Beauty and the Alpha Beast

*Bexley*

A pair of eyes stares at me from between two large trees in the middle of the dense forest behind our house. I stare right back, squinting through my binoculars to try to get a better look. I've never seen a female white-tail quite so large. I wish I could get a little closer so I could see her markings more clearly, but she's hidden well behind the leaves of the trees, and it's clear she's spotted me. If I make one wrong move, she's likely to bolt away, leaving me standing here staring at nothing but dense foliage. Still, I'm not seeing much at this angle, so perhaps I should hazard moving a little nearer.

Carefully, I inch forward, doing my best not to make a sound. I avoid the crunchy leaf piles that litter the ground. It's nearly winter; we should be having our first snow soon. Then, it will be easier to move undetected, but for now, I have to be careful.

I slide to my right, leaning up a bit onto my toes, and I can almost see her back clearly when I hear the crackle of a thousand leaves dying excruciating second deaths. Letting out a sigh, I turn to see my friend Fiona traipsing toward me, a wide grin on her face.

"There you are!" she squeals, rushing over with her arms wide open. "Your mother said I might find you out here."

"Here I am." While I am annoyed that the deer has now shot off into the woods, likely to never be seen again, I am happy to see Fiona. She's the first, and practically only, friend I've made since we moved to Luna Hollow almost a year ago. Her golden blonde hair catches the sun's light, creating a halo around her pretty face. She's beautiful in a traditional way, with bright blue eyes and perfectly shaped pink lips. Every young man in the kingdom is interested in making Fiona his wife someday. But since she's only nineteen, her parents aren't even entertaining the men who come knocking at her door.

I wish I was lucky in that regard as well.

With Fiona's arms around me, I squeeze her back. She finally releases me and straightens her blue cloak. I do the same to my dark green one. I try to blend into the trees the best I can when I come out here to observe the animals. It allows me to get closer to them-that and avoiding leaves.

"Why are you out here?" she asks, looking around. "It's so cold."

"I spotted a deer." I hear the excitement in my own voice. "You know how rare they've been lately. Before that, I saw a squirrel with a black patch of fur on its tail, and a flock of geese flew overhead."

Fiona practically rolls her eyes, but she's too polite to let me know how boring she thinks my animal investigations are. Instead, she just changes the subject. "You should be at home planning your birthday party, not standing out here freezing your toes off looking at wildlife."

"My birthday isn't until tomorrow," I remind her, slipping my binoculars back into my pocket. It would be rude of me to insist on continuing my investigations when she doesn't like it. We almost always do something Fiona likes to do, but that's okay. At least it gives me someone else to hang out with, other than my mother and my new stepfather, Harvey.

"I know your birthday isn't until tomorrow." Fiona loops her arm through mine, and we start walking back toward my house. Harvey's house sits on top of a hill surrounded by ten acres. It's a nice house-two-stories with four bedrooms and indoor plumbing-and since most of the yard is covered in forest, I like it a lot more than I did our tiny apartment in our old home kingdom of Hexeton. I do miss my friends and my grandparents, but Hexeton is only about an hour-long carriage ride away, and we do visit sometimes, though not enough.

"So why must we discuss my birthday today?" I ask, brushing a long brown braid over my shoulder. I've never liked the color of my hair, but at least it matches my eyes.

"Because, as I've told you, you never know if you'll be allowed to stay at your home on your birthday or if you'll be summoned to the castle." A chill goes down Fiona's spine at her own words, and I can feel her shiver.

It has nothing to do with the bite in the wind either. She's genuinely afraid-afraid of being summoned to the castle for what's called King's Rite. I never heard of such a thing until I moved here. It all sounds so ridiculous to me. Why would some king who lives in a secluded castle at the top of a hill so high it's practically a mansion, surrounded by forests so thick I wouldn't even be able to see a deer five feet away, be interested in me? He probably doesn't even know I exist.

"Fiona," I begin, not for the first time, "I'm sure I will not be getting one of the infamous red letters in the mail you keep telling me about."

"You never know. My friend Samantha's sister got one just a month ago. She was gone all night, and when she came home, well, let's just say she wasn't the same."

