by Kat Zaccard
I sputtered. I literally sputtered. I’d thought that was just a thing people said or wrote, but I was actually stunned speechless, my protests dying on my lips like a flooded engine trying to turn over.
Shea grabbed my hands, all of her anger gone. She forced eye contact and said sincerely, “I care about you Alice. You’re my best friend. But you know I’m bad for your image.” She half-smiled sadly. “I didn’t want to tell you I was worried about Logan before, but now that it’s out there … I don’t blame him, not really. He’s a product of the system. He was raised in an affluent, powerful family that feels entitled to that power.” She dropped my hands as I looked away, the fight having leaked out of me.
“I thought he liked me.” I said it as if trying it on for size. Had I ever been sure? “I thought I liked him.” Right. Like another pair of jeans that didn’t quite fit. “I don’t know, maybe I just wanted to,” I finally found a purchase to commit to. “I wanted the fairytale, the prince charming. Too bad he’s just another frog.”
Shea giggled. “I can’t figure out which fairytale you’re thinking of, but we are way too badass to be some damsels in distress, princess or not!”
“You got that right! We’re warrior princesses, if anything!”
“Umm, sure Xena, but I’m no princess.”
“And I’m still betrothed,” I said, choking out my bigger fear.
“That’s tomorrow’s problem.” Shea waved it away, ala Scarlet O’Hara.
I smiled at my BFF. “If only it were that easy.”
Shea grinned. “It might be, Princess. You’re heir to the throne.”
I knew she was only stating a fact and I couldn’t let that irksome truth cloud my feelings toward my friend. I was angry at the circumstance, not at her. Who knows? Maybe the problem was the solution? Why can’t a queen change the rules? “And anyway,” I added out loud, “I’m only sixteen, so nobody can force me to marry anyone, anytime soon!”
“Yup, and by then, you’ll be the queen, and you can do whatever you want.”
“Somehow, that’s not my idea of what being queen would be like, but let’s go with that plan for now!” We were both in better spirits, having survived our first real fight.
“Okay,” I said, “let me hop into the shower, then you can tell me all about your magical night with Adam.”
Shea grinned, and I knew she was dying to tell me all about it. “Are you sure you want to hear it? You just had a huge fight with Logan.” I felt a pang of sad confusion. I was raw and angry. My emotions swung wildly, but I needed the distraction. Plus, I was lucky to have a friend like Shea, and I wanted to be worthy.
“Are you kidding me?” I teased. “At least one of us had the night we planned! You two looked amazing together last night. I hope you stopped for a picture?”
With my shower forgotten, Shea launched into her version of the evening, and we got swept away in the magic of the night. Funny how the same dance that was so disastrous for me, was so romantic for Shea.
Shea told me about her fairytale evening, reliving every detail of last night. Adam had surprised her with a pink rose hidden behind his back. He had held her hand and her gaze as he drew the long-stemmed rose from behind his back and presented it to her. She told me she felt sure her eyes had twinkled as she brought the bloom to her nose, inhaling deeply.
“I said something really corny then, like, ‘It smells heavenly.’ I don’t know where the sappy statement came from. So unlike me.” She rolled her eyes theatrically.
I grinned. “What did he say?”
“Oh, my God, he was even worse! I loved it! Adam murmured, ‘Well, you are an angel,’ then shook his head at his own cheesy line. He’d plunked the rose into a nearby cup of water and pulled me onto the dance floor. We spent the night dancing, talking, and laughing, and we barely noticed the rest of the crowd.
“The air seemed foggy and filled with perfume. A hint of magic had wrapped us into a bubble of our own making. He walked me home and kissed me goodnight on the steps. It was perfect.” Shea finished her story with a dreamy sigh, then shook herself back to the present.
“I didn’t see your fight with Logan, though later Hayley said she’d seen you stop dancing and looked cross at him. I’m so sorry, I didn’t notice you leave or I would have followed you.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous! I’m so glad you didn’t notice! Why ruin both our nights? I’m thrilled you had such a wonderful time with Adam,” I said sincerely.
