Why would he require this of me? None of the other guards are shifted. The servants and nobles stand in their human forms. The king himself remains unchanged. He rarely shifts unless he needs to make a point or assert his dominance, preferring the authority that comes with his human bearing and royal regalia.
The king looks down at me, his cold expression staring back at me. "I know my daughter and her wild ideas. I am making sure she comes back in one piece. She is the gift to whichever warrior brings me back what I deserve, and I will not lose her because of her silly games. Understood?"
I nod, the only response available to me in this form. Dread settles heavily in my stomach as understanding dawns on me. He suspects something is off. He may not know the full extent of what Kaia has planned, but he knows she is up to something. This command, forcing me into wolf form, is his way of controlling the situation. As a wolf, I cannot speak, cannot argue, and cannot help Kaia with anything beyond basic protection. I am reduced to a guard animal rather than a thinking, planning companion.
It is a leash, and he has just tightened it around my throat.
The king looks up at the assembled warriors, his voice rising to carry across the courtyard. "Let us go! May Mother Nature look kindly on you all."
Whoops and yells rise from the crowd as the procession begins to move forward. The warriors mount their horses or climb into carriages, excitement and determination rolling off them in waves. They believe in this quest, in the promise of glory and riches and the right to rule. They believe that dragon gold and an Omega princess await whoever proves strong enough to claim them.
They have no idea they are pawns in a grieving king's desperate scheme.
I walk beside Kaia's carriage as it begins to roll forward, my paws padding softly against the cobblestones. The rhythmic clatter of wheels and hoofbeats fills the air, along with the excited chatter of nobles seeing off the warriors. I can feel eyes on me, people noticing the princess' guard in wolf form. Some probably think it is a precautionary measure given the dangers ahead. Others might recognize it for what it is, a leash meant to keep both the guard and the princess under control.
Some part of me wonders if this is punishment for something else entirely. Could he know my feelings for the princess? Could someone have caught the two of us together when we weren’t being careful?
What awaits me when we return is either death or being locked away, though every last moment with my Omega will be worth it.
The procession winds through the castle gates and into the city beyond. Citizens line the streets to watch us pass, waving and cheering for the warriors who ride at the front. Children run alongside the carriages, their faces bright with excitement. Merchants pause in their work to witness the spectacle. Thisevent has always been a moment of drama and possibility in lives that are often marked by mundane routine.
The soft wind rustles through my fur, each step forward reminding me how much different this form is than my other. Each sense is enhanced, the smell of fresh bread meeting my nose from streets away. The nervous sweat of a young Alpha warrior riding just ahead. The perfume worn by a noble woman in the carriage behind us. The metallic scent of weapons and armor. The earthy smell of horse and leather. And beneath it all, filtering through the carriage walls, the sweet familiar scent that belongs only to Kaia. My Omega. My princess. The one I have sworn to protect, even if it costs me everything.
The city soon gives way to farmland, the farmland eventually giving way to rougher terrain. The road becomes less maintained, the smooth cobblestones replaced by packed dirt that will turn to mud when the rains come. Trees begin to crowd closer to the path, their branches reaching overhead to create a tunnel of green.
Beyond this point, Valoria's influence wanes. The Shadowlands begin somewhere ahead, though where exactly is a matter of debate. Some say it starts at the old border markers, stone pillars erected generations ago. Others claim it begins when the trees grow so thick that daylight struggles to penetrate. Still others insist the Shadowlands begin where the air itself changes, becoming heavier and charged with a magic that feels nearly alien and dangerous.
I have never been this far from the castle. My duties have always kept me close to the royal family and most recently, to Kaia, and Kaia has always remained within Valoria's protected walls. This is new territory for both of us, literally and figuratively.
The warriors ahead maintain their excitement, their voices carrying back to us on the wind. They tell jokes and share boastsabout what they will do when they find the dragons. They place bets on who will land the killing blow. They fantasize about the riches they will gain, the power they will wield, and the princess they will claim.
None of them truly believe they will die. Death is something that happens to other people, to the warriors from previous expeditions. They are different, stronger, smarter, luckier. They will succeed where others failed.
I have seen this confidence before, in young soldiers who thought themselves invincible right up until the moment they were not. Optimism is a shield that shatters easily against the harsh reality of violence and mortality.
But I do not waste energy worrying about them. They chose this path. They volunteered to risk their lives for glory and gold. My concern is solely for the one person who did not choose any of this, who was born into a role she never wanted and is now fighting desperately to take control of her own destiny.
All I can do is stay close, stay alert, and be ready for whatever she has in mind.
Kaia
Iwake to the gentle rocking of the carriage and the muted sound of wheels on fresh dirt. For a moment, everything feels hazy and disconnected and I’m unsure how long I have been asleep or where exactly we are in our journey.
Then I reach out with my senses, searching for the familiar presence that has become as necessary to me as breathing, and find nothing.
The absence is confusing. I cannot feel Solace's emotions. The connection that usually hums between us, that lets me sense her mood and state of mind even when we are in different rooms, is simply gone. There is a void where she should be, an emptiness that makes my chest tighten with anxiety.
It is not entirely odd for Solace to close herself off when she is working. She has always been good at compartmentalizing, at creating walls between her personal feelings and her professional duties. When she stands guard, she becomes a fortress, impenetrable and focused solely on potential threats. I have learned to recognize when she has shuttered herself away, and I respect her need for that mental discipline.
But this feels different. This feels wrong. As if the connection between us has been severed entirely rather than simply blocked.
I sit up slowly, pushing my hair back from my face, trying to shake off the lingering grogginess of sleep. My body aches from the awkward position I fell asleep in, and my mouth tastes stale. I reach for the water I packed and take a long drink, letting the cool liquid wash away some of the discomfort.
Then I pull back the curtain on the window facing forward, peering out to see where we are.
We have almost reached the edge of Valoria. I recognize the landmarks from the maps I have studied over the years. The trees grow denser here, their trunks wider and their branches more gnarly. The road has narrowed to little more than a wide path, and the stone markers that denote Valoria's traditional boundary are visible in the distance.
The carriage begins to slow, the horses snorting as the driver pulls gently on the reins. We come to a stop near a small tavern and home that sits at the very edge. It is a sturdy building, built to withstand the elements and provide shelter to travelers brave or foolish enough to venture this far. My father sometimes stays here before returning to the castle, using it as a staging point for the warriors' departure and a place to rest before the journey back.
