"We can arrange that. He is wary of you though."

"He is wary of me?" I arched a brow at the king.

Kind Orsand nodded his head. "You are new to the royal city, mated to the prince, and seem to be involved in everything going on."

I glanced down and stared at my shoes. "Yeah, I could see why that would make me seem a bit suspicious."

"He doesn't know your secret."

"Do you think he's someone I could trust with information like that?" I asked.

"If there was anyone that you could trust 100% with a secret that big, it's Andrew."

"Okay, let's set up a meeting. If those monsters are encroaching on Winter Lake then we have big, big problems."

"Do you have any idea who could be behind this?" Queen Amelia questioned.

I shook my head. "Not yet. I'm still looking into it."

"There you are! I was wondering where you slipped away to."

"Hi, Edmond. I'm just talking with your parents."

"Are we talking business or other business?" he asked.

"Other business," Kind Orsand answered.

"You're majesty?" Marsha asked, moving the curtain to the side slightly.

"Yes?"

"It's time for your ending speech."

"Oh. Already?"

"Yes, majesty. It's nearing midnight."

Orsand nodded his head. "Very well. Let's get this done so we can all retire for the evening."

Marsha bowed low, waiting for Orsand to renter the ballroom.

Edmon grasped my hand as we followed behind his mother.

"What was that really about?" he asked.

"The creatures."

"Why?"

"There was an incident not far from here."

"What?" he asked as loudly as he dared.

"Yeah, someone was attacked. I don't think they much about what happened yet."

"We have to find out who is doing this and stop them."

"I agree. I'm going to the library tomorrow if you would like to join me."

"Of course."

We stood to the side of the stage as the king gave his night-ending speech before leading everyone into the gardens. It was a strange tradition, but at the end of all balls and galas, there was a unity howl amongst all of the wolves.

Something about showing solidarity against our enemies.

I suppose at such a time as we were in a unity howl isn't a bad thing. Hopefully, it would scare off the creatures for a bit longer. It was only a matter of time before they struck within Winter Lake again, and it wouldn't stay a secret for long.

As the howl ended, I walked, arm-in-arm with Ashley to our chambers.

I was rather surprised to see that all of my stuff had been removed and Alastair's was there.

"Uhm...where are all of my things?"

"Why are Alastair's bags here?" Ashley asked.

"Mated couples sleep in the same quarters, ma'am," Phil said.

"Huh? I'm sorry what?" Ashley asked again.

"Mated pairs, ma'am. They sleep in the same quarters."

"We're not mated yet. We haven't had our ceremony..."

"I can sleep on the floor, my love," Alastair said, approaching Ashley from behind and kissing her lightly on the head.

She broke out in a grin and started to giggle. "Of course you won't! We can share the bed."

"Ashley..."

"Yeah, good luck with all of that, Ellie," she said, closing the door on Phil and I.

"Well, I never!" I exclaimed.

Phil tried to suppress a laugh.

"Not funny."

"I do beg your pardon, ma'am."

"Where am I staying?"

"Mated pairs sleep in the same chambers."

"You mean..."

"Yes, ma'am. New rooms have been made available for you and Prince Edmond."

"New rooms?"

"Yes, ma'am. The prince is also relocating. His chambers are not fit for a prince and princess." He mumbled under his breath. "They're not suitable for a cat let alone a royal wolf."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, ma'am. Follow me please."

Phil turned on his heels and led me further down the hallway and around a bend. He stopped in front of two massive doors that stretched to the very top of the ceiling.

"Wow."

"Ma'am, your room."

"Okay then."

Phil reached out and opened the door leaving me standing there stunned.

I wasn't walking into just a bedroom. It was like an entire suite inside a house. I walked into the front parlor where a large sectional couch faced the floor-to-ceiling windows that stretched along one wall.

A large desk split in half with two chairs was along another wall in front of a beautiful tapestry that seemed to depict the beginning of all wolf kind.

To my right was another door leading off further into the castle.

"It's big."

"Yes, indeed it is ma'am."

"I just go in?"

"It is your chambers."

"What do I do?"

"Whatever you want."

"Right. Uh, thanks, Phil."

"You're welcome, princess."

"No, Ellie. Call me Ellie."

He smiled lightly. "Of course, Ellie."

He pulled the door shut behind me as I walked further into the suite. I didn't know what to look at first.

Yes, I do. The bathroom! Where is the bathroom?

I pulled open the doors that I saw to the right. The bedroom. A massive bed sat atop a small platform, surrounded by four pale blue collumns trimmed in gold. The bed itself was a beautiful, shining blue with blue and gold blankets. Behind it, even more, windows look out over the lake.

Looking up, I saw a beautiful golden chandelier with hundreds of candels. The ceiling was an immaculate white trimmed in blue and gold.

I walked through yet another door into the bathroom.

I had never seen a bathroom so big before. The bathtub was sunken into the floor with a shower to the side of it. A cabinet and mirror took up almost the entirety of the right side of the room and it seemed as though the toilet was behind another door.

"Wow. This is incredible."

"Elli?" I heard Edmond's voice call out.

"In here."

"You found the place!" he said, smiling from ear to ear.

"It wasn't hard when Phil led me here."

"Right. So, what do you think? It's nice right?"

"Nice? This place is huge. Bigger than my bedroom back home."

"Yeah, they tend to give the future king and queen a nicer suite away from the majority of the palace."

"This is so surreal."

"What is?"

"All of this. I mean just a few hours ago I was simply Ellie, just a girl who was trying to help stop monsters from invading. Now I'm the future queen?"

"You were never just a girl though, Ellie. You're the daughter of Artemis. You were born special and destined for great things."

"So is this not real?"

"It has to be. I've never felt this before. What if Artemis destined us to be together in order to strengthen the realm? What if we were made for each other?"

"I don't know. I suppose."

"Mom has always said that I was meant to do great things and become a powerful leader. She said that only the strongest woman would be my mate."

"You're never going to leave me, right?"

"Of course not. We can't part. To break a mating bond would be certain death for both of us."

"Yes, I know that."

"Then don't say silly things. I love you."

"I love you too. It is crazy that I can say that having just met you, but I love you."

My heart sped up as he reached out and grasped me by the waist. It was our first time alone since we saw one another. Just a few hours ago. And now here we are in this incredible room, having our mating ceremony planned.

He pulled me close, so close I could smell the wonderful spicey scent of his cologne.

"I've never, uh, been with anyone before," I said quietly.

"Neither have I."

"Really?"

"Really. Despite the rumors." He rolled his eyes.

"Now what?"

He leaned down, closing his eyes, and pressed his lips to mine.

It was incredible.