The sun was abhorrent. I never suspected I would think so, but I severely missed the thunderstorms of the mountains. I could always count on the weather to reflect my foul moods. In the mountains, it would be snowing by now, not pleasantly warming the crisp air.

There were too many happy people wandering the streets. Even though I avoided the markets, they were everywhere. Laughing, playing, and generally enjoying the last few days before the snowfall.

I wasn't in a foul mood this morning. I had actually been quite content when I awoke, not happy, but comfortable and at peace. Against my better judgment, I had lain in the bed for some time, simply enjoying Cyrus's company. It was difficult to leave the simple pleasure of another human's presence. But I was worried for Cerberus's health. So I dragged myself away from the one thing I craved to check on him.

He took one sniff at my clothing and growled.

So I had left, and been walking since. It had been hours, but I didn't care. How could he be mad at me for looking after his best interests? I shivered. The cold soaked through my leather coat. I needed one with fur insulation. He always looked after my interests, fed me, protected me, did everything I asked of him, so why couldn't he accept this one thing I could do in return? Someone was after me, but I wasn't stupid enough to get myself trapped with a bear again. I'd be careful. I'd be fine. He almost died protecting me. I couldn't let him actually die, not like the others.

I wrapped my arms around myself, though it had nothing to do with the cold. The lycans sacrificed everything they had for me without a second thought. Why? Because their alpha ordered them too? Because they hated humans? Despite all I had thought about it, I couldn't come up with a logical explanation.

Just as I couldn't come up with a logical explanation for Cerberus. Why did he continue to stay with me, even obey me when I had nothing left to give?

Adrenaline shot through my veins. A face appeared inches from mine, the woman who had seized me about the shoulders. She was young. That was all I processed before I was yanked closer so that her frizzy curls pressed to my cheek.

"I know you!"

Momentary panic pierced my mind, freezing me in place. Preene had no communication with Askance; that was impossible.

"You're the albino trainer!"

Relief. Of course. I was famous here too.

"They're coming for you. Let's see you tame that lycan when he's really free. You'll end up just like Fandaris. Just wait until-"

A pause, then a shove. I stumbled backwards. Just as suddenly as she appeared, the girl was gone, blended into the crowd.

I blinked, just becoming aware of the fuss that was being made around me. People muttered and gathered on the side of the street. I glanced up, turning until I spotted the cause of the disturbance. A small troop of men, mostly soldiers, rode horseback from behind me. Near their center one particularly young man on a large white horse. Even without his fox mask, I recognized his brilliant red hair and mischievous features. He grinned as they rode closer, raising one arm to wave.

"Desire!" Darrius called. He kicked his horse, breaking through his guards to trot over, stopping in front of me. "I'm so glad I ran into you. I quite enjoyed our talk at the party, I was really hoping we could have another."

I forced a smile. Put on an act. Show only confidence. Stay in control. "Of course."

Darrius grinned. He slipped his foot from the stirrup, leaning over to offer his hand. I took it, using the stirrup to help as he hefted me up onto the draft's back. I settled myself behind the saddle. The horse was a lot higher and moved differently than Cerberus. Being the animal had a lot less fur than my usual lycan mount, I wrapped my arms around his waist. I could hear the smug satisfaction in his voice.

"Never ridden before?"

I eased my grip, relaxing into the creature's movements. "Not a horse."

"That's right," he chuckled, "I heard you ride your albino. That's a sight I am anxious to see."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The stones in my stomach turned. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while. He... he didn't fare so well in his last fight."

"Against the bear?"

I shifted to look up at the back of his head. "You heard about that already, then."

"Yes, I did." His wavy hair danced around his ears. His tone had changed, it now held a more bitter, scolding edge. "That was quite the foolish stunt you insisted on. I don't know what possessed you to want to take on a bear."

Insisted on? I pursed my lips but didn't remark. "Yeah, it was a bad idea."

"Even still, I don't know what Eemeli was thinking either, going along with all that. He could have at least let out the smaller one."

"There was another?"

The king glanced over his shoulder at me, a dubious expression lifting one eyebrow. "It does take two to fight."

So they were going to have a bear fight, too. I hadn't seen one yet, but I'd heard they were sometimes featured in the arenas, almost always sponsored by the royal family.

"Right. Silly me, I guess I wasn't thinking."

We walked in silence for a minute, only the clinking of the soldiers' armor and the people's muttering filled the air, until I thought of another question.

"So, where are we going?"

Darrius sighed. "Nowhere in particular. I was just riding to clear my mind some."

"Oh. Sorry to interrupt your thoughts, then."

"No, no. Actually, you showing up helped me out a lot."

"Really? How so?"

The redhead paused, seeming to consider his words before answering. "You see, my family line is dangerously thin. My mother died in childbirth and my father... You know. If I were to die, there would be no clear ruler. I have three cousins equally qualified for the throne. But the old world was never any good at settling those things peacefully. I doubt this new one will be any better."

I nodded against his back. I had read many accounts of countries with uncertain heirs. The wars could last years.

"So my advising council has been... encouraging me to marry someone. More like demanding, really." He let out a bitter laugh. "As soon as possible. Yesterday is preferable."

"So you need to find a noble lady you like?"

This time, Darrius's chuckle was more genuine. "This might be a kingdom, but it's not the old world. There aren't any dukes and duchesses in Preene. I can marry whomever I like. At this point, I think the council wouldn't care if I married a street whore. They've been after me for over a year now."

I frowned. Darrius was younger than me; a year ago he would have still been a kid. "And how exactly did I help with this?" Then it clicked.

"Well, I might have been a little drunk at the masquerade, but I still think we got off well." He laughed again. "Really well. Anyway, I thought it'd make everyone happy if I offered you the chance to sit on a throne again."

My head was so busy I forgot to hold on and nearly fell from the horse, just barely managing to save myself by the back of his coat. He was offering to make me a queen, to marry him? Immediately thoughts of the night previous sprung into my head. I would be giving up the possibility of that ever happening with Cyrus again.

But I pushed those thoughts aside. That was one night. Our entire relationship was never meant to be permanent from the moment we met. I had to think logically. Without the fights, I no longer had a source of income. With winter practically upon us, and Cerberus injured as he was, I had no way of leaving Preene either.

"But you barely know me."

Darrius waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Doesn't matter. For now, it's purely political, a backup ruler. We can work the rest out later."

I was backed in a corner, one that could easily turn desperate. I needed winter shelter, and if Cerberus got sick from his wounds, he would need all Preene had to offer to cure him. If I turned him down, I would be gambling with odds not in my favor.

But if I accepted, I would be crushing Cyrus's dream of being a top manager. Actually, I had already done that; he simply didn't know it yet. Another stone to the pile. It hardly mattered anymore; there were so many of them.

"Alright then, I accept."

I had to take advantage of this situation. I would be the second most powerful person in Preene, a power I could use to protect my lycans and keep my promise. This was the right decision to make, despite how wrong it may feel.

"Great!" Darrius grew three inches with just those few words. "Now, let's go to the palace gardens so we can tell our kids I proposed somewhere much more romantic than the streets."

This was the right thing to do. Decisions like this weren't supposed to be easy. This was the only path I could take.

“By the way,” Darrius, my fiancé, twisted around to look back at me, “You haven't happened to see a woman… rounded face, dark, curly hair, have you? She's a lycan sympathizer. Attacked a trainer the other day. Officially, I'm out here looking for her.”

I shook my head before laying my cheek against his back. “No, no one that I noticed.”