The sun is starting to sink down, casting a dim light over the bare trees and white sparkling mountains. The air is cold, invigorating.

I walk along a snow dusted path leading out of our little village and into the woods nearby. Large trees, somehow still full with leaves, form a circle around the clearing.

Aimee is standing against the shadowy tree line. A group of girls, none of which I've ever bothered to have a conversation with, are surrounding her. Their voices are low, kept in hushed tones that only signal one thing: gossip.

I perk my ears, listening in.

"I hear he's ruthless. A monster who's wolf is three times the size of any other Alpha," a petite, bleach blonde- Mya- whispers, her eyes wide for emphasis.

Her brunette friend shudders before giving her input. "They say he's an absolute beast. He goes out commits mass murder whenever he feels like it!" Suddenly she lowers her voice even more and it turns shaky, "God, what if he comes here? Who knows where the hell he is right now."

They all exchange wide eyed glances, looking to gauge each other's reactions.

Who the hell are they talking about? And why are they so jittery?

As I approach, a stick snaps under my heel. All of them jump, including Aimee who has seemed fearless for as long as I've known her. Mya even lets out a choked scream.

All of their eyes turn on me as if I were the devil come to claim their souls. Their faces ghostly pale and their mouths are agape.

"Goddamn it, you can't do that!" Mya shrieks at me, her face turning into an accusatory stare. Something about her tone cuts right through me.

I narrow my eyes and push my lips into a snarky pucker. "If you're so scared then why don't you go choke on something besides fear?"

She sucks in a sharp breath, taken aback. Maybe it was a bit too far, but I can't say that I'm sorry. Nathan has already frayed my nerves for the day. Mya's mouth gapes like a fish out of water as she tries to find her words.

"You know what, fuck you," she spits before storming off. The other four girls follow her off, scowling at me at they go.

I brush it off and turn my attention back to my best friend. Aimee remains standing with her back towards the trees.

"What was that all about?" I ask, walking up to her and pointing a thumb back at the group.

She isn't phased by the little scene she just saw between me and Mya. At one point she tried to teach me how to keep my inner thoughts inside. Needless to say, she never did succeed. Now she doesn't even pay attention to my lack of a filter as she raises an eyebrow, her forehead wrinkling.

"You haven't heard?"

I shake my head, furrowing my brow. I need to know what's going on. People gossip all the time, but never like this. Never with such fear.

"They call him the Exiled Alpha," she pauses in order to look up at the sky as it grows increasingly darker. "Shit, I have to go. I'm already running late."

Her sentences are rushed as she bends down to grab the strap of a purple backpack and heave it onto her back.

"Wait! What do you mean Exiled-"

Before I can finish she reaches out and grabs me firmly by the shoulders, looking me dead in the eye with such intensity that I feel paralyzed.

"Listen to me Adrienne," she squeezes my shoulders, speaking firmly, "I don't have time to explain right now, but just- don't go off into the woods by yourself. I know you like to, but don't. Stay near the pack. You understand?"

I catch a chill running up my spine; one that's not caused by the cold. I can only think one thing in that moment, and it's what the fuck is out there?

I don't understand. I have no idea what she's talking about, only that whatever it is is dangerous. But I nod anyway.

This seems to be good enough for her because the next thing I know, she's pulling me into a hug.

"Stay safe, bitch," she says beside my ear. So much for her seriousness.

She lets me go and steps away. When she does she's wearing one of her signature ornery grins. Usually that gesture would comfort me, seeing her back to normal instead of spewing warnings at me. But it doesn't. Because her smile is half forced.

"Sorry I can't stay for the party. Looks like you'll get Nathan all to yourself," she teases sarcastically.

A pang of anger shocks my stomach and I open my mouth with intent of spitting profanities at her. But I bite my tongue as realization hits me.

She doesn't know.

She doesn't know about the blackmailed engagement or wedding. If she did, she would have told me. I know she would've. And she would've kicked Nathan's ass, regardless of the consequences.

I force an empty smile back to her, not quite as convincing as her own.

Let her have her fun, I think, My problems aren't hers.

"Yeah whatever," I call back as she gets farther and farther away, "Just don't get aids."

