Turning her head this way and that, he sensed her fear increasing.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, hoping his words would ease her. Taking her hand, he led her toward his car.
Crap. He had hoped for this night to run smoothly. From the way Clara was acting, he doubted she’d be ready to f**k when he got back home.
****
For many years Clara had heard the term “runt of the litter” when people talked about her. She hated it but pretended the words no longer affected her. Being told she was fat, ugly, and hated by all of the pack hadn’t prepared her for the final humiliation she’d been dealt this night. The words hurt, but she’d grown used to them.
Sitting alone in her room reading one of her favorite romances, she’d been pulled out of her fantasy by her mother. The leash, along with the clothes not to mention the complete destruction of her room, had been the last straw in the brutal pain.
The man who purchased her started up the car, taking her away from everything she knew. Her family and pack despised her, but at least she knew what they thought of her and nothing they said or did worried her. Apart from the bullying she’d been more than ready for whatever they wanted to dish out. The leash around her neck was wrapped around his wrist stopping her from moving.
Biting her lip she tried to force back the tears. Crying was an unnecessary weakness she couldn’t afford. The silence in the car gave her little comfort. What would happen when they were alone in his home? She didn’t know who he was or why he’d purchased her.
No matter how many diets she went on or the number of times she starved herself the weight wouldn’t drop off. When she failed to lose any weight, the name calling would start back up. After the name calling started, she’d start eating again. The cycle would never end. Their harsh words and nastiness would send her back to food.
Scrubbing a hand over her face, she tried to get her nerves under control. Her hands were shaking like crazy.
They drove for the next hour without a word spoken. Clara was pleased by the lack of conversation. Trying to talk while being absolutely petrified was hard. Stringing a sentence together was impossible at the moment with her nerves.
Nick stopped the car in front of a large iron gate. He typed in a code she didn’t see. The gate opened up, and he drove down. Glancing behind her she saw the gate close back up, trapping her inside with a man she did not know.
Looking across from the gate she saw the wall that had to be close to eight feet tall.
“I like my privacy,” he said.
Turning back to face the front, she saw the large house was surrounded by a large array of fields, trees, and bushes. The car stopped, and the man turned to look at her. “I’m going to release you. If you make any attempt to run, move, or cause me problems, then I will have you locked up in a cage, do I make myself clear?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He released the lead and climbed out. Staying in her seat, Clara waited for him to let her out. She wouldn’t dare make a run for it. He opened the door, and she got out, waiting for him to give her more instructions. The thought of feeling any more pain kept her from running. She’d suffered enough pain to last her a lifetime, and she wasn’t into any kind of weird fetish of feeling pain.
“Follow me.” He headed inside the house. No one was in sight, and from the look and smell of the place, no other pack member was here. “Dean, I’m back,” he said, shouting out.
Nick removed his jacket then reached out.
Unable to stop herself, Clara flinched away from his touch.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
Nodding, she stayed still as he took the leash from around her neck. “Does it hurt?” he asked.
She shook her head. The pain would soon ease.
“You’re not lying to me, are you?”
“No, the pain will go away in no time.” She glanced up at him.
“Is this the woman you just bought?”
A large man was walking downstairs. He wore a white shirt and a pair of scruffy jeans.
“Yeah.” Nick wrapped his fingers around her neck, pulling her close.
“Well, you’re back, and you’re alive. Did anything happen I need to know about?” Dean said.
“No, nothing happened that he didn’t bring on himself.”
“What do you mean?” Dean asked, looking nervous.
“I took care of business. I’m not pack anymore, and any problems can come to my f**king door. I don’t care what anyone says.” Nick’s voice was harsh, demanding, and she detected a hint of hurt.
“Shit, you’re right, I’m sorry.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck with a flush to his cheeks.
“Don’t worry about it.”
She watched Dean grab his jacket from the back of the door and was on the way out when he stopped as Nick started to talk.
“Tell the packs that if they want to f**k with me then fine, f**k with me, but warn them, I don’t play by the f**king rules. They start, they’ll end up dead.”
“Nick…”
“No, I mean it, Dean. I’m done playing their games. They want to play, then I’ll play them, but I’ll do it my f**king way.”
Dean looked sad, glancing at her before nodding his head.
“See you soon.”
“You will.”
The door opened then closed, leaving her alone with a man who’d just threatened at least two packs that she knew of.
“Now, we can have some real fun,” he said, keeping a grip on her neck and leading her toward the stairs.
Her nerves picked up, and she started to fight him.
“Please, let me go. I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve always been good.”
Nick caught her around the waist, holding her arms by her sides.
“Stop!” He yelled the word, and she had no choice but to stop.
They were the only two people in the room, but she knew deep in her core he was the alpha. She couldn’t argue with him even if she wanted to. He was the man who made the rules.
“You’re not going anywhere, so stop f**king testing me. No one wants you but me. You’ve got no one but me, and it’s time for you to start realizing it.” He shouted the words in her face, and she couldn’t stop the tears from filling her eyes and then falling down her cheeks. Every word he spoke was the truth.
She was at his mercy, and there was no way out of it.
Chapter Two
Nick felt the fight go right out of her. Loosening his hold, he waited for her to submit. Her head bowed within seconds of her body relaxing. Releasing his tight grip, he tilted her head back to look at him.