Redemption

By Colleen Mason

BRYAN IS A WEREWOLF AND THE NORTHRIDGE PACK
ALPHA. He has led his people since his previous alphas death. He searches for his friend that has been lost to him for fi fteen
years. When Willow is rescued he helps her fi nd peace while trying to keep
her safe from the man that hurt her. Can Bryan help Willow overcome her
past and accept him as her mate or will he lose her to the man he has hated
all his life.
Willow was captured fi fteen years ago and tortured. Now that she has been
rescued she struggles with overcoming all that has been done to her. Will
Willows captor fi nd her again or will she fi nd peace and happiness with the
love she has always longed for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483670133

Colleen Mason

COLLEEN MASON lives with her family in Texas where she has been writing for over ten years. Colleen’s writing in focused on opening people’s eyes to possibilities through fi ction. She pushes the boundaries of what is comfortable in order to give people the opportunity to view a character’s inner and outer struggles.

Book preview

Prologue

Bryan sat at his desk thinking about what’s needed to be done for the day. Being the alpha of the werewolf pack meant always having something to do.

A werewolf pack was like a family. Each had a role to play in the success of the pack. Shops and schools dotted the landscape like any human town. The only difference was the presence of wolves on a daily basis.

The myth of werewolves was ridiculous. To become a werewolf, one had to be born to a werewolf mother and father. It was a blessing, really, all the things a werewolf could do compared to a human. Heightened hearing and eyesight were just few of the gifts a werewolf was born with.

Each pack had an alpha, a leader of sorts. Alphas controlled the rowdy behavior that naturally occurred with a werewolf. They provided safety and a place to raise your family the way you saw fit.

Bryan Barrows was one of the most powerful alphas of all known werewolf packs. Many feared and respected him—respected that he was fair and just in the way he governed.

But deep inside Bryan, he suffered the pain of losing his best friend and now his cousin. Using many of the Northridge Pack’s resources aided Bryan’s search. They were always on his mind. Willow and Matthew drove him to be vigilant and demanding in his leadership. Many of the pack members understood what he was feeling because they too had lost someone they loved.

When Willow had been kidnapped, something inside Bryan changed. To this day, he was driven to find her no matter the cost. Charlie, Willow’s father and previous alpha, became Bryan’s surrogate father and mentor. He had trained Bryan to someday take the position in his stead. The search for Willow had become everything to Bryan as it had been for Charlie.

Matthew’s disappearance had only caused more havoc in Bryan’s life. Matthew had become an intricate part of the search for Willow. He had made the suggestion of leaving and looking at other packs for information concerning Willow’s disappearance. But by doing so, he himself became lost to Bryan.

The day would come when Bryan would need to face his demons; each day was becoming more difficult to bear. Being the alpha of the Northridge Pack was only part of the weight Bryan bore on his shoulders. But he grew closer and closer to finding out what had happened to his precious friend Willow.

Bryan’s thoughts were interrupted, and he was jerked back from his train of thought.

Bryan, we need to get going, Marcus, Bryan’s beta and second-in-command, said.

Bryan got up from his desk and straightened the papers in front of him.

I know. I was just a little distracted. Let’s get this show on the road. We have a lot of ground to cover today, Bryan answered his friend.

I know what you are thinking about. It’s the anniversary of when Willow was taken. Man, I think you need to face reality. I just don’t think we’re going to get her back. It’s been fifteen years without hide nor hair as to where she could be. Everything Marcus said made sense, but Bryan just couldn’t give up.

I’m just not ready to let go yet. Bryan’s shoulders slumped as he walked towards the door.

It was going to be a long day.

Chapter 1

Bryan looked out of the window of his home office at the beautifully landscaped grounds outside. Everything looked perfect—in its rightful place. It was still a little cool outside, but roses bloomed in a multiple array of colors. Spring was here.

Being an alpha wasn’t easy. Werewolves were a notoriously difficult bunch of people to control, but Bryan did so with ease. For two years, he had taken on the role of leadership. Charlie, the previous alpha, had been killed, and now everything fell on his shoulders. Every once in a while, Bryan would look back at the times when Charlie had been alive. His appreciation for his mentor always made him grateful to have been trained by one of the most powerful wolves alive.

Bryan turned and reached for his phone by the lamp on his desk.