She turns around just brief enough to stick her tongue out at me in a playful sneer.

I let out a heavy sigh when I turn around and start walking back. There are a couple people bustling about, a lot of them carrying various ribbons or decorations.

I walk past all of the working wolves, heading back to my room.

If Nathan or Andre either one expect me to prepare for the party of my own demise, then they're out of their minds. What could they possibly do to me? Sentence me to a lifetime of misery?

Oh wait...

• • •

It's been three days since Aimee left. Three days that I've been locked in my room, trying anything to keep my mind off reality.

The only time any part of me left the room is when I stuck my head out the window to smoke, not wanting the smell to stick to the walls. The little glass ashtray on my desk is full and two empty cigarette packs lay in the trash can.

At least four times a day, one of the lower ranking members, a maid or a servant, would bring me food. My only guess is that this is Nathan's way of trying to suck up. Feigning sweetness in hopes that I won't act out during the ceremony.

What he doesn't know though, is that his pathetic attempt to win me over is in vain. I won't bend for that asshole no matter how much food he sends to me.

I hadn't even realized I was letting myself drift to sleep until a knock on the door stirs me awake.

Each time food was delivered, someone called out to me after knocking. No voice follows this one.

Now what is it? Let me guess, I have to plan the bridal shower?

They knock again, this time louder.

"I'm coming," I growl, untangling myself from the sheets. I stumble my way over to the door and open it.

Nathan is standing there, hands in his pockets and a polite smile on his face. "Well hey there, sleepy head," he chirps. His tone is so nice that I can almost feel the bile rising in my throat. "The party's starting in half an hour. So look your best. It is in our honor after all."

I narrow my eyes and step back, looking him up and down. "Who the hell are you?"

He laughs, as if that were the funniest thing he'd ever heard. A cheerful sound, but also a fake one. "I just came to remind you," he says with in overly friendly tone before turning business-like, "Now do something with your hair, put on something expensive, and meet downstairs in ten minutes."

I don't move. Instead I stand like a statue, keeping my skeptical stare focused on him.

"Okay, look. As my chosen Luna, you have to have a look that makes everyone jealous of you on sight. Of course they'll already do that as long as you're on my arm, but still. I expect you to act like a perfect sweetheart, and if not... there will be consequences."

And just like that, the act is up. His conceited and bossy attitude is back in full swing, along with that pulsing vein in his neck. It always makes an appearance when he doesn't get his way.

I continue staring at him with dead eyes, knowing it would eventually make that nerve of his crack. If he intends to try and control my life- which he does- then he'll at least have to give me his reasoning.

"Why am I your chosen Luna?" I ask, suspicious. It doesn't make sense to me. We don't get along anymore, so why would he want to marry me? Against my will at that.

He smirks, meeting my eyes with a devious gleam of his own. "You're mouthy, Adrienne Gage. A sharp tongue and a clever head. That's what people can't see until it's already too late."

He moves closer, lifting my chin with his thumb. With less than an inch between our cheeks, his hot breath fans over my ear as he speaks in a low whisper. "And I can't forget those grey eyes... They're so cold. So unpredictable. So... unreadable."

He swipes his thumb across my jaw as he steps away, turning and leaving just like that. "Remember," he calls, his voice echoing in the dark hallway, "Ten minutes."

My fingers raise to touch where he did. I rub the skin until it starts to burn. I'm quite certain I've rubbed it raw with my palm, yet it still doesn't feel clean.

So that's his reason.

He plans to use me as his pawn.

But I'll be damned if I help him win whatever chess game he thinks he's playing.

With Alpha Andre's threat in mind, I close the door and get to work on myself reluctantly. If only I had a fashion savvy best friend like all the movies portray, then this would be a lot easier.

The cruel thing is is that I do; except she's miles away, partying her ass off in another pack.

At least one of us is having a good time.

I comb through my long hair, letting it hang down my back. Working against the clock, I throw on a pair of dark jeans, leather boots, a white t-shirt, and a black jacket. He said to wear something expensive, but this event can be called a high class cook out at best.

Technically, it's a bonding ceremony, which is the equivalent of a wedding to humans except without all of the elegance, fancy clothes, and decor.

