Stolen Birthright Ch. 01-05

"Dad? How much should I talk about our Pack business?" I talked to him over our family bond.

"A lot of it is public knowledge, Ella. I'm sure they already know about how big Alpha Holdings has become since the Bakken oil boom started. Just don't brag."

I looked back at her. "I suppose so, but I really don't want to leave the Midwest and I have no desire to ever live on the East Coast. By Luna, can you imagine being a wolf out there? You'd have to drive for hours to take a run. Going to the Twin Cities is pushing it, but I have to in order to get a good school."

"Well, the good news is that we will still be able to get together. My Pack is only three hours north, and Olivia will be on your way home. They are at least buying you a car, right?"

I snorted. "My parents don't believe in just giving me stuff, I have to work for it. They will match whatever I save, so there is that. They are paying for my school and room and board, but I have to earn my own spending money."

"That sucks, I thought you'd be rolling in it." Olivia looked over at her intended. "One advantage of becoming Luna is that I won't have to worry about money."

"It's not so bad. Really, our family and Pack isn't like that. I mean, we're in the middle of Nowhere, North Dakota. It's not like we have to out-do the Rockefellers there. Plus, we don't pull a lot of cash from the business, almost all of it is being reinvested. The oil boom can't last forever, so Mom has us diversifying into other investments that will be more stable."

We finished up our meals and looked for the exits; we got our respective parent's permission to leave and headed back to the rooms to get changed. I put my favorite red bikini on, then pulled up jean shorts and put on an Australian Pink Floyd concert T-shirt. I grabbed a windbreaker just in case it got cold on the water, slipped on sandals and was ready to go.

I met the girls down at Carol's car, we were going to meet Curtis at the lake. He and a few of the other boys were taking another of their boats fishing, while we girls were going to ski and maybe catch some sun on one of the deserted islands in the large lake. As soon as we were on the road, I looked to Olivia. "Spill, girl. Why are you giving up your true mate for Alpha David?"

Her shoulders dropped a little before she pasted on a fake smile. "He's a good man, I like him. He'll be a good mate to me."

"Good, but not the true mate that Luna made for you. Don't you want that?"

She sighed. "Not everyone has the luxury of being able to chase their dreams, Ella. Sometimes you have to give up something for the good of the Pack. This arrangement helps both of us, and I get an Alpha for a mate. And have you seen him? He's great in the sack, too, but don't tell my Mom that."

I put on my shocked face. "You've already slept with him?"

She grinned. "My Dad came to me when the negotiations were nearly complete, but he hadn't agreed yet. He had a couple hundred acres of land my Dad wanted but he had refused to let go. My Dad thought a 'try before you buy' would help, and it sure did. He's a great lover, best I've ever had, and he signed the agreement the next morning. We just couldn't bite each other yet, you know, to keep up appearances."

"Is he..." Carol moved her hands on the wheel until they made a big circle.

"Of course," Olivia laughed. "Everything is bigger on an Alpha. He's packing major heat, far more than any of my other lovers." I raised my eyebrows. "Not everyone is cloistered away like you, Ella. I turned in my V-card at fifteen, and I've had humans and werewolves. None since David, of course, he would kill me and them if he found another man's smell on me now. I'm so looking forward to graduation, then I won't have to sleep alone again."

I shut up and looked out the window for a while. She acted like she was happy, but what about her poor mate? To have your one and only mate another, not even trying to find you?

Not me. I would wait for him, and I would save myself for him. I want it all. I want the fairy tale.

Ch 3

It was pretty quiet the rest of the way to the lake. When we pulled in to the parking lot at the boat ramp, Curtis Goodwin was just parking his truck after putting the speedboat in the water. They parked and got their stuff out of the back and headed down to the boat. When we got there, Carol's older brother David was pulling away in the big Lund fishing boat with Curtis and Olivia's older brother Nathan. Carol got the boat fired up while I changed into a wetsuit, I would be the first to ski this afternoon.

We headed out into the open water of the main lake on a beautiful fall day. The wind wasn't bad, just enough to leave a light chop on the water. The sun wasn't that strong and the water was cooling into the high 50's, but I didn't care. The lake was almost empty and I was going to ski.

