Five minutes. I just needed five minutes to myself. I felt like I hadn’t stopped all day. From the moment I woke up, I’d been pulled here, there and everywhere. I’d spent several hours with Father going over the names of all the attending Alphas and their Lunas, their pack names and brief history. Every error resulted in a disappointed look being cast my way, and more pressure heaped on. I wandered over to the large window seat in my bedroom and sat, hugging my knees to my chest. The sky was dark and lanterns lit up the large circular driveway. I had always loved event nights. My room had the best view in the house to sit and watch the guests arrive. People-watching was definitely helping ease my anxiety, and I began to relax a little. For all his faults as a mate and a parent, my father really was a good Alpha. He’d forged alliances with most of the surround

Josh POVI’d never seen someone tumble like that before. Her dress was all tangled up, and she looked like a giant burgundy ball of fluff rolling down the hill. The way she’d been stomping, with her nose in the air, made her fall all the more satisfying. And made it hard to hold in my laughter.There was an audible thud and a whimper of pain, then silence. She must have come to a stop. I moved closer to the edge and looked over, and my heart beat faster in my chest. Shit. It was a lot steeper towards the bottom than I’d thought. It was dark and I could barely make out her figure. She was lying on the ground, her dress still caught all around her, and she wasn’t moving.“Alina? Are you ok?”The fabric rustl

Alina POV This guy will be the death of me, I thought to myself as I watched him run off. He sees some random creature from a deadly enchanted forest, and his first instinct is to go chasing after it. Perhaps I should just leave now and make my own way out, I’d likely have more luck than I would sticking with him. I’m starting to wonder how he even got the job as a guard. My father and his team are notoriously strict with vetting their recruits. He made his way back towards me, waving his arms around. His brows were pinched and his strong jaw tensed. “Why didn’t you follow me?” he shouted. “Because I’m not a puppy dog,” I replied, resting one hand on my hip. My other wrist

Alina POVThe jade green clouds that had cast an almost magical hue over us in the daylight now glowed, blanketing the forest in an eerie dim light. The once beautiful scenery now took on a sinister edge. While I had suspected we were being watched in the daytime, I was now certain of it at night.“She tricked us!” raged Josh, slamming his open hand against the tree he was standing next to.“I tried to warn you not to be so trusting of the fae, but no, you just followed her without considering any consequences,” I replied, letting my frustration with him show in my voice.“So this is my fault, is it? Remind me how we ended up in the forest in the first place?”“I’m not having th

Alina POVWith my heart thumping at what felt like a million beats per minute, I kicked Josh in the face as I frantically scrambled to stand. He swore and clutched his nose, but must have sensed my fear. He leapt to his feet, pulling me tightly to him until my back was pressed against his hard chest.As my eyes tried to adjust in the dark, a woman came into focus. She was quite a lot taller than me, but not quite Josh’s height. I could make out her long, dark hair as it framed her pale face and flowed all the way down to her waist.“Please forgive me for startling you, but this is my home,” she said, her voice full of warmth and sincerity. It was the type of sound that carried a melody and instantly put me at ease. She must have had the same effec