Chapter 9
In the morning I woke up to gentle kisses peppering my back and I instantly arched into them. The opened mouth kisses felt heavenly as they moved in-between my shoulder blades, giving me goose bumps all over my body. I let out a tiny sigh of contentment and pulled the blankets closer to me, breathing in the sweet scent of my mate.
Then it dawned on me that I was only in my bra and panties, the majority of my skin blatantly exposed to this man I barely knew, the man who happened to be both my mate and my father’s worst enemy. I promptly curled away from Ryan and sat up; ignoring the head rush I received. In my exhaustion I had allowed the mate bond to cloud my judgement, but it needed to stop before I got carried away.
“What are you doing?” Ryan asked groggily.
His hands immediately tried to grab me and pull me back to him. Part of me wanted nothing more than to sigh and curl back up against him, and let him hold me as tight and as close as he wanted to. I had to admit that sleeping next to him had given me the best sleep of my life. I felt more refreshed than I had in years, but I got up anyway and began pulling my scattered clothes back on, trying to keep my cheeks from turning scarlet.
Yes, I had a moment of weakness, but I reminded myself that I couldn’t be swayed anymore. I needed to be like my mother. A tough, independent leader.
“Adeline, come on,” Ryan protested, now sounding much more awake and unhappy. His voice was enough to make me regret my decision, “It’s only noon, we haven’t even gotten seven hours of sleep. Get your butt back in this bed,”
“I’m going home,” I said stiffly, tugging on my riding pants. Noon at the palace meant lunch in a beautiful gown, regardless of how little sleep I got. But I suppose there would be no proper lunch today, everyone would be too busy looking for me, and that thought made me feel awfully guilty.
“Yeah? And how are you going to get there?” Ryan challenged, rolling on to his stomach.
He looked smug and it made me furious. How could he be so defiant and arrogant when I was the princess and soon to be queen? Didn’t he understand the severity of our situation?
I took a deep breath and told myself that I would not let this escalate into a yelling match again. We were both adults and we were mates. I didn’t want our relationship to turn sour before I even knew where I wanted to take our relationship. I could not be happy or a queen without him by my side; and for whatever reason, some entity somewhere decided that we were meant to be.
“I can run in wolf form, it’ll take me a while, but I will get there. Plus, you said one of your men was riding my horse, which means Poison should be close by. I can ride him home, so don’t threaten me with holding my horse hostage,” I warned.
“But your poor horse is going to be tired, you should give him some rest, he’s only been resting for an hour or so now, judging by how sweaty he was when he got caught, he was pretty exhausted to begin with and that was before someone else rode him for a few more hours,” Ryan said nonchalantly, “So, you’re free to go obviously, and you are more than welcome to leave your beloved horse in my care.”
I gritted my teeth at his words, but knew he was right about my horse being exhausted. I didn’t trust him with Poison, not at all. I had been beyond impressed when he had said someone had ridden him, but there was very little chance that anyone in this little pack knew anything about horse care. Besides, what if Poison spooked and went wild? Would they know how to calm him down or would he simply end up breaking something or hurting himself?
“So, what is it going to be, Princess?” Ryan asked, sliding out of bed and standing up.
My eyes snapped down to his bare stomach and boxers. He was the first male I had ever seen shirtless aside from the royal guards. I quickly lifted my eyes back to his face, furious, embarrassed, but also defeated. Unfortunately, looking at his blue eyes didn’t help me get my bearings and my words came out weak. “Fine, but I leave tonight with no excuses coming from you, do you understand?”
Ryan snorted in amusement as he riffled through his drawers, eventually grabbing a fresh pair of jeans, “By tonight you won’t want to leave,” he said confidently before digging for a shirt, ignoring my eye roll.
