Chapter 1 1 - Bye Bye Kingdom 10

Trixie’s Point of View I awoke with my whole body nearly thrown off the seat, and I lurched forward. The bus was stopped at a large gate with a sign overhead that simply read “Camp New Moon.” The camp was founded by the first Drexel to hold the throne and each Queen has made it her life’s work to ensure all shifter pups have an equal and fair start in life. They need to know survival skills and how to be upstanding members of society. Or something like that. I quickly sat up straight and tried to collect myself. I took a hair tie off my wrist and did my best to tame my long thick hair that had gotten messed up during my nap. I made a simple braid and tossed it over my shoulder. This was it! After nearly ten minutes of the bus driver waiting for a guard and then the guard trying to give directions, we were moving again. My eyes were all over the place, wanting to see all I could. There were little cabins scattered all over the property with big numbers on the front. I wondered who I would be living with this month, I hoped they were nice. At Miss Sally’s house everyone was only out for themselves, they stole everyone’s things. It was just a nightmare. All I owned was in the raggedy bookbag between my feet, and it wasn’t much . Certainly none of it was new, all discards from other people and a few things I had stolen. I didn’t feel guilty about it, especially with all I’d had taken from me. I used to sleep in my shoes because I was afraid they’d be taken, and it didn’t make a difference. Shoes were one of the biggest things thieves sought. “All right pups, file off the bus and go in the front of this main building. They’ll give you information from there and tell you what to do, remember to have fun,” the bus driver said, with a creepy smile. After waiting at the check in line for at least half an hour I was finally on my way to finding my bunk. I walked with a group of a dozen female pups toward a row of cabins. I was anxious to go through the packet they had provided and to look over the phone as well. I’d never had my own phone, and I wondered if I would make a friend that I could call. They made it a point to say that the phones only worked in a two mile radius so there was no point in trying to take them home. The phone’s main purpose was so you could call for help if you were being attacked by a bear or something crazy, but I was already overhearing girls talk about calling males on it. You couldn’t use them for texting or internet, strictly calling only. Not that I knew how to use any of that stuff. “Cabin 42.” This was me! A smile spread across my face as I clutched the packet to my chest. I walked into the small building to find a set of bunk beds on the left, on the right and on the far back center wall. Yikes, six females in one small room?! This was going to be a long month. At Miss Sally’s I shared a room with two others and that was super crowded. I had also shared a bed so now … I was getting my own! Even if only for a short while, I would treasure it. All of the bunks had a stack of sheets and one pillow, but I quickly noticed three of the bunks had other things on them. I selected a top bunk that was empty and threw my bag onto it, then hoisted myself up as well. I scooted against the wall and flipped open the folder. The first thing on the schedule was just right outside so I didn’t have far to go. Crap! I didn’t have a watch or any sense of time. Oh duh! The phone! I quickly turned it on and the time popped right up. That was nice! I ran my fingers over the screen and felt so important. I forced myself to go back to the schedule. Meet and greet at 4pm followed by dinner in the main hall at 6pm. There was one counselor for every cabin and there was a list of their names and photos. My counselor’s name was Meghan. I looked back at the phone and I had 45 minutes until I had to go meet her. I laid down and rested my head on the new pillow. For the first time in my life I felt calm and hopeful. Even though the chances of finding my mate were very low, I hoped I could at least make a friend. Someone who would care, someone who might have connections to take me to a better Kingdom. I closed my eyes, surrounded by that hope, clutching my fancy new phone. I’m not sure I really fell asleep, but I sure awoke with a start, to the sound of the door slamming. “That was my bed, bitch,” a voice said. I sat up abruptly and my eyes locked with a tall, paper thin blonde. I was used to this. Someone always accused me of something, supposedly I was in their way, I was too slow, etc. Everything is my fault, never someone else’s. This was a female who’d probably never been told “no” by anyone a day in her life. “I’m so sorry, I can move,” I said, swinging my feet over the edge of the bed. I was immediately self conscious of my worn shoes and clothes. “Like I’d want to sleep there now! You probably have bugs in your hair! Nasty,” she said, slamming her large suitcase down on another bunk. I swallowed hard, unsure what to do. “Mallory my goddess, they can hear you on Mars. You’re such a bitch,” another female said, coming into the cabin with her own large suitcase. Mallory looked away and I snickered to myself. “She needs to know her place,” Mallory said, stiffening her back and turning to glare at