The man pulled me closer to him and my nose wrinkled instantly at the smell of him, making me repress my need to gag. He smelt like rotting fish and the scent made a connection in my brain, even though it was faint.
My stomach dropped at the correlation. This man was a rogue. I had crossed into the rogue territory, where the mixed-up lone wolves had somehow made their own society and got their own land by threatening surrounding packs. I suppose being in some sort of pack, even if it was mangled, had taken the more wild edge of the rogues, which, in turn, made them smell less strongly.
“Swearing isn’t very lady like,” the rogue murmured, his lips far too close to my ear.
I felt like I was going to throw up all over myself. Between the fear and the smell, I wasn’t sure my body could handle it. Part of me wanted to fight this rogue and make a run for it, but I had never been taught how to fight. Apparently, it was more important for a princess to know how to dance properly than it was for her to know how to defend herself, despite the fact that my parents had always made it clear that I was in danger. I swallowed the ball in my throat and decided to keep quiet. I could not fight, I knew that.
The rogue’s hands slid down the sides of my designer riding jacket, making me shiver in disgust. I wanted to slap him and scream at him, but I knew that would lead to no good so I stood as still as I could and tried to remind myself that I would be okay. He couldn’t do anything to me unless he was willing to risk his life and the safety of his entire pack. Royals were known for showing no mercy when threatened.
“Come on, let’s go see the alpha,” he murmured, letting go of my sides, but grabbing my arm in a viselike grip again. I was mildly surprised by his strength; usually rogues were mangy, thin, and weak from being half starved all the time.
He tugged me along like I was a disobedient dog and as I followed him I started to look around the surrounding forest in the light of the moon. Everywhere I looked I saw glints of large eyes catching the moon light, making me repress another shudder. Even if I could fight there were far too many of them for me to handle, far more than I knew of.
When my father had told me about a rogue pack I had nearly laughed out loud, assuming it was only about ten deranged wolves banded together for personal gain. But now, I could see at least twenty wolves around me and I knew this was a much bigger problem than my father had ever let on. I silently cursed myself for not listening more intently to his warnings.
If the sheer size of the pack wasn’t a big enough shock to me, the way they lived certainly was.
Everything was normal, which made my jaw drop.
I mean, they didn’t live in a grand palace like I did. There weren’t any stables or any massive training compounds, but they did live like most smaller packs. They had houses–I counted at least sixteen homes just on the walk-in, a building with a playground which must’ve been a little school, a grocery store, and a training compound. It wasn’t a bustling metropolis like some of the larger packs ended up in, but it seemed functional and structured, something that rogues were not.
What nearly floored me completely was when I saw a young child running outside, excited by all the commotion and his mother quickly grab me and yank him back to her side as she watched me. I couldn’t tell if she knew that I was the princess, but I could certainly see the fear in her eyes as she watched me being escorted passed her home. It made me feel like filth, like a villain, and I dropped my head in shame.
“Get the alpha!” my captor shouted at someone and I almost snorted. It was amusing that they had a leader but then again, all of this structure and order had to come from somewhere. Someone scurried off to follow his orders though which impressed me.Maybe there was more of a hierarchy here than I had ever thought.
A few moments later a man emerged from the largest home on the property, looking groggy and annoyed in clothes that had obviously just been thrown on. Even in his lazy, half-awake state I could see the subtle strength that rolled off of him and feel the power he had over those around me.
My heart rate quickened at the sight of him, but dread filled me as my wolf became excited.
“No,” I whispered as the man neared.
Once the man got himself together and ambled close enough, his blue eyes became serious as they scanned me over, then a smirk touched his lips.
“I never thought my mate would be a princess.”
Chapter 7
“This can’t be happening,” I whispered, grabbing the sides of my head with both hands. I was sitting in the living room of the alpha’s home, which was impressively designed and decorated, the rest of the guards had gone since the alpha had ordered them away when he realized I was his mate.
I, the princess, was mated to the very man my parents loathed and feared with all of their might. I suddenly wished that this was not the case and that this rogue alpha was going to turn around and kill me; at least that way I wouldn’t have to tell my parents what happened, who I was bound to be with for the rest of my life, and I wouldn’t have to face thousands upon thousands of werewolves who hated me because of the man I could eventually come to love.
My mate was in the small kitchen. He had been making me tea to calm me down, but now, as the water boiled, he was watching me intently. I took a brief moment to look him over as well.
He was the opposite of what I had anticipated. Most rogues were skinny, weak, and short from malnourishment with dull hair that fell out in clumps and rotted teeth. My mate looked more like a normal alpha than anything though. He was tall, well over six feet and reasonably muscular for his size. He also had dark auburn hair and sharp blue eyes. The only sign that showed me he wasn’t a normal alpha was the fact that he wasn’t super clean-cut. His eyes were a little more wild, his hair messy, and his stance more offensive than stable. He looked calm and content, but I was still able to notice a hint of unpredictability in him. Plus, I didn’t know any alphas who had tattoos, but one of his arms was covered in them which intrigued and frightened me at the same time.
