Chapter 105

Rowena

The sun cast golden rays on the carpet as I stood in the middle of my bedroom, surveying the half-packed bag on my bed with a frown. Would this be enough for three months of training?

Finally, after deciding that I wasn’t quite ready yet and stuffing in a few more shirts, I zipped it closed and slung the strap over my shoulder. A soft sniffle made me turn toward the doorway, and I felt my face drop slightly when I saw the sad faces staring back at me.

My parents lingered there, my mom’s eyes red-rimmed and glistening with tears. She attempted a watery smile when she saw me looking, but I could see right through it. She didn’t want me to leave.

“You’re really going, huh?” she murmured.

Crossing the room with a sigh, I pulled my mom into a tight hug and shot my dad an apologetic look over her slender shoulder. “It’s only for a few months, Mom,” I reassured her. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I know, I know.” She squeezed me tighter, her fingers digging into my back. “It’s just… after everything, the thought of you being out there without us—”

“I won’t be alone,” I reminded her gently, leaning back to meet her gaze. “Eric’s going to be with me the whole time, you know that.”

My dad made a disgruntled noise from the doorway and shook his head. “Yes, and we’re just supposed to feel better about the whole thing because of that?” he scoffed, although there was no real heat in those words.

I shot him a playful glare over my mom’s shoulder. “You could at least pretend to have a little faith in your own son, you know.”

“Of course I have faith in him,” my dad protested gruffly. “It doesn’t mean that I’m not allowed to be concerned about the two of you kids running off together into… whatever this is, though.”

Laughter bubbled up in my chest as I pulled away from my mom to face him. “Dad, in case you’ve forgotten, I’m the lost princess who survived not one, but two arrows aimed for my head. I think I can handle a few months at some training camp.”

It was true; thanks to our victory at the tournament, Eric and I were not headed North to my father’s kingdom like one might think—rather, we were headed further south for the Southern Wolverine Championships, an elite competition for the best of the best warrior and combat manager duos. After three months of training, we would compete.

And hopefully, we would win.

My mother sighed and waved her hand at my father. “She’s right, dear. She’s as safe as can be in that training camp. Nothing could touch her there.”

I nodded in agreement. “And besides, it’s not like we’ll be alone out there. Stefan…” I paused, using my biological father’s first name; I still couldn’t bring myself to call him ‘dad’, not yet. Despite everything, the people who raised me were still my parents. It was just a bit more… complicated now.

“Anyway, he’s sending an entire security team to keep an eye on us,” I finished, regaining my train of thought.

My dad snorted at that. “Yeah, that makes me feel so much better.”

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly and glanced out the window. Sure enough, a hulking armored truck was idling in our driveway, flanked by two black SUVs that were no doubt stuffed with my biological father’s guards.

He had insisted on sending them with me. “I can’t lose my daughter again,” he had said. The sight of it all should have filled me with worry—but instead, an odd sense of calm washed over me.

For the first time in my life, I knew who I was. I knew where I came from. And no matter what lay ahead, I wouldn’t be facing it alone.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I pulled my parents in for one last hug. “I love you guys. Try not to worry too much, okay? This is an amazing opportunity, and you know Eric won’t let anything happen to me.”

My mom sniffled again, but she was smiling when she pulled back. “We know, sweetie. Just… be careful out there. And write to us as much as you can!”

“Of course.” Planting a kiss on each of their cheeks, I headed for the door. “I’ll see you both soon!”

They trailed after me down the stairs, their footsteps heavy on the old wood. Emma was waiting in the living room, wringing her hands anxiously.

“Ro!” She flung herself at me, squeezing me so tightly I could barely breathe. “I can’t believe you’re really leaving me. So soon after we became friends, too.”

Hugging her back just as fiercely, I blinked away a sudden rush of tears. “It’s only temporary, Em,” I assured her. “I’ll be back for our hot chocolate dates before you know it.”

She let out a watery giggle, leaning back to wipe at her damp cheeks with the back of her hand. “You’d better. And you’d better write to me, like, every single day! I want to know everything.”

“I will, I promise.” It wasn’t a lie; I would be doing a lot of writing while I was there. During training, we wouldn’t be allowed to use our phones, but letters were still allowed. No distractions, but not completely cut off from the outside world. “Just don’t go replacing me with a new best friend while I’m gone, okay?”

Emma scoffed, giving me a playful shove. “As if anyone could replace you, loser.”

I giggled. The front door swung open then, and one of the armed guards bowed his head respectfully as he stepped into the foyer. “Princess,” he said, “it’s time to leave.”

I nodded, quickly blinking back a fresh wave of tears. Giving my parents and Emma one last tight hug each, I followed the guard out the door. The sun was practically blinding as I stepped out into the daylight, so much so that I had to squint.

There, up ahead, the armored truck was waiting for me. It looked cold and empty in front of the sun-soaked landscape, but my heart softened for a different reason.

Because Eric was standing in front of the open truck door, his bag at his feet.

His eyes found mine immediately, prompting a grin. “There she is,” he said with a mock bow as I approached. “Are you about ready, Your Highness?”

I rolled my eyes at his teasing, but I was smiling as he held out his hand expectantly. Gripping the strap of my bag tighter, I walked down the pathway toward him. As I drew closer, his arm snaked out and looped around my waist, pulling me flush against his body. I gasped softly, my bag slipping from my hand and falling to the ground with a dull thud.

For a long, heady moment, we just gazed at each other, neither of us speaking. Eric’s blond hair rustled in the wind, his brilliant blue eyes flashing with affection. I raised a hand to cup his square jaw in my palm, and leaned forward on my tiptoes to press a searing, yet tender, kiss to his lips.

Nothing else existed then—nothing except for that kiss and the promise of a new adventure. Together, as always. The way it should be.

When we finally pulled away, the world came hurtling back into focus in a blur of shapes and colors. The birds seemed to sing louder than ever, the breeze ruffling a stray curl into my eyes. I beamed up at my knight, my mate, and tugged him closer by the pendant he wore around his neck.

“I’m always ready with you.”