me. “Her place is here, just the same as you. Now shut up and get ready we have like three minutes since you wasted so much time chatting up that male,” girl number two said. She was equally as beautiful. Long blonde hair, clear blue eyes and tanned skin. I’d seen gorgeous looking females like that at some of the wealthier houses I’d worked. She looked straight out of a magazine. “Don’t mind her hun, she’s just a crotchety bitch with a cucumber permanently up her ass,” girl number two said, snickering. “You! I will … I will-” Mallory stammered, pointing her finger. “You’ll what exactly,” girl number two said, putting her hands on her hips. Mallory grunted, threw her hands up and stormed out. Girl two made a shooing motion with her hands as if she was sweeping the floor. “Anyhoo, hey girl I’m Jeanette, Kingdom 3,” girl number two said. I jumped off the bunk and adjusted my t-shirt that was a wrinkled mess. “I’m Trixie, thank you for… for…” I said, not sure what to say. Thank you for standing up for me? No one ever defended me like that before and I almost thought I was dreaming. I didn’t feel the need to tell her what Kingdom I was from, certainly she could tell by looking at me as the other girl had. I was the lowest of the low. “You don’t have to thank me! Don’t let her run over you. She’s the niece of a Sheriff so she thinks she’s special but whatevs. Her personality more than makes her less in my eyes. She’s my neighbor back home though, I’ve had to deal with her annoying ass all my life. She thinks the sun shines out of her butt or something,” Jeanette said, dumping out all the stuff from her packet. She then quickly opened her suitcase and threw a few things around. I suppressed a laugh. I reached onto my bunk and grabbed my phone, putting it into my pants pocket. I turned back to see Jeanette quickly brushing her hair then changing her shoes. “All right sugar let’s see what kind of trouble we can find, I didn’t come here to behave,” Jeanette said, suddenly hooking her arm in mine.

Chapter 2 2 - The Royals

Dawson’s Point of View“Darling, you didn’t forget that this weekend you and Damien are both due at camp, did you? Of course I would have preferred you to go next month when your little brother has his birthday but I’m sure he wouldn’t appreciate that,” mother said, one night over dinner. I slammed my fist to the table, making the dishes clatter and the staff stiffen their backs with fear. I grinned on the inside at their fear, but left a stern face to everyone else. I enjoyed keeping them on their toes and in their place. “Mother, I don’t have time for your charity nonsense. I’m going abroad with William to check out two prospective wives in a week’s time. One of them is in my top three and I think … might just be the one. She literally checks all my boxes and if she looks half as good as her photo, I’ll be throwing her over my shoulder and bringing her home,” I said, with a devious grin. “It’s not charity and it’s important. Our community needs it. I did it for many years when I was younger and you’ll both go, that’s final,” Father said, waving me off. “I’m about to be King! I’m not a babysitter to wayward pups! Unlike some people, I was born for greatness. I have trained and worked tirelessly for my birthright since my first breath,” I persisted. I stared daggers at my scheming brother. Damien threw a piece of bread at me and I threw two back. Asshole. I was barely a year older than he was but he often acted like a petulant ten year old. He certainly didn’t carry himself appropriately as the third in line to the Drexel throne. I rolled my eyes at all of them, exasperated. I’d been searching for a wife for three years and I should have been married by now with an heir. I didn’t have a precious month to waste. “Darling please. It is a privilege to carry on the legacy,” mother said, sipping her wine. “Spare me the story I’ve heard a thousand times, mother. There are many suitable counselors that I’m sure are available. You’ll find a bored Sheriff’s child, or get a commoner even to be your drill sergeant babysitter. We rule ten kingdoms for Goddess sake! There’s surely someone else,” I urged. Every day, every month there are always going to be pups having their first shift. I get that there are those who are less fortunate that may not have someone to help them with the process, but I’ve more than given my time. I had more important things to do. “Furthermore, you know damn well that Damien and I don’t go to camp in the same month. I don’t want to babysit him and clean up his messes,” I said, matter of fact. “Yes. You never did tell me what Damien did to ‘humiliate’ you as you claim. Look, I already arranged it so he’ll be on one side and you’ll be on the other. They had someone cancel because their mate just gave birth. Now stop. You two need to get along already, you’re grown-ups … I think anyhow,” mother said, with a chuckle. Father roared with glee at his mate’s jab and one of the servants slipped a laugh. I immediately got to my feet and stared at her, she whimpered and backed out of the dining room with her head lowered in submission. “Damien only cares about himself, he’s done nothing in his 21 years to show he even cares about being loyal to the crown. He’s not fit to be a prince or a Drexel. I, on the other