"There is a problem," King Orsand said.

I looked up, wiping my eyes. "What?"

"How do we convince the other packs that something is going to happen?"

I furrowed my brow and stared at the old man.

"I'm calling an all-pack council meeting for a battle that hasn't happened yet and there is no evidence of it happening. How do we explain this to everyone?"

"Oh. Oh!"

"Yes. Oh."

"I don't know," I said softly.

"We can think of something," Edmond added.

"We have to. I'm putting the call out in five minutes. You have until tomorrow to figure it out."

I nodded and left his office with Edmond close behind.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked.

I shook my head as we walked through the hall, turning a corner I ran right into Phil and his pup.

"Sweet baby, Goddess!" he yelled out. 

"Phil! I am so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Your majesties!" He bent at the waist, gripping the giggling toddler in one arm, in a hilarious bow.

"Please! Phil. The baby!"

"The boy must learn! We bow to the prince and princess!" Phil tickled the small pup as he let out a belly roaring laugh.

The small boy reached his arms out to me while trying to wiggle away from his father.

"I swear to Goddess. Nicholas. Princesses do not hold messy, smelly little pups! They hold little boys who don't roll in the nasty mud outside."

The boy smiled. Dirt smudged his pudgy cheeks and mud was caked in his hair.

"Maybe not all princesses, but this princess does!" I reached for the boy who squealed and wiggled even more. "If you're okay with it."

"I don't think I have a choice. The child has made his choice. He prefers everyone besides his dad."

Edmond clapped the man on the back as he handed over the pup. "Don't take it personally. All the kids tend to gravitate to El. She's a natural with them."

"I don't. I mean he even prefers that crank in the kitchen, Norris, over me most days." Phil shook his head.

"If you have things to do I can keep him until I run into Morgan."

"Oh, Olympus no! I don't want to burden you with my spawn."

"Phil, this adorable little pup is the furthest thing from a burden. Your spawn or not."

He bent into a very low and elaborate bow. "I thank your majesty so much. You have saved me the time it takes to track down my wife. I need to put a bell around that woman's neck because I can never keep track of her."

I laughed as he walked away in his extremely proper, straight-back butler walk that he always does. At least, what he does when he's not trying to hunt down his wife while corraling a small child.

"Are you using Phil's kid as a distraction?" Edmond asked.

Sighing heavily, I hugged the dirty boy tight. "Maybe."

"You can't use adorable kids to get out of trying to figure out how to deal with tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know. Nicky is a happy distraction though. Plus, who knows, maybe the distraction while we look for Morgan will spring on reasoning."

We walked through the kitchen and out the back door, crossing a courtyard towards a playground where a group of children were playing. Nicky wriggled to get down. Once his feet touched the ground he was toddling off to a sandbox.

"I think I know how he got so muddy," I said, pointing to a huge mud puddle to the side of the sandbox. 

"Nicholas! Nicholas, do not go to that mud!" Morgan shouted from behind us.

"Morgan!" I exclaimed.

"I swear that boy."

"He's quite the opposite of Phil," I laughed.

"You have no idea! This kid is attracted to dirt like flies to honey."

"After he's sick of the mud you can use one of the bathtubs to wash him up if you want.  There are a lot of toys in the kids' bathroom he might have fun playing with."

"Really?" She turned her tired, disheveled face to me with so much hope.

"Of course, Morgan!"

She wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. I looked at Edmond and his eyes grew as large as saucers.

"Oh, Goddess. I'm hugging the princess! I am so sorry."

I laughed and hugged her back. "It's okay. Trust me. I completely understand."

"Right. I'm...I'm going to get my child. I am so sorry."

She turned and ran away quickly before I could say another word.

"Well, that was unusual," Edmond said.

I shrugged my shoulders and turned back to the castle. "It is what it is. I'm just glad she's comfortable enough to hug me."

"Uh-huh. You are something else, Ellie."

