CHAPTER ONE

"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 is the last reason to choose a match. This match will ensure the peace of our packs. That is all that matters."

I think of poor Sebastian, who will be completely heartbroken when he finds out that I am marrying Lucius.

We have been friends and intended mates all our lives.

I can't do it.

I turn to Brock.

"Tell him no," I plead. "Tell him that I won't do it."

He glares at me.

"You don't have a choice," he says, looking at me sternly. "This is the way things are going to happen."

"But…I don't love him," I say. "I love someone else."

"No," Brock says. "You and Sebastian don't matter in all of this. Sebastian will find someone else."

My heart rips at the words.

"You'll get used to it," he says. "Don't worry."

"What if I don't want to marry him? What if I want to marry Sebastian instead?"

"You're not going to do that," my Alpha says, sternly. "Sebastian is not a suitable mate. You are going to do this my way. Or you are going to lose your rank, and you will be forced to marry him. And Sebastian will be jailed."

I turn my head away, in despair.

I don't want this. It's my worst nightmare.

Forced to marry him. With no way out.

And Sebastian jailed. All because of me.

I need time to figure this out. In the meantime, I can't risk getting Sebastian in trouble.

I can't think of an alternative.

I turn to Brock, and I say the worst words in the world:

"I won't fight."

Brock smiles.

"Good," he says. "He'll come here in the morning to claim you. Until then, go home to your friends. Start packing."

I turn around, my heart in pieces.

My world is crumbling around me.

My own Alpha is forcing me to marry someone else. And I have no choice in the matter.

He only cares about the pack. Not about me.

Sebastian will be devastated when he finds out.

How on Earth am I going to find a way out of this?

How on Earth am I going to even break the news to him?

*

I am brooding by the fire in my own tent, when Sebastian opens the flap.

My heart drops.

"Hey," he says, smiling.

I am so nervous. I don't know how to tell him the news.

I feel like crying.

"I have bad news," I begin. "About Lucius."

I see the light leave his eyes, and he becomes very distant.

"What about Lucius?" he asks.

"The Alpha of the neighboring pack, Lucius, chose me as his mate," I say, very quietly.

Sebastian stared at me, with a look of sheer disbelief.

"What?" he asks.

"I don't know what to do," I say, looking down. "I don't even know how to break this news to you. This is terrible. I am so sorry, Sebastian."

"No," he says, shaking his head. "No, you can't do that."

"I don't have a choice," I say. "It's the way of my pack."

"You can leave your pack," he say. "I will leave my pack too. We'll start a new pack. We'll be together."

I shake my head.

"That won't work," I say. "I am the daughter of my Alpha. He wouldn't let me leave. He would kill me."

"He can't kill you," he says, looking at me with anger in his eyes. "You're his daughter. He can't just kill you."

"He would have no choice," I say, sadly. "This is the way of the wolf. My place is to produce offspring with Lucius. That is my life."

I look at him, so desperate. My whole world is crumbling.

"What are you going to do?" I ask.

He is silent for a long time.

"I'm going to kill him," he says.

The words make my heart drop.

"What?" I say, in horror.

"I'm going to kill Lucius," he says. "I'm going to go to his den, sneak in, and kill him."

"That's crazy," I say, shaking my head. "You can't do that."

"I have to," he said. "I need to save you. I will do anything to save you."

"No," I say, shaking my head. "You can't do that. Please, don't do that."

"I have to," he says. "I can't let you marry him."

"What about your pack?" I ask. "You can't just do that."

"I don't care about my pack," he says. "I love you."

"But why can't you just wait?" I ask, desperately. "Maybe there is another way. Maybe we can run away. We can leave this place. I don't want to marry him, but I don't want to do anything to risk your life. I don't want to lose you."

"I love you," he says. "And I will do anything to save you. I don't want to lose you."

A wolf howls in the distance. It is a howl of triumph.

Sebastian and I look at each other. And we know.

The wolf who howled was Lucius.

He is celebrating his victory.

My heart drops.

"I guess it's time for me to go," Sebastian says.

"Please don't do this," I beg him. "I'm begging you."

"Listen to me," he says. "I'm going to kill him. And I'm going to do it for you."

"Don't do this," I repeat. "Please, Sebastian. I'm begging you."

"Don't beg me," he says. "I'm going to be with you. I'm going to save you. The day you need me, I will be there for you."

He leans forward and kisses me.

"I love you," he says. "And I will always love you."

And he runs out of the tent.

I am left there, alone.

I don't know what to do.

I don't know what to think.

All I know is that I am going to lose the one I love.

All I know is that I am going to lose him forever.

And all I know is that I love him too.

It is the first time he has ever left my side.

I have never felt so alone.

I have never felt so heartbroken.

There is only one person who might be able to fix this: my father. Our former Alpha.

I have to try.

It is my final hope.