Though I had certainly damaged my relationship with Griffin he seemed beyond enthusiastic to progress forward with me and after living with Thorn for a short time his easy smile and constant delight were always welcome. A few days after my return he suggested we go for a walk in the gardens and I agreed instantly. Yes, our relationship was being put back together piece by piece but my actions were not so easily forgotten. Every night my door was locked, keeping me contained, and I was only allowed outside with some form of supervision. So the thought of being outside with Griffin was more than enough to be excited about. The fresh air, the sun, and the man I cared about, it was quite the lovely combination.

"How was your night?" Griffin asked as we wove through the gardens on a gravel path.

"It was well enough. Sleeping inside and on that bed is infinitely better than trying to keep warm under a tree." I responded.

Griffin gave me the best smile that he could muster but it was tense at best. It was becoming very clear that he wasn't comfortable with discussing my sudden departure and my rogue roots just yet. I also noticed the way he casually changed direction, moving us away from the forest I had escaped through, and towards the stables on the other side of the property. When I followed him without hesitation I saw the way his shoulders slumped and heard the breath that he let pass through his lips. Evidently, he no longer trusted me to control myself and I couldn't say that I blamed him. Shifting and running back to my friends was not something I had intended to happen and I had admitted that I hadn't been able to stop the shift.

"What about you?" I continued, trying to distract both of us from the obvious concerns looming overhead, "How was your night?"

"Restless."

"Oh?" Perhaps the lecture I had been waiting for would come now, on this beautiful day, tarnishing the sound of the bees buzzing by and the sunshine. I was no fool, I knew my actions would have to be confronted more completely at some point.

But that would not happen today.

"I've been thinking a lot about the mark." Griffin confessed and I watched as his hand cradled the nearly healed scar. "I know that in werewolf culture it is symbolic for an everlasting commitment. We spoke very briefly about the human equivalent: marriage. I think now that you have marked me it's time for us to get married and for you to take the crown as my wife. I was thinking about the festival next month, with so many events occurring and visitors arriving at this time we would have to plan very little."

"Next month." I whispered, dread washing over me.

No, I wasn't against Griffin anymore. By marking him I had actively chosen him. However, I could not betray my little pack. Yes, I defied their way of life now, but they had still gotten me through several moments of adversity. We may be different now but I still cringed at the thought of my sweet Hunter curled up under a tree, shivering in the cold weather and going hungry when a rabbit or fawn darted out of his grasp. Regardless of the rift between us I could never fully abandon them.

On top of that I had never considered being a queen. At one point I had been the daughter of an alpha but that seemed like a lifetime ago now. And even as the daughter of an alpha I knew the best I would ever do in life would either involve being mated to an alpha or a beta of another small pack. And after I had gotten lost my only potential love interest had been Thorn and it was bore out of necessity. I never thought about being more or less than what the circumstance allowed.

And being queen entailed a lot more than I had been raised to handle. I didn't know how to wear dresses that were covered in jewels. I didn't know how to curtsey or how to sip tea without offending anyone. Though I had never seen either of the queens in person until recently I had heard great tales about them my whole life. Queen Willow, the woman who came from rubble and bloomed into a compassionate, educated queen. Her daughter, Queen Athena, had always been a force to reckon with, as strong in the library as she was in battle. The sounded like goddess living among us.

And here I was, more beast than human the majority of the time.

"I know it seems far away right now, but I'm sure that we can wait. And my mother would be infuriated with me if we didn't make our wedding one of the grandest celebrations. As much as being royal is about working to keep the peace there's a lot of glamour involved. Through having lavish events we provide jobs and uplift spirits."

"Griffin, I-"

"Prince Griffin." Oliver interjected, dropping into a low bow as he wandered over to us, "I'm sorry to interrupt but I was wondering I would be able to steal my sister for a few minutes."

"Of course." Griffin agreed, a bright grin on his face. After placing a light kiss on my cheek he whispered, "I'll go tell my mother to start planning."

I opened my mouth several times, wanting to call Griffin back as he strode back towards the palace, but I had no idea what I would say. I couldn't tell him that I didn't want to get married, especially not in front of my brother. And I couldn't tell him that I wanted to postpone it because that would raise more questions I couldn't answer. I just watched him go, wishing the right words would leave my lips.

"I never thought that you would be mated to the prince." Oliver murmured, clasping his hands behind his back.

"He wants to get married." I confessed.

"So? Marry him. You don't sound excited about something that hundreds of women would kill you for."

"Mother and father were married." I croaked. I felt a deep sense of impending doom. I was slipping down the same hole that had ruined many before me.

"Mother and father weren't mates. That marriage was damned from the beginning. This is much different."

"I don't know if I can marry him."

I expect Oliver to get angry or annoyed with me and my words. He had always been the logical one out of the two of us and he was working for the man that would've been heartbroken by my statement. But Oliver just gave me a tight smile, "It's those rogues, isn't it?"

I cringed at the way he addressed the people who had become my family. "They protected me when no one else would. They loved me when I had no one."

"Then they will be delighted that you found happiness." Oliver countered.

I met his eyes for a brief moment and the truth almost tumbled off my lips. But I dropped my gaze quickly and held back my words.

"I see," Oliver mused, "Your little rogue friends aren't fans of the human prince, are they? That's why your pack of misfits has been taunting all of the guards. They were looking for weak spots." His tone was accusing and sharp, just as malicious as his eyes.

"It's unnatural to have a human residing over beasts." I said lowly.

Oliver took a daunting step towards me, making me flinch and shrink away.

"So what do you propose, Violet?"

"I don't know if I can be with him."

A cruel laugh erupted from Oliver, "Oh, so you want to be like our parents? Maybe you will disown your own son as well?"

"Don't say that."

"And why not? It's true. In a few years' time you'll be unable to resist the mate pull, especially because you have already marked him. you'll be just like our mother, hysterical and frantic until it consumes you and you selfishly abandon those who love and rely on you."

"Shut up." I snapped, my eyes flashing to his face in rage.

"But before you do that you'll be just like father. You'll be denying what is right and what is natural. You will ignore the moon goddess and you will decide that everything you do is correct. You will let the humanity that you hate so much consume you and anyone who defies you will be cut out of your life."

"You're wrong!" I shouted. And in a fit of fury and tears I spun away from my brother. I didn't care that I was considered a princess and was making a scene. I didn't care if Griffin or Oliver would reprimand me for behaving so brashly in front of others. I just had to get away from his accusations that were stabbing at my tender heart.

But as I spun away from him, facing the forest once more my eyes caught slight movement. And the small shadow in the shrubs slowly turned into more. My eyes widened with realization. I saw the soft brown fur, the shy and meek stance. And I knew that wolf right away, even if I was unable to see his timid eyes and the delicate way he moved.

"Hunter?" I breathed.

"What?" Oliver had seen my slight hesitation and was undoubtedly trying to follow my line of vision over my shoulder. There was a sharp intake of breath, then he was yelling, "Rogue!"

"No." I whimpered.

I heard his boots move on the gravel as he maneuvered around my frozen form. And as he sprinted past me I saw his sword, drawn and at the ready.

"No!" I wailed, but he wouldn't listen.

***Any idea why Hunter has come to the palace?***