Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Derrek

"I've got a little surprise for you today, son."

They allowed me more time this morning than usual, including time to digest my breakfast. I used it to sneak twenty minutes in the bathroom working on my own little surprise with no disruption, and it worked all the better because I had healed and rested.

But I knew it wouldn't last.

I stand, resigned, and start stripping off my clothes before being ordered to. Nielsen's quick to attach the leash if I don't hop to, and they don't seem to replace my clothes when they get damaged. They just launder and return what's left. With no idea how long I'll be stuck here, I don't want to end up left in bloodied rags.

"Oh, hold up son, you can leave your pants on for now. I mean, if you want to," he adds with heavy innuendo lacing tone.

I finally look up, and realize he's right: it's definitely a surprise.

Standing beside a pleased-looking Nielsen is a beautiful woman, whose eyes rove over my body like a farmer taking stock of a bull she wants to buy.

I swiftly pull my shirt back on, hiding my naked skin from her hungry gaze.

When I catch Nielsen's eye, he reads the confused expression on my face and laughs. "Since the normal techniques don't seem to have any effect, I thought we'd see if the carrot works better than the whip. The next level of the program can get a little intense and I don't like to use it, if we can avoid it. She's unmated, and I thought she looked like your type. What do you think?"

With a shock, I realize what he's done. The woman is petite, curvy, with wavy dark hair and bright blue eyes. He literally went out and found me a discount Lilliana.

But the warning is clear: if this doesn't work, things are going to get much, much worse.

My stomach flips nervously. What exactly is he expecting to happen here?

"Hi Leaf," she approaches me like a lioness stalking prey, hips swinging and a seductive smile on her glossy red lips. "I know you can't speak, but that's okay. Your father told me all about you, and I see that you're everything he promised. He thought we should spend some time and get to know each other better. That perhaps I might draw out the beast inside you," she purrs the last bit, trailing her fingernails down my chest and across my stomach.

Raising my hands, I back up until my legs hit the bed and I have nowhere else to go. She's undeterred, pressing forward. "My name is Erica. I think we're going to have a de lightful time."

My gaze darts from the woman already toying with my pants to Nielsen, who's watching the exchange gleefully.

Sidestepping, I slip away from her and try to find some way to escape this new, horrid reality I find myself in.

An idea strikes me, and I turn to Nielsen hopefully, trying to look interested in this offering. I make the motion of writing with my hands, then gesture to Erica, my would-be mate.

Nielsen scrubs his beard thoughtfully. "I suppose that would be alright. I'm not much of a talker myself, more of a doer, so I wouldn't waste time if it were me. But I know you're into that romantic mumbo-jumbo. I don't think it'd hurt for you to ask her some questions. Billy!"

The younger man pokes his head through the doorway. "Yes, alpha?"

"Fetch Leaf here something to write on. He wants to have a conversation with his future mate."

"Yes, alpha."

Erica slides up next to me and ducks under my arm, pressing herself to my side and wrapping an arm around my waist. "That's so sweet. He really wants to get to know me better. Thank you, alpha. I look forward to providing you with many grandchildren."

A nervous sweat breaks out on my upper lip, my heart pounding, but I force a pleased smile and rest my arm across her shoulders.

If there's anything I know, it's that my best hope right now of avoiding intimacy with this woman is by getting her talking. Maybe I can keep her engaged and avoid the implied expectation for a couple of days.

Billy returns with a legal pad and pen, and I take them eagerly.

"Well, I suppose I'll leave you to it," Nielsen chuckles, heading for the door.

"Oh, one last thing: Leaf, I expect you to be a gentleman. Don't embarrass me, and you'd better take care of the lady. And Erica, if he doesn't mind his manners, use this."

He pulls the leash from the ‘tool box' and sets it in her hand. My heart leaps to my throat.

"If you have any trouble with him at all, just call Billy. He'll help you get it on him. The witch made it so the slightest tug and he has to obey. Leaf knows that very well, don't you, son?" His gaze returns to me with a knowing smile.

Her seductive grin turns wicked when the leather touches her palm. "Thank you, alpha, I absolutely will."

Swallowing down a thick lump in my throat, I gesture to the bed and once she takes a seat, I plop on the floor and start writing like my life depends on it.

I have to admit, spending the entire day convincing a woman I'm deeply invested in getting to know her is far better than the previous forms of torture.

However, it's a great deal of work to keep her from being overly amorous. I'm not sure what's driving her; if it's hormones or a threat from Nielsen. Either way, I spend an enormous amount of energy doing mental tango to avoid the physical version of the dance. Fortunately, she doesn't seem inclined to use the leash or any of the other tools at her disposal.

Erica doesn't seem like a bad person. She's a small-town girl who loves living in Montrose and wants to raise a family here. From the sounds of it, they've been struggling to form true mated pairs in this pack for some time, and so she jumped at the chance to be mated to me… assuming I manifest as a wolf.

I'm sure my position as potential future alpha is also an important perk. She has a good deal to say about the alpha's house and how glamorous it would be to live in this hellhole.

Well, the house above this hellhole, specifically.

So she's a social climber who wants more, but seems like a decent person. I'm surprised to find out she sees nothing wrong with this reform camp punishment to force people to shift. Apparently, she didn't have to go through it, but her father and three brothers all did. Which means there's no way to appeal to her humanity about my current condition.

But every time we have a decent exchange—me scribbling questions or answers and her speaking—she tries to move in physically and force things along, and I end up scooting away and saying I just want to move slowly.

By the time she leaves, I'm completely drained, almost as bad as the beatings, but at least I'm not in physical pain. I wolf down my dinner and head to the bathroom, planning to spend a few hours in the bathroom working on nonverbal spells.

I don't know how long Nielsen is willing to spend on this gambit, but the sooner I can regain control of my powers, the sooner I can take control of my own fate.