Mara
I climb the steps to my father’s mansion with heavy legs.
Haley, my best and probably only friend, dropped me off at the gate because Lucas, my mate, won’t allow me to drive.
The guard refused to let Haley in, and I was forced to walk up the kilometre long driveway, while my bruised and battered body screamed out in agony.
I haven’t been home in two years. Today is my twenty-first birthday, and my father wanted to see me for the first time since I married Lucas Mattfield - the future Alpha of Red Ridge.
I am in a sad state. I’m only allowed to eat once a day - Lucas wants a hot wife - and last night I took a particularly brutal beating. It was one of the worst he’d ever given me, and he laughed the whole time.
I think it’s one of the reasons my father refuses to see me. I’m always covered in fresh and healing bruises now, and he can’t stand to look at the thing he had done to me.
On the night of our wedding, Lucas took me into the bond room - the place where newly wed couples have sex to seal their bond - and proceeded to beat me black and blue. When he was done, he threw me on the bed and violently took my virginity.
He dragged me out of the bond room and presented me to my father, as is the custom, with blood streaming down my legs and my face beaten to a pulp. “Thank you for my mate, Douglas,” he said. “I’ll be sure to enjoy her.”
Lucas wanted to send both our fathers a message. He was pissed. He didn’t want to marry me, and I didn’t want to marry him. Our fathers set the whole thing up. It still amazes me that Lucas could not see that I was as trapped and unhappy as he was.
My father looked at me, then at Lucas, said, “May she give you many, healthy sons,” and left.
In the years since, it has only gotten worse and worse. Every day that Lucas is with me, is another reminder to him that an Omega owns his pack, and he can’t stand it.
Sometimes, the only break I get from the constant beatings and stream of verbal assaults is when Lucas is forced to attend a meeting at BioGen - my father’s biomedical engineering company.
Douglas Smith, once an unassuming pack wolf, Omega, genius, and my father, started that company from scratch and single-handedly saved Red Ridge from financial ruin. Everyone, from the humans in the bordering town, to the wolves in our pack works for my father.
The current Alpha and future Alphas for generations to come, will always be indebted to my family.
And they hate it. Being forced to marry an Omega’s daughter so the pack won’t lose their cash cow, was an insult to Lucas’s pride.
With a sigh, I press the doorbell and wait for Ira, the butler, to open the door. I am just a guest now, and I have to announce myself like everyone else.
The door flies open and Lucas looms over me, his amber eyes flashing in the gloom of the foyer. “What took you so long?”
My heart almost stops beating and a knot forms in the pit of my stomach. Why is he here? “Sorry,” I mumble and keep my eyes on the marble floor.
My mate’s fist disappears into my stomach. All the air whooshes from my lungs, and I fold in half, unable to breathe. “Well…come in,” he says as if nothing has happened.
I grab the doorframe and force myself to stand up straight as I gasp for air and try to keep my tears at bay.
Lucas hates it when I cry.
My head spins as I step into the familiar house. I grew up here, but I can never come back. My father made that much clear on my wedding night when he turned his back on me and left me with Lucas.
I quietly follow him through the mansion, trying not to make a sound as every step sends shockwaves of pure agony rattling through my body.
I’m not healing anymore. Aria, my wolf, has gone silent and Lucas forbids me to shift. Even on the full moon, when the shift is inevitable, he makes sure I can’t shift by forcing some kind of potion down my throat that puts Aria to sleep.
I haven’t felt her for months now. She’s so weak, and as a result so am I.
We walk into my father’s impressive parlour. Alpha Kyson, my father, Haley, Donovan, her mate, and a man I don’t know, all look up at the same time.
I focus my gaze on Haley. Not twenty minutes ago, I watched her drive away. Why is she here?
Everyone has a glass of champagne in their hands and looks ecstatic. All of them except for Donovan. I manage to catch his eye and he woefully shakes his head at me. He holds up his left hand to show me that his wedding ring is gone.
This can’t be good. But things rarely are these days.
“Fantastic news, Mara!” Alpha Kyson exclaims. “Your bond with Lucas will be dissolved.”
My heart does a little flip-flop of excitement, but when I look at my father my joy evaporates.
“You have been married for two years, and haven’t produced an heir,” Kyson says. “That entitles Lucas to abjure you and take a new mate.”
I let out a fluttery little breath. I’ve been buying an illegal and very dangerous birth control potion on the black market. I told Haley about it, but no one else knows.
