Page 2 of Crimson Heart

She turned her face to look at her mother. She couldn’t expect any help from her. She was loyal to her mate. Her mate had always come first, her children second.

“Is that what he did to you when you were mated to him against your will?”

There, she’d finally said it. She’d always known that her parents’ marriage had been arranged by the Alliance. But she’d never thought she would have to use that knowledge against them.

“Charlotte,” her father growled dangerously, his irises suddenly showing a yellow ring around them as a warning that the wolf inside him was ready to emerge.

“James, don’t,” her mother said, lifting her hand to stop him. “I was young and didn’t know what was good for me. It’s true, I didn’t know your father, and at first, I rebelled against the mating. But in the end, he was the right man for me. Love isn’t something that hits you like a freight train, but rather like a flower that blooms under the right conditions. It’s slow, it’s gentle, and it grows with time.”

She saw her parents exchange a loving glance. She had to try another approach to make her parents understand that while their arranged mating had turned out well, she was certain that a union with Steve Leon wouldn’t end well.

“I know it worked for you, because you’re both good people,” she started. “But not everybody is a good person. All I ask is for you not make a hasty decision that we can’t reverse. The Leon pack might have the resources the Alliance wants⁠—”

“Enough!” her father interrupted. “You don’t know why we wish for a union with the Leons. It’s of no importance to you.”

“So I’m just a pawn in your game,” she replied, bitterness rising in her chest. There was no convincing her father once he’d made up his mind. It was a waste to even try.

Afraid she would lose her composure, she turned toward the door and made a couple of steps before her father’s booming voice filled the room again.

“Tomorrow, the deal will be finalized.”

Not if she could help it. But instead of wasting her breath on another plea, she simply said, “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.”

She opened the door.

“After a good night’s rest, you’ll see it’s all for the best,” her mother coaxed in a gentle tone. “Good night, sweetheart.”

She barely managed to get a Good night over her lips before she left the room and let the door fall shut behind her. Her own room was several doors farther down on the same corridor. With a determined gait, she walked to it, tapped her keycard on the lock, and opened the door. By the time the door clicked shut behind her, she’d made her decision. She wouldn’t let her parents and the Werewolf Alliance decide her life for her.

She placed her small suitcase onto the bed and tossed all her belongings into it, before zipping it up and casting another look around the room to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. At the door, she snatched the Do-not-disturb sign, opened the door, and exited. She hung the sign on the door handle, then walked toward the elevators. The sounds of her footsteps and the wheels of her suitcase were swallowed by the thick carpet.

By the time her parents realized that she wasn’t in her room, she would be far away. What exactly she would do now, she wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but what she knew with absolute certainty was that Steve Leon would never lay a hand on her.