Fierce Awakenings

by Kristy Centeno

  Fierce Awakenings

  By Kristy Centeno

  Fierce Awakenings

  Copyright © 2014 by Kristy Centeno. All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: June 2014

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1499299212

  ISBN-10: 1499299214

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To the love of my life…

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter One

  Victoria turned to search for the owner of the familiar voice calling out her name, knowing full well he had every intention of stopping her plans for the day. Being it was a beautiful sunny day out, she had planned to shift forms and engage in a quick hike across the woodlands behind the three-story mansion she lived in. Such a beautiful day shouldn’t be wasted on roaming the halls of the grand house or being locked in her bedroom watching TV, reading an old magazine, or navigating the internet via her brand new HP laptop—something she was forced to do often thanks to her overbearing alpha father.

  Just seconds away from disappearing through the huge metal gates at the very front of her parents’ estate, she was beyond annoyed when a deep male voice ordered her to stop. Victoria knew she had been caught trying to slip away unnoticed and it irked her to realize she couldn’t even manage such a simple task without someone either demanding an explanation of her intended activities, ordering her to halt, or hauling her back inside the house where she was forced to spend most of her days. It felt like she was more of a prisoner than the only female child of the most powerful alpha in this part of the world.

  Frowning deeply, she let out an exaggerated sigh and spun around to face her unexpected guard for the day, which happened to be someone she knew all too well. Tyrone, one of the pack’s Trackers, quickly closed the gap between them as his head shook from side to side disapprovingly.

  “Yes?” she asked, a hint of irritation underlining the word.

  “Where are you going?” he asked, both hands now on his hips.

  “Out.” She pointed toward the woods.

  “Are you looking to rile up your father? You know better than to leave the compound without an escort,” he berated, though his tone was far from angered.

  “Tyrone!” she started. “I’m an adult. I don’t need my father’s permission to do as I see fit.”

  “Victoria, you’re extremely challenging sometimes,” Tyrone said congenially. “I happen to know how infuriating this situation is for you, but I advise against angering your father, today of all days. He happens to be in a very foul mood and going against his wishes will only make your situation worse.”

  Victoria fought the urge to roll her eyes. “My father is always in a foul mood. What’s the difference between today and every other day?”

  “Better for you not to find out,” he warned. His tone forced a wave of apprehension down her spine. She could tell by the haunting look in Tyrone’s eyes that something was up, which made her need to flee even more urgent.

  “You could at least give me one opportunity to escape this jail my father calls a home.” All she wanted was to leave the mansion, shift into her werewolf form, and run free for a short while. Unfortunately, that was not going to be possible now that she was caught.

  “On the rare occasions when I know your father will be too busy to notice you’re gone, I’m more than glad to put my head on a platter for you. Regrettably, allowing you to run off right now will most definitely get me killed,” he said.

  “I’m not a pup anymore, Tyrone. I’m a full grown woman now. Why can’t my father trust me to make my own decisions?”

  “Maybe so, Victoria, but you have a lot to learn yet.”

  “I know all there is to learn about life with the pack,” she assured him.

  “I don’t think so. Besides, I came to find you for one very important reason.”

  “And that is?”

  “Your father wishes to speak with you,” he declared.

  “About what?”

  “It’s not for me to say.” Tyrone’s somber expression was enough for her to know the matter to be discussed was a serious one.

  “I won’t like it, will I?”

  “I’ve known you long enough to know that you won’t like it much. But before you protest, listen to your father,” he stated simply. “He has good reasons to ask of you what he will.”

  “All right.” What else was there for her to do? She had no choice but to see where this would lead. It wasn’t often her father asked to speak to her, and whenever she was summoned there was something important to discuss, which usually concerned the pack.

  Unsure, yet, curious to know what was going on, she kept pace next to Tyrone as he started for the main house.

  ***

  Victoria suspected that whatever her father was going to convey to her was something she would most certainly hate. Tyrone was a longtime pack member who was nearly as old as her father and if he believed she would dislike the nature of the discussion about to take place then she had no reason to suppose it would be untrue. He knew her well enough to know how she would react to certain situations. Tyrone was, after all, more of a father to her than her own blood father.

  Each pack member had their duties within the pack. Tyrone and his wife Sasha protected the offspring of the alpha and his mate. As the second oldest couple next to the alpha and his lifelong mate, Tyrone and his wife had been in charge of protecting both Victoria and her older brother Darius from the moment they were born. There was no other pack member Victoria trusted more than her adoptive parents and her best friend, Danero.

