King Alpha Maxims and Queen Luna Ana, of the Western Eclipse Pack, incline their heads in our direction once exiting the biggest carriage. Several Western knights flank them on all sides.

Our Dad smiles, not showing teeth, deliberately taking slow steps down the marble stairs to reach the royal pair. "King Maxims!" The two kings grab each other by the elbow and hug.

I watch as our Mom and Queen Ana each kiss each other's cheeks, smiling brightly at one another. Beside me, Jackson places a hand on the small of my back, and together we descend the stairs toward the Western King and Queen.

"Oh my!" Queen Ana gushes happily when she notices our approach. "How they've grown in a year."

I perform a flawless curtsey while Jackson bows low in return. "Welcome to Summerland again Queen Ana." Jackson and I rise as one, in perfect sync from years of practice.

Both Kings join our group when they notice their wives gushing about how fast children grow. "Ana, where is Leo?" King Maxims glances around before looking back at the carriage they exited.

Suddenly a pair of wide blue eyes peeks out from behind one of the Western knights. Blonde bangs fall in front of the angelic face, and a button-nose twitches in curiosity.

"Leo, come here darling." Queen Ana beckons the small child over. He darts behind the queen, hiding behind her legs. "You remember our son, Prince Leo."

Sending the boy a kind smile and a wink, I curtsy. "Pleasure to see you again, Prince Leo," Jackson repeats the sentence after me with his patented mischievous grin. The two of us remember being that young and having to be introduced to everyone. It takes a toll on you, especially if you're shy, like Prince Leo.

"Has Evergreen Pack arrived?" King Maxims asks while he and our Dad walk up the steps together. The two Queens continue after their mates, leaving the royal princes and princess alone surrounded by pack knights.

Jackson turns to our pack Beta, James, and gestures toward the carriages. "I'll help you welcome the guests and move the horses to the stables." Jackson and James walk off leaving me and Leo alone.

The younger prince stares down at his polished shoes with a quivering lip. I glance behind him to see two Western knights that I suppose are his guards. Smiling, I crouch down to his height.

"Hello, little prince." Watery blue eyes meet my own wide brown ones. "Do you like sweets?" At his hesitant nod, I clap my hands happily. "Great! Do you want to get some sweets with me?" Again he nods, the small boy takes my outstretched hand and together we enter the palace.

Inside the royal kitchen, several pack members bustle around putting the final touches on the feast. Leo's eyes go comically wide when he sees the vast amount of sweets in the kitchen. "I like chocolate, do you like chocolate?" I grab a strawberry from a bowl and dip it into the chocolate fountain.

Leo whips his head up and down, "Yes."

I laugh and hand him a strawberry. "Go ahead and dip it into the fountain." His eyes shine with glee at the notion of getting to make a chocolate-covered strawberry.

"Do you gentlemen want anything?" The Western knights that followed us blush at my question. I gesture wide at the expanse of the kitchen. "Take whatever you like."

Together Leo and I build a small plate of sweets, cakes, and fruits. "Let's go to the garden." Leo holds my hand as we walk, his head whipping in every direction as he takes in the palace decorations.

Outside in the gardens, we sit at a table at the gazebo near the lake. The blue waters shimmer under the afternoon sunlight. "Prince Leo," I dab at my lips with a napkin. The boy immediately looks at me when I call his name. "Are you having a nice time?"

His cute smile is enough to make me want to squeeze his chubby cheeks. "Yes!" Leo wipes his hands when I hand him a napkin, blushing red. "I never get to spend time with other kids, so this is nice."

I glance at the pair of knights seated at the next table over. Even though the festivities are in full swing and numerous guests have flooded the garden, the small gazebo we sit under is quiet.

Knowing that they heard him, I awkwardly clear my throat. "What do you mean?"

"Mommy and Daddy say because I'm the prince I should behave appropriately." His soft words are like a stab to my heart.

A butterfly flutters past while somewhere in the distance joyful laughter echoes. "I understand, being the future King must be tough." I reach over to pat the back of his hand.

