Chapter Three
The next morning Darby awoke and uncurled her body from how she’d been sleeping on her side. She rolled over onto her back to stretch but yelped when her weight hit her sore bottom. “Jesus, that hurts. His mate wasn’t kidding about not wanting to be put over his knee,” she muttered to herself.
There was a discreet knock at the door and Bianca popped her head inside. “Good morning!”
“It was until my ass made contact with the mattress… then good went right out the window.”
Bianca nodded. “Trust me, I know the feeling all too well.” She grinned. “But in all fairness, I did warn you.”
Darby’s head snapped up. She was ready to make a nasty retort when she realized Bianca was teasing her, but not to be mean, but rather to commiserate with her. Darby smiled. “Yes, apparently, my hearing was damaged in the run from Bae Diogel. That smells good. What did you bring me? Am I allowed out of my room?”
“Yes. Brunch will be about eleven. I just figured you hadn’t eaten since we had wine last night…”
“About that… when we talked, I wasn’t planning what we did. I just wanted you to know that I didn’t sit here and lie to your face.”
“That never occurred to me. I did want to bring you something and to check in with you. As I said, my mate can have a wicked hand. Unfortunately, I know that better than anyone. Seriously, how are you feeling?”
“As I said, my ass hurts but only if I sit on it. And I suppose it could have been worse. He told me if I try it again, he’ll take his belt to me. I’m assuming that’s worse?”
“And then some. I am also, sad to say, an expert in that as well.”
Darby smiled, accepted the mug handed to her, and put the tray down on the bed. There was a rasher of bacon lying next to home-baked bread toasted to a golden brown with plenty of butter and homemade strawberry jam. “Yum! They certainly feed you well here.”
“Dylan tries to take care of everyone. This is the best place I’ve ever been. I’ve never been happier, but I sure didn’t start out that way.”
“What do you mean? It’s obvious your mate adores you.”
She grinned. “Yes, he does. But why I’ll never know. My brother, who was the alpha of our pack, sent me here after I’d scared off all the local wolves and become truly unmanageable. He hoped that Dylan would take me as a mate.”
“Really?”
Bianca nodded. “But from the moment I got here, Nick knew. So did I, but I didn’t want to be mated… especially to a beta. God, I was awful to him.”
“But you did agree, right?”
Bianca laughed. “Oh, I agreed and declared myself in front of Dylan and Matthew. Of course, at the time, I was face down over Nick’s knee with a naked ass and having his strap applied with considerable vigor to my backside.”
“No…”
Bianca laughed again. “Yep. The first time we mated was with me standing in the corner while he mounted me from behind and made sure I understood just which one of us was the dominant one… and that it wasn’t me.”
“Didn’t you hate him?”
“While he was blistering my butt, you bet. My father was overly indulgent as was my brother and he had a weak beta. Was I brought down off my high horse when he chose to spank me into submission in front of Dylan and Matthew instead of making me run? Yes. Did I want to hate him when he mounted me from behind in the corner?” Bianca laughed with the memory of her own foolishness. “I did, but it only lasted until he breached me the first time with his cock. I’d never felt anything as exquisite or sensual in my entire life. When he finished with me in the corner, he took me into his lap and let me cry and rage at him. Then those wicked hands started seducing me. He spent most of that night between my legs showing me just how much pleasure I was capable of. By the next morning I was completely and utterly his. I know you don’t want to hear this, but if you do hear your mate call, don’t fight it. There’s not a pair here at Calon Gwyllt who aren’t fated mates. There is something very powerful in knowing your mate cares enough to hold you accountable and will use every ounce of his courage, passion, and power to protect you.”
“I’m glad to hear your forced mating worked out,” said Darby. “But that wasn’t my experience. When I say I’d rather die than go back there, I’m not being melodramatic. I won’t do it. I’ll find a way to kill myself before I’ll take another mate. And I’ll kill any alpha who comes sniffing around. I won’t endure being knotted ever again.”
Bianca reached out and touched Darby’s arm. “You don’t need to be afraid. Dylan has already started proceedings to dissolve your union with that bastard who mistreated you. He will not see you sent back. And the whole pack is committed to the same. That bastard will never, ever touch you again.”
“But the Council doesn’t like to dissolve mated pair unions.”
“Dylan hasn’t given them an option. He has a lot of power in our society. And he’s got several powerful packs who will back him.”
“Thank you.”
“I don’t want you upset when you go down to brunch so I thought I’d give you a heads up… both Skylar and Roz were formally claimed last night. After Nick left with you, Dylan and Oliver made claim to them. They both refused, and rather colorfully I might add, and were forced to run. Both returned to the house and declared their vows.”
“And, I’m back to hating him. He’ll protect me from some guy he doesn’t know, but because he wants Skylar he forces her to submit to him? With all due respect, Bianca, our wolf society sucks big time.”
“Nick said both Oliver—that’s Roz’ new mate—and Dylan called for them. Both Roz and Skylar heard their call. I’ve seen both of them this morning. Skylar seemed very happy and Roz was beaming. Both men are, of course, very proud of themselves.”
Tim knocked on the door and stuck his head in. “Bianca, Nick wants you and Darby up at the main house. I’m to take you up the back way.”
“Trouble?”
“Could be. That misbegotten bastard who was paired with Darby showed up with that jerk from Atlantic City. You know the one whose nose Josh broke?”
Bianca nodded. “Oh, and Josh formally claimed Anna, but I think you knew that. She too seemed very happy with her mate this morning. Come on, let’s go up to the main house.”
