Mature and violent content (18+) I was born while mom and dad were on the run—fleeing from her own family, the Night Shade Pack. A lineage of rare and dangerous gifts, the Night Shade sold their powers to the highest bidder for generations. And they never let...
Chapter 1 Umayza
Umayza
I only have thirty minutes left before I have to report to the kitchen for my duties. I glance at the tombstone one more time before I head back to the Pack-house, feeling sad as I always do after visiting my Mother's grave.
My Mom isn't buried there, but Dad placed the tombstone to give us both a place to go to. No one seems to know where her grave is, as she died miles away from here. Mom and Dad had been running from her parents, who didn’t agree with her accepting her fated Mate.
Dad barely escaped with me, and when we came to this Pack, I was only a year old. Dad took the position of Assassin, as it was his birthright.
We were happy until I turned fourteen, and he was told I had to move into the Pack-house, waiting to be chosen by unmated males. Every female over fourteen in this Pack had to follow this rule. If my Father had known, he would have never joined this Pack—he would’ve kept running with me.
In the almost three years since I had to move into the Pack-house, I have been working in the kitchen, something I will keep doing after my Mate selects me.
"Umayza, I need you to—" Luna's voice trails off as she frantically searches the kitchen, not realizing I'm standing right behind her. I step forward and clear my throat.
Startled, she spins around. "Where did you come from?"
"I've been at my station since my shift started, Luna," I reply, noticing she brought another young female to replace me in the kitchen.
This is the day I've been dreading for the past three years—the day I get fitted for the outfit I'll wear in six months, a day I fear even more. Nearly every female in our Pack dreads that day, except maybe the High-ranking ones.
Like me, every girl in the Pack gets fitted for an outfit when she turns seventeen, then has six months to learn a dance to perform in front of all the unmated males. On that night, any male can inform the Alpha if he wants you as his Mate.
High-ranking females perform for a much smaller audience, since there are fewer unmated High-ranking males left. In my case, I should be performing for the Highest ranks as well, but for some reason, our Alpha decided I'd have a better chance if I perform for the general unmated males instead.
Most of them are fine, but there are a few I wouldn't describe as okay—and with me, most females feel that way. I have tried to get out of this performance, but our Alpha wouldn't hear of it, and Dad pleading with him didn’t work either.
Dad doesn't like the way this Pack chooses their Mates, and Dad doesn't participate in the process. He told me that he is working on a plan to get out of here. He doesn't want me to have to go through this process, and according to Dad, it is even illegal.
Until Dad can find a way out of this, I will play along with their charade, and as an Assassin's Daughter, I have mastered looking innocent to perfection—not that I am innocent at all. I have seen enough since I was moved into the Pack-house, and if I ever get the chance, I will take the Alpha and this Pack down.
Our Luna is waiting for me to step into the room where this whole ordeal will start, and I look around at all the fabric and drawings in the room. One outfit is more revealing than the other, and I want to run as our Luna holds the drawing of my outfit in front of me.
"They designed this especially for you, Umayza. It will be in scarlet red, made from lace and silk," Luna explains as I take a closer look. It looks more like a nightgown, and I don't think it is suited for a girl my age.
That evening, I finally see Dad for the first time in three days, and I tell him I had my measurements taken for my outfit. "It is knee-length with a flaring silk skirt and a lace top. The V-neck is almost down to my waist, and there are triangles of fabric behind the lace where my breasts will be. Two little buttons will fasten the lace on my back, and other than that, it is a bare back."
Dad looks disgusted as I describe the dress to him.
He tells me he has a few more things to take care of before we can leave this Pack, but he will make sure it happens in the next few weeks. I tell him he has at least six months until we have to leave.
Weeks pass as I continue working in the kitchen, fitting my so-called dress, and rehearsing the dance.
Today, I have a sinking feeling that something bad is about to happen.
We have to eat in the dining room with the unmated males, and we always have to sit in the same seat. The only thing that changes is the males we sit between during a day.
As I place bowls of fruit on the tables, I realize my fears were right: I'm seated next to the cruelest male in the Pack.
Every female avoids him due to the rumors about his previous two Mates. It's said that he kept them locked up in his cottage, isolated them from their friends and the rest of the Pack.
Rumors also say that he is abusive, both physically and mentally, and that either he killed them or they took their own lives—stories vary with every person who tells them.
I've noticed him glancing at me from time to time, and today I have to sit right next to him for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I hope he'll ignore me like most males do, but I'm afraid I won't be that lucky this time.
