Cold-Blooded Alpha by Eve Bale

Chapter Ten

The only thing that gets me through dinner is the thought of Dayne retreating into his office with Luka, leaving me free to disappear upstairs and spend a couple of hours having a good cry in the shower, an act I'd thought I'd left behind in the Merrick pack.

But soon after I rise from the dining table after clearing my plate, having barely tasted any of the meal, long before any of the other pack are done eating, Dayne's hand snaps out and locks tight around my wrist. Stopping me in my tracks.

"Pack meeting tonight," he says. "Don't go far."

I stare at the hand on my arm and swallow, frozen, waiting for him to move it.

Since he never touches me—hasn't since the night he chased me down in the forest and…

I jerk my mind back from what happened in the woods. I can't think about that here, or ever.

When he releases me and turns back to his meal, trying not to reveal how tense I am, I cross the kitchen to dump my plate in the sink and release the breath I'm holding in.

* * *

It's in the basement. The meeting, that is.

Other than Dayne's office, this is the only part of the house I've yet to see. The basement level is another door I've passed in the hallway I assumed was just another reception room at first.

Until Regan shoved it open to reveal a steep, exposed wooden staircase leading down into a dark space when she and Jenna were showing me around. She told me it was much like the den, but no one liked to hang out there all that much since the wi-fi was so spotty and there weren't as many places to sit.

Like the rest of the farmhouse, it's a spacious area and mirrors the den with colorful wool rugs, and the walls painted a soft pale cream.

But instead of the fabric armchairs, couches, and beanbags, things which make the den comfortable; more a place to relax, here the chairs are the foldable wooden ones you'd use at a party if more people turned up than you were expecting.

Either someone's already come down to set out the chairs so they all face one at the front, or it's always like this, I don't know. But as I hover near the door, my arms folded across my chest, the rest of the pack drift past me and make their way to the chairs and sit down.

Since this is my first pack meeting here, and I'm more used to sitting at the back or missing the meetings altogether back in my old pack, I have no idea where I'm supposed to sit. Like, does the pack have assigned seating or what?

It doesn't help that I don't have anyone to clue me in on where I should be sitting. As soon as Luka and Dayne finished eating, they disappeared back into the office again, heads bowed as Luka muttered something about an account Dayne needed to check.

Not for the first time I'm conscious of how little I know about this pack.

While not exactly wealthy, my old pack wasn't poor. Everyone—except me, that is—had everything they needed or wanted.

Uncle probably could've afforded to buy me better quality clothes than he did, but why would he ever spend more on me if he didn't have to?

I never expected it, and I didn't scrounge around for more than I got. Not only because of what he would do to me if I ever tried, but I'm not someone who's ever longed for designer clothes or the latest phones, since being free to roam the forests is all that's ever mattered to me.

Here, I have no idea what the pack finances are like.

Uncle didn't work since as alpha, he didn't have to. From the regular contributions the pack made from their jobs in the city, as far as I knew, or guessed, he invested the money to increase the pack's wealth. Since no one ever told me anything, mostly I'm relying on guesswork and assumptions.

I'm not sure if that's what Dayne and Luka do here since neither leave in the morning to go to jobs the way I've seen some of the other pack members do.

Is that the reason Dayne refused to stop at Walmart to buy me new clothes, and instead had a pack member lend me some? Because pack finances wouldn't allow for it? Could Uncle Glynn have sold me to Dayne for cold, hard cash?

It's easy for me to imagine him doing something like that since he hates me about as much as he loves money. All of which is making me feel even more isolated than ever, wondering if the pack knows all this and that's the reason they're keeping their distance from me, other than Regan and Jenna, of course.

We were going to sit together, Regan and I, but just as we started toward the basement, she had a call about an emergency at the veterinary hospital she works at as an assistant and told me to go ahead without her.

I can't even look to Jenna since she and Marshall have had their heads bent together since the beginning of dinner and are barely paying any attention to anyone else in the room.

It surprised me at first to see them together since Jenna is a petite submissive, and Marshall is a tall, leanly-muscled shifter with intense green eyes and shaggy blond hair, who I'd have thought would end up with someone higher up the pack hierarchy since he's the third in command.

But he has a tender look in his eyes when he gazes down at her, and all her focus is on him when he's beside her. There's no way I can interrupt them, not when they're whispering into each other's ears as if they don't want anyone else to overhear.

