Surrender to the Alphas (Waxing Crescent Book 5) Read online

  “Everyone knows you celebrate an attack with a pizza party,” Jacob said.

  My heart pounded in my chest. Could it be true? Had all of my cleverness been a sham? Had I actually been the one who’d been tricked?

  The way these alphas were looking at me, with disdain and perhaps a hint of pity, I had to guess that they were telling the truth.

  “But… my informant told me…”

  I thought back to the conversation. A man with a deep voice had called me at the office. He’d refused to identify himself, only telling me when the alphas were meeting and what they were planning. Then I’d shown up at the barn, and things had been exactly how he’d said.

  “I’d hazard a guess that I know who your so-called informant was,” Oakley said. “He fell into our trap and dragged you along with him.”

  I froze, my heart pounding. “Who?”

  “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

  I flailed my arms in another futile attempt to get away from the alphas. “Fine. I only tried to keep people safe. I thought you were going to kill innocent shifters.”

  “Next time, make sure you know what you’re talking about. Or else we’ll have to punish you even worse.” Jacob’s voice was low, and the gaze he gave me was meaningful. His eyes drifted down – was he checking out my body? My nipples hardened for some unknowable reason, and I wished I’d worn a bra. I could practically feel him stripping me with those eyes… and then raking his huge hands over my petite frame.

  I clenched my legs together. I could think of a few ways these alphas could punish me – and some of them might be pretty hot.

  “Well, it’s been a pleasure,” I said. “But now, I really have to go.”

  I shifted faster than I’d ever shifted in my life. My bat wings were flapping the moment they emerged, catching the air and lifting me out of the alphas’ reach. They grabbed at me, but as fast as their reflexes might have been, they weren’t fast enough for me.

  I soared into the air, thankful for every breath I was taking.

  THREE

  Now we had to publish a retraction of the article. Everything I’d said was untrue. And it wasn’t going to go unnoticed, either. The newspaper’s inbox was full of emails from constituents, shocked and appalled by what they’d read.

  I had to admit the alphas were right. I did feel like a fool. And it was all my fault. I had thought I was getting one over on them, when in fact they’d had the upper hand all along.

  I never should have tried to outsmart an alpha, never mind four of them. They were generally savvier than betas, or especially omegas, and the fact that they could communicate telepathically with each other gave them an unfair edge.

  I wondered how much they’d said silently when I was eavesdropping on them. How much they’d laughed about my naïve belief that I was doing something smart. In reality, I was only making myself look like a fool.

  When I spoke to Warden, he was disappointed in me, although he tried not to show it. “Don’t worry too much about it,” he said. “We’ll publish a retraction, and we’ll find something else to fill the space the follow-up article was going to take. We’ll put the retraction on the second page, so it’ll be noticeable without being too in-your-face.”

  I didn’t deserve how nice he was being to me. If I were in his shoes, I probably would’ve fired me.

  “Thank you,” I said quietly.

  “No problem,” he said. “You’ll need something to work on today. Why don’t you take over the story about the animal shelter? You know, the one that just rescued a bunch of kittens.”

  “Sure,” I said through gritted teeth.

  I couldn’t take this any longer. It was unfair. I’d only wanted to protect people, and now my whole career was in jeopardy.

  Well, it was really only back to where it was before I’d tried to pull this stunt, but it felt like everything was falling apart around me after the way I’d gotten myself all worked up, with my new hopes and dreams.

  I had to do something about this.

  I put in my time for the day, making calls and writing up the story. I even went out to the shelter and met the kittens – but I felt nothing as I played with them.

  As soon as my work was over, I went home and changed into what I was now starting to think of as my sneaking-around outfit. I took a look at myself in the mirror, then dabbed on some lip gloss and a touch of perfume. I wasn’t planning to seduce anyone, but maybe looking good would give me a little confidence boost.

  I wasn’t even going to go into human form. I’d show up, do a little spying, and then come back. No big deal.

  Once I was in my bat form, I flew the same route that I had two nights before. I took no pleasure from the flight this time. My mind was focused only on what I would do once I reached my destination.

  I arrived at Richmond’s farm and did a quick circuit of the area. He had a few buildings that I couldn’t identify. It was a hobby farm, where he seemed to only grow enough food for himself in one large garden. He had several fruit trees, which must’ve been there for a dozen years or more judging by their size.

  Clearly he was devoted to this, which was impressive, since being a pack alpha was a full-time job. Alphas were like the mayors of their packs, leading and inspiring their constituents. They also had to keep order, administering justice as they saw fit.

  But I wasn’t here to speculate about how Richmond spent his time. I flew toward the main building, what appeared to be his house. How convenient – he’d even left the window open for me. It was as if he knew I was coming.

  Before I let myself feel smug about this, I froze on the windowsill. Did he actually know I was coming? No, there was no way for him to. I hadn’t told anyone about my plan, not even my best friend. And they’d already caught me, so they probably thought they were done with me.

  I made my way through the window, then went up to the dusty rafters. The room seemed to be an office, with piles of papers sitting on the desk along with a vintage-looking desktop computer – the kind with a separate processor and monitor. This could be a good place to start, and then I’d make my way through the house.

