Flickering lanterns illuminate the way from the packhouse to the clearing. Murmured chanting from the gathered wolves sends a shudder down my spine, though the goosebumps on my arms could also be caused by the icy wind rushing over my bare skin. Despite Dante's request, I'm wearing jeans and a crop top—my payback for torturing me this morning. I didn't even bother to pin up my hair. When he came home, the rage for defying him once again spurt out at me, but it was too late to change my outfit. The whole pack was waiting and he had to save face.

The Alpha and Luna stand next to an altar that is built on a small hill in the corner of the clearing. Lance and his mate Milly have chosen their spot just below them to their right. The Beta's stare slices into me as I make my way through the midst of my future pack. When Dante and I pass them, wolves take the knee, but it's undoubtedly a sign of respect for my mate and not the insignificant female by his side. Flight is my only option to escape their strict rules, but I have no place to go. If I run, I will turn into an outcast, and the threat that the Alpha will declare war on my father before the night is up forces my legs to move forward. Staying here is the only way to keep the peace.

We reach the top of the hill and Dante grabs my hand. Turning to face the pack, we reach toward the moon. The chanting stops.

Dante's loud voice carries across the clearing. "The Moon Goddess has blessed me with this mate. Welcome her into your midst as if pack's blood flows through her veins. She is mine and will bear the Alpha heir. Vouch your loyalty to her."

The chanting restarts as everyone once again takes the knee; even Lance bows his head slightly. The whole atmosphere is creepy. I can't make out any of the mumbled words—it's more like an eerie humming—and the reaching shadows from the flickering lanterns are choking me.

The Luna kisses me on both cheeks. "Welcome to your new pack, Raelyn."

"Thanks."

"Now move behind the altar so that Dante can give you your pack tattoo."

When I step next to him, his eyes are filled with darkness, his pupils so dilated that the irises are no longer distinguishable from the rest. Add the dancing flames of the lanterns and he looks like a devil.

Pulling out a knife, he smirks. "You need to bend forward. My mom put a pillow there, so it's not too uncomfortable."

Before I even get a chance to get into the right position, long strands of my honey hair drop to the ground. I reach up to feel the damage—he just chopped off over half of the hair in the back.

"I told you to pin up your hair. That's what you get for not listening again."

"The hell, Dante. That'll take years to grow back."

"Maybe it'll be a good reminder of who is wearing the pants in this relationship. After tonight, I swear it won't be you." He smirks again and clutches the pitiful leftover fluff on the back of my head. "Now get down."

With force, he slams my face into the pillow before positioning himself strategically behind me. I ball my hands to fists when the blade scrapes over the sensitive part of my neck. Teasingly, he nicks the skin in a few places with the tip of the knife. His arousal presses against my butt cheek and my body riles. Pain is imminent, but the bastard makes a sport out of prolonging the inevitable.

When the blade finally cuts into my skin, I cry out in unexpected fear. Burning pain spreads from my neck into my shoulders before crawling down my spine. I dig my fingers into the corners of the altar and breathe into a new wave of pain. The pillow soaks up a few tears and muffles my whimpers.

Dante takes his sweet time to carve the letter S into my neck. When he's done, he bends down, his tongue lapping up the blood. His breath is heavy, his arousal as hard as a rock.

"Did you know that I could fuck you right here in front of the whole pack and no one will come to your rescue? They know what you have yet to learn—that you are one hundred percent my property. As your mate, I can do whatever I want to you. You are weak, Raelyn, a female who needs a male's protection. Without me, you're nothing." His cold chuckle stirs my rage, my wolf's growl loud enough to carry over the howling wind. "Awe, don't you like that, little wolf? Face it, Raelyn, you are both weak. I mean, your wolf couldn't even stop shitting herself when you were losing against me in a fair fight. You're a disgrace to our kind, and both of you are lucky we even accept you into this pack."

He carves the letter L deeper this time and I have to claw my fingernails into my palm to prevent a cry. When he walks over to the flame, my heart threatens to crack through my chest. Again, he takes his sweet time heating up the metal. I focus on my racing heartbeat and the swooshing in my ears.

Whatever you do, don't scream. Don't give him even more ammunition to call you weak.

When he approaches with the glowing blade, the most satisfied smirk is on his lips. I nuzzle my nose into the pillow, my whole body shaking. As the heat seals the wound, hot blinding pain rushes through every nerve end. Shouting rings in my ears for a long time before I realize the cry is mine, making once again a fool of me.

He pulls me straight up off the altar. "I hope you didn't pee yourself."

For a breath, I reach for his arm to keep my balance, but he pulls away before I can latch on. Black spots dance in front of my eyes. Swaying, I almost lose my footing. The few times my old pack had a pack initiation, the mate comforted the other. It strengthened their union because they went through it together. With Dante, it's just another opportunity to cut me down.

"Now we are sisters." Hailey loops arms with me, awakening me from my daze. "Come. Let's go to the party."

"What party?"