I try not to scoff because I know this is a real concern for her, but to me, it sounds like something made up-like the legends about the witches in Hexeton. While plenty of old timers like to scare the kids by saying witches live in the woods around town, no one has ever seen one. No one I know has ever been affected by them.

So... until I see this king with my own eyes, I will not fear him. "I intend to celebrate my birthday tomorrow," I tell my friend. "Mother knows that."

"And what does your stepfather say?" We cross a little creek that crosses the yard about a hundred yards from the back of the house. The bridge is only about four feet long, but I've always thought it was very pretty. In the springtime, I could stand here and watch the fish swim by underneath.

"He doesn't say much," I reply. The truth is, Harvey hardly speaks to me at all. Mother says that's just how he is-quiet. But I've seen him in a room full of people when he didn't stop talking plenty of times, so I don't think that's it. In my opinion, my stepfather simply doesn't care for me, and I suppose I can't blame him. After all, I was almost twenty years old when we met, a grown woman, and he'd gone his whole life without being a father. He leaves me alone for the most part, and I avoid him when possible. I do some work for his accounting firm, though, which he appreciates since I know he wishes I had a husband so I wouldn't be living off him any longer.

And he's doing everything he can to make that happen.

"Well, I think you should be on the lookout for that letter. If it's coming, it'll be in your mailbox in the morning. They just sort of appear overnight. No one has ever seen the person from the castle who brings them out," Fiona explains. "My friend Marcy knows someone who stayed up all night staring at her mailbox to see if they could catch a glimpse of the delivery person, but no one ever came. She was shocked when she opened her mailbox the next morning and the letter was inside."

A chuckle escapes my lips, and Fiona's eyes widen. "I was just thinking I shouldn't waste my time staring at the mailbox then if it won't matter."

"Bexley!" She shakes her head at me and marches up the steps toward my back door. "You have to take this seriously."

"I am," I tell her, but we both know that's not true. I follow her inside, and we hang up our coats. My mother absolutely adores Fiona, so she won't mind one bit if she spends time here.

"You are what?" Mother asks, wiping her hands on her apron as she comes over to greet both of us and give us a hug. "Your cheeks are so cold," she remarks as she pats my face.

"I'm nothing," I begin, taking a deep breath and savoring the delicious smell of my mother's famous vegetable stew.

But Fiona jumps in. "She's not taking the possibility of being summoned to the castle seriously," she tells my mother.

With a deep sigh, Mother goes to the cookie jar, opens it up, and extends it to Fiona. My friend squeals with delight and plucks out a chocolate chip cookie, taking a bite before she says thank you. I almost giggle at this, too. It's like we are still small children.

Cookie in hand, I sit at the table and wait for Mother to collect her thoughts. It's not like her to agree with such silly notions. She was always quick to dismiss any talk of witches in our town. She's a practical thinker, just like me.

So when she sits down across from me, Fiona to my left, and folds her hands, my forehead furrows. "I think we should celebrate your birthday tonight, Bex. Just in case."

My eyes lock on hers, so very similar to my own in color and shape, and I don't blink for a few moments. Finally, I manage to ask, "You do? Why?"

"Just in case." She shrugs one shoulder. "I've spoken to Harvey about it, and while he doesn't think there's any need to be alarmed about the situation, he says it does happen. Over the past seven years, quite a few young women who live in this village have gotten a letter from the king to appear in his castle on their birthday. It's happened in several villages throughout the kingdom, in fact, even in the older settlements on the other side of the mountain."

I'm not sure what to say, so I don't say anything at all. Instead, I finish my cookie.

Fiona jumps in on my behalf having already devoured her snack. She is one of those girls who can eat whatever she likes and always look perfectly fit. If I cared a smidge about my appearance, I might be jealous of her for that. "The girls who get the letter stay overnight," she says, her explanation similar to what she mentioned to me earlier as we were walking in. "When they come home, they can't speak about what happened to them there."

"That's what Harvey told me," Mother agrees. "But he also said that many of the girls have been examined by a physician afterward, and there's never anything physically wrong with them." She takes a deep breath and adds, "Those that went in maidens return as such."

