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Category: Romance/Fantasy
Description: Can a wolf claim a kingdom and a princess for his own? He was a prince, set to inherit his uncle's throne. She was the daughter of a baron, left in the hands of a wicked stepmother and treated as a slave. Could he be her prince, the one that would take her away from the torment her stepmother forces upon her? Would she be the one to rule beside him and share his wolf, to become his mate? Would happily ever after be in their grasp? Excerpt: A snuffling noise and then the sound of a growl had her jumping to her feet. She backed away from the gate as it slowly slid open. She couldn't take her eyes away from that ever-widening gap. The nose that pushed through was higher than she'd thought possible and she gasped, terror making her shake. "No," she breathed. "Please..." It was a wolf, but one unlike any she'd seen before. It was huge, its fur thick and very soft looking. The wolf's eyes were a startling green and strangely intelligent. It stared at her, moving out of the way of the closing gate. However, it didn't stalk her. No, it took two more steps toward her and then sat. Ariana could feel its eyes on her, and she froze, unable to move. Her breathing was harsh and raspy as she slowly held out the rest of the bread, letting it drop from her hand. The wolf never moved; it didn't even glance at the bread.
eBook Publisher: Eternal Press/Damnation Books LLC/Eternal Press, 2011 2011
eBookwise Release Date: February 2011

22 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [139 KB]
Words: 28119
Reading time: 80-112 min.

Chapter One

He ran through the woods, relishing the freedom he felt. His fur was blowing in the cool breeze, brushing against the ferns and underbrush he easily passed through. His tongue lolled out of his wide mouth causing him to look a bit goofy. His teeth were sharp white fangs that glinted in the sunlight.

He had dark fur tinged with red and a hint of gray. He was bigger than the normal wolf, a keen intelligence shining in his eerie green eyes. It gave him a look of humanity unusual in a wild creature.

A sudden sound caught his attention and he stopped, tipping his head to the side.

"Can you do nothing right, girl!" The sound of flesh violently meeting flesh had him changing direction. He moved quickly toward where he knew he'd find the girl who was just slapped. She was through a dense hedge made of tailored bushes surrounding a wide garden.

"I'm sorry, Stepmother." The voice was pretty if a bit husky. The wolf could tell, just from her voice, the girl was in distress. It upset him, and he felt a growl crowd in his chest. It wanted out, but he didn't want anyone to know he was here yet.

"Finish picking the vegetables and bring them up to the house for Cook to wash, girl. Don't make me have to tell you again."

"No, Stepmother, you won't have to tell me again." There was a flurry of noise, like material brushing over plants. Then the girl's voice again, "Far be it for you to bend down here and help me."

The compulsion to get a glimpse of this girl was overpowering. He pushed his head through the bush and let his eyes roam over the garden until they fell on her. She looked like a princess, despite the grime that stained reddened cheeks and the scratches and bruises that seemed to be on every inch of exposed flesh. Her hair was pulled back, tiny strands straggling down around her face. Her eyes were huge and deep purple in color, a very intriguing and unusual hue, almost as intriguing as the girl herself.

She was bent over a row of plants, struggling to pull root vegetables out of the hard-packed ground. As he watched, a small rabbit hopped closer to where she was standing and reached into the basket she'd been filling to snitch a loose carrot. She turned and saw the creature but didn't scream or chase the varmint. Instead, she put her hands upon her hips and laughed.