The Rejected Wolf Princess

A Crime Against the Moon Gods

Evie’s POV

Over the course of the next few weeks, I become increasingly more irritated by how much everyone cares about my birthday ball.

Strange, considering how much I usually care about my birthday ball.

There’s really only one thing on my mind these days, and it’s—for lack of a better term—the sensations that Ty and Tristan both made me feel the night of the dinner at Castle Gibbous. I desperately want to talk to Marisa about it—not that I would dare mention the encounter in Ty’s bedroom, of course—but all she can seem to talk about is the ball.

Come to think of it, I don’t even know where she is right now. Probably in the ballroom, working on decorations. I definitely don’t want to go there.

Heaving a sigh, I head to my wardrobe to pull out one of my riding outfits. A ride on Odin is sure to settle my jarred nerves.

Mother doesn’t like when I traipse around the castle in pants, so I wrap a long, billowing skirt atop my riding pants, which I will remove when I reach the stables. It’s a bit silly, but it keeps her happy.

I hesitate when I step outside of my room. Ty isn’t there, which means he’s inside his bedroom, probably catching up on sleep after taking the late shift last night. I should wake him, but that would mean his joining me and confusing my nerves even more than they already are. Reluctantly, I decide against it and continue on my way alone.

I usually resent the length of the walk to the stables, wishing that it was closer to the castle itself, but today I don’t mind. My legs needed to be stretched, and the fresh air is calming. By the time I reach the stables, I find myself in a much less restless mood.

I part my lips to greet Odin, but stop when I hear something that catches my attention. At first, I think it’s one of the other horses panting after a hard ride, but when the panting morphs into a human cry, I decide that is not the case.

It’s not a cry of pain, I realize as I step cautiously toward the noise. It’s a cry of pleasure. A woman’s cry of pleasure.

Instinctively, I’m horrified. Who would dare have the audacity to fornicate in the stables like a couple of animals? I should leave; I should want no part in this.

And yet, the sensation is back—the curiosity. The tingling feeling of intrigue at what, exactly, all of this is and means.

I creep closer to the noise.

It’s coming from the hay loft.

It’s hard to make out much with the loft so high above me, but there’s a large tack trunk nearby that’s all too easy to climb onto. From that vantage point, I’m able to squint up to make out the figures in question. The man is easy enough to recognize: Brooks, the master of horse. I’ve never stopped to consider whether or not he was attractive, his being a good score or more older than me, but I’m struck with the realization, upon staring up at his naked body, that I do find him attractive.

How could I possibly find a grungy, sweaty, naked stable master attractive as he defiles a poor, young woman before my very eyes?

How could I find any of this attractive?

She’s on her hands and knees, facing profile to me. Her long, blond hair has fallen in front of her face, making it impossible to tell who she is. He’s on his knees, too, taking her from behind, a look of pure ecstasy on his face.

I want to feel that ecstasy. I want to know what this is like.

What the Sun’s Hell is the matter with me?

It’s time to climb down, I decide. It’s time to climb down, to go back to the castle, and forget I ever—

He reaches for her hair and yanks it backwards, revealing her face.

It’s Marisa.

My jaw drops, and I stagger backwards—which, of course, leads to me falling.

I let out a shriek of surprise when I feel a set of strong, male arms close around me, keeping me from hitting the ground. When I do, Marisa and Brooks let out shrieks of their own surprise, realizing they’ve been caught.

“Didn’t know you were into voyeurism, Miracle Princess,” says an all-too-familiar voice in my ear as Ty sets me back on my feet. “You really have grown up.”

I part my lips to answer him, but I have no idea what to say. Thankfully, I’m rescued by the frantic voice of Marisa as she scrambles to redress and climb down the ladder.

“I’m so sorry, Princess!” she wails, tripping halfway down in her own panic. Ty, of course, magically appears to catch her, too. Quite the savior, that bodyguard of mine.

“As am I,” says Brooks, who manages to climb down a bit more gracefully. He drops quickly to one knee before me and bows my head. “I have disgraced you and this castle. I am prepared to take full responsibility for my actions.”

“You’ve disgraced Marisa!” I shout, unable to stop myself. “And… yes, by association, me.”

“Please don’t tell, Highness,” Marisa pleads. Tears are streaming down her eyes. “They’ll strip me of my dignity. They’ll outcast me. I’ll become a Rogue. I’ll—”

“Enough already,” I say, waving a hand. “I’m not going to tell, Marisa.”

I don’t know who looks more surprised, Marisa or Brooks. The only one who doesn’t is Ty, though he does look rather relieved by my decision. A bit surprising, given his dislike towards Marisa.

I wish I could say I was forgiving them out of the kindness of my heart, but I’m not sure that’s entirely true. The truth is, I’m still intrigued by what I just saw, and if I get Marisa thrown out of the castle, I won’t be able to ask her about it.

