ONE

You're his. His to do as he pleases pathetic human! You should be grateful the moon goddess chose you as his mate -- and that he accepted.

 Shira could still hear the voice of her love instructor in her head as her personal maid dressed her for her meeting with her mate, the alpha of the strongest werewolf tribe in Valkyr.

   She could not understand why the moon goddess had chosen her as his mate, and there were times when she wished she hadn't been chosen.

   She had practically been locked away from the world, kept busy with one training or another. She had had to learn to fight with the sword, the five languages of Valkyr, and her love instructor Miana had thought her lessons on how to submit to her mate in bed.

  She blushed just thinking of what she had been told. According to Miana, her human tribe was too weak to defend it's self, let alone prove a strong ally to the alpha, and the least she could do was make his mating pleasurable.

   How he must hate her, Shira thought. Surely the werewolf of such a powerful tribe would be disappointed he had a weakling as mate. She had paid attention to all her lessons, especially those in sword fight, because she wanted him to be proud of her when they finally met.

  Now their meeting was only but a few hours away.

   She tried to keep her face still as Tessa applied khol to darken her eyelashes. They were both interrupted by an out burst of commotion outside, and Shira overcome by her curiosity followed her maid outside to see what was going on.

   Foreign soldiers were everywhere, out numbering her father's soldiers five to one. Those who tried to fight were cut down within seconds. She realized in horror that the foreign soldiers were werewolves -- and they were rogues.

 They each had a stripe of black cloth with holes for their eyes tied around their heads as a disguise. She did not have any time again to think, her hand went to her side were her sword always rested, it was in her hand in a flash.

   Ignoring the frantic warnings of her maid, she strode out into what had become a battlefield.

  She feinted towards the werewolf closest to her, and he parried, silent amusement in his eyes, but Shira would have none of it. Why had they come? To raid her village, rape her tribeswomen, take their men prisoners.

  She fought harder, her blows came faster, till the amusement fled from the eyes that now watched her warily, and the rogues blows became more purposeful.

  Somewhere ahead, a man that seemed to be the leader of the team of rogues was making some sort of announcement, and all around her, her father's soldiers laid down their arms, but Shira could dream nothing of that sort.

  Her father's soldiers may all be cowards, but she was not going to allow harm come her tribes way. The battle was getting tougher now. The werewolf she fought seemed to be a little more experienced at sword play with each passing minute, until with a heavy blow, he struck at her sword, and Shira watched in horror as it clattered to the ground, then the sword was raised high above her. She closed her eyes and waited for death.

  'Stark stop!' Someone called out, and Shira slowly opened her eyes to see the person she had called their leader standing behind her attacker. His sword arm fell slowly back to his side.

   Shira raised her chin. 'What are you doing in my tribe?'

  His eyes raked over her, and he appeared to think better of answering her. 'Carrying out orders.' He said finally.

  Shira threw up her head and laughed mirthlessly. 'You and you men are nothing but rogues. You would not understand what an order is even if it is spoken in all the five languages of Valkyr.'

  The man's eye darkened, and he mentioned something about females with big mouth, then turned around to go.

  Insulted, Shira shouted. 'When my mate hears about this, he's going to burn you on a stake.'

  That seemed to stop the man on his tracks. He turned around, and his eyes appraised her once more -- slowly this time, so that she felt as though his eyes were slowly peeling through the layers of her clothing, leaving her body and soul bare to his gaze. A slow smile curved at his lips, and his free hand went up to his chin. 'My ... what do we have here.'

  He strode forward to her then, and deftly plucked the sword from her hand, pressing viciously at her fingers till she cried out, when she would not let go. With his free hand, he traced her jawline and her bottom lip, and a new type of dred curdled at the pit of Shira's stomach. Had she unwittingly gave herself away! were these werewolves enemies of her mates tribe. Surely they would want nothing better than to bring harm upon their enemies mate.

  'I only said that to scare you. I am no mate to Farok at all.' She blurted out, and the werewolf in front of her smiled. It was wicked and dangerous, and made Shira's heart flutter.

  'You are no mate you say?' The werewolf asked, and Shira nodded, wondering how she had gone from fighting the werewolves to being interrogated by one of them. 

  'Good. Far be it from me to do this -- to Farok's mate.'

