Page 12 of Forced By the Alpha

“Then tell her to keep her mouth shut, or she’ll be a very important corpse.”

“She has ears,” Beth called, a safe distance away. “She can hear you just fine. Unfortunately, she does not speak Neanderthal. Jonah, can you translate?”

“She’s got a death wish.” Jamie pushed Jonah to one side.

Jonah caught Jamie by the throat in a movement too fast for Beth to track and yanked him backward. His arm tightened around the other man’s neck.

“Look here, big man, Dev needs her. That means we need her. That means don’t touch a hair on her head even if she spits in your mother’s face, got it? Yes?”

He kept squeezing until Jamie’s hands clawed at his forearms, leaving long red scratches on his brown skin. Jo let him go.

“Got it.” Jamie rubbed his neck, glaring past Jonah at Beth.

“And here I was hoping you’d choke him out.” Beth jeered. She started hobbling toward the archway, taking her time.

It was foolish, maybe, to push her captors to that point. But it was useful, too. The more she pushed, the more she could see the divides in the pack, where the loyalties lay, and how deep they ran. Her life was already in danger. It might be worth the risk if she could gather information on the White Winters while she was here.

She wandered under the shade of the archway. A bubbling stream cut through the garden, tumbles of rocks at its edges, dotted through with wildflowers. Following it, she made her way to the pond. As promised, a turtle sat sunning itself on the water’s edge.

Jonah followed, three paces away, Jamie two behind that.

“Is it really necessary? Both of you following little old me around?” She pointed at her leg. “I can hardly run off in this condition.”

“Nice try.” Jonah crossed his arms over his chest. “I was there for the hunt. You’re fast, injured or not. Think of it as an honor guard. You’re just too important to be walking around on your own. Like the queen.”

Beth sighed and lowered herself gingerly down onto the bench beside the pond. She missed home. Missed her pack. Were they looking for her? Were they worried about her?

It was hard not to dream of a daring rescue, the Rosewood wolves pouring into the White Winter house, freeing her. But it would be a fool’s battle. Spencer knew better. Engaging the White Winters in their territory would be devastating for the Rosewoods. It would give the Winters too much of an advantage. There would be too many casualties. She had to get out of this one on her own.

“Taking the broodmare for a walk?”

Beth’s head snapped up. Emma sauntered into the garden. Jonah and Jamie stood a little straighter in her presence, puffed out their chests a little more. Interesting.

“Excuse me?” Beth stood, trying to hide the way her injured leg still impeded her movement. Showing that woman a weakness was asking for it to be exploited. “What did you call me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Emma said, enunciating each word, slow and loud. “Brood. Mare. You know, a female that’s only good for breeding? Pumping out babies? The sort that couldn’t serve any other purpose? Broodmare.”

Beth’s pulse beat a frantic rhythm. She looked at the exits. One the way she’d come, back under the archway, and another there behind Emma. Both guarded. Broodmare? Is that really what they wanted her for? Devon’s attempts from the night before suddenly made sense. He was trying to win her over.

“Easy, Em.” Jonah’s tone was soothing, as if he were calming an animal.

Jamie looked eager, excited, like he was gearing up for a fight. Or to watch one.

Emma shot Jonah a look. “Oh, spare me. You’re such a softie, Jo. Some girl flashes her big bug eyes at you and you’re putty in her hands, is that it? Well, newsflash, she’s Devon’s. He’s going to be bending her over and you’re going to be all alone with just your hand for company, so why are you defending her?”

Beth’s stomach lurched at the image. Could she make a break for it with her leg? Emma was fast, and she knew the layout of the White Winter grounds far better than Beth did, but if she could get a head start maybe she could hide somewhere.

“Jesus, why are you like this?” Jonah’s face scrunched. “I swear you were dropped as a child. Something is not right up there.”

The two were locked onto each other. Beth started to slip sideways, toward the flower garden behind Emma. She moved slowly. Predators keyed into flashes of movement, to running prey. Move slow. Back away. Keep eyes on the danger.

“Don’t even think about it.” Emma pointed at Beth. “If I have to run you down, I’ll break your other leg. Won’t be getting anywhere. And when they heal, I’ll come break them again. And again.”

She’d do it, too. Beth didn’t need to know any more about Emma to believe that, the look in her eyes was enough. Bloodthirsty. She swallowed, dropped her gaze to the ground.

“What are you doing here?” Jonah asked, sounding exhausted. She’d seen the circles under his eyes, apparent in the sunlight, and wondered if she wasn’t the only one losing sleep in the Winter house. “Dev put me and Jamie on guard duty. For obvious reasons, you didn’t get the job.”

“I didn’twantthe job,” Emma clarified. “I’m here to tell you guard dogs to bring her back. It’s time for the ceremony.”

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