One

Kiara’s POV

“Are you forcing me to marry him?” I asked my father when he did not drop the subject of Alpha Ralph’s son. Dad ran a hand through his thick dark hair that had started to gray at the temples and gave me an exasperated look.

“Of course, we’re not forcing you. It’s just…” He trailed off and shared a look with my mother. They had been doing that for the past couple of weeks now. Sharing worried looks about me. Part of me knew they’d never force me to wed anyone but with the way things were… I’d had a seed of doubt.

My shoulders relaxed once more but not quite, because there was still that worried furrow in his brows. A trace of anxiousness in my mother's face that she didn’t quite hide no matter how well she tried to.

“I’m not marrying Clifford Brent. I don’t care if you’ve been best friends with his father for years!”

“Raphl and I aren’t best─”

“Dad!” I glared pointedly at him and with a long-suffering sigh, he picked up the file in front of us and dumped it into the ‘permanently rejected’ pile.

He picked another file from the rapidly thinning ‘eligible bachelors’ pile and dropped it before me. I drew it closer to myself and opened it, peering at the latest contender’s picture.

I pursed my lips in distaste then closed the file and pushed it back to the center of the table. “He has a really ugly mole on his nose. Permanently discard!” I decreed. Dad gaped at me in disbelief.

“Do you think this is a joke, Kiara?”

“What? Of course not. Why, do you think I’m not taking this seriously?”

“Because you have thrown out almost every single file I got you without even going past the picture page! And you want me to believe you’re not just acting out?”

I frowned but resisted the urge to sulk yet I look like the child he was subtly accusing me of being. “If I don’t find his face attractive how am I supposed to spend the rest of my life with him? Don’t you like the look of mom’s face?” I shot back.

My mom threw a hand over her mouth to hide a reluctant chuckle and dad looked caught between shouting and laughing at me. “Okay fine. You win this round.”

I stood up and bowed then indulged in a long stretch. “You really don’t need to worry about me, Dad. It’ll be fine. I promise.”

If anything, he looked even more worried at my words and I sighed.

“You know, there’s always Caden…” My mom said from the sofa in my dad’s office. He and I were sitting on the visitor's chair facing each other with the files heaped all around us.

I felt bad for a millisecond then shook it off because despite his efforts to connect me with one of these ‘eligible wolves’ they just weren’t doing anything for me. My mate had to be out there. Wasn’t he?

I was a normal, healthy wolf from a strong bloodline. Even though my mother was human, I’d been born with my powers and I’d developed the way every other wolf pup had, reaching my milestones at the proper age. Except for that of a mate.

Try as I might to socialize and search, I hadn’t found my mate at eighteen like most other wolves. Or at nineteen. Or twenty. I was twenty-three years now and I’d yet to find my mate.

I’d known Caden for years. He was my childhood friend and despite knowing each other for this long, his wolf had never called out to me as strongly as a mate should have.

“Caden is three years younger than me, I certainly wouldn’t have anything to do with him!” She sighed. “Besides, I see him as a friend,” I said with a frown.

It was my turn to let out an exasperated sigh. “Come on guys. What’s going on? You guys promised to let me choose my own mate. Why are you anxious to get me married off now?”

“That promise was made seven years ago. You’re twenty-four now Kiara.”

“Correction, I WILL be twenty-four!” My birthday was tomorrow, but still! “In any case, I’d appreciate it if y’all stop treating me like I’m some burden you need to find a husband to deal with!”

“Kiara come on. That’s not fai─”

“I’m going for a damn run.” I fumed and stomped towards the door. I heard my name but I didn’t turn back. Not even when my father whipped out my full government name. I left the house with a slam of the door and took off into a run, shifting the moment I reached the edge of the forest.

***

I ran through the woods exhilarated at the feel of the wind over my fur. I loved running in this form. It was probably my favorite thing about being a wolf; getting to feel the earth underneath my paws, the wind on my face, and the way colors, sounds, and smells sharpened. It was beautiful.

It was exactly what I needed right now. I hated what my parents had been up to lately and I understood that it was because of political pressures concerning the pack but I hated that too. Why did I have to get married to a man before our pack was considered strong and secure enough to not be challenged? Why was there so much pressure to produce heirs?

‘Where are you?’ A familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. I was so absorbed that it took me a moment to understand.

‘Caden?’ I thought testing our mind link.

‘No, it’s the sandman.' I could almost see him rolling his eyes and I let out a wolfy grin. ‘Where are you? It’s getting late and your mom is getting worried. You know how nervous she is especially with all the news of those─’

‘Vampires.’ I finished for him. ‘I know, I know.’

‘I know you do.’

I sighed internally and because of the link, he heard. 'It's okay. I’ll be back soon.’ I said and ended the mental link, forcing him out of my head.

Fucking Vampires. I hated their freaking existence. I didn’t know how my father could stand to engage in those stupid useless meetings he had with their clan ambassadors. I could barely stand the sight of them much less stand to hear their excuses for why our pack mates have been getting fed on our own lands and what Vampires were continuously caught doing near our borders if not outrightly in it.

Left to me, the wolf packs in the area should come together and mount a solid attack on those bloodsuckers. My parents however thought the best way out of it was to get married.

I snorted, the sound coming out as a grunt in this form, and increased my pace. A part of me wanted to see if I could outrun my problems. Just run until nothing else remained in my head before I was forced to head back.

Whimpers reached my ears and dispelled that thought immediately. I’d been quiet before but I hadn’t really been paying attention. Now, I reduced my pace and forced my steps to lighten even further and found somewhere to take cover instead, dropping my clothes and shifting back into human form so I could make my target smaller.

My dad’s training was almost ingrained into me by nature. Whatever it was didn’t smell like wolf and that was the only type of adversary I was allowed to challenge in wolf form.

Wolf might be stronger and faster, Dad had said in one of our many lessons, but human was smarter, more rational, more dexterous. Human was supposed to be smarter alright, but I did a very stupid thing.

Instead of running away and reporting the disturbance to one of the sentries nearby, I crept forward to the source, intending to find the cause myself. I strained my eyes from in between some branches, trying to make out the figures.

There was a man there and at first glance, it looked like he was merely in a sensual embrace with the woman. Another cry came from her form and I narrowed my eyes, examining them further. His lips were about her neck and her head lolled back as if she was having trouble holding herself up.

The smell of blood was strong in the air as was the smell of wolf. That man was a vampire! I realized with a silent gasp that the girl was a wolf!

The sound I made was so tiny, I couldn’t imagine he might have heard it. But one moment he was feeding on that poor wolf and the next he was gone, leaving her sagging to the floor in a helpless heap.

I had enough time to fearfully wonder where he was before I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle and a warm breath washed down its length. I shivered.

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and I gasped at the suddenness of the action and then lightning fast, his mouth flew down on my neck, teeth breaking my skin and sinking into my flesh.

At his bite, I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but all that came out was a gasp and the word “Mate!”