Chapter 1
The Past
“You belong to me now. I’m your mate.”
Diana stared at the stranger her father had brought her to see. She should have told her father she didn’t want to see him. She didn’t owe him anything. After all, he had left her when she was six. Her mother had died when she was born leaving her to be raised with her best friend Roxanne for the last nine years. It had been the happiest she had ever been.
A few days ago, she had received a letter from her no-show father. He claimed he had cleaned up his act and had some family items, like albums of her mother that he wanted to give her so she could know more about her lineage.
Against her foster parents’ wishes, she agreed to meet her father after school. She walked to a hunting cabin up the hill from the local village. Walking through the woods gave her a very uncomfortable feeling. It was so quiet she could almost hear her heart beating.
If she was a regular werewolf she could shift into her wolf form and protect herself, but Diana was a mixed breed, part werewolf and part Romany. The combination of two such magical beings had a side effect: It prevented her from ever being able to shift. She still felt her wolf inside of her, but was silent most of the time. Except now, she was sensing danger. She wished she had listened to her wolf.
A man was standing outside the small cabin with his back to her. Her wolf scented him and found him familiar. Then the man turned to face her. Was this her father? He did look a little like she remembered. When he spoke, though, she knew for sure. She would never forget the angry, hurtful tone of his voice.
“You took a long time getting here. If you were a real wolf, you could have made it here faster.”
She didn’t argue the point. She knew she was less than other wolves. She’d felt that way all her life, and if that wasn’t bad enough, others in her pack made sure to tell her every day. If not for her best friend Roxanne, she would have left to go on her own a long time ago.
Standing there looking at the man who had fathered her, she felt no love for him. He was a stranger to her.
“You said you had some things that belonged to my mother.” She just wanted to get the things and leave.
“They’re inside the cabin, come on in.” He turned to walk inside.
She shivered with fear. Her wolf was not happy at all about this. Diana looked behind at the pathway that would lead her to safety. She had gone nine years without knowing her parents; she didn’t need to know that badly.
“Never mind. I’ll be going now.” She turned to leave and bumped into a large man she had not heard come up behind her. “Excuse me, I am leaving.”
“I can’t let you do that,” the man said in a raspy voice.
He grabbed her arms, lifted her straight up into the air, and carried her in the cabin. There was no give in his strength. She kicked and screamed. Her wolf was howling in anger. Diana may not be able to change into a wolf, but she still had strength and speed like any other werewolf. However, nothing she could do fazed the guy.
“Let me go!”
“Settle down, girl, and mind your manners!” her father called out from the kitchen table. He was just sitting there watching. Why was he allowing this to happen?
The man finally put her down, tossing her to the bed. She tried to get up and make it to the door, but he just shoved her back down.
“Who are you? Why are you doing this?”
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
She shook her head and looked over at her father, silently pleading for him to help. He just turned away.
“I don’t know you.”
“We met once when you were six. You were a scrawny thing. Your alpha refused to let me take you with me then. I waited until you filled out a little more. I waited nine years for you.”
She frowned, feeling confused. “I don’t understand.”
“Your father promised you to me years ago. He owed me a great debt and I absolved him of it in exchange
The Past
“You belong to me now. I’m your mate.”
Diana stared at the stranger her father had brought her to see. She should have told her father she didn’t want to see him. She didn’t owe him anything. After all, he had left her when she was six. Her mother had died when she was born leaving her to be raised with her best friend Roxanne for the last nine years. It had been the happiest she had ever been.
A few days ago, she had received a letter from her no-show father. He claimed he had cleaned up his act and had some family items, like albums of her mother that he wanted to give her so she could know more about her lineage.
Against her foster parents’ wishes, she agreed to meet her father after school. She walked to a hunting cabin up the hill from the local village. Walking through the woods gave her a very uncomfortable feeling. It was so quiet she could almost hear her heart beating.
If she was a regular werewolf she could shift into her wolf form and protect herself, but Diana was a mixed breed, part werewolf and part Romany. The combination of two such magical beings had a side effect: It prevented her from ever being able to shift. She still felt her wolf inside of her, but was silent most of the time. Except now, she was sensing danger. She wished she had listened to her wolf.
A man was standing outside the small cabin with his back to her. Her wolf scented him and found him familiar. Then the man turned to face her. Was this her father? He did look a little like she remembered. When he spoke, though, she knew for sure. She would never forget the angry, hurtful tone of his voice.
“You took a long time getting here. If you were a real wolf, you could have made it here faster.”
She didn’t argue the point. She knew she was less than other wolves. She’d felt that way all her life, and if that wasn’t bad enough, others in her pack made sure to tell her every day. If not for her best friend Roxanne, she would have left to go on her own a long time ago.
Standing there looking at the man who had fathered her, she felt no love for him. He was a stranger to her.
“You said you had some things that belonged to my mother.” She just wanted to get the things and leave.
“They’re inside the cabin, come on in.” He turned to walk inside.
She shivered with fear. Her wolf was not happy at all about this. Diana looked behind at the pathway that would lead her to safety. She had gone nine years without knowing her parents; she didn’t need to know that badly.
“Never mind. I’ll be going now.” She turned to leave and bumped into a large man she had not heard come up behind her. “Excuse me, I am leaving.”
“I can’t let you do that,” the man said in a raspy voice.
He grabbed her arms, lifted her straight up into the air, and carried her in the cabin. There was no give in his strength. She kicked and screamed. Her wolf was howling in anger. Diana may not be able to change into a wolf, but she still had strength and speed like any other werewolf. However, nothing she could do fazed the guy.
“Let me go!”
“Settle down, girl, and mind your manners!” her father called out from the kitchen table. He was just sitting there watching. Why was he allowing this to happen?
The man finally put her down, tossing her to the bed. She tried to get up and make it to the door, but he just shoved her back down.
“Who are you? Why are you doing this?”
“You don’t remember me, do you?”
She shook her head and looked over at her father, silently pleading for him to help. He just turned away.
“I don’t know you.”
“We met once when you were six. You were a scrawny thing. Your alpha refused to let me take you with me then. I waited until you filled out a little more. I waited nine years for you.”
She frowned, feeling confused. “I don’t understand.”
“Your father promised you to me years ago. He owed me a great debt and I absolved him of it in exchange
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