My dad was different. He had been raised as an omega only to find out he was actually royal. His modest upbringing meant that he valued a home-cooked meal more than any piece of jewelry. To him, family time was the only important time, and keeping everyone happy was his number one priority. He was trusting to the point that it was naive, but that only made me love him more.
Sometimes, it amazed me that someone as gentle and sweet as my father could love the hardened and cold woman my mother was. Then again, when I caught rare glances of them alone together, my mother didn’t look so tough or mean; just compassionate and loving. I guess that’s what a mate bond does.
My mother made small talk with her right-hand man, Greg and Preston, while my father chatted with me about Poison. I could see the relief on his face when I told him that Poison had become much calmer with other people because that horse had been anything but calm when I rescued him.
Eventually, the two alphas arrived.
It was all a big fanfare when they showed up. My parents greeted them with handshakes, the guards all stood at attention, and the help staff scurried out of sight. I had to force myself to keep a scowl off my face at the sight of the two men, both of whom were completely cocky and arrogant due to their alpha status. Maybe if they had the brains to match the brawn, they would be tolerable as guests, but it was not to be.
Everything was going as well as it could until I glanced over and saw my mother watching my interaction intently with the two alphas, making my stomach sink with dread. Feeling her eyes on me for the rest of the night left a sour taste in my mouth despite the food being perfection. My appetite was not helped by the way the alphas ate either. It looked like they were about to shift into their wolves―more animal than human―and I internally sighed. These are the people I learned napkin etiquette for, and they didn’t even know how to use bloody forks.
After what felt like years, the argument over their land treaty was settled and the alphas were on their way back home.
I finally felt relieved, watching the burly men put on their shoes at the door, mumbling their last goodbyes.
“Oh, and Tim?” my mother said suddenly, making the alpha’s head swing up, “We’ll be in touch about the ball, alright?”
The alpha bowed his head. “Of course, your Highness,” he muttered, before he and the other alpha were led outside the palace by the guards.
The second the door was closed, I kicked off the uncomfortable heels and began yanking the bobby pins from my hair. My feet nearly sighed with relief when they made contact with the cold marble floor and my head stopped throbbing once the painful pins were removed.
“Why are we having another ball?” I moaned. “The last one was so boring; they’re always full of old alphas who think they’re so much better and stronger than the next guy. It’s almost amazing that we’ve never had a fight break out. You two have to admit that it gets really old really fast.”
My mom bit her lip, looking nervous for the first time in years. Her eyes flicked to my dad who looked equally uncomfortable, but just nodded his head, encouraging as always.
“Adeline, you’re almost twenty…” My mom seemed to be at a loss for words, which never happened to her.
Seeing her like this made me fidget uncomfortably. I knew something bad was coming.
“I know my age,” I said with a tense smile.
“We’re going to host a ball to seek out potential suitors for you,” my father blurted, relieving my mother of her burden.
And that burden slammed right into me, almost knocking the breath out of me.
“What? What do you mean suitors? I’m a werewolf; I have a mate out there…somewhere,” I rambled in disbelief.
My mom sighed and moved closer so she could grab my hand and hold it between hers. “I know, sweety.” Her softness was throwing me off. I would’ve preferred her to be tough and cold right now. At least I was used to that kind of behavior. “Your father and I are just worried. You’re getting older, and most werewolf women find their mates between the age of eighteen and nineteen. I’m not saying we are marrying you off tomorrow; I’m just saying we need to keep our options open.” It was like she was discussing menu options for dinner and not my future.
“By having a ball? Aren’t all of the alphas mated anyway, isn’t that how they become alphas? By finding their mates?” I demanded.
“Well, sometimes, but some of the men have lost their mates or never found them. Those are the ones who will be attending,” my dad piped up. “Just because they aren’t mated doesn’t mean they can’t be good leaders.”
“Are you guys crazy?” I demanded, becoming slightly hysterical. “I’m not going to pretend to love a man just because his mate died and I need someone to rule by my side!” I shrieked.
“Oh Addy,” my dad soothed, coming to my side and putting his arm around my shoulders, “I’m sorry that we had to spring this on you. I know it’s not what you want, but we aren’t going to force you to marry anyone you don’t want to. We’re just worried that maybe your mate isn’t out there.”
“Well, if my mate isn’t out there then I won’t just settle with some arrogant, pigheaded, idiotic alpha!” I shouted. “I’d rather die alone!” I shouted. Then, feeling furious and undermined I stomped away from them.
Chapter 4
That night I laid awake in my bed, rolling from one side to the other, so frustrated with the whole situation. How could my parents do this to me? They were mates themselves; they knew how important it was to find your mate. A mate was the only person that could truly make another werewolf happy. And, as much as they were trying to be sweet and sensitive about it, there was nothing that could be done to hide the fact that they had given up on me. Which, in itself, was foolish.