“Why have you not produced an heir, Mara?” my father asks, his loud voice booming around the parlour.
“I- I don’t know,” I lie.
“I’m very disappointed in you,” he declares.
“Haley is pregnant with my child,” Lucas says without a hint of embarrassment. “She has agreed to marry me.”
This time, I think I black out for a few seconds. A low buzz starts to echo in my ears. Haley?
I glance at Donovan who looks like he’d rather be eaten alive by alligators than be here right now.
My head begins to spin and I can’t seem to pull any air into my lungs. I blindly start to feel around for a chair but can’t find one.
“All is not lost,” my father announces. “Alpha Johnathan Banks of Haven’s Crest will take you as his mate.”
Out of the frying pan and into the fire I go. “What?” I ask.
The unknown man steps forward as if summoned. “Hi, Mara,” he says in a warm, friendly voice. “I’m Beta Preston. Alpha Johnathan sent me to pay your bride price, and bring you to your new home.”
I’m so confused. He already sold me to someone else? I look from the Beta to my father. “Why are you doing this?”
“What did you think would happen?” my father asks. “You have a responsibility to produce an heir. You failed.”
The law. If a she-wolf can’t give her mate an heir, he can abjure her and demand compensation for his loss from her father.
I bargained on this. It was my only way out of that hell of a marriage, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon.
Or that my father would sell me to another Alpha.
Knowing that my father cares so little about me almost crushes the last bit of life out of me, but I refuse to die. I’ll go on living simply to spite these assholes.
Haley’s betrayal cuts far deeper. So deep that I can’t bear to look at the wound. With tears in my eyes, I stare up at Preston. I’ve never heard of this Alpha Johnathan or Haven’s Crest. “He doesn’t want me. I can’t have children,” I say in a low whisper.
It might be my only way out. The way I feel now, I’d rather go rogue than marry yet another wolf who’ll use me as his personal punching bag.
“It doesn’t matter,” Preston answers. “He doesn’t want you for your childbearing abilities.”
“Why does he want me? I’m just an Omega.”
“What are you doing, Mara?” my father hisses through gritted teeth. “The deal is done.”
“There’s no need for that, Mister Smith,” The Beta says and gives me the warmest, most genuine smile I’ve seen in a long time. “Alpha Banks wants you for the same reason any Alpha wants a mate. Our pack is in need of a Luna.”
“I…” I catch a glimpse of my father’s disapproving eyes and shut my mouth.
“I disown you as my daughter,” my father says in a chillingly cold voice. “You are removed from my care.”
As he did on my wedding night, my father turns his back on me and walks over to the bay windows overlooking the gardens.
“Mara Smith,” Alpha Kyson says. “You are banished. Red Ridge is your pack no longer. You are not welcome here. You may not shift with us or hunt with us.”
Before I can even recover, Lucas takes his turn. “I Lucas Mattfield, future Alpha of Red Ridge, abjure you Mara Smith, daughter of Douglas Smith. My protection and love is yours no more. I will call you mine no longer.”
“I accept,” I croak.
It is a lot to deal with all at once. I’m not Lucas’s fated mate, but I can still feel the agony of the breaking bond. It’s as if someone’s carving my heart apart with a rusty blade.
I start to sway as darkness creeps up on me.
The last face I see is Haley's, then the world simply blinks out of existence.