With sympathy, only a child can have Leo stares up at me with a similar air. "It must be tough being human."

We descend into silence, each lost in our little world.

Being the human princess of the Southern kingdom is indeed hard. Many of the surrounding Southern packs don't accept me as one of their own, and some flat-out refuse to acknowledge that I'm the royal princess. This hurts, but I've come to terms with it. The Southern Kingdom is notorious for its conservative and narrow-minded views.

Our fashions of dress are still in effect with women, mated or unmated, to wear ankle-length skirts except on 'Visiting Day.' Women do housework while our pack men do the grunt work. We have had these rules since our kingdom was founded more than three centuries ago.

Which is why eighteen years ago it was a scandal when my adoption was announced. My older brother Jackson and I were born on the same day, the same month, just different years. Him being two years older than I am.

The Southern Queen thought it was fate that a human infant could be born in the same order as her royal son. So without much thought, she endeavored to build a relationship with my human mother. It was only months after my birth that my mother died in a horrible fire, my father not in the picture.

My Mom, the Queen, was named my godmother and thus, I became the new princess. A new name and everything. A sad tale, but an even worse scandal to let a human become wolf royalty.

A sigh billows past my lips as I finally drift back into the present. Across from me, Leo naps with his head on the table, blonde locks framing his face. His two guardians look bored, a plate of crumbs and two empty teacups between them.

The peaceful silence that surrounds us lulls me into a pleasant mood. Closing my eyes, I sink deeper into my chair, tipping my head back to rest on the back of it.

"Hope!" My tranquility is shattered by the shrill shriek of my name being shouted throughout the garden. "Princess Hope!"

Leo startles awake with a confused growl, his blue eyes shifting to a darker navy. "What?"

I roll my eyes at the familiar squeal, bracing myself against the table. A blur of bright yellow smashes into me, effectively tackling me to the ground.

"Hope, why didn't you greet me?" Strawberry blonde waves fill my vision, the heavy weight of the female currently scenting me not helping.

"Hello to you too, Princess Everest." Princess Everest of Evergreen Pack in the East, the fifth princess out of seven other girls, and the sixth child out of ten. Also, my very best friend since we were two years old.

She squeals again, hugging me tightly. My face is smooshed against her large breasts. "It's been so long!"

I shove her off with a gasp, "Stop trying to suffocate me!"

Everest giggles and helps me to my feet. She dusts me off with a playful smirk, "Whatever, guys love them."

My nose scrunches up at her words. "It hasn't been that long." I fix my hair with a defeated sigh, already knowing that it's mussed. "You spent the month here and left only five days ago."

Dramatically, she leans over the railing with a moan. "It was the worst five days of my life!" She then goes on to spin her harrowing tale of returning home to find that her younger sister, Princess Ivy, had stolen her diamond hand mirror. Once finished with her story she finally points at Leo, "Who's your friend?"

"Prince Leo of the Western Eclipse Pack, meet Princess Everest of the Eastern Evergreen Pack." I introduce them and go back to sipping my cold tea.

Leo bows low and places a kiss on the back of Everest's hand. "Pleasure, Princess Everest." I blink in shock at his bold action. What happened to the timid ten-year-old boy from an hour ago?

Everest flushes red, "Why thank you, Prince Leo." She flashes him a dimpled smile before winking at me.

"Alright, I think it's time to go mingle." I stand from my chair and lift a brow at Leo. "You want to join us?"

He shakes his head, "I can't." At our questioning looks he glances behind us at the Western knights. "Mom said that I shouldn't go near the party while people are still finding their mates."

Another flashback of last year beams in front of me. "I see." I pat his shoulder fondly, "It was nice spending the afternoon with you, Prince Leo. You're wonderful company."

"It was great meeting you again Princess Hope, I wish for you to find eternal happiness." My heart stutters at his words, the slight glow in his gaze throwing me off.

Everest and I wave goodbye to the prince and his guards. "That was weird."

I lock my arm with Everest's as we walk up the candlelit path toward the palace. "I know, why would he say that?"