  Although Danero had not been born within the Bonvalet pack, he was integrated once he proved he was more than worthy to belong in such a huge society. Having never belonged to an actual pack, Danero had a hard time adjusting to what such a large social order demanded of him as a Tracker, but his skills and experience allowed for him to conform fairly quickly. Whe
n he was proven to be a valuable asset to the Bonvalet community, her father had assigned him as head trainer, which satisfied his need for a scuffle from time to time by manhandling the less experienced betas.

  Life as a werewolf was simple. Being the alpha’s only daughter had its perks. Unfortunately, it was also a very boring life. Her father was overbearing and overprotective, much like her mother. Since her father was born a little over four hundred years ago, he was well set in his ways. He dictated the pack and his children just as his father had in the past. Victoria found this quite annoying considering they lived in the twenty-first century. Why should she have to live with guards watching her every move? She was strictly prohibited to go anywhere unescorted, and what irked her the most was the fact that her father insisted she ask for permission in order to leave the grounds.

  Trying to get her father to see the disadvantages of living such a lifestyle was easier said than done. He refused to see things her way, and prohibited her from bringing up the subject again. Unable to sway her dear father to change some of his rulings, she then turned to her mother, hoping she would help, but Victoria found that the alpha matron was just as stuck to the old ways as her mate. Realizing there was no way she could ever sway either parent to think differently, she simply gave up trying. There really was no point in arguing if there was no hope of a change.

  Continuing to follow Tyrone through the long corridor that led toward the dining room, Victoria tried her best to stomp down her growing anxiety. Every step she took gave her the impression of being taken to some sort of punishment. In the old days, any beta that defied the alpha for any reason was severely punished, and although the action was seldom practiced now, she felt as if she was about to be penalized for something.

  The closer she got to the door, the more her heart raced. Apprehension made her knot her fingers into tights fists. There was nothing she wanted to do more than run in the opposite direction, hoping everyone would forget about her. However, aside from knowing she wouldn’t get far, she also comprehended that she needed to hear what her father wanted to talk to her about.

  The narrow corridor ahead seemed to stretch forever, and the sense of impending doom grew with every step she took. It didn’t help that the mahogany walls were so dark and devoid of color. Whatever color present came from the family portraits. Most of them were paintings that portrayed one or more important leaders from the Bonvalet pack. Whether alpha, Tracker, or matron, it mattered little. Each had contributed great leadership and they had been honored with a painting, which was passed down from generation to generation along with the story behind the face.

  Victoria knew most of them, but as far as calling them great leaders she had yet to agree with her father’s opinion.

  She looked for some form of distraction—anything that would momentarily shift all the ill feelings she carried with her. Victoria focused her gaze on the familiar genetic traits of her long bloodline. The red hair, green eyes, high cheekbones. It was the only resemblance she could find. Perhaps, if she considered it long enough, she could associate her spirited behavior to her great-great-great aunt Matilde.

  The matron had been, in Victoria’s opinion, a true leader. She had been an alpha, strong and defiant, even with a mate. When it came to stepping down, she had refused to do so. As a result, upon her mate’s death, she had gladly stepped up as alpha, and as far as Victoria was aware, Matilde had been a great leader, better even than her mate had been.

  As far as admiration went, Victoria supposed she felt some of it when it came to Matilde. But the difference between them was great. Matilde was outspoken, more so than Victoria, and a lot more defiant. Braver too, perhaps.

  Victoria was a follower. Weak. Unsure of herself. Too afraid of her father to do little more than throw a few tantrums every now and again. It said little about her true character, but what else could she do?

  Frustrated with her own description of herself, Victoria snatched her gaze from the paintings and focused it forward instead. As they reached the end of the hallway, he reached for the doorknob but paused before turning it.

  “Remember, Victoria, listen carefully first. What your father has to say is important.”

  “I’m not sure of what to make of this, but I’ll listen.” If only because she had no choice.

  Nodding, he stepped to the side before swinging the door open.

  “Go on, your father is waiting.” He ushered her inside and closed the door behind her.

  Victoria hesitated over by the doorway as she turned to peek into the room. Her father, mother, and pack elders were all seated and watching her as she carefully stepped forward. It took a lot of effort for her not to bolt out of the room like she wanted to do. The looks she got from the others made her skin break out in goose bumps. Something was going on and she was pretty sure by this point it had everything to do with her.

