ALEJANDRA.On Tuesday, instead of going to class I am called to the office. The guys go with me and the teacher telling me I’m wanted in the office doesn’t even bat an eye this time. I imagine Margot knows by now that the guys aren’t leaving me. It doesn’t matter who they have to fight. I love them for it even if I’m sure I’d be fine walking to her office on my own.My heart leaps when I see who is waiting for me in Margot’s office.Margot is sitting in her chair, but she stands when I arrive. And on the other side of her desk, with his back turned toward me, is my grandfather.When I asked Margot to see if he would come talk to me, I thought I would get some kind of warning. I didn’t think he’d just show up. But I’m glad he’s here. I want to talk to him. I think he has answers that I need.Robert Westwood looks at me, but he doesn’t make a move toward me.“Hello, Alejandra.” His voice sounds friendly enough and his smile is inviting, but his body language says something differe
ALEJANDRA.I’m feeling a little down after meeting with Robert, but I try not to let what he said get to me. It’s hard not to take what he said personally, but I know he only said what he did out of his own pain. He’s hurting over the death of my mom. Instead of letting people in, he pushes them away.So… I put all thoughts of him aside. It’s not worth dominating my thoughts or ruining my mood. Instead, I focus on all the good things. Like my mates. Phoenix sits on one side of me during class and Desmond on the other. Puma looks back at me and grins, like he knows I’m thinking about him—which he probably does—and Forrest plays with my hair at my back. It’s impossible to be sad around my mates, which is probably exactly what they want.They distract me in the best possible way.The other kids at school are acting weird today, though. They’re all staring at me and I can hear them whisper things. Even in class when we’re supposed to be doing our work, they’re talking about me. And ei
ALEJANDRA. I wake up feeling disoriented. When I open my eyes, Forrest’s face is directly in front of mine. I grin, seeing him. But then I notice it’s still dark outside. He shakes me gently, trying to wake me. “Get up and pack a bag,” Forrest says. I blink a few times and look at him. “Where are we going?” But Forrest doesn’t answer. He just walks out the door, leaving me half asleep on my bed. “What’s going on?” I ask Puma, who is sitting up next to me. “I don’t know. But we need to pack.” Puma scoots to the edge of the bed and gets up. “I’m sure Forrest will tell us when we’re all packed and ready to go.” To go where though? Puma walks out of my room, leaving me alone. Having no other choice, I get up and start getting ready for… whatever we’re doing. I pack a bag quickly, even though I’m not sure what kind of clothing to pack. And then I get the quickest shower I’ve ever taken in my life. I don’t even take the time to blow dry my hair. I just put it up in a knot on top of
ALEJANDRA.Traveling through the jungle on the back of an ATV is not how I imagined my trip would end. Though, I guess it’s not over.I am riding on the back of an ATV with Puma driving. I hug onto him tightly, per his request.The jungle is absolutely gorgeous. Huge trees, thick greenery, colorful birds. There are even some unique animals that I’ve never seen before, probably some that want to eat me, but I try not to think of that.I don’t know how long I’m on the back of that ATV, but by the time we stop my butt in numb from sitting on the seat so long. My legs are wobbly when I get off. Phoenix grabs my arm to keep me from stumbling.“Where are we?” I look around.We’ve stopped in what appears to be the middle of the jungle. Any city that we’ve seen is long gone and I haven’t seen any other person around. No houses, nothing. But then I see it. It’s blurry, but there is… something.I grab Phoenix’s hand and step forward, walking through what I can only describe as a force
ALEJANDRA.I’m a freaking fairy princess.I take a moment to let that sink in.Roshan, my biological father, takes us somewhere private where we can talk without everybody listening. I don’t go anywhere without Phoenix, Park, Forrest, and Desmond, so they come too. Alpha Romano stays with us to be safe. The fae don’t really trust wolf shifters, but they do trust me, despite the fact that I’m half wolf. It’s all very strange.I still can’t believe that I’m in Sri Lanka. And I can’t believe that I’m a fairy.My dad is alive.I don’t know how I feel that. Since he is alive, why didn’t he come after me? I mean, in a way it’s good that he didn’t. If he did, would I have ever met the guys? I’d probably be happy stuck in this protective bubble that they have around their small town. I don’t want that for me. Not even now. Not even if it means that I won’t be safe.I’m just confused by all of this, but Roshan is going to give me answers.As we walk through the town, I realize it’s not
ALEJANDRA.Roshan invites me to a barbecue. Apparently they’re grilling food for me and we’re going to eat a ton, listen to music, and dance. I’m exhausted from the long plane ride, but everybody is so excited to see me and hang out with me. And I feel bad, so I go, even though I don’t know if I will be able to stay awake for it all.Roshan even brings me a dress that one of the ladies made for me. I have no idea how she made it so quickly, but it’s cute and I think it’s sweet that somebody made me a dress. Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before.As I’m getting ready for the cookout, a couple of girls stop by and offer to fix my hair. They appear to be around my age, but I know looks can be deceiving. Fairies age slowly. I also don’t want to ask them their age because that seems rude. Though, maybe that’s just a human thing.The girls braid my black hair. Or… they’re similar to braids, but also kind of not. All I know is that my hair looks gorgeous and I kind of look