hand, take my name and my position seriously. I mean to show the world that we will carry on our dynasty for another four generations or more. I cannot have a serious reign and rule as I see fit without the perfect Queen by my side and finding her is the only concern I have,” I said, quite matter of fact. “It’s no secret I’m not you and don’t want to be so why bother boring everyone with your pompous speech,” Damien said, shaking his head. “Asking for ONE month out of your entire year, and what may be your last year going … is not that much to ask. You will do it, then you can go back to your wife search. We will not be discussing this again. I realize we are getting down to the wire, but we still have a few years before I name you King. Hell I could even push it back until you’re 30 if I feel like it,” Father said. I sat back down and glared at Damien, who cracked his knuckles in grim satisfaction. Prick. ... After the painfully long six hour trek into the mountains, we had finally gotten into camp. William, my long trusted assistant, jogged over to the passenger side door and opened it. I got out and looked around, straightening my shirt. “You’re such a dick to him,” Damien said, shaking his head. I kept my face absolutely stern, and William looked away. “And that blatant disrespect is why my first order as King will be that you come back here and clean the showers with your toothbrush. Now be a good pup and march on over to your side of the lake,” I said, dismissively. I noticed the long line to check in and rolled my eyes. I was a Prince! I did NOT wait in line. “William, handle this. I will be in my usual cabin,” I said, glaring at Damien. I didn’t trust him, he was always silently plotting something, I was certain of it. I had to always sleep with one eye open but act as if I didn’t care what he did. It was beyond exhausting.

Chapter 3 3 - A Friend And A Hero

Trixie’s Point of View Jeanette just walked with such a purpose, with her head held high, never looking down to anyone. I was beyond jealous, desperate for that kind of confidence. I wasn’t sure I could ever do it. I felt the vibes from everyone else and they clearly said “I’m better than you.” She led me to a large tree where many females were sitting. I noticed the she-wolf speaking had a name tag that read “Meghan.” I know it may sound so simple to some, but being able to read meant everything to me. I was sure the others that came from Kingdom 10 couldn’t read. “Curfew is 11pm for those that haven’t shifted yet, 2am for those who have and if you are on your birthday night you are not to be out without a counselor,” she explained. “When’s your big day,” Jeanette whispered. “The 9th,” I said. “Ohh jelly! I have forever to wait, it seems, I’m the 27th,” she said, still holding my arm. I wasn’t completely sure the 9th was my birthday, was the thing of it. The blanket that I was left with at the orphanage had “Jul 9,” sewn into it with rudimentary stitching. So that’s what I always went by. It was a general rule that if you were to give up your pup that you did somehow leave an idea of their birthdate. For a pup to not know when their first shift would come was pretty cruel. That was one of the few rules the palace did try to enforce, along with not mating or marking a pup. But of course where I came from, I’d seen things. I’d heard things. “Just a word to the wise, your phones are waterproof but please do not go out of your way to test that by leaving it at the bottom of the lake. Also when you are in a class or under instruction have it on silent. We’re all adults here and we don’t want to have to take phones away but we will,” Meghan said. Oh I had no idea how to use the phone but I would have to figure it out. Not like anyone would call me though. “Girl we’ll have to swap numbers,” Jeanette said, excited. I grinned. Did I have a friend already? I had to play it cool, she couldn’t know I was desperate. “Sure,” was all I could think to say without sounding too needy. “All right so it’s about 90 minutes until chow time, why doesn’t everyone find a partner and go on a little self-guided tour? I’m in cabin 39 if anyone has questions,” Meghan said. “I came here and toured around a bit a couple years ago when my sister came so I kind of know some stuff. I’ll show ya,” Jeanette said, pulling me away from the group. My feet just absentmindedly followed hers, excited for someone new to talk to. Someone who was kind and didn’t have any expectations of me other than my company. Surely, she’d be bored of me quickly though, I had nothing to talk about of much interest. I mean what do I say, hey I’m one of the maids who has probably cleaned your house? I’m one of the females that gets sold or handed off to older males that can’t find a suitable wife on their own... No! No, I had to put that all out of my mind. It wasn’t going to be my path or my future anymore and I had to do everything possible to ensure I didn’t go back there. Miss Sally’s house would only ever be a distant nightmare. After a few minutes of her pointing out where the medical cabin was, the dining hall and the path that led to the training grounds, I saw the lake. It was a good walk away still, but it was breathtaking. There were literally no bodies of water in my Kingdom, well that I’d seen. There was a