ALEJANDRA. Forrest is distant this morning, and I canāt help but think itās because of what happened last night.My face grows warm when I think about last night. Who knew that Desmond was soā¦ enthusiastic.I liked it. A lot.But I try to keep those things out of my thoughts unless I remember to keep the wall up. I donāt want the guys knowing everything, even though I have a feeling they know exactly what Iām thinking by the amount of raised eyebrows and smirks Iām getting during class from them.Remember the wall.My mind is a freaking fortress.Nothing is getting out.Not even the fact that I really liked it when Desmond pulled my hair.I hear Puma snicker behind me and I realizeā¦ yepā¦ my fortress totally cracked.Itās hot in this classroom. Itās definitely hot. I fan myself with my book, trying to think of anything except sex.The problem isā¦ weāre reading a really boring book in English and the teacher wants us to spend the class period reading. Yep, turns out even shif
ALEJANDRA. After what happened with Ryland, Roshan dismissed class. He knew I was too upset to really keep training. My mates took me home and Desmond made a huge dinner with a ton of comfort foods. We ate while watching some silly movie. And now that Iām feeling better, I know that Forrest and I need to talk. Apparently Forrest is on the same page because he asks the guys if they will let us talk alone for a bit.āHow are you doing after today?ā Forrest puts his arm behind me, playing with my hair. Heās probably trying to distract me from how bad I feel, which is sweet.āI just feel guilty for hurting Ryland.ā I sigh. āI canāt believe I did that. What if I had killed him?āāDidnāt Roshan say that the light blast couldnāt kill somebody unless that is your intent?āI nod.āThen donāt worry so much. Weāre supernatural. Weāre not as fragile as humans are.ā He continues to run his fingers through my hair, probably messing it up, but I canāt bring myself to care right now. That feels
ALEJANDRA. The next morning when I wake up, everything just feelsā¦ right. Like there is a calmness in me that Iāve never felt before, but under the calm, there is power. So much power. I can easily sort through what is mine and what is my matesā. Itās a strange feeling. I donāt know if itās from training, but training is definitely helping.After taking a shower and getting dressed for school, I head downstairs and spot Forrest and Desmond both standing by the stove. From where Iām standing, it looks like Desmond is trying to teach Forrest how to cook. Forrest tries to flip a pancake and it ends up landing on the side of a pan.I giggle and the two of them turn around to look at me. Desmond goes back to cooking, trying to correct Forrestās mistake, while Forrest walks over to me and kisses me on the head.āYou look happy this morning,ā he says.āI am. I feel really good. Likeā¦ whole, you know?āāWe feel it too,ā Phoenix chimes in as he comes into the room. āI think you completin
ALEJANDRA. Tonight, the guys and I are having dinner with Roshan. I invite Margot to come too, just because I really want to introduce her to Roshan. I think sheās technically already met him, which is also what I want to talk to her aboutāwhy did she pretend to not know who my father was? And why did she tell him that she didnāt know where I was? I have so many questions for her and I intend to ask her tonight. I can smell the curry cooking when we walk into Roshanās house. Apparently he is cooking jackfruit curry. I guess jackfruit grows in abundance in Sri Lanka and so they cook with it a lot. All I know is that it smells and looks amazing. We show up just minutes before Margot does. Margot looks a little uncomfortable when she walks in and I canāt blame her. For whatever reason, she lied to Roshan about not knowing where I was. I imagine anybody would feel bad in her situation, but whatever her reasons were, I know it had to be a good reason. Iām not that upset about it. When
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 āmature.ā I hope it does. When I walk into the council today, I donāt 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. āDo I look fierce?ā 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. āYou look really hot.ā āI donāt want to look hot. I want to look professional.ā I look at my four-inch heels. I thought the added height would help me look more intimidating. āMaybe I should wear flats.ā āIt doesnāt make a different if you wear heels or flats. Youāre still short.ā I stick my tongue out at him, taking off m
ALEJANDRA. Itās weird seeing Alpha Romano in the house, but I suppose this is the only place we really have privacy. Now that Iām fully seeing him, he looks tired. Exhausted, really. I can tell all of this is weighing heavily on him. And what heās willing to sacrificeāitās a lot. I canāt believe heās willing to give up his entire life for me. Wellā¦ itās not just for me. Itās also for Forrest, his son, and all the fae. I keep saying itās bigger than me because thatās the truth. Iām just the queen who canāt 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. āEvery single shifter, aside from the panthers, has decided to side with the fae.ā Alpha Ro
ALEJANDRA. On Saturday morning, I plan to meet with Roshan and the other fae to let them know how everything went with the council. Iām a little bit nervous to tell them. I just hope they donāt 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 donāt know what is going to happen. The council could come back and say that theyāve decided to side with the fae. That is my hope. If notā¦ well, I donāt even want to think about that unless it happens. Roshan is staying in his own place. He has two wolf shifters that live close byāother teachers. So I know heās safe over here. For now. We all meet at his house to discuss things and Iām a little bit anxious. āEverything will be fine.ā 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.After we leave Roshanās 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, itās 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 theyāre 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 canāt go see them right now
