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  "Prince Aithlin Shadoward of the elf kingdom, how happy I am to hear you've accepted my invitation," the queen says, her voice sickly sweet and over the top.

  "I am happy to accept your gracious invitation. May I introduce my mate—" Aith starts off, but she interrupts him.

  "Snow and I know each other; there is no need for an introduction," she states, finally looking at me. "My son is very much in love with his destined mate, and so is his best friend who is her mate already. I have called for them both to come here. It should be a joyful reunion."

  "How are they?" I swiftly ask.

  "Happy, child," she says, waving a hand at me like I’d be crazy to think otherwise.

  "Why did you lock the castle up? Why did you want those stones?" I demand, wanting an explanation for all this and feeling more nervous than ever. I don't need to see Erik to know he will feel betrayed by me. I don't know how Prince will feel.

  "Everything will be explained at the ball tonight, but do not worry. Everything I am doing is for the good of the supernatural race, all of us. I mean you no harm. Until then, please do not go wandering around in the castle, for your own safety," she says, and smiles widely as she stands up. I feel them both before I hear their footsteps behind me. The queen only smiles like she has won the war before going through a hidden door behind the throne.

  "Snow? Is that you?" Prince calls me, and I very slowly turn around. Prince and Erik don't look any different to the last time I saw them. Prince jogs to me, wrapping his arms around me tightly, and I happily embrace him back, seeing Erik standing still watching us from a distance. His expression is cold, but I'm used to seeing that. It's the anger that is new to me, that frightens me more. I'm not scared of him hurting me, because I know he wouldn't, but I am scared of him leaving me for good. I've feared the same thing for years.

  "What are you doing here? How are you here?" Prince demands, pulling back but holding his hands on my shoulders. I run my eyes over his thick black hair, bright eyes and shaved jawline. He looks stressed, and I can tell he hasn’t been sleeping well, but overall he doesn’t look too bad.

  "I brought her here," Aith interrupts. “It is an honour to meet you, Prince.”

  "And he is her new mate. Seems Snow has been busy since we were locked in here," Erik growls out.

  "Aith is my mate, yes, but don't you dare accuse me of being busy doing anything but trying to get you two back! I left our daughter, I jumped into an elf world alone, and I've walked in here for you two even though it's a death wish!" I say, getting more than frustrated because I’m not being called the enemy.

  "Whatever," Erik says, and he does what he always does—walks away. Except this time, I've had enough of this. For years, he has always walked away from me but never let me go either. It's a horrible thing to do to someone. Without looking back at Aith or Prince, I run after my mate who, for once, is going to face up to us.

  "Erik!" I shout, calling him as he storms away down the corridor and towards gods know where. The corridor has a small door that he slams open, heading out into a garden of high trees that must be in the middle of the castle. He walks through the trees, jumping over fallen logs as I'm quick to follow him. "Erik! Stop for goddesses’ sake!" Erik stops just before a large oak tree and doesn't turn back to me. He is so angry that his chest heaves up and down with every movement and presses against his grey shirt. His blond, almost golden hair is wavy, little strands of it curling onto his neck.

  "Why?" he asks me, and that is a question I've wanted to ask him for such a long time. Why did he leave me alone? Why is he so cold with me? Why did I lose my mate as well as my child on that day?

  "Do you hate me?" I ask instead, because if I start asking those questions, I don't know if I will ever be able to stop asking. I will never be able to stop screaming at him. Erik finally turns around to face me, watching me with those green eyes I once fell in love with. I still love him, that is what hurts the most about all this. If I didn't love him, it would be a million times easier to get through the day and accept he isn't there.

  "I've never hated you, Snow. Never," he is strong to insist.

  "Why did you make me feel like you did?" I whisper back, not hiding the hurt in my voice.

  "Every time I look at you, I see our son. The pale colour of his skin, the empty eyes. I hate that I can't move on from him," he replies to me.

