Chapter 1

Taylor put up an arm in a bid to protect herself from the merciless pound of the rain but it was of no use. She was already drenched, the water having seeped through her threadbare clothes, leaving her cold and quaking as she ran all the way from her workplace to her home.

Her hands shook as she struggled with the doorknob of her family's run-down duplex. Her teeth chattered so fiercely, she feared for a second that they would all fall off. After fiddling with the door and finally getting it open, she hurried inside, slammed the door shut against the fierce winds and heaved a sigh of relief.

Already, a puddle was beginning to form where she stood as a result of her wet clothes.

"Oh, dear," She sighed in dismay while looking down at the ratty rug which grew damp as each second passed.

"Stella's going to kill me." She mused. Her stepmother would throw a fit if she saw the mess Taylor had made but Taylor couldn't worry about that now. She had made more money from the tips she had been receiving and all the extra shifts she had worked and she couldn't wait to tell her father about it.

She trudged to her father's office, pausing when she heard the sound of raised voices coming from the other side of the door.

Against her better judgement, Taylor pressed an ear to the door, the allure of listening in too much to resist.

"Alan, Don't you get it?! We have absolutely no money left!" Stella's voice rang out loud and clear. For someone so petite, Taylor's stepmother had the vocal cords of a giant.

"You have to cut down on your drinking or else, we'll have to sell this house!" She continued.

"There's no way in hell I'm doing that!" Alan yelled back. Alan Delaware hadn't always been an alcoholic; the death of Taylor's mother had hardened him, made him into a man who cared more about the bottle than he did his daughter.

"Isn't Taylor earning enough to support us?" Alan asked, earning a disdainful snort from his wife.

"That stupid girl earns peanuts! Are we supposed to live off that?" Stella retorted, her tone spiteful. A little part of Taylor withered upon hearing her stepmother's insult.

"We'll have to sell the house then and find shelter at the Pack reserve." Her father said, a finality in his tone.

Taylor gasped before slamming a palm over her mouth to prevent any other sounds from escaping. They were already one of the poorest families in their pack and now, this? Selling off their only possession and going to live at the Pack reserve? The Pack reserve was for orphans and the ne'er-do-wells, for crying out loud!

Stella was having none of it. She protested vehemently, drawing Taylor out of her turbulent thoughts. 

"If you're actually considering living at the Pack reserve then all your drinking must have damaged her brain!" 

Her voice dropped drastically and Taylor pressed her ear close to the door to catch her words.

"I have a better idea, my darling. One that could make us rich beyond our wildest dreams."

"Well?" Alan prompted impatiently. "Let's hear it."

"The word around town is that the Alpha of the Drago Pack is in desperate need for a breeder." She confided.

"So, are you volunteering to be his breeder? You're a bit too old." Alan asked, confused.

Stella huffed, exasperated at her husband's slowness. 

"No, you idiot. I'm talking about Taylor! Imagine the millions we could get in exchange for her body!"

"Besides, she's easy on the eyes so she'll have the Alpha rutting into her in no time." Stella added on maliciously.

Taylor went still, her shock petrifying her. She tried to parse what she'd just heard but her mind refused to cooperate and remained blank. Everyone knew who a breeder was: a female who had the sole purpose of bearing the Alpha's children. They were disregarded and treated worse than the scum of the earth.

And did she say the Drago Pack? No, that can't be right.

The Drago Pack had the reputation of being bloodthirsty and their Alpha was a deadly killer with no emotions whatsoever.

I've got to do something to stop this, Taylor panicked. She whirled around and ran smack dab into her stepbrother's muscled chest.

Taylor steadied herself and then recoiled when she saw the way Logan was leering at her. 

"Well, hello, Sis." He smirked before licking his lips and perusing her drenched body, a lecherous gleam in his eyes.

Taylor crossed her arms over her chest, hoping to cover what had been exposed by her wet outfit.

"What do you want?" She willed her voice to stay strong.

"Can't I just be nice to my sexy baby sister?" He rasped.

His words caused her to shiver. Logan had a perverse obsession for her but hadn't touched her yet because his mother had warned him not to.

Suddenly, Alan called from his office.

"Taylor? Is that you?"

Busted.

Shooting Logan one last wary look, she fled into her father's office as if her hair was on fire. Logan made her skin crawl and spending time in his presence was torture.

She sighed, relieved before turning to face her parents.

Alan wore a disapproving scowl while Stella's face was twisted with intense hatred. She eyed Taylor, noting the mess she was creating with her dripping clothes and pursing her lips.

Alan spoke first.

"Were you eavesdropping on our conversation, Taylor?" He asked in a deathly calm voice which inspired fear in Taylor.

A lie was already on the tip of her tongue before Stella cut in.

"That's the only thing she does around here. Useless little runt." She spat out.

Taylor spoke hastily.

"I actually came to tell you about the extra money I made at work today." She offered her torn wallet up to him. She hoped that would be enough to distract them from the fact that she was listening in on their conversation.

Stella laughed, an ugly sound that lacked humour.

"How much did you make, Darling? A few dollars? Because that's all you're good for."

Alan took menacing steps towards Taylor and she shut her eyes, expecting the beating she always received from him.

However, he forwent the beating and snatched the wallet from her fingers, going through the meagre content.

"This isn't enough!" He said and threw the wallet at her.

"It can't even pay for my drinks! I know you hid the rest of the money!" 

Brimming with unbridled anger, he drew his hand back and slapped her hard across the face. The force of the slap sent Taylor crumpling to the floor.

"What are you doing?" Stella hissed, coming over to Alan.

"You're going to hurt her! We have to trade her, remember?" Stella reasoned.

Taylor lay on the floor, pain lancing through her body. Her father had no qualms with giving her a beating every now and then.

Alan's face lit up and his thin lips stretched in a smile.

"That's true, my dear. I almost forgot."

To Taylor, he said, "We've decided to send you to the Alpha of the Drago Pack. He needs a breeder and we think you'll be perfect for it."

Stella nodded along to her husband's speech. When he was through, she flipped her raven locks and spoke.

"I'm sure the Drago Pack would love to have you. Being the Alpha's breeder is a thing of honor, you know."

"Yeah," Alan chimed in. "You get to bear his cubs and sustain his lineage."

The part they both left out was that the Alpha of the Drago Pack was a cruel, cruel warrior who had no mercy. Taylor didn't think she could survive a day in his care.

Taylor crawled to her father and held onto his legs.

"Please," She cried out. "Father, don't do this to me. I promise to work harder! I'll earn more money, I'll eat less food. I'll do whatever you want!"

Her father looked down at her in disgust.

"It has already been decided, Taylor. Now, stop sniveling. It's irritating to watch!"

All the fight went out of Taylor. With a sudden fierceness, she missed her birth mother and the man her mother had made her father be.

If only she were still alive, Taylor thought bitterly, willing the tears running down her face to stop.

"Enough of this! Logan!" Stella called out.

As if he had been poised in front of the door the whole time, Logan burst into the room.

"You called, Mother?" Answered Logan in a sing-song tone.

Stella turned to Taylor who was still lying helplessly on the floor. 

"Take her away and get her cleaned."

No!

Taylor didn't want to be left alone with Logan, for fear that he would grope her or worse.

"Oh and Logan? Try not to maim that pretty face or voice. We want to get every single penny from the Alpha."