NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team

by Chelsea Handcock

“Master Ethan, are you leaving so soon, was Sophie unacceptable to your tastes? I had a least expected you to play a bit before you became bored with her.”

  Ethan glanced around the room. It was even more deserted now than it had been before, only the bartender could be seen. The smell of chemicals had increased, however. He knew his time was short, and he wasn’t going to linger much longer. He hated leaving Sophie, but at this point, he didn’t see any way around it. He feared asking to leave with the woman would cause issues.

  “No, she will do, but as I said, I have business in the morning and this trip was going to be short. I would like you to inform Sophie that I will be here for the next couple of days, and I would like it if she would make herself available to me.”

  “Well, of course, I think that can be arranged. She was so excited about finally getting to do a scene with you, I practically had to stop her from running in the halls.”

  Yeah, Ethan just bet he did; Sophie no more wanted to scene with him than he wanted to subject himself to a root canal.

  “Very well then, I must be on my way. I have left Sophie in the room bound, I would appreciate it if you would send one of your monitors in to release her. She needed to learn a quick lesson, but that’s all I have time for tonight. I expect the next few days will be filled with lessons. She is entirely agreeable.”

  “Yes, she is one of our best. I have personally taken an interest in her training. I’m sure you will find she is open to anything you have to offer.”

  The thought of this man’s hands on Sophie enraged him. Ethan wanted to storm back in the room, throw her over his shoulder, and escape this place. He wanted her safe, and he knew that wasn’t possible. He needed to leave her here, so he could determine exactly where her loyalties laid.

  “I see,” Ethan said, not giving the man the praise he seemed to want. As far as Ethan was concerned, he needed to be drawn and quartered for the things he had put Sophie through, not admired. “Since I will be coming back to claim her as my temporary sub, I will have to insist that she is available to me and only me, at any time I wish. My business is unpredictable, I will expect her to be at the ready any time I want her, untouched by anyone else. Will that be a problem?”

  “Oh, no, Master Ethan, we will do everything we can you make your time here memorable.”

  “Good, I will expect to see a list of Sophie’s limits on my next visit. I will also want time alone with her to negotiate further scenes and play.”

  “That won’t be a problem, Sophie has no limits; she has expressed her great desire to be with you and has waived the usual protocols of the Club for the chance.”

  “I see,” Ethan said, not disguising his anger, “nonetheless, I will be speaking to her at length. She may have waived her limits to be with me, but I have not retracted mine, something I will never do. As the Dominant in Residence, I would expect you to understand that operating that way is only a guide for disaster.”

  William was squirming like the slimy little snake he was, and Ethan liked it, but he couldn’t continue with his fun and games. He wanted nothing more than to grab a bull whip off the wall and beat the man within an inch of his life. Hell, maybe a centimeter.

  “Of course, I was only expressing Sophie’s wishes, I didn’t say I agreed with them. I will set up an office space for the two of you to talk on your next visit. I am sure you will find her accommodating to all your kinks. She is a very delightful woman.”

  “I will determine that on my own, but thank you for the insight. I must leave now.” Ethan started for the reception area, he needed to get away from this place and get back to the cabin. His worry over what was happening to Sophie was staggering. He knew the next twenty-four hours were going to be some of the hardest he had ever experienced.

  Ethan was thankful that the man who was manning the desk in the reception area earlier was gone. Forcing his body to move was becoming harder. The chemical in the air was messing with him, but his bear was also ripping at him to stay. His beast was surprisingly mild with his protest. Once he breached the outside that changed quickly. Knowing he was still being watched, Ethan walked to his car, he just hoped the assholes watching weren’t paying close attention to him because he was strung tighter than a banjo string.

  Once he got in his car, he wasted no time starting it up and driving away; if he stayed any longer Ethan knew he wouldn’t leave. He called Jacks once he got out on the highway. Not giving him a chance to acknowledge him, Ethan immediately started talking.

  “The problems at Free are bigger than Lucas being MIA."

  “Continue, Jack stated.”

  Ethan appreciated that fact that Jacks didn’t ask any questions; right now, he was already stretched too tightly from meeting and being around Sophie.

  “As we suspected, the Club is almost entirely deserted, the bartender gave me a lame excuse, and William, the man who has been calling me, confirmed it. They are pumping something through the vents that incapacitated my beast. It has the same odor that I smelled in Lucas’s apartment. I need you to get Wyatt and Peyton on the surveillance feed and find the woman I was with. Her name is Sophie, and I left her in the blue room. They need to see what is done to her and report to me when I get back to the cabin.”

  “That won’t be a problem, I already dispatched them to your location, they should be waiting for you as we speak. I’ll make the call to have them bring up the feeds. Anything else?”

  “Jacks, shit, I don’t know the woman, she was the one from the video surveillance, and even thought my bear's abilities were stilted by being in that place, he was practically purring just being around her. I don’t know what to do with that. I had to force myself to leave, I’ve never experienced this type of draw before, and I don’t like it.”