Marcus, anything new? He said to his beta.

Marcus had been Bryan’s friend since they were both in preschool, and now he was beta, second-in-command. Ever since Bryan became alpha, Marcus had been at his side.

We have a lead, Alpha; it’s sketchy but definitely feasible to have a compound located within twenty miles of the northern territory border, said Marcus.

This was a problem. How the hell had Victor, his father and enemy, gotten away with having a prisoner compound so close to his border and not be discovered before now? Victor. Just thinking of Victor caused Bryan’s blood to freeze. All the pain Victor had caused in Bryan’s life had taken its toll. He was forever plagued with the knowledge that his own father had murdered his mother and Charlie’s wife, Whitney, more than fifteen years earlier. And to this day, Victor made it his life work to torment Bryan at every turn in the road.

Get our teams together. I want to have all the info I can get about the grounds before we make our move. This is a covert operation, and I don’t want Victor getting away because of a stupid mistake. Bryan sighed as he went on.

Marcus agreed, and Bryan hung up. This wasn’t the news he had exactly hoped for. His cousin Matthew was still missing, and any lead was a good lead in Bryan’s opinion.

His thoughts turned to Willow. She was the long-lost love of his childhood. He could still remember Willow’s soft black tresses. Her beautiful blue eyes were always filled with laughter. Bryan’s heart clenched thinking about how much he missed her. She was his best friend. Knowing she was gone made Bryan angry. He wondered if she was still alive. Many years ago, she had been taken during a raid on the previous alpha’s house. She had been just a child, and to this day, Bryan continued to search for her.

For every year that passed, the chances of finding her dwindled. She had been the most beautiful girl Bryan had ever seen, and he knew that he would never love another like he did her. She was special, possibly even his mate. Until his dying breath, Bryan swore he would look for her, and he had. Even now, with Matthew missing, Bryan knew in his heart that it was connected with Willow’s disappearance.

Matthew had been visiting the neighboring South Bend Pack looking for information about Willow when he had been captured. Matthew had been as determined as Bryan in searching for Willow. He was so young and had barely remembered when Willow had been with them. But Matthew’s determination in finding her had been for Bryan’s sake. Watching Bryan suffer all these years had been difficult. When he had grown into a man, Matthew took on part of the search as a way of helping his cousin.

Contacting Alpha Paulson, a neighboring pack alpha, and requesting assistance in their search had been Matthew’s idea. His last message to Bryan was simple.

Bryan, I found something. I have a runner bringing it to you. It’s a letter to a woman, I think. It talks about a compound north of our border. See what you can make of it, the phone message said.

After that, Matthew was gone—disappeared like smoke in the wind. Bryan crossed his office to the doorway and out into the hall. As he walked, he wondered about the letter. It had never arrived, and neither did the runner—probably taken just like Matthew.

Once outside, Bryan crossed the yard to his pickup truck and climbed in. There were so many reports and contracts for expansion of the community to look at. A new school, a new shopping center—the list went on and on. Being alpha was difficult but rewarding. Many times over the years, Bryan had learned that it could be a thankless job. But his people were more important than any type of gratitude he might receive.

When he drove into town, Bryan waved to his pack members as he passed them. He pulled up to the pack office and sat in his truck. In a sudden burst of anger, he slammed his hand against the steering wheel. Everything was so fucking complicated.

Bryan left the truck and headed into the office. Tabitha, Paulson’s daughter and ambassador for Alpha Paulson of the South Bend Pack, was waiting for him inside. She wasn’t someone he wanted to deal with right then.

She wore a tight red sweater that displayed an impressive set of breasts. Her skirt was short, and her heels were high. Devil in a red sweater, Bryan thought. Tabitha might look hot, but she was just a bitch.

Bryan, just the wolf I needed to see. Daddy says hi, darling. I want to see what your plans are for dinner. Care to join me? She slinked over and reached out to caress his muscled arm.

Bryan stepped back out of range and gave her a bland look of disgust. She really wouldn’t stop even when he made it clear that he wasn’t interested.

No, thank you. I’ve got work to do, Tabitha, Bryan told her with disdain. Good day.

Bryan walked past his secretary, and she grinned. It was an ongoing joke how Tabitha wanted Bryan in her bed. He would rather chew his arm off.