Just like Nathan said, I find him waiting for me in the living room of the pack house. He stops his pacing in order to look me over from head to toe.

"How much did that cost?"

"Enough," I answer as I walk past him.

"Is it designer?" He asks, coming up beside me.

"It is for tonight."

He makes a disapproving grunt. "We'll go shopping later. You look good though."

I stop dead in my tracks, stiffening.

Did he... Did he just compliment me?

He offers me his arm, as if nothing out of ordinary had just happened. "Wouldn't wanna be late."

I wipe the petrification off my face and force myself to take the arm he's offering. It's an internal fight to keep myself from pulling away from him. Something about having any sort of contact with him seems wrong and stomach-churningly unappealing.

When we walk up to the open forested area that the party is set up in, everyone's eyes turn on us. The urge to shrink down and out of their sight is crippling, but there's nowhere to go. Plus I have too much pride to even attempt to hide against Nathan's side. Public shame can only go so far and that would be on an entirely new level.

There's no doubt in my mind that this is the latest gossip of the pack. The oh so beloved Nathan Swelter- soon to be Alpha of the Visari pack- is claiming a mate who isn't his.

He leads us past a towering bonfire whose flames reach high into the dark sky and to a long table set on a wooden platform which acts as a makeshift stage. There are four seats at the table, all at one side so that the occupants would all face the crowd.

Alpha Andre and his Luna, Nathan's mother, sit together at one end. I break away from Nathan and go past them, planting myself at the furthest end, as far away from them as I can be. To my misfortune, Nathan sits down next to me, far closer than I'd prefer.

No more than half a minute passes before he places his hand on my knee and starts tugging at my leg. I shoot him a burning glare so heated that he should burst into flames on the spot.

"Seriously?!" I snap, keeping it at a whisper.

He growls lowly, leaning closer. "You're mine now. Show it."

I clench my canines together so hard that my jaw aches. I roll my eyes and huff before throwing away my dignity and following his orders, lifting my legs so that they're in his lap.

It's a Visarian display of ownership. While sitting, the female would position herself so that the back of her thighs touch the top of the male's, though her butt stays in her own seat. In intimate cases, only between true mates, the male would wrap his arm around the female, her head resting on his shoulder.

However, that's not the case for us.

I put my thighs on top of his, but other than that, I keep as much distance as possible. It wouldn't be hard for someone to figure out that we're not mates. The stiff body language, the tense and mechanical movements, and not to mention my obvious disgruntlement; it's enough to make any spectator cringe with second hand embarrassment.

And of course, there's plenty of them to do so. Practically the entire pack is staring at us from below, unblinking. Despite the cold winter air, my face is on fire.

"Act natural," Nathan scolds in my ear.

"Maybe if I weren't being blackmailed I could," I hiss back.

Alpha Andre stands up, clearing his throat and sending us both a scolding look. He then slaps on a pleasant smile and faces forward to address the pack.

"Wolves of Visari, may I introduce to you to your soon to be Alpha and Luna," he announces, making a grand gesture towards us.

His speech goes on after that. Most of it, if not all of it, is him rambling on about Nathan's childhood and his meager yet exaggerated achievements.

Not a single thing is said about me. It's almost like he completely forgot that I could've been considered his daughter at one point. I'm not surprised though.

Nearly half an hour of empty words and transparent compliments later, he concludes his speech with something along the lines of "may he reign long and prosper with this pack."

Applause bursts from the crowd when Alpha Andre sits back down. Although I tuned out the majority of his speech, I highly doubt the applause is sincere.

When the clapping starts to fade, a single hand in the middle of the sea of people pops up.

"Nathan and Adrienne aren't mates. What happens when she finds her mate? Will Nathan then find a new Luna?"

I perk up upon hearing my name. But Nathan opens his mouth first.

"There will be no other Luna," he answers. My brow furrows when I realize his tone is almost... defensive? Who knew he was such a good actor.

He continues, and slowly the defensiveness dissipates into professionalism. "I chose Adrienne. The ceremony will bind us. And if her mate has a problem with it, he can either get over it or take it up with me."

I shiver. There's something about talking about my hypothetical mate that seems unnatural. Wrong even, and I don't like it.

