Chapter 1

1

Ruby

" D amn it, burnt another pancake," said Julie, my father's new omega they had brought into our family. I watched with amusement as she threw the second burnt pancake into the trash while I safely sipped my coffee without sugar.

My mother was sitting across from me at the dining room table, with a lost expression in her eyes, absentmindedly tracing imaginary patterns on the tabletop.

"Don't worry the next pancake will turn out fine," I encouraged as I observed her pour the batter into the pan. "Mom, you okay there?"

"Hmm, yes," she answered, looking up and giving me a smile laced with sadness. My mom wasn't always like this. As a child, I remembered her being present and lively. Over the years, she had become withdrawn and a shell of herself.

Henry ordered my father to take on Julie as a second omega since my mom was diagnosed with schizophrenia. His whole philosophy was making sure packs reproduced to make us the greatest wolf nation on the planet.

I thought it was ridiculous, and I hated Julie being here, but over a few months, I'd seen how she helped take care of my mom from her heart.

"Here you go, darling," said Julie, her voice rough from smoking. She placed a plate of pancakes before her. "You need to eat and keep your strength up."

Mom nodded dully, her gaze drifting aimlessly around the room as if searching for something that only she could see.

I was used to being her only caretaker apart from my three fathers, Benjamin, Oberon, and Quinton.

Now that Julie was here, I had a lot more free time, and I was grateful for the help.

"I'm going to head to the ranch now," I said, finishing the rest of my coffee and rinsing the mug in the sink.

"Have fun," said Julie as she prodded my mom to eat her pancakes.

"Thanks," I said as I slipped on my riding boots at the door and adjusted my black shirt and leggings.

The sun outside was warm compared to the air-conditioned home. We lived on a sizeably massive property with my father's ranch not too far from our house. My dad's ranch held over a hundred horses that my fathers would sell to make a living.

I made a beeline to greet my favorite horse, Whisper, in his stall.

"Hey, Whisper," I crooned as I approached his stall. His large dark eyes sparkled when he saw me, and I smiled as I reached out to stroke his sleek chestnut coat. "Did you miss me?"

He pressed his velvety muzzle against the palm of my hand, and his comforting presence made any stress I had melt away.

Grabbing a brush from the nearby rack, I set to work, brushing Whisper's beautiful coat until it shone. Lost in our little world, I barely noticed the sound of approaching footsteps until a deep voice shattered the silence.

"Good morning, Ruby," said a familiar drawl, and my heart fluttered in my chest.

I turned to find Jasper leaning against the barn door with a lopsided grin. His rugged charm was impossible to ignore, from the stubble that peppered his jaw to the way his worn denim hugged his muscular frame. He had short blond hair and an athletic body that I couldn't stop looking at.

He was the hired rancher on our property and one of my closest friends.

"Hey Jasper," I said, my heart racing as he neared me to drop a pile of hay at Whisper's feet. Jasper was three years older than me. He was an alpha without a pack, which made him undesirable to all omegas and to my family if we ever dated. "How are you?"

"Better now," he said with a crooked smile, and I could feel the heat rising in my face. "How about you?"

"I'm doing good," I said, laying a hand on Whisper's back. "I want to ride today."

Lately, I'd been more tongue-tied around him and more shy, especially when I couldn't help but inhale his scent of the sea. His scent reminded me of nights when we would sneak away to the water during holidays as friends. Once or twice, we'd come close to kissing, but it never happened.

"I'll saddle him up for you," said Jasper, quickly grabbing supplies and getting to work. I've always wondered why he never sought out a pack to join. Werewolves naturally gravitated to one another to form packs, but Jasper was different.

He had explained he hated the rigidity and rules of being in a pack. He would instead choose to roam free and be without an omega for the rest of his life.

"Thanks," I said, deftly climbing onto the saddle like I've done for years.

"Before you ride off there," started Jasper. "Do you want to hang out later?"

"I'm having lunch with my family today, but I'll see if I can sneak out later," I said, my heart beating fast. The older I got, the more awkward things got between us.