I know I can speak to my mother about anything, but I don't like to talk about that sort of thing with her. I swallow hard and wait for Fiona to speak, as I know she will.

"But some of them have scratches and bruises. They say they can't remember how they got them." She turns and looks at me, her blue eyes piercing. "They simply have no idea where they've been or what's happened to them."

"Oh, please." I shake my head and wave one hand at her. "That has to be the king threatening them not to tell anyone."

"I don't think so," Mother chimes in. "Harvey seems to think that there are a few different ways it can be done but that a person's memory can be wiped."

"Magic?" I ask with a chuckle.

"No. He called it... hypnosis or something of that nature," she explains. "Don't ask me, dear. But you should plan on celebrating your birthday this evening. Now, would you like chocolate or vanilla cake?"

I look at Fiona, and she bats her eyelashes at me prettily, knowing she has one.

With a deep breath, I say, "Chocolate."

*Bexley*

The last refrains of Happy Birthday hang in the air as I suck in a deep breath and blow out my candles. The small crowd that has gathered in the dining room to celebrate with us claps, and I force a smile to my face.

Our housekeeper, Mrs. Jones, takes the cake to cut it into slices while everyone claps. Glancing around at the faces before me, I see only a few genuine smiles. Mrs. Jones is giggling with glee, and I know she truly cares for me. She's become like a grandmother to me since I came here.

Of course, Mother and Fiona are happy, as well as Fiona's younger sisters Iris and Kate, who came over just for cake. But then I look at Harvey, and he's glowering. Harvey Moss has a stern face to match his bald head and his disposition, as well as his reputation as a no-nonsense accountant. I wouldn't cross him. I have no idea what Mother sees in him, but she only has kind things to say about her second husband.

And then I glance at Garth and wish I hadn't.

Garth Roberts sits at the other end of the dining room table, his muscular arms folded across his massive chest. He's easily six inches taller than Harvey and his shoulders are so wide he could probably easily wrap me around them. His dark hair is pulled back away from his face and tied with a ribbon, and his green eyes seem to bore through me as he watches me accept the slice of cake Mrs. Jones has set before me.

"Won't you have a piece, Garth?" Mother asks. She seemed a bit surprised when Harvey told her that he'd invited Garth for my birthday celebration, but she was always the perfect hostess. Even though Mother obviously wants what's best for me, I think she secretly wouldn't mind if I fell in love with Garth, married him, and started having some grandkids for her immediately. But she also knows I don't care for Mr. Roberts, so she doesn't try to force him upon me.

"Oh, no. I don't eat sweets," Garth says as I shuffle a large bite of chocolate cake into my mouth. He pats his flat stomach. "I wouldn't want to start to get fat. I wouldn't be able to keep up with the game if I did that."

My stomach roils as I am reminded of Garth's favorite pastime-hunting. I've heard he has the heads of several large animals hanging in his den, but I've never been in his house before. Not that he hasn't invited me. If Mother knew how strong he'd come on the last time he had me somewhat alone at a get-together, she'd toss him out on his ear.

I am probably meant to drop my fork at the implication that eating cake will make me fat. Instead, I scoop up an even bigger bite and shove it in my mouth, smearing chocolate across my teeth, and smiling at him.

He shakes his head, the sound coming from his throat one of disgust. I have to mark that as one small victory for me.

"Would you like a piece, dear?" Mother asks Fiona.

I know for a fact that Fiona loves Mother's chocolate cake. She's been talking about it all afternoon. So when she says, "Oh, no thank you. I'm still full from the stew," I wrinkle up my nose and prepare to tell her how horrid it is that she's let Garth's comments influence her.

I bite my tongue and glare at him instead.

Kate and Iris have no problem accepting the cake. Harvey takes a small piece, and Mother nibbles at one as well. I relish every bite of mine and then lick the fork before setting it down. If I really wanted to push Garth's buttons, I'd let out a belch, but I decide even the birthday girl can't get away with that sort of shenanigans.

"So, Becky," Garth begins, and I grimace. I've corrected him several times, but he insists that Bexley is a horrible name, so he must call me Becky instead. "What are your plans now that you're twenty-one?"

