PROLOGUE

-NIA’S POV-

The twilight crept steadily closer.

A loud crashing sound came from the living room. The freshly washed white porcelain plate slipped from my hands to the hardwood floor, shattering as I bolted from the kitchen. I stared in horror at the scene.

The front door of my condor was kicked off its hinges. Wood splinters flew over the living room and a fuming forty-five-year-old man appeared.

Standing at the threshold is an unkempt, buff outline of a man. His chest heaved with fists clenched. Disheveled, he was attired in a beige Henley neck short-sleeve shirt and black jeans, his flaming blue eyes roamed inside my apartment.

“Where is he?” He ruffled a hand through his black, layered, messy-flow hair, taking threatening steps towards me.

“What do you mean? Why did you burst down my door like that?” I brushed a long, black strand behind my ears and pointed at the chips of wood.

“Nia Ravanore, I know he’s here.” The older man retorted, peeking through the small passageway to my closed-off bedroom. “I warned you to stay away from him!”

“Is this about Dalton again?” I crossed my hands and tilted my head with a stern look. “He’s taking a shower.”

“Go and tell him to come out, now!” He demanded, taking two steps past my almond-linen, upholstered sleeper sofa. The reek of alcohol reached my nostrils.

I wrinkled my nose and sighed. This man will never stop. Walking up to him, I extended a hand to touch his arm.

He shrugged off my hand and pointed a reprimanding finger at me. “Don’t think you will get me to shut up this time.”

A rich enticing scent drifted through the air and I spun around to see my attractive mate. Sexy as hell, Dalton’s 6’3 lean frame emerged from my bedroom. His chiseled body was shirtless. He was in striped boxers with hands flicking through the brushed-up part of his low, fade blonde hair. Seeing our angry visitor, he paused at the end of the passage and leaned against the wall, high on alert.

“Father-in-law,” Dalton greeted, smirking haughtily. His dark smile was both stunning and unnerving at once. He was perfect and everything I wanted in a man.

Immediately, I blocked my father’s path. “Dad, stop this. You’ve been drinking and you’re not thinking clearly.”

He roughly pushed me to the left. I stumbled backwards. Dalton growled, instantly coming up behind me and holding my waist, stabling me.

“Stanton, you need to leave before you piss me the hell off.” Dalton snarled. I swiveled and stroked his chest to calm him.

“You ―” Dad snapped at his Alpha. “― you are the problem! You keep fucking that whore behind my daughter’s back and I will not stand aside and watch you hurt my daughter!”

Dalton sneered, tall and authoritative, staring down at him. “You are certified. The only reason you aren’t in a dungeon is because she’s my mate.”

Instantly, my father charged forward. Dalton brushed my hand away to accept the challenge, lunging towards him. Panicking, I lurched between these two large men. My palms braced against two taut chests like walls closing in on me.

“Dad, please! You are ruining my relationship.” I glared at him as they both swung muscular arms at each other and dodged punches.

One of Dad’s fists almost smashed my nose. He was too angry to see reason. “Nia, he’s not being real with you. He doesn’t love you sweetheart, and it breaks my heart that you let him use you. Let me kill him. Just let me take him out.”

Dalton's cobalt blue eyes narrowed, and his lips curled up into a wicked scowl. His heated aura plummeted through the living room but my father and I didn’t cower.

“Dad, he’s our Alpha, and he’s my mate.” I implored, wanting the argument to end. “If he was cheating, I’d be feeling the betrayal pain in the mate bond.”

“Nia’s a big girl.” Dalton backed off with hands up in the air. I caught a whiff of hope, although he was heaving with wrath. “She can take care of herself.”

My father has my full attention with my palms shoving at his chest. I wanted him gone. Dad lowered his clenched hands. His jaws were tensed and a vein in his forehead throbbed. I started to worry that this time, I might not be able to de-escalate the situation.

“Stanton! Look at the mess you made!” It was Mom to the rescue. Thank the goddess!

She surprised us as she stood stylishly dressed in a vineyard green pencil dress with black heels at the threshold of the doorway, assessing the damage. The deep frown on her face and disapproving tangerine eyes could not depreciate her radiance. Her brunette hair and bangs did not help to conceal the anger that she was masking.

Dad’s features promptly slacken. He spun around to glance at his beloved, tampering his rage a bit. He scratched the back of his neck and sheepishly excused himself, “Nia wouldn’t let me in if I had knocked.”

“That’s because you are causing drama in their relationship.” Mom walked up to Dad, taking his right hand and holding it on her bosom. She cocked her head to the side, her eyes softened with all the love in the world as she caressed his cheek until his shoulders drooped. Glancing over his shoulder, Mom apologized. “Alpha, I’m sorry about this. Please don’t let this affect how you see our daughter. She’s a good kid, but my mate is having a hard time letting her go.”

Dalton slowly calmed down, hugging me around the waist and burying his nose in my neck. He sniffed my scent to simmer down his alpha wolf. “I wouldn’t give her up for the world.”

Mom smiled. Relief washed me and I took a deep breath.

Dad turned sideways to hiss at Dalton. “Why haven’t you introduced Nia to the pack? Why is it that no one but us knows that you’ve found your mate? Your mother doesn’t even know Nia saved her life! And just yesterday ―”

“Dad, stop!” I yelled. Enough already!

Thankfully, Dalton was too immersed in my scent to be riled up. His hands clutched my waist tighter as his death glare centered on the other man. His tickling breathing was hot and heavy on my skin.

