“Yeah, I had to be chained up as one by one, every single male from the pack hit me. If I broke free, I was to leave immediately. I took thirty blows before I broke free and attacked. I stopped myself from killing their alpha.”
“Why?” she asked. “You would have been able to be part of their pack. To rule them. You’re an alpha, Damon, you can’t deny it.”
“Why would I want to be part of a pack that hurt me? I wanted nothing from them and certainly not to guide them. I wanted to kill them. Another pack hunted me down and tried to kill me. The story is the same for the next five years of my life since being expelled from my home, Holly. Then I just … I gave up. I left each pack. I learned the stock markets. I bussed tables, taking every single job I could until I won big and invested well. I found this place, got it renovated, and bought up the land all around me. Slowly, piece by piece, I found myself again. I don’t need a pack. I never have.”
Holly touched his cheek. “I am so sorry those packs did that to you. They do not know what they lost.”
He stared into her green eyes. “Holly, you don’t have to have feelings for me. You’re here to keep your family safe. Remember that.”
“Oh, right, yes.” She released him and he missed her touch.
The tension in the room mounted, and he got to his feet. “I need some food.”
Without looking back, he left the bedroom, walking down to the kitchen where he found Henry making himself a hot chocolate. The man was a chocolate lover. He had to eat at least one square a day or he was a moody bastard.
“Hello, sir,” Henry said.
“I told you not to call me sir when we’re alone,” Damon said. He was still completely naked, as was Henry.
“I know.”
Henry was a wolf, but he was a weak wolf. One that couldn’t turn. During one of his visits to the packs many years ago, he’d been chained up with Henry. The men and women had raped and abused Henry for years. They kept him chained up as they didn’t think his mind was stable.
For the few days he’d been with that pack, Damon had learned that Henry was very much stable, he just wanted to leave. The pack wouldn’t let him. Why allow their punching bag to leave when they could use him whenever they wanted?
Damon had saved him when he left. They’d been together ever since. He took care of the man. Henry didn’t need to be his butler or even work for him, but it was what he wanted to do.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“That girl is getting to you.”
“I don’t need you to tell me that.”
Henry laughed. “Sir, I really think you do.”
He glared at his friend, grabbing the milk from the fridge, and poured himself a large glass. Holly was getting under his skin. He should let her go, but the very thought of it went against all that he wanted.
Chapter Five
Holly frowned as she looked up to see Damon advancing toward her the following day. She’d slept in his arms last night and woke up this morning to see that he left. He wasn’t at breakfast, and when she asked Henry, he told her Damon had gone out for the morning on some errands.
Getting to her feet, she stepped toward Damon.
“Come on, get some shoes on.”
“What’s going on?”
“I thought you’d like to see how your pack is doing,” Damon said. “I don’t have all day. Come on. Hurry up.” He turned to leave.
She grabbed his arm. “Wait? My pack?”
“Yes. I’ve got the car waiting. Come on.”
She’d left her shoes on the cold cement floor, opting to go shoeless to feel the grass beneath her feet.
After slipping them on, she turned toward him with a smile. Excitement lit a fire within her stomach. “I’m ready.”
He took her hand, and together, they walked through his home, going straight out the front door, toward the car. Henry sat in the driver’s seat.
“Henry?”
“I’m curious,” Henry said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Damon nodded, and Holly glanced between the two men, not really sure what was going on between them. They seemed to be communicating something with each other. She was so excited just to be in the car.
They left Damon’s house and she glanced behind her to see the gates close, locking out the world.
“You don’t want anyone to get in?”
“I’m not a fool. I know if people were determined to get in, they would. It’s my job to make their life difficult, and I do such a good job at it.” He winked at her.
She smiled.
Damon still hadn’t let go of her hand.
She pushed some hair out of her face. “Where did you go this morning?”
“I went to patrol.”
“Patrol?”
“I wanted to make sure it was safe.”
“But Henry said you were out all morning.”
“I didn’t patrol my grounds, Holly. I went further out.”
“Oh.” She glanced at him. “You … went to check for hunters?”
“Men who come into your homes like that will follow you. I need to talk with your dad and with the men who are capable of hunting,” Damon said.
He gave her hand a squeeze. Her stomach had tightened. “We ran for days,” she said. “They would have no way of finding us.”
“If someone from your pack was captured you’d be amazed what they would be willing to do to end the pain.”
The very thought of one of their own using them to get free made her feel sick. “I would never do that.”
“Don’t ever say never,” Damon said. “You haven’t walked in tortured shoes. We cannot always be responsible for the decisions we make.”
“Have you? I know it’s a question. Forget about it,” she said.
“No. I have never done something like that. I would rather die than risk hurting someone I care about. Whoever helped the hunters was selfish,” Damon said. “I need to talk with your father to completely understand your situation.”
Fear ran down her spine. “You’re not going to … force us to leave?”
“We’ll see what happens when we get to that point,” Damon said. “For now, relax.”
She found it impossible to relax, especially as they got close to town. The scent of the pack and humans mingled together.
Henry parked in the only available space in the town square. Damon got out first, holding out his hand to her.
She took it.
“Your pack is close, but they’re being careful.”
“Holly!” Her name was screamed by a young girl’s voice.
She turned to see Cathy, one of the girls whose parents were killed. She immediately bent down to pick her up.
“Hello, my sweet girl,” she said, kissing her neck. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too. Where did you go? People are saying that you’re with a bad man. You won’t go with a bad man.” Cathy frowned.
Holly chuckled. “No, I’m not with a bad man. I’m staying with a friend. Damon, I’d like you to meet my very special friend, Cathy.”