Chapter One

Smack! I felt the sting on my cheek from my mother’s slap. She had taken to drinking since my father’s abandonment, and took time every day to remind me how much it was all my fault. I blinked my tears away and bent to pick the broken shards of the broken wine glass off of the floor. I sighed, ignoring her angry drunken slurs as I headed upstairs. I didn’t have the energy to fight with her tonight. “Valeria! You worthless whelp! Get back down here and pour me another glass of wine!” This had been our norm, for three years since dad left. She’d get drunk, then scream at me in her drunken rage. It was so stupid. I am beyond trying to work things out with my mom. My one hope is that tonight I will find my mate at tonight’s full moon ritual. Being a part of the Blue Moon pack was never easy, but after just finding my wolf Reya, finding a mate and getting the hell out of here was my next priority.

You should really start fighting back, that bitch has it coming.

She’s still my mom, I replied and stared at myself in the mirror. My long blonde hair was tangled, and the cut from her nail on my forehead was starting to close.

You’re beautiful, Val. One of them Wolf boys would be stupid not to accept you if you’re mated. You can’t fuck with fate.

Sure, I just hope it’s not Abel. He’s a jackass.

I agree, but at least he’s hot.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her comments and headed off to change. Wine splatter across my top wouldn’t make a good impression. There was silence downstairs. Mom must have finally taken her pills and passed out. Lucky. I stripped out of my clothes and went to take a shower. I worked on working the red drink out of my skin and the ends of my platinum hair. I stepped out and dried off. I grabbed a white tank top off my bed and slipped it on. I slid into a pair of fading blue jeans and slipped my small feet into a pair of black canvas shoes. It took some time to blow dry and brush out my hair. I took a final look in the mirror and sighed. I was a little shorter than the other shifters in our town, my hair is blonde, light and I had a set of deep blue eyes. My skin is light, but I consider myself to have a good figure, decent-sized breasts and a perfectly shaped ass. I continued to convince myself that I would make any shifter happy to be my mate, right up until I heard the howling in the distance. It was time to go. I slipped out of my bedroom and quietly creeped down the stairs. My mom was passed out on the couch again, luckily. I was quiet as I opened the front door and slipped out. I let out a sigh of relief and closed the door behind me.

The event was to take place in the woods outside the main part of the town. It took a bit for me to walk there. There were already a lot of wolves that had found their mates. I stood back and watched for some time before I heard an angry growl from behind me. “Mate” Reya roared to life in my head, happily padding around.

Mate! We found a mate!

“Oh, hell no. I won’t be mated to someone like you!” Abel growled between his clenched teeth. My immediate reaction was to walk away from him, but he wouldn’t have it. Abel snatched a handful of my blonde hair and dragged me back into the trees. He pinned me up against a tree behind us and growled as he towered over my tiny frame. My body felt crushed between his towering frame and the tree. My eyes went wide, as I stared into the brown eyes above me. “Don’t look at me like that! You’re pathetic and if I get chosen for Alpha, you damn sure won’t be Luna!” Abel snapped. I had to admit, even if I hated this man, he was a regular Adonis. He was ripped, muscular with lightly tanned skin, chiseled abs and a face that looked like it was forged by the gods. “Valeria Thomas! I reject you as my mate. Now and forever!”

They said that being rejected was just as painful physically as it was emotionally. The description did not compare to how I was feeling right now. I felt like I was in full cardiac arrest. My chest hurt, I felt like I was dying inside. “Accept the fucking rejection!” I could barely breathe, what was worse was when he placed his hand around my throat. My feet dangled a bit as he lifted up. My throat was on fire as he cut off the air from my windpipe. “Say the fucking words, Valeria or I’ll fucking kill you myself!” I struggled for air, and he lessened his grip on me. I can barely comprehend how I could manage to choke out the words but I managed. “I… accept your rejection.”

Abel smiled, pleased and tossed me to the ground. I take in a deep breath of air as my backside connects with the ground. “Good girl. This event is over for you. Go home Valeria.” I managed to get to my feet and I am on my way home. My body hurts all over, and my feelings are definitely hurt, but he’s right. There was no chance I would find my mate tonight. For some reason, the walk back seems longer. I cut back through the woods for a shortcut when a delicious scent hits me. It smells like sandalwood and spice, like every good thing I’ve ever smelled. This time when I hear it, I’m too afraid to turn around. “Mate.” A deep voice bellows in my ear. I’m fearful of turning around, but when I do, I instantly regret it. The older twin is staring down at me this time, Kaine.