Bound to Be Taken [Rock Wood Pack 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) (2 page)

“Charlotte is not a threat to us. She is strong and takes care of us,” Titania said, stepping forward. Misty scared the shit out of her but she wasn’t going to let the other woman hurt her friend. Charlotte was a lovely woman and a great friend, and human or not, Titania would protect her. She was the only female willing to.

Misty turned on her. “You’re not fit to fucking speak to me, bitch. Stay fucking quiet.”

For once she didn’t use the word “fat” and for that, Titania was grateful. There were many things she could deal with. Comments about her weight left her feeling more insecure. Living in a house full of slender female wolves would make anyone feel insecure.

“She’s our queen. Leave her alone.”

David gripped her hand tighter. There was nothing he could do if Misty attacked her. He wasn’t strong like the other wolves in the pack. David had been blessed with brains instead of muscle. Titania knew it upset him on a regular basis. He wanted to be strong, not clever. Clever people didn’t always survive.

“Are you seriously standing up to me?” Misty asked.

Cade grabbed Misty before she took a step closer. Titania quickly glanced at the beta before returning her gaze to the threatening woman. “That’s enough, Misty. Titania is right. Charlotte is our queen.”

Micah was in front of Misty in a heartbeat. “You’ve got something to say about my woman?”

She looked at the ground, refusing to speak.

“I will have you out of my fucking pack, Misty. Make no mistakes about it. Keep pushing and see what happens.” Micah pushed her back in line.

Titania took her cue to retreat and was thankful when David’s arms wrapped around her. He offered her so much comfort in those few minutes. “You’ve got to stop doing that,” he said, whispering the words against her ear.

“I’ve got no choice. Charlotte is my friend.”

“Misty is a brilliant fighter, Titania. She will tear you apart. Charlotte has plenty of pack members willing to fight for her. Don’t get yourself hurt.”

She understood what David was saying but she couldn’t let her friend get accused of something that wasn’t her fault. Micah was the one to mate with Charlotte, not the other way around. Their alpha knew the ways of their kind. The Rock Wood pack was a powerful and strong werewolf pack hidden away within the secluded town of Rock Wood. Their only enemies were the wandering rogue wolves and the Eagle pack.

“David, get up here,” Cade said, breaking into their conversation.

“What?” David asked.

“I told you to get up here. We’re teaching you all how to protect yourselves and that requires demonstrations. Get your ass up here.”

David squeezed her with his arm around her stomach. She tapped his hand and gave him a smile as he walked toward Cade. Titania was pleased he’d not picked her to do the demonstration. Micah was scary as the alpha but Cade was downright terrifying. He had this ability to stare at her in a way that made her feel like he was undressing her with his eyes.

Glancing up at Cade, she was shocked to see him staring at her. Why did he keep looking at her?

His sudden attention made her nervous. Titania was used to being invisible. No one cared about her within the pack. She’d been viewed as more of a hindrance than any actual help. But Cade’s visits to the kitchen were growing daily. Whenever she turned around he seemed to be there, watching her. Why? None of it made sense.

Titania was only a low ranking pack member. She possessed no skills other than her ability to cook. When the full moon was up in the sky she spent a great deal of time running alone or with David. None of the pack was interested in her. She was too fat and weak to gain the attention of any male above her in the pack.

Cade was
second
-in-command. The only person above him was the alpha. He could have any woman within the pack. His strength and honor alone made him a catch even for human women.

Everything about him scared and intimidated her. She’d seen the tattoos across his back and arms. The one of the wolf was a dedication to the pack, which she respected. The woman bent over being fucked, however, did not make her think of respect. She hated the sight of the tattoo. The image repulsed at the same time as excited her. She’d never been with a man, even though she craved the lustful touch of a man. Most nights of the full moon she stayed away from the males. She couldn’t bear to see their scorn if they ever scented her arousal. David didn’t judge but he was the same. He liked guys and she was more comfortable around him than any other male.

If she had a choice, she’d stay with Charlotte during the nights of the full moon. Returning her attention to David, she watched as Cade caught her friend in a block with his arms behind his head. Nothing David did stopped Cade. His grip was tight. She winced seeing the pain on her friend’s face. Whatever Cade was doing, clearly hurt.

“You see this, you’re weak. The only strength you’ve got is the wolf inside you and the only people you’ll ever be protected from are humans and those less than you.” Cade threw him forward onto the mat. Sniggers echoed around the room. Angered by their outburst, Titania stepped forward.

“I’ll give it a try,” she said, fisting hands at her sides.

“You want to see if you can do better than your friend?” Cade asked.

She nodded. His gaze looked feral and a little excited. The sniggers had stopped. She passed David, who shook his head, begging her not to go.

Ignoring him, she turned her back on Cade. Within seconds he’d caught her hands behind her neck. “Do you really think you’ll get away with one touch?” he asked.

His arm banded around her waist. “Female wolves are more susceptible to more intimate touches.”

“You mean abuse and rape,” Titania said. She didn’t know where her courage was coming from. The man behind her scared the shit out of her.

He stroked her exposed stomach as she tried to get out of his hold. The touch was too intimate. Reacting the best way she could, she stepped on his foot. Cade loosened his hold long enough for her to spin around. She went to hit him. He caught her hands.

In no time at all, Cade had her on the ground with his fingers wrapped around her throat. “It’s admirable stepping up for your friend but don’t try to think you can take me.” He spoke quietly so only she could hear. Cade turned to the rest of the group. “Sticking up for your friend may seem admirable and it is but make sure you’re the one who can win. If your friend doesn’t stand a chance, why can you?” His touch seemed to linger on her. Titania didn’t know what to do about his touch. Why was he being so familiar with her? None of it made sense, she was a no one within the pack.

