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Imagine your 18th birthday turning into an absolute nightmare 🍂. In "Emerald Eyed Luna", our resilient heroine faces exactly that. Not only is her home destroyed and her family gone, but she also catches her Alpha heir sweetheart betraying her with her closest friend.
But sometimes hitting rock bottom is the only way to find your true power ⚡! Leaving the pack behind, she transforms from a helpless underdog into an unstoppable force. A hidden royal heritage is awakening within her bloodline 🛡️. Now, she's on a gritty mission to save her entire race from evil forces, proving that an independent woman needs no one to save her—especially when she’s about to meet her real destined mate 🔮.
✦ GENRE: Underdog Story, Drama, Caught Cheating, Fated Lovers, Independent Woman
🌎For FULL HD Episodes on ReelShort site:🔗https://www.reelshort.com/movie/emerald-eyed-luna-6a72d8b5becaa7e3c600345e
🍁Notice: ReelShort Sweet Shorts is an officially authorized publisher of ReelShort content.
Imagine your 18th birthday turning into an absolute nightmare 🍂. In "Emerald Eyed Luna", our resilient heroine faces exactly that. Not only is her home destroyed and her family gone, but she also catches her Alpha heir sweetheart betraying her with her closest friend.
But sometimes hitting rock bottom is the only way to find your true power ⚡! Leaving the pack behind, she transforms from a helpless underdog into an unstoppable force. A hidden royal heritage is awakening within her bloodline 🛡️. Now, she's on a gritty mission to save her entire race from evil forces, proving that an independent woman needs no one to save her—especially when she’s about to meet her real destined mate 🔮.
✦ GENRE: Underdog Story, Drama, Caught Cheating, Fated Lovers, Independent Woman
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:00:06Wake up, Nina!
00:00:07Damon just mind-linked me that he and Holly want to come talk to us at nine.
00:00:12So if you don't want to see him, we've got 30 minutes to get out.
00:00:14I shoot up out of bed, grab my packed bags, and Zach and I hit the road in my mother's
00:00:19old black charger.
00:00:22We've barely cleared the packed border when Zach's face tightens and his voice drops.
00:00:31Drive faster.
00:00:32He's mind-linking, asking where we are.
00:00:34Zach's phone lights up.
00:00:36Damien's name on the screen.
00:00:37I snatch it up.
00:00:38He can command Zach.
00:00:40He has never once been able to command me.
00:00:42What do you want, Damien?
00:00:44We're a little busy living our own lives.
00:00:46Why didn't you wait for us?
00:00:48Why did you just leave like that?
00:00:50Save it.
00:00:51You can't command me.
00:00:52Zach's out of range of your voice, and frankly, I don't want to talk to either of you.
00:00:56I'll send warriors to drag you both back, Nina.
00:00:58Nina, don't think you can leave me.
00:01:01Even if you're not my mate, no one else gets to have you.
00:01:06You'll be my second, and you'll serve me.
00:01:09Let her go.
00:01:10I don't want to go.
00:01:10And if you dare touch another male, I'll come for you myself and throw you in a cell.
00:01:14Do you understand me?
00:01:15I can hear Holly screaming in the background, telling him to let me go, insisting she's the
00:01:20one who matters.
00:01:21There's venom in her voice.
00:01:23Then Damien says,
00:01:25Sweetheart, you're going to be mine.
00:01:26I even bought you a red gown, just like the one from the ball.
00:01:30And then, to Holly, he snarls,
00:01:32She's the love of my life!
00:01:33You're at my side to keep up appearances, but she'll be my mistress, and you won't stop me!
00:01:38The line goes dead with a click.
00:01:41I sit frozen, gripping my head.
00:01:49In our werewolf world, rank is everything.
00:02:01The more decisive and bloodline is the mate, the bond the moon goddess ties with her own
00:02:06hands.
00:02:07The day a wolf turns 18, a single cent tells you who is meant to be yours.
00:02:13And the graduation ball is the night every unmaided 18-year-old from the packs gathers in
00:02:18one place, hoping to find the other half of their mate.
00:02:29Tomorrow night is the ball, and my 18th birthday.
00:02:32My whole heart is set on one thing, that my mate is Damien.
00:02:38My name is Jaina, the beta's only daughter, the packs top female warrior, trained since
00:02:44I was five.
00:02:45My father wants me to take a beta suit, and he retires on one condition.
00:02:50That I stop causing trouble.
00:02:54Nina, no more fights.
00:02:55What mate would want a wild, rule-breaking girl?
00:02:58And what alpha would ever want you at his side?
00:03:00I just smiled, because I grew up alongside Damien, our future alpha.
00:03:05He's my best friend.
00:03:17We've kissed, now and then, but I saved my first time for my mate, and I hoped, more than
00:03:24anything, that it was hidden.
00:03:25Today, Damien and the others are going dress shopping.
00:03:28I'm still doing my makeup when the horns start blaring outside, and a fist pound alms on my
00:03:34door.
00:03:35Nina, if you don't get down here, I'm taking the door off of changes.
00:03:42I bolt downstairs, grab my bag, and swipe into the shotgun seat of Damien's car like it's
00:03:49mine.
00:03:54That seat's mine, long legs.
00:03:56Faster reaction time in an emergency.
00:03:58Oh?
00:03:58Is that so?
00:04:00Want to go around with me again and find out?
00:04:03Then he cracks up.
00:04:05Damien lets out a low growl from his chest.
00:04:09And Zach clamps his mouth shut.
00:04:12Holly is my best friend, the Gamma's daughter.
00:04:15Her brother Trevor is Damien's right hand.
00:04:18And Zach is a warrior's son.
00:04:21That shotgun seat, I've ridden in it for years.
00:04:25Everyone treats me as Damien's girl.
00:04:27I've always known I catch Damien's eye.
00:04:29His temper is as unwamed as his bad boy looks.
00:04:32But with me, he's always been gentle.
00:04:34In the fitting room, I slip into a deep red gown, slip high up the thigh, and step out.
00:04:40My friends go still.
00:04:42I know exactly how beautiful I am, and exactly how to make a room look.
00:04:46Damien growls, and every head turns away at once.
00:04:50Holly steps out in a short blue dress that shows off the flawless figure.
00:04:55Oh my god, Nina, that dress was made for you.
00:04:59You look gorgeous too.
00:05:02Then Damien's voice slides into my head.
00:05:04Kitten, don't get too attached to that dress.
00:05:07Because tomorrow night, I'm peeling it right off.
00:05:09I fire back through the mind link.
00:05:11Who says I'll let you get that far?
00:05:12But my cheeks are burning, and some traitorous part of me is looking forward to it.
00:05:17That night, Holly sleeps over, so we can go to the ball together.
00:05:20I toss and turn, and a bad feeling I can't shake.
00:05:25Finally, I tell her.
00:05:27What if I'm not Damien's mate?
00:05:30What if he finds someone else?
00:05:32That won't happen.
00:05:33You two were born for each other, and even if his mate turned out to be someone else,
00:05:38he'd reject her for you.
00:05:39I'd bet on it.
00:05:40I hoped she was right.
00:05:42But if it wasn't me, I would never let him reject his mate.
00:05:45It wouldn't be right, because we're taught from birth that mates are bound by the moon goddess herself.
00:05:51I couldn't stand in the way of that, even if it broke my heart.
00:05:54The night of the ball, Holly and I walk in together.
00:05:57I'm scanning the crowd for my date, Damien.
00:05:59When Holly suddenly lifts her head, breathes in, and starts running, I chase after her.
00:06:06She's staring dead ahead, and I follow her gaze to Damien.
00:06:11Then I hear her say it.
00:06:14Mate.
00:06:14My heart drops through the floor.
00:06:16No.
00:06:17No, this can't be.
00:06:18He's supposed to be my mate, not Holly's.
00:06:22I freeze where I stand, staring at Damien as the whole world caves in around me.
00:06:27That one word out of Holly's mouth keeps echoing in my ears.
00:06:32Damien looks at me, then at Holly, at a total loss.
00:06:35Trevor and Zach have gone ragged on either side, shock written all over their faces.
00:06:42Nina, I... I...
00:06:43Holly stammers, not knowing what to say or do.
00:06:46Everyone is waiting to see how I'll react.
00:06:48Damien takes a step towards me, and suddenly we all hear a low growl.
00:06:53It stops.
00:06:54I turn my head.
00:06:55Holly has clapped a hand over her mouth, her face full of shock.
00:06:59She's the one who's riled.
00:07:01I once told her everything I felt for Damien.
00:07:03She knows exactly how much I love him.
00:07:05There's no way our friendship survives this.
00:07:07Holly's possessiveness over Damien is already fierce.
00:07:10She must be terrified he'll reject her, and my heart breaks for him too.
00:07:14She knows her own mate has fallen for another girl, and that girl is her best friend.
00:07:18In my head, Raven throws back her muzzle and howls, as if she's giving voice to the pieces
00:07:23of my shattered heart.
00:07:24I spin on my heel and run.
00:07:26Mid-stride, I shift into my wolf, hurling every shout behind me into the wind.
00:07:31I crawl into a cave, wall off my mind, shut out every mind link, and cry myself to sleep
00:07:37for the best friend and the love I lost in the same night.
00:07:40Then Raven jolts awake, and shakes me out of sleep.
00:07:44Wake up!
00:07:45Something's wrong.
00:07:47In the distance, snarls and the sounds of killing, the heavy stench of blood floods my
00:07:52nose.
00:07:53I race home through the night.
00:07:55On the other end of the mind link, my father's voice is almost a scream.
00:07:59Nina, we're under attack!
00:08:01Get to the safe room, now!
00:08:03I scramble into the bunker beneath our kitchen, and collapse onto the mattress.
00:08:07Outside, the Pax roars and death cries never stop.
00:08:10I hug my knees in the dark and wait, my heart in my throat.
00:08:15Then something inside me tears loose.
00:08:17A pain rips through my chest, and I plant both hands over my heart and scream, my mother
00:08:21is dead.
00:08:22From far off, my father's anguished howl reaches me.
00:08:28I know no wolf survives the death of the eight.
00:08:31My father won't make it either, and then a second tear rips through my heart.
00:08:35In a single night, I've become an orphan.
00:08:37I've lost everything.
00:08:39I cry until I black out.
00:08:43At dawn, I stare blankly at the family photos lining
00:08:46the wall, and then I snap.
00:08:49I smash everything and reach to pieces.
00:08:52A pair of arms locks around me from the home, holding me tight.
00:08:56I'm here, Nina.
00:08:57I'll take care of you.
