Chapter 3

“Selina is not at the border.”

My eyes widened in alarm. “Are you sure?”

“Yes! I just checked with the border patrol. Her carriage was nowhere in sight.” Henry paced back and forth in front of me, biting one thumb and fiddling with his phone with the other. A classic telltale sign: he was worried sick. “I can’t contact Selina!”

“When was the last time you heard from her?”

“At one o’clock this afternoon,” Henry answered, pressing his mobile phone to his ear again, attempting to call his fiancé.

A missing royal, especially one of her importance, was never a good thing. This could spark civil discontent among the nobility and subjects… or perhaps cold war, between the kingdom of Rozenberg and the Empire. Everyone knew that Volfenheim was unrivaled in terms of power, but that kingdom, little as it was, was too valuable to cut off. We relied on that little archipelago for its agricultural exports. The Crown was also deeply indebted to them, monetary speaking. If Selina died in our territory… no one will ever trust Henry or his judgment ever again. And the innocent will bear the brunt of it all.

“Okay, what else?”

“She said she was with her stepmother.”

“Isn’t that queen heavily pregnant? Maybe that’s what causes the delay.”

“It could be. Selina said they had to drive as gently as possible because of her. But I have a bad feeling...”

“Send some of your soldiers to check on her, then.”

“Is that wise? They’re traveling through Lupine Pass.”

I cursed under my breath. It’s that Grand Duke’s territory. We never found out why, but that old man has always despised the empire. He wouldn't openly disrespect or declare war on us, but he would do everything he could to inconvenience us. The only person who could talk to him was me, but that was because the old duke had a hidden agenda. He was always vocal about the Old World, when Occults ruled. He coveted occult abilities, especially the Lycans’. He wished to create a master race directly from his line—humans with Lycan abilities. As the only remaining pureblooded on the mainland, I couldn't count how many times he insisted on me marrying Princesses Sofia and Sara, his adolescent daughters. When I declined, he asked to marry Jade or Jet. It did not matter who. That day, I nearly ripped him apart. I've turned down his invitations ever since. I only went there when absolutely necessary, such as when they refused to let our import through or when a Volfenheimer crossed the border illegally.

“You should’ve fetched her in a chopper or a jet,” I couldn’t help but scold Henry. “It would’ve saved us a lot of trouble.”

“You’re right, I should have.”

I glared at the monarch’s expression. Henry was never one to pull rank to get what he wanted, but he seemed to be trying to guilt-trip me by looking helpless and hopeful at me. It always worked.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. “Fine, I’ll go.”

“Really?” The young monarch beamed. “I appreciate it, Jay!”

“You owe me.” I tussled the hair on top of his head before walking away.

“Always,” Henry said, following me. “I think I should go with you. See Selina for a few, at least.”

“I think you’re out of your mind. You know what’s out there. We established these lockdowns for a reason. Besides, your mom would surely kill us both if something happened to you… and the princess.”

I could see the worry burning in my friend’s eyes again, “But Selina…”

“I know you’re afraid of her,” I said in mock sympathy, teasing him. It gave me a childish pleasure to see the young monarch squirm and sputter in response. “But we don’t know if I could find her in time for the lockdown. I can’t protect both you and your girlfriend at the same time. Jade and Jet will accompany you to the estate where you should stay.”

I saw Henry’s cheeks turn pink. “But I don’t want to trouble them.”

“I wish you would extend the same courtesy to me.”

“But you’re my best friend. I’m supposed to annoy and bother the heck out of you.”

I scoffed. “He curses.”

“Sorry.”

I rolled my eyes again, stopping before we reached the elevator at the end of the hallway. I moistened my lips before blowing on them hard, producing a long, high-pitched whistle.

“Gods, all right!” Jade walked out of her laboratory with her fingers jammed on her ears. “I heard you, enough already.”

‘We can mind link for a reason, Jasper.’ Boy, was she pissed.

“I’m not going to the estate with Henry,” I told my sister as soon as she joined us.