I absently wondered if he liked what he saw when he was inspecting me so intently. I wasn’t the prettiest thing, though I wasn’t exactly ugly either. My long brown hair and wide green eyes helped me look quite cute, naïve, and childish too, but other than that I was quite unremarkable. I was average weight with a normal sized bust, fairly large hips, pale lips, and a slightly upturned nose.
I was damn near the definition of average while he was anything but.
“Again, I’m sorry for the way my guards treated you,” my mate whispered, finally looking away from me as the kettle squealed.
Whatever trance we shared was immediately broken when he looked away for a brief moment.
I just shrugged my shoulders. I was terribly upset right now; I hadn’t even considered that I would actually be mated to an alpha, much less the one who led rogues. Hell, I even started to believe my parents theory that I wouldn’t find my mate, and now I was here and my mate was hated by every werewolf pack in the world.
Yet he didn’t seem all that bad so far. He didn’t look sadistic or seem to have any cruel intentions. His pack looked incredibly normal and healthy, like he was taking good care of them, and his whole pack was very obedient under his command. Had I not smelt the rogue on his pack member I would’ve never known that he was the man that everyone else feared and loathed. And if I hadn’t known he was a rogue, I’d probably be throwing myself into his arms, kissing him endlessly while being so thankful that my parents had been wrong.
“Are you going to say anything or are you just going keep quiet?” my mate asked, walking over with a cup full of steaming tea. “We haven’t even known each other for an hour and you’re already giving me the silent treatment,” he teased, but when I didn’t respond his beautiful smile fell. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
I shook my head and took the warm cup from his hands. I tried not to let the pleasurable sensation of our touch affect me too much. Instead, I pretended to focus on the mug, reading the pun on t
he side of it. I needed to think out what I was going to do, how I was going to tell my parents, and what my plan of action would be after they inevitably had a meltdown and demanded I leave him. I wondered if the werewolf community would want me as their queen if I was mated to someone they deemed an atrocity and if my parents would give the crown to someone else if they didn’t think he was a suitable king.
My mate sat down on the couch beside me, letting out a little defeated sigh. “I knew this was going to happen,” he breathed, rubbing the back of his neck. Those blue eyes were stormy and troubled already.
I took a sip of my tea, trying to let his words go, but I was too curious for my own good. “You knew what was going to happen?” I prompted, my voice coming out shaky and weak. I nearly groaned at the sound, so much for portraying a strong, badass princess but I suppose it was already clear that I was about as harmless as a bunny.
“I knew that my mate would hate me. I mean, every werewolf does, why would my mate be any different?” he murmured, not looking at me.
My heart broke slightly at his words and I had to remind myself that it was just the mate bond that was making me feel sorry for him. He was a rogue, no worse, a leader of rogues, the very animals that destroyed packs and ruined lives. I wasn’t sure if my mate was blood thirsty, if his pack had been involved in any attacks although I did know that he had caused my father unimaginable amounts of stress and problems. He promoted disorganization and terror throughout the werewolf community and stood against everything I had been raised for.
I needed a clear head so I considered my options before I overwhelmed myself with awful possibilities.
“I want to go home,” I said, trying to sound as firm as I could. “I need to find my horse, he could be very hurt by now,”
My mate stiffened at my words and there was a heavy silence between us for a long time. I held my breath, wondering if I had pushed this unpredictable man too far. Finally, after what felt like forever, he stood up, his back turned to me.
“You’re not going home,” he said, his voice firm and cold. “I just found you; I can’t give you up already.”
“But my parents, they’re the king and queen, they’ll come after me. You can’t keep me here,” I sputtered, stunned and panicked at his reply. The tea cup began to shake in my trembling hands, “They’ll kill you,”
“I suppose they will try, but I’m not terribly worried about it,” he said smoothly, without a quiver in his voice. “They really wouldn’t want to kill their daughters’ mate.”
My heart clenched, and a sensation of uneasiness ran over me in an instant, almost making me physically ill with the idea that anything bad to this man I just met, even though I was the one that brought it up.
I set the tea cup down on the coffee table and leaned forward, resting my head in my hands to ease away the nausea. I knew that I needed to get home, but I also knew that I couldn’t tell my parents what happened. I needed to figure out for myself what I was going to do and I couldn’t have anyone else’s opinion in the matter. And Poison, the poor beast was probably terrified, roaming around in the dark with wolves everywhere, no rider to guide him.
“My horse, can I at least go find my horse?” I asked shakily, on the verge of panicked tears.
My mate turned around at this, a tight smile on his lips. “No need, one of my men is riding him right now. By the time your royal guards catch that horse’s scent again they’ll be ten kilometers west of us, closer to that massive pack. No one will suspect you’re here. It’ll be months before your parents figure it out.”
Chapter 8
“Come on, Adeline, please?” my mate begged, already pulling back the blankets on his bed. His blue eyes looked desperate, but far from defeated. Unfortunately for him, I was basically known for being stubborn.
