“And you are?” He dragged out his words.
“I’m her big sister. This was all my idea, punish me, not her.” For once, Isla sounded remorseful.
The Alpha chuckled, though I don’t think it was in humor, and took two strolling steps toward her. “You’re very brave,” he praised. “But it won’t save you.”
Isla’s head dropped, and I heard her gently whisper a prayer to the moon. Her slight frame curled against the ground just to put more inches between her and the Alpha.
“Alpha,” Titus addressed. “Please, this is my Beta’s daughter.”
“Maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement.” He turned around and smiled at me; his eyes crinkled warmly in the corners.
“Anything,” Alpha Titus promised.
“Then, you’ll allow me to take my mate back to my territory?”
Alpha Titus paused and looked around at us. “You don’t mean Sloane, do you?” The confusion was evident.
“Sloane,” the Alpha tested on his tongue, cheeks flushed at the sound.
My father stepped forward angrily, grabbing Isla by her arm and hauling her to her feet. “You are not taking either of my daughters, I don’t care if you are an Alpha or not. This is a bad time, and they need to be with their family. They need to be protected.”
The Alpha raised an eyebrow, asking if my father was indeed speaking to him in that tone. When my father stood his ground, the Alpha set a smug smile on his face and moved toward him.
“Beta, are you suggesting I don’t know how to protect my mate?”
My father took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he spoke. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just think it would be best that my daughters stay with me until this ordeal with the humans is sorted out.” He opened his eyes. “You don’t want Sloane running around your pack while we are dealing with the humans, it would be too much work.”
“I assure you, I am more than capable of protecting my own mate from some humans. And she wouldn’t be work, as you so eloquently put it.” The Alpha’s voice was dominating, though his words were precise.
My father looked down, his grip on Isla’s arm tightening, and he seethed quietly.
“Sloane?” The Alpha looked at me, his voice softening at my name. I looked up and waited. “Would you please return to your room, pack your belongings, and say goodbye to your family? The cars are waiting, and it’s a few hours before we will reach my pack.”
My heart began jumping in my chest.
“You want me to leave right now?” My voice was breathless and weak.
“Yes,” he said, nodding empathetically. I shook my head, smiling like it was a joke. “Sloane?”
“No, you cannot just drag me away from my family within the first five minutes that you meet me,” I told him, stepping back, outrage filling my shivering body.
“Sloane, I am an Alpha, I have a pack to run. I have no time for games or unnecessary arguments. Gather your things, we will leave as soon as you are done.” He didn’t seem to understand what he was asking of me. His arrogant tone settling roughly in my stomach.
“No.”
He narrowed his eyes at me.
“No?” he tested.
“I said no,” I spat out in a huff, physically shaking because of my nervousness. He noticed my quivering limbs, and his face quickly looked less aggressive.
“Sloane,” he said softer.
“No, I won’t go. Not now.”
“I will give you two days,” he told me, stepping closer. “Two days, from this exact moment, and then you will be in my territory. If you are not, I will come back here and drag you there if I have to.”
I nodded. It was generous of him to offer me any time; most mates demanded immediate relocation.
He sighed and reached his hand out, gently brushing it along the outside of my arm. I shook from his hand, not in fear, but in the pleasure of his mere touch. He seemed pleased and began to walk back to his pack members.
“Two days,” he called, walking away from me. The other pack disappeared into the woods swiftly behind him.
Isla clambered away from our father and took me in her arms. “I’m so sorry, Sloane,” she heaved, tears collecting in the insides of her eyes. I squeezed her back and whispered to her that we were okay. She clung to me, apologizing over and over again.
Our father grunted behind her. Isla released me and turned to look at him. “You embarrass me every chance you get.” His lip curled back over his teeth.
Isla didn’t answer, just looked over and me and smiled sadly. We followed our father and Alpha Titus back to our house, where we were yelled at and scolded for hours. In the morning, I began packing my things into a few duffel bags.
Isla and I had lunch with our friends and dinner with our parents. The next morning, I said my goodbyes to my family. My father would be driving me to the Alpha’s pack, which was about three hours to the west.
It was a quiet drive. My father didn’t usually speak unless there was something to discuss. I didn’t really mind the silence; it gave me a chance to think and settle into my new mindset. Two days should have been plenty of time to come to terms with the situation, but to me, it felt like seconds.
After three hours, we pulled off the main highway and followed a winding, dirt road through the trees. I saw wolves behind the trees, and I couldn’t tell if they were Warriors or regular wolves wanting to see me. Either way, it made me uncomfortable, and I moved to look at my father.
He was cold and unwavering as he drove. His brown eyes didn’t flicker over to me or break his concentration from the road ahead. I knew he could feel me
