BRIE’S POVI walked down the corridor quietly, the sound of my footsteps mixing with Everette’s and the few guards walking behind me.I didn’t understand why the guards were suddenly escorting me inside the palace. It’s not like danger was going to appear out of nowhere.“Why am I being followed around by the royal guards?” I asked Everette.She gave me a quick side glance before focusing ahead. “Well, after what happened between you and the commander today, the alphas decided you need guards to watch your every move so something like that doesn’t happen again.”“What?” I exclaimed, stopping in my tracks. Everyone behind me halted too. I looked back quickly before turning to Everette again.“Are you serious? It’s bad enough that I’m trapped in a place I don’t want to be, and now my every move is being monitored?” I couldn’t hide the anger in my voice; the whole thing was driving me to insanity.Everette lowered her head as she said, “Maybe you can talk to Alpha Kane and get it sorted
BRIE’S POV:“Hello.” Alpha Tyler snaps his fingers in front of my face, trying to get my attention, but I’m still lost in my own little dreamland.“Brie!” he calls again, louder this time, making me snap out of my thoughts.“Yes?” I answer quickly, my eyes darting between him and the glistening river ahead.“You seem lost in thought. What are you thinking about?” he asks, his tone calm but curious.I frown in confusion.Was that all just my imagination? Nothing more?Standing by the river, talking with Alpha Tyler, I had let my mind wander too far into places it shouldn’t have gone. It had felt so vivid, so real, that I could feel it deep in my core.I had imagined being naked with Alpha Tyler, both of us doing shameful things in the river. What was that thought? That was awful. Why would I even imagine something like that?I look down at myself—fully clothed, and so is Alpha Tyler. We’re both standing on the riverbank, and he has a confused look on his face, probably because of the b
BRIE'S POVHe looked at me, his eyes fixed on mine, not saying a word, not moving. I dared to keep the same eye contact, my heart beating softly in my chest as I swallowed hard.“You really have a way of amusing me,” he said as he gently pushed the strand of my wet hair clinging to my face aside, tucking it carefully behind my ear, his eyes never leaving mine.I almost forgot how to breathe, seeing how close we were, both naked in the river. The way his fingers brushed my face when he moved my hair back was nothing short of thrilling.“You haven’t answered my question, Brie,” he said, his voice dropping low, almost a whisper, as his face leaned closer. The finger that had tucked my hair behind my ear began trailing down, softly caressing my face, then my neck, and finally my shoulder.Maybe I should have pushed him away, told him not to touch me like this, but something kept me frozen, making it hard to move or even tell him off. I bit my lower lip, a thousand thoughts racing through
BRIE’S POVI took a bold step forward, knowing my nudity was fully visible in front of Alpha Tyler’s hungry gaze.His eyes moved slowly up and down my body, lazily, as if he was taking his time to study every inch of me. Every curve.At first, he had chosen to get naked in front of me, maybe hoping I would shy away like a little girl and hide. But that was never my thing. I always tried to be as brave as I could, no matter the challenge thrown directly at me.“Well, what are you waiting for?” Alpha Tyler asked, lifting his brow. “Aren’t you coming in?” he asked again.I gave no reply, just silence. I walked toward the water hesitantly, dipping one foot in first to test it.It was cold and oddly soothing, just perfect, unlike anything I had ever felt before. I took a deep breath and decided to bury my whole body into it, closing my eyes and letting myself sink to the bottom of the river for a few seconds before rising back up.“How does it feel?” Alpha Tyler asked.I wiped the water fr
BRIE POV“Where are you taking me?” I yelled, pulling my hand free from his grip as I shot him a sharp glare.I looked around and realized where we were — another part of the castle. It looked different, more beautiful than any other place I had seen so far.A small river flowed there, coming from outside the palace wall. The water was clear, sparkling like a thousand tiny diamonds hidden at the bottom. It looked fresh and clean, and little river sprites danced across its surface. Flower petals floated gently on the water, making the scene look almost magical.I smiled softly at the sight and said, “I thought river sprites didn’t exist anymore.” I looked at him, waiting for an answer, but his eyes stayed fixed on the river.“They do,” he said. “They’re drawn only to the purest rivers.” He stepped forward and added, “Since most rivers in the world are no longer pure, the sprites have no reason to appear. That’s why people think they don’t exist anymore.”I nodded at his words and stepp
TYER’S POV“Brie’s in trouble?” My brother and I exchanged looks the moment the royal messenger said that. What kind of trouble could she be in? She was under royal protection, so what was going on?We both stood up right away and glared at the royal messenger, waiting for him to explain clearly what he meant.“In the trainee center,” the messenger began, trying to catch his breath, “she challenged the commander.”“What commander?” I asked, raising a brow, already losing patience.The messenger took a deep breath and began to speak more calmly.“The one in charge of the trainees ,the one who teaches most of the swordsmen. She challenged him, and now they are fighting. Her maiden, Everette, told me to inform you, Alphas. She’s worried the lady might be too weak to win,” the messenger said.My brother and I didn’t waste a second. That commander wasn’t the best swordsman, but he was skilled and he had a temper. What might have started as a simple duel could easily turn into a fight to th