Stolen

Contents Title Page Copyright Content Warning Dedication Map Chapter One - Frosted Windows Chapter Two - Ghost Story Chapter Three - Skiing Chapter Four - The Cabin Chapter Five - Home Chapter Six - The Gift Chapter Seven - Green Eyes Chapter Eight - Festival Night Chapter Nine - Stolen Chapter Ten - Capture Chapter Eleven - Starry Skies Chapter Twelve - Broken Chapter Thirteen - The Bedroom Chapter Fourteen - It's Complicated Chapter Fifteen - Palace of Gold Chapter Sixteen - His office Chapter Seventeen - Banquet Chapter Eighteen - Sneak Chapter Nineteen - Girl Time Chapter Twenty - The Study Chapter Twenty-One - The Dance Chapter Twenty-Two - Lower Elves Chapter Twenty-Three - Dress Making Chapter Twenty-Four - Fight for You Chapter Twenty-Five - Nerves Chapter Twenty-Six - The Plan Chapter Twenty-Seven - Before the Wedding Chapter Twenty-Eight - Courtyard Chapter Twenty-Nine - The Shore Chapter Thirty - The Snow Chapter Thirty-One - Capital City Chapter Thirty-Two - Betrayal Chapter Thirty-Three - Venom Chapter Thirty-Four - Vampire Castle Top Acknowledgments Authors Note Guide Contents Start of Content S.P. Woods A MORTAL QUEEN: STOLEN Copyright © 2023 S.P. Woods All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief quotes in a review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. ASIN ‏: B0C3RLCZ5J‎ A Mortal Queen Series: Book 1 Publisher S.P. Woods www.sagepwoods.com [email protected] First EditionFirst Edition: June 2023 Previously published as A Mortal Queen: Stolen, Episodes 1-34, on Kindle Vella. First published on Kindle Vella January 2023 Trigger Warning: This book contains violence and gore, kidnapping, death, torture (past), and mature sexual scenes. For the reader who seeks to wander through the forests of new worlds, may these pages take you on unforgettable adventures. Large scale version of this map at: www.sagepwoods.com/books CHAPTER ONE Frosted Windows A SNOWFLAKE FELL slowly, landing on my cheek as I stared up at the darkening clouds. Hurried bodies rushed around me on the sidewalk, doing their shopping before night fell. Little shops lined the street, their windows were adorned with pine branches, filling with snow. The storefronts’ wooden signs hung above me as I drifted past, each one more unique than the last with panes of glass fogging around the corners due to the chilling temperatures. A warm, orange glow emanated from the lanterns hanging on the street poles and shop doors, along with baskets of red flowers. One observation struck me as odd—something I was not used to—I hadn’t seen a single elven guard this whole trip while in the Arrowroot Ski Village. Thanks to them, the vampire population was dwindling. That could only mean they believed mortals would be safe from vampires here. Perhaps, their reach wasn’t this far. It felt safe here, quaint even. Window shopping was always enjoyable. It was peaceful and a chance to let my mind wander. These shops held novelty items rarely found at home, and we were far from home. With only one more day of our trip left, I could walk this little mountain town and imagine being the type of person to be able to shop for my family’s gifts here. I took slow strides to enjoy the brisk night, pulling my jacket closed tighter, and ducking my chin into my scarf. I came to a sudden halt in front of the window of a silver trinket shop. The display glittered with an array of precious gemstones, elegant rings and silver necklaces. But it wasn’t the trinkets that caught my eye, it was the display case tucked back in the corner. A silver dagger with its handle wrapped in red leather. I’ve never seen a blade like that. The silver blade donned a dark red wood streaking through the middle. As beautiful as it was, it seemed odd to me for wood to be in a silver blade. What was the point? Wouldn’t that make it weaker? “This shop always gets me to stop too,” a deep voice spoke from next to me. I whirled around, staring wide-eyed at the stranger who was standing behind me. I must have been mesmerized by that dagger for longer than I thought for him to get so close to me without me hearing. A quick glance around told me I was right, all the shoppers on the street had already left. I peered upwards at the man standing only two feet away. Snow covered his knit hat. The black scarf and wool coat he wore were stark against his pale complexion but fit well over his broad shoulders and tall figure. His icy bluish-white eyes glinted in the night. Something took me over as I found it impossible not to stare back at him. It felt like time stopped as we stood there, looking at each other. His lips tipped up in a closed-mouth smile. “What is it that drew you in?” he asked. He glanced back to the shop’s window, giving me a better chance to look at this stranger’s face, who managed to sneak up on me. His lips were a rosy hue. Black straight hair poked out of his hat, reaching just to his defined jawline. His features were beautiful, almost elegant, and sharp enough that he could be an elf or half-elven. Elves would rarely breed with a mortal, but I have heard it could happen. A sudden awareness of my appearance crept through me, along with a deep urge to back away because of it. Frizzy blonde locks were shoved violently into a knit hat before leaving the Fireside Inn this morning. Assorted sizes of clothing bundled my body in order to layer for the chilling temperatures of the mountains. Only my hazel eyes were visible due to the