The only men that I ever dealt with were the men they allowed in my life, the alphas I was forced to sit beside, the guards that roamed around the grounds, and the staff members that were always nearby. There were probably thousands of men whom I had never encountered because it was ‘unsafe for a princess to associate with strangers’. And that were just the werewolves; though it wasn’t common, there was a chance that my mate could be human. But I had never been allowed to meet a single one of the men my parents hadn’t done a thorough background check on.
And what happens if I let them marry me off to some alpha, then, out of nowhere, I encountered my actual mate? There would be hundreds of lawsuits. How much would my ex-husband get? How much would my mate get? Who gets to rule by my side? And what happens to the person who wasn’t chosen to be my partner?
All these thoughts whirling around inside my head for hours made me feel distraught, and the worst part was I had no one to talk to. Every single thought and emotion had to be stored inside, because my parents were too concerned for my safety to let me have friends. Right now, all I really needed was someone to tell me that my feelings were valid, my parents were a little crazy, and eventually everything would be okay.
But all I had was a pillow covered in my own frustrated tears and a restless mind.
Finally, at one in the morning I had had enough. I sat up in my bed and yanked the blankets off my legs. I stumbled around, looking for a light switch and the second my room was illuminated, I grabbed a clean set of riding clothes from my enormous walk-in closet and slid into them as soundlessly as I could. If someone found me awake at this hour, I would be scolded endlessly then lectured about the importance of sleep. And I could not handle either of those things right now. I just needed a few minutes to clear my head, and then I would fall asleep on my own accord.
Once I had my riding clothes on I slipped out of my bedroom, careful not to make any noise, before tiptoeing to the front of the palace and blindly finding my riding boots in the dark. After I wrestled them on to my feet, I gently opened the front door and slid into the darkness.
I had to move quickly around the yard; if I was caught by one of the guards on patrol then I would be sent right back to the palace and both of my parents
would be waiting to give me a stern talking to. I almost shuddered at the thought of their disapproving eyes and rants about my safety that would come. They were always so damn worried about my safety, I wondered if they ever worried about my sanity. I certainly did, with all my time alone or with staff, I wondered if I would ever be able to talk to a normal person if the opportunity ever arose.
I made it into the barn safely and as I glanced around, I found that all the grooms had gone home, and no one had stayed to do the occasional night watch tonight. I gave out a little sigh of relief and walked to Poison’s stall. The stunning gelding stuck his head out of the stall door and whickered at the sight of me, making my heart fill with happiness. At least someone was excited to see me, no matter the hour.
“Hey handsome,” I cooed softly, rubbing his cheek with one hand.
Poison lifted his head away from me, turned it towards the riding ring and let out a little snort before he began kicking the door.
“Hey, hey, shhh,” I whispered, pulling his head back down to me, “We can go for a ride, but we don’t need guards coming in here to see what’s causing all the commotion, okay, silly boy,” I scolded, but my voice was too kind to hold any merit. I just slipped a halter on him and led him into the aisle before crosstying him and getting to work.
Soon I had the big beast groomed and saddled before I led him into the riding arena. I smiled a little when I found that the jump was still left up. I worked Poison through his gaits to warm him up. I was astonished that he was so responsive at such an early hour and so compliant when his schedule had been thrown off, but then again, my dad had been right when he said I made a lot of progress with Poison.
I had rescued Poison at a livestock auction. When he had been brought into the ring, it was clear he had been sedated beforehand. His pace was slow, his eyes droopy, and the handlers had to practically drag him around the ring. Unfortunately for the seller, he used too much numbing agents and it had been obvious to the buyers, so no one placed a bid other than a slaughter house. Once I saw that this beautiful black horse was going for glue and meat, I knew had to have him.
Then when we brought him home we found out just why he had been sedated so heavily. This horse, though eight years old, was wilder than any horse I had ever seen. He reared, he kicked, he bit. Half of the barn staff refused to even go near his stall and both of my parents begged me to sell him, telling me that we would get another horse. I almost scoffed at their requests. Like I wanted another perfectly trained, well-bred horse. Poison had been a challenge. He had pulled me out of my boring routine.
Now with him warmed up and focused, I walked him over to the large doors on the side of the arena. Poison, like many horses, had a fear of loud noises. But he was beginning to trust me more and more. So I gave the reins a gentle tug and stopped him beside the door that led to the outdoor arena. Then I leaned down slowly and grabbed the handle. With a soft click of my tongue and a little bit of pulling on the reins, I got him to back up. Poison’s ears flickered as the door gave out a low moan before giving way and opening, but he listened to my command and took a few more steps backward.
“Good boy,” I cooed as I patted his neck, “What a good boy,”
I turned him away from the door, thrilled with the progress and got him back into a steady canter, rocking back and forth with his smooth strides. After a while we went towards the little jump and soared over it. Things were going brilliantly and my frustration from before was giving way to exhaustion now. I encouraged him over the jump once more and got him to slow down into a gentle trot.
I was reaching down to pat his neck when his ears flickered.
Then someone shouted. “Princess?”
My head snapped towards the main door and I saw two guards standing there, glaring at me. Obviously, they had noticed something amiss when I had opened the barn door that led to the outside arena. They were moving inside the closed arena just before Poison reared up, screaming loudly. And the second he was down on all fours, he took off, running right through that open door.