* * *
Dylan had returned with Darby’s mate and the alpha from Atlantic City as well as a representative of the Ruling Council. Dylan sent Skylar up to get Darby. She explained to her as they came down the stairs what Dylan needed her to do in order to protect her.
“You trust him, Sky?”
“I do. I don’t like what he did to tear our pack apart, but I do think he’s trying to make the best of a bad situation.”
“Your mark looks like it hurt.”
“It did. As you know, when an alpha marks you, the wound is much deeper and more permanent than when any other male does it. And partly he was eradicating Micah’s mark.”
“Doesn’t that bother you?”
“No, I understand it. When your alpha marks you, just remember that he’s getting rid of the last vestiges of your previous union.”
“Sky, I don’t want to be mated again.”
“Darby, let’s get through one thing at a time. Keep in mind, Dylan is making a stand for you. He should just hand you over, but he won’t. If he has to, the pack is prepared to fight to keep you. He’s worthy to be your alpha.”
“But you are my alpha.”
Skylar turned her so that she was looking directly at her. “I am no longer anyone’s alpha. I am mate to an alpha… to your alpha. Do you understand?”
“You know he had his beta spank me last night. That man has a wicked hand.”
“Yes, but he only spanked you. He didn’t beat you, right? In a lot of packs it would have been far worse. I’m not necessarily a fan of our male-dominant society, but Dylan does seem to be fair and he does care.”
“I don’t trust any of them. But I trust you. If you tell me this is what I have to do, then I’ll do it.”
“It is, Darby. It’s the only way we can protect you.”
They entered the study. Darby’s mate moved toward her. Skylar stepped in front of her and growled.
He jumped back. “See? He hasn’t any control over her. She growled at me. She’s a woman and she can’t growl at me. I demand he punish her and make her apologize.”
Darby suppressed a grin. What that toad didn’t know was that Skylar had more than enough bite to back up that growl.
Dylan laughed and moved to stand beside his mate. “That’s enough, Sky.”
Skylar looked at him in disbelief.
He continued, “I won’t have you growling at those who are beneath you.”
Skylar smiled.
“Now give me a kiss and behave yourself,” Dylan said.
She took his face in his hands and kissed him deeply. “Yes, Alpha.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and then bent and kissed her mark. “Do you need something for the discomfort, love? I can have Thomas get you something.”
Darby stared in disbelief. She realized they were playacting for the outsiders, but under the act there was true feeling. Skylar had succumbed to the charms of the alpha of Calon Gwyllt.
“Thank you, but no.”
He turned to Darby. “This,” he said, indicating her mate, “says he is your mate and your alpha and thinks you should be returned to him. What do you think?”
Darby looked at Skylar, who nodded. She took a deep breath and then announced quietly, “He was a cruel and abusive mate. I would ask to call you alpha and put myself in your care.”
He turned back to the three uninvited guests. “That settles it, gentlemen. The lady is under my protection. Should you wish to claim her, you may issue a formal challenge and I will answer it.” He wasn’t quite growling, but the level of his voice and the grumble behind it left no doubt that he was deadly serious.
The other men all backed away. Skylar linked her arm through her mate’s. “If he issues a challenge to the death, can I kill him?”
Dylan laughed. “Sky, what have I told you about weapons and threats.”
“But he is neither a member of our pack nor a guest. The rule doesn’t apply.”
He laughed and kissed her. “That’s true. What do you say? Care to take my mate on in a fight?”
One of the Council members said, “You need to get her under control.”
Dylan advanced on him. “But I do, didn’t you hear her ask my permission to kill him?” When the Council member backed away, he returned to her and nuzzled her neck. “Such a good mate. Beloved, why don’t you take Darby and see to our other, invited guests. I will show these men to our gate.”
Darby had heard that instead of simply auctioning them off, he had gone to the trouble to arrange a weekend house party. The invited guests would include unmated alphas of packs that had either voted with Calon Gwyllt or at least were sympathetic and wouldn’t be unkind to any of the women from the rogue pack at Bae Diogel.
Skylar wrapped her arm around Darby’s waist and walked out of the study to join the party. Once they were out of hearing, they both burst into laughter.
“Sky, when he praised you for asking permission before you killed him, I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from losing it. But I don’t want to cause you trouble.”
“Don’t worry, Darby. We kicked that guy’s ass when it was just our household of women. I think he’d fare far worse if he comes back without an express invitation from Dylan himself. Why don’t you come and join everyone? Thomas is a wonderful cook. Someone told him my weakness for strawberry blintzes. They are divine.”
* * *
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. As the other women from Bae Diogel had caused no further issues, Dylan allowed that they could leave their residences and roam the grounds either around the houses themselves or with one of his pack members as an escort. They bristled a bit at having their freedom curtailed, but both Roz and Skylar tried to soothe their feelings by repeatedly pointing out they could still be confined to their rooms.
Darby seemed the most distressed and Roz tried to speak with her.
“I don’t like it, Roz. I’m glad that you, Sky, and Anna think you can live with these men and find some kind of happiness, but it doesn’t negate the fact that you were forced.”
“No, Skylar and I had a choice. We chose to run. We just weren’t able to outrun them.”
“And Anna?”
“She too agreed to become Josh’s mate. Have you seen them together? She seems to be quite taken with him and he positively dotes on her.”
“I won’t agree to be mated again. I won’t.”
“Then you put Dylan in the position of having to select your mate and if you still refuse, he’ll force you to run.”
Darby shook her head. “I’ll kill any male who tries to take me. I swear it.”
“Darby, please, try to calm down. Dylan isn’t going to give you to someone who will abuse you.”
“He doesn’t know that. I won’t live that way again, Roz. I won’t.” Roz watched her walk off with a feeling of dread.