Chapter Four: Misunderstanding

“Selina is not at the border.”

Jasper’s eyes widened in alarm. “Are you sure?”

“Yes! I just checked with the border patrol. Her carriage was nowhere in sight.” Henry paced back and forth in front of Jasper, biting one thumb and fiddling with his phone with the other. A classic telltale sign: he was worried sick. “I can’t contact Selina!”

A missing royal, especially one of her importance, was never a good thing. This could spark civil discontent among the nobility and subjects… or perhaps war, between the kingdom of Rozenberg and the Empire. They will never trust Henry or his judgment ever again. And the innocent will bear the brunt of it all.

“When was the last time you heard from her?” Jasper pushed the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows. Even though he’d been doing it for years, he’d never grown fond of wearing formal attire, even if it was just a shirt. It made him feel confined, not because of the fit, but because of what they represented. He regretted not changing his clothes after the student council meeting he had attended that afternoon.

“At one o’clock. She said she’s with her stepmother,” Henry answered, pressing his mobile phone to his ear again, attempting to contact his fiancé.

“Isn’t that queen heavily pregnant? Maybe that’s what causes the delay.”

“It could be. Selina said they had to drive as gently as possible because of her. But I have a bad feeling...”

“Send some of your soldiers to check on her, then.”

“Is that wise? They’re traveling through Lupine Pass.”

The young Lycan cursed under his breath.

“You should’ve flown her in on a chopper or a jet. It would’ve saved us a lot of trouble.”

“You’re right, I should have.”

Jasper glared at the monarch’s expression. Henry was never one to pull rank on him to get whatever he wanted, but it was as though he was attempting to guilt-trip the older boy by looking helpless and hopeful at him. It worked every time.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Fine, I’ll go.”

“Really?” The young monarch beamed at his friend. “I appreciate it, Jay!”

“You owe me.” The young wolf messed the hair on top of Henry’s head before walking away.

“Always,” Henry said, following him. “I think I should go with you. See Selina for a few, at least.”

“I think you’re out of your mind. You know what’s out there. We established these lockdowns for a reason. Besides, your mom will surely kill us both if something happened to you… and the princess.”

Jasper could see the worry burning in his friend’s eyes again, “But Selina…”

“I know you’re afraid of her,” Jasper said in mock sympathy, teasing his friend. It gave him a childish pleasure to see the young monarch squirm and sputter in response. “But I can’t protect both you and your girlfriend at the same time. Jade and Jet will accompany you to the estate where you should stay.”

The young wolf saw Henry’s cheeks turn pink. “But I don’t want to trouble them.”

“I wish you would extend the same courtesy to me.”

“But you’re my best friend. I’m supposed to annoy and bother the heck out of you.”

Jasper scoffed. “He curses.”

“Sorry.”

He rolled his eyes again, stopping before they reached the elevator at the end of the hallway. Jasper moistened his lips before blowing on them hard, producing a long, high-pitched whistle.

“Gods, all right!” Jade walked out of her laboratory with her fingers jammed on her ears. “I heard you, enough already.”

“I’m not going to the estate with Henry,” the older boy told his sister as soon as she joined them.

“Why? Is something wrong?” Jade looked alarmed. As she should. It was always Jasper’s responsibility to accompany the king wherever he went, especially during lockdowns.

“You can fill her in,” Jasper told Henry before walking past them and entering the elevator.

Jasper went to the rooftop of the university’s science building where an inconspicuous black helicopter was waiting with the engine running idly. It was there for emergency use only. Henry must have told them he was coming. It was the fastest vehicle available at the moment, and they had no time to wait for anything else.

“Lord Ulrich?” asked the man who was waiting for him by the door. Jasper only nodded awkwardly in assent.

He must be new, the young wolf thought to himself.

“I’m Mitchell,” the man told the boy, shaking his hand. “His Majesty asked us to take you to the southwest border.”

“Yes, if you please,” Jasper told the co-pilot, eyeing the rotating blades anxiously. He already regretted agreeing to the plan. They ducked inside the vehicle, and he wore his seatbelt first before begrudgingly donning the noise cancelation headset they provided. He hated all kinds of vehicles, and he detested helicopters the most. These aviation headsets were useless to him. His ears will still bleed from the noise.

They arrived at the aforementioned border in under thirty minutes. The border patrols informed them that the Princess Royal of Rozenberg and her entourage were still missing.

“Do we have permission to enter Rozenberg’s airspace?” Jasper asked. “According to Hen--His Majesty, the princess left her home at twelve noon today. She could be anywhere near here. We have to check.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” the pilot answered before maneuvering towards the Lupine Pass.

Florin Mountain was always a sight to behold, regardless of the time of year. Nobody can look at its beautiful green hills, turquoise rivers, and rainbow meadows without falling in love with it. It’s a shame he couldn’t enjoy looking at it as of the moment. The young wolfman’s brows furrowed when he remembered the reason he was there. Traveling on a night like this is always dangerous. Everyone knew werewolves shift during the full moon and go insane. How irresponsible… and cocky. Just because Rozenberg invented the infamous Black Herb Poison doesn’t mean they’re invincible. The rogues who claimed Lupine Pass as their territory were particularly ruthless.