  'Do what?' Shira asked. She suddenly found it was impossible to hold his gaze anymore, and her lashes shaded her eyes. A finger under her jaw forced her head up, and she was about to protest before his lips crushed down on hers.

  There was something brutal and wicked about the way his lips plundered hers with such experience, and when he finally pulled away from her, she was breathless, and a feeling so akin to shame washed over her.

   He was smiling, and amusement danced in his eyes. 'To do this,' he finished.

   A dark rage she had never known before blinded Shira, that this rogue could dare invade her tribe with his men, force her father's men to surrender, and now .... and now the first kiss she would know would not be that given to her by Farok her mate, but this rogue had stolen it from her -- and he dared to appear so amused!

   She seized his sword quickly from his side, and by the flash of amusement in his eyes, she noticed that he was surprised too. Good. She struck out blows immediately, seeking to kill him before he could have the opportunity to get a sword, but he did not seem to be looking for any sword, instead he dodged her blows with a speed that made her dizzy. Then he was at her back within the speed of lightning, pressing her hand again till the sword fell from her bruised fingers.

  His hand robbed hers gently now, soothing the place he had inflicted pain. He brushed her hair off her ear with his other hand and pressed his lips to it.

   Shira shuddered as he whispered. 'Things would be so much better for you if you didn't fight me -- but then of cause, I'd only enjoy your fights.'

  His breath was hot against her neck, and Shira blushed violently as unwittingly, one of Miana's lessons in love came to mind. lovers liked it when you whispered in their ear. Did she like it, she wondered. Perhaps the heat that started in the pit of her belly and spread all over, perhaps this fluttering of her heart, this over heightening of her awareness was her body telling her that she did love it.

  She wrenched away from him and turned to face him, her cheeks scarlet, her hair disheveled. 'The next time I come at you with a sword, I promise I'm going to kill you.'

  'Would you?' He asked softly as his eyes raked over her form once more. 'Then I would love to give you the chance to do just that. I'm taking you with me.' He seemed bored with her now that he had made up his mind, and he turned again to address what it was he had come to the Tynek tribe to do.

   'No you wouldn't you evil villainous creature.' Shira screamed. 'I promise to skewer you through even before Farok gets a chance to do so.' She picked a sword from the floor and proceeded to do just that, when arms grabbed her from the back with steel force, and held her still while she watched the rogue with anger blazing from her eyes.

  He seemed very much at ease as he called out to everyone, as though he had not just invaded another tribe, the tribe of the girl who had been bethroted to Farok!

   'listen up everyone, it is not my desire to hurt you, but hurt you I shall if you do not do as I say --'

   'I would never do as you say,' Shira screamed out, he glanced her way and smiled, then turned to face the rest of the people.

  'I hold nothing against you people -- nothing except that you have been harbouring an enemy of mine, a spy who has spied on me and mine, and now would sell the information he has to the highest bidder. If you would --' 

   Just then, the eyes of everyone was drawn to a commotion on the roof of one of the houses in front of them, a man was attempting to climb down from the roof.

  Shira watched fascinated as the leader of the rogues claimed up to meet him in the space of seconds, and then jumbed to the ground, jacking the man by his shirt collar.

  'You are more of a nuisance than a threat.' she heard the leader say, then to her horror, he drew his sword, and with one fast stroke, the man's head lay on the floor.

   She did not know she was screaming until the leader walked up to meet her, and taking her from the man that held her, he clamped his hand over her mouth.

  This time, when his voice hissed in her ear, there was no trace of amusement. 'Keep screaming like that, and I promise to kill you even quicker than I had him killed.'

   She stopped screaming then, and something about the disgust in his voice -- the anger awakened the anger in her that had fled in place of her fear. She remembered the little silver knife she always wore in her petticoat, and reaching under, she drew it out and drove it into his stomach before she could think better of it -- or before he could realize what she was up to.

  Hands stronger than steel grabbed hers, twisting until she dropped the knife, then with an oat, he yanked at her hair, bringing her face closer to his.

   This time when he kissed her, there was no trace of amusement. His lips perused her in a vicious onslaught that left her lips bruised and brought a single tear to her eye. There was no doubt about it, she had been punnished.

   A whimper escaped her lips, and she turned around to flee immediately he released her, but his voice, low and yet laced with steel stopped her in her tracks.

   'Do not run from me Shira. You might regret it'

   She turned around then feeling hopeless. 'I am betrothed to Farok -- surely you must see the folly in whatever it is you mean to do!'

