by Tawnya Torres (Author)
Riku is a wolf demon who refuses to kill his father to be king. He doesn't believe in their traditions. Most of his life he has shirked his duties leaving him ill-prepared for the day of the challenge. When his older sister reveals she had a vision of Riku carrying something precious through sacred grounds, he tries to ignore the call but ultimately can't resist.
On the day he is to murder his father for the throne he flees the mountains he's never left before. He wanders the forest alone for thirteen years, experiencing what it's like to be alone, and seeing the beauty and brutality of humanity for the first time. Riku wishes to protect the humans and tries his best to shield them from the demons that differ from him.
Expecting an object Riku is surprised but enchanted that it is a young girl he rescues from a fire demon that is the precious thing he has been searching for.