BROOKE

How much would it hurt if I jumped out of the car?

That's what I asked myself as we rode up the mountain, heading toward a fate that'd been sealed since before I was born. We weren't going all that fast, but the road was rocky and lined with trees. Odds were, I'd land on my head, snap my neck, and—if I survived all that—Mother would kill me. My hands fidgeted in my lap, and I chewed my lip.

"Brooke," Mother said, her tone a warning. "You look nervous, dear. And you're slouching."

I straightened and schooled my features, clasping my fingers to keep them still. If I wanted to be luna, I needed to act the part. Too much was riding on my arranged pairing to Alpha Titan. It was the only thing Father had left us; the one thing he hadn't been able to gamble. Without it, we'd be destitute, and everyone knew it.

"Remember to smile and let him do most of the talking. But don't stay too silent. You need to show him how intelligent you are."

"I know, Mother. We've been through this a million times."

"Yet, you were slouching."

I sighed and looked out the window. I knew better than to argue. Arguing would only encourage another lecture, and I'd had enough of those to last a lifetime.

"Did you pack the pink dress?" she asked.

"Yes."

"And the blue one?"

"Yes, Mother."

"I can't believe how gorgeous your gown for the ceremony is. Can you? It must have cost a fortune, and it fits you perfectly."

I nodded. It was beautiful: long, flowing, and sprinkled with real diamonds. But its obvious expense, and Mother's constant fussing, made wearing it feel like walking a tightrope.

"You made sure to pack it carefully?" Mother asked, even though she'd watched me do it.

"Yes."

"We can't let anything happen to it. If it did, we'd—" Her attention shifted as the driver pressed on the brake. "—Why are we stopping?"

"Road's blocked, Ma'am."

I leaned to see out the front windshield. A massive tree lay across the road like a wall between me and my future.

"Can't we just go around?" she asked.

I looked at her. If she honestly thought he would say yes, then she was denser than the forest.

The driver didn't respond, which was strange. Even a stupid question from a superior demanded an answer.

I could practically feel Mother's irritation, but my focus quickly centered on the way he was scanning the rearview mirrors. Why was he looking behind us when the tree was ahead?

I gripped Mother's arm before she could go on a tangent about his role as servant, and whatever she saw in my face made her lips clamp shut.

"What is it?" I whispered.

His gaze met mine in the mirror's reflection, his expression grim. "I'm sure it's fine, Your Grace." He opened the center console and retrieved a cell phone from within. "I'll just call for help, and—"

Mother screamed.

I jolted, throwing a hand over my pounding heart as I raced to discover the danger. My mouth dried.

Valley wolves.

They multiplied from the forest: five, ten, fifteen, twenty. They were everywhere. We were trapped.

"What do they want?" Mother's voice shook.

"I suspect to rob us," the driver answered.

"They can't do that!"

"I assure you, they can."

"Well, do your job and stop them!"

His brow furrowed, and he shook his head. "What would you have me do?" He fiddled with the phone, but his growing frustration made it clear it wasn't working.

One by one, the wolves began to shift into their human forms. For the first time in my life, Mother was silent. Her face reddened, and her features pinched.

My gaze shifted back and forth between them and the car's leather interior. Mountain wolves didn't shift, and if they did, they'd never do so in public. I'd known valley wolves were primitive, but seeing them parade around naked, in broad daylight, in front of everyone, was too outrageous to comprehend.

They were closer to the car now, and a long, leggy blonde gnashed her teeth at Mother, making the man beside her laugh.

"We should drive away," Mother said.

The driver shook his head. "It's too narrow to turn around."

"Then go backwards!"

"They're blocking the way."

"Then. Run. Them. Over!"

"It's better to just give them what they want," he said.

"What if they want to kill us?" I rasped, scanning the horde crowding tighter around us. They really did look like a pack of wolves, leering, excited about their next meal.

Then, all at once, they quieted and backed away.

"What's happening?" Mother asked.

A man cut through the sea of bodies, and something about him made me stop—not just one thing, but all things. I stopped hearing, breathing, thinking, and I drank him in like the brandy mother kept hidden in her wardrobe. Delicious. Forbidden. He was tall. He was lean. Pale scars marred his deeply tanned flesh, making him seem more dangerous than all the others combined. But he was beautiful. Every inch of him. And not based on any beauty standard I'd ever been taught. His was a different kind; something primal that made my insides tighten and twist.

Our eyes locked, held, and a whisper echoed from somewhere deeper than my bones.

Mate.

"Brooke?" Mother chided. "Brooke, what are you doing? Look away!"

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. Something stirred inside my gut, my chest, clawing to escape. I'd spent so many years burying her; it took me a moment to realize it was my wolf. My eyes widened.

Fated mates.

It couldn't be. Not now. Not with a valley wolf.

He motioned with his hand, and three people from the crowd rushed forward. Within a few seconds, they'd picked the locks on the doors. Mother screamed as they dragged her out. The driver urged them to take whatever they wanted.

My adonis moved like a panther, confident, precise. I'd never seen a naked man before, but something told me they didn't all look like him. He closed the gap between us and opened my door, and the heady scent of wood and spice filled my senses. Intoxicating. He offered his hand, but I was too busy burning alive. He was shameless, and his position put me level with his...

When I didn't move, he bent and leaned through the door frame. His lips were full, but not too full. His features were chiseled, but not harsh. A small scar cut through his right eyebrow, but even that was somehow appealing. "What's your name?" he asked, his voice like sap slowly seeping from a maple.

I opened my mouth, but before I could respond, Mother did it for me.