00:08:58Zach, thank the goddess.
00:09:00Not Holly.
00:09:01Not Damien.
00:09:02I'm not ready to face either of them.
00:09:03At the funeral, the bodies of twenty-seven warriors were swallowed by the flames, turning to ash
00:09:09that will feed the earth.
00:09:11Twenty-seven lives gone to ash in a single night.
00:09:15I take the ruby necklace from around my mother's neck, which was the gift I gave my parents for their
00:09:2125th wedding anniversary.
00:09:22I thread my parents' wedding rings onto it and fasten it around my own throat.
00:09:28I drift through that day in a daze.
00:09:31Zach comes over to cook for me, but I can't get a single bite down.
00:09:39The next day, I make my way to the pack house.
00:09:42I think I need to talk to Damien.
00:09:44After everything that's happened, I have to understand what he's really thinking.
00:09:47Can I truly ask him to reject his mate for me?
00:09:50Could I reject my own mate for him?
00:09:52It's all so wrong, but I owe it to myself to hear him out.
00:09:55The pain in his eyes had been so plain, and if I could take even a little comfort from it,
00:10:00maybe I could begin to make my peace with all of this.
00:10:03Just as I reach for the door, it bursts open with a bang.
00:10:07Polly rushes out.
00:10:08Fucking mate bond.
00:10:10Cursing the mate bond under her breath.
00:10:12She doesn't see me and hurries away.
00:10:14I frown, and the moment I step inside, it hits me.
00:10:17Polly's scent, tangled together with Damien's.
00:10:20Two scents only ever blend like that after mating.
00:10:22I go still.
00:10:23For a heartbeat, my mind is blank, and then fury and grief come crashing in.
00:10:28Damien stares at me, dazed and lost.
00:10:30He clearly never expected me to come.
00:10:32And that's when I see the fresh mark on his neck.
00:10:34So all these years, to him, I was light as dust.
00:10:37He cast me aside as fast as you'd throws out a piece of trash.
00:10:43I only came to tell you, within the week I'll be gone.
00:10:46I formally renounce the beta position I was born to, Alpha Damien.
00:10:51The moment the words are out, I turn and leave, giving him no chance to get out a single word.
00:10:56Then Damien reaches for me through the mind link.
00:10:58I'm sorry Nina, I was wrong.
00:11:00Please forgive me, I'll love you forever.
00:11:02My heart gives one violent lurch, and then, with my own hand, I sever the link.
00:11:07I will not look back.
00:11:10At dawn, Zach loads the luggage into the trunk.
00:11:13This past week has been quiet.
00:11:16He's decided to leave with me.
00:11:18He won't let me go alone, and he says he needs a change of scenery too.
00:11:22I understand.
00:11:24He used to be in love with Holly.
00:11:26We plan to pack today and set out at first light tomorrow.
00:11:29I've heard the Luna ceremony is a month or two off, and I know Damien and Holly are already mated.
00:11:35I can't wait to leave the old life behind.
00:11:38And I'm certain my own mate isn't in this pack.
00:11:41Otherwise, I'd have caught his scent by now.
00:11:43I want to go out and find him.
00:11:48Wake up, Nina!
00:11:49Damien just mind-linked me that he and Holly want to come talk to us at nine.
00:11:53So if you don't want to see him, we've got thirty minutes to get out.
00:11:56I shoot up out of bed, grab my packed bags, and Zach and I hit the road in my mother's
00:12:00old black charger.
00:12:04We've barely cleared the pack border when Zach's face tightens and his voice drops.
00:12:13Drive faster.
00:12:14He's mind-linking, asking where we are.
00:12:16Zach's phone lights up.
00:12:17Damien's name on the screen.
00:12:19I snatch it up.
00:12:20He can command Zach.
00:12:21He has never once been able to command me.
00:12:24What do you want, Damien?
00:12:26We're a little busy living our own lives.
00:12:28Why didn't you wait for us?
00:12:30Why did you just leave like that?
00:12:31Save it.
00:12:32You can't command me.
00:12:34Zach's out of range of your voice, and frankly, I don't want to talk to either of you.
00:12:37I'll send warriors to drag you both back, Nina.
00:12:41Don't think you can leave me.
00:12:43Even if you're not my mate, no one else gets to have you.
00:12:47You'll be my second, and you'll serve me.
00:12:51Let her go! I'm the one in the middle!
00:12:52And if you dare touch another male, I'll come for you myself and throw you in a cell.
00:12:56Do you understand me?
00:12:57I can hear Holly screaming in the background, telling him to let me go,
00:13:00insisting she's the one who matters.
00:13:02There's venom in her voice.
00:13:04Then Damien says,
00:13:06Sweetheart, you're going to be mine.
00:13:08I even bought you a red gown, just like the one from the ball.
00:13:11And then, to Holly, he snarls,
00:13:13She's the love of my life!
00:13:15You're at my side to keep up appearances, but she'll be my mistress, and you won't stop me!
00:13:20The line goes dead with a click.
00:13:22I sit frozen, gripping the phone.
00:13:26Zack shifts me over to the passenger seat, jumps behind the wheel, and flits it.
00:13:31My head is a storm.
00:13:33He wants to lock me up as his mistress?
00:13:36Keep me as a sex slave?
00:13:37Take me by force?
00:13:39You okay?
00:13:40I'm fine.
00:13:41I will never obey him.
00:13:43I'd sooner die fighting than set foot in that pack again.
00:13:46In my head, Raven bears her teeth.
00:13:50Let him lay one finger on us,
00:13:52and I'll bite off his manhood and feed it to him,
00:13:55and watch him bleed out.
00:13:57That's my wolf.
00:13:58Far away, in the Smoky Mountain Pack,
00:14:01their future's heir, Wyatt, gets an urgent report from the border.
00:14:04Rogue activity has spiked lately.
00:14:06The young alpha-to-be frowns.
00:14:08He doesn't yet know that those restless robes are all being drawn by a single scent,
00:14:13and that the owner of that scent is, at this very moment, driving straight towards him.
00:14:18The drive to Smoky Mountain Park is close to 13 hours.
00:14:22Halfway there, we pull over to let our wolves stretch.
00:14:25We slip into the trees, and shift.
00:14:27Raven and Zack's wolf, Max, break into a run.
00:14:31Wind pours through my fur.
00:14:32The smell of pine washes over me.
00:14:34And for a moment, I really believe we're free.
00:14:39Then a dry branch snaps.
00:14:41Raven and Max's ears shoot up.
00:14:44A rotten, swampy stench slides into my nose.
00:14:47And I know it, even though I've never smelled it before.
00:14:49I just know.
00:14:51Three of them, on the right.
00:14:53Three rogues burst from the brush, teeth bared.
00:14:56They didn't come to talk.
00:14:58I drop low, and Raven's growl eclectic as we race to fight.
00:15:03The first one launches.
00:15:05I catch its jaw in mid-air and work my head, tearing flesh and sinew clean away.
00:15:11The second circles toward Max.
00:15:12I grab it by the hind leg and slam it into a tree bronc.
00:15:15A sharp crack.
00:15:17Its neck breaks.
00:15:18By the time I turn, Vax has already ripped out the third one's throat.
00:15:21I've trained to fight since I was five.
00:15:23Three rogues are nothing Raven can't handle.
00:15:26Then three warriors and a woman step out of the shadows of the trees, wary and searching.
00:15:30What's going on here?
00:15:32Zack and I edge back half a step, covering each other.
00:15:35Easy.
00:15:36Shift back.
00:15:37I'm Alex, Alpha of the Redwood Pack.
00:15:40I mean you no harm.
00:15:41Zack and I trade a glance.
00:15:42No malice from him, but no real warmth either.
00:15:45And the way they're looking at me, it isn't the way you look at a stranger who killed three rogues.
00:15:50It's the way you look at something that was never supposed to surface again.
00:16:04Wake up, Nina.
00:16:05Damon just mind-linked me that he and Holly want to come talk to us at nine.
00:16:10So if you don't want to see him, we've got 30 minutes to get out.
00:16:12I shoot up out of bed, grab my packed bags, and Zack and I hit the road in my mother's
00:16:17old black charger.
00:16:20We've barely cleared the packed border when Zack's face tightens and his voice drops.
00:16:29Drive faster.
00:16:30He's mind-linking, asking where we are.
00:16:32Zack's phone lights up.
00:16:34Damien's name on the screen.
00:16:35I snatch it up.
00:16:36He can command Zack.
00:16:38He has never once been able to command me.
00:16:40What do you want, Damien?
00:16:42We're a little busy living our own lives.
00:16:44Why didn't you wait for us?
00:16:46Why did you just leave like that?
00:16:48Save it.
00:16:49You can't command me.
00:16:50Zack's out of range of your voice, and frankly, I don't want to talk to either of you.
00:16:54I'll send warriors to drag you both back, Nina.
00:16:57Don't think you can leave me.
00:16:59Even if you're not my mate, no one else gets to have you.
00:17:04You'll be my second, and you'll serve me.
00:17:07Let her go! I'm the one who's left!
00:17:08And if you dare touch another male, I'll come for you myself and throw you in a cell.
00:17:12Do you understand me?
00:17:13I can hear Holly screaming in the background, telling him to let me go, insisting she's
00:17:18the one who matters.
00:17:19There's venom in her voice.
00:17:20Then Damien says,
00:17:22Sweetheart, you're going to be mine.
00:17:24I even bought you a red gown just like the one from the ball.
00:17:27And then, to Holly, he snarls,
00:17:30She's the love of my life!
00:17:31You're at my side to keep up appearances, but she'll be my mistress, and you won't stop me!
00:17:36The line goes dead with a click.
00:17:39I sit frozen, gripping at home.
00:17:47In our werewolf world, rank is everything.
00:17:59But more decisive than bloodline is the mate, the bond the moon goddess ties with her own
00:18:04hands.
00:18:05The day a wolf turns 18, a single cent tells you who is meant to be yours.
00:18:11And the graduation ball is the night every unmated 18-year-old from the PAX gathers in one place,
00:18:17hoping to find the other half of their mate.
00:18:27Tomorrow night is the ball, and my 18th birthday.
00:18:30My whole heart is set on one thing,
00:18:33that my mate is Damien.
00:18:36My name is Lina,
00:18:38the beta's only daughter,
00:18:39and the PAX top female warrior.
00:18:42Trained since I was five.
00:18:43My father wants me to take a beta seat,
00:18:46and he retires on one condition,
00:18:48that I stop causing trouble.
00:18:52Lina, no more fights.