sandy beach all the way around it and the sun shone brilliantly on the little ripples created by the small breeze. “Isn’t it pretty,” she said, pointing. “It’s absolutely breathtaking,” I said, simply in awe. And terrifying, I thought. A death trap. “You do know how to swim right,” she said, starting to walk toward it. I cringed. “No … never learned,” I said, shly. “Oh hey, no biggie. We’ll get that fixed up,” she said, bumping my shoulder. “I uhm … well I don’t even have a swim suit,” I said, embarrassed. I don’t have room in my bag for a lot of things, but there’s no point in having a swim suit with nowhere to swim. “Oh no big thing! I have four I brought. I mean you’re a lot more blessed than me in the boob department and you got a nice round butt, but I’m sure one will do,” she said. I absolutely blushed, and if we weren’t out in public with others around I would probably hide in a dark corner and pine over her words for days. This unbelievably beautiful girl was jealous of my body? She had even … checked me out like that? A stupid smile crept on my face. I was insanely bashful and in shock. I wasn’t at all used to compliments. “Hey Jeanette, I didn’t know this was your birth month! You gotta give me your cell number, we can hang out at night,” a male said. We were now at the lake and there were easily two dozen others standing around. I wasn’t getting wolf vibes from all of them, which either meant they were lycan or some other kind of shifter. I was completely intrigued. I’d never seen anything but a wolf in its natural form. Jeannette dropped her grip on my hand and began speaking to the male. I felt so out of place but I was insanely curious about the water. I found myself walking out onto the long dock, passing a few that were in conversation. I got to the end and sat on my knees. I inhaled the fresh mountain air, the heavenly scent of the woods that every shifter loved so much. It felt right, it felt like home. Kingdom 10 was a bustling city, filled with people on the go and most working two or three jobs. Enjoying nature like this was beyond a luxury most there never got to know. I pushed away my fear of the water, and reached down, scooped some in my hand. It was clear, and cool. My perfect moment was however, very short lived. My ears quickly picked up the sound of feet moving fast, hard against the dock. I began to pull back from my hunched over position but I didn’t get the chance to move far. Suddenly I was thrown forward and I felt the water envelope me, my hands frantically swung around and my feet kicked. Water filled my nose and my mouth, I completely froze with panic! I bobbed to the surface long enough to get a gasp of air before going under again. I struggled to breathe and my arms kept flapping the water, trying to break the top. Suddenly I felt a hand grip my hair and push my head back down. I opened my mouth to cry out for help but it was mostly filled with water and I doubted if anything came out but spit. Who would do this to me?! Will no one help me? I can’t die before I even get the chance to have my wolf, to find my mate! Absolute fear and panic flooded me and my body was so exhausted from the fight that I almost wanted to give up, to give into it. I briefly broke the surface again as a strong arm came around my neck, pulling my head fully above the water. I spit from my mouth, and coughed so hard my lungs felt like they were on fire. Someone finally saved me, took them long enough. “Just relax, you’re all right,” a male voice said, pulling me back to his chest. He was warm and strong, finally my body stopped thrashing around and just went limp. I obviously didn’t know this male but I somehow trusted him. He felt so amazing. Was it just him or were all males this intoxicating? So much so that I somehow forgot I was half drowning for a minute. “Help me get her up,” the voice said again. Suddenly numerous hands were grabbing me, hoisting me onto the dock. The male who’d been my hero rolled me onto my side and held me. I got lost in the comfort of it, the safety. “Cough it all out okay,” he said. Jeannette’s scared face was instantly in front of me, wiping the hair from my skin. “Girl I am so damn sorry, I’m so sorry,” she said, panicked. My eyes fluttered up to see Mallory being dragged off by two males, she was yelling the entire time but I couldn’t tell what she was saying. Why was she so hateful? “You’re okay, you’re safe now,” the male said, calmly. Yeah, if you only knew this was only about the 50th time in my life someone had tried to kill me. Common occurrence for an orphan with no friends to watch her back. I struggled to catch my breath but it was getting easier. It was like he had cast a net out over me, and it was helping me. Or maybe I died for a minute and was seriously hallucinating. “Let’s get you up okay,” Jeanette said, trying to sit me up. I finally got upright and could only think of how glad I was I didn’t kick off my shoes. They were the only ones I had. I’d have been totally humiliated having to spend the rest of camp barefoot. “Show’s over everyone! Go back to your unimportant lives,” Jeanette said, shooing people away. I cracked a smile. I’d barely known this female for an hour but already I liked her so much. The male came in front of me and put his arms around my chest, helping