Chapter 118


    Maio


    I draw figure eights in the water with my feet while I’m deep in thought. If Damon is telling the truth


    about werewolves, why is there going to be a war? Viges have been told stories that aren’t true!


    Would the war still happen if humans knew wolves are kind? Will I have to help defend Moon Crest


    Valley? What happens to all the innocent people like Vivian and her children?


    A very broad, bulky man with ck, dirty, scruffy hair appears in front of the trees. He is bigger than


    Damon, at least half a foot taller. He has brown eyes and doesn’t look very friendly. I stand up, face


    him, focus and summon fireballs in my hands.


    ‘You’re definitely the Forest Princess with those mes and those violet eyes,’ he says with a husky


    voice,


    Don’te any closer, or I will hurt you!’ I yell.


    ‘No need to yell. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to talk,’ he says, sitting down on a rock near the


    waterfall


    I close my hands, extinguishing the mes.


    Who are you? What do you want?” I ask,


    ‘I am Sir Hugo, Knight of West Wallow.’Sir Hugo aits down again on the rock


    ‘What do you want?’ I ask as I close my hands extinguish the mes in my handa.


    You’ve be well known in West Wallow. At first, I didn’t believe the stories. A forest princess of


    beauty and power? Yet here you are, in the forest, definitely beautiful and powerful. You were going to


    set me on fire,’ he says, amirking.


    ‘And?” I say, awaiting more information. He grins and crosses his arms,


    ‘King Fenris would like very much to meet you and offer you lodgings at his castle, to keep you safe


    during the war and from the werewolves,’ he informs me.


    With my brow furrowed, and my arms crossed, I ask, ‘Why would I want to meet a king who starves his


    people? And why would I need protection from the wolves? The werewolves are the innocent ones


    here,’I goy.


    Sir Hugo pausea, nts his hands on his knees, and inhales ateadily.


    “King Fenris is a fair and great ruler, and he isn’t starving his people. He protecting them by saving


    them from the wolves, They will wipe kill all humans if they win this war,’ he says.


    ‘That’s not truel They want to live peacefully, and they don’t like killing anyone unless they absolutely


    have to ‘I say.


    You know thin how? Have you met any werewolves?’ He argues.


    Actually, I have I’ve met Alpha King Damon,’ I say proudly. Bir Hugo’s mouth fa open.


    You’ve met Alpha King Darnon?’ He aoka Brlle and fold my arms ocross my chest.


    ‘Yes, and he 18n’t how the storico paint him to be. He lg sweet and kind and gentle and, ‘I feel mysolf


    blushing slightly. thinking of him-Sr Hugo bursts intoughter


    Don’t let me you have a cryoh on him) Il m’s the Alpha King Damon I’m thinking ol, i can tell you right


    now, kitten, he is puting in a foc de and inatupting YOU NO he caji wae your powers in this waar.


    When he has won the war and wiped Wb out the will forget about you or may even just kill you Hein


    just fooling you do that he can control you wd use your *#piglo dereol King Fenrikt Sit Hupu concludere,


    hurting the deeply


    I look at the ground so he can’t see how much he has hurt me.


    Damon wouldn’t lie to me. He wouldn’t pretend to be kind to me, would he? Does he really only want


    me for my powers? I haven’t met any other werewolves to know. But he does know I’m a primal sprite


    Confused, I realise it’s quite possible Damon could be fooling me. Maybe werewolves really are


    ruthless creatures.


    ‘I don’t want to believe you,” I say. Sir Hugo smirks and walks over to me.


    ‘You can believe what you want, kitten. King Fenris has ordered I find you, and you are to lodge at his


    castle,’ he says


    ‘Well, you can thank King Fenris for his offer, but I’ll be fine right here,’ I say. Sir Hugo grins.


    I was hoping my sweet charm would persuade you to let me escort you back to King Fenris.’


    ‘Sorry, but youck the sweet charm. Better luck next time.’


    My response angers him, but I stand my ground because I don’t fear him “Alpha King Damon will be


    back here any minute, so I suggest you leave before he returns. Or before I set you on fire.’ I shout


    He doesn’t flinch and res at me with his arms folded across his chest. Sir Hugo grabs my wrist and


    snaps a thick. heavy iron cuff around it.


    ‘Let go! What are you doing?’ I yell, quickly casting a me in each hand. The iron cuff burns my skin. I


    cry out in pain and close my cuffed hand to extinguish the me. Clunk. Another iron cuff, attached to


    the first


    one by a chain is snapped onto my other wrist.


