The Stolen Wolf Princess

Chapter 2 - The Uninvited Guests

Dalla placed a large white fur coat over my shoulders as I prepared to step outside to walk down the aisle to my future. The ground was always covered in snow in the northern territory. It was why all of the werewolf clans here had white fur. I was told as a child that our ancestors adapted to the environment, so they could blend in with the snow with their fur coats to hide from our enemies.

Our bodies were also adapted to the cold weather, running warmer than werewolves in other territories. It’s what made it easier to live comfortably in such difficult terrain. It also kept us safe. It was rare for other werewolf clans to attack us, since their bodies couldn’t handle the cold weather.

My mother approached me, placing a tiara on my head. She adjusted it until it was her level of perfection.

“You look like a princess,” my mother gushed. She took my hands in hers. “After tonight, I may not see you for awhile, since Tyther will take you back to the Ice Moon Pack after the party tonight. Don’t forget to come visit, though.”

Tears filled my mother’s eyes, and it made tears threaten my own. I didn’t always agree with my mother, but I loved her dearly. I knew she only wanted what was best for me.

“I will come visit as soon as I can,” I promised, squeezing her hand.

My mother nodded and left me with Dalla, so she could find her seat in the audience. It was just Dalla and I standing at the exit, waiting for the music to start, signaling it was time to go.

Dalla stood there with the train of my dress in her hands. “It’s not too late to run. I’ll help you with your dress and everything.”

I smiled at Dalla’s offer. “I appreciate it, but everyone is waiting for everyone.”

“Forget what everyone else wants,” Dalla said. I could feel her grip tighten on my dress as she stood behind me. “I see the sadness in your eyes as you think about your duty as a princess. Stop caring about everyone else so much, and put yourself first for once.”

I sighed, knowing Dalla was just looking out for me. She always had, which is why she was my best friend, despite our different positions. “What is my happiness over the safety of everyone else? I want to run. My legs are itching for it, but it would be selfish to disappear like that.”

“Be selfish.” Dalla’s voice was just above a whisper. “I want you to be selfish, because it’s been so long since I’ve seen a true smile on your face.”

My eyes watered at the thought. I smiled all of the time. Princesses were supposed to be the pretty picture for everyone else, but Dalla was right. There wasn’t true happiness behind the curling of my lips, only duty and obligation.

“Maybe he’ll be my mate,” I said, looking out to the sky.

“Maybe,” Dalla said, but her doubt filled the air, matching my own.

The white moon was now in the middle of the sky, sharing a space with the sun. Most werewolves didn’t think about the moon during the day. It was pale and hidden in comparison to the sun. But it was still there, even if it wasn’t taking the spotlight. Today the moon was at it’s peak, full of good luck and happiness. That was why I was to be married today. It was tradition for werewolves in the Snow Moon Pack to marry under the watch of the White Moon. It was said to bring eternal happiness to the couple. Most couples were marrying their mates though.

Soft stringed instruments started echoing from outside. They were almost magical in nature, but they felt completely different to me. It was time to go. I pushed the door in front of me open and hesitated to step out, taking a deep breath as the cold winter air filled my nose. It brought a sense of peace and serenity to me.

“Here we go,” I whispered to Dalla as I stepped out the door.

I took slow and meaningful steps as my mother had me practice over and over since my engagement had been arranged. The entire crowd stood and turned to look at me. My face filled with my practiced smile, and I heard the whispers erupted throughout the crowd. People were gushing at my beauty, excited for the beautiful couple Tyther and I would make.

The feeling of dread increased as I turned the corner and saw Tyther for the first time. He was as handsome as everyone said, dark hair, nearly black. His eyes were a baby blue that stood out against his hair. He was tall, and I knew standing next to him would be like standing in the perfect picture.

But I didn’t want to keep moving forward. I didn’t feel the love connection I hoped for, and with each step, the realization dawned on me about what kind of future was in store. It would be days of pleasantry and nights of separation. We would never be in love, not the kind I read in fairy tales or the kind I saw on the day to day within our pack. I would be a symbol to the country, bringing peace and unity at the sacrifice of my own happiness.

Dalla was right. We should have run while we had the chance. No. That was just the nerves talking. I couldn’t run.

My feet continued to move forward down the aisle, and I kept the smile on my face to hide all of the fears that were manifesting in my head. I was the picture of perfection. No one would ever know the true turmoil turning just below the surface.