me to my feet. Damn he smelled so good. There was the definite air of “other” though, and something told me he was a lycan. Well, he had to be … he was just … large. Very, very large. “You alright pup,” he asked, assessing me and holding my shoulders. He’s talking to you … say something! My mind went blank, I automatically lowered my head. Suddenly his big hand was in my face, raising my chin. I felt like a drowned rat. “Hey, you okay,” he said, looking concerned. “Yes, I just need to get dry clothes. Thank you so much. I’m so sorry about your clothing. I’ll wash it for you. What was your name,” I asked, talking a mile a minute. I wasn’t going to lie, I was curious about my savior, and for the moment it seemed like he didn’t mind speaking to me … a lowly Kingdom 10 nobody. “My clothes,” he asked, almost amused. He looked me over again and I’d absolutely never felt more self conscious. Jeanette seemed to be thoroughly enjoying our little interaction. “What’s your name,” he said, as his hand stroked my cheek. “Trixie,” I said, now practically breathless again as I looked up at him. His deep brown eyes fixed on mine and I suddenly couldn’t think. I was completely thrown for a loop since no male had ever touched me like that. It seemed personal … intimate in a way, but maybe I just wanted it to be. I had to be imagining things. If he was just being nice this seemed a bit above and beyond. “And what cabin are you in,” he asked, moving his hand away as if he had made a mistake touching me. I froze like an idiot and couldn’t think. “We’re in 42 big boy, so don’t be a stranger,” Jeanette said, giving him a playful slap on his shoulder. Jeanette was taller than me but she still had to get on her tiptoes to make the gesture. He turned to glare at her but quickly fixed his gaze back to me. “Goodbye Trixie,” he said, turning to leave. “You haven’t told me your name,” I shouted. Jeanette turned to look, obviously interested as well. He just kept walking and with his back to us, threw his hand in the air with a small wave. My feet wanted me to stay put, but I didn’t want to move. Jeannette however began pulling my arm and I had to admit I needed to get out of these wet clothes. The walk back was fast and Jeanette helped me hang up my wet clothes. She was humming something and she just seemed so at ease, like she didn’t have a care in the world. Whereas I’d been here a few hours and I’d already made an enemy who almost drowned me. “This place is so big. You know … I hear at night, a lot of people try to sneak over to the other side,” she said. “Other side? There’s more,” I asked, curiously. “Oh yeah sweets! The other side of the lake is a whole other camp with their own everything too, that’s why so many people hold out hope they’ll find their mate here, since there’s so many people in one location at once,” she grinned.

Chapter 4 4 - Arrogance

Dawson’s Point of View I had William fix our dinner plates and bring them to our private cabin. It was far beneath me to dine with the children and all their mindless chatter. I brought a lot of work with me and I intended to get through most of it. I’d already arranged for messengers to discreetly carry my paperwork back and forth every other day. “I heard about this crazy incident while I was getting dinner. Some female pup attacked another at the lake. She just charged out of nowhere at the poor girl who was checking out the water or getting a drink I guess. She didn’t know how to swim and Damien of all people jumped in and saved her,” he said, finishing his meal. “Hmm. You don’t know why she attacked her? Must be some reason, I said, not actually caring. I thought about it for a few more seconds and was actually annoyed. “Damien just has to swoop in and be the hero, there was probably an audience, people around to cheer him on. He’s a total attention whore! I do all the work and he gets all the damn glory,” I said, bitter and irritated. “The pup didn’t even know how to swim. There’s no excuse to throw someone in the lake fully dressed at that,” he said, rather animated. William cared too much, I used to think it was a flaw but sometimes it can be helpful. I am often told I need to work on softening my image but a future King couldn’t be a pushover. It was quiet for a few minutes, I was busy working and even though he was staring at me and I was close to throwing him out to give me space. “Oh yeah, you still have curfew patrol tonight, from 11-4am. No getting out of that,” he said. I grumbled. I could give a damn about catching pups trying to sneak out or sneak back in at all hours. The curfew was nonsense and I had to be available to patrol both sides of the lake. Hmm, though the idea of catching my idiot brother at a party and getting him in trouble might not be so bad. I had to remember I was here to do my duty and every little thing that had to be done was one step closer to claiming my Queen. Then I’d never set foot in this dump again. “Well I should get a couple hours of shut eye then, why don’t you go find something to do that isn’t in here,” I said, putting my paperwork in a neat stack. “Yeah maybe some sleep will help with that crankiness,” he laughed. I let William get away with a few jabs here and there. But only him. No one else would dare speak to me in that regard. “Out