"Take me instead."
Three words. The fastest decision Guinevere had ever made in her life. No regrets.
Heads turned.
"I am Guinevere Lunaris. King Lunaris's favorite daughter and crown princess. My value is higher."
A ripple moved through the three hundred women and children chained behind her.
Alpha Stonehowl's eyes snapped to Guinevere. He let go of Maria's neck, sending her coughing to the stone floor.
"You would die for this lot?"
"Yes."
He stared in disbelief. Guinevere didn't flinch or look away.
"That takes some balls. I'll give you that," he said after a moment. "Let's see how brave he taught you to be when I open you on his floor."
Warriors grabbed her arms and forced her to her knees before their Alpha.
"You," he barked to the nearest chained woman. "Is she a virgin?"
"Yes... yes, Alpha Stonehowl."
"Has she had her first heat?"
"No, Alpha."
"Has she shifted?"
There was a pause because the woman knew what this might mean.
"No. She is a runt."
Guinevere didn't let a muscle twitch. Her wolf stayed coiled and quiet somewhere deep in her chest. A secret no one in the room knew.
Alpha Stonehowl studied her for a long, silent moment.
"Change of plans. My son will make good use of her." He jerked his chin. "Cuff her. We're done."
The warriors did as their Alpha instructed, escorting her out of the throne room.
She kept her shoulders back and head lifted. No one was in the streets, but she knew hundreds were hidden and terrified. They would not see her break.
A little wolf pup peered out of a barrel. She was careful not to turn her head, but her eyes met his. One look and he understood. He lowered himself back down.
They marched her past the courtyard to the south gate, and her stomach lurched. Impaled on silver spears along the wall were the heads of the old guards. Men she'd known her entire life. Old Bren, who had let her win at dice. Harwick, who had taught her how to shoot a bow.
On the wall above, letters dripped in fresh blood:
LUNARIS FALLS TONIGHT
Stonehowl watched her take it in and smiled.
Her eyes burned and overflowed before she could stop them, two hot lines down a face she was trying to keep blank.
✦✦✦
SIX HOURS LATER - CAMP
They thought they were transporting a runt. A virgin princess with no wolf and no fight.
Mistake.
By dawn, all of Stonehowl's men would be dead, her biggest secret would be blown, and she would be in the arms of the most powerful king in the world.
But right now all she knew was it was freezing, she was chained to a tree, and this was hands-down the worst night of her life.
A thunderous roar from above woke her. She blinked a few times, vision slowly unfucking itself, then glanced up and found a dragon silhouetting the moon.
Voices carried from the fire fifteen yards away.
"Hell's a dragon doin' on this side of the map?"
"A big bird takin' a lap, mate. Nothin' more."
"Should we wake the Alpha?"
"Tell 'em what? Dragon took a walk? We ain't on the menu."
Later, she would know that this was false. They were, in fact, on the menu.
WHOOOM.
A column of golden fire slammed down in the middle of camp. Screams and howls immediately followed. Stonehowl was out of his tent in a flash, barking orders.
That's when a hiss caught her attention. She watched, stunned, as her silver chains liquefied, dripping onto the snow with a sizzle.
She was free. Holy shit. This was not a drill. She stole a glance at the burning camp. Pure chaos. No one was looking.
Mother, I am about to break my promise to you. I'm sorry.
It was the last thing her mother asked before passing. But this was her one and only chance, and she wasn't going to waste it.
Legs trembling, she pushed herself to her boots and shifted into a sprint. White light exploded outward like a flashbang from hell. A small detail she hadn't realized was that bright until right now. Whoops.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN FROM ME, LITTLE LIAR?!" Stonehowl roared.
Not only had she lied about being a runt, she was also attempting an escape. Two middle-finger crimes in one day. By the sounds of it, he was taking it personally.
Bones popped, and paws thrummed at her back. Hunting speed.
Third shift ever. Zero training in wolf form. And currently being chased by trained warriors in a burning forest. The odds were exactly as bad as they sounded.
By some miracle, they didn't catch her. The howls faded, then disappeared altogether. But she didn't trust the silence enough to slow down.
She ran for hours until the darkness thinned and the sky began to lighten.
That's when a scent caught her attention. Familiar. Too familiar. She turned her head.
Shit!
Too late.
She had re-entered Lunaris territory without realizing. By the looks of it, her father had just returned home. Warriors stood in formation and every single one of them was watching an unknown wolf running on their land.
Her half-brother, Cassian, broke ranks first, shifting into a forest green wolf. Of course it would be him. He closed the gap at Alpha speed.
Five years. Five YEARS of pretending to be a wolfless runt. Wasted unless she figured out a solution fast.
Only the river could erase her scent.
In a last-ditch effort, she jumped into the half-frozen mess, shifting into human form before impact.
Cold hit like a fist the second her head went under. Every nerve in her body screamed.
Cassian's paws thundered above. More followed.
The instant the coast was clear, she kicked upward. But her dress might as well have been an anchor.
Panic bubbled in her chest as she fought to surface.
Escaped being abducted. Only to drown in her own territory after voluntarily jumping into the river.
Brilliant. Fantastic. Truly her finest work.
The edges of her vision began to darken. Then something hit the water nearby. The sound barely registered. An arm locked around her waist and hauled her against a solid chest. Not gently. Like the river was trying to take something that belonged to him.
A second later, her back hit the snowy bank.
She coughed, dragging in air.
That's when his scent hit. Pine and something darker underneath.
She looked up, trembling.
Gold eyes. Handsome. And currently the only thing in this forest not actively trying to murder her.