She could almost feel Mason’s power fill her basement and Lou took a few steps backwards. “You are by far the stupidest bunch of men that I have ever run across,” she heard Mason say with disdain.
Lou held up a small handgun, but as Mason charged Lou turned the gun on himself and fired. Dani closed her eyes tight and tried to forget the scene that had just happened. Stupid coward was so big and brave when he strung her up and drugged her, but facing an alpha and knowing he had led his buddies to their deaths he was a coward.
Suddenly she felt Mason’s hands on her face. “I’ve got you,” he said gently.
She felt him pick her up but could do little to help him. “How did you find me?” she asked, and her voice cracked.
“I came here to track the hunters. I never imagined that they had stayed here.” Mason adjusted her in his arms. “Just rest now, I’ll tell you about it later. You’re safe.”
Dani nodded and let herself drift off. She knew that Mason would keep her safe.
* * *
Dani opened her eyes with a start. She was lying on a bed in nothing but a sheet.
“I’m sorry about your clothes. I couldn’t tell how hurt you were and I didn’t want to cause you more pain.” Mason was sitting in a chair next to the bed.
“How long have I been asleep?” Dani croaked.
He reached towards her. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up so that I could get you in the tub. You’ve been asleep since yesterday.”
Dani said nothing as he lifted her up into his arms. He adjusted the sheet so that she was covered and walked into a very large bathroom, then set her down on what seemed to be an out of place love seat and started a bath. “Where am I?”
Mason adjusted the faucets and turned back to her. “We’re at my house. Where else would you be?”
Dani coughed. She still felt horribly lightheaded and her legs and arms ached. “Why would they tie me up in my own basement?”
“Hunters are arrogant bastards that think if they get a tip on someone who is not associated with a pack that they can do whatever they want,” he scoffed as the water began to fill.
Dani shivered as she tried to snuggle under the blanket. She was aware of every inch of her body suddenly and even the slightest movement caused pain.
Mason shut off the water and walked over to the chair, then tenderly unwound the sheet from around her and helped her into the tub. She gasped as the heat from the water licked at her wounds and she looked up at him.
“Will you stay with me please, Mason?” Dani felt horribly vulnerable and did not want to be alone.
Mason looked down at her, his expression unreadable for once. “Is that what you truly want?”
Dani gave a small nod. It hurt too much to do anything else. He pulled the tee shirt over his head and slid off his jeans. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Dani, despite the pain, could not stop the fluttering in her chest as she took in the sight of him. Her nakedness was a non-issue but his was making her tingly. She gave another nod.
Mason got into the tub and very gently pulled her to him until she was resting her back against his chest.
“Thank you.” Dani linked her arms around his neck as he embraced her. His arms felt massive around her body but she felt safe. “Don’t ever let me go.”
“You are in a state of shock. Say that to me again when you are well and I will believe you.” Mason nuzzled against the side of her head while running his hands down her back. “I’m sorry that I left you the other night. I shouldn’t have listened to your words—I should have just stayed.”
Dani shifted in the water so that she could look up at him. “You would have only made it worse.”
Mason traced the outline of the bruise on her neck. “There were reports that other wolves around your town had recently gone missing. I marked you because I didn’t follow through with my original intention.”
Dani turned around so that she was no longer looking at his face. Was he hinting that he really had come there to claim her? “What was your original intention?”
“I was going to invite you to become part of my pack.” Mason leaned down and nuzzled her chin.
“Have you, uh, changed your mind on that?” Dani had gone still. Why had he not mentioned this the other night?
“I guess you could say that.” Mason linked his hand in hers. “Now you will be a part of my pack. I’m not planning to ask your opinion about it.”
His words held no emotion and Dani turned around again. “What will you do if I refuse to join?”
“There will be no refusal. The only way to keep you safe is for you to be part of the pack. It's no longer an option, Dani.”
There was a deep undertone in his voice, but Dani pressed on anyways. “I am not yours, Mason.” Her words were pointed but she could put little emotion behind them due to her current state.
“I said nothing about claiming you, Dani. I am telling you that you will become a part of my pack,” Mason informed her as she squirmed away from him.
Dani stood up slowly and carefully got out of the tub. She grabbed a towel from the pile and fumed as she dried off. She wanted him to claim her so that she no longer had to think about it. She wanted him to take her because her damn pride kept getting in the way. She heard movement behind her and looked over her shoulder. Mason had pulled the plug on the tub and was now glaring at her.
“You are the most confusing woman I have ever met in my life!” He strode across the room and stole her towel, then wrapped it around his waist and continued to glare. “You tell me that you don’t want me to let you go. You practically beg me to join you in the tub. Your actions the other night damn near challenged me to claim you in every way possible and now you tell me that you refuse?”
Dani flushed the color of her hair. It was true. She did want to be his in all ways. She did want to be a part of his pack, but how could she possibly trust this man and his pack so completely when she had only just met them? “I’m not playing games. I’m just confused, and I’m not used to having to answer to anyone,” she said simply, and then sat back down in the loveseat. She didn’t bother grabbing another towel.
