I was eventually pulled out of the car by a man who was much more aggressive than the queen and far larger as well. But I wasn't terribly afraid, just a little intimidated. I knew in my mind that I was going to be a princess; I was the prince's mate after all. And that meant that I could not be harmed for any reason. I had become precious cargo in a matter of seconds. But the idea that I was going to be treated decently didn't soothe the worry that was knotting in my stomach.

What would my father do without me? And Cass, would she be alright too? Willow had probably told both of them the news already. In fact, she had probably shouted it to any and every pack member who hadn't seen the spectacle themselves. The silly girl would presumably be excited for me, most people would be seeing as I was mated to one of the most powerful werewolves.

But all I could think was that I had been ripped away from my family before my mate had even touched my skin and whispered something reassuring in my ear.

Eventually, I was able to calm myself down by reminding myself that the prince was my mate. When he saw me again he would pull me into his arms, kiss my forehead, and give me whatever I wanted. That meant that my family would be with me again soon, I just had to wait to see the prince and express my emotions. Once I did that I would feel silly for getting so worked up and upset over the situation.

Those thoughts comforted me as I was driven to places I had never been. We must've drove for hours, but I refused to open my mouth and ask where we were heading. The queen was nothing but rude and I knew her guards wouldn't even bother answering me. I might've been a lowly werewolf, but I was not going to be treated this unfairly, nor was I going to bring more bitter comments upon myself.

After what felt like an eternity of silence and boredom I felt the car suddenly turn and then come to a harsh stop. My eyes immediately focused on the massive gates before us. With a loud, daunting creak, the gates began to open and the car gradually pulled forward. I knew right away that we had arrived at the royal palace because guards were stationed everywhere. The tall, strong men were milling around the grounds, all in human form and in crisp uniforms. They were all straight faced and focused, as if they expected rogues to jump out of the surrounding woods at any second. Seeing so many people so stern and serious made me tense and jumpy.

But it wasn't just the guards that were all clean cut and perfect. It appeared that nothing behind the gates was out of place. A grand fountain was spewing water, droplets falling into the gorgeous garden surrounding it. The grass was cut short and greener than I had ever seen. And as we continued to drive the equally perfect palace came into view. The whole building was grand, immaculately well kept, and spotless. It put my tiny house back home to shame.

"This will be your home from now on." The queen muttered grudgingly. "Congratulations, you have evicted my husband and myself from our home and now we have to live in that." She hissed, jabbing a thumb towards an equally elegant, but less massive manor nearly half a kilometer away from the palace.

I opened my mouth to apologize, feeling terrible immediately. But I snapped my mouth shut mere seconds later. It was not my fault that she was moving to a gorgeous home, even if it wasn't as large or as grand as she would prefer. It was not my fault that I had been chosen by the moon goddess for her son. And she had no right to make it sound like I had packed her bags and tossed her out on the street when I had met her only a few hours ago.

Thankfully, the tense silence was cut short when the SUV stopped in front of the palace doors and a guard carefully opened my door. He was so quick and well-rehearsed I didn't have a chance to undo my seat belt, but I gradually made my way out of the car. When my feet hit the pavement they felt weak- about as sturdy as jello- and I had to fight myself to stay upright.

"Are you alright, your Highness?" the guard asked, placing a gentle hand on my elbow, "You look a bit shaken."

"I'm fine, thank you." I responded with a grateful smile. This was the only kindness I had received since I left my house this morning.

The guard nodded and I couldn't help but notice the way his blue eyes sparkled with compassion. I decided almost instantly that this man, whoever he was, was going to be one of my favorite people in my new life. This guard held no air of aggression or rudeness. Hell, he was the first person I saw that didn't look stiff and angry.

"Come then, let me show you to your room, Princess." He said, gesturing to the front doors of the palace.

I scrunched my nose up in disgust as we walked up the cobble stone stairs together. "Please don't call me princess, it sounds like a cheesy pet name."

