by Sam Crescent
Evernight Publishing
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2013 Sam Crescent and Jenika Snow
ISBN: 978-1-77130-508-2
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION FROM SAM CRESCENT:
This is to Jenika Snow for taking a chance and working with me. She's an amazing author and working with her has been a dream come true. I hope this is the first book of many. Also, to Evernight Publishing, without them this story wouldn't have a home. Thank you so much to your continued support.
DEDICATION FROM JENIKA SNOW:
First I'd like to thank Evernight Publishing for everything they have done to make the writing process flawless throughout the way. I'd like to send a big thank you to the incredibly talented Sam Crescent, my witting buddy, for brainstorming with me on this story. It's been a great journey, and one I hope to take with you again!
TAKEN BY HER MATE
Northern Silver Pack, 1
Sam Crescent and Jenika Snow
Copyright © 2013
Prologue
Summer, six years ago
Shaun bounced in the back of the truck. His father was driving way too slow, and it had been two whole weeks since he’d last seen Addie.
“Come on, Dad, hurry up.” His father was at the Northern Mountains for pack business while Shaun was here to be with his friend and the girl he’d fallen in love with. She was only fifteen and would soon be sixteen, but he loved her. Shaun was three years older than she. There was no other girl or woman for him, and Shaun would wait for her until she was twenty-one.
Their wolf packs had laws that the females were not mated until they were twenty-one. Addie would remain a virgin until then. He hadn’t slept with another woman. Shaun was saving himself for his mate.
“We’ll be there soon, Shaun. Stop jumping in the truck. You’re my son, not a fucking child,” Edward said.
He paused and smiled at his dad. “Sorry, I promised Addie I’d see her soon.”
Edward let out a sigh. “Maybe you shouldn’t devote your life to Addie. I think it’s time you find new friends.”
“Not happening, Dad. Addie is … important to me.” Shaun wasn’t ready to admit the truth to his parent even though his dad probably knew it. Addie was the one. He felt it deep inside his core, and his wolf agreed with him.
They pulled up outside of Addie’s house. Her father, Steven Caldwell, was waiting. Steven smiled at him.
“Hi, Mr. Caldwell. Where’s Addie?” Shaun asked, jumping out of the truck. The smile on the older man’s face slipped.
“Shaun and Addie, sitting in the tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G—” Before Jackson got the chance to finish his taunt Shaun charged at him. He had the other male pinned underneath him.
“You promised.” He growled the words so only Jackson would hear.
“And I’m not saying a word. This is fun, little alpha.”
Shaun let the other guy go. He turned back to Steven.
“She’s with Brendan down by the lake.”
Shaun nodded, said his goodbyes, and made his way toward the edge of the lake. Shaun hated Brendan. The other wolf had an evil streak that terrified him. The way he attacked Addie, Shaun saw the intention in Brendan’s face to hurt her. The other members in Addie’s pack only saw the attacks as teasing. He’d seen Brendan covering up his abuse as a disguise as being pranks on a friend. Shaun didn’t see the pranks or the teasing. He saw a bully. No matter how many times he tried to appeal to Addie’s father and even Brendan’s, they pushed his concerns aside. Brendan could be a real suck-up when he needed to be. Also, he did most of the worst attacks when no one else was around. Whenever he was around, Shaun had taken to looking after her.
If Brendan ever hurt his Addie, Shaun would fucking kill him dead. At the sound of a female cry, Shaun paused.
“Let me go. You’re hurting me,” Addie said, crying.
“Your white knight’s not here to stop me. I can do whatever I want.” Brendan’s taunt echoed on the air.
Anger unlike anything he’d ever felt shot up Shaun’s spine. Closing his eyes, he sniffed the air. The instant he honed his senses on Addie’s scent, he charged in that direction. Without hesitation, he shot in the direction.
“Stop being a dick,” Addie said.
“Dick? I can show you what a dick is. Shaun will never know.”
“Leave me alone, you bully.”
A struggle sounded followed by Addie’s tight scream.
Shaun saw them through the thick set of trees. Brendan was on top of Addie trying to tear her clothes from her body. There were bruises on her arm, and Brendan was tugging on her hair.
Roaring, Shaun jumped, kicking Brendan off Addie. The other guy went flying. Shaun didn’t give himself time to assess the damage to Addie. He pinned Brendan to the ground refusing to give up.
Brendan tried to pull out of his hold. “Get off me,” Brendan said, his voice rising when Shaun didn’t budge.
“It’s not nice to be pinned down, is it?” Shaun tightened his grip around Brendan’s throat. The desire to snap his neck consumed Shaun. Brendan was getting older, nastier, and uglier to deal with. Shaun knew there would come a time when he wouldn’t be here to protect Addie.
“Fuck you, Shaun. Nothing was happening.”
“When a girl tells you to get off, you get off, you fucking prick.” He leaned in close to Brendan. “She’s not yours. Addie is mine, and I’m warning you, Brendan, stay the fuck away from her!”
“Oh, yeah, what the fuck are you going to do?” Brendan asked, spitting the words into his face.