MaraI wake to the sound of tyres humming softly on the tarmac, the woodsy scent of Beta Preston’s cologne in my nose, and the more flowery lavender scent of a woman. Frowning, I sit upright and look out of the windshield of the moving SUV. Ahead of us is a long, deserted road and the setting sun.I have no idea where we are. Red Ridge must be far behind us. I’ve never seen anything so empty and desolate in all my life. The world here is flat, with nothing but the road and grasslands as far as the eye can see. How long was I out?“Hello lovely,” a chirpy voice says from the front seat. “Did yeh have a good sleep?”I look over at the platinum blonde sitting in the passenger seat. She’s in her mid-twenties. Her make-up is heavy, and she’s dressed in a tight, red dress that leaves little to the imagination. All I manage in way of an answer is a croak.“Give her some water,” Beta Preston says, his voice deep and even.He’s a handsome man, with salt and pepper hair, hazel eyes, and a bea
MaraI stare in wonder at the winding road ahead of us. It disappears around several bends, leading all the way to the top of the mountain, and the town of Haven’s Crest.Who the hell builds an entire town on the top of a mountain?We crawl up the road. There’s literally nothing between us and a sheer drop into the canyon below, but it’s idyllic, with the green mountain rising up against the bright blue sky. Cotton candy clouds drift in the azure heavens.As we round one of the many dangerous bends, a waterfall comes into view. Rainbows dance in the misty water that vanishes into the pond below. “Wow,” I gasp.“Pretty, ain’t it?” Rhoda says with a soft laugh.I can’t tear my eyes away from the beautiful scenery. It’s like a postcard sent from some exotic place I never knew existed. Far below and in the distance, a blue lake glimmers in the bright sun. At long last, we reach the top. A massive white and black sign welcomes us to *Haven’s Crest - A home for every soul.*I smile wryly. H
Mara“Your father asked me to take you off his hands,” Johnathan says in a straightforward, almost bored voice. “Actually, he put you on the open market. There was a fierce bidding war for you.”My eyes almost bulge out of my skull and fresh tears burn my throat. How could my father do that to me? He did not put me on that market to sell me to an Alpha. It’s a slave market where wolves sell their used up wives or unwanted daughters. Most end up as breeders or prostitutes in the wolf pleasure houses.“Everyone thought you came with an inheritance and that you were worth the investment,” Johnathan goes on.I have no idea how much he paid for me, but my father would not have settled for anything less than the compensation Kysan and Lucas demanded. “My father disowned me,” I whisper. “You won’t get your money back.”“I know. Preston told me.” His eyes slide over my ravaged face. “That is not why I bought you. You do not need to fear me,” he says and leans over to take one of the drinks. “
JohnathanI take out my phone and pull up the listing for Mara. She has been removed from the site, but I screenshot it right before the auction came to an end.I spent roughly half the money in my bank account on her. It’s way more than I can afford to waste on a she-wolf. I did not need someone like Mara. Technically, I can take any mate and declare her my Luna for my pack to be recognised by the council. But I wanted Mara.Establishing a new pack takes a lot of money. Money I don’t have. The modern world destroyed a lot of packs. Humans are encroaching on our territories, and to keep the unknowns, as we call them, out, we have to buy the land that has been our homes for centuries. The human authorities who are aware of our existence also keep increasing our taxes. They are convinced we’re rich even though most of us don’t even have a pot to piss in.Douglas used the word heiress in Mara’s listing, knowing that a lot of Alphas are struggling to get by now and would jump at the chanc
Mara I thought I’d enjoy my excursion into town with Rhoda, but I’ve been isolated for so long that all the people made me nervous. Everyone seemed to know who I am. People stopped me to introduced themselves, welcomed me to the town, and asked me if I’m happy to be here, when the wedding would be, if I like the Alpha, and wanted to know who bruised me up. Who dared to touch a hair on our Luna’s pretty little head? Is your father happy with the new arrangement? All questions I couldn’t answer, or didn’t want to answer Rhoda was no help. She basked in the attention. Or perhaps people here are just like that and she’s so used to it that she didn't even notice. I couldn’t quite figure out which one of the two it was. By the time we made it back to the mansion, I was exhausted and ready to crawl into a hole. There was a time, not so long ago when I think about it, that I enjoyed going out. I was popular in school - no doubt because of my father's money - and I had no shortage of in
MaraThe dining room is one of the smallest places I’ve seen so far. It’s big enough to hold a six-seater table, carved by hand like everything else, a sideboard and serving trolley piled high with food and plates.There’s enough room to move around, but no one’s going to throw any lavish parties in here. I get the feeling that it’s Johnathan’s private dining room, but somewhere in this massive mansion there must be some kind of reception hall for parties. Wolves love to throw parties.Preston is sitting at the end of the table with a lovely blonde woman next to him. She’s dressed comfortably in a strappy sundress. I remember when I was able to wear clothes like that. Jealousy tucks at my heart - not because the girl is a hundred times more beautiful than I am, but because she has the kind of freedom I’ve forgotten.“Hello,” she chirps and sits upright. “I’m Ally, Preston’s mate. You are Mara right?”I nod and smile at her. Like everyone else in Haven’s Crest, she’s almost uncomfortab
