Mag-log inMeanwhile, inside the thorn maze, the air was thick with the smell of iron and burned leaves.Three dark-clad men were lying unconscious on the dirt path. Alpha Zay stood over them, his black tunic slightly torn at the shoulder, revealing smooth, unblemished skin underneath. He was holding his short dagger, wiping the dark blood off the blade with a clean handkerchief.He looked down at the last fallen assassin, his amber eyes glowing bright in the shade."Where is your leader?" Zay asked in a voice so cold it could freeze water.The man on the ground coughed up blood, laughing weakly. "You are too late, Zay... He went to the eastern tower... to pick up your little princess. She fell for the note... hook, line, and sinker."Zay’s eyes snapped wide open. The amber glow in his eyes turned into a fierce, fiery red.Without saying another word, Zay slammed the handle of his dagger into the man's temple, knocking him out cold."Zainah," Zay growled under his breath.He did not waste time lo
“Princess Zainah, your favorite Alpha Zay is not who he claims to be. If you want to save his life and your kingdom, come to the old eastern tower alone. Now.”Zainah stared at the note, her mind racing. She looked back toward the maze, then down at the paper in her hand. She panicked thinking about what happened to Alpha Zay.Zainah’s fingers trembled slightly as she clutched the piece of paper. Her breath came in quick, sharp gasps."Zay..." she whispered, her voice barely audible in the quiet room.She looked back out the window toward the northern corner of the maze. Smoke was starting to drift lazily into the sky from the center of the bushes, and the distant sound of clashing metal echoed through the trees. Her heart pounded against her ribs like a trapped bird.She did not know why she cared so much. Zay was a mystery. He was hiding secrets from her, and he might even be a threat to her family. But the thought of him lying injured or dead inside that maze made a cold knot of fe
The morning sun rose slowly over the high stone walls of the palace. The training courtyard was warm and quite, but the air was a bit cool and smelled of damp earth and pine trees from the nearby forest.Zainah stood near the edge of the stone platform, wearing her dark leather riding boots and a yellow tunic that emphasized her fair and smooth skin. Her dark hair was tied back in a tight braid so it would not get in her eyes as the wind blows. She had slept barely two hours. Every time she closed her eyes, she kept seeing Zay's clean hand and that fresh blood on the door lock.Around her, the other Alphas were stretching and warming up their muscles. There were still nine alphas left in the competition now, including Alpha Zay. Nine strong men from different packs, all fighting for the right to marry princess Zainah and help continue her almost extinct primordial wolf bloodline.Alpha Marcus, a large man with eight-pack abs and broad shoulders, was swinging a heavy iron sword throug
Alpha Zay took a deep breath before starting to walk to his room.The intruder he had chased away earlier had not escaped into the dark forest. They were lying dead at the bottom of the deep stone well near the old library, never able to open their mouth again about what they saw tonight.Zainah closed the door of her room behind her and locked it tight. The small candle on her desk was still flickering softly, casting dark shadows on the stone walls. She walked over to her desk and dropped her silver pocket watch onto the wooden surface.She sat down on the wooden chair, resting her hands on her knees. Her fingertips still felt cold where the blood had touched them earlier. She looked down at her small handkerchief, seeing the dark red spot stained into the white cloth."He heals fast," she whispered to herself in the empty room. "He is an Alpha. Of course he heals fast."She tried to make herself believe those words, but her mind would not let her rest. Zainah had lived in the palac
Zainah pulled her hand back fast, staring at her fingertips in the weak light of the small oil lantern. The blood felt warm, sticky, and completely fresh."Blood..." she whispered, her heart starting to beat fast inside her chest. She turned her head and looked straight into the dark shadows where Alpha Zay was standing. "You told me someone tried to force the lock. Did you fight with them?"Zay did not jump or move away. He stayed standing right behind her, his tall body blocking the cold night wind that blew across the courtyard. He slowly raised his right hand into the lantern light, turning his palm toward her."I am sorry, Princess. I guess I was not careful," Zay said in a low, smooth voice. "When I rushed to fix the iron latch in the dark, the sharp edge of the metal cut my finger. I did not even notice that I left blood on it."Zainah stepped closer to him. She lifted the small lantern higher so she could see his hand better. She looked closely at his index finger and middle f
Five minutes became four. Four minutes became three. Zainah sat at the small wooden desk, her eyes fixed on the metal face of the watch. The faint yellow light from the single wax candle dance as wind sipped through the door."Three minutes," Zainah murmured under her breath.Her heart beat with a steady, nervous rhythm. She did not want to dock Alpha Zay’s points. He was the strongest, most mysterious contender in the entire competition. He spoke little, moved with frightening grace, and solved every challenge with effortless control. Yet, justice demanded fairness. She had punished Cloud and Darius earlier that day without hesitation.“If I showed being bias now, my authority might be stripped off by the Alpha King,” she thought.Two minutes left.Zainah stood up from the desk, unable to sit still any longer. She walked back to the open window and leaned out into the biting night air. The cold wind bit at her skin, but her focus remained absolute. Below, the stone courtyard remained







