Alpha Queen [1]

xxiii

Mother nature always knew when a war was coming.

The clouds blocked the sun's warm rays and the sky was a dark, murky gray. The sign of an impending storm.

Troy and his wolves headed out for the Trueblood castle with blood being the only thing on their minds. They left before the sun rose. . . and I was too late.

I was confined back to the cells. I was lying down on my side and making lines on the floor with a rock when I heard a voice.

"What're you doing down here?" The guard asked and I waited for a response but all I heard was the sound of a body hitting the ground.

A tall figure in a black cloak appeared before me. They kicked the door to my cell wide open with one swift movement and it landed on the ground with a loud thud.

I stared at the hooded figure and squinted at the face, wondering if I could trust them.

The person removed their hood and I gasped.

"Iris?" I asked and smiled when I saw the tell-tale white hair escape the hood. "Iris!" I exclaimed in relief.

When she didn't visit me again I honestly thought she made a deal with Troy. I was glad she proved me wrong.

"We have to move. Alpha Troy left an hour ago." She said, all business, and started to sprint to the exit. I had a hard time following her since her strides were so long.

"My parents—" I stared longingly back at the cell.

"They won't make it a mile out before they're captured again. We'll come for them later. We need to go." Iris pushed me forward as we reached the door. She must've sensed my hesitation because she said, "Ares' wolf has grown very weak. The only way to fix it is if he sees you."

All I could do was follow her.

We made our way through the maze of halls and avoided only two guards stationed by the throne room. Troy was too arrogant to leave wolves to guard the cells. With her knowledge, Iris led us out one of the backdoors.

The air was crisp but not cold. There were small patches of grass next to melting snow which is how I knew that spring was here. I couldn't believe I missed so much time.

"How are we supposed to get there?" I asked as my feet sunk in the snow. Wasn't the ride an hour from here?

Iris started to take off her cloak. Her pale skin and hair matched the snow on the ground.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'm going to phase and you're going to get on my back." Iris said simply as she took off her shoes next.

I shielded my eyes as I heard bones break into place.

.•*•.

Her wolf was fast. She was definitely faster than riding a horse would be. I wrapped my arms around her neck and held on for dear life. Her red fur was soft but rough in some places, just like Ares's.