Claimed By The Mountain Man (Wildwood Alphas #1)

Chapter 1

Scout

I’m way too young to feel this bone-tired. I’m twenty-three, but I feel like I have the body of a sixty-year-old. It’s not even six p.m. yet, and I’m already ready to crawl into bed.

I know that something needs to change. I can’t keep working two jobs only to barely scrape by.

I need to find a different job, maybe finish college.

I need to move away. Deep down, I know that staying in this town and living with my dad are the things holding me back.

He’s the reason I have to work so much. I don’t know why I even try to help him at this point.

My mom died in a car accident right after I was born, so it’s always been my dad and me.

You’d think that would have made us close, but the truth is that my dad has never paid much attention to me.

He’s never been the caring, nurturing type.

Instead, he was always more focused on his next big idea, on gambling, or on going out drinking with his friends.

By the time I was seven, I was making myself dinner and putting myself to bed.

When I got my first period, I had to spend my babysitting money on pads and figuring out how to use them.

I’ve been self-sufficient for most of my life, and I’m tired of it.

Some days, I would give anything to have someone to lean on, to help out, to make the hard decisions.

But I don’t. I have an alcoholic, degenerative gambler as a roommate and father.

I wonder if he even has any money to help out with rent this month.

I doubt it. He’s been out a lot in the last two weeks, and that means he’s been getting into trouble.

Trouble that I’m getting sick of bailing him out of.

I should leave. I should pack up and go. I could find another job, another crappy apartment, another roommate.

What’s stopping me? I wonder as I park my beat-up car out front and trudge up the steps of our apartment.

To my surprise, my dad is home when I swing the door open. What’s even weirder is that he’s happy to see me.

“There’s my girl!” he calls.

I hesitate in the doorway. “Uh, hey, Dad,” I greet him warily.

“How was your day, honey?”

Honey? I mouth silently as I turn to close the door.

“Long. I think I’m going to take a shower and head to bed early,” I tell him.

“Oh, that’s no fun. Let me take you out for dinner to cheer you up.”

I blink. I can’t remember the last time my dad wanted to do something with me. It’s been even longer since he offered to pay for dinner.

I’m suspicious, but a small, stupid part of me is happy. I’m hopeful. Hopeful that he’s noticed the distance between us and wants to improve our relationship. Hopeful that he’ll finally show interest in me. Hopeful that maybe he’ll finally appreciate all that I do around here.

“Um, yeah, okay. Dinner sounds good,” I agree.

He beams. “Great! Let’s go.”

“All right,” I whisper.

He hurries out the front door and down the steps. “Oh, can we take your car, sweetie?”

“I guess.”

He smiles, ignoring my obvious confusion and wariness. I unlock the car, and he hops into the driver’s seat. I don’t argue as I slide into the passenger seat and pass him the keys.

“I need to make a quick stop first,” he tells me as we pull into traffic.

“For what?”

“Just to drop something off.”

I want to ask what he’s dropping off since he doesn’t have anything with him, but I’m too tired. I only hope it’s not drugs as we make our way through downtown.

A few minutes later, he parks. I frown up at the building. I don’t know where I expected him to stop, but it definitely wasn’t a church.

Dad looks at me and smiles. “We need to go in quickly.”

I look at him in confusion. “We?”

He nods, looking nervous. Sweat has formed on his brow, and his eyes keep darting around. He can’t sit still.

A pit forms in my stomach.

“Why are we at a church?” I ask quietly.

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he hops out and slams the driver’s side door. I pause, debating what to do. The church looks decent, and people are coming and going. I decide it’s safer to see what’s going on than to wait here.

I slowly get out of the car, taking my keys from my dad in case I need to bolt. I follow him up the steps and inside. It’s quiet, everyone speaking in hushed tones. I glance around, looking for any sign of trouble, but only a handful of people are milling around up front.

“What do you need to do?” I ask.

When Dad turns to look at me, my stomach drops. He looks… guilty.

“Dad—”

Two men step up next to me.

“Good, you’re here,” one says, clamping a hand on my upper arm.

“Hey!” I shout, trying to tug free, but it’s no use.

“I’m sorry, Scout. It was the only way,” my dad says.

I glare at him. “What? What does that mean? Who are these guys? Where are they taking me?”

He doesn’t answer.

I kick and twist, screaming for someone to help me, but everyone ignores the terrified girl being dragged backward down the church hallway into a side room.

I frantically look for a way out as the door closes behind me.

I scream as one of the men drags my pants down my legs and tosses them aside.

My thin tank top is stripped next. I try to cover my bra and chest, but it doesn’t do much good.

A second later, I’m shoved into a poofy white dress.

Oh my god. It’s a wedding dress, I realize when I catch my reflection in the mirror on the back of the door.

“I’m not getting married!” I shout.

“Leonard might have something different to say about that,” one of the men says.

I blanch. I know who Leonard is. He’s a loan shark, my father’s favorite since he never seems to put a cap on the amount he’ll loan him. He’s also close to sixty years old.

My dad has sold me to him to repay his debts.

Tears sting my eyes as my heart breaks. Any hope of repairing our relationship dies a swift death inside me.

I can’t marry him. I won’t. I need to get out of here.

I see a bathroom off to the side, and I step toward it.

“Hey!” one of the men snaps at me.

I flinch. “I need to pee.”

He rolls his eyes. “Make it quick.”

I nod and hurry into the bathroom. I can barely get the door closed behind me in this dress, but I somehow manage.

As soon as I’ve flipped the lock, I climb onto the counter and shove at the window.

I’m not even sure I’ll be able to fit through it, but I have to try.

Something tells me that this will be my only chance to escape.

The window creaks as it slides open, and I pray they didn’t hear that as I jump and heave myself onto the ledge.

A few people give me weird looks when they spot the girl in the wedding dress shimmying out the window, but no one stops or offers to help.

“God, I hate this town,” I hiss as I fall to the ground.

My palms and knees are scraped up and starting to bleed, but I can’t deal with that right now. I spot my car a few yards away and bolt for it.

My heart races like a jackhammer in my chest as I shove the key into the ignition. The car sputters, and I laugh hysterically.

“Not now! Don’t die on me now!”

I almost sob with relief as the engine turns over. Shifting into drive, I peel out of the parking lot.

I did it. I escaped.

I just hope I can get far enough away before they realize I’m gone.