I stayed on edge for most of our breakfast. Ryan was nothing less than pleasant to me, but I was still nervous around him. He was supposed to be vicious and brutal, even if he hummed along to happy songs when he cooked eggs in his tiny kitchen. I mean, of course he looked harmless to me, he was my mate, so if he was going to be kind to anyone it would be me. That still didn’t mean that my father was absurd for being scared of him. All I knew was his name and what the inside of his house looked like.
Ryan slid a plate of eggs and toast towards me, still humming to himself as he grabbed his own plate and sat down beside me at the little kitchen island. I ate my food warily, half of me wondering if he had poisoned it or something. Then I gave up on being so cynical, I was starving, poisoned or not, and I needed food in my gut so I scarfed down the eggs and toast without much thought until I felt Ryan’s hand settle on my lap.
I nearly choked on my toast before I slapped at his hand.
“What?” he asked, startled.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.
Ryan rolled his eyes but moved his hand away and continued to eat his food in silence. Once we were done eating he dumped both of our dishes in the sink and turned to face me, excited again.
“So, what do you want to see first?” he questioned. Those unpredictable blue eyes were gleaming with excitement and it warmed my heart despite my wishes to go home.
My emotions didn’t show through my voice though, “What do you mean?” I asked, almost barking the question.
Ryan was unfazed by my sour mood. His smile actually seemed to brighten at my little snappy words. “Well, as the future luna you should be familiar with the packlands that you’ll rule over,” he explained. He walked over to me and took my hand, “but you know what, I think I’ll just start the tour wherever. I mean you’re going to see everything today anyway.”
I was about to snap at him, tell him that I was going to be a queen, not a lowly luna. I had been raised to be nothing but royal because in what other society would napkin etiquette be important? I was a princess after all, yet not a hateful or harsh word left my mouth, because when I turned my head I only saw how thrilled Ryan was. Princess or not, I couldn’t hurt my own mate.
I ended up slipping on my riding boots and wandering outside with Ryan.
The first thing I noticed was that everyone was glaring darkly at me as if I had committed some great atrocity. And maybe I had. Maybe my father had done something awful to them and I had no idea about it. I suddenly felt very vulnerable considering the lack of knowledge that I was armed with. I knew nothing about these people, who they were, or what they were capable of, yet it felt like they knew too much about me which unnerved me deeply, but Ryan didn’t seem to notice as he pulled me alongside.
Eventually, I stopped paying attention to the way everyone was glaring at me and focused on what Ryan was actually saying. It was hard to ignore him when he talked so passionately, all the while being confront with pleasurable sensations flowing through my body whenever he would grab my hand and tug me closer. He spoke excitedly about the people in his pack, and told me each and every one of their jobs.
I immediately grasped that his pack was much larger than I originally thought. Though I only counted less than twenty houses when I first arrived, I could see there had to be at least thirty. True, most packs were larger, but controlling that many rogues was another story.
Ryan told me that most of his pack members were mated which meant that in every house there were most likely two people. That brought his pack numbers up to sixty without including the children who were results of mated wolves; and though his pack members’ houses did not have the same quality of the guards’ homes back in the palace, none of them were falling apart.
Obviously, Ryan’s tiny abode was the nic
est, seeing as he was the alpha, but the other wolves had just what they needed. His pack was thriving given the fact that nearly every other werewolf pack in the world hated them and they got no help from the royals.
“What are you thinking about?” Ryan asked as we exited a tiny bakery. He took a bite out of his croissant, while I just stared at my own, baffled. “Come Addy, what is it?” he pressed when I didn’t answer.
“You did this,” I answered slowly, “You made all this. I mean your pack did a lot, but you are their alpha, you are partly responsible for their success. You have a grocery store, a bakery, a little clothing boutique, and a mechanic. Not to mention that you negotiated to get prime land, incredibly close to the royals and a human city, yet far away from other packs. How? How did you band together a bunch of wild rogues and make this happen?”
Ryan stared at me for a few seconds, his mouth hanging open in shock. Then, the expression was gone and replaced by his usual slight smile as he took another bite of the flaky pastry.
