Forbidden Hope: A Werewolf Wars Prequel Novella Read online

  “You can’t be late.” Emily stepped back. Her father, the alpha, couldn’t stand tardiness.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Bye,” she said softly, offering him a small smile. Marcus gave her another chaste kiss before tugging his shirt on and hurrying off to his meeting.

  ***

  Emily shot out of bed. A loud wail echoed throughout the house. Her breath quickened as she darted to her window. Men sprinted across the lawn, heading to the south side of the property.

  She ran a hand through her hair and surveyed the men. Her heart tightened in her chest as Marcus came into view. Please don’t let him get hurt—please don’t let anyone get hurt tonight.

  Her doorknob jingled and the door swung open. Emily spun on her heel, hand flying to her chest.

  “Mom,” she gasped. “You scared me.”

  “I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Claire McKinley said, entering the room.

  “I’m fine. How are Maddie and Amelia?” Emily asked, referring to the two younger, female wolves.

  “Comforting each other for the moment. I wanted to check on you too.”

  Emily nodded and sighed as she turned back to the window. “This is the third attack in six months.”

  “I know,” Claire breathed. “We have been lucky so far. But luck will only get us so far.”

  “What is father going to do?”

  “He has been approached by Fernando Juarez of the Gulf Packs.”

  “Oh?”

  “Juarez has been assembling packs for the past few years under his leadership. Together, they are making a stand against the renegade packs and lone wolves in the area,” Claire replied.

  “Will we join them?”

  Her mother let out a long breath. “I’m not sure they are any better than the wolves attacking us.”

  “Why?”

  Claire smiled. “It’s nothing.”

  A sense of foreboding filled Emily, causing goose bumps to erupt across her arms. It’s not nothing.

  “They want me, Maddie, and Amelia, don’t they?” Emily asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

  “Most packs anymore are lucky to have one fertile female, let alone three.”

  “Will our pack be able to protect us—can we protect ourselves?” Emily asked quietly. Her stomach churned and she closed her eyes.

  “For the moment, I believe so. But we will need allies.”

  “Is there anyone else who can help besides this Juarez guy? What about Devon’s Uncle Rick in Texas?” She held her breath.

  “No, there is no one else close by. Emmett would never work alongside Rick.”

  Emily sighed. Her father hated the Harris’ with a passion. Joseph Harris, her mother’s first husband was the man who had stolen Claire’s heart. Even to this day, Emily suspected her mother still loved Joseph more than she did Emmett. Her father was opportunistic and had pounced on Claire the moment Joseph died. Devon was the bane of Emmett’s existence and he only tolerated him because of Claire. No, her father would never ask Joseph’s twin for help.

  Claire grasped Emily’s hand. “Look. There is your father and brother now. They must have chased them off. Try to get some sleep, dear.” She placed a kiss to Emily’s head and then hurried off. “I’m going to go let Maddie and Amelia know we are in the clear.”

  Emily stared out the window, watching as every last pack mate came back. Marcus caught her gaze and gave her a smile before heading back into the guesthouses.

  Everything was okay—for tonight, anyway.

  ***

  Emily blinked as the words in her novel blurred together. She’d been staring at the same page for ten minutes and had no idea what she’d read. Tossing the book to the side, she leaned back into her pillows and ran a hand through her hair. Bored, she glanced around her room, hoping to find something to occupy her time. If only she was allowed to leave the house.

  Laughter and cheering floated into her bedroom window. Her brother’s voice called out as a car roared to life. She slid out of bed and tiptoed to the window, peering out into the driveway below. Her brothers, Devon and Vincent, exchanged a few words before the pair hopped into Devon’s green Civic. It had been nearly a week since the attack, and Emmett had loosened the restrictions on leaving the property—that is, for everyone but her.

  A lump formed in her throat as a familiar mop of jet black hair came into view. Marcus! He opened the back door to the car and, just before climbing in, his eyes darted up to meet hers.

  Marcus’ eyes held her gaze for a long moment. His lips parted, and she watched intently as they moved. “I love you,” he mouthed.

