Page 42 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

“Your majesties,” she gasped. “I have just received a letter. It winked into existence in Ember’s old room.” She lifted her arm, waving the letter about. Her eyes filled with tears as her chin wobbled. “She left,” she cried. “She left us all.”

The king thrust out a hand. “ Give me that letter,” he commanded.

“But the letter is addressed to Drake,” the servant stammered. She extended the letter toward me, and I took it with shaking hands. I opened the letter, my eyes roving the contents.

“What does it say?” Asked the queen, her voice frantic with worry.

Drake,

If you are reading this letter now, it means that you have come for me in hopes that I have returned home. I did not, as you have noticed. I cannot go back home, and I cannot return to your realm. With a heavy heart, I must confess that I cannot go through with the mating ceremony. I cannot live in a palace where I know that in my heart, my mate has rejected me, does not love me, nor cherishes me.

That the only reason he would lay with me is because he became intoxicated. I cannot bear the thought of gazing upon you with my heart so full of yearning, but you so far away from me emotionally. Please tell my parents I did not return home because I knew they would have me see this mating ceremony through, and I cannot do that. I, therefore, forsake my duty to the two kingdoms and henceforth will find my own path in life. One that I can walk on with unwavering confidence and devotion. Please don’t come looking for me. You will not find me. Take care of yourself, Drake, and I do truly wish with all sincerity that you are happy with whomever you choose.

Sincerely,

Ember

The letter fluttered out of my numb fingers to fall to the ground, and my eyes stared ahead, unseeing.She’s gone…she’s really gone, and I won’t get to see her again. Get the chance to tell her…that I love her—that I choose her.

Agony, the like I’ve never known, speared my heart, causing the muscle to burst. I swayed on my feet, my knees going weak with shock and despair. I could vaguely hear the queen wailing as she read over the letter. The king’s angry snarl.

“We will find her! Search throughout the whole kingdom. Find Princess Ember at all costs!” The king roared.

A search commenced afterward, taken up by both the werewolf and shadow fae kingdoms. The search lasted weeks, then months stretched on, with no sign of Ember. Eventually, the search parties dwindled as hopes of finding her fell. It was as Ember had said; we never found her. She had simply disappeared like a wraith in the mist.

CHAPTER NINE: THE RETURN

EMBER

Five Years Later

“Ember!”

A voice called from one of the cubicles. I looked up from my paperwork and turned to my fellow employee and best friend, Samantha. She peeked over the cubicle, her eyes round with worry as she gnawed on her lower lip.

“Are we still on point for the deadline with Linda Smith? I know she’s been sick and all but the boss really wants that sequel out.”

I smiled. “Touched base with her just last night. We’re on target.” I gave a thumbs up.

“Oh my God,” Samantha said, leaping up from her chair to run around her cubicle and hug me. “You’re a lifesaver.”

I laughed and pushed at Samantha, “I’m always a lifesaver for you, apparently,” I said teasingly.

“Because she struggles with getting her shit together,” Paul said, a twinkle in his eye from where he sat at the next cubicle.

“Hey,” she snapped at him. “I don’t write the novels; I just oversee the author's work and edit!”

“And yet,” Paul sighed, raking his hand through his brown hair. “You fail to wrangle them into shape, relying on our poor Amber here.” He smirked at Samantha.

She placed her hands on her hips and shot him a withering glare. I pressed my fingers to my lips in a desperate attempt to stifle my giggles. Though my giggles soon died at witnessing their banter.

Amber.

Paul had called me by my fake name, the alias I had used since arriving in the human realm. I sighed. It felt like so long ago when I had passed through the portal. I had been completely lost and unsure of how to function in this mysterious and foreign new place. But then I had been found by a pack of werebears and werewolves, who had felt the disruptive actions in the portal and had come sniffing. I explained my situation to them and was immediately led to the alpha female, Sasha Hunter. Her pack took me in, a mixture of werewolves, bears, and latents, and instructed me on how to survive in the human realm—a world so vastly different from the mystical Lanair realm.

She and her mate, Damon, a werebear—had been very accommodating to me and welcoming. I knew I could never have gotten this far, blending in as a human without their help. Now I go by the name Amber Hill and work as an editorial assistant at Crescents Publishing House. I was thriving in my new life, a life that left no room for heartache and no thoughts of Drake or my past life as a princess.

“Anyway,” Samantha huffed, turning her back on Paul. Her words snapped me out of my reverie. “How is my little Mellie doing today?”

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