The Glass Slipper (Black Valley Shifters Book 1) Read online

  The Glass Slipper

  Mila Crawford

  Copyright © 2021 by Mila Crawford

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Introduction

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Epilogue

  Also by Mila Crawford

  About the Author

  Introduction

  The Glass Slipper

  By Mila Crawford

  Daniella

  I was forced into servitude after watching my family get slaughtered. For ten years, I have been planning my escape, desperate for my freedom, far from the dysfunctional pack, the cruel Alpha that ruled them. I never believed it would be possible until I met him.

  Axel

  It was meant to be a quick conference. I was supposed to be there to represent the Black Valley Wolf Pack. I wasn’t expecting to challenge anyone or change a whole system of corruption and evil embedded in the most deranged and depraved pact in the region. That was before I saw her.

  My mate.

  Now I would burn the whole world and everyone who stood in my way to make her mine.

  Prologue

  Daniella

  "What do ya want to do with the pup?" the voice asked.

  I stayed huddled in the corner, thinking if I stayed small, I could convince them to leave, but that wasn't how it worked. They knew I was here; they could smell the fear permeating off me.

  "Find her first." The Alpha's voice boomed with such terror that my body trembled at the sound.

  "Can't we just leave her?" another voice, this one female, asked. "It's not like she's going to survive. Let's get what we need and leave.”

  "No. We need the pup; I'm not risking her running off and yapping her pathetic mouth," the Alpha growled.

  I didn't dare to look up to see them. I knew they scented me, but they couldn't figure out that I was under the floorboards, hovering. My parents had known this day would come. They had prepared for it my entire life. They’d laced the small cabin with many scents to try to confuse shifters who could come our way. They’d sent my brother away the minute he was born, knowing that a male heir wouldn't be allowed to breathe past his first breath. My father had wanted to send me away too, but my mother couldn't bear to lose another child, so they’d raised me.

  As the years went by, we thought we were safe, that maybe the pack had forgotten about us and they too were moving on with their lives, but we were wrong, fatally so. As the wolves barged in our small home, two grabbed my father while my mother urged me to shift and rushed me under the floorboards before they could see. Then she went off to help my father, but by her shrieking scream, it was too late. She'd lost her mate. For a wolf shifter, the loss of a mate is the end. Many can't survive the loss, and they too die soon afterward. My wolf wanted to go out there and fight, to try to protect my small pack, but the humans prevailed, and I stayed quiet.

  I heard the shuffling of footsteps, and then they stopped right above me. The voices were a hush before the safety of my hiding place was ripped open and the sunlight came blaring violently through.

  "I found the mutt," the man said before reaching down and pulling me up by the fur on my neck.

  I closed my eyes, desperate to escape the horrors that I was sure would then happen to me. I was prepared for the death at hand, but instead, the Alpha walked towards me and threw me in a crate. "You're not going to kill her?" another deep voice asked.

  "No, I'm going to make her a slave," the Alpha said before he covered my new cage with a thick black cloth, shrouding me in darkness and despair.

  Chapter 1

  Daniella

  "Ella," Molly screeched, her voice like nails grinding viciously against a chalkboard. After all these years, her voice still made me shiver and my skin crawl. I wiped my brow and headed to the living room. There, Molly sat, her short stubby legs presented on the coffee table as she leaned back on the sofa. Her lips were covered with the stain of red from the plump strawberries, and her white dress was stained with the juices.

  "How can I help you, Molly?"

  My question didn't even phase her. She sat there wholly ignoring me as if I were nothing more than a gnat while I busied myself picking up the various debris scattered on the floor.

  After another minute of silence, she finally broke it. “Oh, there you are, Ella "Oh, there you are, Ella. I am parched. I'd love a cup of hot tea." Molly didn't even look at me as she spoke; she just stuffed her face with another strawberry and started talking. I couldn't focus on her words. All I could see was the strawberry flesh in her mouth and the tainted red drops of spit that flew in the air. "Why are you just standing there?" Molly demanded, waving her hand in the air manically. "Get my drink."

  I nodded and rushed back to the kitchen, where I placed the kettle on the stove. My gaze wandered out the window, mesmerized by the lush green trees surrounding the mountains. I used to love running wild in trees, hearing my mother's laughter as my father and I chased each other endlessly until we both flopped with fatigue on the dirty forest floor.

  "What's taking so long?" Molly's voice startled me, making me jump involuntarily. "I don't appreciate having to chase after you. It was a straightforward request. I was enjoying my time. Now you've ruined everything."

  I wanted to take the hot water and throw it all in her face. All she did was vegetate on the couch and pretended that her day was hard. Being the Alpha's daughter afforded her the kind of luxury where she could do whatever she wanted and no one would question her.

