Xander’s POV The hosts introduced Blaine and Spencer as the future Alpha and Beta when the party was well underway. Spencer’s sister was also introduced, but there was nothing special about her besides being a Beta’s daughter. The beta’s daughter, Alyssa, came over and asked me to dance. She was easy on the eyes. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a chest that was perky and overflowing in her tight black dress. I would love to take her upstairs and show her whose boss, but Jax is growling at her in my head.

I did have a dance with her and wished her a happy birthday. She pushed herself up on me and was rubbing her t**s against my chest. I was getting angry with her; she wasn’t getting the hint. I was about to tell her off when someone quickly rushed past us. The smell coming off this she-wolf had my mouth watering and Jax howling. Before I could wrap my brain around anything, Jax yelled, “Mate”. No, I thought, it can’t be. I don’t want one. I watched her keep going. She didn’t look OK, but I was going to ignore her and not give in to the mate bond. “Why are you staring at the pack slave? She’s a w***e and is garbage,”

Alyssa said when she saw me watching her. “What did you say, Alyssa?” She just looked at me dumbly and said, “The pack slave, she is our servant, and we take fun in beating her when we feel like it. She killed her parents, and my dad took pity on her and didn’t kill her, but made her the pack slave.” “How did she kill her parents?” I asked curiously. She didn’t look very old and I can’t imagine that someone that small could kill two grown wolves. “I don’t know, it was like ten years ago. We were kids. I didn’t pay attention to things like that. I know every beating she gets she deserves. She can’t do anything right. Like yesterday, she spilled Alpha’s coffee on the table. I know she got a beating from Blaine for that. The Alpha is letting him do it so he can make sure he doesn’t kill her, but I know he will soon. My brother has a thing for her, but I don’t know why he does. She is ugly and tries to sleep with ranked members, so hopefully one day she will be above a slave, but there is nothing better for her. I wish they would just get rid of her already. It’s annoying. She is worthless.”

I was seeing red. Mate or not, nobody should be treated like that, and also, how does a child just kill their parents? Something wasn’t right. I sent Kane a mind link telling him to head towards the clearing and to meet me there. Jax was pissed and close to coming to the surface. It was all I could do to hold him back. I could smell her. She smelled of fear. We could also smell blood, her blood. She was hurt. Kane finally showed up, asking me what was up and that’s when we heard the scream. If we had still been at the party, we wouldn’t have heard it. I didn’t have to say anything. We both took off running in the direction of the screaming. Kane mind linked me to ask what was going on. This wasn’t our territory. This was something we shouldn’t be doing. This is something that could cause a war, but I wasn’t afraid of that. My pack is stronger and bigger. If he wanted war, he already had one, because something definitely wasn’t right here. I will be taking all of this to the council. I only had one word for him, “mate”. He took off faster, and we both arrived just in time.

I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that someone would do this to someone else. It made me sick and had Jax pushing to the surface. I wouldn’t be held responsible for what he did to this boy. The girl beneath him had her shirt and bra in shreds around her, her skirt pushed up all the way, and her underwear long gone. Her face was turning blue and swelling. She clearly had a broken leg, as it was sticking out at an odd angle. She was telling him no and to get off her. She tried to push him away, but he overpowered her. You could see the brokenness of her. I got the feeling this was not the first time this had happened. I could see scars littering her body, along with a lot of bruising, some very fresh and some old. I wondered why they would look like that. She is a wolf. We heal at an accelerated speed, but it doesn’t appear she is. I roared so loud the trees shook and the beta’s son looked at me and had the balls to tell me to get lost. I could see his fingers in her and he had his pants undone and rubbing himself on her. I reached down and grabbed this pathetic excuse of waste by the throat and ripped him away from her. I threw him against a tree, where he dropped to the ground and was trying to catch his breath. I stormed over to him, with Jax fully taking control. I can’t stop him now. This piece of s**t was now shaking about what was going to happen. I grabbed him around the throat and squeezed him tight, cutting off his air supply. He was quickly turning red in the face. “What the f**k are you doing to this she-wolf?”

I asked. He couldn’t talk because of my grip. Not that I cared. I had seen enough. “Have you made peace with dying because you will not leave this forest alive?” I told him as I squeezed his neck even tighter. Before I could snap his neck, Alpha Wayne and Luna Ann showed up, yelling at me to drop him. Kane had gone to the girl and covered her, thanking the goddess. She was mumbling something, but I wasn’t sure what yet. “Alpha Xander, what is the meaning of this?” Alpha Wayne asked. “This pathetic waste of garbage was abusing this pack member and was about to rape her,” I told him through ragged breaths. It was taking everything in me not to kill this guy still. “He would do no such thing. That is our pack slave. She is filthy and our future Beta wouldn’t even think of touching her. I am sure she seduced him. This isn’t the first time she has tried this. I assure you she will be punished properly.” I dropped this waste of space, and he hit the ground, gasping for air and holding his throat. I am sure he would have a perfect imprint of my hand on his neck. Was this man f*****g serious right now? You can see how bad of shape she is in and is naked, while his pants are open with his small, limp d**k hanging out. “Can you not see how badly the girl is hurt? Do you think she caused all those injuries herself? Her clothes are shredded and when I got here, he was forcing his hands into her, and she was begging him to stop, and you want to tell me she was seducing him?” I growled out at them. “This must be some type of misunderstanding. I will handle both of them properly. Guards escort the slave to her room and make sure she stays there,” Alpha Wayne said. “Alpha Wayne, there is no need for that. The girl is coming with me. She belongs to my pack now. Please release any ties to her.” “No, that won’t be necessary. We can handle this.” “I don’t think so. You can either release her to me or I can call the council. The choice is yours.” “Fine, take her, but this isn’t over.” “I also assume that this garbage will be punished accordingly. If I find out otherwise, I will return and when I do, it will be with the council, and I won’t be afraid to take matters into my own hands.” Alpha Wayne just stared at me with hate in his eyes. He knew this was bad and his pack would get in trouble for it. He knew that there was no way out of this. “Kane, get the girl.” “Yes, sir.” He picked her up, and I could hear her let out a scream. It must have either scared her or caused her some type of pain. He leaned down and whispered something to her, but I don’t know what. It took all my restraint to not take her from Kane, but she had clung to him like her lifeline that she needed him to live. I would give anything to be that for her. s**t, no I wouldn’t. I don’t want a mate, but she was beautiful, even in this state. We made it to the car, and I heard him call her baby girl and a growl rumbled out of my chest before I could stop it. This was not good. I needed to get this under control, and fast. “Jax, you need to reel this back, buddy. We are not going to be accepting this mate bond. You remember what it did last time?” “Mate hurt. Kill them.” “I can’t. You need to calm down and we have to do this right. We will go to the council and, trust me, this will end in their death.” “They need to die now.” “We can’t. We have the girl and we will get her the medical care that she needs. That is the most important thing, right? We got her out, and she is safe now,” I tried telling Jax to calm him down some. He was still trying to push forward and go kill them.