The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper

As I walk through the halls of my high school in between classes, my fellow warriors call out to me. I wave and acknowledge them in response. Jason, my best friend, jogs to catch up to me. “Hey Little Badass, what are you doing after school?”

“Jason, don’t call me that. I hate that name.”

“Well, I’ve got news for you, the whole squad is calling you little badass after that stunt you pulled yesterday, so you better get used to it.”

I stop in my tracks and look at Jason. “Tell me you’re joking!” By the look on his face, I see he’s not joking. Well shit!

“Anyway,” he continues, “after school?”

“Oh right. I’m doing my usual, hanging out with dad.”

“And by ‘hanging out’ you mean training? That’s your secret right, you get to train with the biggest badass that this pack has ever known?”

I stop and look at my long-time friend. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alpha Rik with his entourage of females. “I see the harem continues to grow,” I nod my chin in Alpha Rik’s direction, ignoring Jason’s question about training with my dad.

He’s right, I do train with my father. Every day. I know my path, it’s been set for me since the day I was born. My job is to be the strongest, fastest, most powerful warrior in the pack, better even than my mom and dad. My legacy is to one day protect the Alpha, just as my father did.

is our future alpha doesn’t even know who I am. What kind of alpha doesn’t know the daughter of the man and woman that are the sole reason that he and his family are alive? My parents’ sacrifices are the reason he is able to be the man whore he chooses to be. And lucky me, one day

broad, muscular arms and shoulders sit well on his 6’4’ frame which slides into a sharp V at his waist, sliding into narrow hips, rounded out by strong, muscular legs that pants and jeans can’t hide. Every unmated female of age in our pack and every other nearby pack hopes that they have a chance to be our future Luna. And if not the future Luna, at least to have the possibility of becoming the gorgeous alpha’s girlfriend and maybe

and fair, exactly what you want in the leader of your pack. Our future alpha, however, well, let’s just say the jury is still out on that one. He’s definitely strong. I’ve watched him train, he’s a beast. Alpha genes will do that for you. Unlike me, I have to be smarter and work harder than any alpha if I’m going to be his protector. Not only that, but I’m a relatively small female in my slight, fit 5’4” frame. But that just means that my opponents tend to underestimate me. My fellow warriors have learned that I’m not an easy target. I’ve defeated all

it’s my own arrogance, but I will most likely be his guardian someday. I have no wish to be just another mark on his bedpost. And really, have some respect, if not for yourself, at least for your future mate. We all have a mate out there. And I have no intention of offending my future mate by being in a long line of short relationships or worse a

I can’t wait to turn 18 so we can find him.’ My wolf is much more excited about finding our mate than

18 and step up as guardian, I will have to spend an inordinate amount of time in Rik’s presence. Unless, and this is key, I meet my mate and he is from another pack. Then my allegiance moves to that alpha. It’s because of this, that I know Alpha Anders really hopes that my mate is from our pack. My father and I are the biggest reason that our pack is the strongest in the country. However, I’ve been flirting with the Alpha of the Shadow Falls pack, Alpha Liam, for nearly a year now. He is a bit older than I am, at 24. He hasn’t met his mate yet and he knows that I’m waiting for mine. He’s been respectful of my

while I’ve been staring at Alpha Rik. Suddenly, he must feel my eyes on him as he looks right at me, his

my head. ‘Artemis?? What the

know, maybe it’s because he’s an

you

instinct, I can’t help

eyes away from the magnetic pull that is Alpha Rik to turn my attention back to Jason, ‘I’m sorry, what

yes, the harem continues to increase in size as Alpha Rik gets closer to his 18th birthday, you know they are all hoping they will be his mate.”

one’” I say, giving him my best highlander impression. Jason is a sucker for old school Highlander movies.

arm around my neck and dragging me off to my next class, which is also

pack mates who all call me little badass. Great,

it Cara. If the

have