00:18:53What mate would want a wild, rule-breaking girl?
00:18:56And what alpha would ever want you at his side?
00:18:58I just smiled,
00:18:59because I grew up alongside Damien,
00:19:01our future alpha.
00:19:03He's my best friend.
00:19:15We've kissed,
00:19:16now and then.
00:19:17But I saved my first time from my mate.
00:19:20And I hoped,
00:19:21more than anything,
00:19:22that it was happening.
00:19:24Today, Damien and the others are going dress shopping.
00:19:26I'm still doing my makeup,
00:19:28when the horns start blaring outside,
00:19:30and a fist pound pounds on my door.
00:19:33Lina,
00:19:34if you don't get down here,
00:19:36I'm taking the door off of Coozie.
00:19:40I bolt downstairs,
00:19:42grab my bag,
00:19:43and swipe into the shotgun seat of Damien's car like it's mine.
00:19:52That seat's mine, long legs.
00:19:53Faster reaction time in an emergency.
00:19:56Oh?
00:19:56Is that so?
00:19:58Want to go around with me again and find out?
00:20:00They pull cracked up.
00:20:02Damien lets out a low growl from his chest.
00:20:07And Zach clamps his mouth shut.
00:20:10Holly is my best friend,
00:20:12the Gamma's daughter.
00:20:13Her brother Trevor is Damien's right hand.
00:20:16And Zach is a warrior's son.
00:20:19That shotgun seat,
00:20:20I've ridden in it for years.
00:20:23Everyone treats me as Damien's girl.
00:20:25I've always known I catch Damien's eye.
00:20:27His temper is as unwaimed as his bad boy looks.
00:20:30But with me,
00:20:30he's always been gentle.
00:20:32In the fitting room,
00:20:33I slip into a deep red gown,
00:20:35slip high up the thigh,
00:20:37and step out.
00:20:38My friends go still.
00:20:39I know exactly how beautiful I am,
00:20:42and exactly how to make a room look.
00:20:44Damien growls.
00:20:45Every head turns away at once.
00:20:48Holly steps out in a short blue dress
00:20:50that shows off the flawless figure.
00:20:53Oh my god, Nina,
00:20:54that dress was made for you.
00:20:57You look gorgeous too.
00:20:59Then Damien's voice slides into my head.
00:21:02Kitten,
00:21:03don't get too attached to that dress,
00:21:04because tomorrow night,
00:21:06I'm feeling it right on you.
00:21:07I fire back through the mind link.
00:21:09Who says I'll let you get that far?
00:21:10But my cheeks are burning,
00:21:12and some traitorous part of me
00:21:13is looking forward to it.
00:21:15That night,
00:21:16Holly sleeps over,
00:21:17so we can go to the ball together.
00:21:19I toss and turn.
00:21:20And a bad feeling I can't shake.
00:21:23Finally,
00:21:23I tell her,
00:21:25What if I'm not Damien's mate?
00:21:28What if he finds someone else?
00:21:29That won't happen.
00:21:31You two were born for each other.
00:21:33And even if his mate turned out to be someone else,
00:21:36he'd reject her for you.
00:21:37I'd bet on it.
00:21:38I hoped she was right.
00:21:40But if it wasn't me,
00:21:41I would never let him reject his mate.
00:21:43It wouldn't be right,
00:21:44because we're taught from birth
00:21:45that mates are bound
00:21:46by the moon goddess herself.
00:21:49I couldn't stand in the way of that,
00:21:50even if it broke my heart.
00:21:52The night of the ball,
00:21:53Holly and I walk in together.
00:21:55I'm scanning the crowd for my date, Damien.
00:21:57When Holly suddenly lifts her head,
00:22:00breathes in,
00:22:00and starts running,
00:22:02I chase after her.
00:22:04She's staring dead ahead,
00:22:05and I follow her gaze
00:22:08to Damien.
00:22:09Then I hear her say it.
00:22:11Mate.
00:22:12My heart drops through the floor.
00:22:14No.
00:22:15No, this can't be.
00:22:16He's supposed to be my mate.
00:22:18Not Holly's.
00:22:20I freeze where I stand,
00:22:22staring at Damien
00:22:23as the whole world caves in around me.
00:22:25That one word out of Holly's mouth.
00:22:27Mate.
00:22:28Keeps echoing in my ears.
00:22:30Damien looks at me,
00:22:31then at Holly,
00:22:32at a total loss.
00:22:33Trevor and Zach have gone ratchet on either side,
00:22:36shock written all over their faces.
00:22:40Nina, I...
00:22:41I...
00:22:41Holly stammers not knowing what to say or do.
00:22:44Everyone is waiting to see how I'll react.
00:22:46Damien takes a step towards me,
00:22:48and suddenly we all hear a low growl.
00:22:51She stops.
00:22:52I turn my head.
00:22:54Holly has clapped a hand over her mouth,
00:22:56his face full of shock.
00:22:57She's the one who riled me.
00:22:58I once told her everything I felt for Damien.
00:23:01She knows exactly how much I love you.
00:23:03There's no way our friendship survives this.
00:23:05Holly's possessiveness over Damien is already fierce.
00:23:08She must be terrified he'll reject her.
00:23:10And my heart breaks for me, too.
00:23:12She knows her own mate has fallen for another girl,
00:23:14and that girl is her best friend.
00:23:16In my head,
00:23:17Raven throws back her muzzle and howls,
00:23:19as if she's giving voice to the pieces of my shattered heart.
00:23:22I spin on my heel and run.
00:23:24Mid-stride I shift into my wolf,
00:23:26curling every shout behind me into the wind.
00:23:29I crawl into a cave,
00:23:31wall off my mind,
00:23:32shut out every mind link,
00:23:34and cry myself to sleep,
00:23:35for the best friend and the love I lost in the same night.
00:23:39Then Raven jolts awake,
00:23:41and shakes me out of sleep.
00:23:42Wake up!
00:23:43Something's wrong.
00:23:45In the distance,
00:23:46snarls and the sounds of killing,
00:23:48the heavy stench of blood floods my nose.
00:23:51I race home through the night.
00:23:53On the other end of the mind link,
00:23:55my father's voice is almost a scream.
00:23:57Nina!
00:23:58We're under attack!
00:23:59Get to the safe room, now!
00:24:00I scramble into the bunker beneath our kitchen,
00:24:03and collapse onto the mattress.
00:24:05Outside,
00:24:06the pack's roars and death cries never stop.
00:24:08I hug my knees in the dark and wait.
00:24:11My heart in my throat.
00:24:12Then something inside me tears loose.
00:24:15A pain in my chest,
00:24:16and I can't both hands over my heart and scream.
00:24:19My mother is dead.
00:24:20From far off,
00:24:21my father's anguished towel reaches me.
00:24:26I know no wolf survives the death of his mate.
00:24:29My father won't make it either.
00:24:31And then a second tear rips through my heart.
00:24:33In a single night,
00:24:34I've become an orphan.
00:24:35I've lost everything.
00:24:36I cry until I black out.
00:24:41At dawn,
00:24:42I stare blankly at the family photos lining the wall,
00:24:45and then I snap.
00:24:47I smash everything in a week.
00:24:50A pair of arms locked around my family,
00:24:53holding me tight.
00:24:54I'm here, Nina.
00:24:55It's a tear up here.
00:24:56But Zach,
00:24:57thank the goddess,
00:24:58not Holly,
00:24:59not Damien.
00:25:00I'm not ready to face either of them.
00:25:01At the funeral,
00:25:02the bodies of 27 warriors
00:25:04are swallowed by flames,
00:25:06turning to ash
00:25:07that will feed the earth.
00:25:1027 lives gone to ash in a single night.
00:25:13I take the ruby necklace
00:25:15from around my mother's neck,
00:25:16which was the gift I gave my parents
00:25:18for their 25th wedding anniversary.
00:25:21I thread my parents' wedding rings onto it
00:25:23and fasten it around my own throat.
00:25:26I drift through that day in a daze.
00:25:28Zach comes over to cook for me,
00:25:31but I can't get a single bite down.
00:25:37The next day,
00:25:38I make my way to the pack house.
00:25:40I think I need to talk to Damien.
00:25:42After everything that's happened,
00:25:43I have to understand what he's really thinking.
00:25:45Can I truly ask him to reject his mate for me?
00:25:48Could I reject my own mate for him?
00:25:50It's all so wrong,
00:25:51but I owe it to myself to hear him out.
00:25:53The pain in his eyes had been so plain,
00:25:55and if I could take even a little comfort from it,
00:25:58maybe I could begin to make my peace with all of this.
00:26:01Just as I reach for the door,
00:26:02it bursts open with a bang.
00:26:05Holly rushes out.
00:26:06Fucking mate bond.
00:26:07Cursing the mate bond under her breath.
00:26:10She doesn't see me and hurries away.
00:26:12I frown,
00:26:12and the moment I step inside,
00:26:14it hits me.
00:26:15Holly's scent,
00:26:16tangled together with Damien's.
00:26:17Two scents only ever blend like that
00:26:19after mating.
00:26:20I go still.
00:26:21For a heartbeat,
00:26:22my mind is blank,
00:26:23and then fury and grief come crashing in.
00:26:25Damien stares at me,
00:26:27dazed and lost.
00:26:28He clearly never expected me to come,
00:26:30and that's when I see the fresh mark on his neck.
00:26:32So all these years,
00:26:33to him,
00:26:34I was light as dust.
00:26:35He cast me aside as fast as you'd throws out a piece of trash.
00:26:40I only came to tell you,
00:26:43within the week I'll be gone.
00:26:44I formally renounced the beta position I was born to,
00:26:48Alpha Damien.
00:26:49The moment the words are out,
00:26:51I turn and leave,
00:26:52giving him no chance to get out a single word.
00:26:54Then Damien reaches for me through the mind link.
00:26:56I'm sorry,
00:26:57Nina.
00:26:57I was wrong.
00:26:58Please forgive me.
00:26:59I'll love you forever.
00:27:00My heart gives one violent lurch,
00:27:02and then,
00:27:03with my own hand,
00:27:04I sever the link.
00:27:05I will not look back.
00:27:08At dawn,
00:27:09Zach loads the luggage into the trunk.
00:27:11This past week has been quiet.
00:27:14He's decided to leave with me.
00:27:16He won't let me go alone,
00:27:17and he says he needs a change of scenery too.
00:27:21I understand.
00:27:22He used to be in love with Holly.
00:27:24We plan to pack today,
00:27:25and set out at first light tomorrow.
