Ivy's POV“We’ll start with the greeting etiquette.”The playful lilt to Princess Sylvia’s voice immediately makes me tense, and I look at her cautiously, uncovering my own platter of food as she starts to explain. “Everyone must kneel before Lycan Royalty,” Princess Sylvia proclaims. “And for ladies such as yourself, a curtsey is required. You must cross your legs and bend in a half-squat position, as low to the ground as possible. Keep your back straight, and every movement dainty and graceful. You do not want to offend any member of the Lycan Royal Family with a disastrous curtsey. And, of course, your eyes should not ever meet royalty’s gaze. Your head must be lowered.” Princess Sylvia looks up at me expectantly, cutting into her food with a tiny silver knife. “Oh!” I blink in surprise. “Um–am I supposed to…?”“Well, do you expect me to curtsey to you?” Princess Sylvia asks with a snort that I must admit sounds quite unladylike. “What a ridiculous notion! Show me your curtsey.
Ivy's POVI’ve never been more grateful for Beta Wilson’s presence than I am at this moment. I allow myself to lean on Beta Wilson as I regain my bearings. My back is still bleeding, and the muscles in my legs and stomach burn in agony, worn and overworked. My joints ache and creak. I breathe in and out slowly, trying to sort myself out. Something about seeing me in his arms causes Princess Sylvia’s facade to slip entirely. She fixes Beta Wilson and I with a look of profound hatred, and I quickly realize what this is all about. Princess Sylvia is jealous of me. Her reasoning is absolutely ridiculous, of course. I certainly have no intentions of stealing Beta Wilson away from her, and he doesn’t seem to have any feelings for me. We could be friends, maybe, but certainly not lovers. There’s nothing between us–my heart belongs to Spencer. I just wish Sylvia would stop taking out all her frustrations on me. “What are you doing, Sylvia?” Beta Wilson asks with a disappointed shake of
Ivy's POVBeta Wilson looks utterly heartbroken as he leads us away from Princess Sylvia’s chambers. “Let’s go to the garden,” he suggests quietly, moving quickly through the hallways. “I need to… I need to clear my head.”I nod in agreement, allowing him to guide the two of us to the palace gardens. As we step into the lush mazes of roses and lilies, past terraces dripping with wisteria and fountains sending gorgeous arcs of water into the sky, a strange sort of calm seems to settle over both of us. We walk between archways and fruit trees laden heavily with fruit for a bit, but soon, the muscles in my legs start to protest. Still sore from everything the maids and Princess Sylvia put me through, I take a seat on a stone bench beneath an orange tree. The sweet scent of citrus envelops us. “Beta Wilson,” I say carefully, “Can I ask you something… direct?”“Go right ahead,” he replies with a defeated sigh. “Do you love Princess Sylvia?”Beta Wilson’s mouth falls open in shock, expr
Spencer's POVThe two rebel packs aren’t too far from each other. Which makes them a fearsome foe, perhaps, but also makes for light travel. Gamma Everly and I, along with the rest of the warriors, stop our travels about ten kilometers from the first pack’s border. “We’ll camp here!” I call out to my warriors, surveying the landscape. We’re at the base of a small hill–not so tall the rebels would get the upper hand on us if they attacked, but tall enough to block us from being immediately detected. The woods nearby are lush with life and should provide easy hunting so we can travel light without having to worry too much about rations. Judging by the current angle of the wind, the smoke from our fires shouldn’t drift towards the rebel pack. All in all, it’s the perfect place to begin our siege. “Prepare for a lengthy campaign, men,” I say, gaze sweeping across our makeshift campsite already beginning construction. “This area will serve as our base for rest and training. We’ll dra
Spencer's POVI find Gamma Everly in the middle of the camp, surrounded by a swarm of warriors. “Make way,” I commanded immediately, pushing through the crowd. As I approach her, I can’t see any visible injuries, but her expression is one of profound shock. I narrow my eyes, examining Gamma Everly a bit more closely. Shock is exceptionally unusual for her–the more I look at her, the more I realize I’ve never seen her look this rattled before. I’ve fought alongside her countless times, and haven’t seen her usual calm, wise, put-together attitude slip once. But Gamma Everly looks shaken to her very core. An underlying pressure seems to be seeping into the camp. This time, our enemy may be more formidable than anything we’ve faced before. “Are you alright?” I ask Gamma Everly softly. She nods once. “May I speak privately with you, Your Highness?”“Of course.” Gamma Everly brushes herself off once, as though trying to rid herself of the memories of everything she’s seen, before st
Ivy's POV“I’ve scheduled you for a medical checkup!”I look up at Princess Sylvia in annoyance as she storms into my chambers, arms crossed impatiently over her chest. She stares down at me as though waiting for something. “Who let you in here?” I mutter, stretching out slowly on the loveseat. “A maid. I’m the Lycan Princess, remember? I go where I want,” the princess boasts, tapping her foot impatiently. “Now get moving.” “Which room is it in?” I ask, standing up. “I can head there myself when it’s time.”Princess Sylvia grins. “Oh, it’s not in the palace.”My stomach falls. “I… don’t know, Your Highness,” I say carefully, sitting back down. “My wounds aren’t all that bad, and the medicine has been working. I don’t need a checkup.”The princess scoffs. “It’s not for your wounds. Since you’re Spencer’s mate and potentially the bearer of his heir, it’s crucial that you’re in good health. But because you don’t have a wolf, and Moon Goddess knows what else is wrong with you, it’s im
Ivy's POV“No one is coming to rescue you.”The princess is right, is the worst part. I agree with Princess Sylvia completely: no one will be able to rescue me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t rescue myself. My chances may be positively abysmal. I don’t have an inner wolf anymore, and I’m not particularly skilled in combat, but I’d certai\nl\y p]ucked -up at few tricks from my father over the years. I’m not about to let Princess Sylvia’s scheme succeed without putting up a fight. I won’t give up easily. I have to try. I curl my hands into fists as I climb to my feet, staring the princess in the eyes. As I’m still figuring out potential ways to escape, though, a massive black SUV rams into the car in front of us, taking the maids with it. Princess Sylvia and I leap back in shock, looking up at the huge vehicle in shock. Wordlessly, we duck into a cluster of bushes at the base of the mountain. A silent understanding passes between us: we’ll go back to dealing with our problems aft
Ivy's POV“Follow me!”Princess Sylvia’s voice crackles through the woods like a gunshot as she roars the words at me. She flees quickly into the nearby treeline with perfect grace and impossible swiftness, leaving me following her close behind. I can hear the heavy footsteps of the attacking werewolves as they chase after us, crushing twigs and leaves underfoot. They whoop and holler and roar as they pursue us, acting like they own these woods. Clearly, they’re not worried about anyone else being able to detect us. Where are we?I’m not sure how long we run before my stamina begins to wane. My muscles burn, and my lungs are screaming for a break. Every inch of my body is wracked with excruciating pain and exhaustion. My heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest. My steps start to slow, and I find myself lagging behind the princess. “Hurry up!” Princess Sylvia hisses at me, rounding a sharp bend and pulling us into a dense patch of trees. “I… I can’t…” I trail off and st