  Emily smiled. “I love you too,” she whispered, gently placing her hand on the cool glass pane.

  Marcus’ head snapped to the right when Vincent asked him a question and he nodded. He gave her one last fleeting look before climbing into the backseat.

  The car reversed and the white of the headlights filtered into her room. She pulled back, concealing herself behind the curtains. The beams of light jumped across her wall before they shrank as the car retreaded into the distance.

  It must be nice to go out and enjoy life, she thought bitterly.

  A sharp knock on her door caused her to jump and squeak with surprise. “Just a minute,” she called as she padded to the door. Twisting the lock, she opened the door and swallowed. Her other brother, Daniel, stood in the threshold. “Hey,” she greeted, meeting her brother’s cool emerald eyes.

  “Dad wants to see you in his office, Em,” he explained, motioning with his hand.

  “Oh?” Her dad never requested her presence. Ever. A knot formed in her stomach, a sense of foreboding washing over her. “Why?”

  Daniel’s steely gaze faltered for a moment, his eyes darting away from hers. “Come on.”

  Emily studied her brother before nodding. If Emmett McKinley wanted an audience, denying him would only incite his rage. While she had never directly been a victim of his wrath, she knew all too well what he was capable of doing.

  “Is everything okay?” she questioned, wringing her hands together.

  “You should brace yourself, Em. You’re not going to like what you hear, and please don’t argue,” Daniel answered after a long moment.

  Emily clasped her hands together as they descended the stairs. Her mind whirled as she tried to think of what her father wanted. A sickening nausea curdled in her stomach, intensifying as they drew closer to the office. There was only one reason why her father would call her to his office. He had found her a mate.

  Daniel paused outside the door, his eyes wavering slightly, almost as if he were hesitating. He lifted his hand and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. Turning away, he opened the door and led her inside before closing the door behind them.

  “Emily, please have a seat,” her father said, not looking up from his computer screen.

  Emily cleared her throat as she made her way to the couch. She took a seat, sliding back into the stiff leather. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly, and she jammed her hands under her thighs in an effort to keep her nervousness out of her father’s eyes. Not that it really mattered; he could probably smell her unease. As werewolves, their sense of smell was heightened and they could detect an array of different emotions. Daniel, however, stood next to the armrest, his eyes on their father, staring blankly.

  Emmett continued to type on the keyboard. The soft clicking of keys filled the deafening silence. Please, let’s just get this over with already.

  After several long minutes, her father pushed away from the desk and stood up. He clasped his hands behind his back as his green eyes bored into her.

  “I’m sure your mother has talked to you about the Gulf Packs,” he started.

  Emily nodded, her heart pounded against her ribs. Oh god, he has found me a mate. She shuddered at the thought as tears pricked her eyes.

  “I have negotiated a deal and a position for us inside of the Gulf Packs. One of the conditions upon our
joining is for you to go to New Mexico where Fernando Juarez’s pack resides. He has sixteen grandsons’ that are close to your age-”

  “I can’t,” Emily interrupted. “There must be another way for this alliance to work. I can’t be mated to another wolf, I’ve already found my mate,” she said firmly, meeting her father’s gaze.

  Her father let out a booming belly laugh, and the sound made her blood boil.

  “I love Marcus!” Emily proclaimed as she shot up from the couch. “He is my mate and-”

  “You’re a twenty-one-year-old girl. You don’t know what love is. And that boy is hardly suitable for someone of your stature. He doesn’t even know how to fight for crying out loud,” her father thundered, taking a menacing step toward her. “Marcus is unfit to be your mate; he is weak and he could never protect you—or run a pack of his own.”

  “He might not be strong, but he’s smart. Where would your stocks be without him? He does everything for you.”

  “So he’s good with numbers—that doesn’t mean anything. He’s a wolf, not a human. In our world, brains gets you killed; strength allows you to live.” Her father took a step forward, his hands rising up to grip her shoulders firmly. “We need this alliance to move our pack forward, Emily. Times are changing and tensions are mounting. This agreement is not just beneficial for our pack, but important for the future of our pack. This alliance will ensure our safety from packs that wish to see us fall. You will be treated well there, like the alpha female that you are. You may very well have a pack of your own one day.”