00:27:27I've heard the Luna ceremony is a month or two off,
00:27:29and I know Damien and Holly are already mated.
00:27:33I can't wait to leave the old life behind.
00:27:36And I'm certain my own mate isn't in this pack.
00:27:39Otherwise,
00:27:39I'd have caught his scent by now.
00:27:41I want to go out and find him.
00:27:45Wake up, Nina!
00:27:47Damien just mind linked me
00:27:48that he and Holly want to come talk to us at nine.
00:27:51So if you don't want to see him,
00:27:53we've got 30 minutes to get out.
00:27:54I shoot up out of bed,
00:27:55grab my packed bags,
00:27:57and Zach and I hit the road
00:27:58in my mother's old black charger.
00:28:01We've barely cleared the packed border
00:28:04when Zach's face tightens
00:28:05and his voice drops.
00:28:10Drive faster.
00:28:12He's mind linking,
00:28:13asking where we are.
00:28:14Zach's phone lights up.
00:28:15Damien's name on the screen.
00:28:17I snatch it up.
00:28:18He can command Zach.
00:28:19He has never once been able to command me.
00:28:22What do you want, Damien?
00:28:24We're a little busy living our own lives.
00:28:26Why didn't you wait for us?
00:28:27Why did you just leave like that?
00:28:29Save it.
00:28:30You can't command me.
00:28:32Zach's out of range of your voice,
00:28:33and frankly,
00:28:34I don't want to talk to either of you.
00:28:35I'll send warriors to drag you both back, Nina.
00:28:39Don't think you can leave me.
00:28:41Even if you're not my mate,
00:28:42no one else gets to have you.
00:28:45You'll be my second,
00:28:47and you'll serve me.
00:28:49Let her go!
00:28:49I don't want to go!
00:28:50And if you dare touch another male,
00:28:51I'll come for you myself
00:28:52and throw you in a cell.
00:28:54Do you understand me?
00:28:54I can hear Holly screaming in the background,
00:28:57telling him to let me go,
00:28:58insisting she's the one who matters.
00:29:00There's venom in her voice.
00:29:02Then Damien says,
00:29:04Sweetheart,
00:29:05you're going to be mine.
00:29:06I even bought you a red gown
00:29:08just like the one from the ball.
00:29:09And then,
00:29:10to Holly,
00:29:10he snarls,
00:29:11She's the love of my life!
00:29:13You're at my side to keep up appearances,
00:29:14but she'll be my mistress,
00:29:16and you won't stop me!
00:29:18The line goes dead with a click.
00:29:20I sit frozen,
00:29:22gripping my phone.
00:29:24Zack shifts me over to the passenger seat,
00:29:27jumps behind the wheel,
00:29:28and flits it.
00:29:29My head is a storm.
00:29:31He wants to lock me up as his mistress,
00:29:34keep me as a sex slave,
00:29:35take me by force.
00:29:36You okay?
00:29:38I'm fine.
00:29:39I will never obey him.
00:29:41I'd sooner die fighting
00:29:42than set foot in that pack again.
00:29:44In my head,
00:29:45Raven bears her teeth.
00:29:48Let him lay one finger on us,
00:29:50and I'll bite off his manhood
00:29:52and feed it to him
00:29:53and watch him bleed out.
00:29:55That's my wolf.
00:29:56Far away,
00:29:57in the smoky mountain pack,
00:29:59their future's heir Wyatt
00:30:00gets an urgent report
00:30:01from the border.
00:30:02Rogue activity has spiked lately.
00:30:04The young alpha TV frowns.
00:30:06He doesn't yet know
00:30:08that those restless robes
00:30:09are all being drawn
00:30:10by a single scent,
00:30:11and that the owner of that scent
00:30:12is,
00:30:13in this very moment,
00:30:14driving straight towards him.
00:30:16The drive to Smoky Mountain Park
00:30:18is close to 13 hours.
00:30:20Halfway there,
00:30:21we pull over
00:30:21to let our wolves stretch.
00:30:23We slip into the trees
00:30:24and shift.
00:30:25Raven and Zach's wolf,
00:30:27Max,
00:30:27break into a run.
00:30:29Wind pours through my fur.
00:30:30The smell of pine
00:30:31washes over me.
00:30:32And for a moment,
00:30:34I really believe we're free.
00:30:37Then a dry branch snaps.
00:30:39Raven and Max's ears shoot up.
00:30:42A rotten,
00:30:43swampy stench
00:30:43slides into my nose,
00:30:44and I know it,
00:30:46even though I've never
00:30:46smelled it before.
00:30:47I just know.
00:30:49Three of them,
00:30:49on the right.
00:30:50Three rogues burst from the brush,
00:30:53teeth bared.
00:30:54They didn't come to talk.
00:30:56I drop low,
00:30:57and Raven's growl
00:30:58as updates
00:30:59as we brace to fight.
00:31:01The first one launches.
00:31:03I catch its jaw
00:31:04in mid-air
00:31:05and work my head,
00:31:06tearing flesh
00:31:07and sinew came away.
00:31:09The second circles toward Max.
00:31:10I grab it by the hind leg
00:31:11and slam it
00:31:12into a tree bronc.
00:31:13A sharp crack.
00:31:15Its neck breaks.
00:31:16By the time I turn back,
00:31:17he's already ripped out
00:31:18the third one's throat.
00:31:19I've trained to fight
00:31:20since I was five.
00:31:21Three rogues
00:31:22are nothing
00:31:22Raven can't handle.
00:31:24Then three warriors
00:31:25and a woman
00:31:25step out of the shadows
00:31:26of the trees,
00:31:27wary and searching.
00:31:28What's going on here?
00:31:29Zach and I edge back
00:31:31half a step,
00:31:32covering each other.
00:31:33Easy.
00:31:34Shift back.
00:31:35I'm Alex,
00:31:36Alpha of the Redwood Pack.
00:31:37I mean you no harm.
00:31:39Zach and I trade a glance.
00:31:40No malice from him,
00:31:41but no real warmth either.
00:31:43And the way
00:31:44they're looking at me,
00:31:45it isn't the way
00:31:46you look at a stranger
00:31:47who killed three rogues.
00:31:48It's the way
00:31:48you look at something
00:31:49that was never supposed
00:31:50to surface again.
00:32:02Wake up, Nina!
00:32:03Damien just mind-linked me
00:32:04that he and Holly
00:32:05want to come talk to us
00:32:06at nine.
00:32:08So if you don't want
00:32:08to see him,
00:32:09we've got 30 minutes
00:32:10to get out.
00:32:10I shoot up out of bed,
00:32:11grab my packed bags,
00:32:13and Zach and I hit the road
00:32:14in my mother's
00:32:15old black charger.
00:32:18We've barely cleared
00:32:19the packed border
00:32:20when Zach's face tightens
00:32:21and his voice drops.
00:32:27Drive faster.
00:32:28He's mind-linking,
00:32:29asking where we are.
00:32:30Zach's phone lights up,
00:32:31Damien's name on the screen.
00:32:33I snatch it up.
00:32:34He can command Zach.
00:32:36He has never once
00:32:36been able to command me.
00:32:38What do you want, Damien?
00:32:40We're a little busy
00:32:41living our own lives.
00:32:42Why didn't you wait for us?
00:32:44Why did you just leave
00:32:45like that?
00:32:46Save it.
00:32:47You can't command me.
00:32:48Zach's out of range
00:32:49of your voice,
00:32:49and frankly,
00:32:50I don't want to talk
00:32:50to either of you.
00:32:51I'll send warriors
00:32:53to drag you both back, Nina.
00:32:55Don't think you can leave me!
00:32:56Even if you're not my mate,
00:32:58no one else gets to have you!
00:33:02You'll be my second,
00:33:03and you'll serve me.
00:33:05Let her go!
00:33:06I'm one of them!
00:33:06And if you dare touch
00:33:07another male,
00:33:07I'll come for you myself
00:33:08and throw you in a cell.
00:33:10Do you understand me?
00:33:11I can hear Holly screaming
00:33:12in the background,
00:33:13telling him to let me go,
00:33:15insisting she's the one
00:33:16who matters.
00:33:16There's venom in her voice.
00:33:19Then Damien says,
00:33:20Sweetheart,
00:33:21you're going to be mine.
00:33:22I even bought you
00:33:23a red gown
00:33:24just like the one
00:33:25from the ball.
00:33:25And then,
00:33:26to Holly,
00:33:27he snarls,
00:33:27She's the love of my life!
00:33:29You're at my side
00:33:30to keep up appearances,
00:33:31but she'll be my mistress,
00:33:32and you won't stop me!
00:33:34The line goes dead
00:33:36with a click.
00:33:37I sit frozen,
00:33:38gripping my skin.
00:33:45In our werewolf world,
00:33:47rank is everything.
00:33:57But more decisive
00:33:58in the bloodline
00:33:59is the mate,
00:34:00the bond the moon goddess
00:34:01ties with her own hands.
00:34:03The day a wolf turns 18,
00:34:05a single cent
00:34:06tells you who is meant
00:34:07to be yours.
00:34:09And the graduation ball
00:34:11is the night
00:34:11every unrated 18-year-old
00:34:13from the packs
00:34:13gathers in one place,
00:34:15hoping to find
00:34:16the other half of their mate.
00:34:25Tomorrow night is the ball
00:34:27and my 18th birthday.
00:34:29My whole heart
00:34:29is set on one thing,
00:34:31that my mate
00:34:32is Damien.
00:34:34My name is Nina,
00:34:36the Beta's only daughter,
00:34:37the pack's top female warrior.
00:34:39I've trained
00:34:40since I was five.
00:34:41My father wants me
00:34:42to take a Beta seat
00:34:43when he retires
00:34:44on one condition,
00:34:46that I stop
00:34:47causing trouble.
00:34:50Nina, no more fights.
00:34:51What mate would want
00:34:52a wild, rule-breaking girl?
00:34:54And what Alpha
00:34:54would ever want you
00:34:55at his side?
00:34:56I just smiled
00:34:57because I grew up
00:34:58alongside Damien,
00:34:59our future Alpha.
00:35:00He's my best friend.
00:35:13We've kissed,
00:35:14now and then.
00:35:15But I saved
00:35:16my first time
00:35:17for my mate.
00:35:18And I hoped,
00:35:19more than anything,
00:35:20that it was me.
00:35:21Today, Damien
00:35:22and the others
00:35:23are going dress shopping.
00:35:24I'm still doing my makeup
00:35:26when the horns
00:35:26start blaring outside
00:35:28and a fist pound
00:35:29alms on my door.
