge hurt Sophie more than she liked to admit.

  Carley never told her all that happened when she was taken away to the labs, but Sophie could guess. She always returned sickly, hurting and quiet, but never once would she tell Sophie exactly what happened, only saying it was for the best she didn’t know. That hurt Sophie, she wanted to help her sister more than anything, but knew her presence was only making things worse. She often wished she wouldn’t survive one of the many beatings the preacher bestowed on her; maybe then Carly could have some peace, maybe then she would fight.

  When it became obvious that Carley was with child, Sophie wanted to scream and fight for the injustice of what Carley had been put through. Carley had stopped her, telling her it would only make it worse, and because of the desperation in Carly’s eyes, Sophie had backed down. Sophie regretted that decision every day since.

  Sophie had hoped that being pregnant would offer some type of reprieve from all her sister had suffered. but that wasn’t the case. They took her more and more, doing more testing and experiments, to the point that Sophie was sure Carley wouldn’t survive.

  The day her sister gave birth was a rarity, no one had come to their cell to take her sister away. Their jailers hadn’t even brought them food. Sophie had known something wasn’t right with her sister, but allowed her the brief moment of peace, allowing her to sleep. She had noticed the pain her sister seemed to be in. Going to her, she rubbed her back making Carley flinch.

  “What’s wrong honey?” Sophie questioned, but Carley shushed her.

  “Please, don’t say anything,” Carley whispered, “they will come and take me then.” Sophie knew what she was say was true, but it hurt her to watch her sister in so much pain.

  “Is it the baby?” Sophie whispered.

  “Yes, it’s coming. I would rather have it here with you and let the baby die, then give it to them. Oh, Sophie, please, you have to promise, we can’t let them have it,” her sister cried. Sophie knew it was a losing battle, they were stuck in a ten-by-ten room being monitored at all times. She knew there wasn’t a chance in hell of keeping the baby from the monsters behind the door, but she made the promise just the same.

  “Okay, honey.” She hated lying to her sister.

  A few hours later Carley gave birth to a tiny little boy. Her sister never made a sound, not a grunt or moan, showing her true strength. Sophie had been beaten within an inch of her life, but in that moment, she knew her sister had endured more than she ever had. Cradling the little boy in her arms, she hoped for his death, he was tinged a bluish grey, his breathing shallow. It killed her to think that way, but she knew that if he survived, his life would be so much worse. She tried to hand the tiny bundle off to her sister, but she just curled her body away. Sophie didn’t miss the fine sheen of tears in Carly’s eyes.

  Sophie cried softly, continuing to wipe the infant down, singing to him softly, hopefully, offering him some peace. She shouldn’t have been surprised when the door to their room burst open and the preacher rushed into the room, yanking the infant from her arms, backhanding her, forcing her to the ground. Sophie barely noticed the myriad of people filing through the door. The preacher was yelling orders, and they were jumping to follow them.

  “If the child dies, so do you,” he said as the people removed her sister and the baby.

  That was the last time she seen either of them. It didn’t matter how much she begged or pleaded, the overseer just laughed and reminded her of her worth. Which was nothing. Three weeks ago, he came to her room, yanked her to her feet, and propelled her to the door.

  “You have a job, if you do it properly, I will let you see your sister,” sneering the ugly man said, “It's right up your alley, all you have to do is play the whore you are.”

  Sophie didn’t say anything she wanted to see her sister and would do anything to make that happen. The Overseer could call her every name in the book and do anything to her body and she would take it, none of that mattered, Carley, and now her nephew, were all that mattered.

  Chapter 9

  Ethan followed William to the blue room. He had expected him to step aside and let him enter on his own, but was surprised when the man went to go into the room. Ethan placed his hand on William’s arm and yanked back slightly.

  “I prefer to meet possible playmates on my own, if you don’t mind.” Ethan could again see the man’s struggle with his inner nature. He wanted to protest, but then the game would be up. He watched silently until the man got himself under control.

  “Oh, of course, Master Ethan. My wish was only to introduce the two of you.” Ethan thought, of course, it is. William couldn’t shield his reactions worth a shit, and Ethan knew he had been hoping for a personal show. Ethan would never let that happen. He planned to meet this sub and be on his way; his time at Free was running short. Entering the room, he was blown away, what waited for him was not what he had been expecting. The woman from the video was kneeling on the floor in a perfect slave position, hands extended fully on the floor, forehead pressed down, ass in the air, on bended knees. He was surprised that her pose bothered him so much

  Ethan had momentarily forgotten about Williams presence and silently chastised himself. It was important he remained on guard at all times, but there was something about this woman that drew him like no other. His bear was even starting to rise.

  “I will take it from here, if you don’t mind.” Ethan didn’t give William a choice, shutting the door in his face. He knew the rooms were all monitored and would bet his last dollar the vile man was making a beeline to the nearest terminal, eager to see the show. Ethan planned on disappointing him; what he hadn’t planned on was how much he was going to be disappointing himself. He wanted the woman balls deep, and the urge was so overwhelming, he was tempted to alter his plans for the evening.

  His earlier visual of her on the security monitors hadn’t done her justice, her skin was even more beautiful in person, and her hair practically gleamed in the soft lighting of the room. Fuck, her curves were what really drew him, he hadn’t seen her backside until now, and it was surprisingly better than the front view he’d already seen. Her ass was the perfect heart shape with plump, succulent globes. He wanted to pinken that creamy skin and mark her as his own for all to see.

  A vibration from his watch snapped him bac
k from his perusal of the gorgeous woman before him. He only had thirty minutes left. Just enough time to leave a lasting impression. Ethan crouched and ran his finger from the top of her neck all the way down to the dimples above her ass. The touch was electric, firing synapses in his mind that he had never felt before. His bear started a grumbling purr, almost making him laugh, that was new as well.

  Feeling her shiver under his touch and watching the goose bumps form on her body only further added to his lust. This woman was special, he didn’t want to believe she was his one, but she was something and knowing what he was about to do would humiliate her played with his conscious. But he needed to make a few things clear and determine how closely she was linked to the men he was sure were watching him right now.

  “Up, Pet,” Ethan demanded and allowed his body to lean further away from her. When she perfectly executed her change in position, Ethan was reminded of what he had witnessed earlier. Standing, he started to walk around the woman looking for evidence of the abuse he had witnessed, finding none he was even more puzzled. He knew what he had seen, and unless this woman had a twin, she should be sporting more than a few bruises and abrasions. Her skin was free from damage although he did notice a few scars decorating her body. They were light but still visible to his trained eye.

  She had yet to look at him, either due to her training or her lack of interest; Ethan found he didn’t like either scenario. He wanted her to be as curious about him as he was about her. Pushing himself through the fog the chemical in the air was creating, Ethan tried to detect her mood. Shifters had the unique ability to determine a person’s state of mind just by opening their senses. He was surprised by how hard he had to push just to get the slightest inkling of what the woman was feeling. He detected fear, but it was not overwhelming. He also recognized resolve and extreme sadness, neither of which he should have sensed in a willing partner.