JohnathanI don’t usually like it when my schedule and routines are interrupted, but I’m not completely inflexible. Rules and structure are the most important things in life, but rigidity can shatter even the most carefully constructed framework.Normally, I go up to Gregory's room a few minutes before nine o’clock to tell him a bedtime story, then I tuck him in for the night. At exactly nine, I turn off his light and switch on the nightlight. I then head to the pool where I have a cocktail to unwind before I head up to bed at eleven.Everything in my life, personal and professional, runs according to a very strict schedule and set of routines. I can set my clock to it.Tonight, however, I allow Mara to tell Gregory his story while I stand outside his bedroom and shamelessly listen it. It’s a story about a young man who has to go on a series of adventures to save his family from an evil witch.I smile. The story might be a little too grown up for Gregory to fully understand, but Mara i
JohnathanMara gasps and jumps up, spilling half her drink all over her new dress. She puts the glass down and tries to clean herself with a napkin, but she's only making it worse. Sighing in frustration, Mara throws the napkin on the table and gives me an apologetic look.With an amused expression on her face, Felicity cocks her head at my companion. “I see you got yourself a new slut.”“Hey. No,” I say quickly. “She’s my future mate.”We have an uncomfortable truce with the vampires who live here. They agreed to follow my rules and laws, and in exchange I respect their traditions and way of life. We agreed not to kill each other and enter into a devastating war that will destroy all of us.With the current assault on supernaturals, none of us can afford to be at odds with each other. It’s a matter of finding a way to work together, or all of us will die. The humans aren’t fucking around, and they are far better killers than we’ll ever be.“Oh, a mate,” Felicity says sarcastically. “T
MaraMy heart fills with pity for the poor human who gave his life for the humans' misguided cause. I am not even sure he volunteered. He probably didn’t even know what he came up here to do.I can feel him. All his emotions. He's so very scared.Although, I am still wondering how the fuck he made it up here. Even Johnathan couldn’t do it, and if Oberon and Kahn are to believe, Johnathan can climb up trees and mountains like a cat.I kneel next to the human, and hover my hand over him, trying to find the energy he’s emanating, but it’s something new and foreign. It’s partly supernatural, but it has all been manipulated by human hands. “What do we do with it?” Kalypso asks. “Do we kill it or…” she shrugs, letting her words hang in the air.“I think we should attempt to disable it, and bring it with us. Study it,” Johnathan throws his two cents in the hat. “We do have scientists in town. Maybe we can find out what kind of… thing it is. What makes it tick. We can… dissect it, I suppose.
MaraThe trek to the foot of the mountain is relatively easy, if a bit difficult due to the rain. The neat footpaths have turned into little rivers that stream past our feet, dragging mud, leaves, and other mountain debris with it.The paths are as slippery as snot, and we fall down often, landing face or butt first in a mud pie or a puddle of water. Everytime it happens, we laugh until we can’t breathe. It’s not funny, considering where we’re going, but the laughter helps to ease our growing tension.The closer we get to the mountain though, the more I expect Johnathan to call off our search and retrieve mission, but it looks like he’s actually having fun. And as a result, so am I. It's a stark reminder of how much our respective moods wrap off on one another.I burn with guilt when I remember how I behaved. How hard it must have been for him to pretend nothing was wrong, while he basically had to walk on eggshells around me.Never, ever again, will I do that to him if I can help it.
JohnathanI’m not even sure where to start. The humans never breached our magical defences, but it’s possible that one managed to sneak by. The one carrying the weapon perhaps.There is no way to communicate with the gods. Not that they’re very talkative on their best days, but at least I knew I could ask for help, and more often than not, they'd answer. Not in words, but they'd show me the way - like Father Patrick's God supposedly shows him the way.Now I have nowhere to turn. The gods can't hear me, can't help us. We are well and truly on our own.I glance at Mara who is snug in her raincoat. She did not gripe or refuse to come outside with me, but she insisted on wearing a raincoat and galoshes. “I prefer snow,” she said as we got ready to head outside. “It’s cold, but at least it’s solid.”“What happens to the snow when it starts to melt?”“Mud.” She held up one of the galoshes. “That’s why we had these.”I laughed and swung her around into a hug. “You have an answer for everyth