“Me, too.” Shea grinned wide. “I feel so lucky!”
“He’s the lucky one!” I affirmed.
“I wish we’d both gotten the night of our dreams,” Shea added.
“Yeah, well…” I sighed. “I guess I know what matters most to Logan—his image, not me.” I felt another tear prickle and willed it not to fall. “Okay! Shower time, then breakfast. What do you want to do today?”
Shea suddenly looked guilty. “Oh, well, I sort of made plans to see Adam today.”
“Right, of course.” I tried not to sound disappointed.
“I could…” She was about to offer to change her plans to stay with me, but I could see the conflict in her eyes.
“No, don’t be silly. You go have a great time and tell me all about it later. Well, mostly!” I teased. “Keep it PG!”
After breakfast, Shea and I wandered outside. Jillian was at a nearby table in the courtyard and immediately started giggling when she spied us coming out the back door. We walked by and I heard her call after me, “Have a nice time at the dance, Alice?” then she and her friends dissolved into shrieks of laughter.
Shea grabbed my elbow and steered me away from Jillian and her friends before my wolf-sized pride got the better of me. “Who cares what she thinks?” she hissed.
We were heading down the path toward the boys’ dormitory when we saw Adam come out of the building. Another kid followed him out, though they weren’t speaking to each other as they headed our way.
“Oh, no, it’s Logan!” I felt a little panicked. What could he possibly have to say to me now?
“Hey, maybe he’s going to apologize?” Shea said, sounding skeptical, though I appreciated she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Do you want him back?” She’d asked it innocent of his digs at her last night, and it was my turn to feel guilty. Was I being fair to either of them? I didn’t have time to sort it out, because the guys had arrived.
“Hey!” Adam said to us, but his eyes were all for Shea. They quickly took off, leaving Logan and I to our awkward silence.
“Hi,” I finally said, looking him in the eye. His green eyes were cloudy and his chiseled jaw was tight. Why did he have to look so annoyingly handsome?
“Hey,” he said, sounding miffed. I quirked an eyebrow. Was he mad at me?
“About last night—”
“Did you mean it—”
We’d spoken at the same time, then stopped and laughed, and the tension eased a bit. Then he said, “Do you want to take a walk?”
We headed down the path toward the orchard. I zipped up my hoodie as the wind danced with leaves around our feet. We were silent for a bit, putting some distance between us and the school. Passing the apple trees, I finally said what I’d been worrying about.
“Does it really matter to you that Shea is a Winterstone?” I felt my anger rise just asking the question aloud, but I had to give him a chance.
He rolled his eyes, exasperated. “It’s not that I care, but it’s a fact that you should be gaining supporters for your claim to the crown. And really, you need royal supporters for that!”
“Logan, I don’t want to be queen,” I stated plainly.
He laughed. “That’s nuts!”
I frowned at him. “Why?” I demanded.
He looked at me with pity. “Okay, Alice, if not nuts, then it’s at least naïve.”
“Why’s that? I could just relinquish my right to the crown, right? Let the Queen Regent keep her throne?”
He looked aghast. “
Why would you do that?” He glanced around as if someone might hear, though there was no one around. “What about your parents’ legacy? You’d be giving up everything they worked for. And who would take over after the Queen Regent? Jillian? The royals won’t have it. You’ll start a civil war.”
“A civil war? Seriously?” I thought he was joking. I didn’t want to admit that he was scaring me a little.
He grabbed my hand. “Alice, seriously. Don’t you read the papers? Are you aware of the political upheaval in the council? For years, the Queen Regent has been vying to declare her family line royal by marriage so Jillian can inherit the crown. Your return changes everything. You’re the rightful heir to the throne. Half of the council is thrilled you’re back, and the other half is trying to decide who will come out on top: the Queen Regent, or you.”
“What about the people?” I asked, and Logan quirked an eyebrow in question. “You know, the unwashed masses? What does the public think? Don’t they get a vote?”
Logan laughed derisively. “You really are American. The masses don’t really get a say. There are public referendums, but the council makes the laws and the queen is leader of the Pack. Only a member of court can present a case to the High Council, and only the council members can vote.”