"She's your future luna!" she bellowed. "If you so much as touch her, you'll have the alpha's entire guard hunting you."

A shadow fell over his features. "Is she?"

Something about his tone helped snap me back to reality. What was I doing? I couldn't be mated to a valley wolf. If anyone found out, we'd be ruined for life. We'd be shunned on the street. I'd worked too hard for too long to let that happen. I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath. "I am."

His eyes narrowed, and he leaned in closer, putting his face entirely too close to mine.

My heart skipped, and a rush of heat gathered in the pit of my stomach. I bit the inside of my cheek. What was wrong with me? I was stronger than this. "Stop whatever this is at once and let us be on our way."

Yes, that was good. Commanding. Luna-like. Mother would be so proud.

"Why would I do that when you don't have a single guard protecting you?" He pushed off the car and disappeared from view.

I craned my neck, watching as he circled around and popped the trunk. He rummaged for a moment, then the rest joined in, descending like vultures after the last bit of meat. All our careful planning was scattered to the four winds, and I was forced to watch.

Then he returned, and it was my turn to scream. I threw up my hands. "Don't touch that!"

He lifted the garment bag that held my gown. "What? This?" His fingers deftly pulled the zipper, revealing the glittering fabric within. He whistled. "Very fancy, indeed."

"Please don't. Have anything else you want, just not the gown."

A salacious grin did wonderful things to his face, and his gaze drifted, slowly raking over my body. "Anything?"

I swallowed. "Most things."

"I want my mate."

"Your mate?" Mother said. "We don't have your...Brooke! Get over here right now!"

She knew. I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or terrified. It was the worst thing I'd ever done to her, but I needed her help. As it stood, I was two seconds away from running away with this man, and I'd only just met him.

Thankfully, not even my wolf could refuse Mother when she used that tone. It'd been ingrained in us since childhood to obey, and I slid across the seat, climbing out on her side.

"Is this a rejection, Your Grace?"

There was an edge to his tone, but his eyes gave him away. Hurt. I recognized it, because I felt it too. My heart clenched so tightly I was sure it would pop. My whole life, I'd been denying myself. I did what was expected. I sacrificed my freedom, my wolf, but nothing compared to this moment. I'd just received one of the rarest, most natural gifts from the Goddess. A mate. My perfect match. I couldn't even ask his name.

"Of course I am."

"Of course," he mimicked me, earning laughter from his band of heathens. "And why is that?"

I ground my teeth. "You're a valley wolf."

"And?" He knew exactly what I meant. Why force me to say it, knowing it would only offend him?

I swallowed, glancing around at the many onlookers. No doubt, it would offend them too, but what else could I do? This couldn't work. We were from different worlds. "We aren't the same."

He scoffed, and murmurs rolled through the masses. "How so? Please, enlighten us."

I glared at him. "Mountain wolves don't parade around naked, robbing innocent travelers—"

"Innocent!" He laughed; they all laughed. Then he quieted, and they all quieted. His lip curled slightly, as if he smelled something foul. He finished unzipping the garment bag, and the gown spilled out, glittering in the noon sun. "Do you know how many hungry wolves could eat from the money spent on this dress alone?"

I blinked, stunned. In all honesty, it wasn't something I'd ever thought about. Valley wolves hunted, didn't they? None of them looked particularly malnourished.

"Hundreds." He passed it to the leggy blonde, and the way her touch trailed over his shoulder made me involuntarily bare my teeth. His brow quirked at my reaction. "Jealous?"

"Just take it and go," Mother said.

He looked at her, then back to me, and a war played out across his features. "Is that a command from my future luna?"

I nodded stiffly, but inside, my wolf was losing her mind. Like a long-sleeping beast, she'd awakened, and she was out for blood: Mother's, mine, and anyone else who dared to get in the way.

His jaw twitched. "As you wish."

Just like that? I should have been relieved, but instead, I crumbled. After all, they were taking everything else. Deep down, I'd been hoping he would steal me too.

But he didn't.

He turned away and disappeared between the trees, leaving me to wonder if I'd ever see him again.

* * *

With no cell service or way to move the tree, we were forced to walk the rest of the way up the mountain. At least there wasn't much to carry, given the circumstances.

"Tell me he wasn't your mate," Mother hissed.

I'd have given anything to tell her what she wanted to hear and have everything go back to normal. But the thought of hiding another emotion, particularly one so overwhelmingly large, was too much. My whole life, I'd been bending, contorting myself into what was expected. But nobody was invincible, and I was so close to snapping.

"Brooke?"

"He was."

Her sharp intake of breath may as well have been a roar. I tensed, waiting for the lecture, but all that came was silence.

I should have lied, but I'd never expected the instinct to bond could be this strong. It was outrageous to consider doing anything with a valley wolf, let alone mating one. But I couldn't stop thinking about him. Part of me wondered what it would be like to shift, to run freely, to not have to constantly worry about being perfect every second of the day.

To have his arms around me, his scent on my skin, his voice in my ear, his taste in my mouth. My mind drifted, imagining things it had no right to.

I didn't notice the rock in Mother's hand until she was smashing it into the back of the driver's skull.

Everything slowed, and my brain was too stunned to process. Blood splattered. His body collapsed, hitting the ground with a thud. I stood frozen, my attention fixed on the awkward angle of his limbs, then his eyes: unblinking, empty. A scream ripped through the trees, chasing birds from their branches.

My scream.

Mother dropped the rock and stormed over to cover my mouth. "I had to, Brooke." Her voice was stern. She blocked my view, forcing my focus on her. "No one can know. You hear me? No one can ever know."