Synopsis

ElrethisaPrincessintheworldofAnima—wherehumanscanshiftintotheformoftheiranimalancestors.AstheLionKing'sdaughter,Elrethbreaksathousand-yeartraditionwhenshechallengesherfatherfordominance—andwins.ButasthefirstknowndominantAlphaFemale,shefacesalonely,anddangerousRule.

Aaryn,Elreth’sbestfriend,hasalwayssecretlylovedherbeauty,andherstrength.Butasamemberofthewolf-tribe,andunabletoshape-shift,heisnotviewedastherightMateforAnima'sfirstDominantQueen.

WheneventsforceAaryntoadmithisfeelings,forthefirsttime,Elreth'seyesareopenedtoAarynnotjustasafriend,butasamale--andherTrueMate.ButAarynalsohassecrets.Secretsspanningdecades,thatopenElreth'seyestothethreatsagainstherpeople,andthreatentoteardowntheroyalfamily,andtheAnimaasawhole.

Canlovereallyconquerall?CanElrethconvinceaprejudicedpeopletoacceptAarynashermatebeforethesesecretsthreatennotjustherrule,butherlife?

NOTE:Thisbookisaspin-offintheKINGOFBEASTSseries,notasequel.Itcanbereadasastand-alonestoryanddoesnotcontainsignificantspoilers.

[MatureContent:Nosexualviolence]

Then,ashestaredather,hisscentchanged.Whichonlyconfusedhermore,untilsomethingflashedbehindhiseyes.Somethingshe’donlyeverseeninherfather’sfacewhenhewasstaringathermother.

Desperation.Joy.Hunger.

Butthatwascrazy,whywould—?

Andsuddenly,likeacubtumblingdownagrassyhilltolandonitsfeet,everythingfellintoplace.

Everything.

Hermouthdroppedopen.Sheblinked.Andblinkedagain.Andforthefirsttimeinaverylongtime,shelookedathim.

Notatherconfidante.

Notatherclosestally.

Notatthefriendwho’dbeenpresentforeverymajormilestoneinherlife.

ShelookedatAaryn.Themale.Thewolf.

Shestaredathissilver-whitehair,thatscatteredoverhisice-blueeyes,fixedonher,andcreatedabarrierbetweenthem.Shelookedatthestrengthinhisjaw,shadowedbecauseofthelatehour.Shelethergazedriftdownthecordsofhisneck,andhisbroadshouldersandthewide,smoothexpanseofhischestthatroseandfellrapidly.Andsheletherselfremembertheladdersofmusclethatpaintedhistorso—hiddenbythewhiteshirthewore.Sheswallowed.She’dseeneveryinchofhimatsomepoint.

Well,almost.

Hermouthwentdry.