Chapter 1 In the woods

Her heart pounded in her ears, and the soles of her feet were torn by sharp branches. Still, she kept running like her life depended on it, because it did. If she stopped, she'd be dragged back to face an ancient ceremony that would seal her fate forever.

But now, she wasn't sure she'd make it.

Her legs buckled beneath her, her chest heaving violently. Her breathing came out in ragged gasps, loud enough to alert her enemies, or rather, her clan.

"Lucy... stop being a baby and come out," one of the men sang, voice dripping with mockery.

Tears welled in her eyes, already red and swollen from crying. She couldn't stop. Couldn't stop the tears, couldn't stop the silent prayers to the moon goddess to deliver her from the rogue werewolves who dared call themselves Royals.

She had an inactive wolf. Cursed, they said. Condemned to remain wolfless, unless she mated with the mad Alpha-a nightmare spun into flesh, a horror story that haunted her childhood, only to become her reality.

And tonight was the night. Her eighteenth birthday. The night she was to mate with him or lose the chance to ever shift. Of course, she had chosen the latter. Anything was better than the first.

The legends were terrifying. Her future, worse. The mad Alpha was ancient, twisted in both body and mind. He wasn't just dangerous, danger ran from him. They said he kept a cave full of virgin brides, young girls that had been snatched away from their parents on their eighteenth birthday, sacrificed like livestock. And now, she was next in line.

If only she could soil herself tonight, break the curse by mating with another werewolf, she'd be free of the Alpha, and he'd lose her scent, turning his focus on the one she had mated with. Yes she'd lose her wolf forever, but that would be a blessing, a mercy.

"Lucy, Lucy, come on out... The mad Alpha awaits you. You don't want to keep him waiting," another voice sang. This one stabbed deeper- it was her brother.

She crouched behind a massive mahogany tree, body trembling and spent, her dress torn in every angle. She couldn't move anymore. Maybe it was time to give up and save her last breath to fight when they found her.

But what good would that do? She couldn't even defeat the weakest wolf in her pack.

"Oh moon goddess, please..." she whispered. "I'll do anything... Please save me tonight. You're merciful. You wouldn't curse your daughters with this fate. Please..."

"Hey, young girl... you alright?" a voice broke through her frantic prayers.

A male voice.

Her eyes flew open, then immediately shut again with a wince.

"What the hell! Put that away!" she hissed in a whisper, shielding her eyes from the harsh glare of the flashlight.

"Oh, sorry," the stranger said, lowering it. "You look... lost. Are you in trouble?"

She tried to sniff him, her instincts kicking in. No trace of a wolf. Definitely human, not that she could completely trust her senses as it faltered sometimes. But he looked harmless, by the look and smell of him.

The moon goddess had answered her.

"Turn that off!" she whispered sharply, grabbing his arm and tugging him down beside her. He resisted at first but eventually sank to the ground, switching off the flashlight.

"Are you in danger?" he asked again, voice low now, matching hers.

"I am. Do you hear those men? They're hunting me. They want to hurt me. I can't let them find me."

He paused for a moment, listening. Then: "And you're Lucy?"

She nodded, still not looking at him. Now that he was beside her, she felt oddly protective of him-this fragile, clueless human who had no idea what he'd just stepped into. If the Royals sighted him, he'd be dead.

Then an idea struck her. Wild. Reckless. Beautifully dangerous. One that would make the mad Alpha rage and maybe even destroy himself. But she wasn't so sure it would work with a human.

"What's your name?" she asked quietly.

"Kyle."

A beat of silence passed.

"Okay... Would you like to have sex with me, Kyle?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to swallow them back. Her stomach turned. What was she thinking, offering herself like this to a stranger?

But it was the only way out.

And it was already too late to take it back.

Kyle's brow shot up instantly, his expression a mix of amusement and disbelief. He must've misheard her. Either that, or this girl had a concussion-and bad judgment. She looked like she'd just escaped a dungeon of feral women.

"I'm not having sex with a-" he began, but before he could finish, her lips crashed against his.

He froze.

She froze.

The world itself seemed to hold its breath.

"I... I didn't mean that... I'm... I'm sorry," Lucy stammered, pulling back, biting her lip so hard it almost bled. Her eyes were wide, too wide, on the verge of panic.

She'd expected him to respond, wasn't that what human males did? Weren't they supposed to be easily seduced?

Instead, Kyle laughed.

Not cruelly, but with that same mix of surprise and reluctant amusement. "I knew it. You're crazy."

He stood up, and for a moment Lucy thought he was leaving. She shrank back, mortified by her own desperation.

Then he switched his flashlight back on and extended a hand.

"You should come with me."

That caught her off guard. She hesitated, staring at his hand like it was a trick. Why was he doing this? Was it because of her offer? Was he accepting it now?

But... no. His expression wasn't leering. He wasn't trying to take advantage. Whatever his reason, his help felt genuine. Unlike her motives just moments before.

Maybe the moon goddess had sent him.

She took his hand.

His chuckle at her eagerness was light, almost shy. She hated how charming it was. This human was cute. Too cute. And for a dangerous second, she almost reconsidered the idea of sleeping with him.

But if she did, her scent would cling to him. The mad Alpha would know. He'd hunt Kyle down, tear him apart for touching what was his. Lucy wasn't sure she could allow that anymore.

"Ah-" she winced as she stood, pain lancing through her legs.

Without a word, Kyle swept her into his arms.

"No, no-you don't have to. I can walk," she protested, squirming.

He didn't answer. Just kept walking, steady and calm.

Eventually, exhaustion overtook her. Her head dropped against his shoulder, and sleep claimed her like a blanket of mercy.

Unknowing to her, who Kyle truly was.