ALEJANDRA.Heat creeps up my neck and warms my cheeks; my heart races as anger threatens to overwhelm me. The kitchen floor in my castle is going to get worn down from the amount of pacing I’m doing.I’m mad at the way the fae have been treated.I’m mad for the war that happened a millennia ago.I’m mad for the life that was stolen away from my birth mother and father.But mostly, I pissed for how things are now. Even a millennia later, the fae are still being hunted down like animals and it’s not right. The ground shakes again and I know I need to get my emotions under control, but I just can’t right now.“You’re so cute when you’re angry.”I look over and see my guys are smirking.I roll my eyes at them. “I’m glad you can find humor in this horrible situation.” I stop pacing and turn to face them. “And it’s not cute. It’s fierce.”The guys laugh.“Come, let’s go to bed.” Forrest walks over to me.I sigh. “Fine.”I am tired, but I don’t know if I will be able to sleep. I j
ALEJANDRA.I end up falling asleep in bed with Phoenix. I know I should’ve went back in the room with Forrest and Puma, but I couldn’t bring myself to after what I did with Phoenix. I wanted to stay with him and cuddle with him. And somehow, we ended up having sex two more times throughout the night.I imagined I would be sore and hurting, but I’m not. It must be due to my supernatural healing, because I remember Katherine talking about how much it hurt the next day.I end up sleeping in later than I’d planned. It’s after nine o’clock when I look at the clock on the nightstand. Phoenix is still asleep, so I kiss him on the cheek and get out of bed, careful not to wake him. I go into my own room so I can take a quick shower.Puma and Forrest aren’t in my bed anymore. I wonder if they’re awake or if they went to their own beds in the middle of the night sometime. I also wonder if they know what Phoenix and I did. I mean… I wasn’t exactly quiet, but they were asleep. I think.Oh gosh
ALEJANDRA. Over Christmas break, I told my family the truth—that I am a fairy. I told them them that they were glamoured to think I’m their daughter. And that I have four mates. My family didn’t believe me, which I expected. I mean, I had the exact same reaction when Forrest told me he was a wolf shifter. So… I did the only thing I knew I could do to prove it. I had Phoenix shift into a wolf. Don’t worry… I made him go to the bathroom before shifting back. After that, my parents had a lot of questions, as did the rest of my siblings. And so, I literally spent the whole day telling them everything. And even though it’s technically against the law, I am the queen. I’m allowed to break the law. Plus, Alpha Romano gave me permission. I wasn’t sure what to expect after that, but my family seemed to accept everything. I mean, they had a lot of questions about the whole ‘having four mates’ thing, but they didn’t freak out and they listened when I explained it to them. It’s more than I co
ALEJANDRA. Everything is too bright and too loud. I’m about to yell at Katherine and tell her to shut off her alarm when I realize… it’s not an alarm. I’m not in Jacksonville. I open my eyes and shut them immediately. The fluorescent lights are bright. My head hurts, my back hurts, my chest hurts… What happened to me? “Alejandra.” I hear somebody say my voice softly. I open my eyes again, slower this time. Four pairs of eyes are looking down at me. I try to sit up, but a hand reaches out to hold me down. “Just lie down.” I lie back against my pillow, but only because my chest hurts so bad. “What happened to me?” I ask, rubbing the spot on my chest. “Thomas Freeman stabbed you in the back with a silver knife. He actually stabbed your heart.” Forrest clears his throat. “He didn’t know that you’re immune to silver.” “If he stabbed me in the heart, how am I not dead?” Because whether I’m immune to silver or not, getting stabbed in the heart seems like a sure way to die. “I don
ALEJANDRA. I am so nervous on Monday morning. My heart is racing and my hands are shaking. All of the guys wanted to stay with me last night, so we ended up making this huge pallet on the floor and sleeping there. It was kind of cool waking up surrounded by my mates. I realize I want this every morning. We’re going to have to find a bigger bed to make this happen because a king size bed isn’t cutting it. I think the reason I’m so scared is I don’t know how things are going to go today. What if Tiffany and the others change their mind? What if they decide to go ahead and side with Robert Westwood—that’s a scary thought. But what if they don’t and Robert follows through on his promise? What if Robert is able to have Tiffany’s children murdered. The thought hurts my chest. He has to be stopped. I don’t care if he’s my biological grandfather or not. His terrorizing days are over after this. He is going to answer for his crimes. Today when I get dressed, I don’t care so much about loo