00:35:31Nina,
00:35:32if you don't get down here,
00:35:33I'm taking the door
00:35:35off the pages.
00:35:38I bolt downstairs,
00:35:40grab my bag,
00:35:41and swipe
00:35:42into the shotgun seat
00:35:43of Damien's car
00:35:44bar like it's mine.
00:35:50That seat's mine,
00:35:51long legs.
00:35:51Faster reaction time
00:35:52in an emergency.
00:35:54Oh?
00:35:54Is that so?
00:35:56Want to go around
00:35:57with me again
00:35:57and find out?
00:35:58The whole cracks up.
00:36:00Damien lets out
00:36:01a low growl
00:36:02from his chest.
00:36:05And Zack
00:36:06clamps his mouth shut.
00:36:08Polly is my best friend,
00:36:10the gammal's daughter.
00:36:11Her brother Trevor
00:36:12is Damien's right hand.
00:36:14And Zack
00:36:14is a warrior's son.
00:36:17That shotgun seat,
00:36:18I've ridden in it
00:36:19for years.
00:36:20Everyone treats me
00:36:21as Damien's girl.
00:36:23I've always known
00:36:23I catch Damien's eye.
00:36:25His temper is as unwaimed
00:36:26as his bad boy looks.
00:36:27But with me,
00:36:28he's always been gentle.
00:36:30In the fitting room,
00:36:31I slip into
00:36:32a deep red gown
00:36:33slit high up the thigh
00:36:35and step out.
00:36:36My friends go still.
00:36:37I know exactly
00:36:38how beautiful I am
00:36:39and exactly
00:36:40how to make a room look.
00:36:42Damien growls,
00:36:43and every head
00:36:44turns away at once.
00:36:46Polly steps out
00:36:47in a short blue dress
00:36:48that shows off
00:36:49the flawless figure.
00:36:50Oh my God,
00:36:52Nina,
00:36:52that dress was made
00:36:53for you.
00:36:53Oh, thank you.
00:36:55You look gorgeous too.
00:36:57Then Damien's voice
00:36:58slides into my head.
00:37:00Kitten,
00:37:01don't get too attached
00:37:02to that dress
00:37:02because tomorrow night
00:37:03I'm peeling it right off.
00:37:05I fire back
00:37:06through the mind link.
00:37:07Who says I'll let you
00:37:07get that far?
00:37:08But my cheeks
00:37:09are burning
00:37:10and some traitorous part of me
00:37:11is looking forward to it.
00:37:13That night,
00:37:14Holly sleeps over
00:37:15so we can go
00:37:16to the ball together.
00:37:17I toss and turn
00:37:18and a bad feeling
00:37:19I can't shake.
00:37:20Finally,
00:37:21I tell her,
00:37:23what if I'm not
00:37:24Damien's mate?
00:37:26What if he finds
00:37:26someone else?
00:37:27That won't happen.
00:37:29You two were born
00:37:30for each other
00:37:31and even if his mate
00:37:32turned out to be
00:37:33someone else,
00:37:34he'd reject her for you.
00:37:35I'd bet on it.
00:37:36I hoped she was right,
00:37:37but if it wasn't me,
00:37:39I would never let him
00:37:40reject his mate.
00:37:41It wouldn't be right
00:37:42because we're taught
00:37:43from birth
00:37:43that mates are bound
00:37:44by the moon goddess
00:37:46herself.
00:37:46I couldn't stand
00:37:47in the way of that
00:37:48even if it broke
00:37:49my heart.
00:37:50The night of the ball,
00:37:51Holly and I
00:37:52walk in together.
00:37:53I'm scanning the crowd
00:37:54for my date,
00:37:54Damien.
00:37:55When Holly suddenly
00:37:56lifts her head,
00:37:57breathes in
00:37:58and starts running,
00:38:00I chase after her.
00:38:02She's staring
00:38:02dead ahead
00:38:03and I follow her gaze
00:38:05to Damien.
00:38:07Then I hear her say it,
00:38:09Mate.
00:38:10My heart drops
00:38:11through the floor.
00:38:12No.
00:38:13No, this can't be.
00:38:14He's supposed to be
00:38:15my mate,
00:38:16not Holly's.
00:38:18I freeze where I stand,
00:38:20staring at Damien
00:38:21as the whole world
00:38:22caves in around me.
00:38:23That one word
00:38:24out of Holly's mouth,
00:38:25Mate,
00:38:26keeps echoing in my ears.
00:38:28Damien looks at me
00:38:29then at Holly
00:38:30at a total loss.
00:38:31Trevor and Zack
00:38:32have gone ratchet
00:38:32on either side,
00:38:34shock written
00:38:34all over their faces.
00:38:38Nina, I...
00:38:39I...
00:38:39Holly stammers
00:38:40not knowing
00:38:41what to say or do.
00:38:42Everyone is waiting
00:38:43to see how I'll react.
00:38:44Damien takes a step
00:38:45towards me
00:38:46and suddenly
00:38:47we all hear
00:38:48a low growl.
00:38:49She stops.
00:38:50I turn my head.
00:38:52Holly has clapped
00:38:52a hand over her mouth
00:38:53and her face
00:38:54full of shock.
00:38:55She's the one
00:38:56who riled.
00:38:56I once told her
00:38:57everything I felt
00:38:58for Damien.
00:38:59She knows exactly
00:39:00how much I love you.
00:39:01There's no way
00:39:02our friendship
00:39:02survives this.
00:39:03Holly's possessiveness
00:39:04over Damien
00:39:05is already fierce.
00:39:06She must be terrified
00:39:07he'll reject her
00:39:08and my heart breaks
00:39:09for her too.
00:39:10She knows her own mate
00:39:11has fallen for another girl
00:39:12and that girl
00:39:13is her best friend.
00:39:14In my head,
00:39:15Raven throws back
00:39:16her muzzle and howls
00:39:17as if she's giving voice
00:39:18to the pieces
00:39:19of my shattered heart.
00:39:20I spin on my heel
00:39:21and run.
00:39:22Mid-stride,
00:39:22I shift into my wolf
00:39:24hurling every shout
00:39:25behind me
00:39:26into the wind.
00:39:27I crawl into a cave,
00:39:29wall off my mind,
00:39:30shut out every mind link
00:39:31and cry myself to sleep
00:39:33for the best friend
00:39:34and the love I lost
00:39:35in a single night.
00:39:37Then Raven jolts awake
00:39:38and shakes me out of sleep.
00:39:40Wake up!
00:39:41Something's wrong.
00:39:43In the distance,
00:39:44snarls and the sounds
00:39:45of killing.
00:39:46The heavy stench
00:39:47of blood floods my nose.
00:39:49I race only
00:39:50through the night.
00:39:51On the other end
00:39:52of the mind link,
00:39:52my father's voice
00:39:53is almost a scream.
00:39:55Nina,
00:39:55we're under attack!
00:39:57Get to the safe room,
00:39:58now!
00:39:58I scramble
00:39:59into the bunker
00:40:00beneath our kitchen
00:40:01and collapse
00:40:02onto the mattress.
00:40:03Outside,
00:40:04the pack's roars
00:40:05and death cries
00:40:05never stop.
00:40:06I hug my knees
00:40:07in the dark
00:40:08and wait.
00:40:09My heart
00:40:10in my throat.
00:40:10Then something
00:40:11inside me tears loose.
00:40:13A pain rips
00:40:13through my chest
00:40:14and I plant both hands
00:40:15over my heart
00:40:16and scream,
00:40:17my mother is dead.
00:40:18From far off,
00:40:19my father's
00:40:19anguished howl
00:40:20reaches me.
00:40:24I know no wolf
00:40:25survives the death
00:40:26of their mate.
00:40:27My father won't
00:40:28make it either.
00:40:28And then a second tear
00:40:29rips through my heart.
00:40:31In a single night,
00:40:32I've become an orphan.
00:40:33I've lost everything.
00:40:35I cry until
00:40:35I black out.
00:40:39At dawn,
00:40:40I stare blankly
00:40:41at the family photos
00:40:42lining the wall
00:40:42and then I snap.
00:40:45I smash everything
00:40:47in the woods
00:40:47to pieces.
00:40:48A pair of arms
00:40:49locks around me
00:40:50at a hole,
00:40:51holding me tight.
00:40:52I'm here, Nina.
00:40:53It's a tear up here.
00:40:54But Zach,
00:40:55thank the goddess,
00:40:56not Holly,
00:40:57not Damien.
00:40:58I'm not ready
00:40:58to face either of them.
00:40:59At the funeral,
00:41:00the bodies of 27 warriors
00:41:02are swallowed
00:41:03by the flames,
00:41:04turning to
00:41:04ash that will
00:41:05feed the earth.
00:41:0827 limes
00:41:09gone to ash
00:41:10in a single night.
00:41:11I take the ruby
00:41:12necklace from around
00:41:13my mother's neck,
00:41:14which was the gift
00:41:15I gave my parents
00:41:16for their 25th wedding
00:41:18anniversary.
00:41:19I thread my parents'
00:41:20wedding rings onto it
00:41:21and fasten it
00:41:22around my own throat.
00:41:24I drift through that
00:41:25day in a daze.
00:41:27Zach comes over
00:41:27to cook for me,
00:41:29but I can't get a single
00:41:30bite down.
00:41:35The next day,
00:41:36I make my way
00:41:37to the pack house.
00:41:38I think I need
00:41:38to talk to Damien.
00:41:40After everything
00:41:40that's happened,
00:41:41I have to understand
00:41:42what he's really thinking.
00:41:43Can I truly ask him
00:41:44to reject his mate
00:41:45for me?
00:41:46Could I reject
00:41:46my own mate for him?
00:41:48It's all so wrong,
00:41:49but I owe it to myself
00:41:50to hear him out.
00:41:51The pain in his eyes
00:41:52had been so plain,
00:41:53and if I could take
00:41:54even a little comfort
00:41:55from it,
00:41:56maybe I could begin
00:41:57to make my peace
00:41:58with all of this.
00:41:59Just as I reach
00:42:00for the door,
00:42:00it bursts open
00:42:01with a bang.
00:42:02Holly rushes out.
00:42:04Fucking mate bond.
00:42:05Cursing the mate bond
00:42:07under her breath.
00:42:08She doesn't see me
00:42:08and hurries away.
00:42:09I frown,
00:42:10and the moment
00:42:11I step inside,
00:42:12it hits me.
00:42:13Holly's scent,
00:42:14tangled together
00:42:14with frameless.
00:42:15Two scents only
00:42:16ever blend like that
00:42:17after mating.
