by Kat Zaccard
Walking back with the group, I tried to put it out of my mind with little success. I had babbled like an idiot. I wanted to crawl under a rock.
I caught up with Shea later that night as we studied in her room after dinner. She warned me not to even think about sneaking out, convinced that the only reason I’d come to her room would be for the easy access to her first-floor window. I gave her a scout’s promise then told her about the song and the horrible conversation afterwards.
“It probably wasn’t that bad,” assured Shea.
“Are you kidding me? It was worse than bad! I looked like a twelve-year-old crushing on a boy band. So out of my league.”
“Yeah, right.” Shea laughed. “Don’t you get it? He’s out of yours.”
“No he’s not.”
“Yes, technically he is.”
“That’s stupid.” I pouted.
“Sure is, but that’s the way it is. You gotta realize, to him, you’re so off limits.”
“That sucks.”
Shea looked surprised. “You really like him, don’t you?”
I’d barely admitted it to myself let alone aloud, but after the song and my babbled outburst, it was getting harder to ignore the writing on the wall. I nodded and buried my head in Shea’s pillow.
“Aw, honey, I’m sure we can work it out. If we can get you out of this betrothal, you should be allowed to marry whomever you please.”
“Marry! Jeez, Shea! I just want to date the guy!”
“Aha! You said it out loud. I’m so proud of you,” Shea crowed.
I threw the pillow at her. “What for, you weirdo?”
“For admitting you want something you’re not supposed to have. You’re allowed your desires, lady!”
I hadn’t thought about it before, but maybe I had been suppressing my desires a bit. I mean, I loved art and I never spent time getting better. I just accepted Adam was better and stopped trying. I threw myself into training because I knew that was what I had to do. I had to prepare to be Queen. “I guess I feel like I’m running out of time. I have to be ready to take the crown from Christina in a year, and that’s assuming she gives it to me nicely.”
“Well, who knows how likely that is, but you’re not beholden to your crown alone. You have to honor yourself too. And Alice, you are allowed to like whomever you please.” Shea was impassioned and a tear slipped down her cheek.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, certain we weren’t just talking about me anymore.
“Nothing.” She wiped a tear. “We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you.”
“Yeah, I get it, I should like whomever, but I’m also a princess and I have responsibilities to my people. “
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, but if you can’t change things for the better, who will?” Now Shea was really crying and couldn’t hold it back.
“Okay, for real, tell me what’s up.” I was worried.
Shea hiccupped a little then relented to my demand. “It’s Adam.”
“What did he do?” As much as I loved the guy, I’d kill anyone that messed with Shea.
“It’s not really him, it’s his mom. She’s, she’s not sure Adam should marry a Winterstone.”
“Again, who said anything about marriage? And there’s nothing wrong with being a Winterstone.”
“I’m glad you think so, but Adam’s family has money and they think I’m a”—Shea gasped and shuddered before uttering the despised word—“gold-digger.”
“That’s ridiculous!” I shouted. “Of course you’re not. But, Shea, why are things getting so serious between you two so fast?”
“What do you mean?” She glared angrily at me “We’re made for each other. We’re true mates, I know it.”
“How can you know? You’ve never had another boyfriend to compare him to.” I said it softly, but she was clearly annoyed.
“Not all of us need to date around to know what we want,” she spat.
Was that a dig at me? Okay, she was upset; we’d let that one slide. Uh-oh, the royal we? Tread lightly, girl! “Okay, Shea, I know, but I mean, you’re seventeen. Why worry about marriage?”
“He hasn’t proposed, Alice. He wants to take me home to meet his family during Winter Break.”
“That’s great—”
“Yeah, except his mom asked why he’d be bringing home some Winterstone when he was friends with a princess,” she snarled.
“Shea, you can’t be mad at me.”
“I’m not, but it’s the system. She thinks you’re good enough for her son, or at least you can introduce him to a nice rich duchess or something.”
“What did Adam say?”