  "Don't move on. Don't forget him; I never do or will. But I live, I love my life and my child for him. I miss our baby boy, especially more because we never got to know him. I imagine he would have been as brave as his father and as beautiful as his sister. If I gave up, it would be an insult to him, because we have to live for him. We have to, can't you see that?" I ask, taking a step closer as tears slip down my cheeks. Erik stands so still as I get to him and reach up, wiping my thumbs across his own tear-streaked cheeks.

  "I should have been there with you that day," he whispers back, the guilt in his voice so overwhelming. "I took a job instead of protecting you, and you were alone."

  "The twins came early, and nothing could have been done to change it. I don't blame you, you know that right?" I make sure to tell him because I’ve never guessed he might think I blame him. He sure blames himself when it is no one’s fault. As much as that is a hard thing to accept, it is the truth.

  "You don't?" he asks.

  "No, never. Never, Erik," I firmly tell him. "I love you so much, even when you pushed me away. That day was terrible as much as it was special. We have Arisa who only wants you in her life. Come back to us, Erik. Please, no more running."

  "You really don't hate me for everything?" he asks, his voice cracking as he looks at me. "I'm so sorry. I am sorry. I was going to tell you that before this happened. I knew running from you couldn't carry on, because it hurt you. Hurting you kills me."

  "Fight for us then. Me, you and Arisa," I gently ask him, and a deep part of me is so used to being pushed away that I almost expect his answer to be no.

  "And your other mates?" he nervously asks. Erik is a big, strong wolf who is one of the best fighters in the supernatural world, and I make him nervous.

  "I love them as much as I love you. This is our destiny. Can you accept that?" I ask him, because the answer needs to be yes. I won’t play the choosing game.

  "I've messed up the past, and I have no right to judge you. When I saw how the elf looked at you, and Prince has told me how much he loves you, I thought I'd truly lost you," he explains to me. "I only don't want to lose you and Arisa, nothing else is important to me."

  "Then kiss me," I say, smiling so widely that my cheeks start to hurt. Erik chuckles low, a sexy chuckle that makes me shiver, before pulling me even closer to him. The moment his lips touch mine, the mating bond we have pushed aside for so long comes back with a blast into my body. Erik groans as he picks me up and presses me into the oak tree behind us as he devours my lips and my soul just along with it. Erik always had my heart and soul; he just needed to come back to me.

  I reach down between us, undoing the belt on his trousers and freeing his erection. Erik groans, resting his head on my shoulder for a moment before looking back at me as I stroke his cock. I nod once, letting him know I want this as much as he does. Erik harshly kisses me as he uses his hands to push my dress up to my waist and rip off my underwear in one go. His fingers find my clit, rubbing circles that make my back arch as he teases me. I pull his hand away, knowing I want so much more. It's been too long, and I'm desperate to connect with him as much as I can feel the same from him. Erik doesn't wait for a second longer before lifting me up and very slowly inching me onto his hard cock. He fills all of me up, holding me still for a second as he presses a sweet kiss to my lips.

  "I've missed you so much," he whispers through our bond, one that has been long gone until now.

  "I've missed you too," I can only whisper back before I kiss him. The kiss spurs Erik on, and he starts thrusting in and out of me, feeling incredible. I feel like I've dreamed and waited for th
is moment with us for such a long time. I feel all of Erik's emotions, the ones he has hidden from me and his pain. So much pain. I'm going to fix us; we are going to fix us together, because running doesn't make it better. I cry out as my orgasm takes me by surprise, blasting into me, and Erik finishes along with me, gasping my name. We both take a second to calm down from the pleasure as he looks at me, his eyes running over every part of my face just like I'm doing to him. It's like we have started all over again.

  "I'm never being an idiot again. I promise," he tells me.

  "Good, now we need to find Prince and Aith. We need to make an escape plan," I suggest.

  "That's the thing; we can't escape, not without risking the Forest Pack and our daughter," he tells me. Everything is a lot worse than I thought, and maybe I won't have any choice but to use poison in the end.

