Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Today was my eighteenth birthday.

Finally.

I’d been waiting for this day for years, mostly because everyone kept telling me that turning eighteen meant my wolf would finally awaken. For once, I was actually excited about one of the things everyone else considered a responsibility.

I rolled out of bed the moment the sunlight hit my face and practically ran to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror and stopped.

Something was different.

My silver-white hair, which had always been long, now fell well past my waist in thick waves. I grabbed a handful of it and stared at the ends.

“Did you grow overnight?”

I sounded ridiculous talking to myself, but I was too fascinated to care.

My wolf had been restless for weeks, and apparently my body had decided to join the rebellion. Everything about me felt sharper somehow. My hearing was better, my senses felt stronger, and there was a strange energy beneath my skin that made me feel like I could run for miles without stopping.

I grinned at my reflection.

“Okay, eighteen. I see you.”

I showered quickly before getting dressed. Aunt Amara had left a white dress for me, and for once I didn’t complain about it. It fitted perfectly, with a slit along one side that made it much easier to move in. I paired it with boots instead of the delicate shoes Mother had originally chosen for me.

I had a reputation to maintain.

I wasn’t about to spend my birthday wobbling around in heels.

Once I was dressed, I left my hair loose and headed downstairs, expecting the palace to be filled with people wishing me a happy birthday.

Instead, I walked into the marketplace and immediately realized something was wrong.

People were whispering.

Not the happy kind either.

I slowed as I passed a group of women who immediately lowered their voices when they noticed me. A few feet away, two men were speaking quietly until one of them glanced in my direction.

“That’s her.”

“The princess?”

“The hybrid.”

I kept walking.

I’d heard enough whispers in my life to know when people were talking about me.

Then I heard something that actually made me stop.

“Can a female really inherit the throne?”

Another voice answered, “I’ve heard they’re hoping for a son. If Astrid doesn’t have the strength to rule, Alexander may have to take another mate.”

My jaw tightened.

For a second, I considered turning around and asking exactly which part of that stupidity they wanted me to explain.

Instead, I smiled.

Not because I wasn’t angry.

Because I had learned something very important growing up in a palace.

People loved getting a reaction out of you.

I wasn’t going to give them one.

I continued through the market, pretending not to hear them, although every word stayed lodged in my head.

A female couldn’t rule.

I was too young.

I was too inexperienced.

I was a hybrid.

I was probably going to disappoint my father.

Apparently, everyone had already decided my future for me.

How convenient.

I spotted Amiri, Taya, Lena, David and Greg near one of the market stalls. They were people I trained with regularly, although I wouldn’t exactly call us best friends. They were more like the group of people I happened to spend time with because there weren’t many other options.

Taya spotted me first.

“Astrid!”

She waved me over.

I walked toward them, hoping they would at least make me forget the idiots whispering behind me.

“Happy birthday,” Amiri said.

“Thanks.”

Taya immediately grabbed my arm.

“You’re finally eighteen!”

“Apparently.”

She laughed. “You don’t sound excited.”

“I am. I’m just waiting for something interesting to happen.”

Greg snorted. “Give it time, princess.”

I looked at him.

He had a particular talent for making the word princess sound like an insult.

I smiled sweetly.

“Careful, Greg. One day I might take that personally.”

His smile disappeared.

Taya laughed.

I liked her already.

Before I could say anything else, she started talking about the latest gossip.

“Have you heard about Alpha Jeremiah?”

The name hit me strangely.

I couldn’t explain why, but something inside my chest tightened the moment she said it.

“Jeremiah?” I repeated.

Taya nodded enthusiastically. “Alpha Jeremiah of the RedDevils.”

“What’s so special about him?”

“Are you serious?” Her eyes widened. “Astrid, he’s one of the strongest Alphas alive.”

Greg rolled his eyes. “And apparently Taya’s new husband.”

“Shut up.”

I laughed.

Taya ignored him and continued. “People say he took down three Alphas by himself.”

“People say a lot of things.”

“This one is probably true.”

Amiri nodded. “The RedDevils have been raiding territories along the eastern and western borders. Nobody knows exactly where their main territory is. They appear, attack, disappear and leave everyone wondering what happened.”

“That sounds incredibly annoying.”

“It is.”

“What do they want?”

Nobody answered immediately.

That bothered me.

I looked between them.

“Well?”

Amiri shrugged. “Nobody knows.”

Greg folded his arms. “But you seem very interested in him, princess.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I’m interested in why an Alpha is apparently raiding half the surrounding territories.”

“Sure you are.”

“Do you want me to punch you?”

He laughed. “See? This is why you’re weird.”

I smiled.

“Still considering it.”

Taya suddenly leaned closer. “There are rumors your father is meeting with him.”

I frowned.

“Meeting with Jeremiah?”

“No. Not him personally. They’re discussing the RedDevils.”

My stomach tightened.

That explained the strange mood around the palace.

Before I could ask another question, Greg spoke again.

“Funny, isn’t it? Your parents are having a meeting about this dangerous Alpha while you’re out here wandering around like you don’t have a care in the world.”

I glared at him.

“Do you ever stop talking?”

“No.”

“Shame.”

I turned away before he could respond.

I had no idea why Jeremiah’s name had gotten under my skin, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Alpha Jeremiah.

The RedDevils.

Three dead Alphas.

Raided territories.

And now my father was apparently discussing him behind closed doors.

My eighteenth birthday was turning out beautifully.

By the time I returned to the palace, the sun was already beginning to disappear.

I had spent most of the afternoon wandering around the territory, but the guards following me everywhere had made it difficult to enjoy myself. People treated me differently whenever they saw them.

Nobody relaxed around a princess.