I open my mouth to answer, but Harvey speaks on my behalf. "She's been working at the firm a bit, part-time. She's actually quite good with numbers."

"Really?" Garth's eyebrows raise, and he slowly nods his head.

I'm not sure what's more offensive-that Harvey is shocked that I might be able to handle some basic math or that Garth is impressed by this.

"Yes. I am thinking of hiring her on full-time-to get her out of the house, of course. But... if she were to receive a marriage offer soon, well, that would be an even better situation for all of us."

I feel Mother's leg move under the table as she stiffens. I know she wants to speak up for me, but she won't. As much as she loves me, she respects her husband.

"I'm sure any eligible bachelor in town will be happy to have Becky as his wife," Garth begins, a crooked grin pulling up one side of his mouth. "She's very pretty, smart, and since she's relatively new to the village... mysterious."

"And I don't have any cavities." I narrow my eyes at him, offended as hell that he's now speaking about me as if I'm not even sitting here, as if I am chattel he can trade or barter for.

"Yes, well, as you know, it's the tradition for women to wait until after their twenty-first birthday, in honor of the king," Harvey explains.

"Oh, I know." Garth rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "I do find this entire affair utterly ridiculous."

Harvey's eyes shift to the side of his face, and his cheeks pink a bit. "It's not prudent to question the king, of course."

"Of course not." Garth scoffs, but I'm sure he doesn't mind if he offends the king. "Not that he ever leaves his castle to know what's happening here."

I do my best not to spend time with Garth when it can be avoided, but in the unfortunate times when I have been forced to listen to him speak, I've gotten the notion he's not too fond of King Canaan Zephyr. I'm not exactly sure why, but I heard him mention that the land where our village sits, and all of the area on this side of the mountain, was taken unfairly a few decades ago, that before then our territory was independent of either the kingdom of Luna Hollow to our east or Hexeton to our west. I don't know if that is true or not, but he seems to believe it is.

I've found that anything Garth believes is fact, and there's no use trying to persuade him otherwise.

"It's a good thing you didn't receive the red letter, Becky," Garth says to me. "A girl like you wouldn't be able to handle the trip to the castle."

I feel my stomach tighten into an even more severe knot. "Tomorrow is my birthday," I remind him. "We're celebrating early."

His mouth drops open. "Oh."

"You know they say you shouldn't take any chances," Harvey reminds him. "In case the girl gets the letter. You won't get to celebrate until she returns." He turns and looks at me. "If she returns." A cold, dead stare on his face, he pulls the corners of his mouth into a smile I can only describe as creepy.

I smile right back. "I seriously doubt the king even knows I exist," I admit. "I've only been here for a year or so, and I'm hardly consequential."

"That much is true," Garth says, leaning back in his chair so far the front two legs come off the floor. I'd love to see him topple over, but he won't. "Well, I'm not too worried about it. The king has never kept a girl for more than one night. Of course, the girls who are returned are blemished, and it's difficult for them to find a husband." He shakes his head. "The king has some nerve forcing himself on innocent girls."

"There's never been any evidence of the girls not being... intact when they return." Harvey's jumping in is certainly not meant to defend the girls in question so much as it is to assure my prospective suitor that I will still be a virgin when I come back from the castle, if I am taken.

Garth shrugs. "That's what they say, but honestly, how would anyone know?"

"Myra Pierce got married a few weeks after she came back," Fiona offers, her voice sounding overly sweet as she speaks to Garth. She's told me she thinks he's handsome. I guess pretty much everyone in the town does. The girls that grew up enamored with him can't see what a pig he is. "And then there's Susie Butler who-"

He waves a dismissive hand. "I really don't think it's going to be an issue." He looks at me coldly. "As Becky said, the king won't even know about her. She'll be fine."

"Well," Mother begins, pressing her hands to the table before she pushes up from her chair, "it has been so lovely having all of you over. You ladies should get home before it gets too late."

"I'll walk you," Garth offers. "It's the gentlemanly thing to do." He stands and looks at me again. "Sorry I didn't bring you a present, Becky, but I didn't know it was your birthday until your father came by a few hours ago."

