chapter one - First encounter

MIRANDA'S POV

I could not believe it was finally happening. All my dreams would finally be in place as I took my tickets and documents away from the office. My flight was in the morning of the next day, and soon, I would be in Paris, living the life of my dreams.

My cell phone rang out as I picked it up.

"Hello, Justin." I greeted my significant other.

"Hi, mi amor. How did it go?" He asked me.

"Well, you better be ready to welcome me because I'll be coming to you tomorrow," I said to him,

"Yes!!!" he exclaimed. I could feel his excitement from the other end as he rejoiced. It was contagious.

Justin was my boyfriend, and we had never met. He was a sweet soul who assisted me with getting this scholarship that would bring us together for the first time. Our online relationship had been ongoing for three years, and the funny thing is that it was a coincidental meeting. That story would be better off left alone. I would meet him, and then we would give ourselves all the fairytale romance we had promised each other.

I had never had a boyfriend save for Justin. I never really connected with anyone. I lived alone with my stepfather, who spent his time and fortune gambling. My mother had died the previous year of cancer, leaving him feeling stuck with him. I was the child that bred terrible luck, and, not to say the least, he blamed everything that was faulty on me. He could not cast me away as the house was my mother's, and we both had equal rights to it.

Living with such an abusive person had never been easy, but by the morning, I would be totally free of him. He would then find the relief he sought.

I went home to break the good news to him as I rode my bicycle. It was also a beautiful sunny day, and the old town was bustling. I had just gotten home when I gasped. The flowers on the lawn and my mom's beautiful rose bed had been ruined. Three black cars were parked in front of the house in the most disorderly manner. I was vexed as I thought that perhaps my stepfather had brought his gambling cronies to our home, and I was bracing myself to tell him of the damage they had done.

Angrily, I opened the door and was met with a scene that caused me to gasp heavily. It was not good as my stepfather was kneeling before a man shivering.

"Dad..." I swallowed the rest of the words in my mouth.

The house was filled with men dressed in black suits as they stood around like they had been waiting for me to arrive. A man was seated on the oversized couch, and the moment I saw him, a lump formed in my chest.

Perhaps I need to introduce myself properly to you. My name is Miranda, and I am a werewolf. My whole family included.

I could tell that those men in front of me were the same as I was, and they sent shivers down my spine. The man I found myself staring hard at was even more scary as he was attractive. He would pass for the most beautiful creature I had ever come across.

"And you must be Miranda." He said to me, smiling as he set aside a picture frame he had been holding onto of my mother and me.

I could not explain it, but I found my legs taking me towards him. The aura he exhumed was far too much for any ordinary wolf. What was it with this man, and who exactly was he?

"Yes. I am Miranda. What are you doing in my home?" I asked him.

"Silence, girl." My stepfather warned me.

"And have I permitted you to speak?" The man asked.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. The girl lacks manners sometimes." He said.

Alpha? What on earth was happening here right now?

"I love her guts." He said.

"Who are you?" I demanded still.

"Oh, I'm Alpha Lambert, and you need to sign that." He said to me, pointing at the already drafted document on the table.

"What is that?" I asked him.

"Oh, nothing important. Just a little something your stepfather would explain better." He said to me,

I turned to look at my stepfather, raising an eyebrow as I awaited his explanation.

"I'm sorry. I owe him a lot of money." He said to me,

"What has that got to do with me? You owe him, so you pay him or leave my house." I said to him,

"You don't get it; unless you sign that document, we have no house." He said to me,

"What do you mean by that we have no house? Answer me!!!" I yelled angrily.

"Easy, my dear." The man said as he came closer to me, touching me on the chin like he was examining my face. " Your father here used the house as collateral when he borrowed money from my casino. If you sign that document, you'll realize I am only being fair."

I pulled away from him and would have turned away and left. After all, I already had my life sorted out and could pass the night at an inn or something. But then, two of his hefty men in suits stood in my way, and I turned around to glare at him.

"Let me go," I said.

"I wish I could, but it seems you do not understand the situation here; when he made his bargain, he bet on the house and everything in it." He said to me,

"And if I refuse to sign?" I asked him.

He smiled and spread his hands out.

"I have ways of putting newly acquired maids to work." He said to me,

Maids? What in the name of the heavens was he rambling about?

Renewed anger flowed through my veins as my eyes darkened. I glared at my stepfather. Tears welled up in my eyes as it dawned on me that just when I would have been breathing the new air of my freedom, he had to go on to ruin my life with his bad behavior. And later, he claims I am the bad luck.

"Why would I want to sign a document? I have no idea what it demands?" I asked not to take my eyes away from my stepfather.

"And when did I stop you from reading through it? You can see for yourself, mon cherie." He said to me,

French? Did he know I was going to France? And why did he have to say it in that tone that sent shivers down my spine? I nodded as I walked tentatively and picked up the document. My eyes fell on some of the words written on it.

Contract? Baby? Heir?

What in the world was happening here? I could not believe my eyes. I was expected to sign away my freedom henceforth pending whenever I produced an heir for the man I did not even know.

Suddenly, a gut feeling of nausea swept over me as I could not believe my eyes.