Chapter 8

• Alpha POV
• I arrive at dinner to check in on Austin and his new toy. I should not refer to her that way. She is not a toy, just a desperate woman. This dinner with Austin has become a ridiculous ritual. I have to check-in and make sure he is not being, well, not being Austin. He cannot live with the pack anymore because of his authoritarian ways toward women. It makes me sick the way he treats a woman. Lucky for him, his father was a council member, or I would toss him out of the pack and on his ass.
• I knock on the door waiting for someone to let me into the house. I hear yelling coming from inside. I try to open the door, but it is locked. I wait a moment. If he does not open this fucking door soon, I will break it down. Finally, Austin comes to the door. He is all smiles. I wonder what kind of bullshit he is hiding this time.
• “Alpha, come in, sorry we were in the kitchen finishing up a few things,” Austin says to me.
• Little bastard makes my skin crawl. He better be glad he is helpful to the pack or else. I am running out of excuses to keep him around. I go into the dining room and sit down at the table. The table is set and looks beautiful. He did not do this.
• “Where is she?” I ask Austin.
• “She is coming,” Austin answers me.
• I look over, and a ray of sunshine dressed in pale pink comes into the room. “Tyra, this is my Alpha,” Austin says.
• Tyra comes over and shakes my hand. She sits down across from me. She is a very beautiful woman. I look her over. No signs of abuse from Austin, and she does not seem afraid. The last one ran as soon as I asked her how things were going.
• We sit silently for a moment. “Tyra, get the food,” Austin says to her in a frustrated tone.
• “Watch it, Austin. I wanted to talk to her first,” I say to him. Austin slumps down in his chair.
• “I will get it,” Austin says.
• Austin leaves the table to get the meal. I smile at Tyra. She smiles back. She is a little nervous, I can tell. “Listen, Tyra, it is my job to make sure you are okay. So are you okay?” I ask her.
• She looks into the kitchen and then back to me. “I am fine,” Tyra answers.
• “Is he being good to you?” I ask her.
• “Everything is good,” Tyra answers.
• This is a first. Usually, they are ready to run from Austin on my first visit. He knows this is his last shot. Maybe he is doing better. Austin comes back quickly. He is obviously scared for me to be alone with her for too long, which means he is hiding something.
• Austin sets the food down in front of us and takes his seat with us at the table. I eat and talk to Tyra only. I completely ignore Austin through the entire meal. I can tell it is getting to him, but I do not care how he feels about it. Tyra tells me all about herself and her medical training.
• “You went to med school, but you are here with him?” I ask.
• “It is complicated,” Tyra answers me.
• “You know, Austin, we could really use Tyra. Maybe she could come work with the pack a few days a week. We really need another doctor,” I say to Austin.
• “She does not have her medical license anymore,” Austin snaps at me.
• “Well, Austin, then you can help her get it,” I growl at him.
• “She is mine, Alpha, and not for the pack,” Austin snaps at me.
• “She is only here because I allow it, so do not piss me off. If she wants to come, then she can, but I will not force it on her,” I say.
• “Well, she does not want to come and help the pack,” Austin answers for her.
• “I did not ask you, did I?” I growl at him.
• Tyra sits silent. “I do not think Austin wants me to go,” Tyra finally says.
• “Well, then, we will revisit this question later; until then, Austin, help her get her medical license so she can work with the pack; we need her,” I growl at Austin.
• “Yes, Alpha,” Austin says.
• “I will be coming to dinner every night this week to check in on her and to make sure you are doing right by her. She is a prize, and I cannot have you destroying her,” I say to Austin.
• This idea upsets Austin, I can tell. He does not want me in his business, but when he crosses the line, I want to help her. He will. It is only a matter of time before he goes overboard, and this time he is out.
• “I have business out of town this week, and I am taking Tyra with me,” Austin says, trying to get out of a nightly meeting with me.
• “Cancel it, or I can take Tyra with me to stay with the pack while you are away on business,” I say to him.
• “I will cancel it. It is no big deal at all,” Austin says.
• “Good, then it is settled. I will be back tomorrow. I have to go. I have some business to take care of while I am here,” I say to him.
• I get up from the table. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Tyra,” I say to Tyra.
• I growl at Austin as I leave the house. I walk out to my truck, where my two guards are waiting. “We are staying close by; something is going on here, and I just cannot put my finger on it,” I say to one of my guards.
• I get into the truck, and we drive to a bar. I want to come back tonight and drop in on Austin. I want to see how he treats her when I am not around. Something is terrible off here; I just know it.