Our Alpha instructs us to take our seats, and I reluctantly sit down. As unmated males sit beside me, I keep my eyes on my plate. When the signal is given to start eating, I notice my nightmare placing a bowl of fruit in front of me. I quietly thank him as I take the bowl from his hands.
Neither male speaks to me during breakfast, and I feel relieved when I return to the kitchen. I spend my break in my room, reviewing everything Dad and I discussed over the past two weeks, before heading back to work.
Lunch is similar to breakfast, and as I make my way to the ballroom, I hear our Luna is already present. Over the years, I've learned to distinguish her laughter, and this one signals trouble for whoever is involved.
I stop beside the door, which they left ajar, unsure if they expect me yet, as I usually arrive ten minutes later.
"Does Umayza suspect this is a setup?" one of the other females asks, and I want to scream, No.
"Of course not. She's as gullible as her Father was when he arrived here. They have no idea he requested the Alpha to put her in the other group, and he'll make sure she never finds out. He'll have his fun with her, but I hope she'll last longer than the others did.
His first Mate disappeared within a year, and his second Mate within two years. But you know, I don't care—he only picks females not born in this Pack," Luna responds. I quickly walk away until I am out of hearing range.
My heart races with a surge of dread and revulsion. To feign ignorance, I put on a light expression and start humming as I walk towards the ballroom again.
"Hello, Luna," I greet as I walk into the ballroom, only to stop dead in my tracks when I see my so-called dress ready.
"Umayza, today you will rehearse in your outfit," Luna says, holding the dress out to me. There's something in her eyes that tells me she's up to something.
Chapter 2 Conviction
Umayza
"Luna, I think there's been a mistake with my measurements. This is way too short," I protest after I change into my outfit.
The dress, now altered, barely covers my ass. I can't help but worry that a simple turn will expose my panties to everyone.
"No, it's perfect for you," Luna says with a cold smile. "I want to make sure that you find a Mate, and I don't want any of our High-ranking members to pick you. When someone requested you be placed in this group, I convinced my Mate it was for the best. I never wanted your Father or you to join our Pack."
She states this, and I see there are at least five Warriors present—something that is normally not allowed during rehearsal.
I stare at our Luna as she starts laughing, and I finally realize she actually hates me, for whatever reason that might be.
Without thinking further, I lunge at her, my fist connecting with her nose in a sharp, resounding crack.
Two Warriors immediately seize me, pulling me away before I can do any more harm. One of the High-ranking females steps forward, her gaze icy. "You've assaulted your Luna, and for that, you will be convicted." She looks at everyone in the room, and they all agree with her.
The Luna has a smirk on her face as the Warriors drag me down to the dungeons.
An hour later, my Father arrives at the dungeon. There is no worry in his eyes as he says, "Be patient. Everything will be alright."
Whenever Dad says that, I know something unexpected is about to happen. It's something his Father taught him, and so far, it always turns out well.
I nod my head as I see my nightmare coming down the stairs.
His eyes move up and down my body, and the look he gives me sends shivers down my spine.
When Dad notices my discomfort, he turns around. "Stay away from her," he growls at the man.
Dad pulls a chair in front of my cell and keeps his eyes on my nightmare. One of the Warriors standing guard grabs a sheet from a shelf and hands it to me through the bars.
I thank him as I wrap the sheet around myself.
We talk about everything that won’t give away that something is going to happen—the latest book I read, the show he watched on TV the other night. We talk about Mom and how much I resemble her. I have her light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes.
About an hour after dinner, our Alpha walks in with two huge males behind him, and I can tell they are Lycans.
Dad gives me a reassuring smile as I look at him. Apparently, this is my ticket out of here, and for some reason, our Alpha is not pleased.
Both males are about 6'3" with blond hair and blue eyes. Anyone can see that they are twins, and if I had to bet on it, I would say they are High-ranking Lycans.
"Open her cell," one of the males says to a Warrior, and our Alpha just nods, though he looks like he wants to object.
"You are charged with assaulting your Luna. The Council has ordered us to bring you to the Academy," the same male tells me.
"You can leave the sheet in your cell," the other male says, and with some fright in my eyes, I look at Dad.
"Gentlemen, my Daughter was in a fitting session at the time of the attack. I brought her a change of clothes, as I know she won't be comfortable in what she's wearing under that sheet," Dad says.
I see both males looking from me to Dad, so I decide to show them what I am wearing.
