Chapter 4

King Xenon stood before a window in his chambers, staring out at the grand expanse of his palace. His gaze drifted skyward, and he noticed the half moon hanging at the corner of the sky, surrounded by thousands of glittering stars. A wolf howled in the distance, and the chirping of crickets assaulted his ears. The entire scenery should be comforting—calming even—but instead, he was trying to resist a shift.

His wolf had been banging against the edge of his chest for a while now, craving a run in the woods. But he couldn't do that; he had no desire to release that part of him on a night like this. There was also the agitation that came from not fulfilling his sexual needs. His skin prickled as if a thousand needles had been sunk into it, and despite the cool breeze brushing him, he felt as hot as a baker's oven. Dismissing both urges had him developing a headache that only added to his irritation.

Letting out a deep sigh, he turned his attention to the bottles of suppressants his healer, Ladrian, had provided. His warnings not to overdose still rang in his ears, reminding him that he had increased the potency of the potions and that the king should be careful with his dosage, lest he grow immune to this new mix.

He needed to find a woman who would fulfill his sexual needs before he pushed himself to the brink of madness. Shaking off the horrid memories clawing at the edge of his mind, he scoffed.

Madness.

It didn't seem like a bad idea. If it would offer escape from the hellish life he was living now, he would gladly take it. The pounding in his skull worsened as his wolf raged inside him, begging to be let out. Instead, he walked toward the table, picked up one of the bottles, and emptied the contents into his mouth. Ignoring the acrid taste, he gulped it down, grimacing as it made its way down his throat.

Now all he had to do was wait for the potion to kick in. A huge wave of weariness crashed over him, and he closed his eyes, hanging his head low.

How long would he keep living like this!?

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Across the palace, Rayena was going through her own dilemma as well. She had been in the palace harem for a few days now, and just as Soraya had told her, there hadn't been a summon from the king—the one she had been supposedly promised to—much less an introduction to other parts of the castle. Every day she slept and woke, having everything she could possibly need delivered to her room–before she asked. Even the other women hadn't come to see her, making her feel truly alone.

Normally, she should be content with this, but for someone who was brought here against her will, the situation only served to make her more peeved. She wanted to leave the harem, tour the palace at least, become familiar with the place where she might be spending the rest of her life—or maybe find an escape route.

But when she aired her grievances to Soraya, who stopped by six days later, the latter was quick to shut it down.

"First off," Soraya said, her golden eyes sharpening. "unless summoned, no one is allowed to leave the harem building and venture into the main palace. I've tried to so many times, and every time I would be caught by the guards and sent back. The last thing you want is to be embarrassed by the guards. They are ruthless."

A chill shot down Rayena's spine at those words. But Soraya wasn't done. "Secondly, any plans you have about escaping are better off abolished. Besides the fact that you would be caught if you attempted it, I also don't think you'll be able to locate an exit outside of the shifters' realm. The borders have been closed to humans a long time ago—hence the surprise when you first arrived here."

The words hit Rayena like a sword to the gut. She recoiled. Thinking about it a while later, she realized Soraya was right. After all, before she was brought here, she had been drugged and knocked unconscious. There was no way for her to know what path they had taken.

Everything felt hopeless.

Still, Rayena couldn't give up. She continued nurturing thoughts of escaping, waiting for the perfect moment to scout the area and look for loopholes. One night, after countless tosses and turns on the bed, unable to sleep, she rose to her feet and wrapped a cloak around herself. A decision had been made.

Being cramped up in the same place for over a week had driven her crazy. She needed to be anywhere but this room.

"I just need some fresh air, that's all..." she muttered to herself when doubts crept in. A walk out in the gardens shouldn't hurt. She’d seen some beautiful ones on her arrival here. Carefully, she pushed her door open, peeking around to see if there were passersby or guards.

Spotting no one, she stealthily slipped out of her room, closing the door quietly behind her. Moonlight pooled across the marble corridors, pale and cold as spilled milk. Starting down the corridor, she could hear chatter coming from other rooms and a number of women in groups, walking about. Hiding behind columns, she waited until they were out of sight before continuing out of the building.

Her feet touched the soft grass beneath her, and she let out a huge sigh of relief. It was her first taste of freedom in a while, and it was glorious. Looking around to make sure no one was following her, she sprinted across the large lawn, cool night air rushing past her. The scent of lavender and earth filled her senses, an euphoric emotion settling over her. Silver light from the moon guided her through the dark trees, and she ran, leaving the harem gardens behind, approaching a long demarcation made up of trees.

Weaving through the huge trunks, moonlight now sparse thanks to the thick canopy of leaves, she evaded tree roots and their skeletal branches sticking out, keeping her breath steady. Still cutting her way through, she froze when she felt the uncanny sensation of someone watching her. Straightening, she looked around, the hair on her nape standing on end. Wondering if it was a guard, she called out.

"Hello, is anyone there?" Her voice trembled, and unconsciously, she started backing away. A low growl rumbled somewhere in the dark. That’s when she saw it—a pair of gleaming, animal-like eyes staring directly at her.

Rayena froze, her blood curdling in her veins. Horror like no other seized her, and she scrambled backward, almost losing her footing when the thing snarled, baring its teeth, drool pouring from its sides, hunger blazing in its eyes.

The animal leapt into the air, aiming directly at her...!!