  I feel like I have a new mate as we walk through the corridors and back to the rooms that Erik explained he and Prince are sharing for safety. The castle looks creepier the more I see of it, but I can sense Erik is on edge yet not too worried. I'm concerned about what the queen is up to, and I want answers from Erik and Prince. They've been in here long enough to have some information about her plans. Prince must know something, and I want to know where his father is and the rest of the people that used to live in the castle. I remember there being at least a hundred staff members and over five hundred guards, but I've only seen a handful at best. It doesn't make any sense. I think back to Gold's new mate, Rogue, who came from the castle. He doesn't talk about what happened here, but he said it was bad. I glance at Erik as we go around another corridor, which is eerily silent like the rest of the castle, and I'm honestly a little shocked how well Erik has taken Prince being with me, let alone Aith.

  "I still want to punch them both in the dicks, but considering how I've treated you, I'm lucky to have you anyway. I hope Arisa can forgive me for being a shitty parent," Erik tells me, holding my hand tightly as he speaks.

  "Arisa is a smart girl, and she knows all about her twin brother that passed away when she was born. I've told her everything, and she understands more than she even talks to me about. Just talk to her, be honest, and I believe she will jump into your arms, just happy that you are trying with her," I explain to him, because it is just what I know will happen. Arisa, like any child, wants good attention from her parents.

  "Really?" he asks. Men are so clueless sometimes.

  "Yes, Erik. We both love you, and she is your daughter. Even though you are both stubborn, you both love your family to the ends of the earth," I remind him. That is just a basic feeling for wolves, pack is family and family is pack. It's us against the world, and not much else matters.

  "Gold always said I'm an idiot for not seeing what’s right there in front of me," Erik mutters.

  "Your sister is a smart one," I say, winking at him as we get to the door. He grins, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to him before kissing me.

  "And you are a cheeky one, Snow," he replies before letting me go. I chuckle as he opens the door, holding it for me to walk into the living area of the large room.

  "How is my sister? The pack? Arisa?" Erik asks as I take in the room in front of me. It has three sofas, a large stone fireplace with wolves carved into the stone, and a roaring fire that brightens and warms the room. A big flat coffee table made of glass sits in the middle of the sofas, with a few books on it. Prince loves to read, so I'm guessing they are his. Prince and Aith aren't here, but I can feel that Aith is getting close to us from our bond.

  "Gold is happy with her new mates. The Forest and Bearlay packs are doing well, just very defensive due to all this. Arisa was happy when I last saw her before I had to leave. It was a hard decision," I admit to him, trying to swallow the guilty feeling.

  "We will be back with her soon," Erik comforts me, taking my hand and leading me to sit down on one of the sofas just as the door is opened. Aith walks in first, holding a tray of food, and he is followed by Prince who has drinks in his hands. Prince kicks the door shut as Aith gets to us, placing the food tray on the coffee table before sitting on the other side of me on the sofa. It's a little awkward as Aith kisses me, and I feel Erik tense on my other side. It's going to be a working process with this, I know that.

  "I'm happy to see you two have sorted out your relationship, Snow," Prince kindly says as he places the drinks down and sits on the sofa opposite us straight after. I don't need him to tell me how he feels left out, how hard this all is for him to accept right at this moment. I can talk to him later though, whereas right now, I need to find out about the queen. Oh and make a plan to escape while we are at it.

  "We went and got food for us all because there is no staff anymore, except the few my mother keeps around her," Prince explains, and it makes sense from how silent the place is. It’s too silent and borderline creepy, to be honest.

  "Where are they?" I ask him. The staff of an entire castle doesn’t just disappear.

  "I don't know, but we have our suspicions," Prince replies, nodding towards Erik for him to tell me. Why do I get the feeling this isn't going to be good news?

  "When we first got locked in here, all the staff were still here, like they always have been since I was born. There were whispers about people going missing after the first few days, but within a month, there was hardly anyone left. We then heard screams at night, long screams, as well as a god awful smell coming from the dungeons. We don't know what she is doing down there because it is warded, but all the staff are now gone. Something changed recently since she got more of those stones she is obsessed with, and now the screams at night are howls," he tells us, and there is silence as we all try to process what he just said. This castle really is the castle of nightmares and horrors just like I suspected.

