The Broken Warrior's Daughter

He runs his fingers through his hair. “Fine.” He says as if he’s angry with me. “Good morning.” Alpha Mahli says, walking into the room. He comes over and takes my hands. “How did you sleep, darling? | tried to check on you, but you locked the door.” I’m guessing by ‘check’ he means crawling into my

“I'm great. But | think we have to head back now.” | say looking at my bed. father.

His entire demeaner has changed as he watches the exchange between Alpha Mahli and I. “So, we have an agreement?” He says, looking at Alpha Mahli. “Oh yes. I’ve instructed your daughter to listen to those of us that are more experienced and can help her understand that waiting for a fated mate is unnecessary. Right, darling?” He asks me. | can do nothing but force a smile.

| look at my dad. “We need to get going.”

Alpha Mahli walks us to our car. Then, before | know what he’s doing, he pulls me in and kisses me, forcing his tongue into my mouth. | pull away from him, looking at my father who just gets in the car.

“Until | see you again, darling.” He says. | quickly make my escape and get into

the car.

| wait until we are off pack lands before laying into my father. “What the actual fuck, Dad!” “Don’t you dare use that language with me, Lily.”

“| think I’m entitled to use whatever language | want when it feels like my father is selling me to an Alpha. You know that shit’s illegal, right?” | yell at him.

“You would be lucky to have Alpha Mahli as a mate. He’s wealthy and can take care of you.”

“| don’t care how wealthy he is. He’s old and disgusting. He doesn’t care about what | want in life, he doesn’t want me to be a warrior. He only wants me to take care of the packhouse and give him heirs.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“You are so ungrateful. | find an Alpha for you, and this is how you respond. You could be the Luna of a,pack. Do you realize that?”

“Yeah? If he’s such a great catch, why hasn't anyone else snatched him up yet?” “You will be his mate, Lily! And that is all there is to it.”

| don’t even know what to say. | can’t believe my father thinks he’s going to force me into a mate bond with Alpha Mahli. | don’t care about being a Luna. | care about finding my fated mate, finding someone who loves me for me. Not someone that wants me because | look like | can pop out a bunch of heirs.

| turn and look out the window, tears falling, unsolicited. We drive the rest of the way in silence.

When we get home, | don’t even go inside. | take my bag and run to the tree line. | hear my father calling my name, but | ignore him. As soon as | am in the forest, | shift, Andra grabbing my bag and running to the rocky terrain where we train.

I stay there, all morning and into the late afternoon until | get Clint's message that he’s back. | immediately run to his room and knock on his door, anxious to see him and feel safe again. When he opens the door the first thing | see is his smile, which quickly drops when he sees my face. | want to run into his arms

and let him tell me everything will be alright. But first, | have to show him.

When | hear him growling, asking if Alpha Mahli hurt me, | almost break down. Instead, | tell him | need his help, before turning around and letting Andra come forward.

Npo

He gasps, staring at me for a moment, before taking his arms. | let the fear and the stress of the last couple of days go and he holds me while | cry.

Cooper Author