"Your party, silly. When someone is accepted into the pack, it's always a big celebration."

That's an unexpected turn, and a very nice surprise. I let her pull me away. Savannah soon joins us, her arm locking me in from the other side. Her smile is as winning as before; I have rarely met anyone so full of life. If my neck wasn't throbbing so much, I would actually enjoy this bonding time.

"They already started the music." Hailey pulls harder on my arm. "Come on, Raelyn. Don't you want to dance?"

Not really, given that Dante will be my only option for a dance partner. With Eric, I couldn't get enough of taking to the floor, but I doubt that my mate will make this a pleasant experience.

He is seated around a small table with a bunch of his friends. Whiskey and gin bottles make the round and a few even light cigarettes. When Marco breaks out a pack of cards, Dante starts to deal them out. At least he's not on my case. I rotate my neck a little. The dull pain is thumping, but it's almost bearable.

The young wolf who came with Millie to the packhouse this morning appears out of nowhere. "Come on, Savannah. Let's dance."

As he whips her away, a fire lights in the blond's eyes. She has such a big crush on him, it's not even funny.

"Who was that?" I yell at Hailey over the music.

"Bay Ward. He's Marco's younger brother."

Ouch. It will be tough to see his brother claim the female he so obviously likes. "Did you tell Savannah what Marco said?"

Hailey shakes her head. "Not yet. I didn't want to spoil the evening for them."

"You should do it soon. It'll make it harder if this continues."

"I know." Her gaze is on Marco, the tears glistening before a couple of them escape. She wipes through her face. "Sorry."

"You really like him, don't you?"

"I thought he was my true mate but apparently, he doesn't feel the same way." She shrugs. "It is what it is. No need to cry over spilled milk, right?" The hurt in the words contradicts her nonchalance even before a few more tears roll down her cheeks.

"Is there any other wolf you like?"

"Not really. I plan on spending the summer in my mom's native pack out West. Maybe I'll meet someone there. Under our laws, I only have a year to find a mate. After my second heat, the Alpha decides for you and you usually end up with an omega."

"Pretty strict rules."

"The rules are there to protect us and guarantee continuity and prosperity for the pack. For someone who wasn't raised here, they might be harsh, but I'm used to them. We are the strongest pack on the US Eastern seaboard, so we must be doing something right."

Given that most packs have been cut down to family size due to humans spreading more and more into pack territory, it's not really hard for the few remaining rural packs to thrive. Yet, calling the Scopan Lake pack the strongest on the Eastern seaboard might be a bit of an exaggeration. Compared to the large Canadian pack that rules the entire north including Alaska, we are nothing more than a speck of dirt on a map.

Jos pulls a very pretty brunette onto the dance floor. When the music slows down, the two entangle in an intimate embrace, even though I detect a hint of apprehension in her features. His lips are all over her neck, a gesture she doesn't return, and she makes no effort to rub her scent into him.

"Hailey, the female with Jos, is that Lara?"

"Yep, that's her. Isn't she gorgeous?"

"She is."

My gaze flicks to my mate who has stopped the card game and is glaring at his brother and his ex-flame with venom. Jumping to his feet, he stomps over and grabs me by the wrist. His pull shoots a new surge of pain through my neck; it's so strong that it takes my breath away.

"Let's dance."

"Dante, this is silly. It's obvious you are jealous. Don't give into Jos's taunting."

"Shush, female, and dance."

He suckles on my mate mark while his hands squeeze around my butt. My body's natural desires awaken, drowning out some of the throbbing in my neck. I close my eyes and let myself fall into a forgotten time. Eric swaying with me on the dance floor, the amazing scent of his aftershave that used to turn me on so much stuck in my nose. His soft lips brushing against my skin. His hard shaft inside me, gentle, selfless, driving me to incredible heights.

"This is good." Dante's hissed words tear me out of the moment. "You're reeking of arousal and it's getting to Jos."

"How do you know?"

"I can bloody sense it. Don't tell me you haven't noticed that my brother has the hots for you?"

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" His smile is devilish as he looks down on me. "Don't play me for a fool, Raelyn. I've seen the way you sometimes look at each other and then there was. . ."

"Was what?"

"The day we met. I hadn't marked you, so it wasn't obvious, but I could swear I smelled your cum on my brother that morning."

"That's even more ridiculous. I never even met Jos before you introduced us."

"Well, yeah, I thought that too, but my nose usually doesn't betray me."

"You are paranoid, that's all."

"Then who were you thinking about in the mating cave?

When I don't respond, his grip tightens. We are still dancing close together even though the music has picked up speed again. Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line" drifts from the speakers.

"Answer me."

"What difference does it make? I'm with you now."

"It was that human boy who deflowered you, wasn't it?" His fingernails cut into my bare shoulders, setting the rest of my upper body on fire. I can barely breathe through the pain.

"How do you even know he was human?" I press.

