By the end of my first day at the mill, my hands were red, bleeding in some places, and covered in sawdust. The work hadn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. What was really killing me, was being away from the alpha I’d met in the cafeteria – my fated mate.

Was it really possible?

I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that it was really possible that I’d met my fated mate. But the scent was unmistakable. It was overwhelming, and even with the fragrance of fresh pine in the air, I could still remember how he smelled.

Leaving him had been the hardest thing I’d ever had to do, and I’d longed for him to come after me as I left the cafeteria. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Jeremiah was clearly his alpha and pack leader, and that meant he was in charge.

And he wanted me.

The thought terrified me. He looked at me like I was a piece of meat, not an actual person. Normally, I’d be flattered to be so lusted after by an alpha, but Jeremiah scared me. It was like he already owned me.

But the good news was it was the end of the day and almost time to go home. The mill offered a meal at the end of the day, but despite having worked my butt off for the last six hours, I wasn’t hungry. I was hoping to see my fathers’ SUV pull up the hill and rescue me to save me from having to wait outside.

I was conflicted.

On one hand, I was desperate to see my fated again – I didn’t even know his name. But on the other hand, I was horrified at the idea of being found by Jeremiah.

“I’m gonna come see you later.” That’s what he’d told me. That I’d just found myself an alpha and a pack to go along with it. I wasn’t even sure I wanted a pack.

Living at home with my fathers wasn’t all bad, and I hadn’t even had my first heat yet, so I knew I wasn’t ready to have pups for my alpha, whoever he ended up being. And I knew, by the way Jeremiah had been looking at me, that that’s what he wanted me for – breeding.

I came out of Mill 2 and kept to the building line as I walked back down toward the parking lot to wait for my fathers, when a scent caught my nose and I felt my body fill with fear.

It’s him.

“Boyo,” I heard Jeremiah’s voice behind me, grating against my bones like a cheese grater. “Where you going in such a hurry?”

I kept walking, but turned and glanced over my shoulder and saw him heading toward me, flanked by two betas. A shiver twisted through my spine. I tried shaking it off, but I suddenly felt cold.

“Going to meet my fathers,” I told him, picking up the pace. My heart was doing backflips in my chest and I felt myself start sucking air in quick shallow gulps.

I heard the footsteps behind me quicken and someone snapped their fingers. One of the betas peeled off from the group and I saw him head toward the other side of the parking lot.

I prayed my fathers’ SUV would come up the rise over the hill and save me, but it didn’t. Jeremiah’s footsteps grew closer and I felt his warmth behind me as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

“What’s the hurry?” He asked, turning me around to face him. He was an alpha, and a big one, and definitely stronger than I was. There was something behind his eyes that I couldn’t quite get a handle on – something elusive and frightening, like I wasn’t really looking at him.

“Yeah, you don’t need a ride,” one of his betas said with a giggle a little inappropriate for his age. It made my skin crawl.

And that’s when I heard it – the sound of a car approaching, and when I turned, I saw Jeremiah’s other beta at the wheel of a rusty pickup that looked like it had once been gold but was now faded into a dull tan.

Jeremiah’s arm slid around my neck and he pulled me close to him. His scent wasn’t all that pleasing, and was somewhat masked by a cologne that smelled like something you’d find in a frat house and was completely unappealing.

“Didn’t I tell you?” He grinned as the truck squealed to a halt beside me. “You need a pack. And nobody’s claimed you yet.”

With a firm grip on my arm, Jeremiah led me around the back of the truck as his beta pulled open the rear hatch.

They’re going to take me! I realized as the sheer panic started to set in. I wanted to run, but there was no way I could escape them, and as I looked around, there was no one else to be found. They must have all still been in the cafeteria finishing dinner.

I tried to open my mouth and yell for help, thinking maybe someone would hear me and come to my rescue, but before I could even get out a squeak, Jeremiah’s firm grip clamped down over my lips.

“Shhhh, now,” he said. “Shhhh. Just accept it. This is what’s best for you, little omega. You couldn’t ask for a better alpha to claim you. You’ll give me some beautiful pups.”

His other arm went around my waist and he lifted me with ease and tossed me in the back of the truck. I hit the cold steel bed of the pickup hard and looked back just in time to see the tailgate close behind me.

Finally, I was able to find my voice.

“Help!” I shouted as Jeremiah hopped in the driver’s seat. “Help me!”

But it was too late. The engine revved and the truck lurched forward, spitting sawdust and wood chips as it roared off away from the mills and down the hill.

“Help!” I screamed once more, completely in vain. No one was going to hear me or come to my rescue. Not my fathers, not the beautiful alpha whose scent still lingered in my nose.

I scrambled around as the truck hit a bump and swerved onto the main road, and looked out the window as the mill began to vanish into the distance.

This is it, I thought. There’s nothing I can do.