I was nearly to the altar where Tyther wore his own smile. I wondered if his smile was as fake as mine, or if he was excited to enter into this marriage. Did he care about true love like I did, or was he satisfied knowing he would have a beautiful bride and a country that loved him?

An explosion rang out, making everything go silent. No one spoke, and the musicians stopped playing around. I looked around, trying to figure out where the sound came from, and a billow of black smoke started to fill the sky. It covered the sky, blocking the sun and making everything go dark. That’s when the screams started echoing around the wedding party.

Dalla grabbed my hand and started pulling me. “We have to go. Now!”

I didn’t move, trying to see what she was seeing. A large group of men were storming towards the party, wielding swords as they shouted out. Dalla kept pulling my hand, and this time I turned to run with her, nearly tripping over my wedding dress. I bundled the dress into my hands and kicked off my shoes. Dalla grabbed the rest of the train, and we started trying to run away, but it was too late by then.

Chaos had completely erupted around us as guests screamed and ran, trying to get away from the oncoming attack. The warriors we had set up around the wedding were trying to intercept the attackers from the guests, but we were definitely outnumbered.

Dalla and I pushed through the crowd of people, trying to break free from the crowd, but it was nearly impossible to get anywhere, especially with my wedding dress impeding our efforts.

“Help me with this,” I shouted to Dalla over the screams around us.

I started ripping the dress just above my knees, trying to free my legs. Dalla quickly joined me, tearing at the fabric. We managed to get the fabric to rip with our wolf strength, but it was tricky finishing the job as people pushed us around, trying to escape. Screams echoed in my ears as I heard my people being cut down around me. There weren’t enough warriors to keep my people safe.

“Let’s go.” Dalla grabbed my hand again and tried to push her way through the crowd, despite her height making her disappear among all of the taller people all around her.

“We have to help them,” I said, looking above the people around us.

When I jumped up, I was able to see over the heads of the people around me, and I could see the attackers swinging their swords at the people. My people.

“We have to get you to safety. You’re the princess,” Dalla protested.

Part of me knew she was right, but I was tired of doing nothing. I looked her in the eyes, knowing with certainty that this was the right thing to do. “I have to try.”

Dalla sighed. “Fine, but I’m coming with you.”

I nodded, grateful she would stay by my side. We turned around, keeping our fingers intertwined to prevent us from losing each other in the crowd. It felt like trying to run against the current, but person by person we squeezed our way towards the fighting. Most of the wedding party was at the other side of the garden, trying to find safety, which made it easier to move now.

The battle happening around us was a gruesome sight. Blood sprayed as the attackers swung their blades into our warriors. Some of our warriors had shifted into their wolf form, and they were taking out the attackers by biting into their necks, but there were enough warriors to match with the attackers.

Looking around, I saw a fallen soldier nearby, let go of Dalla’s hand, and dashed for his sword. I picked up the piece of metal, but one of the attackers noticed me picking up the weapon. He started charging towards me, swinging his own sword towards me. I quickly lifted the blade, which was much heavier than the weapon I was used to, and blocked his attack before it could hit me.

I was suddenly grateful for all of the princess lessons I had been forced into, since some of them included fighting with various weapons and fighting styles. The man kept swinging his weapon at me with such a force that it was knocking me back with each swing. I was blocking every attack, but I wasn’t fast enough to counter him. At this rate, I was going to lose.

A white wolf with a black nose leaped out of the air, taking the man in front of me. I nodded at Dalla’s wolf form, silently thanking her for the save. On my own, I wasn’t sure how much I could do, but with Dalla’s help, I would be able to make a difference.

Dalla nudged me with her nose, indicating a woman who had tripped over a chair and was lying on her back, crying in pain. We ran to her, kneeling by her side. When I got closer, I saw that her leg was broken.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you out of here,” I assured.

“Princess Kaiyana, what are you doing? You have to save yourself,” the woman said with tears streaming down her face.

“Nonsense. Do you think I would save myself while my people were being attacked? Come on. Let’s go before anyone notices us.” I helped the woman to her feet and draped her over Dalla’s back. Dalla’s wolf was small, just like her human form, but she was much stronger than many of the wolves I knew, despite her size.

The three of us slowly made our way through the garden, trying to find safety. I kept looking around, preparing for someone to come after us, but it appeared that some of the reinforcements had arrived, evening out the numbers. I figured if we could just make it to the end of the garden we would be okay.

We reached the hedges, and when we turned the corner, three large men were staring down at us.

The one in the middle said,“Well, well, well, men. Looks like we got ourselves a princess here.”