Going to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face, Sarina looked at herself in the mirror. Dark shadows hung below her eyes, and her skin looked gaunt and pale.

She hated what she was about to go through. Hated herself for being afraid, and hated not knowing what her father might say. Stealing herself for what was to come, she left her bedroom and went to find her father. Her new ‘personal guards’ trailed behind her.

"What do you need, Lady Sarina?" asked her guard, Rener. She wanted to sigh at his question. Now when she left her own bedroom, she was questioned. She had the strongest urge to say 'my mate's cock', but refrained. Barely. To start speaking stupidly now would only hurt her chances of seeing Vane again. So she ignored him instead.

After checking his bedroom and the kitchen, she found her father seated at his desk in the library. He stiffened when she entered, though he didn't raise his eyes to meet hers.

"Father, I'd like to talk to you."

"As you wish," he replied, but continued writing.

Sarina gnashed her teeth together and went to stand before his desk. "I want you to stop this nonsense, father. Cameras? A guard? Why I ask you? I am a grown woman."

"So is that why you spread your legs like some whore to a man you hardly know? Is that what a grown woman does, Sarina?" His coarse words were like a slap to the face. Yet somehow, instead of wanting to cry she felt anger. Real, seething anger.

"Don't you dare call me a whore! I gave myself willing to Vane because he is a male of worth, and I'm his mate."

Her words must have struck a blow, because her father exploded from his seat and came around to grab her by the shoulders. He shook her with his each of his words. "You accepted his mating proposal? You accepted it!" Sarina didn't register the strange movement until her face was turned sharply to the side and her cheek was burning hot and stinging.

"You, you hit me. You hit me," she accused, her hand covering the burning pain.

The king's mouth opened and closed several times. He looked nearly as shocked as she was. Whether it was the pain in her face or the blunt refusal of her father, but something changed in her in that moment. Hardened her.

"I have accepted his mating proposal, and he has claimed my virginity. I am his now. Let me go to him. Let's stop all this insanity, father." The last word seethed with hatred, something she'd never felt towards her father.

The shock left his face, replaced by cold refusal. "Prince Conlin of the Pride has agreed to suit with you. He has already signed the marriage contract. I was in the process of choosing a wedding date for you both when you came in. How does this Saturday sound? Two days should be enough time, don’t you agree?"

Sarina took a deep breath that did nothing to calm her. "Y-you've married me off to a man I not only hate, but despise. You know how much I hate that man."

Her father smiled, and it made her stomach turn. "He has agreed to specific terms, let's just say that he'll be quite amiable to you, and provide you with heirs, of course. He is quite excited. You should be happy, proud even, of marrying such a fine man."

"Fine man. Fine man! He nearly raped my best friend Alison and beat her to within an inch of her life. You are selling me to him. How dare you."

His nostrils flared wide, and he returned to sit at his desk. "I assure you he won't lay a hand on you like that. And besides, after your act of whoring, I figured you wouldn't mind being sold off." With that hanging darkly in the air, he returned to writing. His movements were quick and jerky, the scrape of the pen across the paper loud in the otherwise silent room.

"Then I hate you, father."

Vane slammed down the shot of tequila and swore it'd be his last one.

Again.

"Take it easy with that, Vane. You know that shit doesn’t sit well with you."

Vane sneered at his brother. "Fuck off, Rome."

His younger brother didn't look fazed in the least; he merely arched a thick eyebrow. "No, fuck you. I'm trying to help. We're all here to help. But your idea is shit."

"I hardly see how going over there and claiming my woman is shit." He threw back another shot, and didn't even need to wince this time. He was getting better at this.

Already the alcohol was burning like fire through his blood. It would slow down his senses, and he'd feel it for days in his body, but it helped him right now. Help him not to feel so crazy. I failed.

"Why don't we just kidnap her?" Vane looked at his younger sister, the only female Kategan. Vera’s chin-length hair and bangs used to bother him. Each of the brothers had protested when she cut off her hair, but in time, they each realized it was still beautiful...and it suited her. The look was both serious and feminine, just like her.

"Bad move," Rome said drily. "We have no idea what kind of power he has over the local authorities or the lykaen Justicars with his political ties. He could have judges in his back pocket and Justicars on standby. We need to handle this more delicately."

Vera shrugged then turned to Vane. "Perhaps, but are you certain she's your mate, your lumara?" Vane growled, making everyone's hair stand up. "Fine, fine. Cool it, Jacob."

Vane looked around the room as if he might find another person suddenly with them. "Who the hell is Jacob?" Vane squeezed the shot glass until Vera was certain it was going to break.

Vera's eyes went wide and innocent. "Well before you flip, just know that I was always team Jacob."

"Jacob is a fictitious werewolf romance character for teenage girls," said Rome.

"Rome’s always been team Edward. I think he had a thing for one of the vamp girls. Isn’t that right?" Vera asked, a sly smile on her face.

He only shrugged making Vera pout prettily.

"Enough of this! I need to get Sarina back." Vane slumped forward in his chair, his hands covering his face.

A hard knock sounded at the door. Rome was the first to move. He sniffed on the edge of the door then turned back with a puzzled look on his face. "It's our brother."

Rome opened the door to the second eldest Kategan Alpha, Darien. "Darien, come in. It's been too long." Rome hesitated a moment before embracing his brother in bear hug. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too. I see the whole family is here," said Darien. Vera gasped in pleasure and ran to embrace him. Darien lifted her up in his arms and swung her back and forth until she was laughing so hard tears rolled down her cheeks.

After he set her down, he faced Vane. Neither of them spoke nor moved. The tension in the room rose like a fever.

"Vane," Darien acknowledged.

"Darien."

Vane didn't know what to think seeing his brother here. His brother, the same man who left the pack after his girlfriend's death, and chose to live alone. Vane hated it. The man didn't need solitude. He needed family, friends, and packmates. That was the soul of their people, what kept them together and strong.

"You look like shit," Vane said, crossing his arms.

Darien let out a brief, grunt of a laugh. "As if you look better." That seemed to ease the tension in the room, and finally the brothers crossed to each other and embraced. A tight, hard hug that held far more emotion than any words between them could have said.

"We'll get her back, Vane. We'll get her back."