"Why?" Her voice jolted me. "I am your wolf I am in your head I can't be on the lookout, you devious princess." She snapped.

I chuckled. "Please, Xoxo. I promise you a day in the garden."


"A day in the garden won't change that fact. Your father would punish us."

"I told you that I have a feeling that today will be a great day."

"It is an ordinary day, and ordinary days mean a day of reckoning. I have a feeling you would be caught today, which is why I don't support this."


"You have always supported me." I dove as soon as I saw another guard walking past. There weren't many places to hide, so if I didn't get the hell out of here, it wouldn't happen again. "This isn't my first time doing this."

"Don't be ridiculous." Xoxo whispered as soon as I jumped into the clear, preparing to leave. "You haven't bathed, brushed, or even slept properly."


I closed my eyes, sighing. "Stop, just stop this! This is the only way I could think of making myself free." I called it an act of rebellion.

"That is just stupid. Where would you go today, huh? The walls? The garden? The rooftop?"

"Out!" I yelled.

"Oh no." Xoxo whispered just as a group of guards froze to hear properly.

"Did you hear that?" One of them asked, looking around with sharp eyes.

"I heard something, but it can't be from this floor." The second guard responded. I had a feeling it was Dreg, the one who almost caught me the first time.

"It was nothing. Maybe the princess is throwing a tantrum or something. The thing is that she can be just as annoying as you want her to be." The third guard added. After a while, they all burst into laughter.

"Yeah, I probably deserved that." I hid a smile, pressing myself against the wall and hoping no one would see me. But, oh no! Just when I thought I was free, Daryl, my sharp-eared maid, called out.

"Princess Ana," a voice rang out, firm and sharp. I felt a shiver down my spine, scared by the stern tone that cut through the air. It was like her words were a sharp blade, sending my heart into a frantic rhythm. Slowly, I raised my gaze, wondering if she observed me with the curiosity of a fish eyeing something new.

It was my maid, Daryl.

As I cautiously ascended the stairs, a worry crept into my mind: what if Daryl spills the beans to my dad, the pack king, that I was trying to get out of the pack? That wouldn't bode well for me. Lost in these anxious thoughts, I missed a step, teetering dangerously close to a stumble. It was inevitable. I closed my eyes, leaning into the cold air and expecting it to knock me out. Out of the blue, a strong hand held my waist, suspending me in the air. I slowly opened my eyes to find a man with a welcoming face, rescuing me just in time.

It felt like a helping hand from a familiar friend, turning a potential disaster into a moment of relief. Or that was what I thought...

His grip tightened on the banister, preventing us from taking a tumble down the stairs and sparing us from a brain-splattering catastrophe at the staircase's bottom.

"I warned you." Xoxo chided coldly.

"I hate you right now, Xoxo." I muttered, daring to look down. I immediately closed my eyes. Just then, he pulled me closer to his chest, shielding me from those intrusive thoughts. I smelled his cologne. It was clean and suave. Woody even. Something wasn't adding up. I knew all the guards, but this man wasn't among them.

"Are you okay?" he inquired, genuine concern etched across his face.

I blinked, noticing his sharp features. His cleanly shaved jaws, his alluring black eyes, his bow lips—he was perfect. My eyes trailed toward his bulging muscles. Oh, they were definitely there, but his hands were soft instead of calloused. They were warm, too. Just what was his duty to be seen so close to my chambers? It wasn't every day I saw a new face close to my chambers. My father would never allow that. I should not feel safe in his arms, but I felt safe. I felt like I forever belonged in his hands.

"Snap out of it." Xoxo quickly remembered. "He is an unknown face."

I swallowed. My surprise lingered, yet I managed a nod to his concerning question. Apologizing, he steadied me, and I wasn't expecting him to engage in a brief exchange with me. I mean, I was the princess, and princesses don't talk to strangers without my maid assessing whoever they were.

"Glad you are alright," he said, putting me at ease. His voice was playful and surprisingly deep. I felt my lips stretch into a smile. I wasn't entirely alright. I felt shocked to see someone as handsome as this man ready to save my life at the expense of his.

"Don't you dare smile." Xoxo said, and I clamped my mouth shut.

"Why would you save me?" I saw his hands still holding the banister.

He shrugged, his eyes sharp. “Because you needed help."

Well, that was a sensible reply. Now that no I thought about, he was a bit cute.

"Let me guess." His eyes went around the place. He gazed at my feet. Then he smiled. "You wanted to go away, right?" The stranger spoke, and his eyes followed every move I made. It was like he already knew who I was, and that's not too tricky, really. I might be pretty, but here I was, carefully tiptoeing to avoid tumbling down the stairs, trying to escape from my royal gathering.

Curiosity sparkled in my eyes as I peeked around for my maid, but she was nowhere in sight. My heart dropped.