JohnathanI get up and walk over to the door where I know Preston is waiting for me. One look at him, and I know he heard the entire conversation. His eyes are dark, filled with rage. It's not so much just because Pia is a shit mother, but because all of us suffered a wolf like her at one point or another. The callous disregard for her daughters hits home for all of us. “Please escort Pia back to the hotel. She will be stripped of her rank. She is to receive no special treatment. No Omega will serve her. She will serve the warrior Lunae instead.”“Yes, King,” Preston says.“Move her to a servant room on the ground floor. I want a guard on her twenty-four-seven, and her windows are to be barred with silver so she can’t escape.”My Beta nods. He doesn’t approve of my light sentence. Just like Oberon, he'd rather see Pia dead. Death is a release, not a punishment, and unless I can help it, I prefer not to give people such an easy out. Despite everything Pia had done, despite the pain
MaraThe people file from the library, including the vampires and Johnathan’s two advisors. “Come here, Pia,” Johnathan orders.My mother folds her arms under her breasts and gives Johnathan a defiant look. “I don’t take orders from men.”My mate slams the sturdy table so hard that it cracks down the middle. “You will do as you are told. Get over here. Now.” His tone is hard. Final.It sends a shockwave of pure delight down my spine. A few months ago, this version of Johnathan would have scared me. I would have hidden from him. Only now do I realise that he made himself softer on purpose, all so I’d learn that there’s no need to fear him.He talks about the blessing I am to him all the time, but I don’t think I’ve ever told him how much he means to me. What a blessing he has been for me. He took all my broken pieces, and patiently, lovingly, glued them back together with gold.I have been selfish, hiding in the folds of his love, using that same love as my shield, while he had to carr
MaraI sit quietly next to Rose who is regarding the proceedings with lively eyes. Pia is here, but Johnathan made her sit in the corner like a naughty child. I look at her, searching for the love I used to have, but it's all gone. The warm spot my mother used to occupy is now cold and dead./Kalypso, Oberon, Ilse, two women I’ve never seen before, Kahn, Preston and Donovan are all here, gathered around a round table in the library. It was the only place we could prepare on such short notice.Jonathan goes around the table and introduces everyone. He points to the first stranger sitting next to Kalypso, “Cora, leader of the changelings,” he says, and next to her, “Aurora, high priestess of the witch coven.”Cora shakes her head. Her long, blonde hair rattles and she changes into a little girl no older than five. She giggles and changes back. Changelings give me the heebie-jeebies. It’s said their true appearance is quite terrifying, but apparently their men find them irresistible an
JohnathanI never liked going to the temple, but tonight I dread it even more than usual. I’ve never gone in there during the normal full moon. I don’t know what effect it will have on me... on Kahn.But most of all, I fear that we’ll get there and the Goddess will be gone. The thought of going through the war without the gods by our side fills me with dread. Even with the gods, we're having a hard time fighting them.What will happen if they're completely gone?They must still hear our prayers. When the humans attacked, I begged for their help, and it came in the form of a deep, impenetrable fog.“What if the fog was the humans’ weapon?” Dante asks.Fuck.Shit on a stick.He’s probably right.“But the rain stopped. I very much doubt the humans have the ability to control the rain.”“You don’t know that,” my wolf offers up his unhelpful opinion.Great. Everything’s fucked. I don’t know what to believe anymore. I don’t know what comes from the humans and what are the gods’ doing. Who
JohnathanMara falls asleep under me. Her hands gradually slowing and eventually stopping completely. Her ragged breathing evens out, becomes deep and peaceful.She will have nightmares for a while. Unlike last time, she wouldn’t go into detail about the things she saw in her vision. I don’t know if she wanted to spare me, or if she was just overwhelmed, but my money's on the former. I can’t imagine that the things she saw were pleasant, and she wants to protect me the same way I try to protect her.I roll off my mate and pull her into my arms, holding her tight and close, hoping that my touch will be enough to keep the monsters away.“Johnathan,” Kahn whispers at the window.I’m surprised I even heard him over the noise of the rain and through the closed window no less. It’s getting wild out there. The wind is picking up, and the waters pour from the heavens non-stop. “What do you want?” I hiss back.“We really need to talk about what Mara saw.”Now is a really bad time. I have no d
MaraJohnathan rubs his hands over his eyes, and pinches the bridge of his nose. Something he does, I’ve come to learn, when he’s tired and feeling overwhelmed, though he’ll never admit to it.At long last, he empties his glass and nods. “So Donovan and Haley make peace some time in the future?” he asks.It has nothing to do with what I’ve said, but I guess he’s not ready to face the big demons yet. “I guess, but the child… he wasn’t there.”“Shit,” Johnathan grunts.“Maybe I just didn’t see him.”Johnathan turns his face away and scratches his head. “Tell me about our daughter?”For some inexplicable reason, my heart swells and my eyes fill with tears. I don’t know what happens between then and now, but I know I love that little girl. I also know that I was terrified that I’ll lose her.When we ran for the temple, I kept praying to the Goddess, begging her not to take another one. There’s no way I can explain this to Johnathan though. I don’t want him to know. “She is beautiful,” I