There were no more questions after that. I was beyond thankful. The sooner this torture is over, the better.

Pack members begin passing out the food, giving me the dreadful cue to talk to the Alpha's asshole-ish offspring.

"When did you turn into plastic?" I ask him.

He looks at me, confused. "What?"

"You're fake, Nathan. Just like your little declaration of caring about me."

His gaze hardens and his jaw tightens, like I've hit a nerve. That's good though. Because I'd sever it if I could.

"I'd watch your fucking attitude if I were you," he warns dismissively.

I glance down at his palm resting right above my neck, then back up to him. "And I'd watch your hand if I were you," I growl, my teeth turning to canines.

Various dishes are sat down in front of me, all of them fresh and steaming. But none of them are bribing enough to make me stay.

"Where are you going?" Nathan asks as I abruptly stand up, having not even touched my a single morsel of food.

I mumble a bitter retort, one I'm sure he can hear, "For a walk, get off my back."

I don't look back, not even after hearing the rattling of silverware when a palm slams down on the table. Growling follows, low and provoked.

I guess now we both know what it's like to be inconvenienced by someone else.

"Let her go," Alpha Andre orders. I can just imagine him grabbing his son's wrist and pulling him back down before he can even get up. He's controlling like that. Except this time, I'm thankful for it.

• • •

Darkness hangs heavy in the sky, though the dim moonlit makes the snow on the ground sparkle. Pointy and crooked shadows are cast down from the limbs of the trees above.

My hands are burrowed into my coat pockets as I trudge along one of the many paths that are well burned into my memory.

I had stormed off and away from the party. I wanted- want- away from all of them. As I come to a high point in the mountain trail, I catch sight of the bonfire far below. Like a giant burning ember among the grey, bleak landscape.

Suddenly my stomach drops.

I temporarily forget all of my woes of dread as I remember what Aimee had said to me.

"Don't go off into the woods by yourself. Stay near the pack."

As if to go with my immense feeling of regret, my skin prickles with apprehension. Goosebumps pop up all over my arms, along with the hairs on the back of my neck rising.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit! Aimee would kill me if she knew I didn't listen. That is if this notorious lurking beast doesn't do it first.

I tense up, suddenly getting the feeling that I'm being watched. Though I know it's only a simple symptom of paranoia. Right?

I shake my head, laughing at myself. I'm acting as ridiculous as Mya and her group of floozies.

Either way, I turn and start back down the same path I came. The snow crunches loudly under my feet, almost like static in my ears that's loud enough to drown out everything else.

As I go back down the path, my mind goes back to reality. Dread settles in my stomach at the thought of going back to that asswipe whom his mother mistook for a person and named Nathan.

• • •

When I slip back into the vicinity of the party, I can't help but to notice the tense atmosphere of the people and their constant whispering. Or how their eyes are wide and flickering around as they talk to one another.

"It's true then? They really ran him out?" I overhear a hushed voice ask as I stop at the refreshments table.

Out of the corner of my eye, a tanned skinned girl, who I know as Trisha, bobs her head of curls with a nod. "They exiled him," she says quickly, "I didn't think they'd ever do it. Not after 3 years, especially."

What the hell is it with everyone whispering about this lately? What did Aimee say... the Exiled Alpha?

I busy myself to look casual, pouring a drink I don't even want.

"He's probably already looking for another pack to take over. Oh god, Trish, what if he's out there somewhere in the woods right now?! What if he smells the bonfire and-"

"Sophia, calm down," Trisha stops the other girl's increasingly hysterical rambling. "Just... Just don't think about it."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right," She agrees, although her voice is quivering. "Hey. Hey, are you eavesdropping on us?!"

I look up to find a pale redhead staring accusingly at me, assumedly Sophia. I can't help but to notice the vibrant hot pink jacket she's wearing, along with a matching headband.

"I know it doesn't take that long to fill a cup," she continues, her eyes shooting daggers at me. Trisha, on the other hand, smiles apologetically, as if this sort of thing happens often.

I glance over at her before turning back to the table and picking up my drink. "You better keep your voice down. He might hear you," I mock as I start back towards my seat.

