Chapter 07

AVERY

It’s surprising how it takes so little time to pack your whole life and move away from your house.

Silently, I wished it took longer than a lifetime to set out but in a few hours, I was already standing close to a carriage and the castle—Wolveshire Citadel stood in the back, looking like the part of the past that I will never return to.

The wounded sister in me wanted to cry and fight with her brother but the Princess knew there were no words to be said or heard.

Surprisingly, my whole family stood at the entrance. Mom, Dad, and Dustin. Dad and Mom shared the same sentiments and didn’t even bother to come to me but my brother tried.

However, I had nothing to say to him and I didn’t want to break by saying goodbye so I stepped inside my carriage. They became three small frames that I stared at from the round window in the door until…eventually, they faded into the fog that surrounded them like they never existed.

My heart leaped back to them and my body wanted to hold onto someone, but I knew…in this life, I was always going to be alone.

…The love that I want, doesn’t exist.

On the way, I missed the only best friend I had. Nora—The Queen of the West. I wished she was here. At least, I could say goodbye before disappearing from this world.

I don’t know why…but it just feels like I will never return even when my anger fades, as if someone is going to lock me up and torture me for life.

“ Princess. You should eat something. ” Renee suggests from her spot on the seat opposite me.

She is the only one allowed to go with me and I feel guilty because it seems I ripped her out of her world to join me on this path.

“ I might throw up later if my secret gets exposed. ” I smile, shaking my head.

All emotions are mixing up, becoming a dangerous lava inside me.

“ Don’t say such things, Princess. You are scaring me. ” She sighs.

She doesn’t even know the kind of numbing fear I am feeling right now. My mind tells me that I will succeed in hiding the mark on my neck from Aleister until I find this man who must have returned to the South because we can’t find him in the North but my heart keeps beating out of rhythm, disagreeing with this line of thinking.

Something feels wrong and a piece of the puzzle seems to be missing.

“ We are close, Princess. ” The warriors following the carriage announce from outside.

My spine stiffens as I sit straight and peek out of the window. Darkness surrounds the forest that is on both sides of the small road in the middle.

“ I think he returned to the South after what happened. When we get there, start looking around immediately. We must find him, Renee. ” I say to her.

“ Yes, my Princess. ” She nods eagerly.

As we near what seems to be a stone-made high wall, my heartbeat gets out of control all over again. The imposing greyish doors stand in front of the rolling carriage, looking like a giant beast.

An ear-piercing screeching noise sounds around us. I flinch, staring at the doors that open. The fog spreads to the small opening, leaving me awed.

For a few moments, everything remains silent and nothing appears in front of us. The carriage comes to a slow stop, and we wait. A mixture of curiosity, fear, and nervousness makes me shudder.

For more than a century, no one from the outside world has ever set foot beyond these walls after the enmity between South and the other three Kingdoms of the werewolves started.

No one knows what lies behind this wall, or what kind of monstrosity the Southern people hide in their lives.

A frame of a man emerges from the darkness, followed by a few more. My heartbeat speeds up as I stare at the dark figures.

A warrior from our side starts in a loud voice, “ The Princess of the North is here as the promise goes and— ”

“ Cut the crap. No one needs an introduction to your Princess. We have lots of them here. ” A snappy voice sounds from the other side, stunning me.

“ Mind your tongue. You are addressing the Princess. ” A warrior yells angrily.

“ What’s happening, Princess? ” Renee yelps.

“ What if we don’t? ” Another man from the South chuckles.

“ Then, we will have no choice but to cut it off. ” The atmosphere becomes tense with his declaration.

“ Come. Do it. ” A scoff follows, making my heart race.

A moment later, war cries sound in the air, causing Renee to jump to my side. “ Princess, we must return. They are— ”

“ Give me the crown. ” I utter softly.

The noises in the background intensify as I take my eyes off the escalating scene and look toward the red cushion in the corner of the carriage. I decided not to wear the crown but it seems, I must do it now.

“ That’s not a good idea. They wanted us here and now they are disrespecting you. We need to go back and let your brother know what they said. ” She grips my arm as panic reflects in her eyes.

I glance at her before sighing and reaching for the crown on my own. Renee tightens her grip over my arm but I jerk out of her hold and open the carriage’s door.

“ I told my brother…something. ” I whisper, stepping my foot out.

“ What? ” Renee mumbles.

“ I said I will never return. No matter what people do to me here… ” I get out and stand close to the door. “ I will never go back to my family again. So, Renee, we are alone in this. Let’s fight our way through whatever comes at us. ”

“ Princess. ” Renee looks stunned but I don’t have time to comfort her right now.

I step out from around the door and lift the crown to my head. It’s a silver band with blue jewels in it. Silver—to show that it doesn’t hurt a Lycan and blue jewels—to show the color of my house.

As I emerge from the carriage, the tangled people stop and turn to me. I fix the crown atop my head, and smoothen the creases on my heavy chiffon dress leisurely.

“ Princess. ” Renee stumbles out to follow me as I start to walk.

There is no urgency in the way I walk ahead, but my heart sure doesn’t know when to stop beating fast.

“ My Princess, you should stay inside the carriage. We will deal with these people and take you back safely. ” A warrior suggests politely.

I shift my focus to the faces of the Southerners that are clearing up as I get close. They are watching me with their eyes that are a familiar grey. Their frames are big, unlike the men in my Kingdom who are muscular but lean.

Rough hands and hard thrusts flash before my eyes, making my body heat up. It’s odd. I shouldn’t even be thinking about that man right now.

“ Princess— ”

“ Take me to your King. ” I ignore the people who are coaxing me into hiding and turn to the biggest man who stands in the middle, glaring at me viciously.

“ Ask your dogs to retreat. Only you are permitted to go past the wall. ” He sneers, disregarding protocols for royals.

For a second, I stare at him, at a loss for words. I expected humiliation but why are these people…behaving like I slaughtered their families or something?