  The bastard had the nerve to laugh at him, pushing Ethan further. He didn’t need this right now; his control was slipping, and for a man who thrived on being in control every second of every day, that wasn’t a good thing. Opening the windows in the car, Ethan tried to clear his lungs and mind. Realizing he couldn’t hear Jacks clearly, he closed them, but the fresh air had cleared some of the fog from his brain, causing his bear to retaliate.

  “Jacks, I have to go, I need, fuck man, I’m going to shift.” Ethan didn’t waste any time pulling over to one of the hundreds of scenic spots in the area. Ethan was grateful that most of the shoreline was owned by the state and had been made into a public park. Parking his car, he ran into the thickly wooded area.

  Hell, if anyone saw him now, there would be no doubt he was other than human. Ethan running, using his enhanced speed to get him further away from the public areas of the park. The battle to fight his inner beast from emerging was brutal. Shifters were able to control and guide their shifts into beasts, but extreme emotions had a way of forcing the issue. Ethan ran, fighting the pain his beast was inflicting. He felt as though his chest and stomach were being ripped apart, and that didn’t even start to explain the feelings that were exploding through his head.

  After about ten miles, the beast started to calm, but not entirely. He was pushing Ethan to turn and run the other way toward Sophie and the mansion, but Ethan’s persistence paid off; pushing himself in the other direction was helping calm the beast further. Fuck. Ethan regulated his breathing and tried a few of the meditation techniques he had learned over the years. When the beast finally calmed to a manageable level, Ethan stopped, bracing his hands on his knees, and gulped for much-needed air.

  Sitting down, he let his back lean against a tree. Ethan had never experienced his beast so out of control before, and it was disconcerting him. If being in Sophie’s presence for a half hour had illicit this type of response, he wondered what the consequences of spending more time with her would be. Shit, she had to be his mate, there wasn’t another answer for this type of behavior, his or his beast’s.

  Ethan didn’t want a mate, hell, he didn’t want the responsibility of a mate. Watching his teammates with the women the fates had chosen for t
hem, and the worry that often showed on their faces, wasn’t something Ethan was ready for now or possibly ever. Then there was the mystery of Sophie; she had reacted to his voice, his touch, and his being, but what was her story? Was she working with the people in the Club? Was she planning to help make him disappear like Lucas? Fuck, there were just many variables.

  Ethan jogged back to his car; he might be in a state of confusion, but he knew he needed to get back to the cabin. If he didn’t get eyes on Sophie soon, there was no telling what his bear would do. Hell, there was no telling what he would do. Damn, he really hoped there was a good explanation why Sophie was placed in his path, now. He also hoped that the sweet submissive he sensed in her wasn’t an act. He could live without many things in his life, but he didn’t think his kinks were one of them.

  If Sophie were his mate, one of his biggest fears was she wouldn’t respond to his dominance. Some women didn’t, but Ethan knew that, if she was his mate and didn’t like it, both their lives would be miserable. He needed to talk with Jacks more and figure a way out of forming the mating bond he could already feel had started to form.

  Getting back in his truck, Ethan rolled all the windows down. He knew he would need to contact Jacks again soon, but for now, he needed to get that chemical out of his system and his head on straight. He needed to come up with a plan, one that would leave both him and Sophie free to make their own choices, not ones the fates had decided. Just like he was able to get his beast under control, he was determined to nip this mating instinct in the bud.

  Ethan was determined to live his life the way he chose. The fates could kiss his ass as far as he was concerned. If that caused him to go Rogue one day, so be it; he wouldn’t put his friends and family through having to put him down because he would do it himself. Ethan laughed, he knew he didn’t have any more chance of denying his fate than he had of breathing. He was going to hold on to his conviction for as long as possible. He would not fall like the rest of them, he would stand his ground until the last possible second. Those thoughts brought up Emma’s words to him before he left base.

  “When you go on this mission, you’re going to find something that you don’t want. You’re going to fight what you are feeling and doubt what is happening is real. You need to open yourself to the possibility of having all that you want and need. If you don’t, you will lose one of the most precious things this life could ever give you.”

  Fuck, what the hell was going on with his life?

  Chapter 12

  Sophie waited for what was to come, the story of her life, and she was sick of it. Her time with Master Ethan had completely confused her, and she needed to be more aware; her life, and Carley’s life depended on it. Distraction was the key to getting the hell beat out of you in Sophie’s world.

  Her body was sore, the bindings that Master Ethan had taken so much care with were now causing her pain. Sophie wondered how he would feel knowing that his instructions hadn’t been followed by Master Williams cronies. She wanted to believe that he would be pissed on her behalf. There was something about him that made her think of safety and security.

  Her hands and feet were numb, but her joints were screaming at the awkward position she had been in for so long now. Sophie almost wished William would hurry up and get her punishment over with, so she could get a small amount of peace. The session with Master Ethan had drained her both physically and mentally, making her want oblivion and sleep. Two of the last things she should want right now.

  Sophie heard the heavy footsteps in the hall and knew that her time was short. When Master William opened and walked through the door with two of his cronies, she knew this punishment session wasn’t going to be a quick one.