I turn in such a way that only they can see what is underneath the sheet, and I see anger flashing through their eyes.
They order everyone out and tell Dad to hand me the bag with clothes he brought for me. Then, they all walk out of the dungeons.
Ten minutes later, one of the Lycans walks back in and tells me to follow him.
Dad is waiting outside with the other Lycan. He hugs me as he whispers in my ear that we will meet soon. I kiss him on his cheek before I follow one of the Lycans to a black SUV.
The young female who has been covering my station these past few weeks smiles at me, and I get a feeling that she called in my conviction to the Council. Within seconds, the other Lycan gets behind the wheel.
Just as he turns the ignition on, my nightmare jumps in front of the SUV.
Our Alpha quickly pulls him away, and they start arguing as the SUV passes them. I sigh in relief. I know both males heard it, but they don't say a word as we leave the Pack grounds behind us.
I close my eyes and lean back into the car seat, letting the events of the past day run through my mind.
I have a sinking feeling my nightmare won't give up easily, and I wonder if I should tell the men in the front seats about him.
As my thoughts race, sleep takes over.
Shouting startles me awake. I am very disoriented as I try to figure out what is going on.
"Damn it, Evander! Keep your eyes on the road. I'll see where they're coming from!" the passenger yells. I glance to my left as I see him looking to the right.
"Left," I say, spotting a wolf emerging from the tree line. Evander swerves, barely avoiding the charging wolf.
I recognize the wolf instantly, and a cold certainty settles over me—this won't end until he's dead.
"I know this isn't the time to tell you my life story, but that wolf won't stop until he has me or he's dead," I say, my voice tight.
For a moment, the wolf seems to vanish, leaving a strange knot in my stomach. I scan the area, turning my head left and right, trying to spot him again. Up front, the men debate whether to take a detour to shake him off.
"Conri, call Council-member Boaz and ask what we should do about this wolf. Also, tell him he's after the convict we have in the SUV," Evander says, glancing at me through the rearview mirror. I keep scanning the surroundings, hoping the wolf doesn't show up again.
"Boaz wants us to head to one of the safe-houses. They'll hold a conference call to hear her story," Conri says after ending the call. "They don't want to wait until she reaches the Academy. After that, they'll decide what to do about the wolf."
Conri explains that the Council has safe-houses all over the country within the grounds of allied Packs. They plan to take me to the nearest one, where I'll get a chance to tell the Council what happened.
I continue scanning the area, but so far, my nightmare hasn't reappeared. I start to relax a little, though my Father's lessons keep me alert, even after we arrive at the Pack where we'll be staying for a few hours.
Evander drives past the Pack-house, quickly leaving the Pack village behind. He stops in front of a small cottage hidden among tall trees. I realize I would never have found this place on my own if Evander didn't know where to go.
Conri opens the door and extends a hand to help me out. At 5'7", I feel pretty small standing next to him, and when Evander joins us, I get an irrational urge to run. But without my wolf, I know I wouldn't stand a chance.
It'll take another year before I get my wolf and can shift—maybe then I'll be able to outrun them.
I glance up at both of them and suddenly burst into laughter, realizing I'd never outrun them, even with my wolf.
They both look at me, confused.
"Sorry," I chuckle. "I just realized that even with my wolf, there's no way in hell I'd outrun the two of you."
Thankfully, they have a sense of humor and laugh along with me.
Chapter 3 Evander
Evander
"Gentlemen, we just received a call from Bright Moon Pack. One of their members was accused and convicted of assaulting their Luna, and we need you to go pick her up. We weren't given many details, but the caller did mention that we needed to act quickly. She sounded pretty fearful, and she told us not to trust the Alpha and Luna about what happened—that we needed to hear her story as well," Council-member Boaz says.
Conri and I nod our heads as we get up from our seats, and we waste no time getting to our SUV.
"Evander, any thoughts as to why this person was asking the Council to react fast?" Conri asks me, and I let the little information we have pass through my mind. It is not much, and I understand why Conri is asking me this question, considering the past.
My mind travels back to another assignment we did for the Council—a young woman had been accused and convicted by the Pack, and a Warrior had called the Council to inform them. When we arrived at the Pack, the Alpha had sworn up and down it had been a misunderstanding, and we contacted the Council on how to proceed.
We were told to head back to the Academy and leave the punishment up to the Alpha, as it had been a minor incident according to him. A month later, a neighboring Pack had contacted the Council that a female had asked for asylum—she was more dead than alive at that time.
