It hurt to run away, but I knew there was no turning back, ever. The fairy had said as much—if I go back I'll be cursed.

But why? Why didn't I ask about that?

Because I wanted to go to the ball. And that ended horribly.

But I had met the prince, after all. And I even danced with him. With that so suddenly behind me, the only way to go now was forward. Faster and faster the carriage flew through the city, bumping and bouncing in the pouring rain. I held on inside, my head swimming with panic. Must leave them behind. Leave it all behind.

I could hear lightning strike as the wind howled, and through the window I could see that we were now on the outskirts of the city, taking the road into the forest.

"Are you okay, out there?" I called to Sir Gander, my head peeking out the window.

"Just fine, Miss Mary!" he replied over the wind. I sat back, and we rode on.

Among my thoughts and the chaos that ensued outside, suddenly I heard the cry of a wolf. I again stuck my head out of the carriage.

"Sir Gander! Did you hear that?"

"I did m'lady!"

"Be most cautious!" I warned. If the horse became frightened, I couldn't guess what was to become of us. How large was this forest we were in? How long until the next village?

It felt like another half hour passed before I heard the howling again. Perhaps it was a full moon, impossible to see beneath the storm. Or perhaps we were being hunted.

To my surprise, the carriage lurched to a stop. I immediately opened the door and climbed out, barefoot but wearing the long hooded cloak gifted to me from the fairy, into the rain. I beheld the darkened forest around us and the drowned path before us as I came around to the front, where Sir Gander was slumped forward onto his knees, his face concealed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, alarmed. I peered up at him in panic.

"She said it wouldn't last…" Sir Gander looked down to me, eyes bleary, his face covered in feathers. I gasped, stepping back.

"But—you can't leave me here, like this-" I said in disbelief.

He opened his mouth to reply, but in that moment his nose suddenly protruded and his mouth met with it as they transformed into a beak. A strangled quack was all that was heard.

"How can this be!" I cried, pulling myself up onto the coach seat. I reached for Sir Gander's hand, trying to think of anything I could do to reverse the magic; he had not voluntarily returned to his original form, but soon enough he was once again all goose and no man.

Soon after, despite my desperate pleas, he flew away.

There was nothing left for me to do but to continue on. I seized the reigns of the carriage and eased the horse on, slowly and steadily, down the crooked, flooded path. I could see the water rising above the horse's ankles as they trotted through the mess. And I could still hear the wolves in the distance, but I sensed they were coming closer. There was no going any faster.

I halted the carriage once more and climbed back down. With shaking fingers, I detached the horse. The old steed neighed nervously as he stepped away from the carriage, unsure of where he was supposed to go.

I've lost my way.

Recalling what little knowledge I had from riding a horse in my youth, I climbed atop the old steed my father had favored so long ago. He had named him Luc.

"Ride, Luc! It is just us now!"

The horse took off down the path, sloshing through icy water. I held onto his neck as securely as possible, my long hood falling back behind me and my hair soaked from the rain. The trek was becoming more and more winding, the water deepening and obscuring the path. Luc trotted on carefully, but he was not a skilled horse and was no way equipped for handling the severe terrain.

Up ahead I spied a fallen tree limb blocking the road. If Luc could jump over it, I could take it as a sign of luck. I braced for the jump as we came upon it, and just as soon as the horse kicked his front heels into the air and we went up, the wolf's howling sounded again. This time, closer than ever.

Luc was startled. His back legs fell short of the clearance and he stumbled, tossing me from his back. I tumbled hard into the gnarled and soaked vegetation lining the path.

I must have even blacked out for a moment, because once I was able to stand, the horse was gone. I could feel something warm run down the side of my face. I hastily wiped the blood away and ran my finger gently across my right temple, where the skin had broken. I knew head wounds bled out a lot, and that I would probably be okay, but for how long? I needed to move my legs. The wolves were coming.

I stumbled down the rocky path, legs moving as fast as they could. I knew my head continued to bleed, and that eventually I would pass out if I did not soon rest.

Do not stop now.

On and on I pressed, winding deeper into the cold, dark forest that seemed to lead nowhere. It wasn't much longer before I spied my hunter. It must have been the alpha wolf; he was crouched ahead of me on the path, eyes glowing golden and sinister, teeth bared with hunger. I veered off the path, now running for my life. The wolf did not immediately follow.

It didn't matter to me that I was lost anymore. If I made it to dawn, I could continue on with the sun above me and a better sense of direction. I pondered if climbing up a tree would ensure me safety through the night. How could I be sure of that?

