CHAPTER ONE

I stand there and watch in horror as Romulus, the cruel Alpha of the nearby pack, kills my friends. He leads his packmates against ours, and the battle is not going well.

He holds a sword to my alpha's throat, and I realize that I am going to lose everyone I care about.

Romulus stops and looks us all over, while my alpha is in danger of losing his life.

"I will only spare your pack," Romulus says, "if one of your females will volunteer to be my mate."

I look around and see all of the other girls are horrified. Of course, no one would want to be with Romulus.

Neither would I.

The thought of it makes me shudder.

But then again, I can't let my people die.

I don't know what to do.

"Wait!" I call out. "Don't do this. Don't kill my people."

Romulus turns and looks at me.

He smiles and I see that his teeth are sharp and yellow. He looks like a wolf.

"Well, well," he says, smiling at me, "looks like we have a little hero."

My stomach drops. Now his eyes are on me.

"And what are you going to do to stop it?" he asks me.

But I don't have an answer.

"I will do whatever you want," I say. "Just don't hurt my people."

Romulus smiles, and I can tell that he likes my answer. "Good," he says. "Now that that is settled, I will spare your pack."

But Romulus does not leave.

I don’t know if he will truly let my people go.

He looks at me and I look at him.

"I think you want to choose me as your mate," he says. "And I will free your pack, on one condition."

My heart pounds. What is going to happen?

"What is that?" I ask, as I clasp my hands together.

"I will spare your pack," he says. "But you must come back with me. You will be my mate."

I feel sick to my stomach.

Mate with him?

"And if I do not choose you? If I choose someone else?" I ask.

Romulus raises his eyebrows. "I will kill all of your people," he says. "I will slaughter them all."

I am horrified. I know that he is not lying.

"And if I agree?" I ask, trembling.

"Then they will be spared," he says. "As will your alpha. And your pack.”

Romulus turns and signals to the rest of his pack.

"Now go," he says and they and my packmates head off in different directions.

But my Alpha and Romulus and I are left there, watching each other.

The others dart into the forest and disappear.

nd as I run, I think about everything that has happened.

I try to think of a way out of this.

I try to figure out another way to save my pack.

I try to think of what to do.

But I can't think of anything.

Because I have to do exactly what he says.

Because if I don't, my pack will be destroyed.

I turn around and look at the carnage. Everything is covered in blood. I take a deep breath.

I have to do this.

I have to save my pack.

There is no other way.

My alpha, still lying on the ground, looks up at me, his eyes pained.

"Don't do this," he says. "You don't have to do this. Let him kill me instead. Let him kill us all instead."

My heart swells with love for my alpha, but I cannot accept his offer. I can't let them all die.

"I wish I didn't have to," I say. "But it's the only way."

My alpha reaches a hand out to me.

"Run," he says. "Run and don't come back."

I look at my alpha and I know what I have to do. I know that I have to do this.

"I can't," I say. "I have to go through with it. I have to accept.”

Romulus holds his sword tighter against my Alpha's throat.

"One more word and I'll kill you," he says to my alpha.

"Please," I say to Romulus. "I will do as you say. Just let me say goodbye to my Alpha in peace. Then I will come."

"Fine," Romulus says to me. "But hurry. I want you now. I don't have to wait much longer."

I nod at him. "Yes, I will hurry."

And with that, I take my Alpha's hand.

He takes my hand.

We hold onto each other, long after Romulus has left.

"Please," he says. "Don't do this. You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do," I say. "What are my other options?"

"You could run," he says. "You could leave. You could get away."

I shake my head. "I can't," I say. "You know I can't."

"I know," my alpha says. And he does know. But he doesn't like it.

"Don't go," he says. "Please don't go. Stay with me instead."

"I can't," I say. "I can't let you die. I won't let you die."

"But you will let him mate with you?" my Alpha asks.

I am silent. I am not sure what to say to that.

"You need to get away," my Alpha says. "He could kill you. You need to get out of this alive."

I look at my Alpha and I want to tell him that I love him. But I I can't.

So instead, I hug him tight and I bury my face in his chest and I say nothing.

And then I pull back and I force myself to say, "I will come back. I will come back and we will see each other again. I promise."

I don't truly believe it. I don't believe that I will come back. I don't believe that I will ever see him again.

But I need to say those words to him. I need to tell him that I promise.

"Okay," he says. "Then take care of yourself."

And those words, those final words, cut me to the heart.

Because I know that I will never come back.

Because I know that I am going to mate. And I am going to die.

I am left standing there, surrounded by the bodies of my fallen friends.

As I look at them, I realize that I made a terrible deal, and I hate myself for it.

And then, I go.

I run back to the den.

I run back to where I am supposed to be.

I run back to where I must be.

Romulus is waiting for me.