Shaun smiled. “I’ll always be here for Addie. You hurt her or leave a mark on her body, and I swear to God, I’ll make you pay. I don’t care about pack laws, Brendan. I’ll fucking end you. I don’t give a fuck if you’re the alpha’s son. I want to feel your blood.”
Brendan chuckled. “I get it. You want her for yourself.”
He let the other wolf go. Shaun stood. “Get out of here.”
“You’re going to be in for a few surprises, Shaun. You’re not going to be around forever, and I’ll get to do whatever the hell I want.” In the next instant Brendan disappeared in the distance.
Shaun turned back to Addie. Tears streaked down her face. Her hair was all over the place from being pulled. Bruises covered her arms, and her shirt was torn. She was still the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.
“Shaun.” She said his name with a sigh of relief to her voice.
He opened his arms, and she charged into them. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He’s different. I’ve never known him to be like this. He scares me, Shaun.”
“Shush, I’m here. I’ll never let anything happen to you. I promise.” He stroked her hair, closing his eyes and simply enjoying the feel of her against him.
“It’s so good to see you,” Addie said, smiling up at him.
Stroking her cheek, Shaun looked behind her. “I think it’s time for a swim.”
Addie removed her clothes down to her bikini. Shaun jumped in the water in his swim trunks.
They ignored the fear of Brendan. He took the time to enjoy Addie’s company. She laughed, joked, and played with him. H
is time with her was Shaun’s time to be free of his teachings. His father wanted him to be the best alpha for the pack, which took time.
After a few hours passed they sat together on the bank, drying off in the rays of the sun.
“Is Brendan getting worse? How often does he hurt you?” Shaun asked angrily.
Addie sighed. “Whenever I’m alone he finds some way to hurt me. He always seems happy to see me in pain. Something is going on with him. I don’t know what. He frightens me.”
“What about Jackson? Does he know?”
She shook her head. “Brendan always waits until I’m alone.”
Shaun took her hand in his. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I scent Brendan’s evil. He’s different, and I don’t trust him. Trust your instincts, Addie. Never be alone, and stick with Jackson. I can’t be here all the time. I try to be, but it’s not possible. Please, do what I ask, and I’ll talk with your brother.”
“I don’t want to cause trouble.”
He caught her chin in his hand. “You’re not causing trouble. He shouldn’t be hurting you. No matter who he is, he shouldn’t be doing it. In my dad’s pack he’d be punished.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned in close. “What would I do without you, Shaun?”
Shaun refused to answer. The other man scared him. He wasn’t personally afraid of the guy. He could snap Brendan like a twig. What scared him was leaving Addie alone. Brendan wanted Addie, and there was something in his eyes that left Shaun uneasy.
No matter what, he’d do everything he could to guarantee her protection.
****
Addie watched as Shaun left. Brendan had scared her so bad, and this wasn’t the first time. Whatever was changing with Brendan was powerful and frightening. She had always felt something profound for Shaun, knew that they were not just friends. Shaun may never feel the same thing she felt, but he cared for her, deeply. She could tell.
“I sure hope you know what you’re doing, kid.” Jackson flopped beside her and nudged her with his shoulder. She wrapped her hands around her arms to hide the bruises. The last thing she needed was Jackson going over and finishing what Shaun started.
“What are you talking about?” Her focus was still on Shaun’s father’s truck as it drove away.
“Addie girl, you know what I’m talking about. You have stars in your eyes.” She looked at her brother and felt her cheeks heat. Were her emotions that transparent? He chucked her under the chin and smiled again. “Just be careful.” He turned and left. Maybe he was right. Maybe she should be careful, but look at how that turned out for her. She was living a life that didn’t feel right, and that was spiraling out of control. Maybe things would change, but if they didn’t was she strong enough to make the change herself?
Chapter One
Present day
One month, four days, and sixteen hours until she turned twenty-one and was handed over to Brendan like livestock. Addie lived in a small community of wolf shifters that resided in the Northern Mountains. It was situated away from the general population of humans, and surrounded by the thick covering of trees. It was safer that way, for both species. At times the males of her kind could be unstable and territorial, especially during a full moon when their hormones were rampant, or when the mating heat was upon them. It was bad enough that they were dominant assholes on the best of days, but throw in the previous issues and they were a bunch of chauvinistic alpha pigs.
“Would you quit looking like someone killed off your best friend?” The rough timbre of her older brother’s voice pierced her sour mood. “There could be worse things than being shacked up with the alpha’s son.” Jackson sat beside her on the couch at their parents’ cabin. “Just think, being Brendan’s mate will make you the queen bitch. That can’t be all bad, right?” He nudged her shoulder with his, and she rolled her eyes. One of his long, muscular legs was propped on the coffee table. Dirt littered the area around his boot and covered the intricately carved wood with grime.