With a gentle nudge of my heels, I urged Whisper forward, feeling the rhythm of his powerful strides beneath me as we set off into the field. While I rode, I thought about our friendship and how neither one of us was willing to cross the boundaries and make it something more.

I knew he could feel the attraction between us, the way I felt. I could hardly even be in the same room as him without sweating.

There was no way I could feel the same powerful attraction with anyone else, but I was scared to admit my feelings to him without thinking of the consequences. My family would never allow it- especially since my fathers' were esteemed alphas of the community.

Later that day, I was eating lunch with my father, and they were all quiet for some reason. The oldest of my fathers, Benjamin, had long gray hair and a goatee.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him. My other fathers, Oberon and Quinton, looked at him as if waiting for him to talk. Dread began to settle in my stomach as I wondered what the hell happened. "Dad, what happened?"

He sighed, "Nothing happened, Ruby. We just need to talk to you about something, that's all."

"Okay?" I asked, setting my fork down next to a half-eaten baked salmon.

A look of seriousness overcame him. I'd never seen him acting like this with me.

"Tomorrow, the Crawford Pack will be coming over for dinner," he said to me as if nervous of what I would say.

"What does that have to do with me?" I asked, already having a bad feeling about it.

"They're coming over to meet you," Benjamin said slowly without looking at me.

"What do you mean?"

"Years ago, you were promised to this pack and I would like for you to give them a chance," he said, his gaze shifting away like he wasn't being totally honest with me.

This was the first time I heard about getting matched to a pack, and anger bloomed within me. I didn't want to be strapped to a pack for life, birthing multiple pups for them.

I pursed my lips as I struggled to contain my emotions.

"Why would you promise me to a pack?"

"To protect you," he said simply.

"That's bullshit!" I shouted, jumping up from my chair. I couldn't stand still as I paced around the dining table, prepared to fight for my life. "Protect me from what? I'm about to be twenty-three and still young. I have a whole life to live."

"That's more than old enough," said Benjamin.

"We're sorry, daughter," said Quinton, walking over to stroke my hair. "This is supposed to bring you lots of joy. Why are you so angry?"

"Because she wants to be with someone she loves," said a voice from behind me. I spun around to see my mom standing there, the look in her eyes clear as she focused on me.

"Mom," I said, tears in my eyes as I rushed over to her in her moment of clarity. "You're absolutely right."

Then suddenly, her eyes rolled back in terror. "He's going to take her. Please save my baby."

I sighed.

She'd been saying those same words over the years every time she detached from reality. Moments of her being lucid were rare, and it was getting harder to catch her in those moments.

"It's okay. No one will take her," said Oberon as he comforted Mom and led her away.

"Dad, please," I said, turning to Benjamin. "I'll find my pack one day. Getting mated to a pack right now sounds like a horrible idea."

He suddenly stood up from his chair and pushed his glasses up.

"You've been promised to the Crawford Pack, and that's final," he said sternly. "I suggest you get used to the idea and be ready for dinner tomorrow."

"Dad," I protested, but he held up his hand.

"This is for your safety, and it's not bullshit like you say," he said. "I want you to think about how disrespectful you've been, especially after everything I've done for you."

He stalked out of the house, and I sank into the chair in shock. Quinton pulled up a chair beside me and wrapped an arm tightly around me as I sat there frozen for a full minute.

"He's serious," I said. "This might actually happen."

"Unfortunately, yes," said Quinton, wiping my tears with the back of his hand. "Sooner or later, you were going to be matched to a pack by Henry. It's better that Benjamin vetted the pack for you first."

I sniffled, taking deep breaths to calm down.

"How do you know the pack will treat me right?" I asked. "And I like Jasper. I don't like anyone else."

"Jasper isn't for you," said Quinton, the only father I trusted with this information. "When an omega goes into heat…"

"I know," I said quickly, cutting him off. I didn't need the heat talk from him. An omega needed multiple males to satisfy her when she went into heat. She would be knotted repeatedly by multiple alphas until the day her heat was over and she was successfully impregnated.

Being with a loner alpha like Jasper would be a death sentence for me. But I would rather die than be stuck with a pack of alphas I hated.