The Alpha King's Mate novel Chapter 3

I play a game of hide and seek with my new friend, a fox I name Ember. I introduce myself to him. "I'm Maia," I tell him. Ember nudges my head playfully with his and then runs in circles. He leaps at me and falls on my chest, and as we both roll backwards, we notice the entrance to a cave hidden by a curtain of vines. 

In awe at its magnificence and beauty, thousands of glow worms illuminate the cave. It's mesmerising and magical to view. The cave's walls are overgrown with green vines and purple flowers. The cave is filled with a sweet floral scent.

Ember and I follow the trail of glow worms through the cave until we can go no further and must turn right, where the cave ends. Sunlight shines through a rectangle-shaped hole in the wall. It is a perfect window that lights up this part of the cave.

I approach the hole to look at the water flowing over it outside. It's like a waterfall. I let the water fill my cupped hands and drink it. It's cold, delicious and refreshing.

"Ember, I think this cave will be our new home," I say, smiling, and look down at Ember, who rubs his head against my leg, agreeing.

Collecting moss, bark, and leaves, I make a soft bed from the materials. Next, I roll three tree stumps into the cave and make a table with the large stump and two stools to sit on with the two smaller stumps. "This will do just fine," I say, proud of myself.

It feels like home. Ember approaches me with a violet flower in his mouth and drops it on my lap.

"Thank you, Ember. It's such a pretty flower. It's the same colour as my eyes," I smile and look down at Ember's sweet furry face.

Lying on my bed with Ember snuggled up next to me, I listen to the sound of the waterfall, the birds singing, and the breeze blowing through the trees before drifting off to sleep.

Maia: 18 years old

It's rare to see other humans in the forest, and when I do see them, I follow them quietly, without making my presence known. I sit up high in a tree and listen to their conversations to learn what I can about the world outside the forest.

They speak about werewolves and how much they loathe them, that they are unnatural beings who should be eradicated. They say werewolves are ferocious and dangerous, that they kill their own young.

After hearing these conversations, I fear werewolves, and I wouldn't dare approach one if I ever came across one.

My forest is the only land neither king rules. It's neutral land between two opposing kingdoms, and most people do not dare to enter.

The humans say it's only a matter of time until war breaks out between the two kingdoms: West Wallow, the human realm, ruled by King Fenris, and Moon Crest Valley, the werewolf realm, ruled by Alpha King Damon.