The only protection from forced matings was through your family, Pack and Alpha. That is why females didn't travel to other territories without escorts, and part of why there were so many vendettas and wars fought between Packs. I fingered the necklace I wore, with the Pack's emblem and the letters "AP" for "Alpha Protected." As part of my contract to come here, the necklace signified his vow to kill any man who tried or succeeded in force mating me. By killing him, I could be free again.

You never got over the rape, though. I had treated several women who this had happened to, they never looked at mates...