00:42:18I go still.
00:42:19For a heartbeat,
00:42:20my mind is blank,
00:42:21and then fury and grief
00:42:22come crashing in.
00:42:23Damien stares
00:42:24at me,
00:42:25dazed and lost.
00:42:26He clearly never
00:42:26expected me to come,
00:42:28and that's when I see
00:42:28the fresh mark
00:42:29on his neck.
00:42:30So all these years,
00:42:31to him,
00:42:32I was light as dust.
00:42:33He cast me aside
00:42:34as fast as you'd
00:42:35throws out a piece
00:42:36of trash.
00:42:38I only came to tell you,
00:42:41within the week
00:42:41I'll be gone.
00:42:42I formally renounce
00:42:44the beta position
00:42:44I was born to,
00:42:46Alpha Damien.
00:42:47The moment the words
00:42:48are out,
00:42:48I turn and leave,
00:42:49giving him no chance
00:42:50to get out a single word.
00:42:52Then Damien reaches for me
00:42:53through the mind link.
00:42:54I'm sorry,
00:42:55Nina.
00:42:55I was wrong.
00:42:56Please forgive me.
00:42:57I'll love you forever.
00:42:58My heart gives
00:42:59one violent lurch,
00:43:00and then,
00:43:01with my own hand,
00:43:02I sever the link.
00:43:03I will not look back.
00:43:06At dawn,
00:43:07Zach loads the luggage
00:43:08into the trunk.
00:43:09This past week
00:43:10has been quiet.
00:43:11He's decided
00:43:12to leave with me.
00:43:14He won't let me go alone,
00:43:15and he says
00:43:16he needs a change
00:43:17of scenery too.
00:43:18I understand.
00:43:20He used to be
00:43:20in love with Holly.
00:43:22We plan to pack today
00:43:23and set out
00:43:24at first light tomorrow.
00:43:25I've heard the Luna ceremony
00:43:26is a month or two off,
00:43:27and I know Damien
00:43:28and Holly are already
00:43:30mated.
00:43:31I can't wait
00:43:32to leave the old life
00:43:33behind.
00:43:34And I'm certain
00:43:35my own mate
00:43:35isn't in this pack.
00:43:37Otherwise,
00:43:37I'd have caught
00:43:38his scent by now.
00:43:39I want to go out
00:43:40and find him.
00:43:43Wake up, Nina!
00:43:45Damien just mind-linked me
00:43:46that he and Holly
00:43:46want to come talk
00:43:47to us at 9.
00:43:49So if you don't
00:43:50want to see him,
00:43:51we've got 30 minutes
00:43:51to get out.
00:43:52I shoot up out of bed,
00:43:53grab my packed bags,
00:43:54and Zach and I
00:43:55hit the road
00:43:56in my mother's
00:43:56old black charger.
00:43:59We've barely
00:44:00cleared the pack border
00:44:01when Zach's face
00:44:02tightens
00:44:03and his voice drops.
00:44:08Drive faster.
00:44:09He's mind-linking,
00:44:11asking where we are.
00:44:12Zach's phone lights up.
00:44:13Damien's name
00:44:14on the screen.
00:44:15I snatch it up.
00:44:16He can command Zach.
00:44:17He has never once
00:44:18been able to command me.
00:44:20What do you want,
00:44:20Damien?
00:44:22We're a little busy
00:44:23living our own lives.
00:44:24Why didn't you
00:44:25wait for us?
00:44:26Why did you just
00:44:26leave like that?
00:44:27Save it.
00:44:28You can't command me.
00:44:30Zach's out of range
00:44:30of your voice,
00:44:31and frankly,
00:44:31I don't want to talk
00:44:32to either of you.
00:44:33I'll send warriors
00:44:34to drag you both back,
00:44:36Nina.
00:44:36Don't think you can
00:44:37leave me,
00:44:38even if you're not
00:44:39my mate.
00:44:40No one else
00:44:41gets to have you.
00:44:43You'll be my second,
00:44:45and you'll serve me.
00:44:46Let her go.
00:44:47I'm the one who's
00:44:48And if you dare
00:44:48touch another male,
00:44:49I'll come for you
00:44:50myself and throw you
00:44:51in a cell.
00:44:51Do you understand me?
00:44:53I can hear Holly
00:44:53screaming in the background,
00:44:55telling him to let me go,
00:44:56insisting she's the one
00:44:57who matters.
00:44:58There's venom in her voice.
00:45:00Then Damien says,
00:45:02Sweetheart,
00:45:03you're going to be mine.
00:45:04I even bought you
00:45:05a red gown
00:45:06just like the one
00:45:06from the ball.
00:45:07And then,
00:45:08to Holly,
00:45:08he snarls,
00:45:09She's the love
00:45:10of my life!
00:45:10You're at my side
00:45:11to keep up appearances,
00:45:12but she'll be my mistress,
00:45:14and you won't stop me!
00:45:16The line goes dead
00:45:17with a click.
00:45:18I sit frozen,
00:45:20gripping the phone.
00:45:22Zach shifts me over
00:45:23to the passenger seat,
00:45:24jumps behind the wheel,
00:45:26and flits it.
00:45:27My head is a storm.
00:45:29He wants to lock me up
00:45:30as his mistress,
00:45:32keep me as a sex slave,
00:45:33take me by force.
00:45:34Are you okay?
00:45:36I'm fine.
00:45:37I will never obey him.
00:45:39I'd sooner die fighting
00:45:40than set foot
00:45:41in that pack again.
00:45:42In my head,
00:45:43Raven bears her teeth.
00:45:45Let him lay one finger on us,
00:45:48and I'll bite off his manhood
00:45:50and feed it to him
00:45:51and watch him bleed out.
00:45:52That's my wolf.
00:45:54Far away,
00:45:55in the Smoky Mountain pack,
00:45:56their future's heir,
00:45:57Wyatt,
00:45:58gets an urgent report
00:45:59from the border.
00:46:00Rogue activity has fight lately.
00:46:02The young alpha to be frowns.
00:46:04He doesn't yet know
00:46:05that those restless robes
00:46:07are all being drawn
00:46:08by a single scent
00:46:09and that the owner
00:46:10of that scent is,
00:46:11at this very moment,
00:46:12driving straight towards him.
00:46:14The drive to Smoky Mountain park
00:46:16is close to 13 hours.
00:46:17Halfway there,
00:46:18we pull over
00:46:19to let our wolves stretch.
00:46:21We slip into the trees
00:46:22and shift.
00:46:23Raven and Zach's wolf,
00:46:25Max,
00:46:25break into a run.
00:46:26Wind pours through my fur.
00:46:28The smell of pine
00:46:29washes over me.
00:46:30And for a moment,
00:46:31I really believe we're free.
00:46:35Then a dry branch snaps.
00:46:37Raven and Max's ears shoot up.
00:46:39A rotten,
00:46:41swampy stench
00:46:41slides into my nose.
00:46:42And I know it,
00:46:43even though I've never
00:46:44smelled it before.
00:46:45I just know.
00:46:47Three of them,
00:46:47on the right.
00:46:48Three rogues burst
00:46:50from the brush,
00:46:51teeth bared.
00:46:52They didn't come to talk.
00:46:53I drop low,
00:46:55and Raven's growl
00:46:56eclectic updates
00:46:57as we brace to fight.
00:46:59The first one launches.
00:47:01I catch its jaw
00:47:02in midair
00:47:03and work my head,
00:47:04tearing flesh
00:47:05and sinew clean away.
00:47:07The second circle
00:47:07toward Max.
00:47:08I grab it by the hind leg
00:47:09and slam it
00:47:10into a tree bronc.
00:47:11A sharp crack.
00:47:13Its neck breaks.
00:47:14By the time I turn back,
00:47:15it's already ripped out
00:47:16the third one's throat.
00:47:17I've trained to fight
00:47:18since I was five.
00:47:19Three rogues
00:47:20are nothing Raven
00:47:20can't handle.
00:47:21Then three warriors
00:47:23and a woman
00:47:23step out of the shadows
00:47:24of the trees,
00:47:25wary and searching.
00:47:26What's going on here?
00:47:27Zack and I edge back
00:47:28half a step,
00:47:30covering each other.
00:47:31Easy.
00:47:32Shift back.
00:47:33I'm Alex,
00:47:34Alpha of the Redwood Pack.
00:47:35I mean you no harm.
00:47:37Zack and I trade a glance.
00:47:38No malice from him,
00:47:39but no real warmth either.
00:47:41And the way
00:47:42they're looking at me,
00:47:43it isn't the way
00:47:44you look at a stranger
00:47:44who killed three rogues.
00:47:46It's the way
00:47:46you look at something
00:47:47that was never supposed
00:47:48to surface again.
00:48:00Wake up, Nina!
00:48:01Damon just mind-linked me
00:48:02that he and Holly
00:48:03want to come talk
00:48:03to us at nine.
00:48:05So if you don't want
00:48:06to see him,
00:48:07we've got 30 minutes
00:48:07to get out.
00:48:08I shoot up out of bed,
00:48:09grab my packed bags,
00:48:11and Zack and I
00:48:11hit the road
00:48:12in my mother's
00:48:12old black charger.
00:48:16We've barely cleared
00:48:17the packed border
00:48:18when Zack's face
00:48:19tightens
00:48:19and his voice drops.
00:48:25Drive faster.
00:48:26He's mind-linking,
00:48:27asking where we are.
00:48:28Zack's phone lights up.
00:48:29Damien's name
00:48:30on the screen.
00:48:31I snatch it up.
00:48:32He can command Zack.
00:48:33He has never once
00:48:34been able to command me.
00:48:36What do you want, Damien?
00:48:38We're a little busy
00:48:39living our own lives.
00:48:40Why didn't you wait for us?
00:48:42Why did you just
00:48:43leave like that?
00:48:43Save it.
00:48:45You can't command me.
00:48:46Zack's out of range
00:48:46of your voice,
00:48:47and frankly,
00:48:48I don't want to talk
00:48:48to either of you.
00:48:49I'll send warriors
00:48:50to drag you both back, Nina.
00:48:53Don't think you can
00:48:54leave me.
00:48:55Even if you're not my mate,
00:48:56no one else gets to have you.
00:48:59You'll be my second,
00:49:01and you'll serve me.
00:49:03Let her go!
00:49:03I'm the one who's here!
00:49:04And if you dare
00:49:04touch another male,
00:49:05I'll come for you myself
00:49:06and throw you in a cell.
00:49:08Do you understand me?