  Sophie watched from her prone position on the floor as William started to pace. He was more agitated than usual. He was always mean, but something was different this time. Sophie didn’t dare move, if she showed him one ounce of weakness, he would exploit it for everything it was worth. After several minutes of just watching the man pace, Sophie was just about at the end of her rope. She wanted this over with so she could get some sleep. The threat of pain no longer scared her, it was a common occurrence in her life. One she was starting to worry she would always need on some level just to feel alive.

  You were given one task, and you couldn’t even accomplish that, William sneered at her. All you had to do is sit naked and entice a man. How is it possible that you bared body could only repel? Master Ethan couldn’t get out of here fast enough. I watched as he practically sprinted for his truck. I told the Overseer one such as yourself would never do but did he listen to me? NO!

  Sophie could see William gearing up to attack. The other two men in the room, Jason and another man she had yet to meet, were feeding off of the vibes like junkies waiting for their next fix. William was filling the room with his weird half-dominance vibe. All of their bodies were taut with anticipation, and their eyes reflected that eerie glow she was all too familiar with; all of them were on the verge of a shift.

  Hell, what had they expected? She had been instructed to sit with her eyes cast down and not to speak. Sophie doubted that, if she had been able to look and talk, the outcome would have been any different, she wasn’t exactly a temptress. She knew she wasn’t the most beautiful woman on the planet, but putting her there, having her do this mission was the Overseer’s idea not hers. What else could she have done?

  You are a disappointment as usual.

  Sophie saw the kick before she felt it. The one thing about William was that he tired quickly and he was a coward on all levels. When he finished beating on her and breathing heavily, Sophie knew that her punishment was not over, William liked to watch. Jason, the bastard stepped forward at a wave of Williams' hand and continued what he had started. Jason in his own way was a coward always a follower, never a leader. Jason liked to use his hands to dish out punishments, so Sophie knew what was coming, punches and slaps. She didn’t bother to move, making his job a little harder. Jason bored quickly, wanting the person he was abusing to fight back. Sophie knew this and refused to give him what he wanted. When she heard William tell him to stop, Sophie was kind of shocked, but she should have known better they always had a more sadistic plan at the ready for her.

  I believe we have become too predictable for Sophie and since we were denied the show from Master Ethan, I think it is only fair we get a little taste of what we missed.

  Sophie didn’t miss the look of glee in William’s eyes, and Jason was practically drooling in anticipation of whatever they had planned. That was when Sophie noticed the third man had a bull whip at his side. When he removed it from its latch and let it uncoil to the ground, she knew this time would be different. Jason grabbed her by the hair lifting her from the ground. With his other hand, he released the cuffs from behind her back making her arms scream in pain.

  When he yanked them to the front of her body, reconnecting them, then lifting them up above her head, she was confused for all of a second. How could she have been so stupid as not to notice the hook on the ceiling? As she dangled from the floor, naked and afraid, her thoughts turned to Master Ethan; Sophie knew he would kill these men if he ever found out what they were doing to her. Hearing the first snap of the whip Sophie was no longer able to remain quiet.

  As the lashes continued, Sophie found herself doing something she had never done before. She pictured the man at the boat house, and in her mind called out to him to save her, to take her away from the pain. As she concentrated on the image further, she conjured an image in her mind of what the man, Master Ethan looked like. She imagined him with dark hair, shorter on the sides and longer on top with just the slightest bit of curl. His face would be ruggedly handsome, sharp features accompanied by soft, caring eyes the color of honey that would change to a darker hue depending upon his mood.

  He would be tall, broad, and muscular, just as she had felt from Master Ethan as he crouched behind her, and he would be able to slay all the dragons Sophie had been u
nable to. He would love her regardless of the fact that she was less than perfect, and she would love him because to her no matter what, he would always be perfect in her eyes. As Sophie floated in an abyss of pain, she held on to the image of her mystery man hoping, praying that in reality he was Ethan, and he had been sent to save her. Those were the last thoughts she had before the darkness finally took her away.

  Sophie was awakened from the darkness by the unwanted feeling of water splashing on her face. When she heard Jennifer’s voice, she knew that the peace she had so recently found would be lost for a while.

  You stupid girl why must you anger him so? The Master can be a kind man if you would only just obey. Sophie wanted to laugh at the audacity of the woman. William could no more be kind than a mosquito could stop sucking peoples blood.

  No matter, I will just have to inject you myself, this is going to hurt more than it is meant to. These injections should never be given this close together. You're just lucky Master Ethan has decided to consider taking you on as his temporary sub.

  Sophie felt the medicine enter her body, typically it burned, but when given too close together, the pain was unbelievable, and it only got worse as it worked its way through the body repairing the damage. The damage William and his men had caused. Sophie listened as the woman cleaned her up, the water she was using was cold, and she wasn’t being very gentle; she hadn’t expected anything more.

  The Master had you brought down here because he doesn’t believe you deserve the warmth or comfort of a regular room; you will spend the rest of your days down here. When Master Ethan comes back to collect you for the evening, you are to wash with the water and soap provided. The Master hasn’t provided you with any clothes as he considers you not worthy of the simplest of comforts. He has graciously allowed for a robe which is to be worn only to and from the Club while you are meeting with Master Ethan. If you soil it in any way, you will be punished.