Kayla's POVI run from Adam's attack.I run back to the party.I search for Shane.I can't find him."Where's Shane?" I ask the wolves."I don't know," one of them answers.I see him in the corner and run to him.He looks at me in confusion and rises to his feet."Kayla? What is wrong? Where have been?"He is worried.I smell Adam's scent behind us."Shane! It is terrible! Adam wants to become alpha!""What?""He wants to kill you!"Shane is stunned."And he wants me to be his luna," I tell him."What did he do to you? Did he hurt you?""Not really.""What does that mean?""It doesn't matter. Shane, he wants you dead!"I'm trying to get him to see sense.But he will not drop it."Kayla!" he cries. "What did he do?""He tried to have his way with me," I confess.Shane pulls me into a hug. "Are you ok?"I realize I am not. I am more shaken than I realized."No! I am not!""Ok," Shane says. "Take a deep breath.""There is no time. Adam is coming to kill you.
"Kayla, I need to talk to you. Come with me."My heart freezes at my Alpha's tone. Whatever this is, I know it can't be good.Brock, our Alpha, walks quickly through the camp, and I struggle to keep up with him. I look at his grim expression, and it confirms my worst fears. It is serious.In the distance, I see Lucius, the Alpha of our neighboring pack, watching us. I shudder. Lucius is here to tour our camp and choose a mate.I pray that it isn't me.Please, don't be me.Brock turns to me."I'm sorry, Kayla," he says. "But he chose you."My heart drops in despair.I think of Sebastian. My one and only true love. My secret love.I know Sebastian is my mate.How I can accept Lucius?I am already secretly promised to Sebastian.This is a nightmare."You can't be serious," I say."Why would he choose me?""That doesn't matter," he says. "Don't waste your time with these thoughts.""But… what about love?" I ask.He shakes his head."That's not important," he says. "Love
I feel like I'm about to pass out.I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think.I don't know what to say."I know you're upset," my father says. "But this is a good thing.""No, it's not a good thing," I say, angrily. "It's a terrible thing.""Don't do this to yourself," he says, angrily. "This is what's best for the pack.""I don't agree," I say, angrily. "Marrying a man I don't love is not what's best for the pack.""He's a great leader," he says. "And you will learn to love him."I shake my head."I will never love him," I say. "Never.""You will," he says."No, I won't," I say. "I won't.""You have to," he says. "That's the way of the pack.""I don't care about the pack," I say. "The pack can be run by someone else.""You're the daughter of the Alpha," he says. "Your place is with Lucius.""I don't want to be with him."I'm getting no where with my father. I look to my mother next.She has been silent this whole time, watching the whole scene unfold."Plea
I wake the next morning filled with dread.I have barely slept.My eyes are sore from crying.I can't believe my parents won't help me.I can't believe I am being forced to marry Lucius.There is a knock at the door. It is my mother."Are you ready?" she asks."I'll never be ready."She comes in and sits down on the bed next to me.She is calm, but I can tell she is trying to hold it together for my sake.She takes my hands in hers."Your father and Lucius will be here soon," she says. "We need to get ready.""I don't want to get ready," I say. "I don't want to do this.""I know," she says. "I know.""I'm scared.""I know," she says. "I am too. But it will be fine. It will be fine. We will get through this. We are strong. We are strong.""I'm not strong," I say. "I'm not strong at all.""Yes, you are," she says. "You are very strong. I know you are. You'll see.""What's going to happen to me?" I ask."You'll be all right," she says. "I'm sure you will.""How can you
Lucius grins as he sees me walking toward him.My father looks flustered. His cheeks are red. He probably thought I wasn't coming back."Here she is," he says. "Our beautiful Kayla."Lucius holds out his hand to kiss mine.I grimace.He stops smiling. "Is something wrong?"I shake my head. "No.""Then let me kiss your hand.""I'd rather not."My father steps forward. "There will be time for all that after the wedding."I stare at the ground.I'm not sure how to act. I've only ever been around the men in my village. I don't know what to say to Lucius. I don't know how to behave.Sebastian's face comes to mind.He always knew what to say. He never had trouble talking to people.He would know what to do.I wish he were here."Well, let's get going, shall we?" Lucius says.My father nods.He leads me to the horse and carriage. A footman is waiting. He opens the door for us. I avoid looking him in the eye, ashamed."After you," Lucius says.A lump forms in my throat.I
Lucius follows me out of the carriage.I see the way he looks at me, his eyes hungry. It makes my skin crawl.I can tell Tanner hates it too. His jaw is clenched with revulsion. It looks like he is holding back the urge to punch Lucius in the face. Part of me wishes he would."This is your new home," Lucius says with a grin.I already hate that grin. It is arrogant. Domineering. It makes me shudder.I take a step away from him.But he grabs my hand, tight."You are mine now, Kayla," he says.Tanner steps forward. He is clearly angry and fighting himself to hold back."Perhaps we should show Kayla to her room?" he says, stiffly. "It has been a long journey."Lucius regards him for a moment. Then he drops my hand. "Yes. Okay."I am grateful for Tanner's intervention.We begin to walk toward the doors of the mansion.I have never seen a place so foreboding. My old pack lived humble lives. This seems so extravagant.Inside, the hall is elegant. Marble floors. A sweeping stair
My eyes are closing.I can hardly keep them open.Lucius has killed my mate.I feel grief like I have never felt before.I cry out, in pain.My heart is broken.I am broken.I hear Lucius' laughter. It's echoing through the hall.Suddenly, he grabs me."To think I was going to give you all the finest things," he sneers. "A room. Maids. Finery and jewels."My mind is hazy.I try to focus on Lucius words, but I am too weak."Now I am going to do something far more fitting," Lucius says."Get her," he roars.Two servants appear out of nowhere.They grab me."No!" I scream.But the blackness is growing inside of me.I feel myself slipping away.I feel despair.I am in the servants' arms.This can't be happening.I try to fight.I try to get to Tanner.To my dead mate.To hold him.But my knees are buckling.I can't think straight.My mind is whirring.I look at Lucius."You monster," I choke. "You will pay for this."He laughs.The servants begin to drag me
"Hello?"A voice wakes me. Wakes me from my dream of Tanner.I open my eyes.I am lying curled up on the cold, hard ground of the prison cell."Hello?" a voice says again.I sit up. Look around.I realize I am not alone.There is another girl here.A young girl.She is sitting on the dirt next to me, resting against the back wall of the cell.She holds a bowl in her hands.She is offering me some food."Hello," I say.She looks at me with her big eyes. There's an empty bowl beside her. And another, for me.From the smell of it, it's made of vegetables."Are you hungry?" she asks."Yes."She hands me the bowl.I look in the bowl.It's a stew of some kind.I take a spoonful of stew and eat it.It's gritty and bland.But it's food."Where did you get this?" I ask her."The servants brought it this morning," she says, gazing at me with wide eyes."Where did you come from?" I ask.She pauses."I'm... I'm not sure," she says.I look at her more closely."What's y