Cade kept David by his side while he partnered Titania with Misty. He respected her for trying to protect her friend even though she shouldn’t have to protect David. After he’d slammed David to the ground enough times to take his anger out on the other man, Cade let one of the weaker wolves take care of him. He did the rounds, watching the way the wolves trained. Several of them were showing a knack for training. They may survive the rogues and remainder of the hostile Eagle pack yet.

Standing beside his alpha, Cade felt pride fill him at having his pack around him. Their progress meant everything to him.

“This is going better than I anticipated,” Micah said. He sat with Charlotte in his lap. His alpha could rarely keep his hands to himself.

“Misty is hurting Titania,” Charlotte said.

“That’s the point, baby.”

“I don’t like it. I know you don’t think she’s worth your time but Titania protected me against Brandon. She shouldn’t be fighting with Misty.”

“Would you have her vulnerable, Charlotte? Titania is weak and she needs to learn how to fight. Her victory over Brandon was pure luck. There was no skill from her.” Cade watched over the men and women, making sure he didn’t look near Titania. If he saw Misty hurting her, Cade didn’t know what he’d do.

It’s for her own good.

“I don’t want her to be vulnerable. It’s cruelty to put her against Misty. That woman is nasty, cruel and is using any excuse to hurt my friend.” Charlotte winced once again. The desire to turn around and face his woman was strong. Cade fought the battle to look. He stared at his alpha and his queen instead.

“Cade knows what he’s doing. Let him do it,” Micah said.

He opened his mouth to talk at the same time as a crack followed by an ear-piercing scream filled the air. Turning toward his men, he saw Titania on her knees, tears streaming down her face with Misty holding her hand at an odd angle.

Cade watched the other woman apply more pressure and the ear-piercing scream came again, only this time it came with gut-wrenching sobs.

“Stop, please,” Titania said, begging.

Charlotte jumped from Micah’s lap and was on her way over. Cade moved ahead. He tore Misty away from Titania.

“I gave no order to hurt or injure. What the hell were you doing?” he asked. It was taking every ounce of willpower not to hurt the woman in front of him.

“I was teaching the fat bitch what it was like to be in a real fight.” Cade lashed out. He didn’t give any consideration to the rest of the pack. He pushed Misty, throwing her against the far wall.

Pack members moved out of the way as he stalked to Misty. She tried to stand and he grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, holding her down. Misty was far stronger than any mortal woman and definitely a lot stronger than Titania.

She fought him and Cade forced her to crawl along the floor. Her strength was amazing but he’d fought far stronger males than Misty. Forcing her to bend to his will was easy for him.

“Let me go!”

“You will crawl, bitch.” Titania held her arm against her chest. Charlotte stroked her hair and David had his arms around her. The other man was taking care of her when it was supposed to be his job.

Tightening his grip around her neck, Cade moved until they were stood in front of Titania. The look she gave him made him feel sick. There was no emotion in her gaze, no fear or lust. Titania felt nothing for him, which only served to piss him off more.

“Apologize now.”

He would need to be careful from now on. The humiliation he was bringing down on Misty would not be forgotten. He didn’t care.

“I’m sorry, Titania.”

The apology was pathetic but for now it would have to do. There was nothing else Cade could force her to do. Throwing her away from him, Cade stared at Titania and David’s arms wrapped around her.

“I’ll deal with this. Continue with your training.” He moved forward, pushing David away with a hiss. “Micah, will you?”

His alpha nodded. “Charlotte—”

“I’m going with them, Micah. I’ll see you at dinner if not sooner.”

Cade placed his hand on Titania’s back and felt the thrill from the simple touch vibrate throughout his whole body. He liked touching her and being close to her. Cade had known for a while that he and his wolf liked her.

They took a step and she cried out, collapsing. Lifting her skirt, Cade saw the giant bruise forming on her leg. How Misty had bruised her leg and not snapped it was beyond Cade. The bruise on her thigh was from the impact of a foot being slammed down.

“She can’t walk. Go and open the doors, Charlotte.” He lifted Titania in his arms.

“You can’t carry me. I can walk. I’m too big.”

“I’m second-in-command of this pack. If I can’t lift you then my alpha needs to find a new second.” Cade carried her out of the group. When he passed David, he saw Titania reach out for him. David stopped his training to kiss her head.

“I’ll see you after training,” David said.

“Good luck.”

“Leave!” Cade had enough of witnessing the touches between them. The thought of David knowing his woman intimately annoyed him. There were many nights he’d seen them wandering off together.

Titania always smelled clean. He didn’t think the two were lovers and he hoped to God they were not. David was a dead man if they were.

“Thank you,” she said, catching his attention.

“What’s the matter?”

She smiled up at him. The pain was clear to see in her eyes. “For stopping her. Misty warned me it was practice and I needed to learn. I’m pleased you stopped her.”

Gritting his teeth Cade looked ahead seeing Charlotte opening the doors. “I want you all to be strong. I will never allow the abuse of another pack member.”

Her laugh shocked him. “There is abuse in the pack, you just don’t see it,” she said.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Titania shook her head. “You don’t want to know.”

“I’m carrying you up to your room, Titania, tell me.” He nodded for Charlotte to go on ahead.

She let out a sigh, her breath fanning his face. His cock tightened from having her close. The scent of her pain dulled his senses. He didn’t want to be turned on with her in so much pain.

“Misty is one of the problems. She torments the lower ranking members and instills fear of what would happen if we dispute her or something. I don’t know, I ache all over. You all abuse us in your own way. None of you realize you do it.”

He frowned and glanced down at her. She’d closed her eyes. “I don’t abuse you.”