CHAPTER 1

                Emily’s POV.

              Beads of sweat rolled down my skin as I ran through the dark forest. My heart pounded in my ears, the icy cold air slicing through my throat.

                I glanced behind at my assailants and saw them snarling as they lashed after me. Two-legged monsters, the kind I’ve seen only in my father's books. 

                A devastating scream left my lips.

                I veered left and scouted over dead leaves and stones, the forest was like an endless circle, no matter how much I ran there seemed not to be an edge.

                The ground became a blur beneath me. I turned to glance at my assailants and bumped into him.

                “H-help me!!” I cried, grabbing nothing but a fine set of muscles as I clutched his arms, “ Please, help me!” The stranger. He stood tall, his shoulders broad as the walls of a city. He was wearing a cloak which covered his face. An inexplicable sensation tumbled my existence as our skins touched. Never have I felt like this before.

                I tried to pry deeper into the cloak hoping I could see his face but the fogginess of the forest made it impossible.

                Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. Fireworks kabooned in my head and an electrifying sensation charred down my spine. Ever so slow, he cupped my face and brushed my lips with his thumb, making my throat dry.

                Who is this man? Why am I reacting this way towards him?

                And then he leaned close to my ear.

                “Run, Daddy’s little princess, run!” his cold voice cut through the forest, an icy chill against my skin. It is with shock that I pulled back in time to see his lips revealed under the cloak, curl into a mischievous smile. 

                A gasp escaped my lips. I began stepping back, away from him and suddenly my legs slipped. A shrilling cry left my lips as I plummeted into an emptiness behind me, a cliff at the end of the forest.

                I was about falling when I caught hold of a root of a tree. I clung to it with my whole life. “Help me!!” I cried. My legs flailed beneath me. I glanced up at the stranger. “Please, save me!” I begged.

                He moved his footsteps as lithe as that of a predator and he stooped before me. “Emily Thane Blakesley.” He said my name. Good grief, he knew who I was!

                If he knew who I was, then who is he?

                “Who are you?” I asked. My voice echoed around the dark forest and the cliff.

                Suddenly the five beasts chasing me emerged from the forest and prowled behind him. Are they with him? Am I being haunted by a mysterious alpha?

                The stranger brought out a knife from his pocket. He began to detach my fingers around the root. “No, no...Don’t do this!” I cried.

          “Goodbye, Emily Blakesley,” he said and proceeded to my last finger. 

                “NOOO!”

                I sat up with a jerk on my bed and panted. My parents rushed into the room. “Emily!” My mother cried, she was the first to get to me and pulled me into her arms. My father rushed in after her and sat at the edge of the bed.

                The morning sun seeped over the horizon, its rays casting a gold and pink hue against the fading night sky. 

                “We’re here, sweetheart. You’re safe!” My mother cooed and caressed my hair. My heart was hammering against my ribs and my nerves were on fire. Gradually, I began to relax seeing I was in the midst of the people that cared for me, my parents.

                “Let me guess, another nightmare?” my mother asked.

                “Yes, it is like every other nightmare. I am being chased by terrifying beasts running through a dark forest and then,” my voice trailed as I realized I was about to tell them about the stranger.

                Last night was the first time he’d ever appeared in my dream and for reasons which I can’t tell, I kept that part to myself.

                “Get Asena,” my father commanded his gamma who stood at the door. He was the King of Azalea and my mother, his queen. While my father is a werewolf, my mother on the other hand is a human. A human princess who’d fallen in love with a werewolf.

                “You’ll be fine,” my mother soothed and kissed my temple. A lot was said to have happened in this castle, centuries before I was born, of battles between humans and werewolves. I was a lovechild born into this chaos, a symbol of unity and love between these two very different kinds.

                I am a hybrid, the first of my kind in Azalea, the reason my parents have kept me locked behind the tall walls of our castle. Well, not entirely true. It is because of the nightmares that I have had for the past fifteen years. They believe they're protecting me from whatever may be the cause of my predicament. 

                A knock rapped on the door and I jolted back to the present. It was Randolph, my father's gamma, he was back and lingered at the door. 

                “My Lord, I have summoned Asena. She awaits you in the throne room,” he said.

                It was with a hurry that we headed to the aforementioned room, still dressed in our nightwear.  We entered the throne room and saw her standing before the raised dais. 

                Asena was the eldest of the three sisters, the only one blessed with the gift of magic. Over the years she has used her gifts in providing insights to problems surrounding our kingdom and the throne and has even provided temporary solutions to my nightmares.

                The white witch stood clad in a white dress and turned as she heard movements behind her. “Your Majesties,” she dipped in a curtsey and waited until King Thane has sat on his ceremonial chair.

                My mother and I lingered at the door.

                “You sent for me, My Lord.”

                “She is still having nightmares. I’m afraid the last solution failed,” my father said.

                Asena shook her head. “Perhaps there’s no solution to this.”

                “What do you mean there’s no solution?” My father’s voice thundered across the throne room and brought goosebumps to my skin. “I have told you to stop saying these things to me. There must be something we can do to stop this.”

                “We have tried everything, My Lord.’

                “So invariably you say there’s nothing we can do to save my daughter?” King Thane jerked to his feet and paced the raised dais. He stopped and raked his hand through his hair. “Perhaps, we should cancel the ball.”