00:49:09I can hear Holly
00:49:10screaming in the background,
00:49:11telling him to let me go,
00:49:12insisting she's
00:49:13the one who matters.
00:49:14There's venom in her voice.
00:49:16Then Damien says,
00:49:18Sweetheart,
00:49:19you're going to be mine.
00:49:20I even bought you
00:49:21a red gown
00:49:22just like the one
00:49:23from the ball.
00:49:23And then,
00:49:24to Holly,
00:49:25he snarls,
00:49:25She's the love of my life!
00:49:27You're at my side
00:49:28to keep up appearances,
00:49:29but she'll be my mistress,
00:49:30and you won't stop me!
00:49:31The line goes dead
00:49:34with a click.
00:49:35I sit frozen,
00:49:36gripping the crown.
00:49:43In our werewolf world,
00:49:45rank is everything.
00:49:55But more disciples and bloodline
00:49:57is the night.
00:49:58The bond the moon goddess
00:49:59ties with her own hands.
00:50:01The day a wolf turns 18,
00:50:03a single cent tells you
00:50:05who is meant to be yours.
00:50:07And the graduation ball
00:50:08is the night
00:50:09every unrated 18-year-old
00:50:11from the packs
00:50:11gathers in one place,
00:50:13hoping to find
00:50:14the other half of the race.
00:50:23Tomorrow night is the ball
00:50:24and my 18th birthday.
00:50:26My whole heart
00:50:27is set on one thing,
00:50:28that my mate
00:50:29is Damien.
00:50:32My name is Lena,
00:50:34the Veda's only daughter,
00:50:35the pack's top female warrior.
00:50:37Trained since I was five.
00:50:39My father wants me
00:50:40to take a Veda seat
00:50:41when he retires
00:50:42on one condition.
00:50:44That I stopped
00:50:45causing trouble.
00:50:47Nina, no more fights.
00:50:49What mate would want
00:50:50a wild, rule-breaking girl?
00:50:51And what alpha
00:50:52would ever want you
00:50:53at his side?
00:50:54I just smiled
00:50:55because I grew up
00:50:56alongside Damien,
00:50:57our future alpha.
00:50:58He's my best friend.
00:51:11We've kissed,
00:51:12now and then.
00:51:14But I saved my first time
00:51:15for my mate.
00:51:16And I hoped,
00:51:17more than anything,
00:51:18that it was him.
00:51:19Today, Damien and the others
00:51:21are going dress shopping.
00:51:22I'm still doing my makeup
00:51:23when the horns
00:51:24start glaring outside
00:51:25and a fist pound
00:51:27pounds on my door.
00:51:29Nina,
00:51:29if you don't get down here,
00:51:31I'm taking the door
00:51:33off of Tunjie.
00:51:36I bolt downstairs,
00:51:38grab my bag
00:51:39and swipe into the shotgun seat
00:51:41of Damien's car
00:51:42like it's mine.
00:51:47That seat's mine,
00:51:49long legs.
00:51:49Faster reaction time
00:51:50in an emergency.
00:51:51Oh?
00:51:52Is that so?
00:51:54Want to go around
00:51:55with me again
00:51:55and find out?
00:51:56The girl cracks up.
00:51:58Damien lets out
00:51:59a low growl
00:52:00from his chest.
00:52:03And Zach clamps
00:52:04his mouth shut.
00:52:06Holly is my best friend,
00:52:08the gammal's daughter.
00:52:09Her brother Trevor
00:52:10is Damien's right hand.
00:52:12And Zach
00:52:12is a warrior's son.
00:52:15That shotgun seat,
00:52:16I've ridden in it
00:52:17for years.
00:52:18Everyone treats me
00:52:19as Damien's girl.
00:52:21I've always known
00:52:21I catch Damien's eye.
00:52:23His temper is as unwaimed
00:52:24as his bad boy looks.
00:52:25But with me,
00:52:26he's always ungentle.
00:52:28In the fitting room,
00:52:29I slip into a deep red gown,
00:52:31slip high up the thigh
00:52:32and step out.
00:52:34My friend goes still.
00:52:35I know exactly
00:52:36how beautiful I am
00:52:37and exactly how
00:52:39to make a room look.
00:52:40Damien growls.
00:52:41Every head turns away
00:52:42at once.
00:52:44Holly steps out
00:52:45in a short blue dress
00:52:46that shows off
00:52:47the flawless figure.
00:52:49Oh my god,
00:52:50Mina,
00:52:50that dress was made for you.
00:52:53You look gorgeous too.
00:52:55Then Damien's voice
00:52:56slides into my head.
00:52:58Kitten,
00:52:58don't get too attached
00:52:59to that dress
00:53:00because tomorrow night
00:53:01I'm peeling it right off.
00:53:03I fire back
00:53:04through the mind link.
00:53:05Who says I'll let you
00:53:05get that far?
00:53:06But my cheeks
00:53:07are burning
00:53:08and some traitorous part of me
00:53:09is looking forward to it.
00:53:11That night,
00:53:12Holly sleeps over
00:53:13so we can go
00:53:13to the ball together.
00:53:14I toss and turn.
00:53:16and a bad feeling
00:53:17I can't shake.
00:53:18Finally,
00:53:19I tell her,
00:53:21what if I'm not Damien's mate?
00:53:23What if he finds someone else?
00:53:25That won't happen.
00:53:27You two were born
00:53:28for each other
00:53:28and even if his mate
00:53:30turned out to be someone else,
00:53:32he'd reject her for you.
00:53:33I'd bet on it.
00:53:34I hoped she was right,
00:53:35but if it wasn't me,
00:53:37I would never let him
00:53:38reject his mate.
00:53:39It wouldn't be right
00:53:40because we're taught
00:53:41from birth
00:53:41that mates are bound
00:53:42by the moon goddess herself.
00:53:44I couldn't stand
00:53:45in the way of that,
00:53:46even if it broke my heart.
00:53:48The night of the ball,
00:53:49Holly and I walk in together.
00:53:51I'm scanning the crowd
00:53:52for my date, Damien.
00:53:53When Holly suddenly lifts her head,
00:53:56bleeds in,
00:53:56and starts running,
00:53:58I chase after her.
00:54:00She's staring dead ahead,
00:54:01and I follow her gaze
00:54:03to Damien.
00:54:05Then I hear her say it.
00:54:07Mate.
00:54:08My heart drops
00:54:09through the floor.
00:54:10No.
00:54:11No, this can't be.
00:54:12He's supposed to be my mate,
00:54:14not Holly's.
00:54:16I freeze where I stand,
00:54:18staring at Damien
00:54:19as the whole world
00:54:20caves in around me.
00:54:21That one word
00:54:22out of Holly's mouth.
00:54:23Mate.
00:54:24Keeps echoing in my ears.
00:54:26Damien looks at me,
00:54:27then at Holly,
00:54:28at a total loss.
00:54:29Trevor and Zack
00:54:30have gone ratchet
00:54:30on either side,
00:54:31shock written
00:54:32all over their faces.
00:54:37Polly stammers,
00:54:38not knowing
00:54:39what to say or do.
00:54:40Everyone is waiting
00:54:41to see how I'll react.
00:54:42Damien takes a step
00:54:43towards me,
00:54:44and suddenly we all
00:54:45hear a low growl.
00:54:47She stops.
00:54:48I turn my head.
00:54:49Holly has clapped
00:54:50a hand over her mouth,
00:54:52her face full of shock.
00:54:53She's the one who's riled.
00:54:54I once told her
00:54:55everything I felt for Damien.
00:54:57She knows exactly
00:54:58how much I love him.
00:54:59There's no way
00:54:59our friendship survives this.
00:55:01Holly's possessiveness
00:55:02over Damien
00:55:03is already fierce.
00:55:04She must be terrified
00:55:05he'll reject her,
00:55:06and my heart breaks
00:55:07for him too.
00:55:08She knows her own mate
00:55:09has fallen for another girl,
00:55:10and that girl
00:55:11is her best friend.
00:55:12In my head,
00:55:13Raven throws back
00:55:14her muzzle and howls,
00:55:15as if she's giving voice
00:55:16to the pieces
00:55:17of my shattered heart.
00:55:18I spin on my heel
00:55:19and run.
00:55:20Mid-stride,
00:55:20I shift into my wolf,
00:55:22whirling every shout
00:55:23behind me
00:55:23into the wind.
00:55:25I crawl into a cave,
00:55:27wall off my mind,
00:55:28shut out every mind link,
00:55:29and cry myself to sleep
00:55:31for the best friend
00:55:32and the love I lost
00:55:33in the sleeping light.
00:55:35Then Raven jolts awake
00:55:36and shakes me out of sleep.
00:55:38Wake up!
00:55:39Something's wrong.
00:55:41In the distance,
00:55:42snarls and the sounds
00:55:43of killing,
00:55:44the heavy stench
00:55:45of blood floods my nose.
00:55:46I race home
00:55:48through the night.
00:55:49On the other end
00:55:49of the mind wall,
00:55:50my father's voice
00:55:51is almost a scream.
00:55:53Nina,
00:55:53we're under attack!
00:55:55Get to the safe room,
00:55:56now!
00:55:56I scramble into the bunker
00:55:58beneath our kitchen
00:55:59and collapse onto the mattress.
00:56:01Outside,
00:56:02the pack's roars
00:56:02and death cries
00:56:03never stop.
00:56:04I hug my knees
00:56:05in the dark
00:56:06and wait,
00:56:07my heart in my throat.
00:56:08Then something inside me
00:56:09tears loose.
00:56:10A pain ripped
00:56:11in my chest
00:56:12and a plant
00:56:13both hands over
00:56:13my heart and scream.
00:56:15My mother is dead.
00:56:16From far off,
00:56:17my father's
00:56:17anguished howl
00:56:18reaches me.
00:56:22I know no wolf
00:56:23survives the death
00:56:24of my mate.
00:56:25My father won't make it either
00:56:26and then a second tear
00:56:27rips through my heart.
00:56:29In a single night,
00:56:30I've become an orphan.
00:56:31I've lost everything.
00:56:32I cry until I black out.
00:56:37At dawn,
00:56:38I stare blankly
00:56:39at the family photos
00:56:40lining the wall
00:56:40and then I snap.
00:56:43I smash everything
00:56:45in the next place.
00:56:46A pair of arms
00:56:47locked around
00:56:47my family
00:56:48holding it tight.
00:56:50I'm here, Nina.
00:56:51It's a cure.
00:56:52Zach,
00:56:53thank the goddess,
00:56:54not Holly,
00:56:55not Damien.