ALEJANDRA. The urgency in Forrest’s voice makes my heart race fast and hard. And even though we’re in the middle of helping everybody get settled, we leave the castle to talk to Alpha Romano. I push out Forrest’s thoughts, not wanting to force myself to know what’s going on. If Forrest wanted to tell me what’s happening, he would. I get the feeling this is something I need to hear for myself anyway. We walk out the front of Shifter Academy and get into the car we drove over. The parking lot is still just as empty as when we arrived this morning. I don’t know why it surprises me. I guess I expected the parking lot to be full, but how would they even get the cars here? Also, the fae can’t drive. So that was just a silly thing to think. We drive to where Alpha Romano is staying and I’m surprised when we walk inside and see one of the wolves from the council there. She’s actually one of the wolves on the side that is firmly against the fae. I’m hoping she is here to tell me she’s chang
ALEJANDRA. On Sunday morning, the fae start arriving. When they arrive, we have to make room where we can—some of them stay in the castles. We try to make sure families have homes that are empty on the island. It’ll be a little pack when everything is said and done, but we do what we can. I’m glad nobody seems too upset about having to share their space. Everybody is super welcoming to the fae. A lot more welcome than they were to me when I first came, but now that I’m here, I can’t even blame them for being wary of me. I probably would have too. I’m so glad I know that I’m a fae. And I’m glad that everybody else knows too. There is no hate… well, aside from the council members and the panthers. But the council is nowhere to be seen at the moment and the panthers are hiding in their dorm rooms, which is preferred. I love seeing the castle full of fae. It’s actually incredible. Roshan gathers everybody for a meeting once they get settled—we definitely have a lot of things to catch
ALEJANDRA.After we leave Roshan’s place, the guys and I go back home, but they tell me to put on a bathing suit when we go inside. I start to argue, but I can tell by the looks on their faces that they mean business. So I go to my room and put on my bikini and throw on a coverup before heading downstairs. My guys are waiting for me. Today has been a rough day. Scratch that, it’s been a rough week. Maybe going out and getting a little sun is exactly what I need. Zaire, Katherine, and I used to go to the beach nearly every single day. Even in January and February, when it was too cold to be in the water. Though, I have seen a few tourists around that time of year swimming because it is very warm in Florida compared to whatever mid-western town they’re from. Something about the sound of the waves, the feel of the sun, and the smell of salt water is comforting. Maybe because it reminds me of home. And I miss home. I miss my family more than anything. But I can’t go see them right now
ALEJANDRA. On Saturday morning, I plan to meet with Roshan and the other fae to let them know how everything went with the council. I’m a little bit nervous to tell them. I just hope they don’t get discouraged from the news, but how could they not? Still, I promise myself not to let it show how bothered I am by the news. I want to help keep their spirits up about it. And the truth is, we don’t know what is going to happen. The council could come back and say that they’ve decided to side with the fae. That is my hope. If not… well, I don’t even want to think about that unless it happens. Roshan is staying in his own place. He has two wolf shifters that live close by—other teachers. So I know he’s safe over here. For now. We all meet at his house to discuss things and I’m a little bit anxious. “Everything will be fine.” Desmond squeezes my hand as we approach the front door. I know I always give my mates a hard time about listening to my thoughts, but most of the time I like it. T
ALEJANDRA. It’s weird seeing Alpha Romano in the house, but I suppose this is the only place we really have privacy. Now that I’m fully seeing him, he looks tired. Exhausted, really. I can tell all of this is weighing heavily on him. And what he’s willing to sacrifice—it’s a lot. I can’t believe he’s willing to give up his entire life for me. Well… it’s not just for me. It’s also for Forrest, his son, and all the fae. I keep saying it’s bigger than me because that’s the truth. I’m just the queen who can’t stand the injustice my people have suffered. They need somebody who is willing to fight for them, and that is me. I know the cost and I am willing to pay. Alpha Romano paces in the living room. Forrest is sitting on the side of the coffee table, hunched forward. Phoenix, Puma, and I are sitting on the couch, with me between them, and Desmond is sitting on the arm of the couch, by Phoenix. “Every single shifter, aside from the panthers, has decided to side with the fae.” Alpha Ro
ALEJANDRA. Today, my hair and makeup are on point. I even tried on twenty different outfits before I settled on a simple black dress. I put on a blazer, thinking it helps me look more ‘mature.’ I hope it does. When I walk into the council today, I don’t want them to see a seventeen-year-old girl. I want them to see a fairy queen. I want them to take me seriously and I want to fight for my people. The door to my room opens and Puma sticks his head inside. “Do I look fierce?” I ask, doing a spin for him. Since I basically just gave Puma permission to check me out, he does. He slowly scans my body and there is fire in his eyes when he finally makes eye contact. “You look really hot.” “I don’t want to look hot. I want to look professional.” I look at my four-inch heels. I thought the added height would help me look more intimidating. “Maybe I should wear flats.” “It doesn’t make a different if you wear heels or flats. You’re still short.” I stick my tongue out at him, taking off m