At His Mercy

Cal entered the gambling floor and moved to table four. Everyone there was a regular, and they knew something was up when the owner sat at the table.

With a smile to Tara, he was dealt in. A look crossed the table between the dealer and Cal. The dealer’s eyes shifted to a man standing to her right. A security guard sent to monitor her movements and how she played. He watched for counting cards, and other signs she was cheating.

“You’re new here. Is this your first time?” Cal asked her as he assessed his cards. Discarded two and picked up two.

“Yes.” Tara couldn’t believe it. The guy with the whip, the owner and Alpha, was sitting beside her, playing against her. She felt small beside him. Another alpha, how many were in this place? They must be on to her. There was no way she could look at him directly, and she was desperately trying to concentrate on her game with her mind wandered to the floor show. His tattoos were striking, and she tried not to stare.

“What do you think of this place?”

Tara couldn’t believe he was interested in talking to her. If she said she hated it, they’d kick her out. If she said she loved it, he’d probably want to know what she liked.

“I’m not sure yet. It’s a lot to get used to.”

“I don’t accept that response. It’s not an acceptable answer to my question. Try again. This time something less noncommittal.” Tara gasped. He wasn’t asking, he was telling her to change her answer.

“You’re putting me on the stop. I don’t know what to say.”

“Then tell me what you felt while I disciplined Abby. Did you want to save her, or be her?” He wasn’t whispering. He was making an example of her. Cal leaned back in his chair and watched her.

Tara only wanted to hide in embarrassment. She couldn’t tell him how jealous she was of how uninhibited Abby could be. It was a contradiction in that Abby had been restrained and yet more free than Tara ever was.

“I’m not sure what you want to hear me say.”

“Try the truth. How did you feel when I ordered her to orgasm? Right there with her thighs wide and she could hide nothing with everyone watching her come apart so beautifully.”

“It wasn’t something I was expecting.”

“Again, you aren’t answering the question. Try again.”

“Why? What makes my opinion so important? This is ruining my game.” Tara couldn’t concentrate on the game with him hounding her for some answer she wasn’t prepared to give. “If you don’t want me here, why insist I enter?” This time, he shrugged.

“Curiosity. I want to know why you’re here.”

“Curiosity. I wanted to know how the other half live.” Tara tossed her cards down as she lost her temper, and her annoyance came out in her words. She’d messed up big time. “I fold. I hope you’re happy.” She stood to leave but found several large men blocking her path. “I’m leaving, okay? You won’t see me again. I’ll just go cash out and be on my way.”

“I don’t think so. You may have lost some, but I believe we have a few things to discuss. Come with me.” He didn’t wait for Tara to respond. He just put his cards down and walked off. The men herded her along behind him.

She’d never had to walk the walk of shame, but Tara was sure it felt like this.

She was all but frog matched from the gaming den into corridors past everyone. She heard the gossip and speculation being stirred up as she passed. This was it; she’d failed. If she survived to leave here, she’d have nowhere to go.

Her pack would only be interested in getting their money and she was their ticket to get it, not Eddie. They knew she was more likely to return it out of fear and desperation.

If she didn’t return it, Eddie would be hunted and killed by them. She’d have no pack or place to stay. How could they do that? Members of their own pack. She had no one else. No friends, or family. Just Eddie. She didn’t even have an education. There was nothing for her out there, but loneliness, violence, and death.

Maybe she could leave the city before the Elmwood pack found her? Find Eddie and take him with her. She had most of the two thousand dollars. But later what would they have? Two thousand dollars didn’t last long these days.

She’d need to find a place where she could pick up day jobs while she looked for a job she could do. She’d have to go to another city. But she only knew Toronto. That scared her to no end. This event was terrifying. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.

None of the guys in the Elmwood Pack were anywhere close to the size of the smallest wolf forcing her down the corridor with their sheer presence. Cal didn’t check to see if she followed. Tara figured he assumed it was a given, and he was right. There was nowhere to run, and one wolf could reach out to stop her escape with one hand. Their arms were as long as her legs.

Cal entered a room and pointed to a single chair. Tara could see the room was barren except for two chairs and a small table. A mirror took up half of one wall and there were no windows. She swallowed when she spotted a drain on the floor below the table. This was a room you left in a hockey bag or two.

“Sit.” Cal walked to the table and sat on the edge of the table. “Take her purse and stand guard.” One wolf held out his hand and silently waited for Tara to hand over her life reluctantly to him.

She could abandon everything she owned at the motel. They’d lost everything that had fond memories of their lives growing up long ago. But her ID and phone were in there. The chips, everything she’d need to start somewhere else.

“Wait. Is her phone in there?” The huge wolf opened the tiny purse and looked into it.

“Yes Alpha. It’s here.” He took the tiny phone from her purse. It was so old, it didn’t have a camera or an internet connection, it was just a phone. She used it only to receive calls from Eddie and her work. Alpha Elmwood didn’t use her phone number very often, and she didn’t bother to keep any numbers in the contact list. She could remember the few she used.

“Give it to her.” Cal ordered the wolf, who used his thumb and index finger to give her the tiny phone. It looked like a toy in his hands. “Unlock it.”

