One Princess One Pack One Villain Read online

  One Princess

  One Pack

  One Villain

  Book 1

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Brenda Westfall

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 1

  Deep in the mountains of Northern Arkansas there is a secluded little town called, Rosewood. It’s not on any map. Rosewood is a small community with a population of three thousand four hundred twenty-two.

  Rosewood has one road in and one road out. Main Street is pretty much the only street. The School sits at the end of Main Street. The people who live here have no idea what lurks in the woods around their town.

  Rosewood has two grocery stores a couple of diners and a couple of apartment complexes. There's one gas station. There is one hair salon. A few other small shops that carry this and that. One doctor slash veterinary. No super centers, no hospitals, no factories. Just good clean air.

  Most people who live in Rosewood must travel out of town to their jobs. Forty miles away is a town full of factories and super stores. Unless you know about Rosewood you would never find it.

  Deep in the woods outside of town lives a family. Well, sort of a family. It’s more like a pack of werewolves. The Pack Master Baron Black has raised his pack to protect one above all, Princess Cara, his one, and only daughter. He has seven sons. Princess Cara is the only young female in the pack. The first female werewolf to be born to the pack in nearly sixty years.

  It is believed that Cara will renew the pack. Bring new life to the pack. Her father has big plans for her to rebuild the pack once she has chosen a mate. Though the pack consists of only a dozen eligible males, his daughter so far refuses to mate with any one of them. He still believes she will turn things around for their pack. He sees many pups in her future. Many female pups.

  It is early September and school is about to start. Cara has gone to public schools all her life. But now that she is turning sixteen, her father feels it is time to start keeping her home and homeschooling her. Cara doesn’t want to be home schooled. She has human friends at school that she has known for years.

  Cara is determined she will start school with the rest of her friends just like always. Her father is determined she won’t. The argument has gone on all summer long. Her father and Pack Master is concerned now that she is turning sixteen, other wolves will wander into their territory and take off with her. Female werewolves are hard to come by.

  “Father, I am going to school just like I have every year. My friends are there, and my brothers go there. No one wants me. You would think the way you treat me that I am the only female werewolf alive.”

  “You are one of only a handful. Do you realize how few female werewolves are born? Then half of them die the first year. You, my daughter, are worth your weight in gold to any wolf pack.”

  “I know I will choose a mate and have dozens of pup’s blah, blah, blah. We have been over this so many times before. Our pack is the only pack in hundreds of miles. No one outside of our pack even knows about my existence. You're being paranoid.”

  “Better I am paranoid then you disappear. Now I am through talking about this. You will be home schooled from now on.”

  “Oh no, I won’t. I will run off if you try to force me to stay here twenty-four hours a day. I need my friends as much as I need air.”

  “I am the Pack Master and I tell you what to do young lady.”

  I walk off. My father thinks he has won this battle, he is very wrong. Growing up in a pack sucks. Especially being the only young female. Everyone treats me like this fragile little pup. I have had to prove myself over and over to the pack that I am every bit as tough as the young male wolves.

  I can fight with the best of them. I can outrun most of them. I can hunt better than most. I can track anything. I have even learned how to box with my brothers. And yes, I can put them down most of the time.

  But being the only female in the pack means having to put up with every male in the pack trying to force me to submit to them. I submit to no one, including my father. I refuse to be forced to mate with a male who I do not love. Sure, they tell me once I have mated with one of them, I will fall madly in love with my new mate.

  I have seven brothers who think they can tell me what to do and when to do it and so on. My oldest brother Lucian hopes to be Pack Master someday. He practices telling me how things are. Lucian is very attractive and could easily have any lady in town. But he believes that someday he will find a wolf mate. Humans are fun to play with but not mate material.

  Marcus is the next in line after Lucian to be the Pack Master. If anything happens to my father or Lucian, then Marcus will become Pack Master. He would really like it if Lucian just disappeared, and my father died. He wants to run things.

  Next is Raul. Raul is tall, dark, and very, very handsome. Raul is a lady’s man. He loves having a different lady on his arm or in his bed every few nights. He can make the ladies’ hearts melt. They all love him till he moves on to the next one.

  Aidan is laid back and doesn’t seem to get mad at anyone. The ladies like him almost as much as they do Raul. But Aidan is looking for that one, that special one, his true soul mate.

  Amos is a senior this year. He has many girlfriends. He has sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. Quite unusual for a werewolf. He wants to move away from the pack to go to college. Father isn’t too crazy about the idea. It’s ok for the males to go to college, in fact, it is preferred but Amos wants to go far away from home. As far away as possible.

  Cane is a Junior this year. Like the rest of my brothers, he is a lady killer. He has two or three girls hanging on him at all times. High school is definitely his thing. He is on the football team. He runs track and anything else he can get into.

  Zeke is my twin. Yeah, we are the youngest of the bunch. Zeke has my red hair and hates it. But it doesn’t seem to slow him down when it comes to girls. His hair isn’t quite as fire red as mine, but we are the two oddballs of the pack.