  “I’m not an alpha,” she whispered. It was true. Although her father was the alpha of the pack, he wasn’t one by blood. He had seized the pack after the father of her eldest brother, Devon, had died and claimed her mother, a true alpha, as his mate.

  “That doesn’t matter to them, Emily. You have been raised as an alpha and shall be treated as such. You will have the opportunity to mate with alpha males.”

  “And if I refuse?” Emily asked, her voice shaking under her father’s scrutinizing gaze.

  “You won’t.”

  “I love Marcus. I don’t want-”

  “This silly affair with Marcus ends immediately. Fernando Juarez and his men will be here in two days to meet with me and get a look at you. I can’t have you smelling like another wolf,” Emmett commanded.

  “No!”

  “Are you deaf, girl?” he growled, shaking her. “I’ve given you an order and you will damn well obey it. The pack comes first, always.”

  “Over my happiness? Over my life? No,” Emily hissed through clenched teeth. Tears blurred her vision, and every hair on her body stood at attention as she challenged the alpha.

  “You’re not in a position to tell me no. Your place is to secure our pack with the safety and power that the Gulf Packs have to offer,” Emmett growled, his hands pressing down on her shoulders. “I’m not suggesting this course of action, I am telling you it is going to happen.”

  Emily grimaced under the painful grip, but held his gaze.

  “This is happening, Emily. You will obey me, or there will be consequences to pay.”

  “I’m not going,” she stated as a traitorous tear slid down her cheek and pooled on her top lip.

  Emmett grasped her arm, pulling her to him. “You will drop this charade with Marcus immediately, or the next time you see him he won’t be breathing. You will go with Fernando Juarez when the time comes, and you will breed with as many of his grandsons as he sees fit until you conceive. If you disobey me, or show any of this defiance in front of Juarez, I’ll kill Marcus myself. Slowly. Painfully. And right in front of your eyes.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Emily murmured. Her father’s gaze was murderous and she shivered, realizing that he very well might.

  “This isn’t a game. Do as you’re told,” he snarled, shoving her away.

  Her head spun as she tried to wrap her mind around the entire conversation. Not only was Marcus’ life in danger if she didn’t end things, but she was going to be forced to sleep with multiple men. Bile rose up in her throat and she gagged. I’m not doing this. He can’t be serious.

  “I’m your daughter,” she reminded him, her voice cracking ever so slightly. “How can you force me to breed? Men? Not just one, but multiple men? What is wrong with you? It’s disgusting and I won’t be degraded to some-”

  His hand flew up, striking her across the face. The impact caught her off guard, causing her to trip and fall to the floor. Pain exploded in her jaw, and a sharp pain shot through her arm as her elbow collided with the floor. Her vision blurred as she tried to push herself up, the coopery taste of blood flooding her mouth. Before she could comprehend what was happening, hot, angry hands snatched her back up to her feet. Vice-like fingers squeezed around her neck and lifted her off the floor.

  Emily gasped, attempting to catch her breath as her toes grazed against the wooden floorboards, trying to find traction. She sputtered, her arms flailing wildly before she wrapped them around Emmett’s forearm. Her father tightened his grasp. Black clouded her vision and she blinked her eyes as she dug her fingernails into his flesh.

  The alpha flung his daughter backwards with a growl and she toppled onto the couch in a heap. He loomed over her and snatched a clump of her hair in his hand, forcing her to meet his eyes.

  “This is the last time you talk back to me, Emily. End things with Marcus and be on your best behavior, or next time, it will be worse and Marcus will be dead. The pack always comes first. Don’t forget that,” he snapped. He wrenched her hair harder, his icy green eyes boring into hers before he shoved her away. “See her to her room, Daniel,” Emmett snarled, returning to his desk.

