"Quickly, quickly." My mother said, nudging the men forward into a secret hallway. "Follow the king, he will take you to safety." She called into the darkness.

I was at the back of the line, behind all of my guests and encouraging them all forward. Yes, the hallway that was hidden behind a great tapestry was small and dark, but it was far safer than being out in the open with an unknown threat on the loose. Unfortunately, the men didn't seem to understand that and my patience was ebbed away by panic so I simply started shoving against the man in front of me. He let out a grunt and stumbled into the man ahead of him.

I didn't have to use these stairways often, but they were laced all throughout the building and I had shuffled through them enough times to be comfortable with the musty smell, the cold air, and the echoing sounds. I used to be fascinated with these tunnels when I was a child. My parents couldn't scold me because I technically never left the castle when I adventured here, but they also couldn't find me. Though spending time in here was often a game I knew they held a serious purpose, especially in moments like these.

Eventually, all twenty men, my parents, and I ended up in a large safe room with the massive, nearly indestructible door shut tightly behind us. I sighed at the sight of all these tense men, some looking terrified, others looking like they wanted to fight. I had wanted this night to be over as quickly as possible, but it seemed that luck was not in my favour, because we would not be let out until the issue outside had been resolved. At the very least, I hoped that the men who looked agitated and violent would not start any altercations.

"I'm so sorry this had to happen tonight, love." My mom whispered in my ear. She looped her arm through mine and guided me over to my father, away from the majority of the men. "I hope you aren't too upset, but at least you'll have more time to get to know each man."

I almost scoffed at her idea, but thought better of it and bit my tongue. If I told her what I really thought she would probably lecture me about the fact that I was I host, even though disaster had struck. These men were here because of me and it was my job to take care of them. So that's what I did. After I talked quietly to my father, trying to see if he knew what was going on I went to attend to my guests. I handed out some water bottles from our supply and offered bread and jerky to everyone, despite the fact that we had just eaten. I explained that there were only ten cots in this safe room so they would have to be shared over time and that there was a single, small bathroom for everyone to use.

Once everyone seemed to get settled in and relax a bit I pulled out a deck of cards and invited the men to play. Not everyone was enthused by the idea, but I did end up sitting in a circle with roughly five men. I didn't care much for any of them, but they helped the time pass well enough.

Once I grew tired of card games I drifted back over to my parents and sat down on the cold concrete floor.

"So you haven't chosen a single alpha from this bunch?" my mom asked. She looked disappointed and sounded quite hurt as well.

I shrugged my shoulders, looking away from both of them.

"Alright, well, can you tell me which one you hate the least?" my mom pushed.

"Lucas." I replied.

"Lucas? Why him?"

Because he was the exact opposite of Ryan. He was gentle and refined with a good vocabulary and a strong pack that people could justify standing behind. Werewolves all over the word would follow him, but they would also fall in love with his easy smile and calm demeanour. He would charm every woman and outwit every man. But I couldn't tell my mom that.

"I just like him." I answered.

My mother let the subject drop after that and I had a little bit of satisfaction knowing that I hadn't picked the one she wanted. Her little match-making gimmick had fallen flatter than she expected.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the massive metal door was opened to reveal two royal guards, both looking slight battered and bruised.

"It is safe." one of them announced. "We have the trespassers in our custody, you are free to go back to your feasting."

"Oh," I said quickly, cutting off my mother before she could agree, "I think these poor men have had enough for one day, I think everyone can go home, or retire for the night. It's been quite a wild ride for these men." I announced with a candy sweet smile.

Thankfully, the men didn't complain and my mother didn't correct me. I gave a nod to the guards, dismissing them, and then led all of the men up the stairs, through the twisting tunnels, back to the dining hall and finally, the front entrance of the castle. There, I apologized for the inconvenient events, thanked them all for coming, and told them I would be in touch with all of them very soon.

Once all the men had either gone to their rooms for the night or had left to return home, I stood in the empty foyer with my parents, exhausted and quite annoyed. But there was something else bothering me too, something deeper that I couldn't quite label.

"I'm going to go find out what happened, you two go to bed." My dad murmured, kissing my mom on the cheek.

"I want to come with you." I blurted.

"No, Adeline."

"Dad, I need to know how and why these things happen and what to do when they occur. I'm coming with you because I don't want to be ignorant." I argued, "I want to be a good and strong queen."

"Vienna." My dad moaning, looking to his wife for support.

"She's right." My mom said with an easy shrug, "You two go figure out what caused this ruckus I'm going to bed."

My dad grunted his frustration, but I wasn't listening anymore. I kicked off my heels and opted from a pair of old, worn flats instead. I didn't even check to see if my dad was coming, I just marched out the front door and down the driveway, heading towards the underground holding cells.

"Wait, Adeline!" my dad shouted, "Please, you don't know what to expect!"

He was right, of course. My mom was this super tough lady who ran an entire pack all by herself, but she didn't raise me in a way that would allow me to be courageous and daring like her. My parents kept me under a pretty tight lock and key for most of my life. Yes, I had seen the underground cells themselves, but never the prisoners were stored. My parents always made quick work of our unwelcome guest, sending them away to human prisons or exiling them to countries no werewolves inhabited. This would be my first time seeing a real prisoner.

But I didn't wait for my dad anyway. The closer I got to the cells the faster I moved until I was sprinting up to the hatch. I nodded at the guard who stood watch and he bent over to open it for me.

The second the hatch was open the slight scent of rogue hit my nose and dread filled me.