I have no idea who "he" is, but if it spites her, then so be it.

What happens next is nothing but a blur. While going back to my seat, I feel watched yet again. I look up to find Nathan's wide eyes staring at me. He stands up, his mouth agape and the color drained from his face. In the same instance that he points behind me, a bloodcurdling roar shakes the ground, followed by high-pitched screams.

I whirl around, coming face to face with Sophia, her arm raised in the air with something grasped in her hand. But that isn't what catches my attention.

Behind her, leaping out of the shadowy depths of the forest, is a monster beyond imaginable. An enormous, wolffish creature with glowing ruby red eyes. Even in midair it looks ten times the size of a normal wolf, and ten times as terrifying.

I don't even get the chance to panic or even so much as scream. The last thing I can process is a rock solid object crashing into my temple, erupting my skull in pain. Simultaneously, my vision plunges into blackness. Like somebody turned out the lights.

The last thing I saw was that beast coming straight towards me.

My eyelids flicker open, just barely enough to recognize the blurred blues, blacks, and whites of the night forest. I immediately notice the burning, sharp pain that's lighting my neck on fire with discomfort. Like there's canines sinking into my flesh and winning a tug-of-war match with gravity.

I'm... being carried? Like a fucking wolf pup?

Cold wind blows against my face, cutting right through my clothes and causing me to shiver.

Blindly I reach my hand out, trying to feel for anything at all. Warm fur tickles my palm, sending a jolt of electricity through my chest.

I remember what I saw. A giant wolf leaping out of the woods, roaring louder than any monster ever could.

A sort of drugged, calm fear comes over me. I don't want to face this thing, whatever the hell it is.

So I close my eyes and let the safety of the darkness seep back in.

• • •

I wake up to a pounding ache in the left side of my skull, right above my temple. My eyes open, which makes the pounding worse. Out of instinct, my hand reaches up to the source of the pain. Instead of oozing blood like I'd expected, I'm surprised to feel the soft gauze of a bandage wrapped securely around my head.

I roll my head to the side to take in my surroundings. Through the trees, in the distance, a bright orange flicker stands out against the night.

The bonfire. I can barely see it through the trees. How did I get out here so far?

Sitting up, I close eyes close tightly as I wait for the spinning to stop and the nausea to pass. When I finally open them again, my heart stalls.

Staring straight at me is a complete stranger. Though strange is far from the word I'd use to describe him.

As soon as my eyes lock with his, all of my senses immediately pulse in unison, shaking me to my core. All my attention is on him and only him. His smell, his looks, and even the pleasant rhythm of his heart in my hyperactive hearing. Or maybe that's just mine beating violently out of my chest.

He's sitting cross legged on the forest floor, leaning forward as if to get a closer look at me. His eyes are a pure obsidian color, and they hold an uncanny resemblance to the glowing red ones I vaguely remember. His messy hair is a brownish copper, which matches the thin layer of clean cut stubble on his perfect jawline.

Even with the small bit of distance between us, it's clear that his build is larger than an average person's. Not to mention three times as muscular.

I can't even try to think straight. He's attractive in a way no one person should be allowed to be.

His fingers flex in and out, the tendons in his wrists popping up along with some veins in his forearms. Judging from the raw power stored in that action alone, it would be ridiculously easy for him to take a life away.

Those hands look like they could bring death in a dozen different brutal ways- and I feel like they have. Yet for some reason, I yearn to reach out and touch them.

The pulsing sensation gets stronger, making my focus on him so heightened that everything else is dull.

My lips part slightly, but no words come out. Instead it gets stuck in the front of my mind, lingering at the tip of my tongue.

Mate.

I flinch at the word.

He makes a move to get up and I scramble backwards on my butt, fighting my every instinct to go forward.

My back meets the smooth trunk of a snow covered, fallen beech tree. It blocks me from going any further and I exhale heavily. Of course that's my luck.

He's coming slowly toward me, making my breath hitch. From a standing position his size looks impossibly larger, and impossibly like a force not to be reckoned with.

His nostrils flare as he sniffs the air. A low growl rumbles in his chest, getting louder as it travels up to his throat. "You smell like him," he says in disgust, pushing it out through gritted teeth.