  Cane, Zeke, and I are all starting eleventh grade this year. Now if you are human that doesn’t make sense because we are supposed to be brothers and sister. Cane is only six months younger than Zeke and me. See werewolves only carry their pups six months and can get pregnant right away. So, for school’s sake, we have to claim that Cane is a cousin. Seeing how he doesn’t look totally like us most humans don’t question it.

  Zeke and I are also a grade ahead of most kids. My father has always pushed the learning to the limits. Even during summer, we must work on the schoolbooks.

  I did get to work this summer and saved up my money. I plan to go shopping for new clothes before school starts. I am still trying to figure out how to get out of my father’s sight long enough to go shopping with my friends.

  My friends want to go over to the mall in Russell. It’s about sixty miles from our town. The best shopping is there. Our little town just doesn’t offer much.

  My friend Melanie got her driver’s license over the summer. She even got her own car. She keeps telling me to sneak out so we can go shopping. She doesn’t know just how hard that is when you live with a pack of wolves.

  Dawn is trying to talk me into spending the night with her so we can
all go to the mall with Mel. I tried to explain my father is trying to keep me home.

  Dawn and Eric have both told me they would swing by and pick me up if I can get away. Robert or Rob wanted me to go to the lake one last time with our little group of friends. Mike and James are the two clowns of our little group. They have both asked me out on dates, but I had to tell them I am not allowed to date. My father would kill me if I dated a human boy. Of course, none of my friends know the truth about what I am.

  I know what I need to do, I must convince my brothers to take me to the mall to shop. I can meet up with my friends there and they can follow at a distance. That way father won’t get mad when I just up and disappear for the day.

  “Lucian, where is Zeke?”

  “I don’t know, why?”

  “Well, I need to go shopping and I just thought maybe he could take me.”

  “Shopping where? You know father doesn’t want you out alone.”

  “That is why I thought I would get my brother to go with me. Hello, not stupid. I thought maybe I could get him to go to the mall with me?”

  “What! You know, father will never go for that. Princess, you are pushing him a lot lately. I am worried he is going to really go off on you. You get by with an awful lot, but times are changing. You are getting older, and it is time for you to choose a mate. He is right in not letting you out.”

  “Lucian, you just don’t understand. Oh, never mind.”

  “You better not go anywhere. Cara, you hear me?” I walk out of the room with him yelling at me. I intend to go shopping with my friends one way or another. I go to find my twin. If anyone will take me, it will be him. He understands me a lot better than the others.

  I find Amos out back working in the yard. I ask him where Zeke is. He goes through all the same questions as Lucian had. He doesn’t give me quite the third degree, but close.

  “Princess, you know it’s for your own good. You can’t be out like that it just isn’t safe. Cara, you can give me those puppy dog eyes all you want, it won’t work I tell you. Stop it. Oh hell. Let’s go find Zeke.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Hey, I didn’t say we’re going, I just said I would help you find Zeke. You can stop with the looks.” He helps me search for Zeke. We find him out in the woods at a stream. He has been hunting. He went to the stream to clean up some.

  “Hey, sis, what are you doing out here?”

  “Looking for you. I have a favor to ask.”

  “Uh oh.” Zeek looks over at Amos to see what is up.

  “Just wait until you hear what she wants.”

  “Alright, I’m listening.”

  “I want to go shopping at the mall. My friends will be there. I just need someone to go with me who will watch from a distance. You know so if father finds out I can say I wasn’t alone. Please, will you take me to the mall and help me out?”

  He rubs his chin for a minute, then looks up at Amos. Amos shakes his head no, but he knows as do the others when I get something in my mind, I do it. It is better for them to help me than not.

  “I suppose if I don’t, you’re going to go anyway. At least, if we take you someone will be along to keep an eye on you. Amos why don’t you see if we can’t get a couple of others to join us? I will tell father what we’re doing.”

  “No, no, if you tell him he won’t let me go. Zeke, I need some new clothes for school. Please, can’t we just go, then later if he asks where we were I can tell him? Once we get back and he sees nothing happened to me…” I am willing to beg if necessary.

  “You know what he would do to us if we took you out of town without telling him. Or better yet asking him. Princess. Sorry, I know you hate that name. Cara, I am willing to go with you, but I am not going without talking it over with father. He would tan my hide and yours too.”

  “But if you talk to him, he won’t let me go. He is still convinced I am not going to school this year with the rest of you. He’s wrong of course, but still.”

  “Little girl, if I am going to help you at all, it is on my terms. Sis, I don’t mind going along when you just go into town, but the mall is a ways off. He would have me horsewhipped. So, do you want my help or not?”

  “You know I do. I hate this, this always having to go to him every time I want to do something. You all don’t have to. It isn’t fair.”

  “Male werewolves are plenty, expendable even. You, young Princess are not.” Amos smiled at her.

