Chapter 1

"Are you serious?" I stared, horrified, at my mother. My lean and curvy mother.

"Yes, I am quite serious, Lilly." My mother continued to open trunks I was told wouldn't be open until my wedding. "Now get out. Most of this is for your husband's eyes only."

I stood up and walked out of her room and crossed the long hallway into my room, slamming the door behind me. The canopy bed had curtains of soft blue falling down to the blue and silver bedding. I threw myself onto my bed, taking in the only human-looking room in the house. I spotted my reflection in the mirror of my vanity and picked up a dark blue pillow and threw it.

Of course, my room was the only human-looking room in the ridiculously oversized house. I was the only human in the house. The mirror distorted my reflection, and I looked away, trying to keep my tears from falling. The last thing I needed was for my younger brother to scent my grief and saunter in like he owned the place.

I sighed. Who was I kidding? This place, the title, and everything else were going to be his. He was going to be the next Alpha. He is what I was supposed to be. Imagine my mother and father's surprise when realized they had a full human daughter.

I stared up at the ceiling. Genetically I was rarely, if you had two werewolf parents, and the gene is dominant, it's only a small percent that the baby would have the recessive human gene. But I did, which meant for an average werewolf household embarrassment, and the hopes that someone will adopt the human quickly. At least that is what I would assume would happen. To be honest, I have never heard about another human born to a werewolf family, but who knows?

However, for my family, who held royal blood, and with it, royal power, for my family, it brought embarrassment and shame. How could a royal Werewolf family with such strong lines have a human daughter?

I took deep breaths, trying to keep the tears back. Because of who my family is, they couldn't just dump me off at the nearest European orphanage. Nope, because it just so happens when the great Laine bloodline has a child, that child is married off right in the womb.

Imagine how thrilled my family was when they discovered the ruling Werewolf family had just had a son and was still trying to find an appropriate match for him, and my mother was carrying a daughter. Parties were thrown, engagements were made, bonds were formed, blood oaths were voiced, and I ended up engaged.

Then out came I came, and down went my family. At least that's how my brother tells it, anyway. My mother, being a kind-hearted creature, says that the royal family still saw potential in the marriage between Dimitri, their precious prince, and me, the embarrassment of wolfdom.

However, other families with halfbreed children would have their slightly stronger pups start attacking me. I almost died three times before I was even eight. My father was forced to swallow his pride and take me away from Europe for my safety and my entire family's safety.

Thus exchanging a couple of hundred-year-old castles for a brand new mansion built in the wilds of Idaho. That's right, Idaho, where else can a future human princess to the Werewolves be kept safe except in the only place where running water still hasn't been discovered yet. Yup, Idaho.

I'm exaggerating the running water, but not by much. I looked out my windows and to see nothing but farmland as far as the eye could see. It's depressing, but it's home. At least to me, it's home, to the rest of my family. It's beyond depressing.

Finally, the tears fell, and I groaned as my bedroom door opened, as expected, and my 18-year-old brother sauntered into the room, smirking at me.

"Get out Lucian."

"Oh ho, little human Lilly crying in her little bitty bed?" I glared at the frustrating brat. He was the perfect specimen of Werewolf kind, with midnight hair, vibrant honey eyes, tanned skin, and strong features. He could eat his weight in fine beef and then some. He was a solid 290 pounds of lean muscle. Utterly any melting if not for his toxic personality.

I had long, chestnut hair, that had naturally soft, bouncy curls. I was also full-figured. Lush curves, full hips, full bust, a perfectly human hourglass figure. My eyes were chocolate. And I was a honey-kissed tan.

I narrowed my eyes. "You aren't a full Werewolf either brat."

He shrugged. "So, I can shift and you can't. Can you? Itty bitty Lilly''

I stood up and stalked toward him and I was satisfied to see panic flash across his face before he bolted out the door. I snorted in satisfaction. He knew better than to mess with me too much. I might be human. But I wasn't to be messed with. I slammed the door again. But it was short-lived as I heard my door open and felt the ice-cold presence of my father stalk into my room,

"Lilly."

I looked up at him and saw a frown on his sharp features.

"What?" I asked.

His back straightened even more and his eyes narrowed. "Your mother is ready to speak with you."

I nodded, looking down. I knew my father disliked me. Who wouldn't? my entrance into the world single-handedly ruined his reputation and took away everything from him, including his home. I walked silently through the dark halls and back into the black and red room my parents occupied.

My mother closed the last of the luggage and I gawked at them. "Wait, what is going on?"

My father stood next to my mother, giving me an icy stare. "You are going to France to meet up with your aunt. From there you will go by train to the Palace of your future husband."

My knees buckled under my weight and I collapsed hard onto the floor, landing hard on my soft ass, "But I'm not supposed to marry him until I'm nineteen. That's still six months away."

Mother looked up at my father in what could only be described as nervousness, which, for her to actually show, must mean something terrible. I waited, staring miserably at them, and finally, my mother turned to me and sat down on the edge of her bed. "There's no point putting it off. You can get used to your new husband before the mating ritual."

I looked up at her, fear stealing my breath. "I don't understand. I know I'm an embarrassment, but I thought that the mating was canceled because of what I am."

My mother shook her head, "No darling, the agreement was made in blood, and there is nothing that can be done. It will be hard and might even be deadly for you. That's why we came here, why we gave up so much for you to have a happy life until now."

I felt tears spill down my face and looked up to my father, who was looking away in disgust. I looked back down ashamed, "I thought...I had plans, college, a future..."

Both my parents shook their heads. "No Lilly, you leave for Paris tonight. Isadora, your aunt, will meet you there, and then you will have to go shopping."

"Why?" Of all the stupid things, the last thing on my mind was shopping, but the look on my mother's face silenced me.

"You have nothing appropriate to wear. We've been remiss in buying appropriate clothes for court."

"What about the trunks? Weren't they supposed to be full of clothes?"

She looked away for a moment. I could see the disappointment on her face. "Yes, well, I had expected to have a daughter more like me."

Translation. She expected to have a Werewolf daughter with a tall, lean form like her. Instead, she got a plump human daughter with too many curves. I hunched down a bit, realizing that I had to get an entirely new wardrobe. I hated shopping and elaborate dresses. Simple skirts and jeans were my favorites. I couldn't stand ruffles.

"Enough coddling Esmeralda, let's go already." My father said imperiously.

My mother nodded and touched my soft hair before pulling me to my feet and kissing me goodbye.

In her own way, my mother loved me. Her love would forever be tinged with the embarrassment of my birth. Despite that, out of the entire pack and my immediate family, she treated me the best.

I knew if he had a choice, she would have let me live out my life in human society. Humans and werewolves lived in peace these days. I could have gone to a human college and then gotten a human job. Maybe a human husband.

Now I was going to be mated to Dimitri Grayson. He was infamous for being a cold, ruthless ruler. He was a fair king and wasn't cruel. But his disdain for women was legendary. He took many lovers, but the word was he never showed them any affection.

He treated his lovers like playthings and discarded them just as easily. I was to be his mate, bound to him till the end of my days. I could always throw myself onto the tracks and let the train run me over. That might be the best option for me.

I felt my father's icy touch as he gripped my upper arm and escorted me out of their room and outside to the waiting town car.