Chapter 3 - Beth

"God, stop being such a baby about it." The female, Golden Eyes in her wolf form, sneered at Beth.

In human form, she had blonde hair and light, honey-colored eyes. If it weren't for the disgusted look on her face, she would have been gorgeous. She shoved Beth between the shoulders, pushing her onward.

The pack had forced her far from the Rosewood lands. They'd traveled through the forest in wolf form until they'd reached a clearing, carrying her every step of the way. At the foot of a house that was more mansion than log cabin, despite its wood siding, they shifted into human form and insisted she do the same.

Beth had refused. She felt safer in wolf form. The pain from her injury was dulled. She was faster. More agile. But they had insisted, Golden Eyes threatening to slit her throat then and there if she didn't turn.

She'd give in. Obviously. What else could she do? The pain of her likely broken ankle had doubled her over.

"I could carry her, Emma." One of the men offered. He was lanky, muscled like a swimmer, and his eyes softened every time they looked at Beth. "She's hurting."

"Shut up, Jo. She's weak. This is what our alpha picks?" Emma curled her lip, jutting her chin at Beth. "Huh. Guess it makes sense, actually."

"Watch it." Jo jabbed his finger at Emma. "You're on thin ice as it is."

Through the fog of her pain, Beth clung to every word. Was there strife in the White Winter pack? She could exploit a divide in the ranks to get back to the Rosewoods.

"You're a bleeding heart. You drag us all down." Emma spat back at Jo.

He shrugged her words away and came up beside Beth, looping her arm around his shoulders to take most of her weight.

"Thank you." Beth didn't want to thank him. She wanted to sink her teeth into his neck. But if she was going to exploit a weakness in the pack, she needed to find a way in.

The face he gave her was anything but friendly. "I just don't want to spend all day watching you crawl up there."

Fair enough. Beth looked up at the long set of stairs that led up to the house. Supported or not, it was going to suck. She gritted her teeth. With Emma glaring at her, she refused to show another wince.

By the time they reached the top, Beth was sweating from the pain and clinging to Jo for dear life. To his credit, the man hardly seemed to notice her weight. He was strong. The White Winter pack seemed to have that in common. Ferocious fighters, unmatchable strength, and dirty tactics.

Her alpha always said it was because they had nothing to lose and nothing to fight for. Just ego.

The stairs led to a wrap-around balcony. She wanted to pause, catch her breath, but Emma threw open the glass doors that let into the house.

"Honey, we're home!" She bellowed, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Jesus, Em, I think someone in Alaska might've missed the memo." Jo followed her into the room, pulling Beth along with him.

"Welcome to your new home." Emma spun around, arms wide, with a mocking grin for Beth. "Don't make yourself too comfortable."

Beth scanned the room. Plush couches, a well-stocked bar, and a pool table took up most of the space. Whatever she had expected, it wasn't that. This pack had money to spare.

The doors opened from the interior of the house, and Beth's stomach clenched. The alpha. He was tall and broad with messy brown hair and eyes the color of wheat. Right now, they were glowering.

"Finally." He crossed the room in two strides and caught Beth by the chin, forcing her head up to look at him. She flicked her gaze to the side, refusing to meet his eyes. "What took so long?"

He didn't look away from her, not even as he asked the others the question. Beth wanted to squirm and wrench herself away from his tight grip, but his strength was apparent in just the touch of his fingers. He would hold her as long he wanted to.

Emma laughed. Beth couldn't see her, not without turning her head, but she knew that cold, cruel laugh by now.

"You mean thank you, I'm sure, for retrieving this worthless little thing for you while you sat back here and… I don't know, played with yourself? What was it you needed to do, Devon? Or were you afraid you couldn't keep up?"

Finally, he released Beth. She slumped like her strings were cut. Her cheek was hot where he'd held her, and she wondered if his fingerprints were there on her skin.

"Oh, Em, I thought you'd enjoy a chase. Give you something to do other than these boys." He waved a hand around the room, and a few of the men laughed. Until Em shot them a look.

Interesting. Was Emma looking to become alpha?