                Tonight was my eighteenth birthday ball. As with every werewolf on their eighteenth birthday, tonight is the night I am expected to shift for the first time. For years I have anticipated this day to come not knowing my nightmares which were gone for six months would suddenly return...

                “Do not cancel the ball!” Asena blurted and all eyes darted to her. “We do not want anyone to think that something is wrong with our princess, our future queen.”

                Tears gathered in my eyes. Why can’t I be like every other maiden out there?

                Why do I keep having these nightmares that keep messing with my mental health? Resting my head on my mother's shoulder, I sobbed quietly.

                “So what do you advise? King Thane asked. “–that I go ahead with the ball regardless?”

                “Yes, My Lord,” Asena replied. “Gossip will ensue amongst the people if you stop the ball. However, we know that our wolves make us stronger and their ability to fight. Perhaps after she gets her wolf tonight, the nightmares will stop.”

                Asena’s words continued to ring in my head as the handmaids prepared me for the ball tonight. The sky is now a blanket of stars with different carriages pulling over in my father's courtyard.

                My hands are damp with nervousness.

                “What do you think, Your Highness?” At my chaperone’s voice, my gaze darted to the mirror before me in the quiet space of my bedroom. My hair has been braided into a fishtail halo and I was wearing my favorite tiara. For the evening, I was dressed in a red ball gown that kissed the floor and bared atop my creamy shoulders.

                Exhaling, I jerked to my feet and nodded. “I love it.” I mumbled and Mrs. Baldwin, my chaperone smiled.

                “Shall we?” she held open the door. Grotesque pictures of the monsters in my dream; lycans as my father called them in his books, flashed in my head and I shut my eyes. “Princess Emily?”

                I reopened my eyes and panted. Grabbing my dress, I walked to the door and soon I was walking down the hallway of my father's castle, my chaperone tailing behind me.

                Each step cued me into anxiety and soon we stopped before the private door of the ballroom. My heart thudded.

                I could hear the symphony coming from the room, and the chatter of the guests too. This would be my first ball, my first attendance at a public event. Almost all my life I have been shielded by the castle and the wall my parents built around me. There’s no denying the anxiety building in the pit of my stomach. “Your Highness?”

                I jolted and stared at my chaperone.

                “Yes,” I voiced. 

                Mrs. Baldwin signaled the guards standing on each side of the door and the tall portal creaked open. 

                “Her Royal Highness, Princess Emily of Azalea!!” the footman heralded and the room before me fell into silence. With unsure steps, I appeared at the top of the stairs. My eyes traveled about the room at the guests dressed in flamboyant ball gowns and suit-of-coats. It was almost mesmerizing. I caught sight of my parents standing at the center of the room. 

                A round of applause rang in the room.

                Exhaling, I descended the stairs. The ovation continued until I walked to my parents and curtsied, it tapered.

                “You look stunning, my dear.” Queen Larissa smiled and glanced at her husband.

                “Absolutely stunning,” King Thane added and smiled. For the first time, a smile spilled on my lips.

                “Your cake!” My mother tilted her head towards something on the stage and I broke into a grin, it was a three-foot vanilla cake with my name written on it. Grinning, I walked over to the stage and blew off all the candles and another round of applause rang in the room. Just as I straightened, I saw him, the stranger from my nightmare.

                Breath lodged in my throat.

                “Emily?” I snapped at the voice and saw my father now standing at the foot of the stage. Alpha Thane smiled. “It’s time for your dance,” he said and brought forward his hand. To officially open the dance floor for tonight, I need to dance with him.

                My gaze darted back to the stranger but he was gone. I scanned the entire hall but he was gone. Where did he go?

                Or was I hallucinating?

                Moving my attention back to my father, I grabbed my dress and climbed down the stage. “Of course, father,” I said and took his hand. 

                A piece of waltz music began as he led me to the dance floor and we danced.

                Tonight is the night I finally join the pack. There’s a whirlwind of excitement and anxiety in my chest, the air is thick with anticipation as the guests form a circle around us.

                The melody of the symphony enveloped us, as my father and I glided across the polished floor, our movements a perfect flow of the music.

                I glanced around the room and saw my mother watching us, she blew me a kiss.

                Each step and spin feels like a cherished moment and just as I was about to enjoy it, the music ended. I curtsied at my father and straightened up. “Come. Let me introduce you to one or two royal friends,” he said.

                At first, it was exciting, as he led us back to my mother and the first royal family walked up to us. And the second, and then it was the eighth family; the royal family of Belguise. By the time we exchanged pleasantries with the tenth family, boredom became me, I had to keep up with the fake smiles.

                At last, it was over, I was free and roamed the party. My parents danced on the dance floor. Grabbing a drink from the tray of a passing server, I sipped. And just then I saw him again, the stranger from my nightmare. 

                A shiver charred down my spine.

        What does he want? Why does he keep messing up with my day?

                He was bare torso and wore a black cloak just as in my nightmare. Regardless of how illuminated the room was, I couldn't see his face. Who is he?

                Exhaling, I dropped my glass with a passing server and headed towards him. Halfway across the room, as if knowing I was coming for him, he straightened and headed in the opposite direction. 

                Wait. Is he running?

                I followed him.