Once I was ready, Carol stopped the boat and I jumped in the water. I floated on my back, feet forward and ski tips up, while she slowly moved the boat away and took out the slack in the towline. When taught, she waited for my thumbs up before gunning the engine. The twenty-foot speedboat roared to life, pulling me forward as I leaned back against the rope. I popped out of the water and immediately cut left to pick up speed.

The next forty minutes went by like a blur. It didn't take long for me to get comfortable, and soon I was jumping the wake and spinning a full 360. It took a few tries and a few wipeouts, but eventually I was able to land a back flip to the cheers of my friends.

After one last wipeout, I yelled to Carol I was done. I took off the skis as they came alongside me and handed them to Olivia, who was already dressed out and ready. I climbed up the ladder in back as she got ready to go; I barely had time to get out of the wetsuit and get a towel around me before Carol gunned it again. Olivia could ski, but she wasn't near my level and didn't last as long. Twenty minutes later, she was done and we were picking her up.

"Your turn," I asked Carol.

"Nah, I'm more here for the sun than the water." She pointed at a small island about a half mile away. "There's a small beach there, how about we pull up and catch some sun while we eat what is in the cooler?"

"Oh yeah, I could use a break," said Olivia, still working her way out of the wetsuit. Carol made sure the skis and equipment were stowed before heading over to the island.

I opened the bond again. "Dad, what's going on? How are the talks coming along?"

I could feel his frustration through the link. "Slow, honey. They are very interested in you, despite me warning them off. They are pushing an arranged mating as a way of cementing a relationship with their Packs."

I started to growl in my chest. "You told them to pack sand, right?"

"Yes, and I'm starting to get worried they won't take no for an answer. Are you all right?"

"Yep, it's just me and my two friends out here, we're taking a break from skiing and we're going to a beach on a small island. We'll be heading back in a couple hours."

"All right, keep your guard up and have fun. Love you." I felt the link shut down while I thought about what he has said. I could think of a couple of the boys who would want me as their mate, I could feel them sizing me up as we were introduced. I'd just have to stick with my girls.

We got to the island, it was less than fifty yards across with tall trees in the middle. Carol raised the motor and let the momentum carry us up to the sand, and Olivia jumped off the front and ran forward to tie the boat off to a tree. I helped Carol with the blankets and cooler, then went off to scavenge dry wood for a fire. By the time I got back with an armful of dead branches, they had the blanket set up and a buffet on top of the big cooler.

I got the fire started quickly, warming us all up after the cold water, and Carol handed me a Solo cup with a greenish liquid in it. "Diet Slice and vodka," she said. "No one even knows it has alcohol."

I gave it a taste, it was pretty good. Booze metabolized pretty quickly in a werewolf, so we weren't going to get drunk, but if we drank fast enough we could get a little buzzed. I took a long drink, then grabbed a handful of Oreos from the package on the cooler. "Thanks for this girls, I'm so glad we're not stuck with the boys back at the Pack House. I was starting to feel like the meat on display at the market."

"They aren't THAT bad," said Carol. "My brother isn't that bad. He just comes off a little strong sometimes. I think he's trying to show he's just as tough as his older brothers."

"Overprotective older brothers at that," Olivia said. "I wish they'd just find their mates, then maybe they'd leave me alone."

Carol nodded. "Yeah, you're lucky. You don't have older brothers watching over you your whole life." She looked around. "I'm sure if you wanted some company, you'd find someone willing."

"Yeah, I think not." I laid back on the blanket, letting the sun warm my skin. "I don't want to deal with a possessive, horny male." I relaxed into the blanket, suddenly feeling tired. More tired than I should be. My wolf raised the alarm first, she could feel her power being sucked away.

I'd been poisoned.

I reached out over the bond again. "Dad, something's wrong. I'm getting weaker by the minute, my wolf thinks I've been poisoned."

"SHIT! We're leaving now, can you get somewhere safe?"

"I'm not sure. I'm trying not to let on, I think Carol slipped something into my drink. I can't feel my fingers or toes."

I opened my eyes, Carol was standing over me. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, Ella."

"What the hell did you do to me?" I was furious, but mostly scared. My friend was setting me up, and whatever plan she had wasn't good.