ALEJANDRA. Over Christmas break, I told my family the truthāthat I am a fairy. I told them them that they were glamoured to think Iām their daughter. And that I have four mates. My family didnāt believe me, which I expected. I mean, I had the exact same reaction when Forrest told me he was a wolf shifter. Soā¦ I did the only thing I knew I could do to prove it. I had Phoenix shift into a wolf. Donāt worryā¦ 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 itās technically against the law, I am the queen. Iām allowed to break the law. Plus, Alpha Romano gave me permission. I wasnāt sure what to expect after that, but my family seemed to accept everything. I mean, they had a lot of questions about the whole āhaving four matesā thing, but they didnāt freak out and they listened when I explained it to them. Itās more than I co
ALEJANDRA. Everything is too bright and too loud. Iām about to yell at Katherine and tell her to shut off her alarm when I realizeā¦ itās not an alarm. Iām not in Jacksonville. I open my eyes and shut them immediately. The fluorescent lights are bright. My head hurts, my back hurts, my chest hurtsā¦ What happened to me? āAlejandra.ā 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. āJust lie down.ā I lie back against my pillow, but only because my chest hurts so bad. āWhat happened to me?ā I ask, rubbing the spot on my chest. āThomas Freeman stabbed you in the back with a silver knife. He actually stabbed your heart.ā Forrest clears his throat. āHe didnāt know that youāre immune to silver.ā āIf he stabbed me in the heart, how am I not dead?ā Because whether Iām immune to silver or not, getting stabbed in the heart seems like a sure way to die. āI 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. Weāre going to have to find a bigger bed to make this happen because a king size bed isnāt cutting it. I think the reason Iām so scared is I donāt 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 Westwoodāthatās a scary thought. But what if they donāt and Robert follows through on his promise? What if Robert is able to have Tiffanyās children murdered. The thought hurts my chest. He has to be stopped. I donāt care if heās 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 donāt care so much about loo
ALEJANDRA. The urgency in Forrestās voice makes my heart race fast and hard. And even though weāre in the middle of helping everybody get settled, we leave the castle to talk to Alpha Romano. I push out Forrestās thoughts, not wanting to force myself to know whatās going on. If Forrest wanted to tell me whatās 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 donāt 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 canāt drive. So that was just a silly thing to think. We drive to where Alpha Romano is staying and Iām surprised when we walk inside and see one of the wolves from the council there. Sheās actually one of the wolves on the side that is firmly against the fae. Iām hoping she is here to tell me sheās chang
ALEJANDRA. On Sunday morning, the fae start arriving. When they arrive, we have to make room where we canāsome of them stay in the castles. We try to make sure families have homes that are empty on the island. Itāll be a little pack when everything is said and done, but we do what we can. Iām 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 Iām here, I canāt even blame them for being wary of me. I probably would have too. Iām so glad I know that Iām a fae. And Iām glad that everybody else knows too. There is no hateā¦ 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. Itās actually incredible. Roshan gathers everybody for a meeting once they get settledāwe definitely have a lot of things to catch
ALEJANDRA.After we leave Roshanās 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, itās 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 theyāre 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 canāt 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. Iām a little bit nervous to tell them. I just hope they donāt 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 donāt know what is going to happen. The council could come back and say that theyāve decided to side with the fae. That is my hope. If notā¦ well, I donāt even want to think about that unless it happens. Roshan is staying in his own place. He has two wolf shifters that live close byāother teachers. So I know heās safe over here. For now. We all meet at his house to discuss things and Iām a little bit anxious. āEverything will be fine.ā 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. Itās weird seeing Alpha Romano in the house, but I suppose this is the only place we really have privacy. Now that Iām fully seeing him, he looks tired. Exhausted, really. I can tell all of this is weighing heavily on him. And what heās willing to sacrificeāitās a lot. I canāt believe heās willing to give up his entire life for me. Wellā¦ itās not just for me. Itās also for Forrest, his son, and all the fae. I keep saying itās bigger than me because thatās the truth. Iām just the queen who canāt 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. āEvery single shifter, aside from the panthers, has decided to side with the fae.ā 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 āmature.ā I hope it does. When I walk into the council today, I donāt 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. āDo I look fierce?ā 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. āYou look really hot.ā āI donāt want to look hot. I want to look professional.ā I look at my four-inch heels. I thought the added height would help me look more intimidating. āMaybe I should wear flats.ā āIt doesnāt make a different if you wear heels or flats. Youāre still short.ā I stick my tongue out at him, taking off m