The sound of several wolves howling together in the near distance reinvigorated the sense of fear and panic inside of me. The pack was now all together and close by, and my time was running out.

My vision began to fade in and out. It wasn't severe, but just enough to deter me moments at a time. Somewhere in my fits of blindness, I stumbled upon a wrought iron gate. It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. It was the largest gate I had ever seen, and it was slightly ajar. And behind it was a castle. Not like Stefan's castle—but a black castle, treacherous and huge.

There was no time to negotiate. I slipped through the gate and onto the mysterious grounds, following the cobblestoned path to a set of stone stairs that led to a doorway.

The castle loomed above me, stretching up into the blackened sky, its true height obscured by the storm. It was a strong castle built of stone; weathered stone twisting into towers upon towers. I could only see one door; the front door. A little too obvious, it seemed, but as the gates had already allowed me entrance and I knew the wolves were hot on my heels .Still, my best chance seemed to lie behind those two giant doors made of hardened oak. So I knocked.

My feeble touch offered no feedback. My knuckles were already cracked and bloody from my earlier skirmishes, and my head wound—if only I could see it—left me dizzier with every passing moment. I knocked again, this time with my other hand. It made but little impact upon the sturdy door.

Just then, I heard the cry of a wolf in the near distance, followed by an echo of calls from the rest of the pack. My stomach overturned inside of me as I began pounding on the door frantically, hoping someone—anyone—would answer and allow me entrance. But the storm was too loud. It was practically roaring, and lightning flashed in the distance followed by thunder that nearly shook the ground. Even as I stood there, my hands resting against the door in uncertainty, my vision grew fuzzy. What was to become of me if I was left out here?

There it was—another distinct call of the alpha wolf. He was so near I could almost feel his presence, and his hunger. In a panicked state I tore myself away from the door and stumbled back down the stairs and onto the flooded path. Ice cold water reached my ankles now, so I had to take extra care to not stumble onto any loose rocks or foliage, as this yard was overgrown and unkempt; the gate itself was laid heavily with vines stretching from the ground and twisting through the iron bars. As I took hold of the side that had opened in order to again close it and secure it against the wolves, the alpha appeared out of the trees, his eyes gleaming. The gate was incredibly heavy as I threw my weight against it, bringing it to a close with a shuddering creaking noise. The alpha let out a guttural snarl as he met me on the other side, jaws snapping through the bars, trying desperately for the taste of flesh.

The wolf was heavier than me, and now it was his weight against mine. I kicked at him and screamed with the hopes that it would be intimidating, but I was nothing more than prey in his eyes.

Three more wolves emerged from the forest, charging full speed at the gate. Their barking drowned out the thunder around us. The impact of the four wolves against the gate overpowered me, and I staggered backwards. Then I turned and ran.

My head-start granted me just enough time to slosh up the path and stairs to the front door again before the wolves found their way through the gate. They were now coming after me, and closing in.

I've heard it said that before you die, you see your life pass by you in one second—and at this time, I was trying to remember so hard what it was that ultimately led me here. All I wanted was that moment of euphoria you're supposed to receive instead of the terror I felt. And just as the door before me suddenly opened and I felt a hand grasp my arm and pull me inside, my fuzzy vision began to darken and my senses began to fail. In a second, I forgot about the wolves and the storm and the fear and I gave in to the darkness.

Stefan awoke to the sun blazing through his window in his room high up in the castle. He had only been back from school for a month and desperately missed sleeping in the old dormitory with his schoolmates, far away up in the mountains. This castle, enormous and sprawling in every direction, never truly felt like home. At school he was never treated like a prince—but when home, he was back on his father's agenda.

You will soon be a ruler, King Peter insisted. It's time we prepare you for that.

Who was that girl, though?

When he first saw her she shimmered like the moon. How had he never seen her before?

Stefan emerged from his room and onto his sun-soaked balcony. The heat of the mid-summer's day was already hanging in the air. The storm from the night before lingered in humid pockets of air that drifted about. Down below, the prince could see the servants and groundskeepers scrambling to clean up after the party and storm.

Mary had disappeared into the storm. But why?

He would have danced with her all night if she had stayed—forget the rest. If he was finally sure of anything, it was her.

So find her.

The prince gripped the balcony, deep in thought. He was the prince. Finding her wouldn't be impossible if he really looked. It's true: they had only met for a single moment in time. Stefan had no idea who this mysterious girl was, but he wanted to. Did that make him crazy?

Or is this what it feels like to fall in love?