I was excited that I had been able to attend the gathering at the Monarchs home. My best friend had taken me as her plus one since she was in the midst of an arranged mating to one of the captains in the guard. Isabel had lost her mate at a young age because he had a weak constitution, which sometimes happened for pure bloods. The body would be to weak to contain the power of the wolf inside and after the first shift their body would begin to break down. Luckily Isabel had never formed a true bond with the boy and though she mourned his loss would be able to have a full life with someone else.

"Isn't this place spectacular Val?" Isabel questions me as we follow the others toward the entrance. I let my eyes roam over the beautiful surroundings of the large plantation home, whose large pillars stretched towards the heavens. It looked how I imagined a home for gods might look. I smiled brightly, "It is probably the biggest house I've ever seen." Isabel let out a soft laugh and pulled me closer linking her arm with mine.The house was flooded with people and I was happy that Isabel kept me close to her or else I probably would have gotten lost in the crowd.

"Oh, there he is." Isabel proclaimed with excitement pulling me quickly behind her as she weaved us through the crowd. I apologize as we bumped into people trying to keep my cheeks from showing my embarrassment at my friends unruly behavior. Finally there seem to be a break in the crowd and I sighed with relief.

"Issy!" A deep voice called out and I looked up to see a tall man moving towards us. He had a kind smile on his lips and his blonde hair was quaffed perfectly to the side. Isabel let go of me and moved towards him, practically running. He caught her as she leapt at him, giggling as he spun her around. I couldn't help but smile at the couple who seemed to not care that other people were around them, witnessing there little show. He placed her down gently before looking over towards me still wearing a big smile, "And this must be your friend—the one you were telling me about."

Isabel looked to me apologetically as if she'd forgotten I was there for a moment, "Oh I'm sorry! How rude of me?" She stepped back from the young captain and moved towards me, "This is my best friend in the entire world—Valerie Sinclair."

The captain bowed, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you miss Sinclair. You wouldn't happen to be the daughter of Robert Sinclair?" He asked as he met my gaze again. I felt my wolf bristle up at the question but I pushed the feeling down, "That would I be." I say with a tight smile. My father was well known in the pure blood world for being the greatest shield the monarch ever had. Lot of good that fame did him now that he was six feet under, leaving his family practically destitute. People acted as though being a shield was a great privilege but to me it seemed rather like a death sentence.

"Captain Nichols!" A deep voice broke through my thoughts. I turned my face to see a young male moving towards us with a serious expression. He carried himself with an air of superiority and I wonder if he was one of the monarchs sons. The captain turned toward the voice, "Ah, good evening Barrett—" Though he sounded friendly I could hear the a slight change in it.

Barrett looked from the captain to Isabel before focusing his dark gaze on me. His steps seemed to falter a bit and I looked away from him quickly feeling my face heat with embarrassment. I focused on my feet which were starting to hurt from the heels I was wearing.

"What brings you out tonight? If I remember correctly you aren't one for partying, it's a waste of time." Captain Nichols teased. I heard Isabel let out a small giggle but I remained completely interested on the ground. Barrett cleared his throat, "Well, I came to talk business but now that I'm here I realize it's not that important." I can feel the heat of his gaze on me but I am to nervous to look up.

"Barrett, have you ever had the pleasure of meeting Robert Sinclair's daughter?" Nichols asks and I clench my teeth together tightly.

"I don't believe I have—" His voice sounds almost amused. Isabel gives me a light elbow to the ribs and I lift my gaze towards her. She motions her head toward Barrett trying but failing to be subtle. I turn my eyes towards him, "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you..." I say softly as my eyes meet his. A phantom smile seemed to form on his lips. He reaches out and grabs my hand surprising me, "The pleasure is all mine miss Sinclair. I can assure you." My heart raced in my chest but I wasn't sure if it was from excitement or fear--something about his gaze seemed full of promises.

After meeting Barrett my whole life seemed to change quickly. Isabel made sure to bring me with her to visit the captain as much as she was able so that Barrett could see me. I enjoyed the time that I got to spend with him. He was a kind person though he was a bit serious at times—it was like having a brother but sometimes I would catch him looking at me very unlike a brother. In those moments the fear would creep back in, we weren't mates but I could tell he wanted me even if he didn't push it. Several months after meeting Barrett was promoted to the title of Gamma prime, that was a big deal for him and I was happy he'd gotten the title.

"Congratulations!" I clinked my champagne glass against his lightly shooting him with a friendly smile. I tilted the glass back to my lips and took a small sip as Barrett seemed to study my face as if he was deep in thought. Still smiling, "A penny for your thoughts?" I questioned him teasingly.

His eyes glanced to my lips momentarily before meeting my gaze, "Valerie, these past few months have been great. By now I'm sure you know that I desire you—how could you not?" I felt my smile falter a bit and I lowered my glass, focusing my attention completely on him. Barrett eased himself closer to me, reaching out and removing the drink from my hand setting it down neatly beside us. I swallowed hard as my nerves skyrocketed at the sudden change of our conversation.

"Barrett, I don't—" He presses a finger to my lips silencing me. He pulls his hand away from my face and stares at me like I am some kind of dream come to life, "I want to mate you Valerie."

"But were aren't mates." I say quickly.

"Many people don't mate with there actual mates anymore—plus whose to say your mate is even alive. I am here and I am offering you a life of happiness with me, is that such a terrible thing?"

"Barrett—" I am once again silenced but this time by his lips crushing against mine. My eyes widen in surprise and I push my hands against him in hopes of freeing myself but he only reaches out grips my shoulders. I let out a growl of frustration before biting his lip. He pulls back quickly with a yelp of surprise.

