Anja

It’s cold, for Dania, at least. I can take the cold; my body keeps heat more than my small sister. I wrap the large blanket I managed to steal from one of the surrounding houses tighter around Dania. She’s shivering, and her lips are blue.

I lay behind her under this massive tree in the forest; my arms wrapped tightly around her tiny body. Hopefully, my body heat will help me keep Dania alive through the night.

It’s hard trying to keep someone alive out in the wilderness, especially a human. Dania needs to be somewhere warm, with people who will love and care for her, but I don’t know where the hell to take her.

Dania and I were banished from our pack two weeks ago after the man, whom I believed was my father, found out that I wasn’t his child.

Okay, that’s a lie. I was banished, Dania was not; I pretty much abducted her. Correction, I did abduct her.

I had waited all my life for the day I would come of age and be able to shift. All I wanted was to be the bear I knew I was inside.

The day I had been waiting for finally arrived, and the high council gathered the pack around the massive fire burning brightly. The Kulumi Pack had always been big on parading around first-time shifters. There was nothing seedy in it, but to the King, it was a time to celebrate the younger generation becoming adults.

I was a late bloomer, years later than everyone else, which was unheard of for a Princess of Kulumi.

Males shift by the age of fifteen, females by sixteen. Some can shift as early as thirteen; both males and females have done so. However, those who shift at such an early age are born for combat, strong in ways most will never be. They are then trained for battle and thrust into the King’s Army whether they want it or not.

My elder brother, Brody, shifted at the age of twelve, which was nothing new for a Royal family member. Everyone was so proud of Brody, and he soon began his combat training.

It was not required for my brother to train for such a thing, but that’s what Brody wanted. It wasn’t long before Brody was leading the King’s troops, and he was feared throughout bear packs everywhere.

When I didn’t shift at twelve like my brother, the elders told Leopold that it was not such a big deal. Not all Royals will shift so young.

However, when I still hadn’t shifted at eighteen, the King and his people began to believe that I had no bear or that I was too weak to release the animal within. It made the King look weak for producing such a disappointment, thus meaning Leopold was ashamed of me.

He never mistreated me, though he made sure to let me know how ashamed he was. I was the cause of the whispers from Kulumi’s people. I was the girl without a bear, and I was nothing like them.

The council called a meeting where Elder Jones pointed out that grief can cause the bear to shrink away for some time. I had lost my mother, our Queen, and it had affected me deeply. If the bear had gone into hibernation, it could take years for her to awaken. He also said that forcing the bear out would never work; she can only arise when she is ready.

The Elders agreed that this is what had happened and that I should be given time to recover. Each person agreed that they could sense the bear within me and that they knew how powerful I was. I was no shrinking violet, and I could hold my own.

So, of course, when I went to the King and explained how I could feel the bear inside clawing to get out, excitement filled the castle.

Transformation night was even more special because the Princess was finally transforming. The clan would all soon see just how strong their Princess could be.

My older brother, my best friend, explained that I had nothing to fear, and soon, everything would be as it should.

I stood in front of that fire, my beautiful white dress that hit the floor, swishing around my ankles in the slight breeze. I was so proud, so happy.

My fiancé watched with a proud smile on his face as the change began to take over me. I’d been told how the first change would consume me, that I wouldn’t feel the difference, but as soon as the bear inside of me was set free, I’d know what true freedom was.

I lost everything that night, my friends, family, and fiancé. I would never be the same, forever altered and unloved.

I never loved Christoper, but I was betrothed to him the moment I was born, the way my mother was to Leopold.

The clan didn’t care much for bonding when you were Royalty; if you found your mate and bonded great.

If not?

Tough shit.

As a princess, a mate was chosen for me. I wasn’t allowed to find someone of my own. It was what was expected of me as the daughter of the King.

Christopher and I were friends, but love and bonding never came into it. Yet, it still hurt that he turned his back on me.

I thought I meant something to him; I thought we were friends. But it turns out that I meant nothing to him at all. All that mattered to Christoper was standing and what he looked like in the eyes of the people.

My father was the King, and it was my duty to marry a man almost as high up in the chain as I was; that’s why he chose Christopher. Christoper was the son of a Lord. Lord Byron Von Aimes of Barkley.

Even though I didn’t love Christopher, I was willing to do my duty for the good of the pack. It’s not like Christopher and I didn’t have fun, we liked each other very much, we were close friends.

I was happy to do what was required of me, and I thought Christopher was happy with me too. But he turned his back on me quicker than I ever thought anyone could. Christopher cared more about his standing within the pack than he did me, and it hurt.