When I realized that my mate, Alpha Cassian, couldn't get Lucille out of his mind and had even shut me out of our mind link, I began making plans to leave with the rest of the pack.   Cassian had met Lucille while exploring human society. He described her as naive and helpless, a college student who had gone to a party one night and woken up a vampire the next morning. I reminded him that a vampire had killed my mother and warned him to be careful, but he accused me of prejudice. I asked him never to leave Lucille alone with our pack members. He agreed, then announced soon afterward that he intended to bring her into the pack.   He insisted Lucille was different from other vampires and had a heart of gold. Then our territory was hit by one strange, violent incident after another.   That was when I decided to sever my mate bond with Alpha Cassian.