Chapter 5
I leaned my body forward, moving all of my weight to my legs as Poison’s hooves pounded the sand, racing madly with his ear pinned flat against his head. I tried to gather my leather reins, but when I pulled on them, I felt that Poison had taken the bit between his teeth, rendering me helpless as he surged forward, guards still shouting at us from behind.
For the briefest moment, I cursed myself for not taking one of the leisure, bulletproof horses my parents insisted I ride, but hating my choices wouldn’t fix the predicament I was in now. I lifted my head up, trying to see if there was another way I could control him, but all I saw was the fence that surrounded the outdoor arena and my heart plummeted.
“Poison, come on, slow down,” I tried to keep my voice calm, but it shook with undeniable fear. I attempted to pull on the reins again, knowing that Poison wouldn’t be able to see the dark fence in the dim light streaming from the indoor arena.
“Please, Poison,” I was begging now, the fear giving way to desperation. “Whoa boy,” I pleaded, though I hadn’t even taught him that voice command, nor had his previous owners. Regardless, he wasn’t going to listen; he was in full flight mode.
Then, by some miracle, Poison saw the fence that my own eyes could barely make out. I could feel his muscles tense beneath me and I prepared my body for a very sudden stop. Instead, I felt Poison quicken his pace and horror filled me. He was going to try and jump the monster four-foot fence. I had been riding for years and had never tried to jump that high, much less on a green, unpredictable horse like Poison. The fact that him and I were both going into this almost literally blind, made me so nervous that I wanted to throw up. While my steed did pick up on my feelings, it chose to go faster seemingly ready to make the risk for the both of us.
“No!” I shouted, trying to pull on the reins once more. He just ignored me again as if I hadn’t said a thing.
Then, we were airborne, flying over the huge fence together. Poison leapt into the air, jumping higher than I had ever seen and I could only tuck myself into a two-point position and move with him unless I wanted to tumble onto the cold sand. I swear I held my breath the whole time we were moving over the jump, terrified that he hadn’t seen the top rail and that we were both going to land in a heap. Then, after what felt like forever, Poison landed on the other side of the fence.
“Oh my god,” I breathed, looking behind us as the fence disappeared. It was being swallowed by the darkness with every long stride. Soon I couldn’t see the running guards either or the light streaming from the barn and I knew that, the guards (even if they had shift), had no chance of keeping up with us. This horse had been bred to be a champion after all. He could run faster and for longer periods of time than any of my purebred sport horses. My only option now was to hold on.
Poison galloped at a maddening speed for what felt like an eternity and continued to hold the bit between his teeth the entire time. Eventually, I gave up on trying to steer him, figuring he would either tire himself out or spook himself at something in the dark where I would then have control again. I would spin him around, walk him back the way we came and wait to be intercepted by the guards who were no doubt still tailing us. I would be escorted back home and my parents would glare at me before hugging me and telling me I was a fool for trying to do something so reckless.
Then my stomach dropped when I thought about what they would do to Poison. I knew that I had made a lot of progress with him; he was turning out to be a great horse with a strong mind and a powerful body but they didn’t see that. They only saw his tantrums, and heard about the time he kicked a groom and nearly broke his leg which means they would mostly likely would never let me near Poison again despite it not being his fault. If people would learn a little horse sense none of these things would’ve even happened!
Finally, Poison slowed to a level canter and I was able to get a hold of the bit again, pulling him up to a steady trot just as we spla
shed through a shallow creek that I hadn’t even seen up until now. In the back of my mind I heard my father’s voice, reminding me about the creek, but I couldn’t remember why he told me to avoid it. I guess it didn’t matter.
Poison stamped a foot in the water before he shook out his mane and crossed the rest of the way. I rolled my eyes a little. Most horses would’ve been fine with people and horrified on getting their hooves wet in the dark, but not my horse, oh no.
“God I’m going to be in so much shit,” I whispered, trying to guide Poison back around and back through the creek but he froze and his ears went flat against his head.
“Well, hello Princess,” someone murmured in the dark.
Chapter 6
I dismounted Poison when the man asked me to. I knew I didn’t have a lot of leverage now; I had crossed onto someone else’s territory in the middle of the night though I couldn’t remember whose. I figured that if I was kind and well-mannered they would take me back to my parents, and would otherwise leave me alone. I mean, I was the princess after all; they wouldn’t harm me unless they wanted every werewolf pack tracking them down and slaughtering them. Sadly, my idea of keeping my manners faded incredibly quickly as I watched the man who had caught me.
“You bastard!” I screamed when the man smacked his palm down on Poison’s rump, making my horse rear up slightly before he took off, running back to the way he came. I began running after him, hoping that I could grab him before he harmed himself, but the man grabbed my arm, stopping me from moving another inch. “He could die because of you! What if he trips on his reins? What if his leg gets caught in a hole and he breaks it? What have you fucking done?!”
The Princess and the Alpha: A Shifter Romance Page 2