  Except before I could start searching, heavy footsteps entered the room. Richmond slammed the window shut, staring up at me and instantly locating me with his piercing blue eyes. His checkered shirt and thick beard made him look like an average – if incredibly good-looking – farmer, but I knew so much better than that.

  “You might want to come down here, Cassidy,” he said, “unless you want to make this harder on yourself.”

  Fuck, fuck, fuck! He knew I was here – and he knew it was me. I flew toward the hallway. Surely he’d left another window open, or even a door. There had to be some way for me to get out of here. Once I did, I’d never come back – I’d leave all four alphas alone. I’d write whatever stupid articles Warden told me to, and I’d never try to do anything out of my depth again. I had learned my lesson.

  I flew from one room to another, barely noticing anything about my surroundings. I was focused solely on finding access to open air – but even after I had torn through the entire house, I hadn’t found it.

  I returned to the office where Richmond had caught me. He still stood there, waiting, his arms crossed in front of his broad chest.

  I had no other options. Shifting back, I dropped onto my knees. “I’m sorry. Please let me go. I didn’t intend you any harm. I just wanted – never mind. I don’t even know what I was thinking.”

  He looked down at me, his handsome features unmoved. “I’m not going to let you go, Cassidy.”

  My heart beat quickened. “But you have to. You’d be kidnapping me if you don’t.”

  “Except that you were trespassing.”

  My mouth went dry. “Still. You don’t just get to kidnap a trespasser. You let them go with a warning.”

  He bent toward me so that his eyes were level with mine. They were cold and brilliant, and they made an icy shiver coast down my spine. “We alre
ady gave you a warning.”

  My lips parted, my jaw falling slightly open. “What do you want from me?”

  “I want you to leave me alone,” he said, his gaze sliding up and down my body. “But you don’t seem to want to do that, so I’m going to have to convince you to.”

  I was still kneeling, and now that he’d straightened up, his groin was right in front of me. Was I imagining it, or was there a twitch there – as if a bulge was growing?

  “What do you mean?” I breathed. “What are you going to do to me?”

  “I’m going to make sure you never bother me or the other alphas again.”

  His eyes still locked to mine, he moved his hands to his belt. My heart rate skyrocketed. Was he going to rape me? A sudden unwanted vision came into my head: him ripping off my clothes right here and now, mounting me, fucking me…

  I had never gone that far before – a fact that most people had no idea about. I’d dated a guy for almost a year, another student at my college. Everyone had thought we were the perfect couple, but the whole time, I knew something was missing. We’d fooled around and experimented, but every time he’d asked me to go all the way, I’d said no. I wasn’t ready.

  So why was it that right now, part of me wished Richmond would straddle me without even giving me a chance to say no?

  My heart calmed slightly when he took off his belt and I saw he wasn’t going to unzip his pants. After folding the belt in half, he gestured at me in a way I didn’t understand.

  I frowned. “Huh?”

  “Turn around.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “Turn. Around.” His low tone brooked no disobedience.

  Slowly, I turned, unsure of why he wanted me to. As soon as my back was toward him, his rough hands forced me backward. He sat on the chair by the desk, splaying me over his lap so that all I could see were the slats of the wooden floor.

  I thought I had an idea of what he was about to do. “You can’t do this to me,” I said. “I know the law. You have no right to touch me in any way.”

  He ignored me. Even as I spoke, he pulled down my shorts – and not gently, either. I bit my lip hard, my face going hot. I wished I’d worn different underwear. I found thongs more comfortable, but I didn’t like the low growl that came out of him when he saw my ass.

  Actually, that was the problem. I did like it – and that terrified me.

  “You have no rights whatsoever,” he said, grabbing a handful of flesh and squeezing it hard. “You lost them when you decided to fly into my home.”

  His hands were as harsh as his words, and yet I squirmed under his touch. Something was happening between my legs – my clit was swelling, my pussy getting wet.

  “So you’re going to spank me like a schoolteacher?” I lashed out. “That’s a perfectly normal thing to do. Totally justified in your situation.”

  “I’m glad you understand.” He stopped kneading my ass, and I had a second to breathe. Then a shift in the air alerted me that the belt was about to come down.

  It flew through the air with a warning hiss, and the sting it left on my plump cheek left me gasping.

  “Great, you spanked me,” I said through gritted teeth. “Is it over now? Did you get your rocks off playing the big, bad punisher man?”

  Ironic of me to talk about getting his rocks off. I was so wet, a brush from his fingers probably would’ve sent me over the edge.

  “Did you learn anything from it?” he asked, his voice low and demanding.

  “Not a damn thing.”

  “Then we’ll have to keep going.”

  He brought the belt down on my ass again, and then another time. He alternated, a few smacks on one cheek and then the other. I was sure my skin was bright red, and yet my arousal only grew.

  It was more painful than a sting now – the belt left me feeling a dull throb. I squeezed my legs together and stared down at the floor. There was no way I was strong enough to get away from him, and truth be told, I didn’t want to. None of the things I had tried with my ex had gotten me so turned on.

  I could’ve shifted, but what would have been the point? The window was still closed. I had to leave on Richmond’s terms, or I wouldn’t get out at all.