“Come on, let’s finish our tour then get you back on your way home. I’m sure Poison is fine by now. That is, if you still want to leave.”
Chapter 10
It was fairly dark by the time I was leaving the rogue packlands. Poison felt weary beneath me, not recovered to the extent that I had hoped, but still willing to go. I was astonished when Ryan had taken me to see him earlier. My jumpy, skittish horse was calmer than ever on rogue territory. He had been grazing in someone’s fenced in yard, his tack removed and his coat glossy from a recent brushing. I was impressed with how well he was taken care of, but even a good grooming couldn’t undo several hours of work under the saddle. I was just thankful that my horse hadn’t worn himself out further by causing a fuss about being in an unknown environment.
So I didn’t rush Poison as he plodded back to my home. We would take our time as my mind ran in overdrive while his body tried to recuperate. As much as I had wanted to get away from Ryan to think, now that I had done it, I felt my heart ache. I knew that a big part of it was the mate bond, I didn’t love him yet, but I still felt awful when I glanced over my shoulder and saw his saddened face. Those unpredictable eyes had shown me just how upset he was.
My heart clenched painfully in my chest every time I thought of the way he looked at me, and when he asked me if I would ever come back to him. I already knew that I would have to go back to him. I just didn’t know when or how I would tell my parents. Besides, I could already imagine the uproar the news would cause in the entire werewolf community, should my parents disclose the news that the princess was mated to a rogue alpha. Once that happens, people wouldn’t think I was a fit queen but instead a naïve, foolish girl who agreed to accept a rogue as their mate. If this happens, I can imagine them demand that I be one or another. A rogue alphas’s mate or their queen, but never both.
Poison’s ears flicked back and forth as he sensed my unstable emotions and I sighed before patting his strong neck. I could think about my troubles later, right now I just had to focus on guiding my tired horse home and coming up with a feasible excuse to my parents. I needed to tell them that I had disappeared into a nearby pack when Poison had bolted and that he had been too exhausted to return until later. I decided that I would tell them I hadn’t bothered to get in contact with them because I thought the guards would’ve found me earlier. I don’t really think my parents would care too much for an explanation; they would simply be thrilled that nothing bad had happened to me.
I rode for about an hour and half as the forest darkened around us before I arrived back on royal property. Immediately, I was spotted by two guards who were both in wolf form. The two of them raced over to my horse, unconcerned about the flighty animal and I nearly rolled my eyes before I quickly dismounted my prancing horse. I swear these guards never learn.
As the guards neared, Poison’s ears went flat against his head and he began showing the whites of his eyes before I held up a hand, glaring darkly at the running wolves. Both wolves slowed down immediately and I laid a calming hand on my horse’s neck. Poison stamped a hoof in agitation but settle quickly when he realized these wolves were no threat. After being around the predators for so long, he was starting to get used to them.
“I’m fine,” I announced to the guards, walking towards them with Poison in tow. “Honestly, I’m alright. My horse merely bolted with me, taking me to a nearby pack. It’s not a big deal. Would you please just alert my parents?” I asked.
Both wolves took off instantly and I continued to walk towards the palace, ignoring the curious and worried glances of the other guards. I was too emotionally exhausted and my brain was too scrambled for me to care about what they thought. All I was concerned with right now was getting Poison in a stall, give him a good brushing, and hide away in my room until my thought processes made sense.
At least I was able to accomplish some of my wishes. I got into the barn with a lethargic horse ambling behind me. At once several grooms approached me, looking surprised, but politely asked if I needed help. I shooed them all away as I usually did. I got his saddle and bridle off before I ran some brushes over him, right before he was tucked back in his stall. Poison seemed to shake away the effects of his journey the instant he was in his stall, and was now quietly munching on his hay.
“Oh God, Adeline,” my mom gasped in shock, causing the other horses to stir slightly. I turned around just in time to see my mom run towards me and then throw her arms around me in a very uncharacteristic display of affection and relief.