“Convenient,” I replied dryly. “Look, we are way off topic, here. I’m mad about what you said last night. Shea is a good person and my best friend.” I took a breath to go on, but he cut me off.
“Alice, come on. I’m sorry. I think you’re taking me out of context here. I admit, I was too harsh about Shea, and I didn’t really mean it to come out that way. Your friends are fine, and I have hung out with them a lot.” I noticed he didn’t say “we” but what did I expect, here? He didn’t owe me, either. His next words were a surprise though: “You haven’t really given my friends a chance.”
He was right. I had dismissed his friends for being rich and snobby. But really, I had only just met them for a few minutes. Maybe I wasn’t being fair.
“Okay, I see your point. I could get to know your friends better, too.” I smiled at him, suddenly relieved that I had misunderstood his intentions last night.
“You know,” he teased, “you did leave me high and dry at the dance.” He gave me a wicked grin and I knew he was being lighthearted, but I felt a twinge of annoyance.
“Logan, what you said—” I began, and he rolled his eyes.
“Jeez, forget it,” he grumbled. I wasn’t sure how things got twisted back around to him being mad at me, but I tried to remember that we’d just made up, right?
“So are we making up, here, or what?” I crossed my arms and gave him a good, fierce glare.
He laughed, unwound my arms, and wrapped his around mine. “I want to,” he said sincerely. “Truce?” He smiled his perfect white teeth and chiseled chin framed by two dimples no sane person could ignore.
I smiled back. “Truce.”
“Great! Then let’s go for a hayride.” He tugged my arm back toward the fork in the paths that led to Dryden.
“Wait—what?”
“Come on, it’s all set up. Some of my friends arranged it. Let’s go!”
I had hoped for a little more alone time to sort out my feelings. But Logan had a point, and I had promised to give his friends a chance. We started walking faster through the rolling foothills that hid our secret werewolf village from the rest of the world. I wondered how horses could pull a wagon with all the werewolves around and said so.
Logan laughed. “No. Definitely no horses. It’s actually a tractor pull, but it will be fun.” I was beginning to question his outdoorsy version of fun, but decided to go with it. When we reached the cobblestone that marked the main road of the village, I saw a small gathering of kids near a large wagon. There seemed to be picnic baskets and coolers, so at least I could assume lunch was included. I looked a little nervously at the gathered group. They were most of the kids Logan had introduced me to last night, and the worst, Jillian.
I slowed a bit and tugged at Logan’s arm. “Really? Jillian’s here?”
“Yeah, well, she’s friends with my friends? I can’t kick her out of our group just because we broke up. Give it a chance.”
I sighed and said nothing, thinking over the last few weeks and wondering when exactly Jillian and Logan had broken up, and when exactly, if even, they’d become an item. I shook off my worry. Don’t sell yourself short, Alice, let’s do this.
It was satisfying to see Jillian’s surprise at my presence and scowl at Logan. I smiled and said hi to Pamela, Jillian’s friend who I’d helped during her first full moon turn. She smiled at me, but gave a nervous glance toward Jillian and said nothing.
“Hey, Alice!” Another girl from last night called me over. Nadia of the Royal Clan Osakura was a senior at Howl High and a princess in her own right. She had long, straight black hair and high cheekbones. Her wide-set emerald eyes were as shrewd as they were lovely. She was very tall and muscular, and had an air of strength about her presence not easily overshadowed. I wasn’t surprised she seemed to be the only person unconcerned by Jillian’s obvious disapproval of my presence; she outranked her. I was grateful for the olive branch.
“Hi, Nadia. How are you?” We exchanged idle chit chat before Nadia got to her point.
“Nice of Logan to bring you along, Alice. Now, pay attention, and don’t let Jillian throw you.” She smiled and walked over to the tall, dark, and handsome boy who had been Jillian’s date the night before.
What was that all about? I wondered. Logan bounded over, his good mood restored.