I raise my hand and follow up my bite with a slap to his face, which further surprises him. I pull myself up from where I was seated, "I'm sorry if I made you believe I wanted something I didn't—You are my friend and I do care about you. But I am not your mate Barrett and I will never be your mate."

I watched as anger rushed through him and his expression hardened into a look of stone. His muscles tensed up and he raised a hand and point it at me, "Mark my words Valerie—If I can't have you than nobody can." He marched out of the room leaving me in fear of the promises I had seen in his eyes before he'd turned from me.

I lived in fear for a while but eventually I figured that Barrett had gotten over his infatuation with me and came to realize that I had been right in declining his offer to mate with me. I should have known better than to live in my own ignorance. Months later I was summoned to the monarchs home. I was escorted by several captains one of them being captain Nichols. They took me into a small room where I soon found my self surrounded by members of the royal family and the monarch himself.

I stood in the center of the room in shock. I quickly focused my eyes on the floor anxious over what could possibly have me in this situation.

"Valerie Sinclair?" A deep voice boomed through the silence in the room. I flinched back and swallowed hard, "Yes..." I replied my voice barely audible.

"Your father was a great man. He saved my life once—" He said flippantly as if he hardly cared at all. I bit my cheek hard before responding, "I never really knew him. He died when I was very young but I am glad he could honor the pack but giving his life in service to the you." I lied. I didn't believe a word of what I had said but I knew that it was important that the people in this room believe I did.

"I'm glad you feel that way miss Sinclair, because I'm going to ask you to carry on your families honor." His words had my heart freezing to stone in my chest. I looked up quickly in surprise to find him smiling at me though his smile had no warmth to it. Behind him Barrett stood staring at me with a phantom of a grin on his lips. I knew now that this was his doing—his idea—a way of keeping his promise to me.

"I don't understand what you mean sir..." I wanted to not understand. I wanted to believe that perhaps his words meant something different then what I believed them to mean. The monarch turned in his chair slightly and motioned toward a boy near the front of the room who stood apart from the others. His hair was so blonde that it was almost white and his eyes blazed like green fire.

The boy looked at though he might be about the same age as me, probably in his late teens. However there was something about him that sent my wolf recoiling. There was a darkness about his aura that frightened me. The monarch smiled at the boy as if he were his most prize possession, "This is my youngest son Silver and I want you to be his shield."

"Sir, I don't know the first thing about being a shield—perhaps someone else would be more worthy of the honor." I suggest anxiously.

"Nonsense! Your father was the best shield this pack has ever seen and the Gamma prime also believes you are the best candidate. This is a great honor—Silver is very special."

There was no way to escape this—I couldn't deny the monarch or I might insult him. I bowed my head deeply, holding back my own tears, "Thank you for such an honor." My voice wavered.

"Wonderful!" A loud clap echoed through the room, "Let the binding ceremony commence."

My head snapped back up and my eyes widened in surprise, "Already—but I haven't been trained..."

"You can be trained after—" He waved a hand dismissively and motioned for me to approach them. I felt like my feet were made of lead as I dragged my body forward toward my fate. I made sure to keep my eyes from Barrett because I was liable to shift and try to kill him. I stopped when I stood several feet from them, my heart slamming against my chest.

I slowly turned my eyes towards Silver and he was looking at me with a fierce expression. His father handed him a knife, "You know the deal—" Silver grabbed the knife and sliced his palm without a second though. He held his hand out towards me, "Drink." He commands in a deep voice I was expecting. I remain frozen for a moment before I hesitantly reach out and grab onto his hand afraid at any moment he'll lash out and stab me with the knife. I brought the bloody hand to my mouth and felt my mind screaming in protest the whole time—once I drank his blood that would be it—no going back.

I glance quickly to Barrett who was watching the scene intently as if waiting for me to back out and come crying to him for forgiveness. In one last act of defiance I looked away and licked the open wound, drawing his blood into my body. I felt the connection form almost immediately and I cringed back as foreign feelings rushed through me. I could feel the hunger for violence in my mind as if it was my own and the stinging pain in my hand as if I had been cut. As I stared down at my untouched hand, I realized that the connection truly was meant to be a death sentence. Barrett was hoping this would kill me in the end.

"Welcome to the family miss Sinclair!" The monarchs voice boomed in the room.

I spent the next year training hard to be Silvers shield and I made sure to work hard because I didn't want to get myself killed if I had a choice in the matter. Silver wasn't a bad guy though he did have a tendency to get himself into trouble. He had ideas about the future and bringing all the wolves—pure bloods and not back together again. His brothers didn't fancy his beliefs and I knew given the chance they would kill him. He must have understood that well too because he decided he was going to leave the pack. As his shield my only choice was to follow him wherever he went—and honestly I was more than happy to leave. To forget the man who had done everything in his power to destroy me.

I was following Silver out towards the trees making sure to keep watch that no one had followed us. When I heard the sound of a twig snapping in the distance my body froze. I spun around quickly, "Hurry get out of here! I'll catch up to you!" I hissed at him. Silver took off without needing to be told twice. I let out a growl when a familiar face walked into view, "Running off?" Barrett asked causally.

"Why does it matter to you?" I snap, my body tensing ready to attack if he tried anything. He shrugged his shoulder before he moved closer to me with a dark look in his eyes. He was standing close enough that I breathed our chest might touch. I watched him lift a hand out toward me and I growl at him in a warning but it didn't put him off. He grabbed a piece of my hair letting it slip slowly from his hand before he met my gaze, "I hope that you the next time I see you that your dead." He said in a gentle almost loving voice.

I took a step back away from him knowing he wasn't going to stop me from leaving, "You better hope I am because If I see you again and I am still alive—I'll kill you." I promised before I turned away from him and ran off into the night. Planning on putting as much distance as possible between me and my past.

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Song: 'Star Spangled'- Remmi