“Where am I?” I asked myself. I looked right and left; I couldn’t see anything but whiteness everywhere. I didn’t know if there was ground beneath my feet, so I lifted a leg and tentatively took a step forward, feeling my way. My foot hit a hard surface, so I repeated the process until I was confident I wouldn’t fall into nothingness. I was confused by what I was doing. The last thing I remembered was the forest, the eclipse, and Otis starting the spell to unbind me. Soon after, it plunged me into this whiteness with no visible exits or paths. Although I was walking, I had the distinct feeling of gliding, almost flying. The sensation made me dizzy, so I stopped and sat down, looking up at what should have been the sky. More white… Why was there so much white? I called out, asking if anyone was here with me, but no one answered. I sighed and then resumed walking in the white void, going seemingly nowhere. I had no notion of time or direction. I simply walked until my feet got tired,

After we left the battle, we walked in the forest for half a day before stopping to make camp for the night. Xander’s wounds had healed perfectly, so we made good time with him scouting the area in Lycan form and reporting back once he found a hidden spot to sleep. Xander mentioned he had encountered the hunter’s party while looking for us. We couldn’t be too careful. If the hunter had told others he was on my trail, there could be more not too far behind with the same intentions. I helped Otis prepare a small fire. We chose specific wood branches that would not create a thick smoke and made sure the fire was hot enough not to produce any. Later in the evening, Xander returned with a rabbit in his jaw. He quickly came to my side and dropped it at my feet, his tail wagging. I passed my fingers into his fur and scratched the back of his huge wolf-like head before giving him a smile. I skinned the rabbit and prepared to cook it with Otis’s spice pouch he had thrown my way to add some

Otis POV I found the travelling road we were on to be quite refreshing and a stark contrast to the life I had lived for nearly ten years. I had been reclusive during my exile, and I found the company of Cressida and her mate to be a breath of fresh air. I still had a tricky habit of using formalities whenever I was with her. I watched her grow up, so it was difficult for me to let go of the fact she had a life without me and no longer went by ‘Princess,’ ‘Highness,’ or just plain ‘Cressida.’ Her new name suited her. A new name for a new life. One I, unfortunately, would not have wished upon her, I thought sadly. As for the Lycan, I had no opinions of him for now, other than he seemed affectionate and extremely enthralled by the Princess. Cressida had lost both her parents, so I took it upon myself, moving forward, to protect her from those that would want her harm. The Lycan—Alexander, I chastised myself for not saying his name, seemed charming, with good etiquette, but what comfort

Xander POV Since Otis and Ida had horses, we made good time reaching Pine Lake. I gave them directions to the cabin while I went ahead to meet up with Gideon. He must have been worried because he barged outside when he heard my howl and scanned the entire area until his eyes settled on my fast-approaching form. He returned inside and came out holding a pair of pants, a sly smile spreading rapidly on his face. “You forgot to bring clothes for your travel. I’m guessing you stayed in this form, so you wouldn’t need any. Did you find Ida?” I lifted myself on my hind legs and painfully moved toward Gideon while my body twisted and snapped into human form. When I arrived in front of him, I clasped his arms, gratefully took the pants from him, and slipped them on. “I did. Ida’s not too far. She should be here within the hour. How has everyone held up?” Gideon closed the front door and walked with me a little way from the cabin. “We’ve been doing well, but there are definitely shifters

Otis and I readied ourselves, walking protectively in a circle around Nimu, Denis and Leo, who all stood in between both of us. We were surrounded by at least fifty beasts, each bigger than the other. I saw Otis shoot me a look, and I nodded, wiggling my fingers when I felt the tingle of magical energy flow through them. He was letting me know to prepare for an imminent attack. Xander and Gideon were nowhere in sight, but I could still hear jaws snapping and furious growls and whelps coming from inside the forest. Whoever attacked me was probably still fighting off Xander. One of the smaller Lycans lunged at me, and I moved just in time to dodge it, swirling my wrists and sending it flying through the air with an energy blast. It landed on its side, close to the edge of the forest. Otis did the same with another attacker. One by one, they tried to breach our perimeter, snapping their giant maws at our limbs in an attempt to make us fall or fatally wound us. We had been able to parry