then,” I said, flipping off the light. He rolled off his bed and I heard the door shut. I set my alarm and found sleep quickly. … I’d been out on patrol for about two hours and I was bored out of my mind. Next time I’d have to bring headphones, anything to help pass the time. I was a glorified map, just helping lost pups find their cabins after a night of wandering or worse. They needed to step up their game if they were going to survive. How could they not know their way home? Granted some of them were from the other side of the lake and wandered over here but still, they needed to get their acts together if they wanted to make it. I was just near the craft building and the outdoor movie theater which was half way between the two sides of camp when I heard some loud giggling. It was a small group of females, all pups. I quickly caught up to them. They were standing around a cabin with tall bushes. It was obvious that it wasn’t their home. “Ladies, you’re out past curfew, get home directly,” I said, with a firm tone. I clapped my hands for good measure to get their attention, then I crossed my arms in anger when it didn’t work. Suddenly the sounds and smells of retching filled the air and I turned my nose away. Really? “You ladies have been drinking,” I said, getting more pissed off. I put my hands on my hips. I would give them a stern lecture that would hopefully scare them enough to not do this again. While I wasn’t dumb to the fact that parties went on, they were supposed to be shut down immediately. Unfortunately you had assholes like Damien that did nothing about them, just looked the other way. The wind picked up for a moment and a sweet scent hit me, even through the bile in the air. Vanilla, with a bit of cinnamon. Oh how delightful! Is someone baking something? At this hour? No, surely not. But what is it? I started to feel a bit dizzy and I moved to lean against the building to support myself. Was I sick, did I eat something bad? Get it together! The beast within me stirred and forced my eyes to look everywhere at once. What was he trying to see? I had to get rid of these girls, I couldn’t risk looking weak in front of them. “Now ladies,” I said, louder and with force … making the pups jump and turn around. Several were all still laughing and it was pissing me off. Did they not have a fear of authority? Suddenly, my eyes locked with a tall, thin blonde. She was absolutely stunning. My mind went blank. Who was she? MATE! MATE! MATE! My inner beast vibrated my entire body, forcing the word MATE to every pore of my being. My mind demanded I grab her, that I mark her, immediately. Finding your mate was so rare for us that we simply didn’t waste time when we found our perfect other half. Our beast mode went into full effect and we didn’t dare let our mate move another step without a mark. Everyone would have to know they were claimed. I blinked rapidly, no. No! Surely it couldn’t be!! My heart raced, my mind suddenly a mess. Although, I could do worse, this she-wolf was sexy, even if she had a little chest and flat ass. She was however, dressed and groomed nicely, clearly from at least Kingdom 3 or higher. My eyes went to her hands that were holding a dark mass … hair? The owner of the hair stood up and turned to face me. She looked me up and down with a silly grin, her cheeks were rosey from drinking. She reeked of bile and … vanilla cinnamon. What….? NO! NO! NO! This wasn’t happening!! My eyes darted quickly between the two. But they didn’t seem to take notice of my deep internal struggle. “Just had to stop for a rest Mr. Fancy Pants counselor,” the blonde said, stroking my neon yellow patrol vest with her free hand. “All better now I think,” the black haired pup giggled, wiping her face. She didn’t know… Well how could she? She didn’t yet have her wolf. The lycan in me growled, trying to move my feet forward. I fought him with everything I had. I must have looked like an idiot. I got it together and gaped at this creature. She was only about 5’3 to my 6’5. She was maybe 130 lbs, hard to tell with her baggy clothing. She had to have been from one of the lesser Kingdoms, no self respecting person of status would be wearing rags. Her jeans had holes and her feet were bare. Could she not even afford shoes?! How humiliating! The Goddess wanted our Queen to be a drunken hobo?? Absolutely not! My lycan half didn’t care about any of the things, but I certainly did … and I would win this fight for the good of our family name. I was briefly distracted as howls erupted from the woods, pups coming home from their first shifts. It would be like this every night. I quickly turned my head back to the girls. The rest of the pups were in a fit of giggles but the blonde began to pull my mate away. I quickly moved around the side of the building and out of sight. My mind had a million thoughts at once. But the main one, the glaring one currently winning its way to the top of my mind was that I had to reject her, the sooner the better. I would have to wait until we were alone then I would order her under penalty of certain death not to share this with anyone. Absolutely NO one could know about this. How could the Goddess do this to me? Saddle me with such a burden, right now when I’m so close to naming my Queen. Life is completely unfair!!

