"Baby, we cannot..." I start to say, but the words die on my tongue when I look at her face. There is such hope there, such determination and fierce conviction that she is doing the right thing. She believes this with every fiber of her being, and I know in my bones that no argument I make will change her mind. She has decided, and once Kaia sets her mind to something, there is no way to change it.
I sigh, feeling the weight of her decision settling over me. "Did you at least get food?"
Her face lights up like the sun breaking through clouds. "I even got your favorite sweets. Clarissa helped me pack other things, too. She added dried fruits and meat, and herbs that can be used for cooking or medicine. She was wonderful about it, Sol. She understood."
I watch as Kaia explains everything she has prepared, her hands moving animatedly as she describes each item Clarissa added to our supplies, how she chose the sturdiest bags, how she even remembered to pack extra socks because she knows I hate having wet feet. Her enthusiasm is infectious despite my reservations, and I realize with a sinking feeling that she has absolutely no idea what she is getting herself into.
The Shadowlands are not some grand adventure from a story. They are dangerous, unpredictable, and home to creatures that do not follow the rules of civilization or hierarchy. Kaia has trained in combat, yes, but training in a castle courtyard under controlled conditions is vastly different from fighting for her life in the wilderness. She has never slept on the ground, never gone more than a few hours without access to fresh water, and never had to hunt for her own food or defend herself against something that sees her as prey rather than a princess.
But I will protect her. I will lay down my life to keep her safe if it comes to that. She is my Omega, my love, my entire world. I would follow her into the depths of hell itself if she asked.
"Okay," I say quietly. "We will go."
Kaia's squeal of delight is almost worth the terror currently coiling in my gut.Almost.
"But on one condition," I add firmly, holding up a hand to calm her excitement.
"Anything," she says immediately. "Name it."
I reach forward, cupping her face in my hands and forcing her to meet my eyes. I need her to understand the seriousness of what I am about to say, the absolute necessity of her cooperation if we are going to survive this foolish venture. "You listen to me. No questions asked. When I tell you to do something, you do it immediately. I am not just your Beta. I am also your protector, your guard, and the one person whose entire purpose is to keep you alive. And if at some point it comes time to turn aroundfor your safety, if I determine that continuing forward will get you killed, you will listen to me. Do you understand? This is not negotiable."
Kaia's expression sobers, and I see the moment she truly comprehends what she is asking of both of us. The danger. The risk. The very real possibility that one or both of us might not return from this journey. "I promise. I will listen to you. I trust you with my life, Sol."
"Good." I nod, satisfied that she at least understands the stakes. "Now, please tell me you brought pants."
Kaia grins and reaches down to pull up the skirt of her dress, revealing the trousers she is wearing underneath.
"Great. I would ask what you have planned for when we reach the edge of Valoria, but I suspect we will find out soon enough." I lean in for a sweet kiss, allowing myself this moment of tenderness before the madness truly begins. Her lips are soft against mine, and I pour every ounce of love and concern and terrified devotion into the contact.
Then I pull back and climb out of the carriage, my mind already shifting into the strategic planning that will be necessary to keep my reckless princess alive.
I have barely closed the carriage door behind me when I find the king standing there, his eyebrow raised in question. My heart stutters in my chest, wondering how much he heard, whether he somehow knows what we are planning.
"I brought her a pair of shoes," I say, smoothly pulling out a lie. "She had left the castle without them. I keep a pair on me at all times for exactly this reason."
It is a believable lie. Everyone in the castle knows about Kaia's aversion to footwear. King Frederik’s expression clears, and he actually smiles, which is rare enough to be unsettling.
"You are better than any of the other guards she has had," he says with what sounds like genuine approval. "More attentive to her needs."
I manage a smile in return, though my stomach churns with the deception. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The king's expression turns more serious as he glances toward the assembled warriors preparing to depart. "I have a good feeling about this time. But I suspect there will be danger ahead, even more so than usual. Other kingdoms have begun to take notice of our quest. They may try to steal the riches I am entitled to, or worse, attempt to claim the prize for themselves. Your first and only priority will be my daughter. Do you understand?"
"Of course, Your Majesty." I bow my head, and at least this is not a lie. Kaia's safety is and will always be my primary concern.
The king leans forward, something calculating in his eyes that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "You will stay in your shifted form until you return with the princess." His wolf’s growl rumbles through his chest, begging my Beta to submit, but I hold fast.
I nod, not understanding why he would make such a request but knowing better than to question a direct order from the king. "Yes, Your Majesty."
His face hardens, his voice dropping into a purely Alpha tone, the one that carries the weight of command, of dominance, of absolute authority that cannot be denied. "That was anorder."
The Alpha bark hits me like a physical blow, washing over my skin in waves of compulsion that I cannot resist. My body responds before my mind can even process what is happening. The shift comes without my consent, ripping through me as the magic takes over, reforming my body into my second form. Skin gives way to fur. My perspective lurches as I drop to all fours, suddenly looking up at the king from a much lower vantage point.
My wolf is not small, by any means, but I am still a Beta where the king is an Alpha, my snout coming to his chest. My dark fur ripples with the blue magic that marks me as something more than ordinary. The magic whispers through my coat, visible as faint traces of sapphire light that dance along my spine and legs. It is beautiful and terrible in equal measure, this forced transformation.
But, this is also bad. Very, very bad.
I test my ability to shift back, reaching for the control that should allow me to return to my human form. Nothing happens. The Alpha command holds me locked in this shape, bound by the king's will. Panic flutters in my chest as I raise my head to look at him, my wolf eyes wide with confusion and the question I cannot voice.