“Why? Is something wrong?” Jade looked alarmed. As she should. It was always my responsibility to accompany the king wherever he went, especially during lockdowns.

“You can fill her in,” I told Henry before walking past them and entering the elevator.

“You know what she looked like, right?” Henry asked, already scrolling through his phone.

“Yeah, she’s the one with the crown.”

I went to the rooftop of the university’s science building, where an inconspicuous black helicopter was waiting with the engine running idly. We were going to use it to go to the border to meet the princess.

“Is everything in order, Your Grace?” asked the man who was waiting for me by the door. I only nodded awkwardly in assent. “This way, Sir.”

He must be new, I thought to myself. Nobody addresses me like that around here.

I pushed the sleeves of my dress shirt up to my elbows. Even though I’d been doing it for years, I never grew fond of wearing formal attire, even if it was just a shirt. It made me feel confined. Not because of the fit, but because of what they represented. I regretted not changing my clothes after the council meeting I had attended that afternoon.

“I’m Mitchell,” the man told me, shaking my hand. “His Majesty asked us to take you to the southwest border.”

“Yes, if you please,” I told the co-pilot, eyeing the rotating blades anxiously. I already regretted agreeing to the plan. We ducked inside the vehicle, and I wore my seatbelt first before begrudgingly donning the noise-canceling headset they provided. I hated all kinds of vehicles, and I detested helicopters the most. These aviation headsets were useless to me. My ears will still bleed from the noise.

We arrived at the aforementioned border in under forty-five minutes. The border patrols informed us that the Princess Royal of Rozenberg and her entourage were still missing.

“We do not have permission to enter Florin airspace, Sir,” the pilot said as we circled the border.

“It’s alright,” I said, immediately taking control of the situation. “I’ll go to Grand Duke Archton to explain after this. We should focus on our mission first. According to Hen—His Majesty — the princess was passing through the valley. She could be anywhere near here. We have to check.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” the pilot answered before maneuvering towards the Lupine Pass.

Florin Mountain was always a sight to behold, regardless of the time of year. Nobody can look at its beautiful green hills, turquoise rivers, and rainbow meadows without falling in love with it. It’s a shame I couldn’t enjoy looking at it as of the moment. My brows furrowed when I remembered the reason I was there. Traveling on a night like this is always dangerous. Everyone knew werewolves shift during the full moon and go insane. How irresponsible… and cocky. Just because their family invented the infamous Black Herb Poison doesn’t mean they’re invincible. The rogue wolves who claimed Lupine Pass as their territory were particularly ruthless. If left to their own devices, the aristocrat and her convoy will be dead-meat… or worse.

“There!” I called through the microphone on my headset. Both the pilot and co-pilot looked at the small, white moving object I pointed to in the middle of the Lupine Pass.

They maneuvered the helicopter towards the pass and, upon closer inspection, we noticed that the horse-drawn carriage was not alone. Seven horsemen guarded it, all of them unaware of a group of bandits—possibly rogues — hidden by large boulders and were about to ambush them.

“Get closer.”

“But, Sir, the bandits may notice our presence,” Mitchell protested, eyeing the scene below us. “We should go back to the border and—”

“They already know we’re here.” I removed my shoes and unbuttoned my dress shirt before unbuckling my seatbelt. “Call for backup. I’ll help keep the bandits at bay until they arrive.”

I knew there was a manic grin on my face as both pilots looked at me, concerned.

“Sir?”

I tossed the aviator headphones to the empty seat next to me and opened the door of the helicopter despite the pilots’ screams of protest.

I rolled my eyes. “Relax, I got this.”

I let out an exuberant whoop as I leaped from the vehicle; the wind slapping me in the face, tearing at my flimsy shirt, and unraveling my hair from its bun. Gravity aided my descent, and I landed on top of the carriage in a half-crouch, knee, and fist first, superhero-style. It looked cool, but I wouldn’t survive it if I were a normal human, and it would definitely shatter my femur and break every single thing in my body. It’s a good thing the roof was sturdy and empty of luggage as well. As soon as they saw me, the bandits jumped from their hiding spot and attacked the carriage. The impact and noises spooked the horses, causing them to jump sideways, attempting to flee. The vehicle swerved from side to side, speeding up.