“There!” Jasper called through the Electret microphone on his headset. Both the pilot and co-pilot looked at the small, white moving object in the middle of the Lupine Pass.

They maneuvered the helicopter towards the pass and, upon closer inspection, they saw that the horse-drawn carriage was not alone. Seven horsemen guarded it, all of them unaware of a group of bandits—possibly rogues — hidden by large boulders and were about to ambush them.

“Get closer.”

“But Your Grace, the bandits may notice our presence,” Mitchell said, eyeing the scene below them. “We should go back to the border and--”

“They already know we’re here.” Jasper took off his shoes and unbuttoned his dress shirt before unbuckling his seatbelt. “Call for backup. I’ll help keep the bandits at bay until they arrive.”

There was a manic grin on Jasper’s face as both pilots looked at him, concerned.

“Your Grace?”

The Lycan tossed his aviator headphones to the empty seat next to him and opened the door of the helicopter despite the pilots’ screams of protest.

He rolled his eyes. “Relax, I got this.”

Jasper let out an exuberant whoop as he leaped from the vehicle, the wind slapping him in the face, tearing at his flimsy shirt, and unraveling his hair from its bun. Gravity aided his descent, and he landed on top of the carriage in a half-crouch, knee, and fist first, superhero-style. It looked cool, but he wouldn’t survive it if he were a normal human, and it would definitely shatter his femur and break every single thing in his body. It’s a good thing the roof was sturdy and empty of luggage as well. As soon as they saw him, the bandits jumped from their hiding spot and attacked the carriage. The horses were terrified by the noises, causing the vehicle to swerve before speeding up. The coachman and his assistant tried everything they could to keep the animals under control, but they were unsuccessful. The reins burned their hands.

“Here, let me help,” Jasper said, extending out a hand, causing the coachman and his assistant to jump and the reins to slip. The sight of the Lycan so close sent them into a fresh wave of panic.

The assistant drew out a silver dagger from his belt and waved it to his face. “Monster!”

“No, wait!”

Before Jasper could explain himself, the assistant lunged at him and they fought for the knife on top of the carriage.

“Calm down, I’m on your side!” The boy caught the man’s hands, but the coachman’s assistant refused to back down. He was surprisingly strong for a mere human. “I said…”

Jasper growled at the assistant, his sharp teeth showing and his yellow eyes flashing dangerously. Shocked, the man backed off, lost his footing, and was flung from the racing carriage. Jasper rushed after him to keep him from falling on the roadside boulders. He wrapped his arms around the man as they rolled across the rugged terrain, shielding him from the rocks and thorns.

“Stay,” the Lycan commanded the assistant as soon as he got up. He massaged his temples as a wave of dizziness hit him. “Is the Princess of Rozenberg in that carriage?”

Jasper gazed down at the terrified man on the ground before noticing the silver blade embedded deep in his left iliac region. He casually removed the offending weapon, and the injury, like his other wounds and abrasions from the fall, healed almost instantly.

“Please, don’t kill me.” The man backed away slowly.

“I won’t,” Jasper assured him. “I’m here for the princess. His Majesty, the King—”

He paused when his ears picked up at a distant crash. He hurried towards the sound, his heart thumping in his ribs, bracing himself for the worst. The Lycan discovered the coachman lying on the ground a few feet away from the wrecked carriage, unconscious. If the man jumped or was thrown from the carriage before the wreck, he wasn’t sure. Jasper could smell blood in the air, but it wasn’t overpowering as he expected, meaning no one was bleeding to death. He grabbed the back of the coachman’s uniform to check him for injuries, but another scent distracted the wolfman from his task. He got to his feet as he noticed a girl stepping out of the carriage.

The lad could only stare in awe as the girl removed her white wide-brimmed hat, long blonde hair spilling to her shoulders in golden waves. When their eyes met, Jasper’s heart skipped a beat. She resembled a living, breathing porcelain doll, with her wide green eyes, pert nose, and small heart-shaped lips. He briefly wondered if she was the princess, but her simple pink lacy dress and beige-colored plain pumps made him doubt it. The real princess must be inside the carriage, but he realized he didn’t care. He was never interested enough to find out who she was, and he and Henry didn’t talk much about Selina except for the occasional question on how to impress her. He only knew she was extravagant and had a vile attitude. Other people’s partners do not pique his curiosity. His gaze kept returning to the girl’s face in front of him, still in awe of how beautiful she was. The girl raised her hand, and Jasper noticed she was holding a small pistol; she was shouting at him, but he was distracted and didn’t hear what she said. He assumed she was asking for the coachman, so he threw the man at her feet, amused by how fierce and feisty she was for such a small human woman. She must be the princess’ plainclothes security.

“... Who sent you?”

Jasper was about to respond when he heard a low growl and realized the full moon had already risen. A chill ran down his spine. There was a fully shifted werewolf a few feet behind the girl, getting ready to maul her.

The young Lycan acted on instinct and lunged for her.

“Watch out!”

_______