“Mom, it’s okay, I’m okay,” I whispered, feeling immediate guilt. How could I have been such a selfish daughter? I knew the lengths my parents had gone through to keep me safe and here I was disappearing for twenty four hours without letting them know I was okay. Hell, I had been more worried about myself and the fate of the werewolf community than them for most of my absence.
But now I could see what I had done. My mom, who always looked like a goddess, was a mess. I remember my father telling me stories about how she was this unrefined alpha who didn’t care what anyone thought. I never really believed him until now. My mother was out of her normal dresses and crowns and had instead, opted for a baggy grey hoodie, ill-fitting jeans, and her hair was tangled up in a bun. In that moment she didn’t look like a levelheaded queen or a badass alpha, but she definitely looked like a woman who didn’t care about anyone else’s opinion. She looked like a parent who had been expecting the worst.
“Why on earth were you riding that beast that late at night?” my mom demanded, moving away from me slightly. In a flash, the queen side of her wafted away again as she pulled me back into her impossibly tight hold, “You know what, I don’t even care. I just care that you’re home and nothing bad happened to you. Wait, nothing bad happened to you, right? Do I need to get a doctor to have a look at you?”
“No mom, nothing happened. I just ended up in another packland and when I felt Poison was strong enough we came back home, that’s all,” I answered.
“Which packlands? Why didn’t their alpha inform me and your father?” my mom demanded, wiping tears from her eyes.
“Adeline!” my dad yelled, bursting into the barn. His excitement effectively cut off my mother’s questions, which I was grateful for. Two seconds later I was squeezed into another hug and asked repeatedly if I was alright.
After another few minutes of questions I sighed deeply, “Listen, I know you guys were really worried about me, but I’m really tired, can we talk about this tomorrow?”
“But–”
“Dad, please, I can explain everything tomorrow, right now I’m just feeling overwhelmed,”
My dad began to protest but my mom laid a gentle hand on his arm. “Sure sweety, we understand.”
Chapter 11
Things changed in the palace, but not in the way that I had expected. I thought my parents would put me on lockdown and ship away Poison without hearing my arguments. I also thought there would be guards stationed on every inch of
the royal property and my horses, even the old mellow champions, would be sold while I sobbed in my bedroom. And who could blame me for such assumptions? My mom was tougher than nails and impossible to sway.
On the other hand, my dad was all soft and sweet, but he never joked about my safety. I mean, my parents and I did argue over how safe Poison was, but when I explained that he simply spooked at a loud guard with no horse sense they understood–at least a little bit. My father insisted that I hire a trainer for Poison, but my mother understood that he was my pride and joy, not to be tampered with by anyone else. All my parents really did was alert the guards to be more cautious, but they were hardly breathing down my neck like I had anticipated.
The biggest change that had occurred was my self-defense sessions. My mother, who had been an alpha prior to finding my father, was suddenly fed up with my lack of skills outside of a dining room or dance hall. This came as quite a shock, I had never seen her lay a mean hand on anyone, and she had never thought that I would need to defend myself before. But, the night when I arrived back home, she had a long discussion with my father about the grim possibilities regarding my lack of combat skills. Clearly, I would not be sitting idly by like some previous royal women did, and that meant I was opening myself up to dangerous possibilities. And just like that a new self defense session had been added to my daily schedule.
With the queen as my teacher.
It was hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that my mother had ever been anything other than a queen. I could only ever remember her being in gowns with glittering crowns and adoring subjects loving her to bits. But now that we engaged in numerous fights outside every day, I was beginning to see that she was much more than a glorified figure head.
For an hour everyday she would be out of her stunning dresses and in sweatpants and baggy tee shirts with her hair slicked back in a tight ponytail. She looked far from dainty; instead, she looked fierce and I noticed immediately that she shared a similar glint in her eye with Ryan. They were both a little wild beneath the surface.
The Princess and the Alpha: A Shifter Romance Page 4