I had been in Ryan’s house for two hours now and within that period, he had seen me get so angry I shouted, then so defeated that I put my face in my hands and sobbed. We argued profusely about him letting me go back home but he always stood firm, telling me that I was in no shape to go anywhere else other than bed and that we had just met. He thought we needed time together.
After only a short while, the fear that everyone had implanted in me in regards to him slowly faded and gave way to exhaustion. It had been late when I had gone for the ride and it was already a couple of past. The fear that I was supposed to feel towards my mate slowly dissipated and I knew it was a futile to keep it up. Besides, it was hard to be terrified of someone who you were destined to love and made such good tea.
But now, we were just about to have another argument because there was no way in hell I was going to sleep in the same bed as a man I just met. Mate or not. I was going to be a queen soon, and I needed a level head at all times, especially when it came to the now sensitive topic of my mate. My decision about him would affect a lot of people; I didn’t need the mate bond clouding my thoughts.
“No, I won’t. You’re already making me stay in your house against my will; I won’t stay in your bed. That’s where I draw the line,” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Well then, where are you going to sleep, princess?” Ryan asked, mocking me slightly, “This place isn’t exactly the Buckingham palace. You either sleep with me or you don’t get to sleep on a bed,”
I had never met someone who responded to my ice with equally powerful fire and I wasn’t sure if I loved the challenge or hated the disrespect.
“I’m sure another member of your pack would love to have me stay in a guest room,” I shot back. My eyes narrowed at the princess comment. He was brave if he thought he could berate my title when the entire werewolf population thought he was scum.
I expected that Ryan would get mad at my quick retort, seeing as he was both an alpha and a rogue–the least mild mannered werewolf types, but instead he smirked and walked towards me, looking cocky and amused. His blue eyes gleamed with mischief and he confidently inched closer to me, making me catch my breath.
“Really?” he tested. “You think my pack members will just swing open their doors and bow down to you?”
“Yes,” I said, but my voice came out shaky and unrefined. It wasn’t true at all, I knew the majority of his pack hated me more than I cared to imagine.
I inhaled sharply when his hand settled on my hip, his thumb slipping under my riding jacket. Ryan knew exactly what he was doing. When I met his eyes, he smiled slightly and lowered his head, his lips ending up dangerously close to mine. He knew that being this close to me would make my heart pound crazily in my chest and the smallest touch was more than enough to make me feel like I couldn’t breathe.
“Please, I just met you, I want you to spend the night with me,” he whispered, moving his lips towards my ear. Feeling the warm breath on my sensitive skin made me shiver and step closer to him. The challenging tone was gone from his voice and was now replaced with a soft murmur. He took the opportunity to slip his hand under my shirt, resting it on my bare skin. “I just want to hold my mate close to me, is that such a sin?”
“No,” I babbled.
I felt like I couldn’t control my body. I leaned my head against Ryan’s strong chest and my body was pressed up against him, loving the feeling of both strength and protection that radiated off of him. I couldn’t even think about my family that was worried sick or the royal guards who were walking around in the dead of night searching for me. I didn’t care that some rogue I had never met was currently sitting on the back of my horse. My mate was here and he was touching me, talking to me, while my exhausted brain fell to mush.
“Good, so how about we just take some of these uncomfortable clothes off and climb in this bed,” he continued. His voice sounded like honey to me, and I sighed in delight at his words. Taking these clothes off and getting into the bed seemed like the best idea I had heard in years.
I unzipped my jacket, letting it fall to the floor without a thought, then I unzipped my pants and finally my shirt was slipped off. Ryan was fro
zen in front of me, his eyes locked on my body and his mouth hanging open slightly. There was cute pinkish tingle to his cheeks that just made me want to kiss him and pull him closer. I watched in anticipation as he slowly reached towards me, his hands moving for my wide hips and I held my breath, ready to be flooded with pleasurable sensations.
Then, he seemed to get a hold of himself. He shook his head slightly and stepped away before grabbing the blanket on the bed and lifting it slightly.
“Come on,” his voice wavered a little bit. “It’s late, it’s almost dawn. We’re both tired and we both deserve some rest. Let’s go to bed.”
I shuffled over to the king sized bed in my bra and moved under the covers that he was holding up. Ryan set the blanket down on top of me and walked to the other side of his bed, taking off his tee shirt and jeans in the process.
I couldn’t help but admire him as he moved while he was unaware that I was watching him so intently. His body was solid, strong. His thighs, back, and shoulders looked particularly defined. The intricate tattoo he had was on full display now and I could make out a golden apple mark, like the one in the myths about the Greek gods. It was amazing how he could look so rough and unrefined, but so kind and wholesome at the same time. I briefly wondered what we would look like as a couple, as king and queen.
Ryan shut off the lights and slid into the bed beside me. A little voice in my brain reminded me that I should be a little wary of this man, yet I scooted closer to him and sighed in contentment when his strong arm slid around my bare waist.
“You’ll make a great luna,” Ryan murmured sleepily into my hair.
“You’ll make a great king,” I mumbled through a yawn.
Ryan just chuckled softly as I began to drift into sleep.
The Princess and the Alpha: A Shifter Romance Page 3