When the Council was informed of the circumstances, they had realized it was the female we had been sent for, and Conri and I had been sent back to talk to her. During our conversation, we found out that if we had talked to her that day, we would have taken her with us.
To this day, we regret not talking to her, not saving her, and she made us promise with her dying breath that we would never walk away until we had heard both sides of the story. The Council allowed our Squad Captain Armand and the rest of our team to join us, and we were joined by Investigator Harlyn.
Together, we had managed to find the evidence against the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Turns out that the female had been the Alpha's Daughter, but he had never treated her as such, and his Beta and Gamma had taken liberties with her for years.
The Warrior who had called the Council had accused her on purpose—he had hoped to get her out of the situation she was in before it would kill her, and if we hadn't listened to the Alpha, he would have succeeded in rescuing her.
Conri pulls me from my thoughts as he asks again if I have any idea why the Council was asked to act quickly. "We know it involves a female, and there are a number of reasons why a female would attack a Luna. Most of those reasons are enough to get convicted by the Council as well, so we can assume that it is not a standard reason," I say.
I let him think on my words as we drive towards Bright Moon Pack.
By the time we get there, we still haven't narrowed down the answer, and I am afraid we may never find out, as we will not be there when she has to face the Council. Maybe we will get the chance to ask her on the way back.
The Alpha is not too pleased with our presence—he actually looks really uncomfortable—and as we follow him to the dungeons, I hear Conri through our mind-link: "I think the caller was right; it is a good thing we came this soon." I believe he is correct in his assumption.
The girl in the cell is gorgeous, and I can see that the male with her is related to her. I see an uncomfortable look on her face after I tell her to leave the sheet behind. Once she realizes we don't understand her concerns, she turns her back on the others and reveals what she is wearing. I quickly understand her discomfort, and I order everyone out as I tell her to get changed.
The girl is wearing a dress that barely covers her, and the top is mostly see-through. I groan inwardly as I take in how she looks. "Fuck, Evander. What the hell is she wearing? There is no way I will let her walk out of here dressed like that," Conri says.
As we are waiting outside, the Alpha orders the Warriors to follow him to the Pack-house. Her Father looks around before he turns to us and hands me a piece of paper. "Give this to my Daughter once she is safe and the Council gives you permission," he says. I peek inside to see a number written down.
I nod my head before I push it into my pocket. Conri walks back into the dungeons after ten minutes to take the girl to our SUV, and I see Pack-members gathering as Conri guides her over to the SUV.
One member looks murderous, while another has a small smile on her face, and I think I just found out who the girl's guardian angel is. But I don't understand why the male looks as if we took his Mate away from him. Unless, of course, she is his underaged Mate—that would explain his expression.
But if she is his Mate, then why didn't he say anything? Or why was he not with her in the dungeon? I only have more questions than answers, and I need to talk to Conri about this. I also need to inform the Council about my thoughts, and I hope they will be able to help her.
The Alpha pulls the idiot out of the way so I can drive off with the girl in the backseat, and as I look in the rearview mirror, she closes her eyes. Within minutes, she is fast asleep. It gives me the chance to tell Conri my thoughts, and he quickly relays everything to the Council through an email.
"What do you think that piece of fabric was about?" Conri asks me, and I think back on the minuscule, red dress she had been wearing, cursing at Conri for putting that picture back in my head. I thought she had been gorgeous with that sheet wrapped around her, but seeing her in that dress...
I shake my head as if I can get rid of the image that way, and from the corner of my eye, I see that Conri isn't doing much better. The sight of her in that dress affects both of us. We both softly chuckle as we adjust ourselves, and I keep an eye on our passenger.
A movement on the right side of the SUV pulls my attention away from her, and Conri is on high alert as he looks out the window, but there is nothing to see out there. I curse as something flies over the hood of the SUV, and Conri follows whatever it was into the forest.
A moment later, I curse loudly as I pull the steering wheel hard to the left—a wolf jumps out of the way in the nick of time, and a moment later, the wolf is back again. "A rogue on a suicide mission," Conri mumbles as we swerve across the road, trying to avoid the wolf.
Conri is shouting at me to keep my eyes on the road, but he can't watch both sides of the SUV at the same time, and I don't want to ram this SUV into a wolf. "Left," I hear from the backseat, and I manage to avoid him once again, but her next words freeze the blood in my veins.
"He won't give up until he has me or until he is dead."
أُوكَازيُون
أُوكَازيُون
أُوكَازيُون
أُوكَازيُون