Any messages, Maggie? Bryan asked his secretary.

Maggie’s grin never left her face.

No new messages, just the bitch in heat, Maggie replied with a laugh.

Bryan stifled his own laughter as he heard a gasp come from Tabitha.

That was uncalled for! Tabitha barked.

Bryan didn’t agree.

Tabitha, I have work to do, he sneered.

She left in a huff. It was going to be a bitch of the day.

*     *     *

The slot at the bottom of the door slid open with an ear-piercing screech. A plate skidded to a stop a few feet away from her palette. Willow looked down and noticed that most of the food had fallen over the lip of the plate to rest on the floor. Not being concerned with the mess, she turned back to the window.

Everything was pitch-black outside. Willow was used to the dark. At night, the moon had been Willow’s only solace. It didn’t matter if she couldn’t see anything. Her wolf senses were able to pick out the locations of the crickets that would sing outside her window every night. But tonight was different. There were no crickets singing anywhere near the house tonight; it seemed strange now they’d just stopped. In the quiet, Willow reflected on what was happening to her. There weren’t many days that she had the opportunity to think about her situation.

There was nothing to keep her from thinking about the night’s session with Victor. No matter how much time passed, she always felt each painful blow and disgusting caress like it was happening to her right then. She hated all of Victor’s sessions; they were always filled with such agony.

She could hear the cane as it ripped through the air and landed on the soles of her feet. She could still hear the screams that ripped from her throat after each blow landed. She could still hear him scolding her about how she must remember what number of strike they were on. Images assailed her mind of how Victor’s breathing grew ragged, signaling how close he was to losing control. Willow knew what would happen next but could never prepare for what would happen. She thought back to earlier that evening.

Kneel. It is my right, ordered Victor.

Willow rolled off the table to her stomach. Air rushed from her lungs, and she was momentarily stunned. When she struggled to catch her breath, he became impatient.

Kneel now or I will be forced to bring another, he snarled.

She had only just caught her breath when it seized in her lungs. Her brain was fuzzy, and she tried again to gain her knees. He had never brought in another person to their sessions. Move faster, move faster, move faster! Willow couldn’t raise herself to her knees on time, and she died a little inside.

Another! Victor hollered.

Outside the door, a shuffling sound alerted her to another person’s presence. No! It’s too late. Struggling to kneel, she continued to fail. The door was pushed open slowly, and Willow panicked.

Sweetheart, I am so disappointed, he said in a sickening voice.

She looked in the direction of the door. Someone was waiting just inside the doorway for instructions. He looked disheveled. His hair fell in a crazy mess from his scalp to the top of his shoulders. When the man looked up, Willow got her first impression of his face. He was more boy than man, but that wasn’t what drew her attention. It was his eyes. He was drugged, and it showed. Willow’s gaze traveled down his body to his hard manhood.

Matthew, come play with my toy. You know what I want. Make me happy, and I will let you go home, Victor said with an evil gleam in his eye

God! Please save me! Matthew walked to her and knelt down and lifted her to the table she had fallen off minutes before. Struggling was out of the question. Before she could move, Willow’s hands were shackled.

*     *     *

The pack mind link was a form of telekinesis that allowed each member of each pack to speak through their minds to each other. Every werewolf learned to use this as a child. It was important during times like this.

Bryan let his voice carry through the link in a loud, decisive manner.

Everyone, take your positions. We will move in teams of four. Each group will report to Jason. Jason, report to me directly. I expect perfection, so don’t disappoint me. Follow protocol, and stay safe, people. I will see all of you back at the packhouse for debriefing after the compound is secure, Bryan told the different groups.

The Northridge Pack was known to have the most militant training program out there. All of the latest in technology and equipment aided them in all the work that came their way. Everyone who was anyone knew that if you wanted someone found, Northridge Pack was the group to contact.

Jason was Bryan’s other best friend. They had known each other for more years than he could count. Unlike Marcus, Jason was light at heart. When it came time to take care of business, Jason could be trusted to buckle down. He was very capable and an excellent choice as third in command. He was a little crazy and definitely a bit goofy, but he knew how to do his job, and that was all Bryan cared about. Being third in command was a position of great importance. He was in charge of communications and security. When it was time to get down to business, Jason was a great resource of knowledge and dependability.

