*Alec*“This changes nothing.” My tone was firm as I leveled my eyes on Rhys, who had followed me to my study after the tense meal we had shared with the stolen princess.My Beta shook his head in clear disagreement. “It changes everything! You told me this was about striking blows to the Alpha King and Lukas Grimwood, but that’s not the whole truth, is it?”I took a deep breath to ward off my rising anger. I knew that Rhys’ concerns were valid, but he had no business questioning the decisions that I made for the pack. “You are my Beta,” I growled. “I don’t need to explain myself to you, or anybody else.”“And what about this hooded stranger the princess spoke of?” he pressed. “It seems she and him got… cozy. Where does he fit into all of this?”“Leave it!” I snapped, my anger flaring. “I’m trying to keep her safe! She’s innocent in all of this. The Alpha King abused her, and Lukas would have too if we hadn’t stepped in. She benefits from this as much as we do.”“Does she?”
*Ember*A thrill passed through me as I took Alec’s hand. His palm was warm against mine as he tugged me gently from the room and into the hallway. A bolt of excitement rolled in my chest as I followed him.The thought that I might go to the library whenever I liked was deliciously novel to me. It felt like a wildly rebellious thing to stride so boldly down the corridors towards such a forbidden place. What would my father say if he could see me now?As I trailed after Alec, my hand still held tightly in his, I did my best to memorize the path we took since I hoped to travel it often. We made our way downstairs, but instead of heading towards the back of the manor where we had eaten a few hours prior, we veered in the opposite direction.Finally, we stopped before a set of double doors adorned with delicately carved whorls and flowers. Alec let go of my hand and then pushed the doors open dramatically, turning back towards me with a broad smile gracing his angular features.“
*Ember*The strange young male’s eyes widened at the sound of my title. He dropped into a low bow as a deep blush spread across his cheeks. “Please pardon me, Princess. I didn’t realize who you were,” he mumbled, straightened and doing everything in his power to avoid looking me in the eye. “I am Bryan Nightwatch, cousin to Alec.”I offered him a nod of acknowledgement. “I understand your confusion. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bryan,” I said politely.Bryan’s tense posture immediately loosened in relief that I didn’t seem to be offended by his earlier disrespect.“May we join you?” Mary asked, skipping in through the door before I could even answer. She took Bryan by the arm and all but dragged him to the armchair opposite me. He sank down into the chair while she perched on the arm like some sort of strange, exotic bird.Internally, I sighed. I really wanted to be alone with my books, but I also didn’t want to be rude to any members of the pack after they had been so wel
*Alec*A week had passed, yet it felt like a century to me. I had done my best to avoid Ember after what had happened in the library. Was she scared of me now? Did she think me no better than Lukas? I didn’t even know what had possessed me to approach her like that, only that it felt like she was a magnet, her pull inevitable.In the meantime, I had tasked Lauryn with befriending her. Though Lauryn’s default manner was cold and aloof, I thought that Ember might appreciate the company. But Lauryn’s list of duties was long, and she barely had any time to spend with the princess.My biggest surprise was when Rhys stepped in to assume the role. He and Ember got along famously, spending hours slinging good-humored insults and dry jokes at one another. My Beta had taken her on a thorough tour of the manor, and I had even spotted him carrying a teetering stack of books from the library to her rooms on several occasions.Every time I saw them together, I had to stifle a pang of jealous
*Ember*Aside from the library, the garden was my favorite part of the manor.Though Alec had given me permission to explore the village on my own, I hadn’t been able to bring myself to leave yet. I told myself that it was because I would only get one chance at escaping, that I had to be absolutely sure that I could get away. If I ran away and was caught, I knew there would be serious consequences.That’s the excuse I told myself, at least, as I enjoyed the mid-afternoon sunshine slanting down into the garden. The space around me was alive with dense bushes boasting fragrant red and white roses. Bees hummed lazily through the air around me, alighting from flower to flower with bumbling enthusiasm. The grass was soft beneath my bare toes. It was as free as I dared to get.I had made it halfway through the romance novel that I had picked out from the library earlier when Lauryn appeared. She moved with such smooth grace that I hadn’t even noticed her approach, and I jumped as she
*Ember*As I stared into the amber eyes of the strange man, I felt pinned by his gaze.“Thank you, but I’m not lost,” I lied, falling back on the manners that had carried me through my time in the court of the Silver Crescent and offering the stranger a bob of my head befitting for a female of my station.The man’s eyes widened slightly. “My mistake,” he apologized. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sawyer. Some call me the Rogue King, myself included.”Before I could pull away, he gracefully caught my hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckles gently before offering me a low bow.The action chilled my blood. That was the way a male would greet a queen or a princess; not even a Luna would be afforded that treatment. Was it possible that he recognized me as Ember Moonrise, Princess of the Silver Crescent?Feeling numb with fear, I willed my voice to remain steady as I answered, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” the man grinn
*Alec*The night was cool, but Ember was burning up in my arms. I couldn’t believe the state I had found her in and wondered just how many drinks she had consumed. At the moment, she was bellowing the out-of-tune chorus to a singularly filthy pub song, drawing curious glances from villagers as they passed us on their way to the carnival.“Where did you even learn that song?” I asked, hoping that my amusement wasn’t showing on my face.“Drunken parties at the castle,” she giggled, taking a momentary break from yelling profanities into the night. “I wasn’t allowed to go to most of them, but they weren’t exactly quiet!” She began to sing again, restarting at the beginning of the bawdy chorus.I rolled my eyes. “I bet you don’t even know what half of those words mean, Princess.”“I do!” she protested, squirming in my arms.“You don’t,” I goaded, enjoying how ridiculous and unguarded she was being. Plus, I was sure that she would remember none of this in the morning, so this mig
*Alec*Sawyer smiled, but there was nothing reassuring in his expression. “Who’s asking?” he repeated, staring down at the knife thoughtfully. “I guess you could say… just a curious rogue. I have no loyalty to the Silver Crescent and the so-called Alpha King, as I’m sure you already know.”“What about the Grims?” I asked, disdain dripping from my voice.“Lukas Grimwood is a coward and a fool,” Sawyer replied smoothly. “I have no reason to tie myself to his pack, especially now that I’ve seen how easily the Whitelarks were able to overpower the Alpha’s best entourage.”I nodded in agreement. I believed that he spoke the truth. An alliance with either pack would be of no use to somebody like the Rogue King, who preferred to lounge in and mooch off of the southern territories. However, he had still recognized Ember, which could put her in a dangerous position. “What do you want from the princess?” I asked.“Who says I want anything from her?” he shot back. “It’s not me that you