Shortly after he left, my father's secret agents found me. I caught their scent before I saw them, cedar heartwood and mountain granite carried faintly on their clothes, and something inside me that had been clenched for days finally loosened.
I looked in the direction he had gone, then at this little cottage that had never truly been mine, and a quiet smile crossed my lips.
I hope tomorrow, you won't regret this.
On the day of the mating ceremony, the Blackthorn estate was draped in ceremonial banners, every corner bursting with celebration. Caelan stood in his formal mating attire, Sable at his side.
They were about to begin the bonding rites when a voice rang out from beyond the gates: "Her Highness, the Pack Princess of the Silvercrest bloodline, has arrived!"
The ceremonial silk in Sable's hands trembled. A smile curled at the corner of her mouth. She hadn't expected the Pack Princess to actually come.