“Then what do you want, Dani?” Mason’s power was filling the room and making it hard for her to breath.
Dani took a quick breath and brushed at her eyes as the tears started again. “I am still tired from the drugs.”
Mason shook his head, clearly agitated. He handed her a small duffle bag. “Get dressed and go lie down. I’ll have food sent up to you,” he told her, and then opened the door and walked out.
* * *
Dani shook her head and opened the bag. Some of her things were inside and she carefully began to get dressed. She was a mystery, Mason was right. She did want him to claim her. Truthfully, she had been thinking about it since the moment he had walked into her store. Why was she so afraid to admit that?
Dani fluffed her hair out and opened the door. She was happy that whoever had put her clothes together had picked a soft v-neck shirt and her black workout pants. Her arms were still a bit sore from where the hunters' chains had held her, but luckily they had been iron and not silver or she would have been burned on top of the ache. Her legs were not as sore, though she could still see the puncture marks from the needles they had used to keep her drugged. Dani had no idea what they had doped her up with. She glanced at the clock in the guest room and estimated that she had only been captured for about two days. Alisha must have remembered their code and reached out to Mason. Just as she lay down on the bed and propped her head up with pillows, there was a knock at the door.
“I’m up,” she called out.
The door opened and in walked a man carrying food. He was a wolf, that was for certain, but Dani knew little else. He had a medium build with dark hair and blue eyes… Were they come-fuck-me blue eyes? Dani said nothing as he walked to the bed carrying a tray. Was he Mason’s second-in-command? Surely he had more important things to do than bring her
food?
“I’m Phil.” He nodded and set the tray down.
“I’m not hungry.” Dani stood up and walked to the window.
“Well, you need to eat.” Phil walked over and stood next to her. “Your friend Alisha is worried about you.”
Dani felt a surge of anger prickle along her spine and she turned to focus on him. “What do you care?”
Phil frowned and crossed his arms. “Why is it so hard to accept that other people could care about you?”
Dani frowned. “What are you talking about?” she demanded. Why had he brought up Alisha and what did that have to do with her not wanting to eat?
“Mason dropped everything to come and find you! Alisha called him and told him that she found your phone in the woods.” Phil shook his head. “You should be glad he marked you, because if he hadn’t you’d probably be dead.”
“Mason told me that I’m to be part of his pack now. I don’t think that I want that.” Dani let out a snort. “In fact, I'm sure that I don’t want that. I will not be forced into something that I don’t want.”
“Alisha thinks that you want Mason to claim you. Do you comprehend what that would mean?” Phil had taken another step forward and the two were almost touching now.
Dani growled. “Do you think that I'm stupid?”
Phil took another step towards her. “Don't growl at me.” He glared at her and Dani saw a great wolf behind those blue eyes. “I am asking you if anyone has ever explained to you what it truly means to be claimed.”
Dani’s heart was racing. She was not trying to get into a battle but she was truly so overwhelmed with all that had been happening. She shook her head and kept her mouth shut.
“It means that you would belong to Mason completely, and you would be expected to obey him in everything. You are a dominant female, Dani. It’s not an easy role to accept. Since you are the only dominant female in this pack, you would lead the other females, but you would need to support Mason’s decisions.”
“What if I don’t want all that?” Dani was close to tears again and it angered her.
“With most alphas, you wouldn’t even have a choice. He could have just carried you off and we wouldn’t be having this argument right now, but for some reason Mason wants to be diplomatic.”
Dani growled. She could not keep her thoughts and feelings at bay right now!
Phil growled back, low and threatening. “Don't growl at me again. You need to hear this whether you like it or not.”
“You do not have any authority over me!” Dani sneered down at him. She was taller and that should have been intimidating to him… It usually worked with other men she had met in her life.
Phil’s eyes began to glow a deep shade of orange as he studied her and Dani promptly sat down on the window seat. “I will tell Mason exactly the way that you have talked to me and I assure you that whether he has claimed you or not you will have a very hard time sleeping comfortably tonight.”
His words only caused the anger to flair again and she struggled to stay sitting down. “You are such an arrogant piece of shit!” Dani growled again.
Phil leaned down. “You should be thankful that you do not belong to me because I would deal with you right now.”
Dani bit her lip. “I'm not afraid of you.”
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Dani. I wanted you to listen. I can see that isn’t going to happen, though, so Mason will have to deal with you himself.” Phil’s eyes faded back to their normal blue.
Dani said nothing as Phil turned and grabbed the food he had brought and set it down next to her.
“Eat. The drugs they gave you will wear off faster if you get something in your stomach.” He set the tray down. “No one here wants anything but the best for you.”
“Yeah, but now you’re off to go tell Mason that I didn’t like what you had to say, so that he’ll come up here and…” Dani trailed off and her face flushed.
Phil cocked his head to the side. “You know very well that deep down you want Mason’s attention, or you wouldn’t be acting this way.”
Dani snarled. “Leave me alone!”
Phil shook his head. “Mason sure has his work cut out with you.” With that, he turned and left the room.