“Ready?” he asked and taking my hand, led me up the steps to the large wagon. We went to the back benches and waited as the others crowded in. Logan sat on my left and his pal, Helix, of the Royal Clan O’Cleirigh, sat on the right. He had shocking red hair, freckles, and a lilting Scottish brogue. He kept me entertained with tales of the group, trying to feature stories that embarrassed Logan the most. I laughed at his antics and Logan’s protests that Helix wildly exaggerated. Shocked yet laughing, I had to hope that was true. Jillian sat as far away from me as she could. Most of the kids came from noble families, and I realized this must be the kind of privilege Adam had meant. There were wealthy, non-royal Weres here, too, so it wasn’t just a royal thing, but it was definitely a status thing.
An old steam tractor powered up and the bumpy ride began. We rode out of town and deeper into the foothills. We took a westerly path that wound up the side of the mountain. Trees, cliffs, and more trees dominated the scenery with the occasional overlook and breathtaking view of the foothills below, Dryden village, or the wilderness beyond. Mt. Henley was a much larger estate than I realized. Dryden was really a small, compact town, and the property surrounding it was much more expansive and increasingly wild.
Eventually the tractor stopped, and we all climbed out, laughing and talking. I followed the gang up a path that wound around to a lovely waterfall tucked into the mountainside. The view was lovely, and I marveled that this hidden gem existed just outside of town. We spread out blankets and enjoyed a lunch, alfresco. Logan fed me a grape and asked if I wanted to go swimming. It was a rare warm day for late October, but still a little chilly for my taste.
“Isn’t it too cold?” I asked.
“We’re wolves; we run hot.” He grinned.
I laughed. “I didn’t bring a suit.”
He laughed back. “We’re wolves, who cares?”
Several others were already stripping down to skinny dip. I smiled, but shook my head. I was all for giving his new friends the benefit of the doubt, but I was not prepared to be naked while I did so. I knew nudity wasn’t a big deal for these werewolf elites who’d grown up with every privilege and the full awareness of their wolf-half. And sure, we’d all be naked around each other when we shifted with the full moon, but my modesty didn’t shift as quickly as my wolf did.
Logan scowled but stayed out of the water with me—thank goodness! What would I have done if he had jum
ped in with Jillian, no less? Instead, we lay down on the blanket and looked at each other for a beat.
“I’m glad you came.” He smiled.
“Me, too,” I said. He inched closer, and we kissed. He pulled me in and the kiss deepened. I felt a heat rise up my face, and my breath became ragged. I pulled back.
“Wait a sec.” I smiled up at his laden eyes. “Aren’t you worried about bonding or something?” I laughed. What I didn’t tell him was that the whole idea terrified and thrilled me. Part of me was appalled, but I admit part of me was intrigued. I mean, how romantic, right? A soulmate for life, one true love. But was it all biochemical, or was it really magic?
He scoffed. “No, not too worried about that.”
“But, don’t you think it’s sort of romantic?” I asked sheepishly.
He laughed. “Romantic? To be someone’s love slave? No thanks.”
“Ew, when you put it that way…”
“Besides, I think we’d know if it were happening to us, right?” He laughed again and pulled me in for a quick kiss. “I’m just going to take a quick dip.” Then he trotted off, dropped his pants, and hopped into the water.
I was a so stunned by his response that it took a minute more to get annoyed he was actually now in the water splashing around a little too close to Jillian. Watching him laugh in the water, I knew one thing for sure: I was naïve; I had a lot to learn about boys and werewolves. I still wasn’t exactly sure where Logan and I stood. I said I’d give his friends a try, so I’d start there, but I’d have to keep an eye on Jillian. I should trust Logan, right? I wished Shea was there to talk to. I sighed. Well, I said I’d try, so I’d better try. I wandered over to the baskets and picked up another sandwich. Nadia was seated on a towel nearby, applying sunscreen to her pale arms.
“Not swimming, either?” she asked. “That time of the moon?”
I smiled. “No, just choosing modesty today,” I replied honestly.
Nadia smiled, sweeping her long, black hair over one shoulder. “Yes, well, it is a nice view anyway.” She smiled appreciatively at the naked werewolves splashing around.
