I have just a few hours before my bride-to-be touches down. A few hours until I have to don the mask and play the game. Octavia has no clue what is in store for her here, but I know she isn’t stupid. She knows she’s flying right into danger, right into my hands. I check over the foyer one last time, making sure everything is in order before exiting the new home. I’d had it built a few months ago, not knowing how this would play out but knowing I had to make it work. Because if it didn’t… There’s no use thinking about that. Failing is out of the question. Slipping down the front steps, I ignore the car waiting in the driveway. There’s no need for it. I yank my shirt over my head, tossing it to the side. My pants follow, left behind in the soft grass. Changing is painful. My bones crack, skin stretching over the new form, itching to the point of driving anyone mad. I’m used to it now. My paws hit the dirt and I take off through the trees. The forest is beautiful in the afternoo

Stepping into the house feels surreal. The inside is cozy, with ash floors and accents. Forest green rugs have been carefully placed in the hall and open living room to the left. Everything is so bright and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows along the walls. Chandeliers of glass hang above our heads, unlit. I stare, speechless. This is nothing like what I expected. It’s not as large as my home, nor nearly as grand, but it has a certain charm to it. It’s almost like how I would have decorated my own home if I’d had one. Light and open, with hints of nature yet clean and cozy. The hard thud of a bag hitting the floor shakes me from whatever spell the house had put me under. Dominic stands waiting, one brow raised. “He’s waiting for you in the dining room. Whenever you’re ready.” Despite his words, Dominic doesn’t wait. Taking the lead, he heads down the long hall toward the back of the house. Tristan and I exchange sharp looks. Leaning in closer, he drops his voice so low that e

Restless, I sleep for about three hours before deciding it’s too strange. This is my room but…not. When I look out the window, it’s not the Georgia trees and gravel drive of my home I see. As kind as it is to at least make an effort to make me feel more comfortable, it only ended up pissing me off in the end. How dare he try to pretend that this is anything more than it is? It doesn’t matter if the Prince turns this entire house into my family home or plants southern trees in a northern forest—it can’t conceal the truth. The more I think about it, the angrier I become. If he thinks I’m just some pampered princess who would accept any act of kindness…well, then he wasn’t the brilliant strategist everyone claims he is. War is one thing. A woman is an entirely different problem. When the knock comes in the morning, I’m already up and dressed. Forgoing my usual comfort clothes, I know I have to make a statement this morning. Red usually is my best color, but today, it makes me look e

The next morning, I set my own alarm. I’m not sure if the previous morning’s late wake-up call had been on purpose or not, but I know I don’t want to be late again. Ezra isn’t concerned about my welfare as long as I’m still breathing, but my stomach would beg to differ. Even now, as I quickly shut my phone’s blaring alarm off and hurry to get dressed, it grumbles at me to move faster. By the time I’ve braided my hair and tugged on some leggings and a sweatshirt, I’m practically starving. I can hear Ezra already in the dining hall, his trusty sidekick breathing evenly beside him. Whether they hear me coming down the steps or not, they make no move to greet me. I find them exactly where I knew they’d be; Ezra seated at the head of the table, another manila folder in front of him, with Dominic standing near the door. He gives me a slight nod as I pass him, heading to the chair furthest from the Alpha as possible. “Seems you’ve finally realized your phone has an alarm on it,” Ezra comm

My heart still races from the exhilaration of the fight, pounding against my chest as I watch Octavia flee. From me. I watch her wolf disappear beneath the overgrown brush, the ebony fur rippling as she ran. Her little pet shoots me a dark look, baring his teeth before bounding after her. He shifts mid-air, his lithe fox form slipping beneath the brush. I let them go. Dominic would be hot on their heels soon enough. And where else would they go? They had nowhere to run where I couldn’t find them. The Wyres around me howl and bark in raucous celebration, their cheers mingling with the wild forest winds. They have no idea what I’d just done besides put a Shifter bitch in her place. But I know. A throat being cleared pulls me away from the tree line. Madalynn’s dark eyebrows rise, golden eyes flicking between me and where Octavia had disappeared. She’s been by my side for about as long as Dominic has, our bond forged by the same unforgiving world. “You know that will set you