Dani got up and started to pace as she picked at the food. The last thing that she wanted to do was eat but Phil was right. The drugs would wear off sooner with a meal. Dani ate a bit of everything and continued to pace.
If Phil told Mason how she had acted he would surely come up here and spank her again. Last time, the welts had faded in hours but the gesture of him putting her over his knee and smacking her butt had been horribly embarrassing. Despite her high pain tolerance, it actually had stung, and it was not a feeling that she was used to. She could handle herself in a fist fight, but the same piece of leather striking her butt and thighs for several minutes while she was held over an alpha’s lap was different. She was had not been in control of the situation—she had been stuck over Mason’s knees until he decided to let her up. She had never let anyone treat her in such a manner and it had been oddly satisfying. Satisfying? Dani fretted and flopped down on the window seat.
The door opened and slammed, causing Dani to jump. “Do you have any idea what I went through to find you last night? What the rest of the pack went through? Do you?” Mason’s power filled the room and Dani immediately regretting speaking to Phil in such a fashion.
Dani shook her head. “No one has ever looked out for me before.”
Mason ran his hand through his hair. “Get over here,” he ordered, then sat down on the bed.
“I don’t want to come over there.” Dani glanced out the window. It was just getting dark outside. Where would she be right now if he and his pack had not found her?
“You have already tried my patience today. Come here, Dani, now.” Mason’s power began to prickle along her spine.
Dani stood stiffly and walked towards the bed. “I didn't do anything wrong.”
“You disrespected my second-in-command, after he went and sat with Alisha for hours while she was freaking out.”
Dani stood there watching him. She did like his attention. Phil had been right about that but she dreaded the idea of him spanking her. She did not like submitting to him. “I don’t want you to spank me again.”
“Then you should have thought about that before growling at a man who put your needs ahead of his own.” Mason held his hand out to her.
“I didn’t ask you to come and rescue me!” Dani yelled at him. “I didn’t ask you to come to my store! I’ve been on my own for years!”
“If your best friend hadn't called me you would be dead in the woods with a bunch of hunters jacking off on your corpse.” Mason’s words painted a grisly picture of what could have happened.
Dani took his hand and he pulled her over his lap. “I am afraid,” Dani said softly as she felt him pull down her leggings. “I am afraid of my feelings.”
“You can tell me all about your feelings after I teach you what I will do every time you disrespect me or my second.” Mason gave her bare bottom a hard spank, then another, and quickly increased the tempo. “You will be a part of this pack even if you wind up over my knee with your bare bottom bright red every day.”
Dani yelped and squirmed as the sting of the spanking continued to build. “Is this what you do to all the females in your pack?”
“I would not give any other female this much of my time.”
“What?” she asked, breathing heavily.
Mason kept right on spanking. “For starters, all the females in my pack already respect me. If one does get out of line, then it is up to her mate to take care of that. If she has no mate then I have a loyal second-in-command who is more than happy to do some attitude adjusting,” he told her, and punctuated his words with several particularly hard smacks to her sit-spot.
Mason continued to rain his hand down upon her bare cheeks. The clink of Mason's belt buckle being undone came next, f
ollowed by the leather kissing the top of her thighs right where they met her bottom. For several minutes only the sound of Mason’s belt striking her flesh was heard. Dani tried to wiggle forward, but his other hand moved across her lower back and held her in place.
Mason continued for another minute or so, then finally stopped spanking and asked, “Are you ready to have a real conversation now?”
Dani said nothing as she lay limply against his legs and nodded. She felt him fix her pants and she was now lying on the bed. He had sat on the edge and was fixing his belt. “What does it really mean if you claim me?” Dani asked softly. She was sniffling and trying to stay still; her butt was burning. “I need to know before I submit to something like that,” she whispered.
Mason lay back on the bed and propped himself up with an elbow. “You would have the pack’s protection at all times. You would support my decision in all matters.”
“And babies?” Dani whispered as she looked into those damn brown eyes again.
“Yes, we would make pups.” Mason touched her face. “But I will not force myself upon you. Once I claim you, it is permanent and I will not have you hate me for the rest of your life.”
“I’m having a hard time with this,” Dani whispered as she tried to stop the thoughts flying through her head. She let out a long sigh and decided to get off the bed.
Mason reached down and offered his hand. She took it and stood slowly.
“I’m still not sure I want to join your pack, Mason. Since it seems I have no choice, however, I can try to learn how to function in a pack. I just have no idea how to let others watch out for me without feeling defensive,” she admitted at last.
“Then I will have to teach you,” Mason stated simply.
Chapter Three
Dani was curled up in bed trying to sleep, but her stomach was in knots and no sleeping position seemed to be working.
“Shit,” she murmured under her breath. All she wanted to do was rest and it was already well after two in the morning. Suddenly Dani was met with a sharp, stabbing pain in her stomach, and she barely made it to the bathroom in time to throw up in the toilet. She let out a string of curses and let her head lean on the edge of the bowl.
Marked by the Alpha Page 4