Bryan’s hopes were high for the result of tonight’s raid. Each compound had been a vacant mess when they had arrived. This only caused more frustration to run through his mind. Years! It had been fifteen years of searching for Willow. He was losing hope of ever finding her. But tonight wasn’t about Willow; it was about Matthew. Bryan knew his cousin was there on the property. His scent had been strong in the areas around the house. That could only mean that they were there, or they had just missed them. Bryan prayed that Matthew was still in the house.

Jason, sweep the parameter. I want to know when they find anything. Move out, teams 1 and 3. Be smart, people, Bryan said in an even tone.

Jason started shouting orders to the teams through the mind link. Bryan waited back with his beta, Marcus. If anyone was found, Jason would send word, and they would join the soldiers that breached the compound.

Bryan stood perfectly still in his dark uniform, designed to blend into the landscape. Tonight, its desired effect was assisted by the moon’s absence.

The group needed good news after the failed searches throughout the territories over the past year. Not a single person had been recovered alive at any of the past compounds. Bryan was confident that someone was informing the enemy. There was a mole, and he needed to address that soon. When he got back to the packhouse, he would make sure to seal the leak. No more slipups would be made. By god, he would make sure of it.

Desperation came over him, but he pushed it away as soon as he felt it. Now was not the time to feel such things. No one deserved to witness their leader lose control. Jason spoke up then, and information was fed to him about what had been sighted.

*     *     *

Willow blinked and tried to orient herself. Outside the broken glass window, she could hear shuffling sound coming from the far left of the yard. It was almost undetectable. Only because of her wolf’s advanced hearing did she detect anything. Holding her breath, Willow strained to hear it again. As she waited, her head became foggy. Taking a deep breath, she rested her head against the windowsill again.

Matthew followed Willow onto the table and straddled her waist. She looked up into his eyes and saw a myriad of emotions flashing across his face. She couldn’t stop looking at him. Willow saw movement and looked down only to see his hand come up and grasp his cock. She could tell that he didn’t want to do this. Matthew tried to fight his actions but seemed unable to control his movements. Slowly, he stroked himself, back and forth.

Touch her clit, stroke it slowly, Victor instructed Matthew.

Victor’s voice was like having acid thrown in her face. Matthew reached down with his other hand and slowly started to stroke Willow’s bleeding clit. It hurt, and it was a sure sign that this was the beginning of something terrible.

Pinch it hard, now! Victor yelled out.

Willow screamed but never looked away from Matthew. He was crying by then, and she could sense his tears as they fell onto her chest. Willow’s own tears dripped from the corners of her eyes onto the table. Her body began to shake uncontrollably.

I am proud of you, Matthew. You made her cry. I haven’t made her cry in over a year. She acts like such a little robot sometimes, he growled.

Matthew opened his eyes, and she saw the torment inside him. He wasn’t as dead inside as she was. Willow felt sad for him.

Fuck her, Victor said.

When Matthew hesitated, Willow could anticipate what would happen next. All of a sudden, his back arched, and he let out an ungodly scream. An evil laugh echoed off the walls surrounding them.

I said fuck her! Victor screamed.

*     *     *

Marcus was just as restless as Bryan was. He was shaking his hands out next to his legs, trying to get rid of pent-up energy that coursed through his body. Brian spoke through the pack mind link. Jason, report.

A few seconds later, Jason spoke back.

Alpha, there is no sign of life outside the house. There were a few scent trails that were easy to pick up. There are at least two that are so faint they almost seem nonexistent.

Bryan brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck. He didn’t want to hear that. He needed more information.

Jason, send team 2 and team 4 out to track the scent trails directly against the building. I want as much information as I can get. I need to know how long ago Victor abandoned the property. If we can pick up the trail, I want a team on it tonight.

Jason relayed Bryan’s commands instantly. Bryan was afraid of whatever Matthew had been subjected to—he was so young. Matthew was only nineteen years old. Guilt wracked Bryan as he thought about the last time they had seen each other.

Bryan, I need to do this. Please, let me go to Freemont. I talked to a friend, and I know Alpha Paulson would be willing to let me stay in the territory while I search for her. He was willing to help any way he could, Matthew said.

Bryan wasn’t willing to lose his cousin’s support, but if he