Chapter 9

She awoke late the next day, her father having let her sleep in and miss her chores given the incredible events of the night before. And she wasn't just talking about the fact that she could now shift like the others. Nathan had asked her to marry him! She would be his wife. As if thinking of him had conjured him, she heard a tapping at her window.

She flung back her covers and went to the window in only a T-shirt and underwear. Modesty seemed stupid given their lovemaking. Not to mention her sudden change back into human shape, in all its naked glory, to an audience of several. Her blushes had at least kept her hot until someone gave her a shirt to drape herself in. Even more warming were Nathan's glares at those who openly leered. Who said jealousy wasn't attractive?

She unlocked her window and slid it open so her fiancŽ-she giggled in her head at that title-could come in.

He grinned widely at her as he enveloped her in a hug that made her squeak. She squealed as he twirled her around. Then she got a look at his face.

"What happened to you?" she gasped.

Both of his eyes were swollen and purple, and his lips puffed up. She pushed back and tugged at his shirt. He didn't fight her as she lifted it and saw the bruises that peppered his skin. "Oh, Nathan," she wailed, her eyes filling with tears.

"I had a disagreement with my dad. Don't worry. It's already mostly healed."

She sucked in a breath, horrified that this was what he considered better. How badly had his dad hurt him and why? "But-"

He didn't let her finish her question, kissing her breathless instead. "Forget about me. How do you feel?" he asked.

How like him to be more concerned about her. She moved back into the circle of his arms and leaned her head on his chest. "It feels like last night was a really weird but wonderful dream." One she'd treasure forever.

"It was real. Are you excited you've found your wolf?"

"I'm most excited by the fact I'm going to be your wife," she answered honestly, peering up at him as she twined her fingers through the hair that curled at his nape.

A shadow crossed his face. "Me too. You'll be glad to know we've actually got permission from both of our parents to go ahead. And don't worry, my dad and yours promised we'd have plenty of time between now and the first baby for us to enjoy each other."

Her brow creased with confusion. "Of course we will. Besides, silly, having a baby doesn't mean the fun stops. After all, we'll need to have lots of fun to make that big family we talked about." The mention of babies elated her. Now that she'd come into her heritage, she could have pups of her own instead of envying those around her.

His jaw tightened. "Of course we'll still have fun together. It'll just be an adjustment sharing you. I'd kind of gotten used to the idea of having you all to myself."

Dana froze and searched his face for a hint she'd misunderstood. "Excuse me? What do you mean share me? You told me last night it would be just you and me. You know that's what I want."

"But that was before your wolf found you. I know this is hard. I had it out with my dad over it, but as he reminded me, the well-being of the pack comes before that of the individual. And you know as well as I do that because full Lycan females are rare they are to be shared. At least your father and mine agreed to wait to add others until after we've conceived our first pup." A common practice as was genetic testing to track bloodlines and prevent inbreeding.

"How decent of you all to make that decision for me," she replied sarcastically.

"Dana, it's for the best."

"He beat you into agreeing to this, didn't he?" His bruises now made so much sense.

Nathan shrugged. "I'll admit I wasn't too keen on the idea at first. But Dad has a point, and your dad also made it a condition of his agreeing to our marriage. I'll take sharing you against your dad giving you to someone else any day."

Dana pushed out of his arms, aghast at his nonchalant attitude. She clung tightly to her anger to hide the breaking of her heart. "But you said it would be just you and me. You promised." She hated how pitiful she sounded. She hated even more that he didn't seem to care.

"It'll still be us, most of the time. And your dad says if I don't fight it, I'll get a vote when it comes to choosing the others. I'll make sure it's guys you'll like, like my best friend, John. You'll see. It won't be so bad."

Dana snapped, "Yes, it will be. It's not you who's got to whore himself out. I won't do it, and if you loved me, you wouldn't make me."

"I don't have a choice," he shouted back.

"Yes, you do. We could run away. Just you and me. Build a life together, away from the pack and its stupid laws." She gave him a chance. A chance to redeem himself. To prove his love to her.

"I can't do that. Where would we go? How would we live? And besides, you know I'm in line for the alpha position when my dad gets too old."

"So you're choosing the pack over me?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"No, I'm choosing both of you."

Dana shook her head. "No, you aren't. If you truly loved me, you wouldn't ask me to do this. Not knowing how much I hate the thought. Get out."

"Aw, come on, don't be like this, baby. You know I love you. I don't have a choice. It's pack law."

"Fuck you, and fuck the pack laws. Get out! Get out! Get out!" She punctuated her screams with the throwing of objects that she picked up randomly off her dresser.

Nathan stared at her in shock, letting the missiles bounce off him. "But I love you. Please, Dana, don't be like this."

"No, you don't love me," she wailed. "Get out. Please, just go." She collapsed to the floor, sobbing, unable to face his calm betrayal of what she'd thought was something pure. Something for them alone. Something special.

She heard a rustle, and she half expected to feel his hands on her, comforting her. Instead, she heard him say, "You'll get over it in time. You'll see once we're married and the babes start coming. It won't be so bad."

But she knew better. She'd watched it with her own mother. The smiles when it was just them and her dad. The stony face when the others came to claim their turn. The tears. The numerous miscarriages. And finally her death in childbirth.

Dana knew she was biased, given her mother's hysterics over being shared. She knew not all the women felt that way. Some even lived in perfect harmony with their numerous males, popping out babies. But all the happy ones in the world couldn't excuse those who had to be led in tears and drawn faces to do their duty for the pack.

Not me. I won't be shared. Her decision, while fine and dandy, though, didn't mean she'd get a say. She could beg, plead, and cry all she wanted. She already knew her father wouldn't listen. They'd give her no choice.

So she ran. With only the clothes on her back and the money she'd saved babysitting, she escaped the only life and family she'd known and exchanged it for a hard life.