Chapter 1

As I stare at myself in the mirror, the confident, soon-to-be Queen my mother always said I would become stares back at me. My stylist, Maria, did an amazing job today. The woman I think of as a friend, a confidant, and an older sister chose an amazing sapphire blue dress that accentuated my curves and paired well with my pale skin. My pale blue eyes stare back at me, my vision clearer than the day I met him. The day that changed my life.

•°♡°•

Pulling the large hoodie over my head, I quickly run a brush through my hair before pulling it into a messy bun atop my head. My raven black locks were a mess to deal with, as the curls always made it hard to style. I decided long ago that a messy bun is the only style I could muster, being either too busy or too lazy to deal with my hair.

"Isabella are you ready yet?" Kelly, my maid, asks as she enters my room with two butlers who quickly proceeds to take my packed luggage down to the limousine. I hear her sigh as I put on my glasses and catch her disapproving look at my attire. A grey oversized hoodie, a pair of jeans and black sneakers. Nothing a princess should wear when going on a trip to meet the Alphas she would rule in six years.

"One moment Kelly, let me grab my purse." I answer gently, giving myself one last look over in the mirror before heading towards the nightstand that my black Kate Spade purse sat on. Filled with some protein bars, my tablet and a book I see the approval of this item in my maids eyes. A purse a princess should carry.

"When will you allow your mother to hire you a stylist?" Kelly asks as we exit the room and make our way to the elevator. I sigh as I had a feeling this question would be asked sometime today before the departure to the first pack.

"When I am ready. I have six years before I have to take the throne, I can wait another year or two." My reply is simple. As the heir to the throne, I would rather focus on strategy and ruling a nation over etiquette and what heels go with which dress. It's why my mother always finds me in the training grounds with our soldiers, already busy with training when we have guests visiting. Small talk annoys me, shallow she-wolves irritate me, and flirty males infuriate me.

"You're hopeless sometimes Bella." That's all Kelly says as we exit the elevator and walk towards the palace exit.

"Hopeless at beauty, but at least my priorities are on my people and the Royal Pack." I chuckle out. Kelly can't dispute this logic as she gives me a helpless look. Ever since my brother Ryder passed away four years ago, I became the next in line to inherit the throne. I still remember watching the silver bullet pierce his heart, and his eyes full of fear and worry as he stared at me. An assassin from the Demon clans had snuck into the Royal Pack - Nightlock Thorns - territory while the two of us were training. His goal was to eliminate my brother and me in hopes of weakening the nation, as we were the heirs. He managed to get the silver bullet into my brother but missed me as the soldiers tore him from limb to limb.

"He would be proud of you Bella." Kelly says quietly, hugging me tightly.

"He would also be pissed that I can't control my powers." I add, quickly wiping away the few stray tears that escape my eyes.

"That too. Do you have it on?" She asks, and I nod. By "it" Kelly meant the ring my brother cherished and never took off. Showing the black gold ring that sits on my middle finger, the only other jewelry aside from the white gold necklace with the crescent-shaped moon stone that I wear, Kelly lets out a sigh of relief and gives me a small smile. Facing the limousine that will take the entourage to our private jet, the two of us wait for my parents to arrive, my friend and I idly chatting about the new King in the human territory who took the throne from his father last month and the Vampire King that will be selecting a new heir who will take the Vampire throne next year.

"Glad to see you are ready to go." My mother's cheery voice reaches my ears before her arms wrap me in a hug. I smile and enjoy the comfort for a moment before pulling away and hugging my father.

"You promised me a trip, and I plan to take full advantage of it. Do the Alphas know that I am coming along?" I reply, waving goodbye to Kelly as she heads inside the palace. When first informed of the trip, my parents mentioned wanting me to go as the heir to the throne, insisting they deserve to know their future Queen. I, on the other hand, felt like I could use this as an opportunity and made the rule that I did not want anyone to know who I am in case I find my mate. I did not want the wolf fated as my mate to only want me for the power and wealth I possess as the next Alpha Queen.

"The only wolf who knows you're with us is your uncle. He is excited to have you at his pack after we leave Frost Moon." Father replies, and I nod happily at his answer. With a motion from the driver, our entourage climbs into their respective vehicles, my parents and I in the limousine and the maids and soldiers in the two black Hummers behind us. With everyone tucked away, the vehicles start, and we are off, making our way towards the airstrip. Excitement courses through me as the only place I have been outside of Nightlock Thorn is Grey Pine, my Uncle, Alpha Sebastian Grey, pack, where my mother, Lisandra Nightlock, was born and met my father when he went on his own tour of the packs under his rule.

The ride to the airstrip is fast and once loaded into the Royal Jet, I settle into my seat with a history book and use the flight to study the five nations - Werewolf, Vampire, Human, Fae, and Demon. It is said that around one thousand years ago, the other races grew tired of hiding in the shadows as the humans basked in the light. That when the four other races showed themselves to the humans, a war broke out to the point many lives were lost.

Finally after many loses on all sides, the leaders took the time to make a peace treaty. Humans gained much of Europe as their Kingdom. Vampires received the United States of America, Demons preferred the hot lands of India and most of Asia, the Fae enjoy the jungles and rainforests around the world and Werewolves took Canada as their Kingdom, buying Alaska from the Vampires for a decent price with the land being connected to Canada.

 Russia became one of the few neutral territories for the races to mingle and Meng Bloed - children born to more than one race - live free of discrimination. It is also where an annual summit is held to keep the treaty strong and prevent another war from breaking out.

The book captivates my attention, forgetting the wolves around me and the journey ahead.