   'And is that all you have to say for yourself? All you have as a defense? The reputation of your mate?' He was watching her intently.

   Shira tried to blink away the confusion that clogged her mind. what could this werewolf mean by asking her these questions -- to stirr up a rebellion against her betrothed, her mate! For surely she was nothing if not what had been prepared for the alpha's pleasure. And why did she suddenly care for his respect. She tried to instill enough dignity into her voice. 'If you must know, it is my duty as Farok's mate to -- to --'

   'To be a mere puppet? Like a woman trained since birth to please her mate?' There was no trace of anger in the gray eyes that watched her now, the shone with amused mockery. Something in her expression must have given her away, because he paused, then laughed outrightly. 'So it is true then? You have been trained just to please the alpha --'

   'You need not sound so amused!' Shira snapped. 'It has been my pleasure and duty. I am the daughter of the chief of this tribe, and it is my duty to broker a -- a connection between us and the walikans, I --.'

    'Your pleasure and duty you say? But isn't it the moon goddess that mates people. You did not have a say in that did you?'

   'Yes!' Shira replied, unsure why she felt so breathless. 'The moon goddess named me his mate, and it is my duty to see --'

   'That you are found acceptable -- that you suit his tastes?' The amusement was still in his eyes, but this time, he did not mock. Throwing a friendly arm around her shoulder, he began walking with her towards the gates of her father's estate.'

   'And do you think it would please your mate -- Farok, to know you have been kissed by another man -- or is this a common occurrence with you? You seemed an experience kisser.'

   She stopped. 'How dare you!'

   'How dare I what? Ask you questions no one else has asked you, or point out the obvious?' A quizzical brow was raised as he appraised her.

   'The Obvious? What is it you consider obvious, because the only thing I see obvious here is that my --'

   'Yes, your mate Farok is going to -- how did you so eloquently put it ... skewer me through, if you don't beat him to it. Yes, I remember that. The obvious thing I was pointing out was that those kisses we shared a while back, they weren't your first.'

   'We shared! I beg your pardon --'

   He bowed. 'It is granted you --'

   Shira felt like screaming out in frustration. 'I beg nothing of you but that you conduct yourself like someone who has sense -- as difficult as it is obviously going to be for you --'

   'Ah! There's the word ''obvious,'' again. Perhaps what is obvious to me, you choose to lie to yourself about.'

    'I beg your -- you and I shared no kiss! You took something from me that I was not willing to give, and Farok is known to be an understanding man, he would understand.'

   'Ah! Would he? Males are fond of stealing kisses from you then?'

   'It is none of your business!' Shira cried, hating that his words affected her so. 'If you did find my lips experienced, then that is a compliment to my love teacher, for I would have gone to meet my mate innocent of any man had you not so graciously decided to pay us a visit.'

   His eyes searched hers, then when he found what he was looking for, he laughed. 'A love teacher?' His voice was rife with mirth. 'Let us find out all it is you have learnt then, shall we?' His hand tugged at her shoulder, urging her forward, towards the gates but she dug in her heels.

   'No we shall not!' She cried out desperately. 'Have you not paid attention to all I have said? I am supposed to leave for Walik today. If you let me go without any further incidence, I promise not to tell Farok what you have done --'

  'And how many have you given a promise similar to this before?'

   It took her a while to understand what he had just asked her, then when the full import of his words sank in, she slapped him. The slap was heavier than she had intended, and the sound of it echoed even as she watched his eyes darken in anger, but she did not care. How dare he --rogue that he was, accuse her of giving out her favors so generously, and planning to lie on the behalf of her many male lovers to her mate!

  When he spoke again, his voice was low but Shira found she could not ignore the quiet authority in it. 'I find this conversation is not as amusing as I found it earlier. You claim to be the lady, and I the rogue, you would conduct yourself as a lady should, nothing more, nothing less -- or I shall be tempted to conduct myself as a rogue would.' 

His eyes raked over her body, lingering on certain parts, making sure she fully understood his threats, then he turned and was gone.

   Shira did not even fight the hands that held her from behind, leading -- no, dragging her towards a carriage. She could only hope that word would reach her fiance very soon, and that he would come and rescue her.

   With this new hope tucked safely within her breast, she rested her head against the carriage as it carried her away from her father and mother, and yet not towards her mate.