“He said she was an elitist snob and if I wasn’t coming with him, he wasn’t going home for the holidays.”
“What did she say to that?”
“I don’t know what she said, but it couldn’t have been good because he wouldn’t tell me. He said that he would stay here at Mount Henley with me instead. Of course they’re terrified that I’ll trap him with a pup, so they invited me to come.”
“What?!”
“You know, a baby.”
“Yeah, I get that, but seriously? That’s so backward.”
“Tell me about it. And now I get to spend my first holidays with the love of my life and his family who hates me.”
“They just don’t know you. I’m sure—”
“You don’t get it, Alice. You’re a princess, not a Winterstone. I’m not accepted into society, so I’d bring down their family status. They’ll never approve of me.”
“Well, screw them. Adam’s opinion matters, his family’s not so much. It sounds like he’s standing by you.”
“Yeah, that’s great and all, but I want his family to like me.”
“They’ll love you.”
She rolled her eyes at me.
“Hey, I could make you a duchess of somewhere or other when I’m Queen!”
“What?” Shea laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“No seriously, why not? I’ll knight you or something.”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re sweet, Alice. Idiotic, but sweet.”
“Hey! That’s your Queen you’re talking to,” I teased. We talked more, and by the time I said goodnight, Shea’s smile was slightly more genuine. I knew she thought I was joking, but I would give her a title and land if I could. I hated to see classism keep her from true love. Part of me still worried they were rushing things, but that was because of their age, not their status.
Chapter 13
September rolled into October with harvest in full swing. The week prior, students got to spend the afternoon in the orchards helping harvest apricots, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and more. It was actually fun and calming to hang out under the trees away from all the training. It helped me forget there was a real threat out there. Maybe Sloane was wrong, maybe there wasn’t a threat to my life. Maybe Shea was right to suspect Sloane was a threat. But that didn’t make sense? Why save my life to betray me later? I had to trust her, a least a little while longer.
Everyone from the village came to help with harvest, but I was surprised to see Nadia among the Weres from Dryden.
“Hey, Nadia, I didn’t know you were still in town. Hey, Nolan,” I added with a nod to her younger brother. Nadia smiled politely back at me, her regal features somehow out of place with the basket of apples in her arms.
“Hello, Your Highness, yes, I wanted to stick around while Nolan got adjusted to Mount Henley.”
“How’s your first month going?” I asked. I remembered Nolan as a cheerful kid over the summer, yet he seemed a little more sullen today.
“It’s fine.” He shrugged. “I can’t wait until May.”
“What’s in May?” I asked, wondering if he wanted the school year over already.
“My birthday, duh!” he blurted.
“Nolan! Manners,” scolded Nadia.
“It’s okay. I can’t imagine having to wait so
long either. I never knew I was a wolf, so I didn’t know what I was missing. It must be tough for you to wait for your first shift?”
“Whatever.”
Nadia looked scandalized, but I laughed. Nolan was a typical teenage werewolf; we were a temperamental bunch. Just then, I saw a familiar face turn down our row of trees.
“Hey, Sequoya!” I called out. Sequoya was the daughter of a Sliver that ran patrols. I had met them last year during harvest. She was sweet with dark hair and blue eyes like her mother, Melinda. I knew she had just started at Mt. Henley this year too.
“Hey, Alice! Nice to see you again.” She smiled warmly all around.
“Sequoya, these are my friends, Nadia, and her brother Nolan. Nolan is a freshman this year too.”
“Hi, nice to meet you,” she responded shyly.
Nolan looked up, and I noticed a slight shift in his posture. “Oh hey,” he said oh so casually. “How do you like Howl High?”
Sequoya laughed. “It’s okay. It’ll get better when we can shift.”
“Right?” he replied enthusiastically, flipping his black bangs out of his eyes. Nolan perked up while he and Sequoya continued to chat amiably.
Nadia pulled me aside. “Thanks for that. It can be hard to get him out of his shell sometimes.”