“Your Highness,” says Brooks. “I couldn’t ask you to keep this from your family. I have disgraced—”

“Oh, be quiet, you oaf!” Marisa snaps, shoving Brooks hard in the chest.

“It was consensual?” I ask Marisa, even though I’m pretty sure her cries of pleasure indicated that it was. “You were a willing participant?”

“Yes, Princess. He’s an old lecher, to be sure, but I came to him.”

Brooks groans. I can’t help but laugh. Ty does, too.

“Master Brooks,” I say, “get back to work. Marisa, come with me. I want to talk to you.” I glance pointedly at Ty and add, “Alone.”

He crosses his arms. That teasing grin hasn’t left his face once since he caught me (in more ways than one). “Just doing my job, Princess. As I mentioned before, whether or not I’m asked to do it is of irrelevant to me.”

Guess that explains why he had the audacity to follow me. He must have heard my footsteps when I left my room. Must be a light sleeper.

“Just come back to my room,” I tell Marisa with a dramatic sigh. “Apparently it’s the only place in the kingdom safe from Ty’s prying ears.”

As we make the trek back to the castle, I’m struck with the realization that if Ty’s hearing is as good as I’m starting to realize, then even my room isn’t safe.

- - - - -

In the end, the conversation with Marisa isn’t particularly helpful. I’m too guarded about what I say, knowing that Ty is probably listening, and she’s equally guarded in her answers, not wanting to dig herself into a deeper hole. She thanks me profusely for forgiving her, then heads to the ballroom to get back to the ball preparations.

As I sit alone in my room, my nerves return, and I think of how it felt when Ty caught me in his arms. It felt better than it did when Tristan helped me off Odin—much better. And the way I felt when his breath tickled my ear, teasing me about s****l misconduct…

I shudder at the thought. I can’t have these kinds of feelings for Ty. If I’m having them now, does that not indicate that there’s a chance Tristan isn’t my true mate?

Does it not indicate that there’s a chance Ty is?

Horrified, I sprint to the door of my room and fling it open.

Ty is there, of course. He’s always there.

“Everything okay, Peeping Tom?” he asks me cheerfully. “Where are we off to now?”

“To see my mother,” I say through clenched teeth. And I shove past him down the hall.

“Your mother,” he repeats as we walk. “Don’t tell me you decided to rat out the s****l deviants, after all. If you ask me, the castle would be better off without your little lady-in-waiting, but Brooks is a good man.”

I glare at him. “He was defiling a woman half his age.”

He raises his arms in surrender. “Fair point. Still, bit harsh, no?”

“I’m not going to rat them out, Ty.”

“That’s a relief. So what are you going to talk to her about?”

“None of your business.”

We’ve reached the king’s solar. I impatiently inform the guard that I’m here to see my mother; he affirms that she’s inside and gives a gentle knock to request entrance. Upon hearing that it’s me, my mother opens the door and invites me inside.

“Wait here,” I tell Ty with a look that clearly says Don’t listen in.

He replies with an comically overdone bow and a look that clearly says Dream on.

“This is a nice surprise,” Mother says as she closes the door to behind us and leads me deeper into the sitting room. She gestures for me to take a seat on one of the armchairs. “Everything okay, sweetheart?”

“I…” Might as well just come out with it, right? “What happens if my wolf doesn’t pick Tristan?”

Her expression changes so drastically, it actually puts me a bit on edge. Her posture stiffens substantially, and her eyes seem to grow darker. “Whyever would you ask a thing like that? Of course your wolf will pick Tristan, Evie. His picked you.”

“But that’s not a guarantee, right?” I ask her. “It’s still possible that my wolf picks someone else.”

She crosses her arms. “Are you saying this because you’ve started to have feelings for someone else?”

I know better than to give any indication of my feelings for Ty, and not just because he’s probably hearing every word I’m saying. For the princess of Meridian to declare her love for the traitor of Meridian would bring shame to the entire royal family; they could very well try to exile him the way they exiled his family if I came clean.

Besides, it’s not like I have feelings for Ty. It’s not like my wolf’s going to pick him. This is all just theoretical.

“No,” I say. “I just… the laws are clear, right? You can’t marry someone who isn’t your true mate. It’s a crime against the Moon Gods.”

Her expression is growing scarier by the minute. She leans in close to me and says in a voice so dark and smooth, it sends shivers down my spine, “You will marry Tristan, Everleigh Crescent. That is an order.”

“But…” I don’t understand. Why is she being like this? “Wouldn’t that get us into trouble? Breaking the—”

“You will tell the people he is your true mate, regardless of your wolf’s feelings. You will tell him he is your true mate, regardless of your wolf’s feelings.”

She wants me to lie? To everyone?

“This is a matter of utmost importance, Everleigh,” she tells me. “You disobey this order, you bring ruin to your family—and to yourself.”