"Oh my god, Raelyn, where have you been? Father has been looking all over for you." Chloe's curious eyes cut into me. Without invitation, she flings herself onto my bed where I've been resting after my shower. Respecting my privacy has never been in her nature; a sisterly right she claimed a long time ago.

"I was out."

"Out where?"

"In the woods. I needed some alone time to think."

"And?"

"And nothing. What did father want?"

"Didn't you hear? Our guests arrived."

I snort. Intruders are more like it.

"And I saw him." She rolls onto her back with outstretched arms, staring at the ceiling. "He is gooorgeous. Dark wavy hair and huge muscles. I could tell he'll be Alpha one day. You are sooo lucky."

My brows furrow as I desperately try not to snap at her. "Not sure if I'd call an arranged mating luck."

"Well, father isn't forcing you. You agreed."

I bite back the reply. Of course on the surface, it had been my choice. What happened behind closed doors of my father's study was a different story. My options were mating with Dante, favored Alpha heir of the Scopan Lake pack, to end a century-long feud, or be shunned—an outcast from my own family and everyone else that matters to me. Both not ideal alternatives.

"And one day, you'll be the Luna of the Scopan Lake pack," Chloe carries on. "No wolf who'd chosen you here as his mate could have given you that."

"I guess."

"There's no guessing about it. Don't you want to be Luna?"

"Hereditary rights are not a given. Maybe father would have chosen me as Alpha. I'm his oldest child."

Chloe snorts. "Having a female rule is against nature. It has never been done. And I mean never ever. And even if he had chosen you, you'd still have to compete in the Trials against our brothers. Females don't have the stamina and endurance to survive that type of challenge."

Unfortunately, Chloe is right. While the human world has evolved with women gaining more and more equality and independence, I've been stuck in the old werewolf traditions from hell because we follow the so-called rules of nature.

Obey your mate. Be submissive. Know your place.

Why don't they just remove our brains at birth and get rid of any defiant thought altogether?

When the door slams open, the handle bangs against the wall. My father's tall, bulky figure takes up the entire doorframe. Angry eyes meet mine.

"Chloe, go to your room."

"Yes, Father." My sister slides off the bed without gazing at our dad, her steps quick as she dashes from the room.

My father closes the door behind her. His back is turned to me. I watch his fists ball, and a low growl resonates deep within his throat. Instinctively, I cower back. He is beyond pissed.

"Where the hell were you?"

"In the woods. I needed some air."

"Today?" He spins around, his gaze drilling. "Of all days, you pick today to run off on your own. Alpha McNamara was asking for you. Can you imagine how embarrassed I was when I had to confess you weren't home? It was like an admission that I couldn't control my own young, the one I offered for a peace treaty nonetheless. You're lucky he didn't leave our home straight away."

Tears shoot in my eyes. "I needed some alone time. I mean, it was my last night. Was that too much to ask?"

"I suppose not." When he lowers himself onto the bed next to me, the mattress bends under his weight. My small hand disappears in his. "I know this is hard for you, but there's no other way."

A few tears roll down my cheeks. "You promised I could leave Calina Falls and go to college. Why does it have to be me?"

"Because there's no one else. You and Dante are the only two Alpha born pups of mating age, and we need the offspring of the leading families for this pact to work. I'm sorry, Raelyn. I know I'm asking for a lot, but we can finally have peace. The Scopan Lake pack is getting stronger. Sooner or later, they would've expelled us from our lands. As Alpha, I have to protect the pack. Making sacrifices goes along with that."

But he isn't the one making the sacrifice, something I had pointed out before. It had gotten me nowhere. He isn't going to budge. "I know, Dad, and I'm sorry I just left. I didn't mean to worry you."

"It's water under the bridge now." He squeezes my hand. "Why don't you get dressed and come downstairs? The McNamaras will be here soon to meet you, and you don't want to let them wait this time."

They are coming to inspect the merchandise. Lovely.

"Sure. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Good." He rises with a thin smile. "And please wear a dress."

"It's freezing outside."

"Your mother lit a fire. Please, Raelyn, just do it. The Scopan Lake pack holds on to traditional values and expects you to do the same."

"Am I supposed to curtsy?" I mean it as a joke, but my father's face remains even. Bloody hell. Those wolves are probably stuck somewhere in the sixteenth century.

Fighting with the building lump in my throat, I get ready. Everything I heard about the Scopan Lake pack is dreadful. They live out there by that lake miles away from any civilization. I doubt they even have Wi-Fi—or a TV. What am I supposed to do all day?

Sliding into my gray knitted tunic dress, I pull the hem down for it to at least reach my knees. It will probably slide up again, but it's the only dress that doesn't reveal too much cleavage. With a sigh, I choose the thick non-see-through cotton tights. High heels are probably a bad idea, so my old loafers will have to do. Observing myself in the mirror, I frown. The collar chokes me and the fabric itches under my arms.

Voices drift up from downstairs. My mother's laugh is high pitched as she greets our visitors. It's a sign she is nervous. A lot is riding on this meet and greet; until Dante and I make our blood promise, we all could still walk away from this deal.

It's gonna be alright.

With this little pep talk, I venture downstairs, ignoring the pounding in my chest that gets louder and louder as I approach the voices in the living room. I fear my heart is going to split my rib cage. I halt before I cross the threshold, sucking in a deep breath. It's showtime.

"Oh, here she is." My father's face is filled with pride as he presents me to my future mate and his parents. "Everyone, this is my daughter Raelyn."