“It’s not locked. There’s nothing really in it. Beyond my lame brother calling me and work wanting to know if I can pick up an odd shift.” She handed the phone to him. Tara didn’t have anything on the phone that would incriminate her.

Even knowing there was nothing in the phone, he scrolled through it, she felt violated, like he was pawing through her underwear drawer.

“What’s your brother’s name?”

“Eddie, and don’t bother calling him. He’s on the run again.” She didn’t want this Alpha going after her brother. Tara needed to keep Eddie away from here.

“Why did you come here? You were counting cards and that’s cheating. You signed a release promising you wouldn’t cheat. What do you have to say to yourself? Who sent you to mess with my club?”

Tara felt it better she stayed silent. He patiently waited as he waved the enormous wolf from the room.

Cal stood and moved to lock the door behind the last guard. It was a hollow metal door. It would crumple under the weight and force of one or two of those wolves. With four out there, there was no hope for her.

“So, we’re going to play games, are we? You don’t smell like a complete rogue wolf. So, I will assume you are from a small lone wolf pack or a lone wolf. Am I close? Of course, I am. If you’re talking about a brother, that makes me assume you live within a small pack within the neutral zone. Now which part of the zone and what useless excuse for an Alpha lays claim to you?”

Tara said nothing. If she didn’t tell him anything, it would all be speculation and nothing could be pinned on her. He’d have to release her and give her things back. Then she could find somewhere to go.

“You realize you signed a consent form recognizing that while within my territory and club that you are to obey my laws and will. That my verdict is law. Do you understand you aren’t helping yourself by staying silent? In fact, you aren’t impressing me or making me question my decision.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tara would maintain her innocence. He couldn’t prove anything. She’d not won anything. So, it was his word over hers. Who would listen to her over the territorial Alpha though? He was the ultimate ruling body.

He moved with a speed only the strongest wolves had. H-e was leaning over her, his face inches from her own. Tara could see his teeth shift as his anger rose. He ground out the next words. “I know you’re lying. I have ways to make you beg to tell me everything. That… And I would enjoy immensely assisting you to that state.”

He smiled with his sharpened teeth; his jaw clenched so she could see the pleasure he’d received from it. His predatory nature was strong. Tara could feel his aura of authority pressing down on her.

Tara swallowed the sick feeling in her throat, and she shivered. She wanted to tell him, but it wouldn’t do her any good. Once she did, he’d have no use for her. Then she’d either be dead or cut loose to become a target for the Elmwood pack.

“I’ve done nothing, and you can’t prove anything. Because there’s nothing to prove.”

“If I can’t prove anything, that means there’s something to prove.” Cal stopped suddenly and grabbed her head by her messy bun and pulled her head to the side, exposing her throat to his sharpened teeth.

Tara cried out, thinking she was dead because he would ripe her throat out now. Her heart was still pounding in her chest so hard she could feel her temples begin to throb in time with it and her breathing sped up as well. She was terrified and she couldn’t hide it any longer.

Then he lunged toward her throat, but he didn’t tear into it. His nose was now almost touching her throat. He slowly licked the base of her throat as he breathed in her scent. He was so close she could smell his scent. A scent she’d now never be able to forget. It mingled with her own frightened scent.

“I have your scent and we have your dress. You have nowhere to go that I or my trackers can’t find you.”

“You won’t release me? Or kill me?”

“Not yet. I will have you beg to tell me what you know long before I choose which will happen. Until then, you are mine to do with as I wish.”

Tara, even in her scared state, her body responded to his purred threat like it was a promise. Her lips shook while he tapped an earpiece she’d not noticed until then. His hair was just long enough to hide it.

“Bring in the chains.” He moved from her and unlocked the door. “Don’t you dare think about moving? You have nowhere to run to.” He pointed his finger, accusing her of contemplating fleeing. And who wouldn’t?

The enormous wolf stood there with a box in his hands. He gave it to Cal and closed the door behind him as he left. This was clearly something they’d done before and had no issue allowing it to happen.

Her eyes grew wide when he spilled chains and things on the table from the box. He slowly sorted and straightened the different things on the table.

“You’ll wear these until I say otherwise. As you’re new to the scene, I am going to tell you what these are.” He stopped talking to fiddle with some detail with an object.

“I don’t use pain to get what I want. What I do use is pleasure as a reward and incentive. You will learn a lot about your character and needs before I’m finished with you. How will you know I’m done with you? When you beg to tell me everything so that I will ease the aching needs that run so deep within you, it will haunt your dreams for the rest of your life. When I’m finished, you will wake screaming my name, begging for me to give your hungry flesh exactly what it craves.”

Tara listened to him as he turned with a collar in his hands. “This lock not only keeps this on you, but it keeps you within the club. If you get too close to an exit door, the building will lock down and notify us of where there’s a breach in security. I will punish you for that.”

He buckled the collar in place around Tara’s throat and slipped the tiny padlock into place. Then he took a pair of manacles that had a pair of clips holding them together and a second unconnected pair to her feet. They had attached rings. These were all fur lined. Finally, he walked over with a leash and connected it to her collar.

He smiled at his achievement, even though his eyes stayed cold. “Kneel Tara. Kneel before your new Master.”