SHE'S MINE TO TAME

Chapter 1: Choosing a bride

Snow Is crunching under my feet as I walk through the mountain path. The hoot of an owl mixes with the faint voices of people partying in the street below. I envy them. They get to celebrate the exact thing that's caused me three mental breakdowns and a stomach twisted with dread.

I sigh, slowing my footsteps. I can't stop it at this point. But I'll sure as hell walk for as long as I can.

Maybe the alternative isn't so bad. Being invisible and ignored might be better than being tied to a narcissistic asshole called my alpha's son.Through a gap in the trees I look down to where all the Darkmoon pack members are preparing in the clearing. Their stupid bonfire is burning bright and tall, disrupting the otherwise black shadows and creating a spot of warmth among the cold landscape. Even with the distance, I can see the snow sparkling in the firelight.

A beautiful winter night has never looked so ugly.

• • •

5Days Ago...

"This one or this one?"

I wonder if squirrels live in neighborhoods. If a squirrel lives a couple trees away from another, does that make them neighbors? Or what if a squirrel builds a nest in a tree that already has one? Do they fight or do they coexist?

"Phoebe Opinion?"

They probably get along. They probably go over to each other's nests and ask to borrow sugar. No, not sugar. Acorn dust... like squirrel cocaine, am asking for nobody's opinion.

A hard smack to my leg makes me jump up from my comfortable bed.

"OW! What the hell?!" I rub my burning thigh and give Claire a death glare. What did I do to displease Her Highness now?"I'm starting to regret doing that much," I grumble in return. Claire is the only person I truly consider a real friend in this shit hole called pack. I've known her for about as long as I can remember, though it wasn't until about a year and a half ago that we became very close.

"Oh please. Your bitch ass loves me and you know it. And since you love me so much, you should come with me." Her words are mumbled as she puckers her lips to slather her dark purple lipstick on.

I don't waste time in shooting her down. "Not a chance."

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun. I heard bluemoon boys are a sight to see. Tall and sleek with a lot of thick stuff down there. With water dripping from their silky hair, down their chiseled abs and right to their-"

I gag. Like I actually gag. When that's not enough to stop her, I throw myself into an exaggerated coughing fit to get the point across. The last thing I need to hear about are Claire's fantasies. Her many, fantasies. And believe me when I say they're sickening. Her ones for the males of the Bluemoon pack-- another tribal and vicious pack, whose members have a special affiliation with water-- are exceptionally disturbing, I think they're all mental.

"You can act grossed out all you want now. One day is coming when the high and mighty Phoebe parker is going to find someone attractive and get laid eventually. And when you do I'll be there to rub it in your face." She pauses from meticulously tracing over her eyebrow with a pen. A suspicious smile is stuck on her face as she looks in the mirror to see my reaction."You aren't even paying attention! You're laying there staring at the ceiling like a newly turned zombie," she accuses. So maybe I'm not giving her my undivided attention. She has a fair argument there. But in my defense she can usually carry on a conversation just fine with herself as long as I give the occasional nod and grunt of acknowledgement.

I realize she's standing in front of me, holding a silver and black dress in each hand. After a quick game of eeny, meeny, miny, moe I point to the black one in order to avoid further abuse.