Chapter 3

“This is a terrible idea!” I told myself as I crossed the border. “Diana is going to kill you!”

I followed the whining sound. “But I can’t just leave someone out here. They could be in serious danger,” I told myself.

I would deal with the consequences later.

I groaned as I failed to find whoever was hurt. Where could they be? I was a fairy, so I had no trouble seeing in the darkness. The moonlight barely reached the forest floor, but I could still make out every tree and shadow around me.

I decided to walk instead of staying in the air.

“Hello? Is anyone out here?”

My eyes widened when I heard the whining sound again.I ran towards it and stopped in front of a small wolf.I knew what I was looking at. I could sense it.She was a werewolf.

A young one, not even a teenager.She was trapped beneath a heavy fallen log, and blood was running down one of her legs.

“It’s okay. I will get you out of there,” I said, rushing towards her.

Poor thing must have been in so much pain.

I tried lifting the log, but it was useless. The thing was far too heavy for me to lift alone. The little wolf whined in pain again.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry,” I said, breathing heavily.

I had no other option but to use my magic.

If I didn’t, she could die out here in the cold. I could already smell the heavy storm approaching, and the wind was becoming stronger with every passing minute.

I looked at the log and stood a few feet away before letting my magic take over.

I made sure not to hurt her as I lifted the log.

Dark, heavy energy began to surround me. It crawled over my skin like a second shadow, and I could feel the familiar power spreading through my body.It felt good.

Maybe too good.I could hear the shadows whispering in my ears.

Drop it.

Let her die.

She is a wolf.

I clenched my jaw.“No.”

The darkness inside me seemed to fight against my command, but I forced it to obey. I lifted the heavy log higher before sending it flying several feet away.It crashed against the ground with a loud thud.

I rushed towards the little wolf as she struggled to stand on all four legs. I helped her up, making sure she could put weight on her injured leg.She looked up at me for a moment before licking my hand.

I was guessing that was her way of thanking me.

“You’re welcome,” I whispered.

She limped away and disappeared between the trees.I couldn’t help but smile.My magic had actually helped someone.Even though she was a wolf.

Wolves and fairies had a terrible history. Werewolves believed fairies had been involved in the massacre of their kind during the Old Wars. Because of that, both sides had stayed away from each other for decades.

We had our borders.They had theirs.And everyone knew better than to cross them.

I stood up when I heard thunder rumbling in the distance.The storm was close.I needed to get home quickly.Before I could fly away, I noticed a shadow between the trees.Someone was watching me.A figure stood partially hidden beneath the branches, wearing a dark hood. I could barely make out his face, but I could see his eyes glowing through the darkness.

Orange.

My heart dropped.

He was one of them.

A wolf.

My mind didn’t need any convincing to use my magic to escape.

I summoned the darkness around me, and in seconds, my body disappeared from the forest.I landed inside my room and quickly closed the window behind me.

Today, I had used my magic twice.That was very bad.

My parents could sense dark magic, especially my mother. Even a small trace of it could alert her that I had been using powers I wasn’t supposed to use.

I rushed towards my bathing room and soaked my body in rosemary-infused soap. The herbs helped mask my dark aura, something my mother had insisted I use every day.

The smell of rosemary filled the room as I scrubbed my skin.I was so worried.Someone had seen me out there.And that someone knew what I looked like.

I was in big trouble.

“Calm down, Aliya. If it’s a wolf, they can’t cross the border,” I told myself.

At least, that was what I hoped.I woke up feeling extremely tired because I had spent the entire night thinking about those glowing orange eyes in the forest.Had I made a big mistake by saving that little wolf?

“No, Aliya. You did a good deed, and that’s all that matters.”

I took another warm shower to make sure my parents wouldn’t sense any dark magic on me.

Today, I needed to make sure I checked all the books at the inn. I also needed to make sure everything was perfect.

I made my way down the stairs.

“Aliya, Mother wants us to go for our dress fittings later in the day at Ramira’s dress shop,” Athena said with a smile.

“You look excited,” I said in a flat tone.

It didn’t surprise me, though, because my sister had always dreamed about getting married, even when she was ten.

She hooked her hand around my arm, and we walked together.

“We are getting married. What could be more exciting than that?”

“You don’t even know the man. Do you even know which one you are getting married to? Elijah or Sam? Or are we sharing both?” I asked sarcastically.

She didn’t say anything for a second.Of course she didn’t know.All she knew was that she was getting married, and that alone made her happy.I unhooked my hand from hers.

“Listen, my dearest sister, why don’t you go to the dress store and I will meet you there later?” I said with a smile.

Her eyes lit up again. “Promise?”

“I promise,” I said.

She bounced off excitedly.Oh, what a ball of joy she was.

I breathed out. Sometimes, she really overstimulated me. I just couldn’t keep up with all her joy. Literally, Athena was never upset, which was actually kind of cute.

I quickly made my way out of the castle before I could bump into my mother or anyone else.I wore my red cape and made my way through the forest.

When I arrived at the inn, our guests were already having their late breakfast. Rita was busy serving them, moving between the tables with her tiny glowing wings fluttering behind her.

I greeted everyone and made my way behind the counter.I began looking through our books.

We needed more food for the kitchen, more clean sheets, and we also needed to replace some furniture that was getting old. Running the inn was more work than people realized, but I didn’t mind.

It was mine.

I was so engrossed in noting down everything we needed that I didn’t notice when the inn suddenly went quiet.Not until there was a dark figure standing right in front of me.I slowly looked up.Everyone was watching.

The room had become so silent that I could hear the crackling of the enchanted fire in the fireplace.

Then I felt it.That presence.The strange pressure in the air.The familiar feeling of being watched by a predator.It was easy for me to understand why everyone was afraid.A werewolf had entered our borders.

He looked nothing like the creatures I had grown up hearing about. He was tall, powerful, and completely calm as he stood in front of the counter , his presence making the entire room tense.

His eyes found mine.Those same glowing orange eyes from the forest.My heart stopped.

“Hello… mate,” he said, looking down at me.

I froze.It was him.Golden eyes.