After her mate marked another and expected her to be the side chick, Dani vowed never to let a man fool her ever again. As her wolf faded away without her mate Dani was resigned to being a human among her kind. Until case of mistaken identity led he...
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"No!" Nineteen-year-old Dani denied. Her voice came out strong, with none of the heartbreak that seemed to be clogging her throat. Her heart raced, her breath coming in fast as if she had been in a race, though nothing remotely close had happened.
He smiled, a smile that was a caricature of the expression, one that lacked anything resembling warmth. It was quite a departure from the smile he'd graced her with since they'd met. When he'd charmed her and everyone in her family. His eyes, the same silvery blue she'd loved, now looked colder than the heart of ice as they looked at her without any warmth. How had he duped her father?
"One way or another, this will happen." He stated with chilling assurance. "It can be pleasant, or unpleasant. That's up to you."
She held her head high and looked around at the warriors who stood behind the man who should've cared for her above any other. Yet here he was, humiliating her in the worst possible way. Where was the love that was supposed to blossom between mates at first glance? Dani had been foolish enough to believe they had it and had condemned herself.
His pack was higher up in the mountains than hers, a difficult place to get to or leave. Dani was trapped here, and he knew it, revelled in it. Dani, though, had never been a quitter and no power on earth would ever have her submit to his plans. She was from beta blood. He might think less of her just because her mother was from the Sioux nation, but she knew her worth.
Even as it drove a spike through her heart, she wouldn't allow his opinion to define her. She'd hold on to who she was regardless of what he might do to her and she would find a way to free herself of his intended captivity.
As if knowing what she was thinking, he gave her another wintry smile. "Do you think you're the first Daniella?" He mocked. "My family has been keeping their blood pure for generations, so we've mastered our act. I will not be the first to taint my heir, especially with a mixed mongrel like you. You'll never be able to tell anyone what you really are to me, not even your beloved family."
She held her head high and steady, her eyes meeting his with pride even as her heart shattered into a million pieces. He was supposed to be her soulmate, the man she'd anticipated and given her heart, body, and soul to. Yet now he treated them as if they were worthless.
He seemed to hate that her family loved her, that they'd made him promise to see her as regularly as possible. It was as if just knowing she was loved was a challenge he knew he could never win. But from the look on his face, Dani knew he'd do his best to erode her memory of her worth, even to her family.
What the bastard didn't know though was that she had a gift that she could use to defeat him, even with the seven warriors he had with him. She hated that she'd have to violate the trust her unci (unh-chee) had placed in her. She'd been taught songs of power, songs so ancient most of her people had forgotten they had ever been. Songs that could raze the worlds if she sang them using the voice her nana had bequeathed her.
Dani didn't know if what she intended was right, but she knew she had the right to defend herself from this monster. As resolved as she was, a part of her was reluctant to hurt him, still clinging to the call of the mate bond. Why wasn't it severed by his betrayal?
"I will not become your whore?" she declared with a disgusted look on her face, in part to remind the reluctant part of her what he intended for her.
This time his smile was mocking. "What has changed Daniella? You already are."
A sob wanted to escape her tight reign on her emotions, she was sure her defiant eyes showed what a blow his words were to her but she still held her head high. What was one more dart of pain in the smorgasbord she was already experiencing?
She could still feel it, the scalding pain at her neck where he should've marked her and yet had chosen to mark another. They'd spent the first two weeks after meeting in one of her pack's mating cottages but he'd told her his pack had a tradition of marking their mates on their land. He'd just left out a few pertinent details.
Her body still ached from the remnant of the pain she'd felt as he'd slept with Thalia, the blonde blue-eyed pack favourite who'd actually been nice to her. She now stood behind the warriors with her mate holding her whilst she bore the mark of Dani's mate. If she hadn't been caught in this drama she would've laughed at how sick and twisted it was.
Seeing the helpless sympathy in the pair she realised neither of them had had a choice. Thalia's mate would never get to mark his mate and any children they might have would only come after the alpha had had his and would be considered bastards. The same arrangement he wanted to make with her. Her children would be considered omegas in this pack even with their excellent bloodline.
Remembering all that stiffened her back, her eyes became resolute and challenging. If she was to die, she'd rather die with honour than disgrace her bloodlines. Her mother's family still had matrilineal ideals even as things had changed and her father's family was patrilineal, which meant as far as she was concerned she equally represented their honour. And this loser jerk wasn't going to dishonour them.
He smiled once more, this time a genuine smile that was almost warm for all its dark pleasure. "I won't kill you, Daniella," he informed her with amusement. "You're going to be a pleasure to bend to my will and I look forward to it."
He moved back as his warriors moved to surround her. With that dark smile still on his face, he kept his eyes on her, folding his arms to watch his men subdue her. Dani straightened her back and stood taller. She braced herself and sang a single continuous note. In response, the men fell screaming to the ground with their hands covering their ears.
All the while her eyes were glued to his. She enjoyed watching his smug certainty drain off his face, loved seeing incredulous anger take over. The couple drew back as he roared and attacked her. Dani sang another note, intending to go for his family jewels but it was now her turn to be chagrined as it didn't work.
