(Jedrek)

The truck rolled to a stop in a ditch along the side of the road. I let out a sigh and scanned my surroundings. No idea where the hell I was at, but this was where the nice part if the journey ended. I was going to be on foot from here. If I kept heading south, maybe I’d get lucky and find a rebel group. 

Kicking open the door, I jumped out and started looking through what was supplied in the truck. There wasn’t much. I found a bag and stuffed what I wanted to take into it. My eye fell on the gun. Might come in handy. I had already killed one werewolf; killing another wasn’t going to do anything. I already had a death warrant. I checked how many bullets were left. 

When we were young, the neighbor had a BB gun he’d let us play with. We’d spend hours shooting at road signs until the werewolf took it away. Then we went to slingshots, but those were taken away as well. At least, the werewolf thought they took them away. I practice lifting the gun and flicking off the safety a couple of times to get the feeling for it before tucking the gun into the back of my jeans. I scanned the area before heading into a deserted field. I made sure to put the truck on a road that ran west. 

I was hoping they’d think I was stupid enough to continue down the same road. I probably wouldn’t be that lucky. It was getting dark. They saw better at night, but I couldn’t risk stopping. They weren’t going to run out of gas, so I’d have to take a path that motored vehicle couldn’t. 

***

(Jax)

I was left in a room with no windows. They had at least found a gurney to put me on rather than the floor. My skin prickled from the cold. My stomach was grumbling, and I also needed to use the bathroom. How long was I going to have to sit here? Maybe I should ask for a wheelchair. Would they get mad if I started calling for help? I was a candidate to be the future alpha’s mate. That should count for something.

The door banged into the wall, startling me. I had to clench my stomach to stop anything from leaking out when I saw the black werewolf with the red stripe on his back enter. I really needed to use the bathroom. My eyes grew wide as he pulled the chair toward him and sat. 

“This is him?”

The tall, skinny brown werewolf nodded. “Yes. I’ve checked and rechecked. Somehow that”—he nodded to me from the doorway—“has these kinds of numbers. Humans are strange creatures. You can truly never tell.” He clicked on his tablet.

The huge werewolf nodded. “What’s your name?”

“Jax,” I replied.

He sighed. “Honestly. Jax?”

I nodded. “Is something wrong with that?”

“Max,” sang the brown werewolf. “Max and Jax, it’s fitting.”

“Fuck off,” said the black werewolf. “I’m going to hear enough of that from family and the press. I don’t need it from you.”

I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I know we’re supposed to meet, but I really need to use the bathroom.”

Max stared at me weirdly before he noticed my legs. “Oh. Clark, this is a job for you.” He motioned to the werewolf in the doorway. “He’s looks…” Max sighed. “Uncomfortable.”

Clark groaned. “Not my job,” he muttered. He left and returned with a worker. “Take him to the restroom.”

Nodding, the female werewolf in white clothes picked me up and set me in the chair. “We’ll be right back.” She nodded to the future alpha, who didn’t respond.

She wheeled me to the bathroom that had metal bars along the wall. “Do you need any more help?” 

“No, I can.” 

Nodding, she stepped outside the stall and closed the door. “Yell when you’re done.”

I maneuvered myself over and wrestled my pants lower. That alone had left me exhausted. Even after finishing, I sat there for a moment. What was I doing? I’d be mated to that man. He could rip me in two. They already said I’d be sub. Those werewolves were tiny. Some humans were taller and bigger than they were. I’d be a little bit of nothing standing next to that giant. 

I let out a sigh. “Shit. Fucking Jed.” I wiped my face. 

It was my brother’s fault. He put me in this place. He put our entire family in this situation, and I would have to get us out of it.

“Are you okay?” asked the woman. 

“Yes. Sorry, I just need a minute.” I managed to wrangle my clothes up and move to the wheelchair. I dragged myself around and pushed the flush button. The door opened. 

“He can be a bit intimidating,” she whispered. “But he will be the alpha. They’re kind of bred that way.”

I forced a small smile. “Thanks. It’s comforting to hear even werewolves think he’s… well, he’s a lot.”

Nodding, she slipped behind my chair and took me to the sink to wash my hands. Once finished, I was returned to the room and placed in front of the black werewolf. He watched me with his head tilted to the side. Nothing was said for a moment. He held out his hand, and Clark handed him the tablet. Max scanned the screen, clicking on different options.

“Too good to pass up,” he whispered. “That’s what my uncle said. Got a goddamn text from him. Guess what, I found your mate. Check your email.”

“He didn’t send a picture?” asked the brown werewolf.

Max chuckled. “No. There’s not one on file. We don’t need to add it. We can wait until after."

“After,” I breathed. I knew what that meant. I touched my shoulder. “Umm… I don’t want you to kill my family.”

“Done,” said Max.

“What about my brother? He… well, he umm…”

“Not that one.”

My shoulders dropped. My eyes began to water. “Can’t you think about it?”

“He killed a werewolf.”

“Werewolves have done worse things to us.”

Max scoffed. “Check the town he’s from. I think some free-thinking humans are spreading lies.”

“Noted,” said Clark.

“Humans weren’t innocent in the war. They killed us, we killed them. In the end, werewolves won. If it had been the reverse, your kind would have slaughtered all of us. We were kind enough not to erase humans from existence.”

“Because you need us,” I whispered. “Human mates.”

Max smiled. “Who told you that?”

I shrugged. “Everyone says it. That’s why you test all the humans when they turn eighteen. If they test well, they go into the mate registry.”

“True.” He shifted in his seat. “What about you?” He glanced at his phone that was buzzing. “Tell my uncle, I’m talking to him right now, and he can fuck off. I’ll let him know when it’s done.”

I felt a lump forming in my throat. “The alpha?”

Max’s eyes flicked to me. “Yes. He doesn’t care what you look like. Only that you test well.”

I bowed my head. I wasn’t much to look at. I understood that much. “If we become mates, you’ll protect my family.”

“All but the one.”

“I don’t want my family working hard labor.”

“How about a house in Central?” said Max. “Nearby the mansion, good schools. Other humans with good pedigrees. It’ll be a perfect spot for them.”

That did sound tempting. I had seen a picture on the news of those communities. It was far better than anything we had.

“So, what now?” I whispered.

Max leaned back in his seat. “I don’t think you could live through me biting you. Your heart might stop.”

I sat there wide-eyed. That was not how mating bites were explained to me.

“Mark him when you mate,” said Clark. “I don’t know if you want to risk, unless…”

Max glanced at me before shaking his head. “Nope. My uncle’s right. He’s too good to pass up.”