Chris regarded him for several long beats, and Frazier couldn't help but squirm under the weight of his stare. It was difficult to look Chris directly in the face at the best of times. He was one of those men who seemed to glow, he was so handsome. His face was all sharp, angular planes, and his mouth was succulent but still masculine. Frazier would never forget the first time he saw his new alpha. Stunned would have been putting it too mildly. He had no idea how Chris had managed to rise to such prominence in the pack at such a young age -- he couldn't have been more than thirty-five -- but he suspected it had something to do with the fact that he was like a Roman statue come to life.

"Sir?" Terry stepped forward, still looking contrite. He was technically above Frazier in the hierarchy -- everybody was -- but Frazier thought he still might kick Terry's ass at the first opportunity. "I've known Frazier for a long time, and I do think he'd be a good fit for the pack."

"I should kick you out with him."

Terry immediately shrank back. "I'm sorry. When I ... when I bit him, I never thought...I never suspected he would be so ... difficult."

It was all Frazier could do to keep from rolling his eyes. When Terry bit him, he wasn't thinking about anything except getting his dick wet. Though, to be fair, Frazier hadn't been thinking about much more than that, either.

"I don't think I can teach you respect, boy. I don't think you want to learn."

"I want to learn," Frazier answered quickly. "I do."

"Prove it. Get on your knees."

Frazier felt a cold flush as he looked around the room. He didn't know most of the members of Chris's pack. In fact, the whole point of attending the party was to introduce himself and get to know everybody better. For many of the members, this was their first introduction to the new "pup," as Terry kept introducing him that night. To receive such a dressing down in front of them was one thing. But to actually hit his knees ... to be reduced to begging ...

"This is your shot, Frazier. Take it or leave it."

He swallowed around the hard knot in his throat, considering his choices. A werewolf without a pack was very vulnerable. He already knew that much. And if Chris kicked him out, he would be losing his home, and his new job. He didn't even have the money to move back to California. He needed to make this work. No matter what else, he needed find a way to make it work.

Without taking his attention from Chris's face, he sank to his knees.

"That's a start. Now, I don't want you to move from that position until I say. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

Chris nodded with what could only be satisfaction. That was apparently the cue everybody else had been waiting for, because the party began again as if it had never been interrupted by Chris's fury. Frazier remained on his knees, despite the dancing, and the laughing, and the conversations literally floating above his head, like he was nothing more than a child.

Anger seethed through him at that thought. He didn't know if they respected their alpha, but they clearly did whatever he said to do. Why? Because he was an expert at humiliation? Because he treated his wolves like they were children instead of adults? Had nobody ever told him that respect needed to be earned? That it was a two-way street? Why did Frazier have to kowtow to him just because of his title? Maybe not being an obvious crazy person would be a good first step toward garnering respect.

Despite the rage and humiliation winding up and down his body, Frazier didn't stand. He hated himself for it, but he didn't move. Becoming homeless and penniless would be a far worse fate than experiencing sore knees because he was forced to kneel on the hardwood floor for a little while. Besides, Chris had been right. Frazier had been warned. He knew the score. And he had agreed to it before he asked to become a member of Chris's pack.