Three cold sets of eyes run over me. Chloe was right—Dante is handsome enough to turn most female's heads. Tall like every Alpha born offspring, he reaches to about my father's height. Broad shoulders, plenty of muscles. His carefully groomed jet-black hair is combed back and frames a tanned face with equally dark eyes. The small smile on his lips is the epitome of fake. My bet: he wants to be here just as much as me.

His mother is a spitting image of him, but soft, as most Lunas, her hair a bit shaggy with streaks of gray. The coldness in her stance is quickly replaced by a genuine smile. She seems nice.

Finally, Alpha McNamara draws my attention to him when he clears his throat. Steel blue eyes meet mine. He is a massive man, a good few inches taller than my dad, with an overpowering frame. I heard he could smush a raw potato in his hand, and after meeting him, I don't doubt it. His authority dominates the room, crushing my father's claim to his own home.

"It's nice to meet you, Raelyn." His voice is higher than expected with an underlying snarl that's irritating.

"Same here." I smile before remembering to curtsy. Careful not to burst out laughing, I bend my knee a little with my head bowed forward. This is ridiculous.

"Your knee has to touch the ground when you address my mate and son," Luna McNamara remarks.

Is she fricking serious? When no one moves but stares at me, I realize this isn't a joke. My second attempt has me bow deep to the ground, my cheeks burning with humiliation when I rise again.

"Stand straight, pup, so I can look at you." With a frown, Alpha McNamara inspects me as if I were a cow on a farmer's market. Silence falls over the room as he walks around me. My pleading eyes demand my dad to stop this nonsense, but he returns my gaze with a stoic expression. In this moment, he isn't a father but the Alpha of his pack, fighting for its survival. Our wolves will be the sure losers if this blood feud continues.

"She's a little thin for an Alpha born, but I suppose she'll do." Alpha McNamara grabs my chin and turns my face to the side. "And she's very pretty and tall. Has she had pups before?"

"No. We don't choose our mate until our young complete the human high school, and then the timing is up to them. Some don't mate until their twenties and a few even decide to leave the pack for a while to pursue college."

The Alpha snorts. "I forgot that you mix with humans at times. Our females don't go to school and mate when they're sixteen. It's healthier to have pups young."

Luna McNamara steps next to her mate and wraps her arms around him. "We are not here to criticize their ways."

His smile is thin. "No, of course not. When were you planning on holding the claiming ceremony?"

My parents exchange a glance. "Tonight after sundown."

"Then we will be ready." Alpha McNamara loosens his mate's grip. "Come now."

"Shouldn't Dante and Raelyn spend some time together?" my mother pipes in. "It might be good if they get to know each other a little bit."

"That's up to Dante." Alpha McNamara gazes at his son with arched brows.

"Sure. Maybe Raelyn can show me around the territory?"

I nod, unsure if I'm supposed to curtsy again when Alpha McNamara turns to leave. The Luna tosses me an encouraging smile. I still want to cry.

As soon as we step outside, a heavy silence falls over us. Dante walks next to me without making an attempt at conversation. A few times, I clear my throat to point something out to him, but his sullen stare stalls the words in my throat. There's an unease about him I don't like, and the thought that I will have to wake up in the bed next to him for the rest of my life gives me a stomachache.

When we reach the river, he finally breaks the silence. "It's nice here. I think you will like Scopan Lake." His voice is just like his father, the irritating snarl prickling under my skin.

"Having to leave all this behind is a little scary."

"In a way, every pack's territory is the same. You'll be fine."

"Where are we going to live? Tell me a little about our home."

"Until you have your first pup, we'll be living in the packhouse with my parents." He smirks. "I want to start our family soon, so I hope that will give you an incentive to please me."

"To please you?" Is this his term for sex?

"Yeah, you know, fulfill your female duties in bed."

The hell. How conservative is he? No teen today speaks like this.

"Doesn't it bother you at all that our mating is arranged?"

"Don't get caught up in those sentiments. After the claiming ceremony, we'll have a bond. That should be enough."

I certainly hope so.

The snapping of twigs in the underbrush has both our heads turn. His head is already pulled between his shoulders in anticipation of the shift when the branches of a bush part. A boy about my age appears. The bangs of his bleach-blond mop cover half of his face while the rest of his long hair hangs loosely around his shoulders. Pale blue eyes meet mine, stalling the breath in my throat. I would have recognized these eyes anywhere—they are identical to those of the wolf from last night.

"Oh, here you are." The snarl in Dante's voice is even more irritating than before. "I was already wondering what you've been up to."

"I was hunting." Warmth soaks my body as the pale blue eyes roam over me. "Who's this?"

"Raelyn, my future mate." Dante flings his arm around my shoulders. "Raelyn, this is my half-brother, Jos. Unfortunately, he'll be coming to the ceremony as well."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"It's not something my father advertises. Jos is his bastard son."

"Oh." The awkwardness of the situation is pressing. "It's nice to meet you, Jos."

"The pleasure is all mine." Jos bends forward to grab my hand. When he pulls my palm to his lips, the kiss tickles my skin. For one second, we are back in the woods, a burning desire coursing through me as I get lost in his smile.

Dante's shove breaks the magical moment. "Don't touch her."

"Chill, bro. I was just trying to be nice."

"Raelyn is mine."

Jos raises his hands as if fighting off an enemy. "Don't worry, I won't forget. After all, I'm just the bastard son." Within the blink of an eye, he turns into the gray wolf, a low, dangerous growl escaping from his throat. He takes one big leap and disappears in the bushes.

Dante huffs. "Don't mind him. My half-brother likes to be a show-off."

"I've never seen anyone shift that fast."

"It takes years of practice." His arm reclaims my shoulders. "Come now. It's time to get ready for the ceremony."

~~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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