"It's not a problem, Garth." I do my best to copy Fiona's pretty smile as I bat my eyelashes at him and stand. "The fact that you're leaving is present enough."

He must hear me wrong because his grin widens even as Harvey grunts in my general direction. "Everyone enjoys spending time with Garth."

"I'm sure that's true somewhere," I continue, walking along with everyone except for Harvey who trails far behind as we enter the living room and head toward the door. "It is a fairly common name."

This time, he seems to catch on that maybe I'm not flattering him. His bushy eyebrows nearly touch as he stares at me for a long moment.

Everyone says their goodbyes. I hug Fiona and her sisters and thank them for coming. Fiona gave me a lovely painting of a rabbit earlier, which I intend to hang in my room, so I thank her again.

"Can I have a quick word with you on the porch, Becky?" Garth says, slipping his coat on.

"Aren't you walking the girls home?" I ask, confused.

He nods. "It'll only take a moment."

Mother hands me my coat, and I step outside with him. Fiona and her sisters wait in the yard as I stand by the door. At least Garth's girth prevents the full force of the autumn wind from chilling me as I wait to see what he has to say.

"I've spoken to your father, and he's agreed that we would be a good match."

I blink several times, my mouth suddenly dry. I manage to ask, "When did you speak to my father?"

"Earlier today." He grins at me.

"That would prove to be a bit difficult since he passed away when I was four." I fold my arms. What is the matter with this man? Is he really that stupid, or does he simply not care about tact.

Rather than looking embarrassed, he chuckles. "No, not that father. This one. Harvey."

"My stepfather," I remind him. I've known Harvey only a few weeks longer than I've known Garth, which isn't long. He shouldn't have much of a say over my life.

And yet, here we are.

"Anyway, I'll be by tomorrow afternoon with your ring."

My eyes widen, and he leans down to kiss my cheek. When he straightens, he's still grinning like the fool he is. He walks away, Fionna, Iris, and Kate following him like ducklings.

I stare after them wondering when the hell I said I'd marry him.

*Bexley*

The idea that something is important flutters behind my closed eyelids as I lie in my bed, trying to pull my entire brain out of sleep. It's a losing battle. All I want to do is roll over and fall back into a peaceful slumber.

But that nagging feeling that I have something I need to do won't allow me to, and a few seconds later, I sit up in bed and push my blankets down to my waist.

It's my birthday.

Not only that, but it's my twenty-first birthday.

It's my twenty-first birthday, and I now live in some crazy kingdom where the king sometimes sends out letters to girls on their twenty-first birthday summoning them to the castle so he can... well, no one knows exactly what he does with them, but none of the villagers approve of it or thinks it's proper.

I take a deep breath and swing my feet out of bed. The wooden floor is a bit chilly, but I don't pause to put on my slippers. Instead, I shuffle into the bathroom, do my business, and throw on a clean dress. I run a brush over my teeth and another through my hair before poking my feet into my boats and heading downstairs.

Mother is up already. That's not too much of a surprise since she often gets up to prepare breakfast for Harvey, but the sun has barely met the top of the tree line, which means it's not even 6:00 in the morning. She stands near the front window wringing her hands, not in the kitchen where one would need to be in order to cook.

Her eyes are glued to the mailbox.

"How long have you been standing here?"

The sound of my voice startles her. She clutches her heart and turns toward me. "Oh, Bexley. You're awake. How did you sleep, dear?" As I approach, she reaches up to straighten my hair and pat my cheek.

"Fine." It's not a lie. While it did take me a while to fall asleep, once I did, I slept like a baby.

"Good, good. I've just been standing here for a few moments... looking at the sky. Do you think it will rain today?"

I look at the sky in question and see a hazy gray color that tells me it's a possibility, but then, the sun's not all the way up. No bright patches of pink and orange light the horizon today. Whether it rains or not, it's bound to be gloomy. Happy birthday to me.

"I don't know," I admit, going along with her story. I don't think there's any chance she's actually looking at the sky and not the mailbox. "You didn't see anyone deliver anything?"

She shakes her head. "No, but the post doesn't usually come until later in the day," she reminds me.