"Your father told my dad. I wasn't going to accept you as my mate, but my parents forced me since they figured a human didn't count. Now I'm stuck with a total slut who spread her legs for god only knows how many pricks while my brother gets to mark my true mate. Explain to me how this is fair."

"Are you seriously whining to me about fairness?" I stop swaying to the music. "I lost everything—my home, my family, my friends—so I could live in this hick hell from a trillion centuries ago, where males have zero respect for their mates and treat them like absolute shit. Is that fair?"

"You should watch your mouth. We could've annihilated your pack but allowed you to live for this one sacrifice. Truthfully, you got the much better end of the bargain."

"If you say so." I turn toward the door of the clubhouse, tempted to flip him off.

Go to hell, buddy.

"Where are you going?"

"I need some fresh air."

"You are not allowed to run the woods without an escort, especially not at night."

"I know the rules, Dante. Meet you back at the house."

I stroll along the edge of the lake by the boat house and up a small beach. Lowering myself onto a bench, I watch the half-moon's crescent reflect on the still water surface. In the summer, I bet it's even more beautiful up here. My heart soars. I miss my mom and Chloe so much. And Megan. She would've had some funny wisdom to cheer me up. When she was around, the days were never without laughter.

My new pack tattoo stings like hell and I carefully trace the wound with my fingers. SL—Scopan Lake. Officially, I'm now one of them, but will I ever truly belong? Those rules are suffocating enough without a mate who makes my life more miserable every chance he gets. How will it be once we have our pup? Will he be a good father or sneak off at night to be with Lara? If his father gave those drops to Jos and condones cheating, Dante surely has them too and follows that same mindset.

As all these questions threaten to crack open my skull, a twig snaps behind me. I jump. An owl hoots. For a second, glowing amber eyes light up the darkness, but they are gone again so fast that my mind might've played tricks on me. With a sigh, I get up and turn toward the packhouse. Time to face the music. When I get home, Dante will probably start another argument since I mouthed off again.

Biting smoke rises from a drum in the yard behind the house. Dante is seated on a tree stump, a pile of something indistinguishable in front of his feet. He takes something from the pile and tosses it into the fire. As I get closer, I realize that these are my clothes.

The fuck? "Dante, the hell. What are you doing?"

His smile is stoic. All other emotions have vanished from his face. "I told you I'm the only one who's going to wear pants. While I was at it, I also decided to get rid of those awful hoodies."

"Hell, no. Stop."

When he doesn't react, my wolf growls, showing her teeth. Just as I shift, a large, brown wolf jumps out at me from the dark shadows, tackling me down. Teeth on my throat, the Luna's stare warns me to submit. A mother, protecting her son from his disobedient mate. I lost my last ally.

The Alpha comes strolling out of the house as if he has no worry in the world, a teeth collar dangling from his hand. "Now Raelyn, you have two choices. You'll either shift back into your skins and go to bed, or you'll spend the night out here collared up. In any event, you will learn tonight that it is my son's prerogative to make any and all decisions for you. He will decide what you wear, when you will go to bed, what chores will be assigned to you, what and when you will eat, and if you get free run-time in the woods. Those are our rules and as a pack member, you are expected to follow them. Do you understand?"

When I don't immediately respond, the Luna's teeth nick my skin. Spending the night with a collar around my neck on top of my fresh injury is out of the question, even if I'd love to prove a point. Shifting back, I remain in a crouched position until the Luna gathers up my clothes.

"Leave those jeans. I'm gonna burn them." Without the slightest emotion, Dante drops my Superdry hoodie into the flames.

I internally weep. The sweater was a Christmas present from my parents and it had taken me weeks to convince them to spend that much money on one piece of clothing. Eric had kissed me in that sweater when he was home from college for the holidays. It was the last time we had spent time together.

Snatching up my bra and panties, I start to redress. My whole body shakes, but I can't tell anymore if it's pure hatred or sheer distress. "Well, I'm going to bed."

"I will be up shortly."

"So, no hunting with your friends again?"

A warning growl resonates from the Luna's throat. Sure, gang up on me to teach this new pup a lesson.

The Alpha holds up my crop top, but before I can grab it, his snarling voice cuts right under my skin. "Just so that there are no further misunderstandings: Follow our rules and we will all get along. If not—well, I'll just have to break my deal with your father. Remember that before you open your mouth again."

It's the straw that breaks the camel's back. As soon as I get to the room, the floodgates open and I sob into the pillow like a little girl. I might as well kill myself if I have to live like this.

By the time Dante joins me, my eyes are swollen and puffy and I can barely breathe through my nose. Without a word, he turns me on my back and drops his pants. While he moves in and out of me, my neck with the pack tattoo rubs over the pillow; the fabric is soaked with blood by the time he's done. He turns off the light without even muttering a single word or checking on my injury.

I stare into the darkness, my mind focused on the throb under my skin. "Dante, if I follow your rules, do you think you can at least respect me enough not to hurt me?"

His snort is like a slap to my face. "Not a chance."

~~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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