I'm almost relieved when Dayne and Luka finally make their appearance. They split off, Luka heading to what must be his seat near the front row, and Dayne dropping into the folded wooden seat facing the others.

"Talis, come sit next to me," Jenna calls out with a welcoming smile on her face as she pulls an empty seat close beside hers, her talk with Marshall at an end.

Sighing in relief, I move toward her.

"No. I need you here." Dayne stops me before I've taken a couple of steps.

I scan the space around him in confusion. The first row is full since Luka took the only available seat closest to Dayne, and now the only empty chairs are the ones at the back of the room.

"I don't understand, where am I—"

"Here," he interrupts, nodding at the spot beside his chair.

I stare at him.

"You mean you want me—"

"To sit at my feet. Yes. That's exactly what I want," he says calmly as if he doesn't know—can't understand why I'm reacting the way I am.

I'm so stunned I can't even begin to process what he's telling me, let alone think about going through with it.

Is he seriously ordering me to sit at his feet like some kind of pet?

Which is when Regan slips into the room behind me.

My gaze shifts to her, and I know my eyes are begging for her to say something, anything, to convince Dayne to let me sit with her.

Regan opens her mouth, but after shooting a glance at Dayne, she turns to me, and before she even has to say a word; I know what she's going to say.

"Sorry, Talis," she whispers, sounding full of apology before she reluctantly heads to her chair near Jenna's.

Of course, she would side with Dayne. He's her alpha. Did I really expect her to take my side—me, who's been in her pack, not even a week—over her alpha?

I'm the only one still standing, and once again I'm the focus of attention. The last thing I want. My gaze shifts from Dayne, who's watching me as if can't understand what my problem is, to the spot on the floor beside his seat, and back to him again.

At least there's a rug on the floor so I don't have to sit on the hard floor. But still, it's the floor, and it's a place no one else is being forced to sit.

"We don't have all night," Dayne says, sounding like he's coming to the end of his patience.

With the first sparks of my rage igniting, I make my way over before dropping on the floor beside Dayne's denim and cowboy boot-clod leg.

I don't dare raise my head since the last thing I can deal with is seeing the expressions on the pack's faces. Instead, I wrap my arms around my raised legs and stare at a spot on the floor to the side of Luka's leg.

I can't imagine the pack meeting will go on for long since the last one they had was over in less than thirty minutes. And really, all it sounded was like they were laughing and joking for most of it.

So, I can sit here on the floor beside Dayne's chair for fifteen-to-twenty minutes, tops, and then I can make my escape.

I just have to ignore the sound of my wolf growling in my head at having to sit lower, much lower than anyone in the pack.

At first, I'm paying attention to the meeting, and really, it's nothing all that interesting. More updates about plans coming up—a BBQ, another pack run, events happening in town, that kind of thing.

Then, as my wolf becomes increasingly enraged, I focus less on Dayne's words and more on the battle going on inside me. But I'm okay. I can do this.

By now, it's been maybe ten minutes and it sounds like Dayne's winding down, so there can't be too long to go now.

But out of nowhere, Dayne's hand comes down on the back of my neck and the pressure forces my head down to the ground.

The fuck!

And that's it. I've had enough. Or rather, my wolf has.

It's one thing for him to order me to sit lower than everyone in the pack, but that's not enough he's now shoving my face even lower?

No. Just no.

I move to stand.

Without missing a beat, Dayne tightens his grip around the nape of my neck as he continues to talk about upcoming pack events, exerting even more pressure. Pressing me back down and keeping me there.

I can feel them watching me. The pack. I know what they must be thinking. Weak. Submissive. An embarrassment as an alpha's mate.

For a brief second, my wolf slips the leash and a low growl emerges from my throat as I jerk my head out from beneath Dayne's hand.

Only I don't get far. I'm free for maybe half a second before his hand locks back into place. And still, Dayne doesn't let up as he continues to coolly warn the pack about hunting season coming to an end, and to ensure they stay on pack land while in their wolf shape.

"Now. Does anyone have anything else to add?" Dayne asks, still cool and collected as if he didn't just hear me growl.

No one says a word.

"Anyone?"

I'm trembling now in rage, or humiliation, I can't say what emotion dominates. Only I know, am absolutely certain that if Dayne continues to press my head down like this, it isn't going to be a matter of if, but when I snap and rip out his throat. And thinking this, I freeze as I realize what's at stake if I lose control.