  The pack wasn't at all like the stories my father told me. They used to be full of good people, kind people. There wasn't much they wouldn't do for each other and the community. Now they were just thugs and criminals ultimately fuelled with power. I was sure that I would have been assaulted in different ways- passed around more than just a servant- if they could get it up for anyone other than their mate.

  When I’d first gotten here, I’d wished that they would have killed me too, but I’d started comforting myself with the night as time went by. In the darkness, when it was just me and my thoughts, I found hope.

  "Sorry, Molly. Here you go," I chirped, swallowing, trying to control my nerves as I handed her the mug.

  "Next time, don't take as long," she said as she walked back to the living room. "You're so lucky Mom and Amanda aren't around to see your incompetence," she called behind her. As far as evil women went, Molly wasn't the bad one; for the most part, she stayed out of my way, but Amanda, well, she was a completely different beast.

  “This is disgusting,” Amanda screeched before hurling the bowl of hot soup at my head. I ducked just before it hit my right eye and broke on the wall behind me. I turned to watch the liquid sliding down the wall.

  “You didn’t need to do that,” I spat, anger coursing through my veins. It had been ten years, ten merciless years, suffering day in and day out. I knew I shouldn’t have said what I said, I knew I had been stupid, but at that moment, I didn’t care.

  “Did you dare question me?” Amanda’s voice blared through the room. She got up from her chair, walking towards me. “You’re nothing, nobody.” Her eyes threw daggers as she tried to stare me down, but when I s
tared back, she flinched. She missed a step and fell, crumbling to the ground below my feet. She began to scream as if she’d been harmed.

  “Enough,” a stern voice boomed, followed by the sound of wood being banged. We both turned our gaze to the table to see the Alpha glaring at us; both of us averted our eyes, not daring to meet him directly. “Amanda, get up,” he demanded. That was all that was needed for Amanda to run like a scampering mouse back to her chair. I turned to start cleaning up when the mess Amanda had made. “Leave it,” the voice said, making me stop in my tracks. That was the power of an Alpha. When he spoke, every wolf stopped and obeyed. We had to. There was no choice. That was what had kept me here, not able to run away. “I need to talk to everyone. Daniella, come sit at the table.”

  As soon as I was seated, Michael, the Alpha, took us all in, his gaze moving from one of us to the next. “It’s our turn to host the Wolf conference this year. The custom is that everyone has to attend, even you, Daniella,” he said, turning to me. “I expect you all to behave. You are representing the Alpha.” He then turned to address his real daughters. “You need to get your dresses together for the ball; maybe you’ll finally find a mate.”

  “Do I get a dress for the ball?” I whispered, not sure who I was asking the question of.

  “You’re a slave, Daniella. Who’d want to mate with you?” Amanda cackled, her loud laughter consuming the room.

  “There is a trunk in the attic. You can see what you can put together out of those scraps,” Michael said before cutting into his steak.

  Chapter 2

  Axel

  "Why are we here, Garett?"

  "You wanted to grab a beer, so that's what we're doing," Garett said before tipping the bottle back and taking a gulp.

  "Yes, I wanted a beer, but not this shit," I said, pushing away the bottle. "What I meant is what are we doing in this shit hole town?"

  "We're next in line for being the Alpha; this is where this year's conference is. So we have to be here." Garett took in a deep breath as he waved his hand in the air.

  My gaze traveled along the dank, dirty space before I waved at the server. A skinny blonde came to the table. As she smiled, I couldn't help but notice that she was missing a few teeth. I smiled, wanting to be as pleasant as possible. "Would I be able to trouble you for a glass of scotch?" I asked.

  "Hon, we look like the kind of place that carries scotch?" she said, smiling her toothless grin at me.

  "Well, what do you have?"

  She counted on her fingers. "We've got beer, vodka, rum, and whiskey."

  "Whisky will do, on the rocks," I said.

  "You got it, hon." She picked up my half-drunk beer bottle and walked away.

  "What's wrong with the women of this town?" Garett asked, staring after her.

  "This place is known for that shit; rumors fly about them mating with their blood."

  "So this is all inbreeding? I doubt that, brother."

  "Who knows. The sooner this is all over, the sooner we can leave," I said.

  "Maybe you'll find a mate," Garett teased.

  "Maybe you'll get punched in the face," I shot back.

  Garett smiled as he held his hands up. "Relax, man. I was kidding. But you know we can't help that shit. Who's to say one of these backward wolves isn't our mate?" He shuddered as he finished his sentence, shaking his head, trying to perish the thought.

  I burst out laughing. "It's just a few days—a blink of an eye.”

  "I wish we could skip this stupid ball" Garett said.

  “You and me both. . Look at these people, Garett. I'm sure we can take them all. These wolves shouldn't even be allowed to exist. They don't take care of each other; they all look sick and decaying."

  "You know that's not on them, Ax. That's on the Alpha."

  “The fuckin' Alpha should be shot."

  "Yes, he should be," Garett agreed.