  Her eyes flew to her brother. She’d forgotten he was there. Why didn’t he do anything? Why didn’t he stop him?

  Daniel walked hurriedly to his sister, offering her his hand. She hesitated a moment before grasping onto him, allowing him to help her stand. Her body shook, and he wrapped his arm around her to support her weight. Emily wobbled unsteadily as dizziness consumed her.

  Her vision clouded and her knees buckled. Daniel caught her, sweeping her up into his arms. Whimpering, she buried her face into his shirt as he moved them quickly out of the room.

  Emily kept her face hidden, not wanting anyone to see her like this. Anger, hurt, and fear rolled through her in waves. He’d hit her. Her father had never hit her before. Ever. It hadn’t been a simple slap either; he’d beaten her. Gone out of his way to break her.

  A sob tore through her throat and she clutched Daniel’s shirt like a lifeline. This isn’t happening. It’s a nightmare. Wake up, Emily. Wake up.

  She blinked her eyes open and swallowed, pulling away from Daniel as he lay her down on her bed. Without a word, Daniel backed away and slipped out of her room, closing the door behind him.

  Emily sat up in her bed, her heart slamming against her ribs painfully. She stuck her tongue out to trace it along the outside of her mouth. The area was already puffy and tender. Slowly, she raised her hands, gingerly touching the sensitive skin. Her hand came back bloody and she inhaled a sharp breath as she stared at the crimson liquid.

  Her head shot up as her door opened and closed again. Daniel walked back in with something clutched in his hand.

  “Here,” he said. The bed creaked as he sat down next to her. Without another word, he held a cool compress to her jaw.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled, placing her hand over his.

  Daniel removed his hand and stared down at the floor. “I’m sorry. I should have better prepared you for what was going to happen,” he stated as he stood. “You should heed dad’s warning, Em. He’ll kill Marcus. He’s not bluffing.”

  “He wouldn’t,” she insisted.

  “This,” he paused, motioning with his hands to her face, “is only a glimpse of what dad can do. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt.”

  “So, I’m just supposed to go be some thing for these guys to pass around?” she asked incredulously.


  “I know it’s not ideal-”

  “Ideal?” she hissed. “It’s barbaric-”

  “Emily. What’s done is done. Don’t make it harder on yourself or Marcus than it already is.” Daniel stood up and walked to the door. “You’ll need to shift so you can heal. You should do it before anyone sees you. Let me know when you’re ready. I’ll be in my room.”

  Emily gritted her teeth as she glared at her brother. “So I can heal up and pretend this never happened?” she snapped, standing up and walking toward him.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, there has been a lot of tension in the pack recently. It’d be better if no one knew about this incident.”

  Emily swallowed. “I’ll remember it.”

  “Don’t, Em. I know-“

  “What do you know?” she spat, poking his shoulder. A shimmer of fear coursed through her when her brother balled his fists at his side. When he didn’t move she regained her courage and continued. “Normal girls my age have a life, go to school—they have friends and go to parties. I haven’t left our property in four years and one-hundred-and-ninety-two days, Daniel. Not since I started my heat cycle. I can’t even go to the mall and buy my own clothes. I have to purchase online, or pray mom picks stuff out that I’ll actually like. I don’t even know what it’s like to have a friend; I’ve never been around to have one. While you, Dev, and Vincent all got to go to public school, I was stuck here with mom in home school. It’s suffocating. I’m a prisoner.” And it’s only going to get worse, she thought.

  Heat crept across her cheeks as her anger grew. Everything she’d been keeping bottled up for so long came tumbling out. “I can’t live like this anymore. I want do things—get out and be happy. I don’t even have a friend I can talk to. I want to mate with the man I’m in love with. I want to live my life the way I choose to. Is that too much to ask?” She stopped, looking at her raised shaking fists.

  To his credit, Daniel looked away and let out a long breath. Good! She thought. He should be ashamed.

  “I know things aren’t the way you want, but following along with dad’s plan is the only thing we can do. It’s the only way to keep people from getting hurt. Or have you forgotten how close you were to being abducted three years ago?”