Chapter 0002

*Kieran*

My cheek stings where that blasted bird pecked away my skin, but at least it didn’t get my eyeball. Because of my wolf shifter abilities, I feel it healing already. When I draw my hand away again, there’s no fresh blood.

I hear my twin sisters’ footsteps lightly following me up the stairs and can feel her glaring at me. It’s nothing new. We’ve been at each other’s throats since we were old enough to walk.

Well, that’s not exactly true.

I’ve been at her throat. She’s mostly passive, just stares at me. Sometimes she cries. I used to laugh hysterically when she’d cry. It made me want to hurt her more. Now that I’m older and more mature, it just makes me want to tell her to grow a pair.

We are finally out of the dungeon stairwell. I hurry along to my father’s office where the rest of the family is waiting. I know he will be displeased, especially when he sees my eye. Mother will likely start having a conniption. Perhaps I shall lie and say something else happened to me.

“There he is.” Father sounds annoyed, as if it’s my fault we are late, as I step into the room. I can’t help that Blanca is taking forever. I find a spot on the couch between my younger brother, Anwen, and my younger sister, Candace, who reluctantly scoots over a tad. The two younger siblings, Finn and Ingrid, sit across from us, with our father, King Gavin Solberg behind his desk, and our mother, Queen Rowena, standing behind him. I keep my hand pressed against the side of my face for now.

“Where is she?” Mother demands. “Did you find her?”

Before I can answer, Blanca bumbles through the door. “Pardon me.” She has lost the bucket and ladle at least, so they might not guess what she was up to. I’d say the filth on her long black dress should be enough of a tell, but then, she’s always filthy. She sits down on the floor next to the couch where our younger siblings sit, knowing she’s not allowed on the furniture in here. She is a stark contrast to the rest of us with her dark hair and eyes, her olive toned skin. The rest of us are blonde, blue eyed, fair to the point of almost being translucent.

A stranger wouldn’t think we were related at all, let alone twins.

Maybe that’s why no one has ever thought twice about treating her like she’s not part of the family.

“It’s about time.” Father glares at her. “You haven’t been down in the dungeon again, have you?”

She won’t lie. Instead, she drops her head and stares at her arms, folded around her knees. Slowly, she nods.

“I’ve told you a thousand times not to go down there!” Mother sounds like she’s about to cross the room to slap her. As she takes a step in that direction, Father raises a hand. It’ll have to wait until later.

Normally, it doesn’t bother me when someone slaps my sister in the face. She always deserves it, after all, but recently, I’ve felt a bit peculiar about it, like maybe I shouldn’t let it happen. It’s almost as if my wolf has decided to defend her. Perhaps that shouldn’t surprise me. She will be one of my subjects one day, after all, and my wolf has been taught from a young age to defend the weakest of our pack. But I can’t quite reason out what it is.

Father clears his throat and picks up several missives from his desk, stacking them loudly. “We’ve received word from the leaders in the conquered territories letting us know that a mist is forming around the borders. It’s already taken over our neighbors to the north and west and will envelop those in the south and east in a day or two.

Ingrid sucks in a deep breath. “Already?”

“Yes. The full moon is still about five days off, but it will take a while for it to settle in completely. This one will be different from months prior. This is a silver haze, named as such because it is the first haze to encompass us once a royal has become of age.” His heavy stare lands on my face, and I am compelled to lower my hand to look at him fully.

“Your eye!” Mother gasps, ruining the moment.

Again, Father puts a hand out to stop her. It’s already beginning to heal. I can feel it.

He continues. “As you know, as the haze settles on us, dignitaries from far and wide, as well as commoners and others who have recently reached their twenty-first birthday will descend upon the land. Everyone will be pining for their chance to be mated to the Crown Prince of Dun’s Crossing.”

I can’t help but lift my head a little. I’ve always been proud of my station. I would like to imagine one day soon I’ll be married to a princess from a distant land, one that will be a good ally to my kingdom. There aren’t many kingdoms left nearby since my father has a penchant for war. I think of all the areas he’s conquered even in my lifetime and wonder if I will ever be as mighty a king as he. Hopefully, my mate can help me fulfill my destiny as a great and powerful ruler.

“You four are too young,” Father says, gesturing at Anwen, Candace, Finn, and Ingrid. “You shall stay inside, out of the way.”

“Oh, but Father! Can’t we go outside and see all the magic taking place?” Candace whines. Normally, all she has to do is ask, and she gets her way.

It’s not to be this time. Our father fixes his darkest stare on her. “Absolutely not. A haze is no place for a young woman of your stature, not until you are old enough to find your mate. And even then–Goddess help me.” He closes his eyes and shakes his head. I know he can’t stand the thought of his little girls meeting their mates and being marked in a sexual romp out in the open–maybe in a tent if he gets lucky. I almost snicker and bite it back.

My eyes fall on my twin. Of course, she is old enough to take part because she is the exact same age as I am. But she doesn’t ask to be included, and no one says a word. I can’t imagine who she might be mated to anyway. Probably the son of some distant Beta. He will likely reject her. Marrying Blanca will not make a good match for anyone. Everyone knows she is the black sheep of our family.

“We need to get tents set up throughout the woods,” the king continues. He looks at me and Anwen. “You are in charge of that. I want as many as possible. The last thing we need is people frolicking all over the place.”

“Yes, Father,” we both say in unison.

“Borrow from the army if you need to. Remember, this is an important haze. Not an ordinary one. There will be tons of people here. We must make them feel welcome.”

It seems unlike my father to want to welcome anyone, but perhaps he has ideas about what to do with these visitors that he has yet to share with me. I agree with him again.

“Remember, we only have five days.” Mother wears a tight-lipped smile as she makes her unnecessary contribution to the conversation.

“You may go.”

As soon as Father dismisses us, I am up off the couch and through the door before Mother can even ask about my eye again. The only person who leaves faster than me is Blanca, and that’s because she knows if she sticks around, she’ll be punished for going back to the dungeon.

All of us walk together toward our quarters. Blanca’s room is in another wing of the castle, so she will break off eventually, but the others completely ignore her, as if she doesn’t exist. That’s better than hitting her or calling her names, which is what I usually do.

“You’re so lucky,” Anwen tells me. “You finally get to find your mate and fuck her real good.”

My prim sisters squeal at his use of a swear word, but Finn laughs. I ignore him–as does Blanca. She seems to have something else on her mind.

“What the hell happened to your eye, anyway?” Finn asks me.

“Nothing.” I don’t want to explain it to him. Blanca breaks off and goes down a dark hallway by herself as the others head upstairs. I hesitate at the bottom of the stairs, realizing I need to know what my parents have planned for her. I’m not sure why, but if my sister is out there during the haze, I need to know about it. I may treat her like garbage, but if anyone else were to misuse her, I’d be pissed. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

I turn and head back to my father’s office. The door is ajar, and inside, I hear my parents talking. They aren’t bothering to keep their voices down, but I pause anyway. “We can’t let her anywhere near the Haze,” my father is saying. “If she were to discover the truth–”

“She won’t.” Mother interrupts him. “I’ll see to it.”

“Good. That is your only job.” My father’s voice is stern.

I stop, deciding not to interrupt them. Even though I have no idea who they are talking about, I suddenly feel like I no longer need to ask the question. I turn to go back to my room when I hear a scream peel through the castle. Instinctively, I take off running. I’d know that scream anywhere.