My friend shrugs her slim shoulders, strawberry blond hair catching the fading sunlight. "I guess it's something that Westerners say. Like how in the East we say 'May your forests contain bounty forever'."

"Yeah and in the South, we say, 'Let the Sun guide you into peace.'" I cock my head to the side in thought.

The two of us enter the palace, making our way to the great hall. The diversity of the three kingdoms is startling. The brown earthy tones of the East, the sapphire blue of the West, and then the vibrant reds of the South.

Beside me, Everest walks unaware of the differences around her. Our friendship is odd because we're opposites. While Everest is confident, pale, and isn't afraid to flaunt her sexual desires, I, on the other hand, am none of those. Raised in the Southern kingdom and considered royalty, I grew up with strictly set standards. I am reserved, tan from the never-ending sunlight, and the perfect example of pure innocence.

The thought of sexual escapades with palace knights and visiting men in different packs for a warm night frightens me. However, it doesn't stop Everest from running off on a wild adventure full of fire and passion.

"How is Nick?" I ask as we enter the great hall, "Last I heard, he was on his way to the Prideland."

Everest sips from her champagne glass, pink lips licking a stray drop while making heated eye contact with a Western pack member. "Yes, he wrote me a letter explaining the watch plan."

At my raised brow she sighs heavily, "Nick traveled to the Northeast to check the state of the packs up there."

"You know, if Nick is supposed to be the next King of Evergreen, shouldn't he be finding his mate?" We walk down the long tables lining the great hall. The head table is in our sights.

"I know, but you know Nick. He's all work and no play." Everest stops with a pointed sniff. "Besides I believe his mate hasn't been born yet. I mean he's thirty, I know we live to be one hundred but Nick isn't getting any younger."

We laugh, knowing that Nick is probably afraid of meeting his mate. The wild wolf of Evergreen tied down to a mate.

"I have to go, mom said I have to watch Ivy." She rolls her eyes dramatically, "Why I have to watch the little beast, I'll never know." Everest walks away, blowing me a kiss, soon getting lost in the crowd.

I take the steps to the head table, sitting down beside our mom. She smiles at me but continues her conversation with Queen Ana and Queen Lily of Evergreen. I peer down the table to see Dad and King Maxims in a deep debate, King Richard of Evergreen silently watching the two.

Something brushes against my arm causing me to jump. "What the?" I turn around to see Jackson. "Jackson, where did you come from?"

Instead of answering Jackson surveys the room, his normal brown eyes glowing amber. He growls when I try to shake his shoulder.

"Jackson, are you okay?" My brother stands as if in a trance, leaping from the high table and stalking down the rows of tables. "Okay then, nice chat." I sarcastically wave in his direction with a halfhearted glare.

I sip from my glass, frowning at the fruit punch. It's been spiked. I blanch, pushing the tainted glass away with a pout. My focus is shifted when I tune into the conversation the three Kings are having. I lean closer trying to hear what King Maxims is saying.

"The North is in disarray Michael, how can you not offer aid?"

My Dad growls while downing his drink, "The North and the South have been at odds since the Dark War and will remain, enemies until that devil is dead."

"But he is, there was a coup, the Dark King was-" I tune out of the conversation when the first scream fills the air.

Heart lurching in my throat, I immediately find myself behind two Southern Pack knights. A familiar brown wolf snarls atop a table in the back of the great hall, his amber eyes glowing with the promise of death.

"Jackson?" I try to peer over the broad shoulders blocking me, but to no avail, I'm pushed further back from the room.

"Princess, you need to stay safe." The guard gently pushes me behind his back, standing rigidly in front of me again.

A cry washes over the room and I watch as the wolf shifts and Jackson stands in all his naked glory. His arms wrap around a woman, her own eyes burning bright. The two kiss, and immediately everyone in the room understands what happened.

Mouth open in shock, I shield my gaze from my brother's naked butt. A hand grips my shoulder and I peek through my fingers to see my mom.

"Mom?"

She smiles with happy tears in her eyes, "Your brother found his mate."