  Clenching my jaw, I forced myself to endure the pain. It was only physical. I was stronger than this. He wouldn’t break me, no matter how hard he tried. And he didn’t know the contradictory effect his whipping was having on me. If he knew how hot I was getting, he might’ve chosen another punishment.

  But I could only convince myself for so long. As the belt came down again, I let out an unexpected yelp. A few more smacks, and the yelp became a sob.

  The belt’s rhythm slowed, and Richmond only gave me a few more whacks before he stopped altogether. His hands smoothed over my ass, rubbing it like he was trying to soothe me. It actually just reminded me more of how painful it was, but I wasn’t going to say that. Some part of me liked having his hands on me.

  “I think we made some progress,” he said. “Wouldn’t you say?”

  “No,” I grunted, kicking up at thin air.

  Pulling my shorts up, he flipped me over, standing me on my shaky legs. “Still feisty, I see,” he said. “But you can’t fool me. I just broke some part of you.”

  I bristled. “That’s what you want, now? To break me?”

  “If you keep acting the way you have, then yes, little omega.” His voice was grim. “My friends and I will not be satisfied until you surrender to us.”

  FOUR

  I thought surely Richmond would open the window. He had to let me go home.

  Instead, he opened the door. “Come with me, bat girl.”

  I followed him through the drafty rooms of the old farmhouse. “I surrender, I swear. Just let me leave.”

  “Not a chance, my dear. You came here looking for trouble, and you found it.”

  We went down a creaky staircase, my heart hammering more with every step. Where was he taking me? What new punishments would he give me?

  In the front hallway, three hulking silhouettes stood. Even before Richmond flipped on the light, I could guess they belonged to Oakley, Trey, and Jacob.

  “There she is, live and in the flesh,” Oakley said, looking me up and down. “I really enjoyed the mental images you sent to me just now,” he added, addressing Richmond.

  My stomach flipped over. Had Richmond shared images of my naked, brutalized behind? With telepathy, he might’ve even shared how it felt to smack my ass with the belt, every movement happening in real time.

  As I looked from one alpha to the next, I could guess he’d done something like that. The lasciviousness in their eyes was clear. And they weren’t timid or hesitant like my ex-boyfriend had been. They knew exactly what they wanted, and they would take it anytime they felt like it.

  And when they did, they’d know exactly what to do.

  A pulse ran through my core, and I shivered. I had to stop fantasizing about these men. I wasn’t going to hook up with any of them. They hated me – even if they seemed to want me, too.

  I needed to focus on getting home. My apartment felt like it was worlds away. My little space I’d carved out for myself, the shelves lined with books, the plants I was growing… It was comfortable and familiar, and right now, I felt like I’d never see it again.

  The way these alphas looked at me, it was like they wanted to devour me. I might get out of here alive, I might not – but either way, I wouldn’t be the same person that I was when I flew in.

  “She picked a good house to come to,” Oakley said, his hooked nose wrinkling in a sneer. “It’s like she already knew about the dungeon in your basement.”

  My heart pounded once again. He had to be joking, right? There was no way Richmond had a dungeon here – the jail kind or the sex kind. Either way, I wasn’t going to stick around to find out.

  I didn’t even think about what I was doing before I sprang into a shift. Then I was a bat in midair, flying at the nearest window – the one
ten feet above the front door. I may have been small, but I had force. I was going to break through that window if it was the last thing I did. I’d beat it like a battering ram, tear up my flesh with the shards if I had to. I just needed to get out of here, get myself home.

  If I’d had more time, I might’ve thought it through and realized what a terrible plan it was. But everything happened so fast that the next thing I knew, I was thudding against the thick glass. My body bounced off, not even leaving a crack in the window. Shockwaves went through me, and my brain jolted against my skull. I was too stunned to think straight. I couldn’t hold myself up. My wings flapped uselessly once, and then I was falling – falling – falling toward the ground.

  I was falling from so high that the impact might just kill me. I could shift into human form, and I’d just get a bad bruise – but now that I’d thought that through, I didn’t have time to shift back. The wooden floor was rapidly approaching, and I was going to hit it. My velocity was too fast. I squeezed my bat’s eyes shut. I was going to die.

  Until a hand reached under me, scooping me out of thin air.

  I shifted back, glaring at the alphas – even Oakley, who had rescued me at the last second. I didn’t want to be indebted to him for anything, not even my own life.

  “Fuck you,” I said. “I’m not going to any dungeon.”

  “So grateful, considering Oakley just saved your life,” Trey said mildly.

  “I would have been fine, thank you.” I crossed my arms.

  “Well, just in case, we’re going to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again,” Richmond said. “This is for your own safety.” He produced an inch-wide loop of shining metal. I didn’t know what it was for until he looped it around my neck. It was a collar – the kind a dominant might put on his sub.

  I may have been a virgin, but I’d seen a porno or two.

  “What is this, some kinky thing?” I demanded, pulling at the collar. To my chagrin, it wouldn’t come off. The metal had somehow shaped itself around to the contours of my neck, and I couldn’t even find a crack where I might be able to pull it apart.