    The only way I won’t burn myself is to refrain from using my powers.


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    Take these off me!’ scream. Sir Hugo smirks at me.


    “Every time you try to use your powers, the iron cuffs will burn you. Iron is a sprite’s weakness,’ he


    says.


    Ember runs toward Sir Hugo and bites down hard on his ankle.


    You little’ He yells, picks Ember up, and throws him a fair distance.


    Before I can see if Ember is okay. Sir Hugo scoops me up, drapes me over his shoulder, and walks


    away from the cave.


    ‘Stop! What are you doing!? Where are you taking me?’ I demand, kicking and screaming and


    punching his back until feel a sharp, unexpected sting on my backside.


    I wince in pain from the p.


    ‘Be quiet, it’s a long trek back, and I don’t want to hear you carry on like a feral cal!


    My eyes well with tears, and I try to summon any of the elements to use against me, but my wrists


    begin to burn in harnessing the energy. I cry in defeat while draped over Sir Hugo’s shoulder. We


    approach arge thoroughbred with the glossiest, jet, ck mane. He is beautiful, too beautiful to be


    owned by this big smelly brute


    Sir Hugo flings me over the front of the horse, in front of the brown leather saddle, and hoists himself


    up behind me


    on the horse.


    I’d rather walk, please,’ I say quietly, sobbing


    Well, I’d like to get to West Wallow Castle within the week and not o month,’ he snaps


    Well, I’d rather walk and get there in a month than sit this close to a smelly, disgusting, repulsive old


    bruler


    Too bad, kitten’ He says, reaching for the reina, gives the horse a nudge with his heel, and Nicks the


    reins, telling the horse to move


    New tears appear when I think of Damon and how he will find an empty cave when he returns with B


    Troy and his


    lying to me? I’m hurt and confused.


    Alpha King Damon


    Troy and I are mutually happy to see each other, and we pat each other on the back andugh


    because we’re in good humour and goodpany.


    Zayden trails a couple of metres behind Troy and is a little reserved, given all he has been through.


    ‘You must be Zayden,’ I say, crouching down to his eye level and putting my hand out to shake his.


    Zayden kneels lower still, on the ground in front of me.


    ‘Alpha King Damon. It’s a real honour to meet you,’ he says with a beaming smile.


    ‘Most people just call me Alpha Damon. You can too if you like,’I say, smiling at him-Zayden nods and


    smiles.


    ‘I can’t wait to meet our Luna! Let’s go,’ Troy says excitedly.


    We arrive back at the waterfall, and there is no sign of her.


    ‘She must be resting inside the cave,’ I tell them, and they follow me into the cave. They’re in awe of


    the thousands of glow worms inside. We reach the small room with her bed and the tree stump table


    and stools, and she isn’t there.


    ‘How strange. Maybe she has gone to pick some fruit?’ I wonder aloud. We leave the cave and go to


    the plum tree, which has remained unchanged since Ist walked past it. I start to worry, and Troy is


    also concerned.


    ‘I don’t understand. She was right here, by the waterfall. I told her I wouldn’t be long.’


    ‘Alpha… you don’t think she’s run away, again, do you?’.


    ‘No, no, she wouldn’t. She wasn’t scared, and she was looking forward to meeting you both. There isn’t


    a reason she would leave me again, wait! Do you smell that?” I ask,


    Troy sniffs the air in the direction I’m sniffing in and walks forward, still catching a watt of something.


    ‘Human,’ he says. ‘One in desperate need of a bath at that!


    ‘Shit! I don’t understand. She would have used her powers if she was in danger. Unless she might have


    gone willingly?’ I suggest.


    The bush beside us rustles, and Troy, Zayden and I let out a growl, ready to shift into wolf form if we


    need to


    ‘Ember!’ I yell as he pokes his head out from the greenery. Ember limps toward me with a sore back


    leg.


    You’re hurt. What happened, you poor thing? Where is Maia?’


    pick him up and hold him in my arms, cuddling him, Wriggling, he indicates he wants to be put down on


    the ground, He limps a small distance before lifting a front paw and pointing in a certain direction. Troy


    and I undress.


    ‘Troy, we might be able to catch them in wolf form! Zayden, hop on Troy’s back, and hold our clothes,’l


    tell them both, throwing my clothes and boots to Zayden, who catches everything, and bundles our


    boots Inside the clothes for safekeeping


    We run as fast as we can following Maia’s ecent