00:56:55I'm not ready
00:56:56to face either of them.
00:56:57At the funeral,
00:56:58the bodies of 27 warriors
00:57:00were swallowed
00:57:01by the flames,
00:57:02turning to ash
00:57:03that will feed the earth.
00:57:0527 lives
00:57:07have gone to ash
00:57:07in a single night.
00:57:09I take the ruby necklace
00:57:10from around my mother's neck,
00:57:12which was the gift
00:57:13I gave my parents
00:57:14for their 25th wedding anniversary.
00:57:17I thread my parents'
00:57:18wedding rings onto it
00:57:19and fasten it
00:57:20around my own throat.
00:57:22I drift through that day
00:57:23in a daze.
00:57:25Zach comes over
00:57:25to cook for me,
00:57:27but I can't get
00:57:28a single bite down.
00:57:33The next day,
00:57:34I make my way
00:57:35to the pack house.
00:57:36I think I need
00:57:36to talk to Damien.
00:57:37After everything
00:57:38that's happened,
00:57:39I have to understand
00:57:40what he's really thinking.
00:57:41Can I truly ask him
00:57:42to reject his mate for me?
00:57:44Could I reject
00:57:44my own mate for him?
00:57:46It's all so wrong,
00:57:47but I owe it to myself
00:57:48to hear him out.
00:57:49The pain in his eyes
00:57:50had been so plain,
00:57:51and if I could take
00:57:52even a little comfort from it,
00:57:54maybe I could begin
00:57:55to make my peace
00:57:55with all of this.
00:57:57Just as I reach
00:57:57for the door,
00:57:58it bursts open
00:57:59with a bang.
00:58:00Holly rushes out.
00:58:02Fucking mate bond.
00:58:03Cursing the mate bond
00:58:04under her breath.
00:58:05She doesn't see me
00:58:06and hurries away.
00:58:07I frown,
00:58:08and the moment
00:58:09I step inside,
00:58:10it hits me.
00:58:10Holly's scent,
00:58:11tangled together
00:58:12with Damien's.
00:58:13Two scents only
00:58:14ever blend like that
00:58:15after mating.
00:58:16I go still.
00:58:17For a heartbeat,
00:58:18my mind is blank,
00:58:19and then fury
00:58:20and grief come crashing in.
00:58:21Damien stares at me,
00:58:23dazed and lost.
00:58:24He clearly never
00:58:24expected me to come,
00:58:26and that's when I see
00:58:26the fresh mark
00:58:27on his neck.
00:58:28So all these years,
00:58:29to him,
00:58:30I was light as dust.
00:58:31He cast me aside
00:58:32as fast as you'd
00:58:33throws out a piece of trash.
00:58:36I only came to tell you
00:58:38within the week
00:58:39I'll be gone.
00:58:40I formally renounce
00:58:41the beta position
00:58:42I was born to,
00:58:44Alpha Damien.
00:58:45The moment the words
00:58:46are out,
00:58:46I turn and leave,
00:58:47giving him no chance
00:58:48to get out a single word.
00:58:50Then Damien reaches for me
00:58:51through the mind link.
00:58:52I'm sorry, Nina.
00:58:53I was wrong.
00:58:54Please forgive me.
00:58:55I'll love you forever.
00:58:56My heart gives
00:58:57one violent lurch,
00:58:58and then,
00:58:59with my own hand,
00:59:00I sever the link.
00:59:01I will not look back.
00:59:04At dawn,
00:59:05Zach loads the luggage
00:59:06into the trunk.
00:59:07This past week
00:59:08has been quiet.
00:59:09He's decided to leave
00:59:11with me.
00:59:12He won't let me go alone,
00:59:13and he says
00:59:14he needs a change
00:59:15of scenery, too.
00:59:16I understand.
00:59:17He used to be
00:59:18in love with Holly.
00:59:20We plan to pack today
00:59:21and set out
00:59:21at first light tomorrow.
00:59:23I've heard the Luna ceremony
00:59:24is a month or two off,
00:59:25and I know Damien and Holly
00:59:27are already mated.
00:59:29I can't wait
00:59:30to leave the old life behind,
00:59:32and I'm certain
00:59:32my own mate
00:59:33isn't in this pack.
00:59:35Otherwise,
00:59:35I'd have caught his scent
00:59:36by now.
00:59:37I want to go out
00:59:38and find him.
00:59:41Wake up, Nina!
00:59:43Damien just mind-linked me
00:59:44that he and Holly
00:59:44want to come talk to us
00:59:45at nine.
00:59:47So if you don't want
00:59:48to see him,
00:59:48we've got 30 minutes
00:59:49to get out.
00:59:50I shoot up out of bed,
00:59:51grab my packed bags,
00:59:52and Zach and I
00:59:53hit the road
00:59:54in my mother's
00:59:54old black charger.
00:59:57We've barely
00:59:58cleared the pack order
00:59:59when Zach's face
01:00:00tightens
01:00:01and his voice drops.
01:00:06Drive faster.
01:00:08He's mind-linking,
01:00:09asking where we are.
01:00:10Zach's phone lights up.
01:00:11Damien's name
01:00:12on the screen.
01:00:13I snatch it up.
01:00:14He can command Zach.
01:00:15He has never once
01:00:16been able to command me.
01:00:17What do you want, Damien?
01:00:19We're a little busy
01:00:21living our own lives.
01:00:22Why didn't you wait for us?
01:00:23Why did you just
01:00:24leave like that?
01:00:25Save it.
01:00:26You can't command me.
01:00:27Zach's out of range
01:00:28of your voice,
01:00:29and frankly,
01:00:29I don't want to talk
01:00:30to either of you.
01:00:31I'll send warriors
01:00:32to drag you both back, Nina.
01:00:34Don't think you can leave me.
01:00:36Even if you're not my mate,
01:00:38no one else gets to have you.
01:00:41You'll be my second,
01:00:43and you'll serve me.
01:00:44Let her go!
01:00:45I'm the one of them!
01:00:46And if you dare
01:00:46touch another male,
01:00:47I'll come for you myself
01:00:48and throw you in a cell.
01:00:49Do you understand me?
01:00:50I can hear Holly
01:00:51screaming in the background,
01:00:53telling him to let me go,
01:00:54insisting she's
01:00:55the one who matters.
01:00:56There's venom in her voice.
01:00:58Then Damien says,
01:01:00Sweetheart,
01:01:01you're going to be mine.
01:01:02I even bought you
01:01:03a red gown
01:01:03just like the one
01:01:04from the ball.
01:01:05And then,
01:01:05to Holly,
01:01:06he snarls,
01:01:07She's the love
01:01:08of my life!
01:01:08You're at my side
01:01:09to keep up appearances,
01:01:10but she'll be my mistress,
01:01:12and you won't stop me!
01:01:14The line goes dead
01:01:15with a click.
01:01:16I sit frozen,
01:01:18gripping...
01:01:20Zach shifts me over
01:01:21to the passenger seat,
01:01:22jumps behind the wheel,
01:01:24and flits it.
01:01:25My head is a storm.
01:01:27He wants to lock me up
01:01:28as his mistress,
01:01:29keep me as a sex slave,
01:01:31take me by force.
01:01:32You okay?
01:01:34I'm fine.
01:01:35I will never obey him.
01:01:37I'd sooner die fighting
01:01:38than set foot in that pack again.
01:01:40In my head,
01:01:41Raven bears her teeth.
01:01:43Let him lay one finger on us,
01:01:46and I'll bite off his manhood
01:01:48and feed it to him
01:01:49and watch him bleed out.
01:01:50That's my wolf.
01:01:52Far away,
01:01:53in the smoky mountain pack,
01:01:54their future's heir Wyatt
01:01:55gets an urgent report
01:01:57from the border.
01:01:58Rogue activity
01:01:59has spiked lately.
01:02:00The young alpha-to-be frowns.
01:02:02He doesn't yet know
01:02:03that those restless robes
01:02:05are all being drawn
01:02:06by a single scent,
01:02:07and that the owner
01:02:07of that scent is,
01:02:08at this very moment,
01:02:10driving straight towards him.
01:02:11The drive to Smoky Mountain Park
01:02:13is close to 13 hours.
01:02:15Halfway there,
01:02:16we pull over
01:02:17to let our wolves stretch.
01:02:19We slip into the trees
01:02:20and shift.
01:02:21Raven and Zach's wolf,
01:02:23Max,
01:02:23break into a run.
01:02:24Wind pours through my fur.
01:02:26The smell of pine
01:02:27washes over me.
01:02:28And for a moment,
01:02:29I really believe we're free.
01:02:33Then a dry branch snaps.
01:02:35Raven and Max's ears shoot up.
01:02:37A rotten,
01:02:38swampy stench
01:02:39slides into my nose,
01:02:40and I know it.
01:02:41Even though I've never
01:02:42smelled it before,
01:02:43I just know.
01:02:45Three of them,
01:02:45on the right.
01:02:46Three rogues burst
01:02:48from the brush,
01:02:49teeth bared.
01:02:50They didn't come to talk.
01:02:52I drop low,
01:02:53and Raven's growl
01:02:54ecleptates
01:02:55as we brace to fight.
01:02:56The first one launches.
01:02:59I catch its jaw
01:03:00in mid-air
01:03:01and work my head,
01:03:02tearing flesh
01:03:03and sinew clean away.
01:03:04The second circles
01:03:05toward Max.
01:03:06I grab it by the hind leg
01:03:07and slam it
01:03:08into a tree bronc.
01:03:09A sharp crack.
01:03:10Its neck breaks.
01:03:11By the time I turn back,
01:03:13he's already ripped out
01:03:14the third one's throat.
01:03:15I've trained to fight
01:03:16since I was five.
01:03:17Three rogues
01:03:17are nothing
01:03:18Raven can't handle.
01:03:19Then three warriors
01:03:20and a woman
01:03:21step out of the shadows
01:03:22of the trees,
01:03:23wary and searching.
01:03:24What's going on here?
01:03:25Zach and I edge back
01:03:26half a step,
01:03:27covering each other.
01:03:29Easy.
01:03:30Shift back.
01:03:31I'm Alex,
01:03:32Alpha of the Redwood Pack.
01:03:33I mean you no harm.
01:03:34Zach and I trade a glance.
01:03:36No malice from him,
01:03:37but no real warmth either.
01:03:39And the way
01:03:39they're looking at me,
01:03:41it isn't the way
01:03:41you look at a stranger
01:03:42who killed three rogues.
01:03:44It's the way
01:03:44you look at something
01:03:45that was never supposed
01:03:46to surface again.