Page 1 of Brutal Alpha's Forced Mate

Prologue - Jaslyn

Ten Years Earlier

The first time I accidentally blew up a tree, it didn’t seem like such a big deal. But by the fourth explosion, the whispers started:witch, freak, time bomb. And now, as I stand in the middle of the pack’s training grounds with magic still buzzing around my fingertips, I’m pretty sure they’re about to addbanishedto the list.

Witches aren’t exactly beloved by shifters. Centuries-old grudges run deep, tangled in wars and betrayals no one alive even remembers, but everyone insists on hating each other for, anyway.

The only reason I’m even here is because of my mother, a shifter who made the mistake of falling for a warlock. She died bringing me into this world, and the pack only let me stay because of her legacy. My father? He bolted the moment he found out my mom was pregnant, taking his magic and any chance I had at guidance with him.

So here I am, figuring this witch thing out on my own while the pack watches, waiting for me to fail. And if today’s any indication, they won’t have to wait much longer.

“You’re a menace, Jaslyn,” Madison, one of the she-wolves a year above me, sneers at me over her shoulder. “Why don’t you just go back to whatever hole you crawled out of before you kill someone?”

I clench my fists and force myself to look at the dirt instead of her smug face. She’s not worth it. None of them are. But the laughter that comes over the group burns more than the magic searing under my skin. It’s frenzied, untamed, anddesperate to lash out. If I had any idea how to control it, maybe I could show them all exactly what I’m capable of. Instead, I’m stuck here, a disaster waiting to happen.

“Enough.”

Gray’s voice cuts through the mockery, and I swear even the wind stops moving. He steps out from the edge of the field, and his broad shoulders and sapphire-blue eyes command attention like nothing I’ve ever seen. The rest of the pack straightens instinctively as his presence smothers their jeering.

Gray Reed. Alpha of the Red Arrow Pack. He’s young for an alpha—too young. At nineteen, he’s only two years older than me, and already the man is carrying the weight of the pack on his shoulders after his father’s sudden death.

He shouldn’t even be here—he’s got way more important things to deal with than me accidentally setting someone’s hair on fire again. But here he is, walking toward me with that breezy confidence that makes my chest tighten and my stomach twist from just one look.

“Back to training,” he barks at the others. “Now.”

Madison shoots me one last glare before slinking away with the rest of them, and I finally let out the breath I’ve been holding. The tension in my shoulders fades with the pack’s departure, and within seconds, it’s just Gray and me standing in the wreckage of my latest magical misfire.

“Jaslyn, what happened?” His voice is softer now, but it still makes my spine straighten.

I don’t want to meet his eyes, but I do, anyway, because it’s impossible not to when he looks at me like that. Like I’m not a total disaster. Like I’m not one wrong move away from burning this whole place to the ground.

“I—I didn’t mean to,” I stammer. “It just… happened. Again.”

Gray sighs and scrubs a hand through his blond hair. The sunlight catches on the strands, making him look even more untouchable than usual. He’s too perfect for this place, too perfect for me. And yet, here he is, standing in front of me like he actually cares about what I have to say.

“You’ve got to get a handle on this, Jaslyn. It’s dangerous. Not just for you, but for everyone.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” The words come out sharper than I mean them to, but I don’t care. I’m tired of being treated like some kind of ticking time bomb, even if that’s exactly what I am. “Do you think I want to lose control? Do you think I like being the freak everyone’s afraid of?”

The muscle in Gray’s jaw ticks, and for a second, I think he’s going to snap back. But then he surprises me by inching closer, and his gaze softens in a way that makes my breath hitch.

“You’re not a freak. You’re just… different. And different doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, it’s often an asset.”

I want to believe him. I really do. But it’s hard to believe anything good about myself when the pack looks at me like I’m a disease. Even now, with Gray standing so close that I can feel his body heat, all I can think about is how much better off everyone would be if I just disappeared.

“Tell that to Madison and the rest of the pack,” I mutter, kicking at a clump of dirt. “Especially Carter. He’d throw a party if I was gone.”

Gray sighs again, but this time, it’s more of a frustrated huff. “Carter’s a jerk.”

That startles me, and I snap my head up to look at him. “But he’s Beta.”

“Exactly. He shouldn’t act like a damn bully. The only reason he’s beta is because his father was beta before him. The pack will come around once they see what you’re capable of.”

“And what if they don’t?”

His answer is immediate and firm. “Then they’ll answer to me.”

Something in the way he says it sends a shiver needling down my spine—not fear, but something else. Something warm and unfamiliar. It’s the way his eyes hold mine, like he’s pleading with me to believe him. And for a moment, I almost do.

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