THE HIDDEN PRINCESS AND HER FOUR MATES

The royal convoy moved through Shadowpine Forest like a funeral procession. Slow. Heavy. Suffocating. I sat in the back of the gilded carriage, my hands folded perfectly in my lap, my spine straight, my expression serene. Everything a princess should be. Everything I hated. “You look beautiful, Your Highness,” my lady-in-waiting whispered. “Alpha King Theron will be pleased.” I didn’t respond. Couldn’t. If I opened my mouth, I might scream. In three days, I would marry him. In three days, I would become Queen of the Northern Territories. In three days, my life would end. Theron was a monster. Everyone knew it. But he was a powerful monster, and my father needed his alliance. So I was the sacrifice. “Princess Aria?” My guard captain rode up beside the carriage. “We should reach the border by nightfall.” “Thank you, Captain.” He nodded and fell back into formation. I stared out the window at the darkening forest. Something felt wrong. The air was too still. The birds too quiet. Then I smelled it. Rogue wolves. “AMBUSH!” the captain screamed. The carriage lurched as something massive slammed into it from the side. Wood splintered. Glass shattered. I was thrown against the wall, my head cracking against the frame. Screams erupted outside. Steel on steel. Growls and snarls. I kicked open the carriage door and stumbled out. Chaos. My guards were fighting—and losing—against at least a dozen rogue wolves. These weren’t ordinary rogues. They moved like trained warriors. Coordinated. Deadly. One of them saw me. He was massive. Easily six and a half feet tall, with dark hair, sharp features, and eyes like burning coal. He wore leather armor marked with symbols I didn’t recognize. “Well, well,” he said, his voice deep and rough. “What do we have here?” I ran. I made it about ten feet before he caught me. His hand closed around my arm and spun me back against a tree. His body pinned mine, one hand beside my head, the other gripping my waist. “Running, Princess?” His breath was hot against my neck. “I thought royals had better manners.” “Let me go.” I tried to sound commanding. It came out breathless. “No.” He leaned closer, inhaling deeply. “You smell like fear and arousal. Which is stronger, Princess?” Heat flooded my face. “You’re insane.” “Probably.” His smile was wicked. “I’m Kade. And you just became very valuable to me.” “My guards will—” “Your guards are dead or dying.” He wasn’t gloating. Just stating fact. “You can scream if you want. Won’t change anything.” Another rogue approached. Blonde hair, cruel smile, eyes like ice. “Is this her?” “Yeah.” Kade’s grip on my waist tightened possessively. “Alpha King Theron’s future bride.” “She’s prettier than I expected,” the blonde said. “I’m Asher, Princess. Your new nightmare.” A third man emerged from the shadows. Silent. Dangerous. Dark eyes that seemed to see everything. He didn’t speak, just studied me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. “That’s Riven,” Kade said. “He doesn’t talk much. But he’s very good at other things.” “This is kidnapping,” I said, forcing strength into my voice. “My father will hunt you down.” “Let him try.” A fourth voice. I turned to see a younger man—maybe twenty-five—with wild red hair and a feral grin. “I’m Jax. And this is going to be fun.” Kade’s hand moved from my waist to my throat. Not choking. Just holding. Claiming. “Here’s what’s going to happen,” he said quietly. “You’re coming with us. You can walk, or we can carry you. Your choice.” “I’ll scream.” “No one’s left to hear you.” He was right. The forest had gone silent. My guards weren’t fighting anymore. “Why are you doing this?” I asked. “Because Alpha King Theron destroyed our families. Killed our packs. Left us with nothing.” Kade’s eyes burned into mine. “And now we’re going to use you to destroy him.” “I’m not a weapon.” “No,” Asher said, stepping closer. “You’re a bargaining chip. A very pretty one.” Riven’s hand suddenly grabbed my chin, tilting my face up. His thumb brushed my lower lip. Still silent. Still watching. “Don’t touch her yet,” Kade ordered. “Not until we have rules.” “Rules?” Jax laughed. “Since when do we have rules?” “Since we brought a princess into our den.” Kade released my throat but caught my wrist instead. “Rule number one: If one of us touches you, the others walk away. We don’t share. Not without permission.” My heart was pounding. “Permission? You think I’d—” “Rule number two,” he continued, ignoring me. “You try to escape, you get punished. And we’re very creative with punishments.” “This is insane.” “Rule number three.” His voice dropped lower. Darker. “If you beg? All bets are off.” Heat pooled low in my stomach. Wrong. This was wrong. But my wolf was purring. “I would never—” “We’ll see.” Kade pulled me away from the tree. “Let’s go, Princess. Your new life is waiting.” They surrounded me. Kade in front, Asher behind, Riven on my left, Jax on my right. A cage of muscle and danger. And the terrifying part? I didn’t want to escape.