  Taking several unhurried steps forward, she slowly made her way to the large glass table reserved for special occasions only. The fact that her parents were gathered in the dining room, which was only used during a celebration or on the rare occasions they were visited by another pack, made Victoria very uneasy.

  “Sit, Victoria,” Victor Bonvalet, the pack’s alpha and her father, ordered softly as he gestured toward the empty chair next to his lifelong mate.

  Noting the tension in the room, which she assumed had everything to do with the pending conversation, Victoria hastily took the seat offered to her and waited in silence for her father to speak.

  “We’re gathered here this morning for one very important reason.”

  “So I’ve been told,” she said. “What does that have to do with me?”

  “Well, as you know, our species is on the fast path to becoming extinct.”

  Victoria nodded. It wasn’t a secret that the werewolf population was declining worldwide. What she wanted to know was what exactly did that have to do with her?

  “With our numbers declining as they are, our kind is in serious peril.”

  She knew all this information by heart already. Ever since she was old enough to remember, the pack elders had been conveying this unfortunate news to every clan in and out of their territory.

  “In order to repopulate the species, we have found that combining the strongest of bloodlines helps the chances of both conceiving and birthing were-children that are strong and resilient. Therefore we—” he pointed to the elders and then to himself “—have decided that it is best to mate you with one of the strongest alphas there is.”

  Of all the things she was expecting to hear, this one was the last on the list.

  “You plan to mate me? As in, I’m expected to mate? Soon?”

  “That’s exactly what I mean,” he assured her.

  Victoria couldn’t believe what she had just heard. “But…I’m not ready,” she whispered.

  “Nonsense, you’ve grown into maturity and therefore are able to take a mate.”

  “But I don’t even know this alpha,” she protested.

  “You’ll have plenty of time to get to know him,” her father persisted. “A lifetime, actually.” It was his lame attempt at a joke, but she did not find his humor the least bit funny.

  “Do you realize what you’re asking of me?” Victoria’s gaze studied her father intently, trying to determine if there was any way she could actually sway his decision, but deep down, she knew he would not budge.

  “Yes, I am aware. But we’re in dire need of strengthening our bloodlines before we become extinct,” he started. “It’s our job to maintain our lifeline.”

  “But…why does it have to be me?” she tried again, realizing immediately how foolish she sounded, but indifferent to the fact that she might sound like a whiny teenager instead of the adult she proclaimed to be.

  “Your brother has already taken a mate,” he argued. “And you’re daughter of an alpha; therefore your blood is powerful and pure.”

  Victoria glanced around the room in hopes of finding an ally. By t
he serious expressions on everyone else’s faces, she knew she had none.

  “Why would you decide this without even consulting me?”

  “What is there to consult? You’re my daughter. I expect you to obey just like every other member of this pack does.”

  Victoria shook her head angrily. “Because I’m your daughter I expect to be treated with more respect than this!” Her voice shook as she raised it enough so she could be heard. “I’m not just a member of the pack, I’m your daughter!” she spat indignantly.

  “Victoria,” her mother started. “This is for the better of the species.”

  “But Mother, I don’t want to be mated to an alpha I don’t know.”

  “You care only about yourself, then?” one of the elders said. “Can you not see how precarious our situation has become?”

  Victoria cared about their species dying out but she didn’t care much for being mated against her will. “Yes I do, wise one. But you have to understand, this isn’t something that’s easy for me to digest.”

  “It is you that should understand. Werewolves are dying out and packs all over the world have begun to take the same precautionary measures as we have decided to do. It’s vital and very important for strong bloodlines to come together and procreate,” the elder explained.

  “Besides, the alpha we have chosen for you is young and handsome and he is a descendant of one of the strongest bloodlines there is,” her mother added with an enthusiastic smile. “You’ll have no better mate.”

  “He’ll be here in two weeks and you’ll be mated then,” her father stated.

  Two weeks? So soon? But of course, there was no room for courtship in the werewolf world. The mating took place and only after that happened was there room for any wooing. Things were going from bad to worse, and adding to her turmoil was the fact that she knew she had no choice in the matter.

  “What’s his name?” Maybe she had heard of him. Maybe, if she was really lucky, she would be mated to an alpha she had heard nothing but good things about.