I took it as a sign of trust that Nadia was sharing something so private. It reminded me that we really had grown closer. She was more that my royal advisor. She was a friend. Maybe I could trust her with more of my secrets too?
“Happy to help; they’re both good kids.”
Nadia smirked. “And yet, they’ll be shifting with the moon in less than a year.” She sighed. “I hope I’ll worry less about him after that.”
“He’s going to be fine. I’m so impressed with what a great big sister you are.”
Nadia blushed. She’d grown up too fast, taking the place of their parents for Nolan. She had more responsibility on her shoulders than I could imagine. And I was training to be Queen.
“I also wanted to remind you that we need to meet for tea later this month,” she said brusquely, back to business.
“Any news from the lawyers?” I asked eager to hear word about my contractual obligation to produce Dolph heirs. Blech, maybe I just vomited in my mouth a little.
“Robert has confirmed that there’s nothing in the contract expressly stating that the heirs will take either name. He feels we have a case for declaring all heirs Lunas, especially given that you’re the last of your name.”
“That’s good!” It was an odd thing to be happy about, but it gave me a glimmer of hope. “Thank you, Nadia.”
“Don’t thank me yet.”
“What now?” Hope, so fickle and mean, whistled away once more.
“It has not gone unnoticed that you and Logan are avoiding each other like the plague—”
“Who cares?”
“Don’t interrupt. People care. The Dolph family cares. There was even mention of it on page six when someone commented that neither of you have been seen together in weeks nor started shopping for the Fall Fling.” Nadia waved her hands in exasperation. I knew she must be mad if she was resorting to gesticulations. On previous occasions she’d strongly cautioned against the excessive flapping of limbs.
“Wow, Dryden is pretty pressed for news,” I grumbled, crossing my arms with a glower.
“Don’t sulk.”
“I’m not sulking.”
“Be that as it may, until the betrothal is officially annulled, you’ll be expected to make a few public appearances together.”
“But, Nadia!”
“But nothing! The Dolph family is a powerful ally that could become an even more powerful enemy. You have to walk this tightrope very carefully, Your Royal Highness.” She added the epithet for emphasis. Nadia batted away my protests one by one and made me promise to meet for tea in a few weeks. I gave a morose goodbye and offered to carry the now full basket of apples back to the truck. Nadia’s news was a mixed blessing, and I just had to wait it out.
◆◆◆
I kept obsessing about the plan to get me out of the betrothal over the next few weeks. When I could, I threw myself into training to distract me from the problem. It was late on a Sunday and I was sketching some training drills to run with the Fur Patrol. The name was terrible, we knew, but it had stuck. With our commitment to harvest over, we were all psyched to get back to junior patrols. Adam and Shea were attached at the hip whenever possible, so for me, training also meant more time with my bestie. I tried not to begrudge her time with Adam. Sometimes I missed the idea of a boyfriend and the option to double date. Unbidden, my memory pulled up a happy scene from last fall in the orchards: Adam and Shea, Logan and I together, hands entwined.
The pencil snapped in my hand. Just picturing his face made me angry. He had seemed so sweet last year, but he really only cared about himself and his status. And maybe Jillian, a small traitorous voice whispered. I thought I heard a noise but realized it was only me, growling under my breath. Why did I even care? I really hated that either of them could get under my skin. I tried to picture Carianne and Nick back home in Greenville. That was a similar situation. I’d cared at the time, but now, it was laughable. Why would I want a man that clearly didn’t want me? But it wasn’t that simple with Logan. The betrothal made him a villain, waiting to snatch his prize. I smirked, then gagged. This was not happening. In that moment, I knew that no matter the cost to myself or my pack, I was not going to marry Logan. The crown wasn’t worth it.
But you can’t let Christina keep it. My conscience would not shut up. I scrawled angrily across my page, ruining the game plan I’d been working on for patrols. I had to find another way. I thought about my friends from Europe and the council members who supported me. I knew I was politically poised to take the crown in a year. I wouldn’t be expected to marry before my coronation. I had to find another way. I sighed and pushed back my chair abandoning my homework. Standing up, I stretched, knowing I was thinking myself in circles. With no new information, there was no new strategy. I had to focus on the problem at hand.
