I'LL BE DAMNED!

KIENA

Hold the fuck up! Did he just say MATE? As in bound by magic, flesh, blood and pack? Surely even my imagination cannot be that good.

When last did I get my ears cleaned? Oh curse my deformative memory! Dear Whatever powers that be, I promise to be thirty percent more awesome than I've been in my 24 years of existence; just let me hear clearly what this handsome rock is saying.

"What did you say?" There's a visible vein throbbing at the center of Xhecon's forehead, the tick tock rasp of the beast within him.

"Kiena Vocci is my mate, and I have come to claim her. I see no reason why you should even expect an explanation when she owes you none, and me even less."

That's what he said. That's exactly what he said. But wait! Hold on a second.

"You have no idea what it is that you're getting yourself into, son." Dad's voice is laced with unsurpressed venom.

"I believe you would do me the honour of enlightening me."

"You've been Alpha for how long exactly? A week? Trust me, you do not want to be starting a war with Whitevalley."

"I've been Alpha for 3 years, and my pack has grown considerably in that time, I appreciate your interest. And I do not see how I encroach close to danger with the Whitevalley pack, seeing as my mate no longer belongs there."

Xhecon's jaw twitches, and I watch his fists clench at his sides; his eyes blinking a dangerous shade of green - his wolf's.

"She is my mate, Zedane, not yours. There's a reason she's clad in a wedding dress."

"Is there a reason why she was running for the hills when I found her? Is she maybe terrified of what the possibility of an eternity with you would be for her?"

"That is none of your business, step away from my mate."

His hold on my shoulder tightens, and I hear something dangerous lurking in his voice when he speaks again.

"Do you Kiena Vocci, take Xhecon Luther as your mate?"

I steel myself, swallowing past the fear induced by all three Alphas emitting dominance.

"No. I revoke his offer to mate." My voice is surprisingly steady, and my gaze is firm enough to not miss the anger that flashes in Xhecon's eyes.

"Do you take me, Zedane Rhage, as your mate?"

"I do. One flesh, one blood, one pack, one magic and one lifetime."

I feel the weight of that promise sink deep into me, weighing me down with the ignored consequences of what I have just done. Holy cow!

"Judging by your expression, you're just now realising the full extent of that vow." Dad's tone is mocking, but his jaw is steel hard from the pressure of his clenched teeth.

I swallow, because he is right. I did not think at all before I made that decision. I just swore away eternity to someone I do not even know. Sure, he is good looking, extremely good looking; but he also looks like he has permanent romance with a frown.

"I don't think there is anything that could possibly be worse than an eternity with that undercover grandpa you were willing to hand me over to."

Despite the thread of dread tingling along my spine, I force the words out; making sure that they are ringing with conviction.

I feel a slight movement behind me, like some particularly giant sized rock just had his breath catch in his lungs. Did he find what I just said amusing? Oh wow.

"I'm sure you wouldn't feel that way an hour from now when you are trapped in a loveless mating with a toddler alpha and a half formed pack," Dad warns in a deceptively soft voice.

I don't think I would be exaggerating if I say I can see the tinges of amusement blinking from his hard eyes. The man acts like he enjoys my suffering, I have to wonder what exactly I ever did to never be good enough.

"Loveless mating? I was resigned to that fate already, I'd just prefer it be with a man that is worth looking at. And toddler Alpha? I don't think you and Xhecon combined can measure up to the level of dominance this "toddler" possesses; it's all I can sense," I throw back

"Being a pack Alpha goes beyond just being a dominant wolf, Kiena. But I doubt you could possibly understand that."

I scoff. "Of course you're talking politics. You both should be good at it, excellent even. I'd be surprised if you weren't, considering how malicious and manipulative you are. I would mention deceptive, cunning, reckless, heartless, tyrannical and all the other bad words I cannot think about in this scorching heat, but I'm sure you already get the message."

"I would love to stay here and listen to all what you lovely family have to say to each other, but I have somewhere to be and I'm taking my mate with me." Zedane throws in, cutting off whatever response my father's open mouth was going to spew.

"I would be very careful of my standing in pack hierarchy if I were you, seeing as you have no alliances with powerful forces," Xhecon advises, but you can hear the underlying threat in those words.

"If you were me. You're not. And not everyone is accustomed to licking ass to seek alliances, I can take care of my family and my pack."

"And don't think you know the first thing about healthy alliances either, all you do is take advantage of packs in need. I feel sad for any shewolf who ends up as your mate." My words are curt and direct, my eyes trained on Xhecon's.

"That's how the world works, honey. It's a jungle where only the fittest survive."

"First off, eww! Don't fucking call me that again, I couldn't be more disgusted if I tried. Secondly, you have no idea what being the fittest entails, you're a weak bastard with political connections and a twisted mind."

Rage flashes in his gaze, the green of his wolf evident in his usually brown depths. He jerks towards me in response, fueled by anger and no grace whatsoever.

Zedane steps around me to block me from view. "I would stop right there before I do something that guarantees my death." His threat is delivered in a low, calm voice, but is brimming with intensity.

I don't see when Xhecon halts, but I hear a satisfied "Good" from Zedane before he turns around and ushers me away from my old life, and into a new one.

We make it all of five steps before I hear my father's voice call out, "Kiena Vocci, you cease to be my daughter from this day. I break off all ties that connect me and all that is mine to you, and I forbid you from ever stepping anywhere near us. Your failure to adhere would mean a declaration of war from the blackwater pack."

An audible gasp leaves my mouth at the briskness with which the delivery was made. Oh. My. God!