Gritting my teeth, I work at hauling all the rage, all the fury back down inside where it can't hurt anyone. Because one thing is certain, the second I lash out, Luka will put me down in a heartbeat for attacking his alpha. And he won't be alone.

"Then perhaps we might discuss the plans for felling the trees we discussed several months ago." Dayne crosses one leg over the other as he settles back in his seat as if he's in it for the long haul.

Are you fucking shitting me? Trees? He wants to talk about trees?

Ignoring my own warning, reaching up, I grab Dayne's wrist and tear his hand away before surging to my feet, spinning around to face him, a snarl on my lips.

Calmly he gazes up at me from his chair, then uncrossing his legs, he stands in a graceful smooth unwinding that speaks of power and control. The complete opposite to how I'm feeling.

The look in his eyes is mild, non-threatening, but something about it makes me realize I've just made a terrible mistake. Even my wolf seems to recognize it and she goes quiet.

"Leave. Now," Dayne says, his voice whisper-quiet.

The pack doesn't hesitate for a second. Although I don't see them leave, I hear the rush toward the door and the footsteps hurrying up the wooden stairs.

Finally, the door slams shut on the last pack member.

"Alpha, I—" I back up, jerking my eyes from his and down to his chin.

"You what?" He pursues me.

I keep going until I hit something. The wall. "I didn't mean… I just…"

I don't get a chance to finish my sentence, or even consider how I'm going to extricate myself from this situation before Dayne is pinning me against the wall, one hand coiled around my throat.

He's close. Close enough for me to see the flecks of silver in his ice-blue eyes, feel his breath against my cheek, draw the scent of his skin deep into my lungs.

"You will stay where I put you," he murmurs.

I open my mouth to speak, only no sound emerges.

The hand around my throat tightens in warning. Tight, but not quite choking me.

I stare up into his eyes, not knowing what I should be doing. Running? Screaming? Begging for my life?

While I'm still working it out, he dips his head and kisses me.

It's nothing short of a mark of possession, a claiming, which doesn't surprise me in the least. Dayne's never given off the impression he's the sort of guy who's about soft, coaxing kisses.

No, his mouth is hard and insistent, and when his tongue strokes along the seam of my lips, I know what he wants. He's demanding entry.

With his hips flush against mine, his erection digging into my lower belly, and arousal spiking through me, my eyes flutter closed, even as I part my lips and let him in.

Good god, the man knows how to kiss.

Grabbing at his shoulders, I try to force him closer as he torments me with his kiss. With every thrust of his tongue, I'm reminded of how good he felt moving inside me, and I'm curling one leg around his hips as I cling to him.

Ripping his mouth from mine, he spins me. Leans into me with enough force for my cheek to press against the wall, and then he's brushing the hair away from my neck as one hand drops away from my hip.

When I hear his zipper echoing in the room, my insides go liquid and I go taut with anticipation.

Then someone is shoving the basement door open, and I'm jerking my head around. Only Dayne steps into my body, stopping me from seeing who it is.

"Alpha?" a voice murmurs. Luka.

"Get out!" Dayne snarls.

But Luka doesn't go anywhere. "Sorry Dayne, but—

“Dayne?” a new voice says. “I'm sorry, but there's something I need to tell you. It's important."

He wasn't alone. Luka wasn't alone. And if I hadn't been so enveloped in the scent of Dayne. If I hadn't been more concerned with his fucking me, then maybe I would have realized sooner than now.

Dayne's hands fall away from me as he steps away, and I turn and catch sight of the woman who'd come down the stairs with Luka.

It's her. The woman with the long blonde hair who I hadn't seen the last few days.

"Savannah?" Dayne doesn't hide how surprised—nor how pleased he is at her return, and I feel my jaw clench in response.

Taking advantage of Dayne's distraction, I dart past him, only just dodging his hand when he reaches out to stop me.

"Talis, where—"

I don't stop to hear what else he has to say.

I feel the barest brush of his fingers against my bare arm as I evade him. Keeping my head down, hoping my hair is enough to shield my face, I shove my way past Luka and the blonde girl Dayne is so happy to see, and sprint up the stairs, leaving Dayne and his blonde… whatever the fuck she is, to him, far behind me.