  “You all treat me as if I can’t take care of myself. I can whip most of you when it comes to a good fight.” She had on several occasions.

  “Yes, sometimes you can. But Cara you have never gone up against another wolf pack. What happens if you’re out alone and a pack finds you? You wouldn’t be just fighting one on one?”

  “I don’t see that ever happening. We’re the only pack around for hundreds of miles.”

  “That we know of. We don’t know where every pack lives you know. Plus, some do travel when looking for mates. You just don’t think about things ever going wrong. You have had a simple life, well-protected life.”

  “Amos why do you hate me so much?” She stares at him. To her, it seems like they all hate her at times.

  “I don’t hate you. Princess you know I don’t. I just want to keep you safe like everyone here does.” Amos pulls me into his arms and gives me a hug. I know he doesn’t hate me, but sometimes it sure feels like it. We walk back to the house talking about some of the times when I did manage to get out without anyone knowing.

  “I remember father’s face when he caught you climbing back in your bedroom window that night you had snuck out to see your friends. It was priceless.”

  “You might have thought so, but I sure didn’t. I thought he was going to kill me. I still don’t know who told him I was gone. He never used to check in on me when my bedroom door was shut. I wonder who told him I had gone out?”

  They both look down at the ground. I know they know but won’t tell me. I elbow them in the ribs. I am walking in the middle. I have snuck out my fair share of times to go to the movies with my friends. We have one movie house in town. Not much else to do in our little town.

  “Do you remember when she snuck out and went to the lake? We must have hunted for six hours before we figured out she wasn’t out running.”

  “Amos if I’m not mistaken, we didn’t figure out she was gone till she came sneaking back in all wet in her swimming suit.”

  “You two act like I do bad things all the time. I only do what I must in order to have a life. If father had his way I wouldn’t have any friends or any fun. All work makes me a very angry Princess!”

  “We know.” They said at the same time.

  We get to the house and find father in his study. When the three of us walk in he looks up and I can see he already suspects something. I wonder if Lucian told him already. “Yes?”

  “Father you got a minute?”

  “Probably not, but from the looks of it, I better make time. What does she want you to do now?”

  “Father, I just want to go shopping. I thought maybe Zeke and Amos could take me. I need some new clothes.”

  “Why do I get the feeling we are not talking about in town? Cara I don’t want you going out. You know it isn’t safe. Look at me when I speak to you. I don’t want you going out do we understand each other?”

  “No, we don’t.” I nearly snarled at him.

  “Don’t use that tone with me young wolf.”

  “Father, you don’t understand. I need to go shopping. I need some new clothes, mine are getting a little too tight. Please? What if I take some of the pack with me? They can protect me and watch over me. Father, please?”

  He looks at me like he knows the same as my brothers that if he tells me no I am going to go anyway. He thinks about it long and hard. Then he starts speaking. “I know if I try to keep you here you’re going to try and sneak off. Where are you talking about going shopping?”

  “The… mall?” She practicall
y whispers.

  He is on his feet. “What! That is too far off. No, no way. Not going to happen. No Cara.” He keeps looking at me. I know what he is thinking, how can I stop her? I think he realizes he can’t. He looks at me then walks around the desk to stand in front of me. He puts his hands on my shoulders.

  “If I agree to this stupid shopping trip you have to agree to stay with your brothers. I mean it young wolf. I won’t have you running off. I want at least ten to go with you. The pack will protect you if another wolf pack shows up at the mall. Do I have your word you will stay right with them?”

  I hear Zeke and Amos both grumble, they don’t want to go with me really. They had expected father to put his foot down. Father stands there looking over my head at them with a warning on his face. One I have seen all too many times. He is making sure they understand if I get away from them, they’re dead meat when they get back.

  “I will stay where they can see me at all times. So, can I go?”

  “I wish I could make you stay home, but I know you, if I don’t agree and send the pack with you then you will up and run off. Cara, my little Princess you must stay with them and listen to them. If I hear that you didn’t, I will tan your hide when you get back. I mean it this time. Things are changing for you whether you like it or not. You are getting older, and you are putting off the scent that tells all wolves you’re ready for a mate. It could be very dangerous for you to be out. I know it is. But I also know you, you’re not going to take no for an answer. If I were smart, I would have you chained to your bed. Alright, you can go, but you will take several wolves with you. I want you well protected. Now how much money do you need?”

  I ask him for a couple hundred he laughs. But in the end, he gives me three hundred. He says we will need to eat at some point. I know it is all for me to spend. He gives the male’s money all the time. They work for it, but he has never denied any of our pack anything. He has several businesses that keep the pack in money. I don’t know all of them. But I have heard him talk about them to the wolves who are working.

  I hug him and give him a kiss on the cheek. He rubs his cheek against mine to let me know he loves me. It’s a wolf thing to rub faces. I bounce off to get ready to go. I hear him yelling at Amos and Zeke. I know he will give them the low down of every little detail of my outing.