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Chapter1
Kate
Iwas not a princess, but I was going to a ball. An elf ball! My bestie, Seyla, hoped to find someone to love.
As for me, I was looking for a baby daddy.
We rode in the back of a Lyft, the driver taking the main road into the mountains surrounding Monsterville, aiming for the elf duchess’s estate. Our puffy gowns billowed around us, and my feet ache from the tiny slippers Seyla had insisted I wear to this illustrious event.
They’d built the estate in the hills with the help of an orc guy who owned a construction company in town, adding a dash of magic. How else could it have been erected so quickly?
Anticipation rocketed through my belly, and Seyla must’ve felt the same because she kept wrangling my hand and grinning.
Our troll driver peered at us in his rearview mirror. Pressing down on the gas pedal, he urged the vehicle up a winding road, slowly taking us through the dense forest where I’d heard wolf shifter packs and a yeti still lived.
We’d cracked a window, and warm, summery air billowed across us, cooling my overheated body. The fresh scent of pine trees filled my senses, and when we reached the peak of one of the lower hills, we spied our destination; the gilded, four-story building perched on the top of one of the crests.
“Tell me again why we’re doing this?” I said for what had to be the thousandth time.
When Seyla smiled, the dimple in her right cheek showed. “Because we’re Cinderella without the stepsisters. Commoners attending an elf ball.”
“We’re human, not necessarily commoners.”
She sniffed. “To the elves, we’re probably very common.”
“The elves are probably right.” Regarding me anyway. My upbringing had been simple and poor, though that wasn’t uncommon in this country.
As for Seyla, she was wealthy, though you wouldn’t know it. My friend was anything but snooty.
“Tonight, you’re a princess,” she said. “I’ll be your lady’s maid.”
“Ha ha. More like the other way around.”
She rolled her pretty brown eyes framed with incredibly long lashes and smoothed her long brown hair shot through with naturally golden highlights. If she wasn’t such a nice person, I’d hate her for her lashes alone. To make mine look good, I had to wear fifty coats of mascara or attach fake ones. And forget brown hair gleaming in the sunlight. I was stuck with the same auburn as my mom.
“I’m worried I’m going to trip and fall in this gown,” I said. “You know I don’t do fancy.” I was more a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.
“I’ll hold on to you.”
Until she was surrounded by guys, the norm with my friend. She would barely see them, and she’d be embarrassed to draw their attention. Meanwhile, I’d awkwardly lurk in the shadows of her light despite her trying to drag me into the sunshine to stand beside her. “It’s nice to look pretty every now and then, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
She leaned against my shoulder. “Thank you for coming with me.”
Our vehicle swooped down the hill and up the next, and in no time, we glided along a long, paved drive leading to the enormous, ancient-appearing structure. I pressed my face against the window, taking in the huge blocks of white stone making up the soaring stone walls with spires on each corner. A lush green meadow surrounded the castle with a dense forest behind. Rays from the setting sun slanted across the sky, highlighting colorful flowerbeds scattered throughout the landscape.
“We’re going to a ball, and I’m going to find the monster of my dreams,” she said. “No ifs, ands, or buts.”
Ah, monsters . . .
A few years ago, they’d crawled out of the woods and announced they’d been living parallel lives to ours. At first, everyone freaked. I mean, who wouldn’t when an orc stomped through town? This explained the yeti sightings through the years, let alone the Loch Ness Monster. They wereallreal. A treaty was formed, and they moved in among us, the majority of them settling in this area.
When Seyla had suggested we move to Monsterville, I’d snickered. But when she’d talked about meeting a nice monster to love forever, I’d caved. I didn’t want a long-term relationship, but I’d never hold her back.
It didn’t really matter where I lived as long as I was near my best friend.
“You know I’m not looking for a boyfriend or husband,” I said. When you loved someone, they left you, like my dad. “I’ve got one goal.” At thirty-five, my clock was ticking. “My eggs are aging and it’s time to put one of them to good use.”