  "Wolf howls?" I ask, because it isn’t that bad if there are shifters down there. Well, maybe the screaming isn’t good, but who knows, the queen might just have a weird hobby.

  "Not like any wolf I've heard before, Leigh," Prince tells me, and from how serious both he and Erik are about this, I can’t do anything but take it seriously. I’ve always known deep down the queen had to be doing something bad because, otherwise, why would she lock herself up in here?

  "It doesn't make sense because the staff in here weren't human in the first place, right?" I ask.

  "They were a mix of many races, but there were werewolf shifters that worked here mainly," Prince answers me, which makes sense.

  "Right, well, I don’t have a clue what is going on here, but I suggest we all escape at the ball tomorrow night," I say, because it would be the perfect time to try. We have to somehow make our way out of the castle before whatever the queen is cooking blows up in our face. I’d rather face her with an army and my mates at my side. I came in here for them, not to win against the queen on our own.

  "Did any other royals come?" Aith asks, crossing his arms. “I will be honest and say I don’t think many will turn up. The royals stay in their homes.”

  "Only the vampire king, but he has many sons to take his throne, so I'm not shocked," Prince answers him. “He also has some respect and love for mother, always did have, so he would be here.”

  "We suspect there is going to be a trap somehow. It doesn't make sense otherwise. Did either of you come up with an escape plan?" I ask them, hoping they have.

  "The ward is powered by my mother's life. Unless she dies or she lowers the ward herself, we can't escape," Prince tells us, and that is exactly what I hoped he wouldn’t tell us. A ward linked to a life is impossible to escape, and it is old magic, very powerful. I don’t understand who could have done it for her.

  "Prince..." I gently say his name, knowing he understands what I don't say out loud. His mother has truly gone mad, and we need to leave somehow. I doubt she will let us just walk away, not without a fight. I see the pain in his eyes when he looks at me, and it hurts me to see it. I wish I could take it away, tell him we will figure something else out. I just don't know
how we can do that.

  "I know," he replies, his voice quiet and tense.

  "Where is your father, Prince?" I softly ask him the only question left in my mind.

  "Dead. Do excuse me for a while. I need to be alone," Prince swiftly stands up, turning away and walking to one of the many doors in the room. I briefly see a bedroom before he goes in and shuts the door. I go to stand up, but Erik catches my arm and stops me.

  "Give him some time. It is a hard decision to come to, but he has known it will be the only way for a while," Erik explains to me.

  "Maybe you are right," I say, pulling my eyes from the door and swallowing the worry that feels stuck in my throat as I look at the food. "We should eat. We’ll need our strength for what we have to face soon."

  We all dig into the food, none of us wanting to discuss the darkness that lies in this castle. One way or the other, tomorrow this has to end.

  I knock two times on Prince's door after leaving Aith and Erik to work out a plan so someone is always awake. Apparently, Erik and Prince have taken turns doing this the entire time they have been here, with Prince not minding staying up at night despite the daunting howls that have just started. They don't sound like wolves, and that frightens me more than I thought it could. The howls sound like pure pain. The noise is nothing short of creepy as well, as if the creature who makes it isn’t alive. Prince looks over at me as I come in and hear the low sound of the music he has on. His hands are frozen on his trousers’ belt, and his shirt is in the basket in front of him, half hanging out. Just behind him is a bathroom with a large walk-in shower with grey stone walls.

  "I was just about to get in the shower, Leigh," he tensely explains to me as I turn and shut the door before facing him once more. Prince sounds broken, lost, and I know it's my place to try and fix it. Or just be there for him. I don't know which one he needs, but either way, I'm going to stay and figure it out. I love him, and I know somewhere deep down that he loves me too. No matter how much time has passed since we saw each other, or the problems that are all too real for us.