Page 1 of Born of Blood and Thorns

Prologue

"Pleeease, Nan," the little girl begged, her blue eyes wide and imploring. "Tell me the story of the dragon prince."

Nan settled into the rocking chair beside the bed, her joints creaking. "That's a sad tale, child. Why would you want to hear it?"

The girl snuggled deeper under her quilt. "I like sad stories sometimes."

With a sigh, Nan reached out a wrinkled hand to smooth back the girl's pale hair. "Very well." She leaned back, letting her mind drift into the past.

"Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, lived a dragon prince. He was strong and brave, with scales that shone like crimson jewels in the sun. All his people, the dragon kingdom, loved him for his wisdom and kindness."

The girl smiled, her eyelids drooping. "And he was pretty."

"Yes, very pretty." Nan chuckled. "Now hush, no more interruptions." She went on, spinning images of the dragon prince of the Sun Clan Kingdom and his sworn enemies, the Moon Clan. Of the peace-loving princess who tried to unite them, only to die at the hands of hatred and heartbreak.

The girl's breaths deepened into sleep, but still, Nan spoke on, telling of the Moon Goddess Nyx's fury. Her word continued with the curse that froze the prince in his beastly form and his kingdom in time, their fates forgotten as time marched on without them.

"But curses can be broken," she whispered, rising creakily from her chair. She brushed a kiss over the girl's forehead. "Perhaps this one will be too.”

CHAPTER 1

Bella

Igripped the rare newspaper, the rough paper rubbing my callused fingers. The headline blared from the paper written in the sun goddess's territory. I clutched it tightly as if it would disintegrate if I let go. Anything written outside our territory, much less from the rival clan, was hard to find, forbidden even.

Horrific Discovery: Six Sun Goddess Shifters Found Mutilated in Cursed Lands of Moon Goddess!

Six bodies were found outside the village, torn apart and gnawed on. All shifters that belonged to the Sun goddess were unfortunate enough to find themselves in the cursed lands of the moon goddess...

I quickly skimmed the article.

The bite marks indicated it was a wolf attack. The only shifters that belonged to the moon territory are now fighting and attacking the brothers and sisters it left behind.

A howl pulled my gaze from the words of the article I clutched. I'd found it discarded in a bin as I walked the chilly way to the bookstore. Someone was smuggling outside paraphernalia in. If they saw me with it, I'd be the next victim found in a field, dead and covered in bite marks, if I was lucky. There were worse things than death.

My breath hitched, and a plum of white formed as I exhaled sharply. I didn't remember it being this cold this early into spring. Everything seemed stuck in winter's embrace, as if she were reluctant to release her hold and let spring take over. The seasons were fickle like that.

Six was an ungodly number of bodies, but how they were found meant they had made a terrible decision. One that brought them directly into the forbidden forest. Legend had it that was the most straightforward path back to the sun goddess's lands.

Rumors also said that these lands were technically a part of her territory, but the moon goddess had claimed them long ago. The wolf shifter beside me bumped my shoulder and snarled as if it were my fault. His teeth flashed as they elongated slightly, a growl reverberating deep from his chest. I wanted to glare and shout, but it would only worsen things. So I did what I knew I was supposed to do. I averted my eyes until he passed.

The wolves were once on the side of the sun, but centuries ago, they willingly let themselves be bound to the moon. Leaving the wolves no choice but to shift under her gaze when she reached her highest in the night sky. Though they still had the power to transform at all times, the full moon brought out an undeniable urge within them. As if it were a command from a higher power - and only then could their human forms be left behind.

The nearer the full moon, the more agitated they became, their suppressed rage boiling over until it was impossible to contain. They shed their human skin, transforming into a feral and relentless version of themselves, driven by instinct and hunger for power.

I prayed we didn't have any incidents today.

The heavy wooden door creaked open as the senior man before me unlatched it and stepped aside. I walked into the dimly lit sanctuary of the small bookstore. Thanking the gods in a silent prayer that I made it in one piece.

"Morning, Bella," said Mr. Bingsley, the elderly shopkeeper who had taken pity on me many months ago and given me a job here. Though he was a wolf shifter, his age had mellowed him so much that he seemed more like a kindly grandfather than an apex predator.

Still, I could sense the underlying tension between us—vampires and wolves, though on the same side, tended not to like one another for whatever reason. I tried not to be too offended; after all, there was some truth to the idea of rival predators. Still, I couldn't deny feeling hurt by the prejudice. After all, I wasn't a vampire.

Not really. Being half of something still made me the enemy, even though I had the same weaknesses as any other mortal. I could see better in the dark, be stronger, and move faster than other humans. When I compared myself to vampires and shifters, it became apparent how powerless I truly was.

"Good morning, Mr. Bingsley," I replied, brushing past him as I made my way to the back room. My job in this shifter village was simple: keep the books organized, assist customers, and stay out of trouble. The latter was easier said than done.

"Watch yourself today, dear," he warned, his eyes filled with a wariness that could be perceived as concern, but I knew better." The alphas are restless, and you know how they feel about you."

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