The Alpha King's Mate novel Chapter 2

Lou and Prunella, who have been caught and tied to stakes, await their impending deaths as one of the men approaches them with a torch and sets them ablaze. I cannot look, so I cover my ears and shut my eyes to muffle their screams. The men smile as they walk away from the burning corpses of Lou and Prunella.

Loud growls pierce the quiet night air when hefty silhouettes bolt toward the men and quickly devour them, ripping their heads off. The wolves shift into human form and run toward me.

"We're too late," one of the men says.

I use what strength I have left to gaze at the tree my precious baby sleeps in.

"Live well, my child." I whisper before the darkness consumes me.

Mysteria, the magical world of supernatural's, a realm with the tallest mountains, luscious forests, and precipitous waterfalls. From werewolves and witches to orcs, this enchanted land is the birthplace of imagination. The mystical beings were all made by many different Deities, including those of Selene, Cerridwen, Ogrun, and Valkrim. They fashioned new life forms in their own image to coexist in the realm of Mysteria.

After many years of peaceful coexistence, the witches accidentally opened a portal to another world inhabited by many animals and people called humans. Although they resembled each other, humans lacked magical or shapeshifting abilities.

Over time, the witches travelled in secret between realms, but some never returned to Mysteria. Witches had been caught casting spells. Out of fear of becoming cursed, the humans bound and burnt them at the stake.

The vampires, werewolves, fae and mages were amongst those who eventually discovered the witches opening the portal. Intrigued and curious many entered the human world to live, where they began new packs, covens and nests for their kind. They knew they could not show their abilities to the humans as they did not want the same fate as the witches. The world was vast, giving them plenty of land and places to reside away from humans.

When travelling to human villages, they did not shift or use magic and found that they got along well with humans. Some became the best of friends and shared each other's secrets, including the portal to Mysteria. The humans begged to be taken there, and the witches and werewolves agreed.

The humans fell instantly in love with the land of Mysteria and chose to stay there.

Orcs were one of the few species who refused to enter the human world, warning other species that allowing humans into Mysteria might prove to be a detrimental mistake.

More humans and supernatural beings began to inhabit each other's worlds. Mysteria was a peaceful world until half a century passed, and it descended into war. Humans desired more territory and a king and queen of their own.

The supernaturals desired no more deaths in Mysteria, so they granted the humans additional land and chose a married couple, Asher and Merith, as King and Queen.

Even though their requests were granted, they were fearful that the other rulers would turn against them, and so, after meticulous planning, a second war erupted. Humans hunted and slaughtered many elemental sprites, leaving their corpses on orc territory and blaming the orcs for the deaths.

Werewolf King, Alpha Dominic, and King Asher agreed to an indefinite truce. The humans knew the werewolves were much stronger in strength and number. They agreed to keep to themselves and avoid each other's territory. The land was surveyed and reallotted to both rulers, precisely and identically halved. A large forest between the two halves became a no-man's-land that neither party could lay claim to.

King Asher ruled West Wallow, and Alpha Dominic ruled Moon Crest Valley.

A thousand years later, knowledge of this great war and the existence of other supernatural creatures dissolved into fairy tales for children.

Then, one night the Moon Goddess Selene decided changes were afoot, and in time, the true meaning of fairytale would be uncovered.

The moon shone brighter than ever before, illuminating a tree in the forest. The tree shook, and its trunk opened, revealing a beautiful little elemental sprite inside, who crawled out, yawning from a lengthy slumber. Her existence went unknown for the next twelve years, and she lived in the forest happily until she was eighteen.

Maia: 6 years old

I wake up and yawn, stretching my arms high above my head. I'm sitting in a large hollow tree trunk. I have no idea why I'm here or how I got here. I feel soft moss under my feet and crawl out from the tree. Animals and critters in the forest gather around and approach me. They gently nuzzle their noses against my legs, and when I sit down on the grass, they curl up on my lap. There are rabbits, foxes, squirrels, deer, elk, birds, and mice. They follow me around and do not leave my side. I feel safe and loved in this forest, and I want to live here forever. The forest is my home, my safe place, my everything.