Page 14 of Forced By the Alpha

“There she is, the blushing bride!” Jonah greeted them at the door. He was dressed nicely in dark jeans and a button-up shirt, his boyish face split in a smile. “And no new scratches. Devon will be happy about that. Good job keeping your claws in, Em.”

Something passed between the two of them. Something that Beth couldn’t read. She filed it away for later. Every interaction was a chance to gather intel. She just had to remember that she could serve a purpose here. Could help her pack even now.

“Come on, Rosewood, your mate awaits.” Jonah held out his arm to her.

Emma let her go, yanking her arm free before slinking off down the garden path. Beth took Jonah’s. He was gentle, letting her lean on him as they made their way after Emma. But she didn’t let him weaken her walls. Gentle or not, he was a White Winter wolf, and he was keeping her here against her will. If he’d been as nice as he acted, he would have helped her get free. He would have refused to kidnap her.

Steeling herself, she straightened her shoulders and let Jonah lead her to the garden. The White Winter pack was assembled there. Devon stood beside the pond. In another world, the scene would have been idyllic. Like Jonah, Devon was dressed in slim-fitting dark jeans and a button-up. Unlike Jonah, his face was somber, his eyes intent on her as she rounded the corner.

His wavy hair was tousled by the wind, a curl of it slipping forward on his forehead. He was stupidly handsome. Even now, she could feel a twist in her gut that had nothing to do with nerves and everything to do with hormones.He’s your captor.Chalk it up to Stockholm syndrome.

“You can do it,” Jonah whispered beside her. “He’s a good guy. I know it doesn't seem possible, but, deep down, he really is. Give him a chance.”

Beth gave a little shake of her head, not trusting herself to respond. She knew too much about the White Winter pack to ever believe their alpha could be a good guy. Time seemed to stretch. She passed the other wolves lining the garden path and looked up to feel the sunshine on her face, focusing on the clouds instead of her fate drawing nearer and nearer.

As a child, she’d never dreamed of her wedding. She’d never been a romantic. Never doodled wedding dresses in the corner of her schoolwork. As a wolf, she’d never spared much thought for her mate. In a way, there were no dreams to dash. Just the death of her freedom to mourn.

“You’ve got this.” Jonah gently squeezed her arm before depositing her in front of Devon and stepping off to the side.

Devon looked her up and down, his eyes catching on the swell of her breast and the dip of her waist meeting her hips. His eyes came back up and lingered on her lips before settling on her eyes. She wished she could read them. Wished she could understand why he was doing this to her. He reached out for her hand.

Beth was reluctant to drop her arms. They were all that covered her, but she was more afraid to refuse him. She took his hand. It was warm and large enough to envelop hers entirely. She could feel the strength in it.

“I still need your name.” His voice was low, for her ears alone. “Don’t make me call you Rosewood, not here, not for this.”

The softness in his voice surprised her. There was a desperation to it. Was Jonah right? Was there a shred of something worth saving in Devon?

She’d fight back on some things, but she could give him this. Not her body. Just her name.

“Beth.” She felt a release with the word, handing a part of herself to him. It was out there now. She was going to do this.

“Thank you, Beth.” Again, a whisper. It was gruff, his eyes unreadable.

He turned to address the pack.

“The White Winter pack has been through hell and back. My band of rogues. We’ve scratched and clawed our way here, but it’s time for the next step. It’s time to become a pack on par with the Rosewoods, to surpass it even. We need stability. We need legitimacy. And for that, we need a luna.”

The pack whooped and hollered.

“Beth.” He turned back toward her and took both her hands this time, held them tight. His eyes were for her alone now. “This isn’t what you wanted. It’s nothing you could have ever imagined. I know we’re nothing but bloodthirsty scoundrels to you. I don’t expect you to forgive us. But I hope you will come to understand us.”

Could she? It seemed impossible. There was no excuse for the way the pack behaved, and she did not believe they had any real intention of changing it, no matter what Devon said. But she kept her mouth shut. It wasn’t the time to argue.

“Be my luna. Help me turn this pack into something better. Help us be better.”

Chills crept up her forearms at his words. White Winter pack was beyond saving, but there was real hope in his face, a flash of the boy he must have been.

She nodded, swallowing down the lump in her throat. No going back now.

“I’ll be your luna.”But I’ll never love you.

Around them, the pack cheered. Jonah slapped Devon on the back, a broad grin on his face, but Devon ignored him, still focused only on Beth.

He dropped her hand and caught her by the back of the neck, pulling her closer with a soft tug. Unconsciously, her chin lifted as his fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck. His lips brushed against hers, the barest touch, and she felt herself lean into it. Her body acted of its own accord, betraying her as her lips parted and the kiss deepened.

“Gross. Get a room.” Emma’s voice broke into Beth’s daze.

She pulled back, bringing her hand to her mouth, horrified at what she’d done. She’d kissed him, willingly. And she’d like it. Her body was all too eager to tell her just how much she’d enjoyed it. Her face heated.

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