Saved by the Alpha

"I only have one question for you," the man in front of me says, pacing the floor more slowly. "Why are you in my forest?" The sound of his boots scraping the rough wooden floor grates my ears, but I force myself to look him straight in the eye and say, "It's not your forest. It's not your land." He laughs, a deep, rumbling sound that doesn't quite match his long and lean frame. "But it is. You just have no idea, princess." Princess. His words, as well as the mocking tone that he carried with his voice, hit me like a punch in the gut. For a second I wonder if he knows who I am, what I am. The thought of it frightens me.  I try to get up from my chair, but the ropes around my body hold me in place, bound by my wrists and ankles. The knots are digging into my skin

For a second, I can’t speak. There’s a big lump in my throat that’s preventing me from even breathing properly. I look at Father, trying hard to keep my face neutral, still very much aware of the big hand on the side of my breast. I’m getting more and more disgusted by the Governor by the second, to the point where I can feel my stomach heaving. Still, I can’t leave. I can’t go until I make sure that I heard it right.  “A wedding,” I prompt, and Father immediately catches where I’m going. And he doesn’t look happy about my brewing reluctance. “Yes, Elora. You will marry our esteemed Governor tomorrow on your birthday.”  His words land on me like a punch in the gut. Anger, betrayal, and repulsion are brewing at the pit of my core, bubbling and hissing, threa

The Hunt is for Nobles who want to have a place of power, also for Exiles who wish to be reintegrated into the Kingdom. The forests of Bellari are known to house the most dangerous creatures, which is why it's usually not a popular choice for The Hunt. No one has come back from there. No one. Ever. Some of my professors when I was young said that Bellari's forests still carry the trace of the Supernaturals, the powerful creatures who used to rule Acantha along with humans. The Shadow Wolves are the leaders of the Supernatural, and they're all males. They mated with the female humans who are blessed by the moon goddess, called the Daughters of the Moon. The Alpha of the wolves and the chosen Luna rule the Kingdom.  But of course, that system was broken. The Supernaturals abused their power. The humans staged

I get up so fast that the world around me begins to spin. The ground under my boots seems to be lurching, but I run anyway.  My knees are shaking. The rebels must have heard me, I know, so I do my best to slow down, all the while clutching my sword. My bag of supplies is left in the carriage. I want to find my way back to the road and see if my uncle is alright, but I know I have to get moving or else they will hurt me. One of them already very specifically ordered that I’m wanted. Dead or alive.  And I know that their first option will be to kill me. If they catch me alive, I don’t think I would want to see what’s in store anyway.  “Hurry!” the same voice yells. “Check the tracks. I knew she fell here.” Their footsteps grow louder. Closer to where I a

Did I hear that correctly? "What?" I ask rather shakily. "What did you say?" The man shrugs and fiddles with a bundle of cloth below the stool where the gas lamp is. "Well, you heard what I said. Take off your clothes." My entire body freezes. I don't know what to do, but I do know what it means, from all the romance books that I used to "borrow" from Madame Mara. I think it's highly possible that this absolute stranger wants to do something with me that doesn't involve any kind of clothing, the sacred thing that I want to do with my husband and my husband alone. Not Governor Celso, but with someone I share love with. I can't do this with someone I don't know. I certainly won't do it with someone who I'm sure is a criminal.