Right now, the problem was I was itching to run. I couldn’t wait for the full moon, which was over seven days away, just under half full. I wasn’t supposed to be caught running. Hmm, maybe I wouldn’t get caught? The school had been on high alert for months and nothing remotely dangerous had occurred. I glanced at my phone, it was only eight. The sun had set, but curfew wasn’t for an hour. I changed into sweatpants and, leaving my phone and jewelry behind, I headed out.
Sneaking out the back was easy. Most of the girls were in the study or in their rooms. I slipped out the back door and breathed in the cool night air. I took a step forward, my foot lightly crunching the leaves. I heard a twig snapped and whirled to the right.
“Going somewhere?” Sir Henry stepped into a light, dropping two halves of a stick as he approached. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, Henry.” I waved casually like I wasn’t about to break my promise and head into the woods alone.
He saw right through me, of course, “Hey, Princess, you weren’t by chance sneaking off to meet your boyfriend, were you?”
“Wow, you just came out and said it, huh?” I smiled as he blanched. “Don’t worry. You know I won’t pull rank on you.”
“Princess, whomever you’re meeting, even Logan, I can’t allow…”
“Eww, do not say his name. I’m not going to meet anyone.”
He looked dubious with good reason.
I tried on my royal arrogance for size. “I am not some silly lovesick schoolgirl, I’m the Lost Princess and soon-to-be Queen. I simply want to walk in the woods.”
Sir Henry hid a smile and wasn’t fooled by my performance. “Then I’d be happy to accompany Your Royal Highness.” He swept an elegant bow and gestured toward the nearest path through the gardens.
I sighed and led the way, wondering how I could ditch him. Sir Henry was a Sliver, so I couldn’t shift and
outrun him. Maybe it was time to ask Jack if I could tell my bodyguard my secret. I veered toward the path that wound its way towards his property.
“You know, I actually did have a question for Jack. Mind if we go to his place?”
“We might be cutting it close to get back before curfew?” Now he looked even more suspicious. Crap, the last thing I wanted to do was to get him or Jack in trouble.
“How about I give him a call and he can meet us?” Sir Henry offered.
“I left my phone,” I began.
“Not that kind of call.” Sir Henry chuckled. He peeled off his shirt, revealing a very muscular chest before shimmering into his wolf. He shook out his fur and trotted a few steps away from me. Then he drew in a long breath and let out a sharp piercing howl followed by a series of yips to signal Jack specifically. He shifted back into his human self and quickly slipped back into his pants. Pulling his shirt over his head, we continued down the path.
After a few minutes, Sir Henry signaled me to stop. I pricked up my ears but didn’t hear anything. Sir Henry stepped in front of me, poised for attack. I heard it then: paws beating down the trail. Rounding a corner, Jack’s tawny wolf came into view. He stopped just short of us and shifted.
“What’s wrong? Is the Princess all right?” He kept glancing around as if expecting imminent attack.
“Everything’s fine, Jack. I just had to get outside for a bit.” I opened my eyes wide at him, trying to convey my real intent.
Sir Henry grinned. “Like most wolves, the Princess was feeling cooped up, I imagine.” Sir Henry took his job seriously, and protecting me from harm also meant protecting me from scolding.
Jack was less inclined to defer to my status. “Your Highness, you cannot be wandering outside alone, and no, Sir Henry, don’t try to cover for her. I know you want to protect her, but you likely had to follow her as she snuck out of the house. Am I right?” he directed the last question to me.
“Jack,” I implored, “I don’t want to cause trouble, but I have to run.”
Jack’s gold eyes held mine steady for a moment. He relented with a sigh and a kick at the gravel. “I get it. I couldn’t contain my wolf either if I were you.” He looked up at Henry, who was looking more and more confused.