Alpha Bait Read Online Free PDF Page A

have a good pack. Have you ever considered leaving?” Scorch asked.
    “Leaving? I didn’t think you could leave a pack once you were in one.” She leaned against a tree looking up at him. Victoria was struck by so much need spiraling within her. He hovered over her, but she didn’t feel afraid of him. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her at all. His touch was always gentle, and his voice never rose in anger. The woman, Lidia, had disappeared that morning a week ago.
    “No, Lidia, the woman you met when you first arrived.” She nodded, showing him she knew what he was talking about. “She’s not part of any pack at all. No one has any claim over her loyalty. Her parents live southwards and are part of a pack down there. I’ve had three men leave my pack looking for something else. There is no law that forces you to remain within one pack.”
    “What about loyalty?”
    “What do you mean?” he asked, reaching out to push some hair off her face.
    “ Don’t your pack swear loyalty to you and to the pack?”
    “Yes, but it doesn’t mean they have to stay around. I’m not a tyrant, and I don’t demand that my pack stick around when they’re unhappy. They can leave whenever they want. Some never leave while others come and go all the time.”
    “You seem so open.” She tried to pull away from his touch, but he kept hold of her.
    “Does your alpha force you stay with him?”
    Victoria couldn’t lie to him. “Yes. None of us are allowed to leave. We have to stay and do as we’re told. There is nothing else out there for us.” Biting her lip she tried to stop the flow of words, but the moment she started talking she couldn’t seem to stop. “He hurts us every chance he gets. We can’t stop him.” She stopped speaking when she was about to tell Scorch her alpha’s name. No one was safe with Chain out there ready to hurt the next woman who rejected him.
    “Can you tell me his name? I can make him pay for everything, Tori. I promise you.”
    She shook her head. “I can’t do it. I’m so sorry.” Victoria pulled away from him and took off. She heard him following her, but she needed to get away and start life once again. Victoria needed to put Chain behind her.
    “ Tori, wait.”
    Running was what she needed to do to clear her head. She didn’t turn into her wolf form. She ran to escape the problems clawing at her. Victoria didn’t watch where she was going, and then she felt arms wrap around her waist.
    Fighting against the hold, she was pressed to the floor, rolled over and her arms held above her head. “I’m never going to hurt you,” he said.
    Tears ran down her cheeks as he held her still.
    “I’m a horrible person,” she said, whispering the words so only he could hear. They were alone together outside, but she felt like everyone was watching them, waiting for something to happen.
    “No, you’re not. Let’s agree to not talk about your pack and your past.”
    “You’d do that for me?” she asked, shocked.
    “Yes, I would. This is your pack now. This is your new beginning. We don’t have to discuss anything of the past. In fact, you don’t have a pack.” He released her hands, sitting back and giving her enough room to sit up. “I’m Scorch of the Fire Pack. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
    She stared at his hand debating what to do with his touch.
    “Erm, I’m Victoria. Life unknown.” They shook hands. The new beginning had started between them. “Can I get up?”
    “Sure.” He went to his feet and helped her up. “My home is your home.”
    Words failed her as he kept hold of her hand. She liked the way his touch felt on her skin.
    “Thank you.”
    “Don’t mention it, honey. I’m an alpha not a monster.”
    Victoria didn’t argue with him as he took her around the grounds never further than five miles from the house. The snow felt wonderful under her feet. For a short period of time she thought about Chain but cut it off. He couldn’t touch her here. She knew with