Chapter Two

Sleep refused to come that night. I tossed and turned, imagining a dozen different horrifying scenarios of the hunting party. In one, I was chased through the woods by a pack of snarling males fighting over who got to bite me first. In another, I was dragged before the council of Elders, bleeding and broken after rejecting a mark.

By the time dawn streaked the sky with pink and orange, I'd given up on rest altogether. I slipped out of bed and changed into running shorts and a tank top. If I couldn't sleep, I might as well run. Not in wolf form—I wasn't in the mood to connect with my animal side right now—but as a human, feeling the burn in my muscles and the air in my lungs.

The house was quiet as I crept downstairs. Dad would already be in his office, handling pack business before breakfast. Mom was probably in the garden, where she spent most mornings tending to her herbs and flowers. Neither would notice if I disappeared for an hour.

The morning air was cool against my skin as I jogged down our long driveway and onto the trail that led into the woods. Our territory stretched for miles in every direction, bordered by the Mason Pack to the north and the Silvers to the east. Beyond that were the territories of packs I'd only heard about in stories—the fierce Stoneclaw Pack in the mountains, the secretive Moonshadow Pack near the coast, and the powerful Bloodfang Pack that everyone feared.

My feet pounded against the dirt path as I picked up speed, trying to outrun my thoughts. Why did everything have to revolve around mating? Why couldn't werewolves just date like normal people, get to know each other, fall in love? Why did males get to choose while females just had to accept whatever fate handed them?

I was so lost in my angry thoughts that I didn't notice the other runner until we collided at a bend in the trail. I stumbled back, catching myself before I fell, and looked up to see my older brother Ethan.

"Whoa, sis," he said, steadying me with a hand on my shoulder. "Where's the fire?"

Ethan was twenty-two and had already been through his own hunting party four years ago. Unlike most males, he hadn't marked anyone, claiming he hadn't found the right female yet. Dad had been disappointed, but Ethan was his heir, so he got away with things I never could.

"Just running," I muttered, brushing his hand away. "Shouldn't you be with Dad, learning important Alpha stuff?"

He grinned, his green eyes—identical to mine—crinkling at the corners. "Already done with the morning briefing. Came out here to clear my head." His expression sobered as he studied my face. "You look like crap, Lena. What's up?"

"Thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear," I said, starting to walk back toward the house. He fell into step beside me.

"Seriously, what's wrong? Is this about the hunting party?"

I shot him a sideways glance. "What do you think?"

He sighed. "I know it's not ideal—"

"Not ideal?" I stopped walking to face him. "It's barbaric, Ethan! It's treating women like property, like we don't deserve a say in who we spend our lives with. How would you feel if some random girl could just bite you and force you to be her mate forever?"

"That's not how it works for males," he said quietly.

"Exactly my point! The whole system is designed by males, for males. No one ever asked us females if we're okay with being hunted like deer and marked like territory."

Ethan ran a hand through his dark hair—another trait we shared. "I get it, Lena. I really do. And for what it's worth, I think some of our traditions need to change."

"Then why don't they?" I demanded. "You're going to be Alpha someday. You could change the rules."

"It's not that simple. These traditions go back centuries. They're practiced by every werewolf pack across the continent. One Alpha can't just decide to throw them out."

"So what am I supposed to do? Just accept that some stranger can decide my entire future in one night?"

Ethan was quiet for a moment, his eyes troubled. "Look, I know this isn't what you want to hear, but not all matings turn out badly. Mom and Dad are happy."

"Are they?" I challenged. "Or has Mom just convinced herself she's happy because she had no other choice? Did you know she wanted to be a doctor before Dad marked her? She told me once when she was helping me with biology homework. But once they were mated, he made it clear her place was at home, supporting him and raising his children."

"That was their choice—"

"No, it was his choice," I interrupted. "That's the problem, Ethan. The female never really gets a choice. Even if she thinks she does, the pressure to accept, to fit in, to fulfill her 'destiny' as a mate and mother—it's suffocating."

We started walking again, the silence between us heavy with unspoken thoughts. When we reached the edge of the woods where our backyard began, Ethan stopped me with a hand on my arm.

"I can't change the system overnight, Lena. But I promise you, when I become Alpha, things will be different. Until then..." He hesitated. "Just be careful at the hunting party, okay? Some of these guys from other packs, they can be rough."

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the morning sun warming my skin. "What am I supposed to do if someone tries to mark me, Ethan? What if I don't want it?"

His eyes darkened. "You fight, Lena. You fight like hell."

"And if I lose? If he's stronger?"

Ethan's jaw tightened. "Then I'll kill him myself."