"True, but Fiona said that this letter, if it's coming, should be here first thing in the morning, and no one ever sees who delivers it." I shrug. Saying that story out loud seems so silly to me. It's not as if I believe it could be true. Just because some older people still believe in magic, that doesn't mean that I should.

Mother inhales deeply, her bottom lip shaking slightly. "Perhaps we should check then. Honestly, Bexley, I've been standing here for a while. I couldn't sleep."

My mouth turns down in a frown as I consider what she's saying. "Oh, Mother." I place my hand gently on her shoulder. She's always been such a good parent to me. She loves me so much, and I absolutely don't know what I'd do without her. We've been close my entire life, but losing my father to an accident when I was so young made us grow even closer. For so many years, we only had one another.

Now, she has Harvey, and while I am jealous at times and often think he doesn't deserve her, I am glad she has someone else. While I highly doubt I'm about to be carted off to a castle on top of the mountain, I do hope one day to start a family of my own or at least a career. I'd love to work on a nature preserve or even a zoo, so it's important for Mother to put some space between us.

She wraps her arms around me. "I love you so much, Bexley. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I kiss her cheek. "You'll always have me,' I promise her. "We might not always live under the same roof, but I'm not going anywhere, Mother. I'll always be in your heart, and you'll be in mine."

When she looks at me again, she has tears in her eyes. She nods. "I know, baby. I know. Now, why don't you go see if there's anything in that mailbox?"

"Sure." I shrug, pretending like it's not a big deal. Taking my cloak from the hook by the door, I slip it into place and clasp it, taking my time. My hands shake slightly as I reach for the doorknob and step outside.

The scent of woodsmoke fills my lungs. I pause for a moment on the front porch, letting the sharp sting of the wind ground me. I'm here-at my house-my mother is inside watching. I'm fine. Everything is fine. There's no letter looming in the mailbox. No carriage will show up with some hooligan inside to snatch me up and carry me off to the castle, never to be seen or heard from again.

The autumn breeze stirs the leaves, lifting the few remaining red and orange ones off the ground and sending them twirling as I cross the front yard to the road where the mailbox stands sentinel. Why am I so frightened of a tiny black box I've seen the postal carrier fill hundreds of times? I have no idea. It is silly, really.

When I get to the mailbox, I position myself in front of it so that I can see the house in the distance. Mother lifts a hand to wave at me reassuringly as she looks through the front window. I wave back, but I don't feel the reassurance she is hoping to pass on to me.

I'm honestly downright terrified.

"It's empty," I whisper as I grab the door lever and pull it down hard.

Only... it's not empty.

My mouth drops open in a silent gasp as I stare at the red envelope tucked inside of the mailbox. It's large, weighty. Imposing. I can tell that before I even touch it.

I'm afraid to touch it.

In gold ink, my name is written, the script is fancy, with lots of curls, such that I can barely read it at an angle. With a heavy sigh, I reach in and slide it out.

"Bexley Kessler" it reads.

"Well, at least the king knows that Harvey isn't my father."

The door to the house flies open, and Mother comes running out onto the porch, nearly tripping. "Is it-"

"I believe so." My voice sounds so calm, I hardly recognize it. With the letter in my hand, I begin to walk toward her, thinking we can open it together. Each step feels like I'm walking through thick quicksand that threatens to suck me down into the center of the earth.

I'm not sure it would be a worse option.

A thousand thoughts of what may happen to me fill my mind. I've never even kissed a man before. What if the tales about those other women aren't true, and the king really does take his turn with the girls who have just stepped freshly into adulthood?

Eventually, I manage to make it to the porch. Mother takes the letter from my hand and carries it inside. Mrs. Jones is awake now. She's wearing a thick blue robe over her nightgown as she stands near the fireplace with her hands clasped.

I note that Harvey hasn't bothered to wake up early on my account.

Mother sinks down on the sofa but offers me the letter. "You should do it."

I want to joke that maybe if she opens it, she'll be the one that has to go, but no one would think that funny at the moment. I sit on the edge of the cushion next to her and slide my finger under the cell. The letter is beautiful, and it seems a shame to tear it up. The flap gives, revealing a sheet of thick white paper with embossed print.