"Just a little muscle relaxant. We don't want you running off, or doing something stupid. You are too selfish to see things clearly, Ella. Get your head out of the clouds and quit chasing fairy tales. You need to think of more than just yourself, think of your Pack. This is good for them."

Olivia came up behind us. "Did you really think that an unmated Alpha heiress could travel outside her territory without consequence? Hell, if I was worth everything David gave up, I can only imagine what you are worth. Not just Alpha blood, but the chance for a male to become Alpha of a Pack? You went to the highest bidder. With all the money your family is worth, he had to promise the others a nice cut to get them to cooperate. He's been waiting for months for this chance, and you are stupid enough to walk right into the trap."

Carol kneeled next to me. "Several Alphas wanted you for their sons. You got lucky, if you ask me. He'll be a good Alpha for your Pack and a good mate for you. Your parents are being informed now, they can't stop it. They will just have to accept it, accept that it is the best thing for you and them."

I heard footsteps approaching, our three fishermen were coming, their scents on the air. They must have landed on the other side of the island.

"Dad, David, Curtis and Nathan are here. They were waiting for us. They have been planning this for a long time, the girls are in on it along with their families. They've auctioned off rights to me, they're going to force mate me to one of the sons."

Dad didn't respond, but Mom did. "We can't let that happen. They aren't letting us leave, we're trying to fight our way out. Get out of there, get somewhere safe. I love you baby." She cut the link.

I sat up, I was dizzy and I knew I didn't have much time. I swept Carol's leg, knocking her on her butt as I jumped to my feet. I kicked her in the ribs, causing her to cry out in pain and roll on the ground. I ran past her the best I could, heading for the boat. I was too slow, and before I left the sand I was tripped up by Olivia. I couldn't catch my balance, it was like my legs and arms were many times heavier than normal. I faceplanted in the shallow water just off the beach. I tried to get up, but Carol jumped on my back.

I was trying to roll her off me when it felt like my chest was being ripped in two. My wolf howled out in pain, and I couldn't breathe for a few moments. I reached out for my father, but there wasn't anything there anymore. The link was gone.

My Dad was dead.

I screamed in pain and anger, now desperate to get away. I twisted my upper body, aiming my elbow at Carol's face. There was a satisfying crunch as I knocked out a few teeth. She fell unconscious at my side.

I put my hands down and tried to push myself upright again, but things just weren't working. The poison was moving faster through my system now, and I struggled to get to my hands and knees. I crawled into the water, reaching up for the rail of the boat

and coming up short.

Olivia grabbed my left ankle and started to pull me back, dropping my face back into the water. I tried to kick myself free, but the motions were weak and ineffective. I pushed myself up to take a breath, but was immediately pulled back down as my arms could no longer support me.

My face was scraping against the sand when the second bond broke. My mother.

"MOM!" I screamed through the bond, but it was gone too. My wolf howled her loss in my head, the pain ripping through my soul once more. I felt the Alpha power of my parents flow into me, I cried as it happened, not wanting to believe they were both gone and I was now leader of my Pack.

The headache I had was incredibly painful. My eyes were squeezed tightly closed and my teeth were clenched. My wolf was trying to push forward, she wanted blood. My teeth started to shift and some fur started to emerge, but the drugs were stronger. My wolf gave up, panting in exhaustion as she whined in grief.

I didn't have the strength to scream any more, the tears were coming fast. I closed my eyes as Olivia dropped my leg and the boys surrounded me.

I was rolled over onto my back and taken into a pair of strong arms that lifted me out of the water. I looked up to verify what my wolf already knew. It was David. David Tanner.

He held me to his broad chest and walked back to the blanket with me as tears ran down my face. The drug had almost paralyzed me by now, I could no longer move my arms or legs and I was losing feeling. I reached into my mind for my wolf, but she couldn't do anything. We were helpless and alone.

He set me down and Curtis and Nathan each took an arm to hold me in a sitting position. David kneeled in front of me between my limp legs. "Just relax, Ella, it will be over in a moment. Eventually you'll realize this was all for the best." His canines started to elongate as he leaned forward.

"Don't do this," I said. "I'll never forgive you; I'll kill you for this."

He laughed. "The bond forgives all sin, my Ella. Your wolf won't let you hurt your mate."

