“Something’s on your mind,” Lisa asked. We were naked under the sheets, waking up from a long night of sex with her after my set at the bar.

“It’s nothing,” I told her. I knew it was a lie, and I’m sure she knew too. Luckily she didn’t say anything while she started to play with my chest hair.

“Anyways,” she sat up, pulling up the sheets to cover her chest up, “You’re getting an assignment today. So it appears the black sheep among hunters is going to be getting a huge target, and it’s from the council.”

I groaned and got out of bed. I got some reasonably clean clothes and got in the shower. The girl from the bar was running through my thoughts. I wanted to know her name. I wanted to know for sure if she was a wolf. I needed to know everything about her.

I even found myself wishing she was in Lisa’s place right now. I never really believed in love at first sight, but that bartender was changing my mind. I shook my head, trying to clear her out of my thoughts, as I turned off the water and got my day going.

---

I laid in my bed, staring up at my ceiling. That musician from the bar was on my mind every moment of the day and night. With every breath, he passed over my thoughts. How he looked at me when our eyes locked, the way my heart sped up when his chocolate brown eyes locked with mine, just everything about him had me on edge.

“Hey,” Michael poked his head into my room, “The prince is here. He wants to talk to you. Now.”

I sighed and got out of bed. I didn’t bother to try to change into anything decent. I didn’t see the point. The instant I made my match, I was going to run from this stupid pack and leave this life behind.

I walked downstairs to find the prince, Jack, perched on our couch. His feet were up on the coffee table and he had an apple in his hand, a bite missing from it. His hair was in its usual style, faux-hawked up and his skunk patch was showing. I rolled my eyes and sat down in the armchair to the side of the couch.

“You wanted to speak to me,” I asked him.

“I did, Miranda,” he smirked before taking a bite from his apple, “I know that you have been unable to find a match.”

“And your point,” I asked him to continue his proposal.

“And I am looking for the perfect woman to help me rule over the pack,” he rose and held out his hand to me, “I believe you would be perfect. So you are to pack up here and move in with me. Starting now, you are my fiancée.”

The fuck.

---

“You wanted to see me,” I asked as I bowed to the council.

“We did,” Henry, the head of the council answered, “We have an important assignment for you.”

“What do I have to do,” I asked.

“Keep an eye out on the head of the local werewolf pack,” he replied, “We have received word his has selected a bride. It could be only a matter of time before the pack decides to attack innocents.”

“It will be done,” I replied, knowing that was what they wanted to hear.

“One more thing,” Henry handed me a folder and I opened it up, finding the girl from the bar’s picture, “That girl is the potential bride. Do everything you can to learn information about her mate, Barakat.”

I nodded and left the chambers. The girl that has been on my mind since last night at the bar, was going to get married to the leader of her pack. Worst of all, I’m going to be the one tracking her every move. And I could be the one to kill them both.

---

“Michael I hate you,” I yelled at him once Jack left so I could pack, “You could have told him no. That I was still trying to find my match.”

“He made us an offer to rise up in ranks within the pack,” he yelled back, “With Dad gone, we needed this. Now grow up and face the facts. We are werewolves. We live in a pack. We have a responsibility to the pack to obey the alpha, the prince.”

I tapped into my inner wolf and growled at him. He returned the favor before he slapped me. I grabbed my cheek, feeling the heat of my new red mark on my cheek. I would normally fight him, but I just went back to packing, knowing I was no match to Michael.

Once I was finished with packing, I could feel a presence behind me. I turned around quickly before I was grabbed by my throat. I could feel the burn of wolf’s bane and silver against my skin.

“Shh,” the man said as he held me against the wall, “Don’t scream. I am not here to kill you.”

“What,” I struggled to talk as he strangled me, “Do you want from me, hunter?”

“You as my contact,” he bargained, “I’m not assigned to kill you. I need to keep tabs on your fiancé. You give information on him and everything he’s up to, and I will make sure you don’t become a target.”

“How can I trust you,” I asked him.

“We’ve locked eyes before,” he replied, “I was at the bar the other night.”

“You’re that musician,” I fought against him more, “Please let me go.”

“Answer one question for me,” he looked me dead in the eye, “Why can’t I stop thinking about you, Miranda?”

Notes