“Whoa, boys!” The coachman and his assistant tried everything they could to keep the animals under control, but they were unsuccessful. The reins only burned their hands when they tried to pull on them.

“Here, let me help,” I said, extending out a hand, causing the coachman and his assistant to jump and the reins to slip. The sight of a man so close sent them into a fresh wave of panic.

The assistant drew out a silver dagger from his belt and waved it to my face. “Brigand!”

“No, wait!”

Before I could explain myself, the assistant climbed to where I was and lunged at me. We fought for the knife on top of the carriage.

“Calm down, I’m on your side!” I grabbed the man’s hands, but the coachman’s assistant refused to back down. He was surprisingly strong for a mere human. “I said…”

I growled at the assistant, sharp teeth showing and yellow eyes flashing dangerously. Shocked, the man backed off, lost his footing, and was flung from the racing carriage.

“Argh, what an idiot.” I rushed after him to keep him from hitting the roadside boulders. I wrapped my arms around the man as we rolled across the rugged terrain, shielding him from the rocks and thorns that would surely kill him.

“Stay,” I commanded the assistant as soon as I got up. I massaged my temples as a wave of dizziness hit me. “Is the Princess of Rozenberg in that carriage?”

I gazed down at the terrified man on the ground before noticing the silver blade embedded deep in my left iliac region. I casually removed the offending weapon, and the injury, like my other wounds and abrasions from the fall, healed almost instantly.

“Please, don’t kill me.” The man backed away slowly.

“I won’t,” I assured him. “I’m here for the princess. My name is Jasper, King Henry asked me to—”

I paused when my ears picked up at a distant crash. I hurried towards the sound, my heart thumping in my ribs, bracing myself for the worst. If the princess died today, it would devastate Henry. I shook that thought from my mind, focusing on my running. I discovered the coachman lying on the ground a few feet away from the carriage, unconscious. If the man jumped or was thrown from the carriage before the crash, I wasn’t sure. I could smell blood in the air, but it wasn’t overpowering as I expected, meaning no one was bleeding to death. Grabbing the back of the coachman’s uniform, I checked for injuries, but another scent distracted me from the task. I got to my feet as I noticed a girl stepping out of the partially wrecked carriage.

I could only stare in awe as the girl removed her white wide-brimmed hat and long blonde hair spilled to her shoulders and back in golden waves. When the wind blew past her, her delicious fruity-flowery aroma filled the air, drowning out the other scents. It was a mixture of roses, jasmine, orange, apple, and various berries. I breathe in her fragrance, never getting enough of it.

And then our eyes met. My heart skipped a beat. She resembled a porcelain doll. With her wide green eyes, pert nose, and small heart-shaped lips... she was breath-taking. I briefly wondered if she was the princess, but her simple pink travel cloak and beige-colored pumps made me doubt it. Princesses wore gowns and lavish jewelry. This one doesn’t. The real Selina must be inside the carriage, but I realized I didn’t care. Not now, anyway. I was never interested enough to find out who she was, or what she looked like. Aside from the fact that she wasn't allowed to be photographed and this was her first public appearance, other people’s partners do not pique my curiosity. Henry didn’t talk much about Selina except for the occasional question about how to impress her. Everything I knew about her I learnt against my will.

My gaze kept snapping back at the girl’s face in front of me, still in awe of how beautiful she was. The girl raised her hand, and I noticed she was holding a small revolver; she was shouting at me, but I was distracted and didn’t hear what she said. I assumed she was asking for the coachman, so I threw the man at her feet, amused by how fierce and feisty she was for such a small human woman. She must be the princess’ plainclothes security officer.

“... Who sent you?”

I was about to respond when I heard a low growl and realized the full moon had already risen. A chill ran down my spine. There was a fully shifted werewolf a few feet behind the girl, getting ready to maul her.

I acted on instinct and lunged for her.

“Watch out!”

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