Him? Does he mean Nathan?

But if that bothers him, then that makes two of us.

"And you smell like a wet dog," I retort without missing a beat. That was a lie. That was the biggest lie I've told in my entire life.

He smells good. Really good. Like an addictive, masculine cologne mixed with the natural scent of a pine forest. And the fact that that scent makes my stomach twist with nerves scares me.

His gaze burns into me, telling me I made a mistake. The lighting in his dark eyes seems to dance, like a black and grey fire burning in his irises. It's as though it signifies a battle of some kind... like he's fighting with his own inner wolf.

"What are you to him," he finally asks, the growl still in his voice.

"Why does it matter," I fire back. My wolf may already trust him, begging for his arms to encompass me, but I can't say the same.

He takes another step forward, hands clenching into fists. "Answer. The. Question."

I stay silent for what feels like centuries. Some part of me doesn't want to tell him the truth. Not only because it would be voicing my misfortune and misery, but also because I somehow feel like I've betrayed him.

"Where is everyone?" I ask instead, trying to change the subject.

His shoulders visibly tense, as if I've made him uncomfortable. For the first time, he breaks eye contact.

The way I see it, he doesn't have the right to be uncomfortable in this situation. I do.

He doesn't answer the question, which only makes my mind race faster. I happen to glance past him and a lump forms in my throat at what I see. The snow is disturbed and sprawled everywhere. Bright patches of red stain what was once sparkling white.

Among that, my eyes land on a piece of hot pink fabric laying in the middle of it. A headband.

I dare to venture further, looking even farther past.

A body is laid, sprawled and broken in the snow. I recognize the disheveled fiery red hair.

My blood runs cold.

"Did you...?" I don't need nor want to finish the sentence.

He follows my line of vision before answering with a simple, emotionless reply.

"Yes."

I swallow hard, feeling my hands start to shake. Goddamn it, why am I so nervous? If he wanted me dead he would've killed me while I was unconscious.

"W-Why...?"

"She hurt you."

As if on cue, my hand comes up to touch the bandage around my head. He cares if I'm hurt or not?

No response comes to mind for that. That girl didn't mean anything to me. She made snide comments about everything and walked over everyone. She was rude and a pain in the neck, but still... it doesn't seem believable.

But if Sophia is dead... who else went with her?

I hadn't even realized I was lost in thought, staring at the ground until the snap of a twig pulls me back to reality. My neck doesn't even have time to turn before I'm being scooped off the ground, pressed against a warm, solid body.

An electric sensation ignites wherever we touch, erupting my skin in a tingling, pleasant fire. It's like a chain reaction, making my heart start to pound again in my chest, along with my muscles relaxing instantly.

The logical part of my brain tells me I should be concerned about where he's taking me. But I can't focus on anything except his body against mine. My neck tilts to rest on his shoulder, the sensation lulling me into a state of tranquility.

Whether it's the possible concussion giving me hallucinations or not, I think I hear a faint, animalistic purr in response.

I close my eyelids, focusing on the smooth gait of his walk while being carried by arms that make me the equivalent of weightless.

It seems like minutes pass by before I open my eyes again. When I do, we're in the small village of my pack. I happen to look up, and in the second story window of one of the houses, half a dozen pairs of eyes are staring down at us.

Among them are Mya's. Her face is twisted with contempt, glaring hatred at me even through the glass. I can't be bothered to react this time.

I look around and notice that not a single person is outside. They're all in the windows, peaking out and watching us like hawks. It's almost as if they're scared of something.

What did they witness that I didn't? Besides Sophia's death...

I'm carried straight through the middle of the village, right to the grand cabin at the end; the one notoriously known as the Alpha's house. The stranger carrying me- my mate?- is unfazed. He continues on as if it's his territory. As if he has every right to be here.

He steps over the threshold of the front door, angling me carefully so that my feet don't hit the frame when we pass.

The entire pack just watched helplessly as a trespasser waltzed through our village, and stepped into the Alpha's house without a trace of hesitation.

What did he do to them?

The door clicks shut, plunging the room into darkness at the mercy of night.

But more importantly, my stomach knots as the stairs creak under the weight, what will he do to me?