Emily resides in a Diamond Crescent pack and is a werewolf.She is a powerful woman on the inside and out, determined to achieve her goals, and she is the head of the warrior's daughter. She is old enough to attend the annual meeting ball this year, even if the last thing she needs right now is a mate. Will Emily succeed in getting what she wants and leave the ball single, or will her partner locate her and drag her into a life she isn't ready for? Will her year of training be insufficient to prevent her from caving in to his will, or will she be able to resist him if her mate does find her?
Chapter 1
Emily pov
I woke up to the sounds of nature spilling into my room. It was early but I enjoyed walking in the sun. The soft rays gently caressing my skin and the cool breeze coming in through the perpetually open window gave me a peaceful feeling. This was my favorite way to start the day.
I lazily stretched in bed and grabbed my phone. Waking up the screen, I saw that it's Thursday. Only one more day before I was shipped off to the annual mating ball. This will be my first time attending as my eighteenth birthday coincides with the first day of the ball. Only unmated wolves between eighteen and twenty-nine are permitted to attend. Once a wolf turns thirty it's usually assumed their mate found someone else to mate with or they're dead. Most unmated wolves don't make it that far though. The majority of the mating ball attendees are between eighteen and twenty-three. After twenty-three the pull to mate is so strong that most wolves find someone convenient and passable to be their chosen mate. A chosen mating is nowhere near as strong as a true mating but it gets the job done.
I didn't feel nervous about possibly meeting my mate tomorrow. I knew it wasn't a guarantee. I'm honestly pretty apathetic towards the idea of a mate. I'm generally a happy-go-lucky, flow kind of person. Don't get me wrong, I could beat the crap out of just about anyone. It's just that I like to live life believing everything is as it should be. I know I'm strong enough to handle anything that comes my way. If I don't meet my mate this weekend, then it just isn't meant to be. I will continue living my life and working towards my goal of being the strongest female pack warrior. I won't lie, I've had my share of heartache in life, but I keep telling myself that good things eventually follow pain.
After going through my messages, I rolled out of bed and decided to prepare myself for the day. I always try to start with a run around the perimeter just to make sure everything is in order. My dad is the pack's head warrior and taught me from a young age to have pride in our land and the people who live on it. He is the smartest and strongest man I know. I have learned so much from him through the years and I am a better wolf because of his lessons. After mom was kidnapped twelve years ago, he could have broken down, but he became stronger and I idolize him for that strength.
I went to my dresser to grab my usual workout gear. I slipped on my leggings and sports bra and headed down the stairs. The pack house was still quiet this early in the morning and it's soothing to breathe in the fresh air of my empty surroundings. Only the lingering scents of wolves from the night before was present in the room. I was the first one up in the pack house, like always.
The feeling of utter peace hit me as I opened the heavy oak doors into the cool bright morning. The tree line isn't far from the pack house and I could sense the early morning activity out in the forest. Our pack isn't the biggest, but it certainly isn't the smallest either. We're located on a large plot of land in the middle of a vast forest. We like the secludedness of the area as we are far away from prying human eyes but there are enough packs close enough to our area that we could rely on each other as allies. We are a peaceful pack, but we are known for our ruthlessness in battle when necessary.
I did a few stretches and exercises to warm up my body before I took off for the pack border. I loved the feeling of freedom I got running through the damp forest. I could feel the earth move under my feet as I pushed myself to my limits. I dodged trees and jumped over bushes as I neared the border of our pack.
All the guards around the border knew of my morning routine. As I passed them, we exchanged waves or greetings. My dad's best friend was on duty this morning and he gave me a big smile when he saw me break through the thick bushes towards his post.
"Can't keep you away from this life, can we Emily?"
"Not even if you tried, Dustin." I replied with a giant grin as I sped past him.
I hear his chuckle slowly evaporate into the air behind me. Dustin and my dad have been close since they were pups. They earned the rank of pack warrior together and Dustin was my dad's biggest supporter when he achieved the position of head pack warrior years before I was born.
Lucky for me, Dustin has a daughter my age and we were able to keep up the tradition by being best friends as well. Suze is basically my sister. We do everything together and because I only have brothers, a little girl time is definitely needed in my life.
As I finished my round, I jogged back to the pack house sweating lightly. I won't get closer to my goals if I don't push myself every day. Along with my daily runs, I train every day after school for four hours and twice a day on weekends. When my dad is free, he'll run my training sessions, but we've been working long enough that I can take care of them myself when he's busy.
I took one last look at the sun slowly rising in the sky before I went back into the pack house to start my day.
His hate for the opposite sex could be compared to nothing, he pukes at the slightest contact and would go as far as killing any female that comes close to him. Kendrick Chase is the devil's name; his family is the most feared in the city. Though he is dangerous, ladies can't help but drool over him, he's just too good-looking. Tatiana Garrett dared cross his path after she found out he could have something to do with the death of her twin brother. What will be her faith when she willingly walks into his lair and now she's trapped? Why Kendrick hates the opposite sex no one knows! Why did he trap Tatiana, mystery? Despite his power, he has a weakness that only his friends know about
Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. I’ll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
On their wedding night, Rogelio wrapped his fingers around Marian's neck and spat at her, "Congratulations! From now on, you live in hell!" The reason for his wrath was that he believed she was responsible for the death of his elder brother. So, he married her but refused to touch her, determined to make her suffer for the rest of her pitiful life! However, due to an unforeseen accident, Marian was forced to sleep with Rogelio in order to save him, and she ended up getting pregnant. Concealing her pregnancy, Marian lived cautiously under Rogelio's watchful eyes. He hated her and relentlessly humiliated her, yet he would never allow anyone else to lay a finger on her— "Mr. Bailey, your wife got into a fight with someone!" Rogelio secretly took action, eliminating that person completely. "Sir, your wife claimed that all of your family's wealth belongs to her!" Rogelio quietly transferred all the shares to her. Unaware of all this, Marian only wanted to escape, but Rogelio pulled her into his warm embrace, whispering, "Mrs. Bailey, where do you intend to go with our unborn child?"