*Ember*“Get up, Princess!”I groaned, blinking the sleep from my eyes. I had expected my gaze to be met with the gentle light of dawn, but it was still dark.“Come on, hurry up,” the voice urged. It took me a moment to realize who was speaking–the Alpha of Whitelark’s blond-haired Beta. What was his name? Rhys?I sat up in bed, drawing the thin blankets over me protectively. Rhys shot me a good-natured grin as he tossed a bundle of fabric onto the end of the bed. “We’ve got to get going,” he said. “Get dressed as quickly as you can.”I frowned at him. It seemed like a crime for somebody to be so energetic so early in the morning. A million questions zinged through me. Where were they taking me? What were they planning on doing with me… or to me? Before I could even utter a word, Rhys disappeared through the door to the hallway, leaving me alone.Huffing with the indignity of it all, I sped through my morning routine. I toyed with the idea of washing my face, but the water

*Ember*“Who are you?”The words spilled out of me before I could stop them, and I found myself immediately reddening under the unmoving gaze of the female shifter who stood before me.“Aren’t you a curious one?” she laughed, a rich, golden sound. “I am Lauryn Nightwatch, though you may call me Lauryn. The Whitelark pack welcomes you, Princess.” She inclined her head towards me, indicating that even though I was their captive, I would still receive the treatment befitting my station.“Thank you,” I replied, falling back on the familiarity of the manners that my father had taught me. “Please, call me Ember.”Lauryn smiled at me, showing two rows of perfect white teeth. “As you wish, Ember. Will you please accompany me to the dining room? I imagine you must be famished after your long journey.”I wanted to snap back that I hadn’t exactly had much choice about going on such a long journey in the first place, but I bit back the retort, albeit with some difficulty. So far, the W

*Ember*A thrill passed through me as I took Alec’s hand. His palm was warm against mine as he tugged me gently from the room and into the hallway. A bolt of excitement rolled in my chest as I followed him.The thought that I might go to the library whenever I liked was deliciously novel to me. It felt like a wildly rebellious thing to stride so boldly down the corridors towards such a forbidden place. What would my father say if he could see me now?As I trailed after Alec, my hand still held tightly in his, I did my best to memorize the path we took since I hoped to travel it often. We made our way downstairs, but instead of heading towards the back of the manor where we had eaten a few hours prior, we veered in the opposite direction.Finally, we stopped before a set of double doors adorned with delicately carved whorls and flowers. Alec let go of my hand and then pushed the doors open dramatically, turning back towards me with a broad smile gracing his angular features.“

*Alec*A week had passed, yet it felt like a century to me. I had done my best to avoid Ember after what had happened in the library. Was she scared of me now? Did she think me no better than Lukas? I didn’t even know what had possessed me to approach her like that, only that it felt like she was a magnet, her pull inevitable.In the meantime, I had tasked Lauryn with befriending her. Though Lauryn’s default manner was cold and aloof, I thought that Ember might appreciate the company. But Lauryn’s list of duties was long, and she barely had any time to spend with the princess.My biggest surprise was when Rhys stepped in to assume the role. He and Ember got along famously, spending hours slinging good-humored insults and dry jokes at one another. My Beta had taken her on a thorough tour of the manor, and I had even spotted him carrying a teetering stack of books from the library to her rooms on several occasions.Every time I saw them together, I had to stifle a pang of jealous

*Ember*As I stared into the amber eyes of the strange man, I felt pinned by his gaze.“Thank you, but I’m not lost,” I lied, falling back on the manners that had carried me through my time in the court of the Silver Crescent and offering the stranger a bob of my head befitting for a female of my station.The man’s eyes widened slightly. “My mistake,” he apologized. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sawyer. Some call me the Rogue King, myself included.”Before I could pull away, he gracefully caught my hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckles gently before offering me a low bow.The action chilled my blood. That was the way a male would greet a queen or a princess; not even a Luna would be afforded that treatment. Was it possible that he recognized me as Ember Moonrise, Princess of the Silver Crescent?Feeling numb with fear, I willed my voice to remain steady as I answered, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” the man grinn