Strider watched her from a safe distance behind a bunch of trees. He wore his black cloak so he could blend with the shadows. He watched Regin set up her picnic with her three friends: Kiza, Tisana, and Jacnith. Many people were in the park today. But Regin was the only one he wanted. He had followed her for five months. Watching her, studying her, observing her from afar. He wanted to ask her out, but there was a problem. She was beautiful. She had deep green eyes, long brown hair that was almost black, and lightly tanned skin.

Regin was unloading the sandwitches from the basket. She handed them around and the picnic started. Regin was about to start another sandwitch when some jocks came over.

Tom Landers, the quarterback for the nearby high school's football team. His two lackeys, Bill and Hank, were standing behind him to his right and left. Tom sat down next to Regin and smiled at her.

"Hey pretty girl. I hear your single." Tom said.

"I'm single for a reason." Regin replied in her beautiful voice. She took a bite out of her sandwitch.

And there was the problem. It was also the reason he stalked her the way he did for the past five months. Region will not date any man unless he can beat her in a fight. He has seen over thirty- four men try this month. And they all failed.

"I have heard that you won't even consider a boy as a boyfriend unless they can beat you in a hand to hand fight." Tom said grabbing one of Regin's sandwitches and biting into it.

"Yes, so you had better leave." She as she snatched her sandwitch from him and threw it behind her. She was getting angry.

"No can do sugar. I've come to challenge you to a fight." Tom grabed her drink and started brinking.

Regin smiled a sly smile, raised her hand up, and slapped the cup, dumping the contents all over him. "Challenge accepted."

Everyone wanted to go out with Regin. Since she was the daughter of the Guardian shape-shifter Jager. Jager was a simple looking man on the outside, but when danger came up, he changed into a large fierce, majestic wolf as tall as a fully grown Clydesdale horse. He could also control the size of his wolf. He could grow as big as a two story building, and shrink to the size of a puppy. Jager was the Guardian of the whole city. He fought evil with his amazing strength. Regin's strength was no different.

Except, no one has ever seen her wolf form. She has never changed shape in public.

Regin stood and walked into a clear area of the park. Everyone noticed and knew a fight was about to happen. The crowd formed quickly and circled the two. Strider quickly blended into the crowd.

"Alright, if I win, You spend the night with me in my bed." Tom said.

"And if I win, you have to pay my fighting fee. Two thousand dollars. In full. I accept checks, credit cards, cash, and expensive jewels." She always added a fee for the loser. She said it would pay for her wasted energy.

Tom agreed and took of his wet lettermen jacket. He was ready to fight. Kiza ran up to Regin with a metal collar. She handed it to Regin. Regin snapped the metal cuff around her neck, directly over her tattoo.

At least, she told everyone it was a tattoo. But Strider knew exactly what it really was. She was born with the tattoo like mark on her neck. It was pitch black in color and she always wore the metal collar over it when she fought.

It's because one touch to that mark and she would collapse for precious seconds. The black skin was ten times more sensitive then regular skin. Strider had learned that from watching her at night. She touched it one night trying to see if it was sensitive to her touch too, and when she made contact, he watched her collapse on her bedroom floor.

In his plan to beat her, he had to get to her tattoo.

Now that she was ready to fight, Jacnith stepped out of the crowd to begin the fight when the crowd split to let a giant tan wolf approach.

With a booming voice, Jager spoke. "What's going on here?"

Regin looked at her dad. "I was just about to kick Tom's butt, that's all dad."

Jager looked at Tom. He looked closely and shook out his fur before her changed back into his human form. "I've got five hundred on Regin." he said moving to the edge of the field.

Regin chuckled and looked over at Tom. Jacnith yelled "Fight!" and Tom charged her.

He went to hit her in the face but she ducked and nailed him in the gut. He grunted and kicked her legs out from under her. As she fell, she twisted and, putting her right hand on the ground brought her left leg around to nail him in his temple. He landed hard on the ground.

