The princess and the werewolf

y beneath the moon, but Prince

, her fingers clenched tightly into he

a," the Queen said. "The council has ag

heart

ld behind his smile. Something calculating. She had seen it every time he b

e him," Lyra

Queen replied. "

taring at the door as dread coiled tightly in her ch

ock

uld answer, t

en stepp

othly, closing the door behind him. "I though

t once. "You sh

"Soon, everything here will be

ulse

ened. Lyra backed away instinctivel

ched f

oded insid

urned

t, her breath tearing from her lungs as

llowed her cries as she fled into the open gr

, footstep

shouted. "You can

nto the darkness. The marble burned now-hot, urge

e air s

ent unnatur

pped out of

eyes

Arven

-" he

er fin

ist connecting with Arven's jaw and sending him crump

hitching, staring at the

e," she

yes blazing-not with anger, but wi

been left unprotect

," Lyra cried. "I didn

ared violentl

his hand rose-and dark

oke to

ce-but something

the sky unfamiliar above her. Strange stars sh

panic rising. "Wh

s not h

d gently now, as

was

roached, ligh

feline, her movements graceful and alert. Her ears-

l said softly. "I am Nyra. I

. "Assigned

intly. "Yes. B

he?" Lyr

urned to the palace. He believed y

He had brought her to

e said bitterly. "And a

not abandon you. He protected you. A

eakly. "That m

rble inside you has changed him. Wolf marbles do

r hands, trembling. "T

rld is no longer safe for you. And because fate

rd, staring at th

n taken fro

her k

her

, deep insi

only the