One of the horses chortles.
“Princess, we’re here.” I rub my hands along her arms to bring her back to awareness. “I’m going to get Liam. Stay here. I’ll take care of everything. This stays between us. Our secret, okay?” She blinks a few times and slowly nods.
I’ve been keeping an eye on those three idiots—Marcus Greystone, Boris Niles, and Dustin Bowers. Everything I have learned about Boris, Dustin, and their fathers lead back to the Resistance. If Marcus and Dustin learn about what Jessica did, they’ll come for her. And I won’t let that happen.
You should tell Anders.
Not yet. I don’t trust anyone with that information, not with the other two still in this territory. I brush a piece of hair away from Jessica’s face and tuck it behind her ear before backing away until I’m hidden in the shadows. Then, I teleport myself to the recruits’ dorm.
Everything is chaos as recruits run around. A girl races past me in a long trench coat. Emily in wolf form chases after the girl. I round the corner of the dorm building, and Darwin slams right into me.
“Oh, hey, boss,” he says with a sly smile.
“Do I even want to know what the fuck is going on? Never mind. Don’t answer that. I don’t have time for this shit. Where’s Liam?”
Darwin stares at me, eyes wide. I probably still have caked blood on my face.
“Are you okay?” he asks instead of answering my damn question.
“Where is Liam?” I repeat, my patience running thin.
“He said something about seeing lightning in the sky and went to find the Princess. The Powers twins and their friends snuck onto the training grounds and are running around the area. We’re gathering them up as we speak.”
I dip my chin in acknowledgement and let out a frustrated breath. Great, now I need to hide the body before someone accidentally stumbles across it. I don’t have time to find Liam right now. Apparently, he was already looking for her.
“Text him. She’s at the stables.”
That needs to be good enough for now.
Chapter 1
Season Premiere
“For twenty-four seasons, twenty-four Alpha bachelors and hundreds of women have come on this show in search of love. Tonight, for our twenty-fifth season anniversary, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge our very first bachelorette—Alpha Princess Jessica G. Langhlan. For the first time in the history ofA Game of Hearts Desire, all of our contestants are primarily Alpha men from around the world. I am Holden Meyers, and I will be your host. The season premiere ofA Game of Hearts Desire: The Alpha Gamesstarts right now.”
“Hi, I’m Jessica. I’m twenty-four years old, and I am the newly appointed Alpha of the Whitemore pack, formerly and now officially known as the Quartz Pack. I am the CEO of Whitemore and Parker Corporation, singer/songwriter formerly known as 'G,' and also co-owner and founder of many other businesses here in the LS and Northern A territories.
“I started off my career as a songwriter when I was just sixteen. I cowrote my first song with my cousin, Charlie Langhlan, who you may recognize as the popular country music artist who took over the nation with his sultry voice and charm.
“My passion for writing and composing music was my first love. I love writing music. I put my feelings and life experiences on paper and turn it into something that others can hear, feel, and experience right along with me. My music allows me to express myself and say words that I don’t have the courage to speak when confronted face-to-face. Music resonates deep within my bones, in my soul. It makes me feel safe, less lonely, and calm.
“I’ve always been shy when it came to being in the spotlight. I much prefer to remain hidden in the background. About four years after I started writing music, a group of my brother's friends and I entered a cover band contest. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that, after we won, I would have an actual career as a performing artist.
“A year later, at the height of my career, my car was ambushed by paparazzi, causing a horrific accident that resulted in the loss of my driver and a couple of innocent bystanders who just so happened to be on the road at the same time. Even though I was told numerous times that it wasn’t my fault, I had a hard time accepting it. I decided to cancel all tours and basically fell back into my original career path as an entrepreneur and business executive at Whitemore and Parker corp.
“W&P Co. is a business consulting corporation. It started off as a small business established by the late Alpha Windsor Parker. He had a great mind for business, but his dream was to help other lesser packs to build their own businesses. From there, with his partnership and love of his life, the late Alpha Agnus Whitemore, they built their corporation to what it is now.
“I love their mission—helping others to bring their dreams to fruition. I can honestly say that nothing is more gratifying than walking down the street of a busy city or town and seeing a line of customers waiting outside a shop or restaurant, knowingthat I assisted in its establishment. It’s an honor to carry on the legacy that both Alpha Whitemore and Alpha Parker built.
“So, as you can see, I have been quite busy figuring out life, building a career, and learning how to adult. The idea of a long-term mate hadn’t quite managed to fit into the equation until now.
“When Alpha Agnus passed, she not only left me with the legacy of her corporation to carry on, but she bestowed upon me her pack and her territory—Territory Seven. Due to the laws of the Luna Solar Territory, in order to carry on as a female Alpha, I must be mated by my twenty-fifth birthday, which is literally in six weeks.
“I admit the idea of finding love and a potential mate feels a little daunting. But when I look at my parents, I long for the type of relationship that they have. My parents, Alpha King Nathan Langhlan and Luna Queen Shakti Langhlan, are the epitome of true love and true mates. They are everything songwriters and romance authors write about when it comes to love. They’ve been mated for thirty years, and they look at each other as if they only recently fell in love. Somewhere deep down, I want that too. I want the kind of love that takes your breath away, the kind of love that burns in a fiery passion, the kind of love that helps you look forward to tomorrow, even after a terrible day.”
“Do you believe that you will find your heart’s true desire on this show?” a voice asks from behind the camera.
“Is this where I’m supposed to say a cheesy line and gush over a potential mate that I haven’t met yet?”