I think it's probably a form letter all the girls get until I see that it's actually handwritten and contains my name.

"Miss Bexley Kessler, you are hereby summoned to meet with your king, His Royal Highness Canaan Zephyr, this evening at seven o'clock. A carriage shall arrive to retrieve you at six o'clock. As your stay will be at least one night, possibly more, pack accordingly." The bottom of the letter is signed Lawrence Wood, Esq.

"Who is Lawrence Wood?" I ask my mother.

She shakes her head, her eyes still brimming with tears as if I've received a death sentence. "I have no idea, but he seems important."

I suppose the esquire part tells us that.

"He is the king's top legal advisor," Harvey says, marching down the stairs in a neatly tied robe, the bottom of his pajamas peeking out above his slippers. "Mrs. Jones, coffee, please."

The housekeeper, who isn't usually the one to manage the kitchen, scurries off, and I can tell she's upset by the news of my inevitable departure as well.

Harvey is still fidgeting with his belt as he comes over and plucks the letter from my hands. He reads it, shakes his head, and holds it in his hand despite me reaching for it.

I'd like to have it back. Even though I don't like what it says, it still belongs to me.

"This ruins everything," he mutters, dropping the letter unceremoniously on the coffee table. "Now, Garth will have no use for you." He turns to look at me like I'm an alley cat eating out of a garbage can behind his office building.

Mother, though tentative, leaps into protective mode. "We don't know that," she says. "Garth seems awfully smitten with Bexley."

I stop the laugh that threatens to explode from my throat. He doesn't even call me by my real first name.

Mrs. Jones returns with a service of coffee with three mugs, but I'll not be having any. I have a lot to do today if I'm going to be ready to go at 7:00.

"What if she simply doesn't go?" Harvey asks. "What if we send her back to Hexeton for a week or so to stay with her grandparents? When they show up to collect her, we say she's not here?"

"Won't that just upset the king?" Mother asks, sitting down on the couch. Harvey claims a chair and begins to sip his coffee, making a face like it's not right. I decide I should sit as well, though I really just want to go outside and look for that deer again.

Harvey shrugs. "I doubt the king actually knows which women to expect. He's probably just waiting in his bedroom for someone. Surely, more than one girl in the kingdom turns twenty-one today."

"I have to go." My voice is just a whisper, but they both turn and look at me. Mother whimpers slightly. "I don't know how I know I have to go, but I know I do."

"You want to go?" Harvey looks at me as if I'm the most filthy creature in the world.

I shake my head. "No, but I have a feeling the king will find a way to make sure I'm there. Fiona says no one has ever gotten out of it once they've been summoned."

"Psh! Fiona! That girl is as daft as you are," Harvey says. "This will ruin everything." He sets his coffee down and flees the room, still muttering under his breath about how awful I am, the letter is the world is.

Mother reaches over and takes my hand. "He didn't mean that."

"I know." Now, both of us are lying to one another. "I'm going to go outside for a bit."

She nods with tears threatening to fall again.

I don't worry about the crunch of the leaves as I approach the forest. It's only when I cross the line that separates the tangle of trees and undergrowth from the rest of civilization that I am careful. I've spent so much time here, I know all the trails, where the animals tend to hide, what they like to eat, everything. I've learned a lot about animals from my time in the forest, and I truly enjoy studying their habits. I wonder if I'll ever have a chance to put that knowledge to good use or if I will be banished after my return from the castle.

I'm just beginning to let my mind wander to what it might be like to meet the king when I see a pair of eyes staring at me from between the hedges. Golden and glowing, they're unlike anything I've ever seen before, and it takes my breath away.

This is definitely not the white-tail.

Most of the animals I've encountered have a level of intelligence behind their eyes, but this one is different. It's looking at me the same way a human would, as if it's trying to figure me out. Like it knows just as much as I do.

Part of me says this is a predator, and I should turn and run, but the rest of me is curious. What is this? It's too tall to be a fox or a wolf. I take a few steps closer, but then a cracking sound behind me has me turning around. I hear another animal take off through the brush, and when I turn back around, the eyes are gone.

"Who are you?" I whisper, but my only answer is a distant howl.