I did the only thing I could; I spit in his face. His face changed, he was angry and backhanded me. The blow was strong enough that I could feel the cheekbone breaking. "You will learn, little Ella, to respect those above you."

I looked back at him defiantly. "If you were so fucking strong, you wouldn't have needed your sister to drug me. Pussy."

He slapped the other side of my cheek hard. I spit out the blood from my mouth on his chest.

"I'm looking forward to having you in my bed, my little spitfire. The spirited horses are the most fun to ride." I felt Carol come up behind me and put her hand over my mouth. David fully shifted his teeth and jaws, snapping them in front of my face before lunging forward. He bit down on the juncture where my neck met my shoulder on the right side. I screamed in pain, the bite burned from within as he placed his claim on me.

Blackness took me and I sagged to the ground.

Ch 4

Pain. Consuming, soul deep pain and loss greeted me when I awoke. I reached inside for my wolf, she was on her side and feeling the same pain and loss I was. It wasn't a dream.

My parents were dead, and my future was no longer mine.

I tried to move my hand down to wipe my eyes, only to find it wouldn't move. I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in a small cabin on the full sized bed in one corner. There was a small kitchen to my right with a small table and chairs; in the corner below the bed was a small bathroom. A woodstove was between the kitchen and the living area in the other corner. The smells were stale, as if no one had use it a while, except for one.

David Tanner.

The man who claimed me, against my will, with the help of my so-called 'friends.'

I looked up at my hands, they were in handcuffs with the chain looped behind a bar on the cast iron headboard. I tried to scoot up, only to find my ankles had leather cuffs on them, with chains leading to the posts. I pulled a little to verify it was solid, but stopped before I made noise. I didn't need David to know I was awake yet.

I was stuck, on my back, in my enemy's cabin, and I was naked.

Dad had taught me that you have to remain calm and try to notice things in a bad situation, so I used some breathing exercises from my yoga class. I took another look around, and let my senses sharpen. On the bedside table was a plastic cup with a straw and a pitcher of water, also plastic. The kitchen held some promise, I could see a chef's knife on the wall behind the propane stove, and there might be more in the drawer. There was no electricity, so a large cooler sat in the corner, also functioning as a bench for the table.

I focused on my wolf in my mind, calling her to my side. "I'm sorry," I told her. "I tried."

She put her head on my shoulder. "I know. Now focus on the bonds... what do you feel?" I sought out that place in my mind where they connect; I could feel all the Pack bonds were there, but I was too far to send to them. There were empty spots where my parents were. It took a moment to figure out what she was talking about, it wasn't something that was there, it was something that was NOT there.

There was no mate bond!

"How?" She backed up and shook her head, she did not know either, but this was the best news I could have hoped for. What David did, what they ALL did to me, it didn't work. I wasn't his. I smiled as I pulled back to my surroundings, David was talking on the phone and I could just make it out.

"I'm telling you, something is wrong. I bit her good, right on the shoulder, but it's not healing. I've been changing her bandages for hours, they are oozing blood and not closing up. Have you ever seen that in a claiming bite?"

"It's been six hours, we both know that a bite should heal over as soon as the mate licks it clean."

"Yes, of course, I did that several times, on the beach, at the dock and again when I got here. I did it three more times as I was changing the soaked bandages. I'm telling you, Doc, it's not working. I need you here."

"She's still asleep, she's breathing normally. The drug you gave Olivia worked just like you said, she couldn't move anything but her head by the time I bit her. Do you think that has something to do with it?"

"Fine, I'll expect you in ten minutes. You know the way to our cabin, right? OK."

I relaxed into the mattress and closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep as he came back inside the cabin and hung up his jacket. I followed him with my hearing as he walked over to the cooler, opened it and pulled out something from the ice. I heard the can open and smelled the beer, then heard the chair creak as he sat down. "You can quit playing, love, I know you're awake. I could sense your heartbeat change."

I opened my eyes and looked over at him; if my eyes were lasers, I would have fried him. "You're a bastard, you know that? I'm going to kill you for this, and I'm going to enjoy it."

He laughed as I struggled against the restraints. "I don't think so, my Ella. That drug isn't out of your system yet, you're going to be weak as a baby for a few more days."