The guard's face flamed red, but he tried to conceal it as he opened the front door. He ducked his head down and gestured for me to go inside ahead of him, "What would you prefer to be called then?" he asked.

But I couldn't answer him because I was standing in the most beautiful foyer with my mouth hanging open in shock. I would've been able to see how foolish I looked if I had glanced down at the perfectly polished marble floors, but my eyes were darting everywhere and my mind was too awed to care about how I looked.

A long, gorgeous staircase curved upwards on the right side of the foyer, leading to double doors while a massive crystal chandler dangled from the ceiling. Paintings that presumably cost more than my home hung from the crisp white walls and dark coloured furniture was spotted around the entrance, making the space feel more luxurious and homey at once.

"Miss?" the guard prompted.

"Hmm?" I replied, finally getting a grasp on reality again.

"If you don't want me to call you by your rightful title what would you like me to call you?"

"Brooklyn." I answered with a shrug.

The guard grimaced, "That's terribly informal."

I gave a little laugh, "Please, I haven't even talked to my mate yet. I haven't even absorbed the fact that I have been mated to someone royal. Give me a few days before you start giving me fancy titles, okay?"

"If that is what you prefer." He complied.

"It is. And I would also like to know your name."

"Anderson."

I raised my eyebrows, "Your name is Anderson?"

"Well, my last name." the guard stated.

"I want to know your first name."

"But it is considered unceremonious for the royals to-"

"I don't care what it is considered, you're a person and you should be treated as such. Now tell me your name." I ordered.

"Donovan."

"Thank you. I would really prefer to call you your actual name instead of barking your last name at you."

"Very well, come with me. I will show you where you will be living." Donovan murmured. He began climbing the grand staircase and I quickly followed behind him. I tried to conceal how unnerved I was by the loud sounds of our footsteps in the silent house. It seemed that the house was dead. Beautiful and grand, but dead and lifeless. There was no sign that anyone had been in the house in the past decade. Everything was spotless and perfectly organized.

"Here you are...Brooklyn." Donovan said as he pushed open one of the double doors that I had seen from below. "This is the master suite."

I forced myself to remain rational and blank while I observed the master bedroom and seeing such luxury was less of a shock the second time around. The bedroom was elegant and tradtitional like the foyer had been. A massive bed was suffocated in thick blankets and decorative pillows that were all perfectly fluffed. Every aspect of the room looked stunning. The sitting area, the fireplace, even the nightstands looked amazing, like it was straight out of a magazine. And part of me loved the glamour, but another part of me was bothered by the cleanliness and untouched space. Did anyone live in any part of this house?

"Where are my clothes?" I blurted out.

"Pardon?" Donovan said. He was standing back with his hands clasped together behind his back. But even the tense position and constant politeness didn't take away from the twinkle in his eye and boyish charm.

"My clothes, when will they be arriving?"

Donovan seemed startled, "Your clothes are not being shipped here, I'm afraid."

"Well am I expected to wear the same clothes until I die?" I asked jokingly.

"No, absolutely not. A seamstress will be in tomorrow and she will measure you and begin designing and making your wardrobe."

"Oh." I whispered. My legs suddenly went weak and I had to sit on the bed before my legs gave out from underneath me.

Donovan stood there for a moment, watching me as if he feared I was going to faint. Then, after a little while, he seemed to decide that it was safe to leave me be for a little while. Or maybe he was just desperate to escape the awkwardness. Either way, he gently informed me that he had other duties to attend to and he would return to check on me shortly.

The second he was out of the room I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes to ease to spinning sensation in my head. How had I come here? How had I been transported to this world of freakishly lavish luxury when a day ago I was mopping up mud from customers' shoes? Today I was wearing an old plaid shirt and tomorrow I would be measured for my own custom clothing. Last night I had fallen asleep on my tiny mattress with my father watching TV in the basement and the sounds of my little sister's snoring carrying through the walls.

*********************

Thanks for all the support you guys! you guys have no idea how much a comment or a vote means to me!