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I straightened my spine and held my head high. It didn’t stop from thundering against my ribs.
The second my foot hit the bottom stair, my siblings descended on me, wrapping me in a giant group hug. I blinked rapidly and bit the inside of my cheek. My pulse roared in my ears, and every fiber of my being wanted to turn tail, run back to my room, and curl under the blankets.
“We should be going.” My father’s voice broke through the pounding in my ears.
My siblings clung to me a moment longer before pulling away until just my mom was holding my hand again.
She turned to me and brushed strands of my long hair from my face. “I love you so much, sweetheart.”
“I love you, too.” I threw my arms around her, needing to hug her just one last time.
My dad put his hand on my back. “Our meeting is in less than three hours. It will take us about that long to get there.”
I pulled back slowly, taking in my mother’s scent. Maybe if I didn’t wash this shirt, their scents would remain. I could only hope. I wasn’t allowed to bring anything with me.
My mom grasped my arms tightly. She shook her head and looked at my dad, tears swimming in her blue-green eyes.
I squeezed her hands. “It’s okay, Mom.”
She nodded and let my dad pull me away. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and guided me to the car. I stole one last glance back at my family before holding my head high as we approached the SUV.
One of our enforcers opened the door for my father and me. I slid across the seat to make room for him. The door clapped shut, making me flinch. This was it. I blew out a breath and stared out the window.
My dad patted my hand. “You really don’t have to do this, Sloane. It’s not too late to back out.”
I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. If I did, I would fall apart. I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants and then balled them into tight fists.
“I will do this because it means you and Mom, Erica, Brandon and Mark, and the rest of the pack are safe.” I could take comfort in that.
“Sloane,” he started, but didn’t finish.
The enforcers climbed into the front seat, and the vehicle roared to life.
“It’s okay, Dad.” I gritted my teeth and forced a smile before looking at him.
“All you have to do is say the word, and we will find another way,” Dad said.
I shook my head. My mind went back to two weeks ago. My eldest brother, Darrin, had met with Alpha Dane of Pack Wolf Blood to negotiate a truce. He’d come back to us in pieces with a single demand.
They needed females, or more would pay the ultimate price.
Darrin’s death had broken my parents. I’d never seen my father cry until he’d seen Darrin’s mutilated body.
My stomach twisted, and bile rose up my throat at the reminder. Pack Wolf Blood was going to be my home. I’d have to live with the monsters who murdered my brother, aunt, and uncle.
Thank Luna Erica was only twelve and too young to be bred. I prayed she would be spared this fate. That one day she would find her true mate and fall in love.
True love wasn’t in my future, though. Not anymore.
I cleared my throat. “Tell me more about my future mate.”
It was easier to think of him as a mate than my breeding partner. Did he want to be involved in this? Or was he a victim to his father too?
I should know this already. Dad had told me it all before, but my ears had been buzzing and my head had been spinning.
“His name is Lincoln. He is the pack’s sigma.”
He was asigma? Hmm. That was an interesting turn of events. Sigmas were generally outcasts. Loners.
