Chapter 1

Elsie's POV

A hand with wicked-looking claws sliced through the air toward me. I felt the rush of wind against my skin and only ducked at the last second. I could have moved sooner, but I loved the thrill of the danger. It made my blood hum.

Staying low, I swiped my short wooden sticks, the ones I used to mimic my twin-fang blades, and delivered a series of rapid hits to my opponent's torso. Each strike landed with a satisfying thwack against muscle.

Theo fell to his knees with a groan, clutching his ribs. "How do you pack so much strength into that small body?" he wheezed, looking up at me with a mix of pride and pain.

I gave him a playful wink and tucked the sticks into my belt. "It’s a secret, brother."

I reached out and grabbed his hand, helping him back to his feet. Theo was my immediate older brother, and out of all my siblings, he was the only one brave—or foolish—enough to spar with me in secret. He brushed the dirt off his trousers and looked at the sky. The orange and purple hues of the sunset were bleeding into deep indigo.

"We should return before Father finds you here," Theo said, his voice dropping into a worried tone. "You know it always gets on his nerves when you’re out here. If I get punished because of this..."

I huffed, crossing my arms. "Don’t remind me. Also I’m allowed to have fun every once in a while."

"Tell that to our Father," he muttered.

Just then, a young pup from the village came running toward our training clearing. He was moving as fast as his little legs could carry him, shouting in a high-pitched, sing-song voice.

"Elsie! Gamma Willow is looking for you! Elsie!"

Theo gave me a look that clearly said now we are in trouble. I let out a long, heavy sigh. My father could have used the mind-link to reach us, but he usually didn't when he was truly angry. Using a messenger was his way of letting the whole pack know I was in trouble. Again.

"Let's go," I said.

We started speed-walking back. Theo hoisted the young boy onto his shoulders to move faster. Before long, the thick treeline opened up, and we emerged into the heart of our community.

The Sunset Pack was a place that could be called a town. We had rows of neat wooden houses, communal dining halls, and a massive central square where pups were currently chasing each other. A wide expanse of forest surrounded us, a natural fortress that our warriors guarded with their lives. We bordered a friendly neighboring pack, and for the most part, life was peaceful.

The downside? There was no such thing as privacy. Everyone knew everyone’s business. As we walked through the square, I could feel the eyes of the older she-wolves on me. They probably thought I looked a mess with my tangled hair and dirt-smudged face.

Our house stood somewhere close to the middle of the village. As we approached the porch, I saw the silhouette of a man. My father was standing with his back to us, his posture rigid and imposing. He was the Gamma and the head warrior, a man whose presence alone could quiet a room.

He turned slowly, pinning us with a glare that felt like lead.

"Where have you been?" he asked. His voice was low, vibrating with authority.

Theo stepped forward, his head bowed slightly. "I'm sorry, Father, we were just—"

"I wasn't asking you, Theo," Father interrupted sharply. "Go inside. I will deal with you later."

Theo’s shoulders slumped. He gave me one last sympathetic glance before disappearing into the house. I stood my ground, though my heart was beating fast against my ribs.

Father raised a silver-streaked eyebrow. "Well?"

"I just went to exercise a bit," I said, trying to sound casual.

He scowled, stepping off the porch to loom over me. "Is that what combat training is called now? Exercise?"

"We just did a bit of sparring, Dad. It’s not a big deal."

"It is a big deal, Elsie," he snapped. "Is this what you should be doing as a young female? You don't help your mother in the kitchen. You refuse to join the unmated females on Jolly Days. You’ve turned down every match I’ve tried to make for you. Why are you doing this?"

I resisted the urge to snort or roll my eyes. Jolly Days were the bane of my existence. It was a tradition where all the single girls spent the day dolling themselves up, singing cringe-worthy songs, and parading around like cattle in hopes of catching a male’s eye. It had become a necessity since fated mates became a thing of the past, but to me, it felt like a circus. I didn’t want to be picked based on how well I could braid my hair or how high I could sing. I wanted to be respected for what I could do with a blade.

"I do it because I love to fight," I said, my voice firm despite the guilt gnawing at me. "I’m good at it. Better than more than half the recruits."

"That is a man's duty!" he bellowed, his face reddening.

"You taught me how to do it though!" I retorted.

"For self-defense, woman!" he shouted back. "Not so you could turn it into a lifestyle! You are a daughter of the Gamma. People look at you and see a girl who refuses to grow up. I want you to have a stable life. A home. A mate who can protect you."

I looked at him—this big, stubborn man who smelled like pine needles and home. I knew he loved me. In his mind, he was protecting me from a world that was getting more dangerous by the day. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest. I only came up to his shoulder, making me feel even smaller than I already was.

"Don't be angry, okay?" I murmured. "I just wanted to train a bit."

I felt his heavy, angry breathing gradually slow down. He sighed, a sound of pure defeat, and rested a large hand on top of my head.

"What will I do with this daughter of mine?" he muttered into the quiet evening air.

Looking back now, I really should have been suspicious of that tone. 

Dinner was a quiet affair at first. My mother, beautiful and graceful as always, kept casting worried looks between Father and me. My brothers, Dalton and Theo, kept their heads down, focused on their plates. Dalton was the oldest, already a decorated warrior, while Theo was still finding his footing.

Once the plates were cleared and we were all seated around the heavy oak table, Father cleared his throat. He sat at the head, his hands folded in front of him.

"I have an announcement to make," he said.

The room went dead silent. Even the crickets outside seemed to stop chirping. We all looked at him expectantly. Father took a slow breath, his eyes meeting mine for a brief, heavy second before he looked at the rest of the family.

"I have arranged for Elsie to be mated," he said, his voice echoing in the small room. "She will be paired with the Alpha’s son, Oliver. The ceremony will happen in two days."

It felt like the air had been sucked out of my lungs. My hands trembled underneath the table. 

"Oliver?" I whispered, the name tasting like poison.

Oliver was the Alpha’s only son, and he was a complete dickhead. He was arrogant, lazy, and treated women like they were disposable. He spent most of his time drinking and bragging about a strength he hadn't actually earned. The thought of being tied to him, of being forced to submit to his whims for the rest of my life, made my stomach turn.

My eyes popped with another dose of shock. This was a deadly trap.

"Two days?" I repeated, my voice rising. My lips curled in total distaste as I stared at my father. "You can't be serious."

"It is settled, Elsie," Father said, his face hardening back into the Gamma who demanded obedience. "It is a good match for the pack, and it will give you the structure you clearly lack."

I looked around the table. My mother looked down at her hands. Dalton looked away. Only Theo looked at me with horror, but he didn't say a word.

Like hell I’m getting mated to Oliver. I would die before that happens.