"Nah." I stopped at the door to the kitchen and turned away. "Let's just walk."

"Sure. Where?"

"I don't know. Anywhere. I just need to walk for a bit."

"Sure." Edmond reached out and grabbed my hand. 

He pulled it up to his mouth and kissed it lightly as we strolled toward the treeline. A soft breeze blew through the valley up toward the castle. 

"What are you wearing tomorrow?" I asked.

"Huh?"

"Like, are you wearing everyday clothes? Or are you going for more royal, professional, I mean business clothes?"

He laughed lightly. "Um, I haven't given it much thought."

"No? I was thinking more professional I mean business clothes. Maybe a dress."

"A dress? You look great in dresses."

"Oh stop you."

He shrugged his shoulders before pulling me close to him. "I shall never stop my fair maiden!"

"I am hardly a maiden, Prince Edmond."

"This is true. You are a mom."

"Indeed I am."

"And you are the most beautiful mom in the entire world."

"Hardly. I am most definitely not..." I stopped walking and cocked my head to the side. "What is that?"

"What?" Edmond asked.

"That." I pointed to a faint, flashing light in the distance.

He shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "I honestly don't know."

"Wanna find out?" I asked.

"Of course."

"Wanna race?" I winked as I shifted into my wolf.

I didn't have to ask twice. Edmond was changed and racing off in a flash of black fur. He was fast and he was massively large. I was small and I was much faster. It didn't take long for me to catch up. I ran alongside him for a few paces before pushing into a sprint. I reached the edge of the tree line and scanned for the flashing light.

I walked slowly through the moss, tiptoeing on my soft padded paws.

What is it? Edmond asked in my mind.

Don't know yet. It's just ahead. Near that tree.

It's so small. He thought.

I sat in front of the light and using a claw on my paw I moved some of the grass to the side to look at it. A tiny little body with tiny little wings lay in a bedding of moss.

Oh, my Goddess. It's a fairy! I said.

A fairy? Why would a fairy be here? So far from their kingdom. Are we expecting any of their ambassadors? Edmond asked.

I shook my silver head at him, staring down at the tiny little body of the unconscious creature. Her little dress was covered in blood and atop her head was a delicate diadem of butterflies made from flowers.

Oh shit. It's Crown Princess Kallisto of Loseldoon. I scooped the tiny body up in my mouth and turned toward the castle. 

I ran faster than I ever ran before. I'm not even sure if I was breathing. As I reached the playground area, I leaped over the sandbox to the shocked gasps of the daycare workers and the amazed wows of the young pups who were still playing. 

I ran through the kitchen and toward the castle clinic. Busting through the door, I gently laid the tiny princess on the counter and shifted back to my human form. Huffing and puffing, I banged on the window until someone came yelling into the room.

"Who on Earth is...Princess Elanor!" the tall woman curtsied, diverting her gaze to the ground. "What can I do for you?"

"R-r-rise. H-help," I said, between taking deep breaths. "Fairy."

"Fairy?" she asked.

I nodded and pointed to Kallisto. "Please. Help her."

"Oh! Goddess!" The woman stopped paying attention to royal protocol and ran to the fairy. 

She picked up the injured Kallisto and gingerly ran to the back with her. "Doctor! We have a bleeding fairy!"

"What?" I heard a voice shout as the door closed behind the nurse.

Edmond came into the room, his tongue lolling to the side as he stared up at me.

"What's that matter boy? Need water?"

He shifted back into his human form, staying on his knees. "No. Time. Jokes."

"I just had an injured fairy princess in my mouth and I'm pretty sure I didn't breathe during that entire run. It's the perfect time for a joke."

"Is she dead?"

I shook my head. "No. Not yet at least. Hopefully they can figure out what's wrong and save her."

"I think you just found your reason for the meeting tomorrow."

"I think you're right," I said. "But if this is part of what I saw, we are in for a world of pain."