Nobody spoke freely.

And nobody ever forgot that I was the daughter of the Lycan King.

Sometimes I wondered what it would be like to walk through a town without anyone knowing who I was.

To simply be Astrid.

Not Princess Astrid.

Not the hybrid heir.

Just me.

I entered the palace and immediately noticed that my parents were still in their meeting.

Of course they were.

Apparently Alpha Jeremiah had managed to ruin my birthday without even being there.

I went upstairs, but instead of returning to my room, I stopped outside the meeting hall.

I couldn’t help myself.

I needed to know what was going on.

My guards were still outside my room, so I turned to Jeff.

“I need to use the bathroom.”

He nodded.

I took a few steps before turning around.

“And please don’t follow me.”

He frowned.

“Why?”

“Because that would be incredibly awkward.”

He looked confused, but eventually nodded.

Perfect.

I continued down the corridor before quickly turning into another hallway.

I’d spent my entire life in this palace. I knew every corridor, every staircase and every servant entrance.

Being a princess had at least taught me how to sneak around my own home.

I reached the meeting hall and pressed myself against the wall near the door.

Voices carried through the gap.

“He’s becoming a serious problem,” Vladimir said. “The RedDevils have raided more than ten territories. There’s nothing stopping them from attempting to cross into ours.”

“Jeremiah wouldn’t be stupid enough to attack us,” Lewis replied. “That would be suicide.”

“He’s attacked stronger territories than ours.”

Silence followed.

Then my mother’s voice.

“Perhaps we should arrange a meeting.”

My eyebrows lifted.

“Lucy—”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try,” Mother continued. “If we speak with Jeremiah directly, we may understand what he wants.”

My father remained silent for several seconds.

Then I felt it.

That familiar sensation.

His presence.

He knew.

My eyes widened.

“Damn it.”

I sprinted down the corridor before he could catch me.

I didn’t stop until I reached my room.

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, breathing hard.

My father had always been able to find me.

When I was little, we used to play hide-and-seek around the palace. I could hide behind curtains, inside cupboards and once even climbed onto the roof.

He always found me.

It was like some invisible thread connected us.

Apparently that thread was still very much intact.

I paced around my room, irritated.

Today was supposed to be about me.

My eighteenth birthday.

My wolf.

My future.

Instead, everyone was talking about Jeremiah.

I looked at the enormous birthday cake sitting on the table.

Flowers were scattered around it, along with boxes of jewelry and gifts.

Beside them sat a little note.

We love you to the moon and back.

I smiled despite myself.

That was definitely Mother.

My father wasn’t exactly the type to write sentimental notes.

I touched the paper before dropping it back onto the table.

I should have been happy.

But something felt wrong.

My wolf still hadn’t appeared.

I’d spent the entire day waiting for that moment, expecting some magical connection to suddenly burst to life.

Nothing.

Not even a whisper.

I looked toward the window.

Then at the guards outside.

Then back at the window.

A smile slowly spread across my face.

If everyone was too busy worrying about Jeremiah to pay attention to me, that meant one thing.

I had the perfect opportunity.

I opened the window.

My room was on the second floor, but that had never stopped me before.

I climbed onto the ledge and looked down.

“Happy birthday to me.”

Then I jumped.

I landed easily, barely making a sound.

Being a Lycan had its advantages.

I immediately shut down my connection to the pack.

Especially my father.

If he couldn’t sense me, he might assume I was asleep.

At least, that was the plan.

I slipped into the forest and followed my usual route, moving quickly through the trees.

My heart hammered with excitement as I approached the border.

I’d come close before.

But I’d never crossed it.

Not once.

I stopped at the invisible boundary separating my father’s territory from the lands beyond it.

For years, I’d wondered what was on the other side.

Tonight, I was finally going to find out.

I looked back once.

Nobody was coming.

I smiled.

Then I ran.

The moment I crossed the border, something inside me changed.

The air felt different.

The forest seemed larger.

The world suddenly felt enormous.

I laughed as I ran, allowing my speed to carry me farther than I’d ever gone before.

For the first time in my life, nobody was telling me where I could or couldn’t go.

I was free.

Eventually, I slowed down and climbed onto a large rock overlooking the forest. I sat there, breathing heavily, my hair blowing around me as I looked up at the moon.

It was beautiful.

I’d seen it a thousand times from the palace.

But somehow, it looked different from here.

“Beautiful,” I whispered with a smile.

“Definitely beautiful.”

My smile disappeared.

The voice had come from behind me.

Deep.

Male.

Far too close.

I jumped off the rock and spun around.

A man stood several feet away, watching me.

Every instinct in my body screamed danger.

I lowered my stance, ready to fight.

“Who are you?”

He didn’t move.

“Stay right there.”

The stranger’s mouth curved into a slow smile.

There was something unsettling about him.

Something powerful.

I couldn’t explain it.

Then his eyes met mine.

His expression changed.

For the first time, he looked genuinely surprised.

“It’s you.”

I frowned.

“What?”

He took a step closer.

My wolf stirred violently beneath my skin.

I froze.

For the first time all day, I felt her.

Not a whisper.

Not a distant presence.

She slammed against my consciousness with enough force to steal my breath.

Mate.

My heart stopped.

The stranger’s eyes darkened as if he’d felt the same thing.

He smiled.

“I’m Jeremiah.”

My stomach dropped.

Of course.

The mysterious Alpha everyone had been talking about all day.

The man my father was discussing.

The leader of the RedDevils.

And apparently—

“My mate,” he said, his voice low and certain.

I stared at him.

Then I stared at the forest behind him.

Then back at him.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Jeremiah laughed.

And somehow, I knew my peaceful little life had just ended.