  "Fuck bein' shot. That fucker should be drawn and quartered," I spat, disgusted as I looked around. Normally Alphas prided themselves on taking care of their pack. That was the whole purpose of the role, to make sure that people were healthy and happy. This guy had let his people rot while he just took care of himself. We all knew about Michael and his pack. A bunch of glorified dogs, yet no Alpha had challenged him, not yet anyway. "Let's get the fuck out of here." I got up, kicked my chair back, and drew a few pairs of eyes on me. I dropped a fifty on the table as Garett got up, and then we walked towards the entrance. Just as we were about to leave, a sweet scent had me stopping in my tracks.

  My mate.

  “What’s wrong?” Garett asked, turning to look at me, his hand lingering on the door.

  “My mate is here,” I said, leaving him at the door as my gaze frantically searched the space. My wolf was scratching to be released, the need to protect making him insane. I held him at bay. I needed her to see the man the first time.

  “Ax,” I heard Garett yell, but I wasn’t going to turn around. We only had one mate, and she was all I could think about. Finding her. Claiming her. I rushed past the crowd, bodies colliding together, the voices around me turning into white noise until I finally saw her. There, standing at the side of the bar, was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Wild, curly blonde hair falling down to her waist, creamy smooth skin, and electric blue eyes. Right then and there, I came undone, and I knew that I would spend the rest of my life loving her.

  “Excuse me,” I said, the words getting stuck in my throat. I felt my palms sweat as my breath quickened when she turned around. She was a vision. We couldn’t choose our mates, but mine…she was a stunner. She stood there staring at me, I could hear the blood rushing in her veins. I was affecting her the same way she was affecting me. I was always told about the staggering strength of a mating bond, but nothing could have prepared me for the rush of joy, fear, and lust. Right there for the first time in my life, I felt my cock stiffen and rise. The animalistic need to take her took over me, and my wolf clawed to get out, demanding I claim what was ours now and forever.

  Chapter 3

  Daniella

  I’d been working at the bar in town for the last six months. I had been searching for a job for a while that would allow me to work around my insane schedule at home. In this town, jobs like that were few and far between. When I saw the opening, I rushed down to apply. Joey took one look at me and said something about how a pretty face might bring in some more business, and I started right then and there. I saved every cent I made, hoping that one day maybe it can get me out of my miserable situation.

  “Excuse me,” a deep voice said, hitting me like a thunderbolt. I felt my body react in ways that I had never known before. I turned around to be faced with a tall brick wall of a man. He was massive. I looked up from his muscular abdomen that was accentuated by his tight fitted sweater to broad shoulders to the most handsome face I had ever seen in my entire life. He had sun-kissed skin, a short beard, and these warm, glowing green eyes. His wolf was hovering right underneath, based on those irises. My mate.

  He came closer to me, closing the distance between us. I could feel the heat resonating off his body and warming my own. Everything in the space around us disappeared. We weren’t in a dingy, stain-filled, rundown bar anymore. All that was left was this man and me.

  “Mine,” he said before he bent down and crushed his lips to mine.

  No words, no movement other than the feel of his rough lips claiming mine. The kiss was slow, a burning, slow inferno building until a burst of flames erupted into an explosion. His hand curled slowly into my hair, fisting it while his other hand grasped my waist and crushed me to him. I was shocked by the hardness of him against my stomach. His tongue passed by my lips, causing me to open up, invite him in. The taste of stale beer and whiskey invaded my senses, but I didn’t care because the scent that was overpowering it was home.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said against my lips before peppering kisses along my face, to my ear, and down my neck. “You know who I am?”


  “My mate,” I whispered.

  His hands roamed my body like a map. I could sense that he wanted to know every single inch of me, to be one with me. And I wanted to know him, memorize him.

  “Let’s get out of here.” He pulled away, lacing his finger in mine and gently tugged me towards the door.

  “I can’t. I have to work. My shift starts in five minutes.” I didn’t want to lose my job. I wasn’t sure what I would do if I couldn’t make that small amount that came my way from it. It was really all I had. The only hope I had of getting away from here.

  “You don’t need it anymore. Everything I have, it’s yours.”

  “What, like some prince, you’re going to wake me up with a true love's kiss?” I joked.

  His lips curved into a lopsided smile, making the panes of his face soften. He pulled me to him again, his strong hands supporting me as he lifted me off the ground.

  “You're my mate. You have any idea how long I have waited for you? There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

  “It’s more complicated than that. I need this job.” As I looked into his eyes, I knew this man wouldn’t walk away with my weak explanation, but it was the truth.

  “You know what a bond is. You’re a wolf.”

  “These people aren’t normal wolves,” I whispered, making sure my voice was so low that no one could hear but him. I didn’t want to risk something happening to him. “Michael controls everyone and everything here. He won’t let me go. He wouldn’t risk it.”