Chapter 5 5 - Muddy Feet

Trixie’s Point of View Light, blinding light. I groaned. Ohh, that hurt, my throat felt like the desert. My head was throbbing. I lifted my arm painfully to my head, and felt something. I pulled on it, getting it out of my hair. A twig from a bush? I looked toward Mallory’s bed and it was empty, but all her things were still there. I made a face at that. I looked at the bottom bunk to the side, Jeannette was passed out, with all her clothes on … even shoes. I looked down at my feet, they were completely muddy and filthy, grass was stuck in my toes. I pushed through the pain my entire body felt and got down from my bunk as quietly as I could. I grabbed my bag off the hook and checked my shoes. Thank the Goddess they were finally dry. I tiptoed out the door and bolted toward the bathroom building. I was utterly relieved to find that the showers were empty. I dropped to my knees at a cabinet under the sink and thankfully found lots of little bottles for the shower. I had to hurry since I had no clue what was next on my schedule. I got in the shower and dumped some body wash into my hands, scrubbing my shirt. I then took it off and finished hand washing it before throwing it over the curtain rod. I repeated the process with the rest of my clothes. It didn’t matter how much I washed them, they were still raggedy and there was no fixing that. I looked at them and sighed. I stayed in the shower for what seemed like forever, not wanting to go back out into reality. I shook myself, hearing others coming into the bathroom. I finished fingering the conditioner out of my hair and turned off the water. I opened the curtain and got the one towel I owned from my bag. It wasn’t very big, but it had to do. I twisted the water out of my hair and sat on the bench. I braided it into the tightest braid I could manage, hoping it looked decent. I slowly began to remember last night in bits and pieces. I had gotten drunk. The punch must have had alcohol! Wow, I’m an idiot!! I had a flash of the counselor that accosted us for being out late. I hoped I didn’t run into him again, I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself and the idea of getting kicked out of camp made me absolutely sick. I got back to my bunk to find everyone standing around outside, doing stretches. “We’re late because of you, have some damn respect for other people’s time. I can’t believe I still have to sleep in the same room as you, if you have bugs or anything else I’ll kill you in your sleep,” Mallory seethed. “Calm down, we're not that late! Damn drama queen,” Jeanette said, moving out of the way so I could put my stuff inside. “I had to shower, I’m sorry. What’s going on? I haven’t looked at the schedule,” I said, fidgeting with my hands. “What do you think happens at camp? Training, duh. You'll probably get your weak little ass kicked all over the place,” Mallory said, turning to walk away. “How I’ve managed not to kill her in all these years I’ll never understand,” Jeanette said, shaking her head. We all began to follow our counselor and after ten minutes we arrived at a large field with easily fifty other campers in a circle. Once we got close enough I saw three very large males in the center. Meghan led us right to the middle and my jaw dropped when I recognized two of them. “You’re all in for a treat today! Training will be led by two of our crowned princes. Prince Dawson and Prince Damien. My name is William and I am the retinue to Prince Dawson, the future King of the Ten Kingdoms. Give them both your full attention at all times and ensure you are following their instructions as directed,” a male said. I was in shock, staring at the male who had saved me from drowning and the counselor who accosted us for being out past curfew. They are brothers!? Wait … they are … princes?! Both were shirtless and it was all I could notice. Both were already sweaty like they’d been working out and the sun made their skin glisten. I licked my lips. “Pups, some of you were late and we won’t tolerate that. You are expected to be here on time and if you can’t manage that simple task, don’t bother coming. We are going to start with some exercises to get you loose and then we’ll pick partners to spar with,” Prince Dawson said. He continued on, but suddenly I couldn’t hear it. I was totally frozen in place, lost in the sheer amount of skin and muscle in front of me. I really wasn’t used to seeing males shirtless, and never ones that looked like they did. And certainly not lycans, yet they seemed to have no hair anywhere below their chins. Did they shave their chests and arms? Why was I even dwelling on this? My heart was racing, seeing them both next to each other was too much. They had to be a foot taller than me and their muscles made them look as though they could carry me with one arm. Oh don’t be stupid Trixie nobody is ever carrying you anywhere! I didn’t realize I was gawking so badly at Prince Damien until he looked back at me and winked. I quickly fixed my face and looked down. Did I just hallucinate that?? Was he actually … looking at me? “Does everyone understand? Any questions,” Prince Dawson asked. Suddenly a hand shoved at my back, propelling me forward, I stumbled several steps since I was completely taken by