"I told you not to hurt her. What happened?" Devon shot the question to Jo.

Jo held up his hands. "She was like that when we got there. Nothing to do with us."

"And sweet little Jo practically carried her home." Emma sprawled on one of the couches, arms along the back. "Took real good care of her."

Devon whirled on Jo. "You touched her?"

"Look, man, she wasn't going to make it up those stairs without some help. Something's broken. And I didn't carry her, Em, so thanks for that."

Emma smirked. One of the men, with curls and blue eyes, sat down beside her. She stretched her long legs out across his lap.

Devon let out a frustrated growl. He shoved his hands through his hair and turned back to Beth.

She dropped her eyes to the ground.

"Is it broken?" He gestured at her leg.

Beth bit her lip. She wouldn't answer him. Wouldn't look at him. Whatever he wanted from her, he wasn't going to get it.

She heard him inhale sharply. Rage radiated off of him like heat. It was undirected, a miasma, ready to lash out at anyone who slighted him, even his own pack.

"I asked you a question." She was ready for it this time, his hand on her jaw, but the force of it still surprised her. "Is it broken?"

Beth swallowed. Her legs were shaking, and it was only partly from the pain. This man was dangerous. But she kept silent. She'd always had more pride than sense, and that wasn"t about to change.

Devon exhaled. It was more of a growl, and it sent a shiver up her spine.

"Take her to her room. Get her out of my sight."

He dropped her chin like she was a piece of garbage, flicking it away from himself. Jo stepped up to take Beth under his shoulder again, and a few of the men followed. Thankfully, Emma stayed where she was.

"Couldn't make it easier on yourself and, I don't know, answer him?" Jo said under his breath as he dragged her down the hall.

Beth shook her head. She wouldn't answer him, either. The pain in her leg was already starting to ease, thanks to her powers, but she was afraid her words would come out more of a whimper than a growl. He pushed a door open with his foot.

A big room, more than she'd expected. Four-poster bed, fireplace, thick shag rug, and a view of the mountains that, in any other circumstance, she would have loved.

"Boss man says no food until she's ready to talk." One of the other men said, rapping on the doorframe with his knuckles.

Jo sighed. He helped Beth sit on the edge of the bed, then pressed his palms to his eyes. "Christ. All right. You heard him. So just, start talking sooner rather than later, will you?"

She looked up at him. Weariness ringed his eyes. His head was cocked to one side as he studied her. He lacked something, something that the others had. Maybe that was why she spoke to him.

"The Rosewoods aren't going to cave and give you the northwest territory just because you've got a hostage."

Jo barked a laugh. He stood up straighter, rolled his shoulders back. The softness she'd seen in him for a moment vanished.

"Hostage? Is that what you think you are?"

A feeling, cold and slippery, settled into her stomach. "What else? You clearly don't need ransom money. This place is absurd."

He leaned forward, a hand on either side of her so she was pushed backward. "You're not a hostage, and you're not for ransom. You're for him."

Beth recoiled. The cold in her stomach turned to ice. "Him?"

"He needs a mate." Jo's smile was anything but friendly. "A good, strong girl to give him an heir. He quite liked the look of you. A Rosewood bitch out on her own, ripe for the taking."

"That's disgusting. You're disgusting."

She would never, ever, give him that. She would scratch his eyes out if he tried.

Jo stood up, shrugging. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger. But between us, I'd drop your attitude sooner rather than later. If there's one thing Devon's short on lately, it's patience. Don't push him."

With that, he left. Beth watched the door slam shut behind him.

"Guard it at all times." His voice carried through the wood. "I'd say don't let her sweet talk you into letting her out, but I don't think there's any danger of that."

She lay back on the bed and squeezed her eyes shut tight. When she opened them again, she was still there beneath the canopy of the four-poster. Still in the strange room with an aching throb in her leg and no way out.

If only she hadn't been such an idiot. Why had she gone on that run? She took a deep breath and blew it out, fighting the panic rising in her. It wasn't hopeless.

She'd seen the cracks in the White Winter pack. The cracks in the alpha himself. There was a weakness there. All she had to do was burrow in and blast the whole thing open.