No one had seen the human girl in two days. Usually, some servant saw her in her room or walking around the castle. And now one very unfortunate servant boy has to inform their ruler that his mate may or may not be missing.

"You can do it." The boy muttered to himself. It might not be anything, maybe she just moved away or got bitten by that mouse or something. Or maybe she is with the king, yes that has to be it, he thought.

He was about to knock the door when he was passed by the royal beta. He marched to the great hall and slammed the door behind him.

"They probably have some very important thing and I shouldn't bother them." He muttered to himself and ran away like his ass was on fire.

Cato saw his friend looking outside of the large window. The outside of the window had frozen with a beautiful pattern and it was almost impossible to see outside. It is the coldest day in the winter so far.

"I didn't hear a knock." Dominic didn't turn around.

"Ethen is missing," Cato said. Usually, he bumped to the annoying ass at least twice a day, but in the last couple of days he hasn't seen or heard anything about him. The King released him from the cell and let him continue his job because he is clearly the best in what he does. It would be a huge loss to the entire kingdom if Ethen would die. Although Cato prayed that he would somehow lose his life, he knew that it is better to have him alive.

"And?"

"You should find him."

"He will come around in some day." Dominic continued to watch outside. A missing soldier didn't really touch him in any way. Ethen could deal with himself.

"Also one of the maids has been missing."

"Since when you have cared about a maid? They come and go."

"Since the maid is the same girl Ethen harassed in your birthday and also that maid was your damsel's friend or something like that."

Dominic raised his eyebrow but didn't turn around. He really didn't give a shit about some maid who ran around the castle with the human. They could as long as he cared to make snow angels in the mud.

A quiet knock interrupted his thoughts.

The door opened and a petite boy servant walked in. It was as clear as day that he was afraid.

"Umm... Sir? I have a very important message f-from the butlers."

"Go on." Cato snapped.

"The human girl is missing."

"Who is the last person she talked to?"

"Umm one of the bakers."

"Bring her here."

"Yes, my lord." The servant boy bowed and ran towards the kitchen.

"Do you think she ran away?" Dominic turned around and looked at his friend, "No. He walked to the throne and sat on it. Cato rolled his eyes. Dominic took a glass that was filled with wine and took a sip.

The king took few more sips from his wine before the door opened and a middle-aged hefty woman walked in with few guards. As soon as the guards let her go she crept in front of the throne and started sobbing and pleading.

"P-please she tried to steal bread and looked like scarecrow!!!" Her cheek was wet from tears that were still forming in her eyes. "I tho-ug-night she was a thief! You have to understand me, my lord, p-please." Dominic let her mumble all kind of excuses for a while before it started to get on his nerves.

"What happened after that?" The baker paled and started to mumble something weird for a while before finally telling the truth.

"I asked guards to throw her out of the castle." She whispered and looked at the ground. How could she have known that the thief was the king's mate? She looked like a walking dead and not a queen. She had heard that the king's mate is a human, but she thought it would have been a civilized human and not a cavewoman.

Dominic stood up and walked away from the great hall. Cato stood there puzzled, but didn't let it show on his face, "Take her to the dungeon." He ordered and walked after his king.

Maeve had walked around the village for awhile before she found a small shack. It wasn't the warmest place but at least she had a roof on top of her head. She had sat in there for awhile and looked at her toes that were purple. They were so numb that she couldn't even feel them if she pinched them.

Luckily for her, that shack belonged to an old woman who felt so bad seeing her freezing in a pile of straws. She gave her a warm pair of shoes and a blanket and put her infant of a fireplace. She even cooked some food for her.

Maeve was so amazed that a werewolf saved her life, while the others of her kind were stepping on her and calling her by names. Well, of course, this old lady and Cory.

They were the kindest shapeshifters she has met while being in there, and both of them have saved her life in some kind of way. The old woman saved her life by letting her sleep in her house and eat her food while without Cory Maeve would have destroyed herself by thoughts. The human want's to introduce the woman to her best friend and tell her everything that has happened to her.

She was almost asleep when she remembered her mouse friend. It made her feel anxiety for not knowing what he was doing and was he even alive. He could easily be frozen in some corner, but Maeve wanted to believe that he is fine and sleeping in her bed snoring in the warmth.

"You okay?" The woman asked.

"Yes, thank you," Maeve mumbled and smiled. She is okay, she has a warm place to stay and all her toes are on her feet. It could be a lot worse if the woman wouldn't have found her. She felt happy.

It came to her mind that has they even noticed that she is gone? And if they have, would they even care? Maybe in someday, they will find her and take her back to the castle. She knew that if she went to the gates and demanded that they will let her in, she would end up in the river an arrow in her chest. But that is a problem for tomorrow, now it's her time to sleep.