“She’s not ashamed to let you meet her parents, so when will my daughter meet yours?” Dad barked with ghastly insinuations and Mom had to hold him back. His worried blues found my orange orbs. “He’s got another Luna. He won’t tell you, so I will. Don’t let him in.” Dad shook his head and I understood his meaning. He gritted, “Don’t let him have all of you.”

With a vehement tug, Mom pulled Dad’s hands, dragging him past the sofa. “We are leaving. Your Dad will pay for the damage. Enjoy your evening, Alpha. Again, I’m so sorry.”

As she took Dad with her, he grumbled under his breath, swearing to kill the Alpha.

Even though they disappeared, Dalton’s grip on my waist tightened. I winced, feeling his nails piercing through my polka-dotted halter top.

“Baby, you are hurting me.” I groaned out. Uncomfortably, my heart lurched in my throat.

Waking from his daze, Dalton’s hands released me. I turned to him, hugging him and resting my head on his broad shoulders.

“Dad needs time,” I whispered, hoping Dalton would continue to understand that he was an overprotective father.

It’s been like this for three months now. Dalton and I have been together for six months in total. We are fated mate and I stem from a Beta bloodline. Our pack is Boulderfist where we grew up around each other.

We’ve mated a million times. In fact, we were in love. It was my Dad that was the issue and Dalton hated his constant interference with our relationship. That is why he hasn’t marked me as yet.

As per Dad's incessant accusations, the mate bond would prove Dalton's cheating ass by causing excruciating pain in my chest. My heart would hurt severely and palpitate like a ticking time bomb.

Therefore, I did not believe my father, but I have drawn one conclusion. It was obvious that my father still thought of me as his little girl.

Dalton ceased embracing me. He palmed my face, tilting my head back so that his hard cobalt blue eyes locked on mine.

“You want to be Luna, but you can’t control your own family.” He barked, his finger sinking deeper into my cheeks. “How can you lead a pack?”

I was taken aback by his cold words. “W-well I ―”

“I’m getting sick and tired of your excuses for that man.” He snarled, fangs flashing at my face in warning. The tinge of anger in his voice sent a coil of dread inside of me. “I need a drink.”

Where was all of this coming from? I gawked in disbelief and watched him head to the bedroom.

“Maybe we could have a family dinner with your parents and mine. I’m sure that would make Dad feel better to be around his old friend.” I suggested, right on his heels. “I would love that too.”

I heard a snicker when he entered the room, “That’s not going to happen.”

“But―”

He swung around and silenced my protest. “No!” His deep voice vibrated throughout my whole body, causing my hands to tremble anxiously.

Standing motionless at the threshold, I gulped down the painful bile that was rising in my throat. Both fear and shock overtook me. An angry Alpha was the worst kind of wolf to be around.

“That man is always accusing me of something. Are you trash-talking about me with him?” His face took on a haunted expression, dark and devious.

Lost for words, I vehemently shook my head.

He sauntered to the red armchair where I had neatly folded his clothes and kicked a leg off. “What are you plotting behind my back, huh? Do you think that I will not throw you into the same dungeon with him if you betray me?”

My body grew tense to the point of shaking. He was angry and spewing nonsense that he didn’t mean. So, I kept my mouth shut as he continued to yell at me.

“If you are lying to me your fate will be worse than death.” He spat, threateningly and took up his casual denim shirt, crumpling it in his hand.

My heart stuttered to a halt, making the blood drain from my face. “I have no reason to lie.” I quaked. I haven’t done anything to deserve these threats.

His crisped cobalt blues leered at me. “I’ve had it up to here with him.” He sliced a hand at his neck. “Should I be fed up with you too?” He jerked the hand that held his shirt at me. “Is that how you’ll become ― a nagging and annoying mate?”

A folded white paper from one of the pockets fell under the bed. I was about to tell him, but his waspish words astounded me.

“Answer me!”

“No.” I’ve treated him with the utmost respect and all the love that I could give.

He flapped out the shirt and threw his arms through the sleeves. He did not bother to button it up. “This is your last warning. I’ll fucking kill him if he does this shit again.” He swore, menacingly.

“That isn't a rational reason for murder.” I defended, feeling deeply stressed.

Grabbing his white, ripped jeans, he flashed it on. “All I want is to enjoy my woman.”

Possessiveness dominated his blue eyes and he walked over to me. Aggressive fingers smashed my cheeks, puckering my lips.

“You are mine and mine alone.” Leaning down, his rough lips crashed on mine. It was a bruising kiss that took what he wanted, barely allowing me to catch the pace. He pulled away with jet-black eyes evident that his wolf was peeking through.

“Stay with me.” Tears welled at the base of my eyes because I wanted us to work this out. I didn’t want him to leave with hostility between us.

“You have to decide who you need in your life more, me or him. Call me when you make up your mind.” Just like that, he stormed out of my apartment.

Watching him leave was like a knife to the gut. I ran to the window to look down on the streetside where he parked his garnet Ford Mustang. He swung open the driver’s door and jumped inside, slamming it close.

Wait a minute.

Isn’t that yellow Honda Fit behind his, Brooke’s car? Dalton’s parents gifted it to her on her last birthday. I wondered why she didn’t come up.

Anyway, both vehicles drove off. The mate bond burned like acid as the Mustang disappeared on a right turn. The basic fibers that bound my blood and bone cried.

Looking away from the window, I glimpsed the paper under the bed and took it up. I unfolded it.

It was an ultrasound.

-