“You better get your boot off the table, or Mom’s going to have your ass.” Jackson snorted but did remove his boot. Addie smirked and continued to flip through the magazine in her lap. Her thoughts moved to her upcoming mating. Perhaps if she dug deep inside of her she could find some semblance of happiness in regards to mating with Brendan, but even digging deep into her soul couldn’t produce those emotions. The glossy photos all showed waif-like females with small breasts, boney limbs, and hollowed cheeks. Compared to them she was fat as hell. She self-consciously picked at her shirt. Her size fourteen was normal amongst her kind. In fact, the males preferred thicker women with good child-bearing hips. If the females weren’t built good and sturdy, the males felt the chance of producing equally strong offspring decreased. And in the end wasn’t that what the world was about, keeping the numbers up?
“You wanna hang with me tonight? I’m heading to Steel’s Corner for some drinks with the guys.”
“Ugh, like I want to hang out with your asshole friends?” She flipped through several more pages, then grew disgusted with the beautiful woman and tossed it on the coffee table.
“You love those guys,” he said absently as he stared at the television.
She rested her head on the couch and turned to look at Jackson. The volume was muted, but she knew what was on. It was always football, no matter what time of day, Jackson and their father loved their sports. He sensed her stare and grinned down at her. Yeah, he was right. She did love those guys, but they could still act like assholes.
“Come on, Addie. It’ll only be for a few hours, and I’ll bring you home.” He threw a thick arm over her shoulders and pulled her into the side of his body. Like the males of their species, Jackson was built like a freaking tank. “I promise to make sure the guys keep their asshole tendencies to themselves while in your presence.” She sighed. “Listen, getting out from under Mom and Dad’s thumb will be good for you. The fact you stay cooped in this damn house all the time isn’t healthy.”
He was right, of course, but Addie refused to acknowledge it aloud. She was a recluse by nature, but the closer it got to her mating ceremony, the more she burrowed deeper into her hidey-hole. She looked into Jackson’s face and saw similar features. Their hair was a deep auburn, much like their mother’s, yet they had their father’s light grey eyes. The corner of his mouth curled up, and she couldn’t help but return the smile.
“Oh, all right.”
His grin widened, and he pulled her into a tight hug before letting her go.
“Just give me a minute to get ready.” She got off the couch and slipped into the bathroom. A look in the mirror showed a very homely girl by anyone’s standards. Pin straight reddish hair fell to the center of her back and hung over her shoulders. Her pale flesh was dusted with a light sprinkling of freckles, another courtesy of their mother. A look at her attire had her wincing. She wore a ratty tee that had seen better days, and a pair of cutoff shorts with splatters of paint across the thighs. She didn’t have time for a shower, so she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and threw her hair up in a ponytail.
She went to her room and found a light, flirty green sundress. The color went well with her hair and fair skin, but that’s not why she wore it. It was hotter than hell outside, even after the sun went down, and she was all about comfort. Slipping on a pair of flats, she went back into the living room to see Jackson in the same position she had left him in.
“Ready?” She gave him a second to respond, but he was like their father when it came to selective hearing. “Jackson?” Still no response. She moved to stand in front of the television and glared at him. He had been the one who insisted she go, and now he was more interested in a bunch of oversized humans throwing a ball around. “Are we going or what?”
“Yeah, yeah.” He stood to his full six foot six height and rolled his head from side to side. He tilted his chin toward the front door, and she followed him out. He grabbed a baseball cap before he left and slipped it on.
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Once outside, she climbed into his pickup truck, and they headed to Steel’s Corner, the local bar in town. The only reason the males of her kind would consider hanging out at a human bar was to find a piece of ass. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that wasn’t why Jackson was heading down the mountain, but he must have thought she was pretty damn pathetic to invite her along. She should have said no, but it was too late now.
They took the bumpy, unpaved road that led down the mountain and away from their small community and the safety the forest offered. Once they reached the main road it was only a ten minute drive into town. Steel’s Corner came into view, with bright lights and a flashing neon sign welcoming anyone wanting to get rowdy and drunk all in the same night. Jackson pulled the truck into an empty spot, and she climbed out.
Ryder, Paul, and Max all stood by the front door and watched them approach. The three male shifters were ones she had known since she was a little girl with pigtails, and Addie considered them family. They had always watched over her just like Jackson had, especially before she turned eighteen and the rules in their pack made it impossible for her to spend time with them like she wanted. Their time together had been non-existent for the past couple of years, even if she saw them around the community, so it was nice to be able to hang out with them for a few hours.
“Yo.” Max lifted his chin in their direction. When she was close enough to them they didn’t touch her, just smiled down at her with brotherly affection. Once she had turned eighteen she had been locked away from males, in the figurative sense. The opposite sex, aside from her brother and father, were never allowed to touch her. At times she felt like she had some kind of disease by the way the males in her pack kept away from her. She knew that was a big part of the reason she had become a recluse. Spending time with a platonic male might have been frowned upon, but it certainly wasn’t cause for death or exile. But to touch, even just a handshake or hug from any of the males that were not part of her blood-line, was asking for trouble. She had never understood the logic behind that, but there were just some things that weren’t worth the fight, especially with the old-school way their pack thought. The hierarchy and rules of her kind were asinine, but they were ones everyone was to abide by. To break the laws set by the alpha meant banishment or even death.