The SnowFang Bride (SAMPLE)

SAMPLE : An Uncaring Moon

Wolves considered it very lucky when a daughter favored her mother. I had inherited more from my mother than just my outward appearance. That's how I knew that there was a storm coming. Whatever happened with Sterling wasn't going to be a simple meet-and-greet.

All she-wolves had a little gift from the Moon. Humans called it a sixth sense. It was usually confined to just feelings, the occasional dream. It was almost always passive gift. Just a little bit beyond what a male would call good instincts.

My mother had had enough of the Moon's gift that she had actually been able to scry in bowls and water. I wasn't my mother, but I had inherited enough of her gift she had started to teach me to use mine. She had never told my father, and when it seemed like I wasn't being haunted by visions or dreams, I never told him either. My father, like all smart males, had never questioned me when I had mumbled something about 'a feeling I had'. He had also never assumed I could be more specific.

That's how I knew Sterling was my mate. When I woke up that morning I simply knew. I tried to tell myself I was just focused on the strange circumstances, there was no way my father could possibly know one way or the other, and I was just exhausted and wanting all of this to come to an end.

But I still knew.

At breakfast Jerron mentioned something about the meeting. I realized he wanted to be there when I met Sterling. "No, I don't want him there. Dad, I just want you there."

I didn't even want my father there. I didn't want any audience. Especially not my jerk brother who offered no moral support and just wanted to watch.

My father nodded. "That's fine."

"What?" my brother practically squawked, "But I'm her brother!"

I growled at him. He only cared about that when it got him something he wanted. I did not want him there.

"It's the female's right to decide who's there." my father calmly shoveled a huge spoonful of eggs towards his face. "You will wait outside."

Jerron growled into his food. He seemed to bristle the most at the statement about the "female's right". He never seemed to be properly respectful of females. I think he resented that females were such items of importance, and males weren't. Maybe I'd have felt the same way if I had been a male. But I wasn't a male. I was a female and right then I was feeling less than gracious towards males. Males had been the one to make this population imbalance, and back us into a genetic corner, and give females like me no options when confronted with a bad situation.

The storm coming pressed between my shoulderblades. I needed to steel myself. All I knew was Sterling was wealthy. I needed more information to brace myself with.

"What is there to know about him? His pack? His pedigree?" I asked.

My father shook his head and shrugged. "If he's your mate, it changes nothing. If he isn't, the details matter even less."

So Jerron got to know Sterling was wealthy, and I couldn't know how old he was. I had been my father's assistant for three years, trusted and reliable, and my brother knew more about this wolf coming to our door than I was permitted to. Maybe I should have pumped Jerron for more information the previous evening. The thought occurred to me that my father might have been let Jerron be privy to some of the details of finding my mate, so if Jerron did become the SilverPaw Alpha, he'd have understanding of the process.

The thought made me sick. My brother probably enjoyed it like he had enjoyed pouring salt on slugs. I had no privacy, and I was deliberately kept ignorant of the details while it seemed like everyone else got a front row seat.