CHAPTER 1 The Choosing Party
Emma POV
My eyes scan the room. I know somewhere in the crowd is the man my father plans to force on me. Not one of them is the man I'd choose for myself. If only I could find my destined mate.
At twenty five I'm long past the age of mating. Most of my pack members found their mates by the time they came of age at eighteen. I'd hoped by the time my wolf came in my mate would show himself.
My wolf, Lexi sighs in my mind, she is even more desperate for our mate to arrive.
"We can't wait much longer for him," she says.
"I know, Lexi." The longer we go without mating, the wilder Lexi will become until she is little more than an animal.
Not for the first time, I wonder what is wrong with me. Why can't I find the one I'm meant to be with?
Trying to take my mind off of my mate, I turn my attention back to the party. The bodies in the room match the hastening rhythm of the music, the heavy bass pounds in my head. The room spins a little as panic sets in.
I can't be mated to someone I don't love, not like my father. He was forced to marry my mother, only to turn his back on her when his true mate revealed herself. He'd indulged his new mate, allowing her to torment my poor mother.
And there he is. Ronan Jackson, Alpha of the SilverPine Pack, and my father. In his arms, his mate, the raven haired beauty, Lisa. The woman my dad chose over my mother. As for my mother, poor Rhea is languishing in the servant quarters at the SilverPine Mansion. As a Luna, she should be here at the party. But my father and his mate can't risk reminding the crowd of the fact that his Luna is little more than a slave to his mate. I won't allow myself to repeat history. I won't mate for convenience or political power.
"You're late." Lisa appears out of nowhere by my side. Her eyes sweep over my dress. "At least you managed to wear something half decent."
"I'm not here to impress you," the words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
My father joins us and says, with a sigh, "Emma, this is a big night for the pack. Stop acting like a brat and listen to Lisa." He casts a loving eye on her that makes my stomach churn. "The Alphas gathered here tonight could be important potential allies. You need to make a good impression."
"Potential husbands for your daughter, you mean?" I retort. "The way you used Mom to make an alliance before casting her aside when your 'true mate' appeared."
I cast a disdainful glance at Lisa. Her smile tightens but, for once, she doesn't speak.
"Mind your tone," my father snarls a warning, with a growl from his wolf. "At least your mother knew her place. You would do well to remember yours."
"My place? Is that what you call this? So you're grooming me to be like Mom. To be used and then thrown away when a prettier option appears?"
"That's enough!" My father grinds his teeth, and I see a little blood where his fangs dig into his lip. "You know all too well this is the way of our kind. You are of age and yet you still behave like a child. It's time for you to step up to your responsibilities instead of chasing childhood fantasies."
Lisa steps in between us. "You should be grateful. Do you think most unmated she-wolves get this kind of attention?"
Heat rises in my face and my heart pounds in my ears. I try to keep my composure, loathe to let her see she's hit a sore spot. "If that's supposed to make me feel happy about this, it doesn't."
"I didn't think it would."
My father pushes his way between us. "You will do exactly what I say for once. You'll meet whoever I want you to meet. You'll play nice and do what's best for the pack."
"I'm not going to repeat your mistake," I whisper through clenched teeth. "I'm not going to end up like Mom."
Without waiting for a reply, I turn on my heel and push through the crowd. The music and voices are a blur as I make my way outside, desperate for air.
Out in the fresh night air, I take a deep, cleansing breath, feeling peace wash over me. I'm not going to play my father's game. He's thrown this choosing party as part of his plan to find the best match for me. Not that he cares about me. I doubt he even loves me, not really. I'm nothing more than a political pawn in his quest for pack supremacy. Aligning with a powerful pack would make the SilverPine Pack the most influential in the city. He won't care if such a joining made me miserable.
I head toward the hatchback I'd parked just down the lane. Hearing footsteps I freeze a few feet from my vehicle. Something makes the hairs on my arm stand up on end.
"Find him. Kill him." The voice is deep. Primal. It stuns me to the core. Kill who? Who is this man going to have killed?
Coming back to myself, I take a final step, reaching out to unlock the car door. Once in the driver seat, I duck down and peer in the rearview mirror to try to get a view of the man who spoke those unsettling words. Even with his back turned, I can see he cuts an impressive figure. Everything about him screams wealth and power, from his designer shoes to his well cut, tailored suit. It's not his expensive taste that impresses the most. The body that fills his designer clothes is strong and powerful. The thick neck, wide shoulders that taper down to sturdy hips, and well muscled legs hint at hours spent at the gym. I can only imagine what his face looks like. I picture a strong jawline, piercing eyes, and prominent cheekbones.
In a mental fog, I place my hand down on the car lock. In an instant, I realize my mistake. The shrill locking sound cries out in the still and quiet night like a beacon. He turns to face me with eyes that are indeed piercing.
He's at the passenger side in seconds. I hurry, fumbling and breathing heavily, to start the engine.
That deep, gravelly voice seems inhumanly loud as if it's in my head, not outside the window. "Open the door."