Few days went by and Maeve helped the woman, whose name she later found out was Elinor, in chores and cooking. It was actually very refreshing to do something by yourself and not have everything handed to you by a silver plate. This is what her life used to be and what her life should be.

Maybe they will never find her and she could live the rest of her life with Elinor. She knew it was impossible because she is a human. The villagers will never accept her, it is a big surprise why Elinor is even helping her. Most of the villagers would probably have kicked her out because she is a human and not a shapeshifter.

"Eve? Can you get some water from the well?" When Elinor asked about her name she answered Eve, that is what her family members sometimes called her. And she didn't know back then if she could trust in Elinor.

"Of course." She smiled and took the bucket in her hands.

In the village, there were two wells. The first one is in the market square, but Maeve didn't want to go there after the whole execution thing. The second one is next to an abandoned house. Elinor told that it had been abandoned for a few years and how there used to live a father and daughter. The well is their private well, but the man let Elinor get her water from there and that is what she has been doing since they talked.

She took a cloak and a pair of gloves and started to walk through the village. She saw children playing and laughing, it made her smile too. It showed that there is a happiness in the middle of darkness. They probably and hopefully didn't notice that she is a human, because of the clothes she was wearing; they were Elinor's.

She smiled and waved to the children and continued her journey until she noticed guards walking towards her. Maeve thought that they are going to blame her from running away, so she hid behind a corner.

They walked in the middle of the busy street. As soon as the villagers noticed the guards they shut up and started to look at them.

"Has anyone of you seen a human girl in here?!" One of the guards yelled and Maeve stopped breathing.

No no no, she won't go back there to be punished for something she didn't do. Cory and Tommy will understand if she doesn't come back soon. They will understand that she is finally happy.

She pulled to the hood of the cloak to cover her face more and walked away. She is just going to get some water and then go back to Elinor and eat some cookies.

Yes, that is exactly what she is going to do. She isn't going back to the castle and lies there crying her eyes out.

When she found the cottage she stopped looking at it mesmerized. It was so beautiful, snow falling from the roof and frozen plants surrounding it. The person who has lived here must have been lucky.

Her curiosity would have wanted to explore the entire house, but she couldn't. That would be breaking someone's peace and she really wants some cookies.

Maeve found the well and started to pump water into the bucket. Luckily the water wasn't frozen. She hummed a song her mother used to sing to her. When the bucket was finally full of water she took it in her hand and started to walk towards Elinor's cabin. She was sure that she could already smell the cookies.

"I'm c-coming for your cookies." She mumbled when she tripped over with a thud.

When she saw a hand on the ground she thought that she probably bumped into someone while dreaming about the cookies. But when she saw blood on the ground she knew that she tripped onto someone who is not feeling so well.

That is when she saw the face of the corpse.

"C-cory?" The realization washed over her.

"Cory!" She was now yelling. Cory's face was so white with a hint of purple. She tried to shake her awake but knew it was impossible. Cory is dead.

"No! P-please don't l-let it be real-al!!!" Her tears were now falling onto the corpses face. "No no NO... please w-wake up!!" She screamed causing people to come over here and see what is happening.

When they saw the corpse many of the villagers made a cross on their body with their hands. They had lost a good soul to the creator. One man dragged Maeve away from her dead friend. "NO!! L-LET ME GO...... she is my f-friend." She cried.

She saw the dagger in her friend's body. It hurt her more than anything.

Even the guards made they're way to the screaming woman and noticed that the screamer is the human they have been looking for crying over her friend. Some of the villagers started to cry along with her, but the only thing Maeve focused on was the pale face of her friend.

***

Cato was sitting on a chair in his chambers when one of the guards knocked and came inside. "Sir, we found her."

That was surprisingly fast, Cato thought.

"Where?"

"She was crying and screaming next to her dead friend."

"Well, that's sad." He said but didn't feel anything. That human has had a rough life, but well at least she is now in there where she belongs.

"Go inform the king." The guard bowed and left the room.

Now two of three missing persons have been found. "Where the fuck are you Ethen?" He murmured before walking out of his champers. He needed to find that fucker.

***

The human girl was dragged back to the castle in her bedroom. They didn't give a shit about her, but when she finally found a place she was happy her world broke around her. Every second her only thought is Cory and the dagger in her chest.

Why did she do that to herself?

Why didn't she ask for help?

Is Maeve truly so shitty friend that she rather kills herself than talks to her?

The only thing she felt was a pain. It was even worse now than when her family died. Pain everywhere, her life was full of pain. Every step was full of pain. She didn't cry anymore, she was done of crying.

The door opened and the last person she ever expected to show up, walked in her room.

"We need to talk."

***