"I win. Pay up lackeys." Regin said to Bill and Hank. They paid up and Regin headed toward her dad. Bill and Hank rushed over to Tom.

Jager high fived Regin then hugged her close. "That's my girl."

Regin removed her metal collar and hooked it to her belt loop. Strider knew it was time to put his plan into action. First step, get to her collar. Step two, give her his scent. As she and her friends started walking his way, he started toward her. He purposefully knocked her over onto her butt. Scent delivered.

"Hey! Watch where your going!" She yelled at him.

All he did was smile and walk away. As he walked away, he looked down at his hand, as his finger wrapped around her metal collar. Step one and two, complete.

Regin climbed onto bed with a sigh. She had had a rough day. What with knocking Tom out and all. She even lost her collar. She had just finished her workout and was exhausted. She was about asleep when she heard a thunk on her window. Groaning, she got up and went to her window.

She instantly spotted the idiot that knocked her down earlier. She opened her window and looked down at him.

"It's you again. You come to apologies? Or am I going to have to kill you?"

The man just turned and walked off into the woods. That made Regin mad. NO ONE walked away from her! She charged after him.

Strider waited for Regin to enter the clearing. When she did, he came out of hiding.

"Where are you? Come out you stupid boy!" Regin yelled.

"I'm right here my sweet." The Strider answered.

Regin turned and faced Strider. She seemed to look him over. Though Strider was in a black cloak with the hood over his head. It went down to his ankles and completely encircled his body. The hood hid his face well.

"What do you want boy?" Regin asked him.

"You." he answered with a smile. Flicking his head, he tossed off the hood.

Regin met the mans aqua blue eyes. She knew Strider. He was a secretive and intense man. Never one to mess with. Not many people knew Strider face to face. Most of the time Strider was encased in his jet black cloak that matched his normal short jet black hair.

"Hey I've heard of you. Should have guessed it was you, what with the cape and all. You've got guts, I'll give you that." Regin said.

Strider chuckled to himself. "Yes. And I have heard of you as well Regin. No man can date you unless they beat you, correct."

"My reputation precedes me. So why did you wake me up for?"

Of course Regin could guess what all this was about. He had already said he wanted her. But Regin was ignoring him. Hoping that he would leave.

"I have come to challenge you."

Regin laughed. "And why should I accept?"

"Because it is in your nature to never back down."

Regin knew he was right. She would fight him. Yet, she was nervous. She couldn't remember why. It would have been better if she could see how big he was. Assessing her opponent was part of her strategy.

"Fair enough." She said. "Set your terms."

"Please, you first my love." Strider flashed his white teeth in a smile.

Regin frowned. She needed to put up a fee that would make this guy turn and leave. He was too smug. Too confident.

"If I win, you have to give me ten thousand dollars and be my slave." She smiled to her self. He would never agree to those terms.

"Deal."

Crud!

"And if I win, not only must you date me, you have to be my slave. And I get to carry you to my house tied hand and foot."

Regin frowned. But her pride would not give in.

"Deal." She gritted out.

"Excellent." Strider said.

He reached up and unhooked the cloak from around his neck. The cloak fell to the ground. Regin's jaw fell open.

Strider was huge. Packed with muscle that could tear a semi-rig in half. All covered with perfectly tan skin. He was wearing short jeans that looked like the legs were ripped off at the knee. Around both wrists, he wore metal wrist cuffs that shined in the moon light.

"Do you like what you see?" Strider said.

Regin shook her head to clear it. The she reached behind her to get her collar, but it wasn't there. Crap, she forgot she had lost it.

"Looking for this?" Strider said pulling her metal collar from behind him.

"My collar! How did you... when you knocked me over!"

"That's right lovey." He lifted the collar and slowly put it on His neck. He smiled at her evilly. "It fits perfectly."

Regin growled. "Take it off!"

"Make me."

Regin couldn't hold back any more. Regin charged him.