surprise. “Yes, pup,” Price Dawson said, less than a foot from me. I looked up at him with sheer panic. My eyes were all over his face trying to figure out what to do, what to say. His face however, was serious and angry. “Do you have something to say or what,” he snapped, stepping toward me. I frantically shook my head, unable to form words. I looked down. He snapped his fingers, forcing me to look up. “Look at me when I speak to you,” he said, annoyed. “I’m sorry,” I said, barely in a whisper, raising my head. “Sorry what,” he demanded. “I’m sorry … your highness,” I said, not knowing how I was supposed to address him. “Well it seems you are rather feeble and weak, you clearly need more help than anyone, I’ll be your partner. But first, drop and give me twenty! Everyone,” he yelled. Twenty? Twenty what? I had no clue what he was talking about. I shifted my head to the side and everyone was falling to the grass. I dropped to my knees but something made me quickly look up at the prince. He was staring at me with a look of absolute contempt on his face and his arms crossed. I forced my head down and tried to copy what everyone else was doing. I barely made it through ten of the exercises and my arms hurt so bad. I wasn’t totally out of shape. I ran around doing housework all day long but this was a different kind of movement I was certainly not used to. “Pick it up! Come on, stop wimping out and push on,” the prince yelled from just over me. I groaned and finally finished then sat up on my knees to notice that literally everyone else was already done and staring at me. “About time! Now, half of you will go run to the medic building and back then do ten minutes of cardio exercises while the rest of us spar, then we’ll switch out. William will lead the run,” Prince Dawson said, waving his hands. I pushed myself to my feet. As instructed half the crowd left. “I’m just going to guess you’ve never had to fight before,” Prince Dawson said. I still couldn’t find my voice, he terrified me. I shook my head. “The world can be a cruel place, you need to know how to defend yourself. Your wolf isn’t going to instinctively know. Sharp teeth can’t get you out of everything. This is important,” he said, moving closer to me. Suddenly his hand moved toward my face as if to punch me, and I closed my eyes to brace for the impact. But it never came. “Pathetic. Clearly you don’t value your face, why didn’t you even try to block me,” he demanded. “You’re a prince I can’t--”“Bullshit! I’m predator, I’m a beast who wants to tear you limb from limb. You’re really going to just stand there and what? Hope a fairy godmother comes by to save you,” he said, inches from my face. I could feel his breath and it was hot. I could feel his loud voice practically vibrating the air between us. I’d always managed to escape being violent myself despite seeing plenty of violence. I didn’t know how to be aggressive or how to even be evasive. I walked back from him a few steps and put my hands up. “Do it again,” I said, looking him in the eye. He laughed out loud, and so did my hero. It pissed me off, everyone always underestimated me, no one ever thought I was capable of anything. Heck I probably couldn’t do it but I had to try. With two large steps toward me he swung again and I quickly dodged it, just missing his arm. Unfortunately I was not at all prepared for his leg which swooped mine and knocked me flat on my ass. Suddenly applause and cheers sprang up from the audience and I gasped for air, the wind knocked clean out of me. “Always expect the unexpected! Always be prepared for a follow up. On your feet! Again,” he yelled. As I struggled to get up my eyes met with Prince Damien and he smiled at me. I heard the heavy footsteps behind me and I crouched myself low and into a ball. Dawson had lunged for me and his body now flew over mine but instead of falling, he rolled and was back on his feet. Just as I stood he jumped at me again, grabbing my shoulders. Then he was behind me with his arm around my neck. “Boom, I just snapped your neck, you’re dead. You can’t even try to protect yourself. Pathetic,” he said. More applause and cheering broke out and even though he still had a grip on my neck he wasn’t paying attention to the rest of his body. I lifted my leg swiftly and stomped his foot. He thrust me forward and growled, I was terrified to turned and face him but I didn’t get the chance. A violent force thrust me forward and my face was smashed into the grass, a large weight held me down and I couldn’t breathe. “Enough,” a stern voice said. I thought it was Prince Damien but I couldn’t tell. Hands were on my shoulders pinning me down, I tried to breathe through my nose and I cherished what little air came in. “Let her up, she can’t breathe. You’ll crush her,” the voice said again. Dawson began to laugh. “You might get all the tail at home, but at camp you better keep your damn pants on. Don’t be getting attached to these pups. They’re weak. Clearly even the lower kingdoms are pampering their females too much, coddling them,” Dawson said, finally getting off me. “All right everyone pair off and practice,” a voice said. I pulled my legs into my stomach and half turned on my side, turning into a ball. I prayed to the goddess to make me disappear.