I nearly choked on the steak I was chewing, but I quickly recovered to avoiding drawing attention to myself. As I chewed the rest of the meat I glared darkly at the blond haired pig, knowing that he was playing the same game that Preston always seemed to engage in.
“He’s not my type,” I stated flatly.
My mom looked a little surprised, but nodded as if she agreed and let the subject drop.
After supper all the men looked at me expectantly but all I wanted to do was give up on this whole event and take a bath. I had had enough for one day. I didn’t want people pretending to be someone they weren’t. I no longer wanted to be surrounded by people who only wanted the crown and the power that came with it.
But I was a princess, and royals always kept their cool, even when they didn’t want to.
So I slowly rose from my seat at the head of the table and turned to the man closest to me. It happened to be Lucas. I tried to ignore the fact that he reminded me so deeply of my absent mate and asked him to dance with me. When he shot me a perfect smile and agreed, I watched as all the other men slumped in disappointment. I suppose they assumed the first man I danced with would be my favorite, but in all actuality I just wanted to get it over with.
Lucas was a decent dancer, which surprised me. He didn’t look like the type of man that would pride himself on being a smooth mover. And we talked lazily as we moved over the floor. He seemed like he couldn’t care less about all of the other men glaring at him icily, but I felt every single set of eyes and it was almost impossible to stop myself from shuddering.
“You don’t seem like you’re enjoying yourself,” Lucas murmured. His voice was quiet enough so only I could hear him. “I didn’t know I was such a terrible dance partner,” he mused.
I giggled a little at his comment, but it was forced. “It’s not you,” I promised falsely.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off as a guard strode into the room, looking panicked. Lucas stopped dancing immediately as all eyes moved to the frantic man.
I watched as both my mother and father took long strides to get to him, but the guard didn’t wait. He turned and addressed the whole room in a shaking voice, “Everyone needs to get to the safe room immediately.”
Chapter 19
“Quickly, quickly,” my mother said, nudging the men forward into a secret hallway that was hidden behind a grand tapestry. “Follow the king; he will take you to safety,” she called into the darkness.
I was at the back of the line, behind all of my guests and encouraging them all forward. Yes, the hallway that was hidden behind a great tapestry was small and dark, but it was far safer than being out in the open with an unknown threat on the loose. Unfortunately, the men didn’t seem to understand that and my patience was ebbed away by panic so I simply started shoving against the man in front of me. He let out a grunt and stumbled into the man ahead of him.
Behind the tapestry was a tangle of hallways and stairways that were laced all throughout the building, one of which led to a safe room for emergencies. While I rarely used these routes now, I had shuffled through them enough times to be comfortable with the musty smell, the cold air, and the echoing sounds.
I used to be fascinated with these tunnels when I was a child and would explore the passages to my heart’s content. My parents couldn’t scold me because I technically never left the castle when I adventured here, but they also couldn’t find me. Though spending time in here was often a game, I knew it held a serious purpose, especially in moments like these.
Eventually, all twenty men, my parents, and I ended up in a large safe room with the massive, nearly indestructible door shut tightly behind us. I sighed at the sight of all these tense men, some looked terrified while others looked like they wanted to fight. I had wanted this night to be over as quickly as possible, but it seemed that luck was not in my favour because we would not be let out until the issue outside had been resolved. At the very least, I hoped that the men who looked agitated and violent would not start any altercations.
“I’m so sorry this had to happen tonight, love,” my mom whispered in my ear. She looped her arm through mine and guided me over to my father, away from the majority of the men. “I hope you aren’t too upset, but at least you’ll have more time to get to know each man.”
I almost scoffed at her idea, but thought better of it and bit my tongue. If I told her what I really thought she would probably lecture me about the fact that I was a host, even though disaster had struck. These men were here because of me and it was my job to take care of them so that’s what I did.
After I talked quietly to my father, trying to see if he knew what was going on, I went to attend to my guests. I handed out some water bottles from our supply and offered bread and jerky to everyone, despite the fact that we had just eaten. I explained that there were only ten cots in this safe room so they would have to be shared over time and that there was a single, small bathroom for everyone to use.
Once everyone seemed to get settled in and relaxed a bit, I pulled out a deck of cards and invited the men to play. Not everyone was enthused by the idea, but I did end up sitting in a circle with roughly five men. I didn’t care much for any of them, but they helped pass the time well enough. I even had a few laughs with the quirkier alphas.
Once I grew tired of card games I drifted back over to my parents and sat down on the cold concrete floor.
“So you haven’t chosen a single alpha from this bunch?” my mom asked.
She looked disappointed and sounded quite hurt as well. I wondered if she had handpicked some of these men.
I shrugged my shoulders, looking away from both of them. I scanned the room and only a single one of them stuck out to me.
“Alright, well, can you tell me which one you hate the least?” my mom pushed.
“Lucas,” I replied.
“Lucas? Why him?”
Because he was the exact opposite of Ryan. He was gentle and refined with a good vocabulary and a strong pack that people could justify standing behind. Werewolves all over the word would follow him, but they would also fall in love with his easy smile and calm demeanour. He would charm every woman and outwit every man; and those eyes held the same wild streak that Ryan had. It terrified me yet was comforting as well, but I couldn’t tell my mom that.
“I just like him,” I answered.
My mother let the subject drop after that and I had a little bit of satisfaction knowing that I hadn’t picked the one she wanted. Her little matchmaking gimmick had fallen flatter than she expected.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the massive metal door was opened to reveal two royal guards, both looking slightly out of breath but unharmed.
“It is safe,” one of them announced. “We have the trespassers in our custody; you are free to go back to your feasting.”
“Oh,” I said quickly, cutting off my mother before she could agree, “I think these poor men have had enough for one day, I think everyone can go home, or retire for the night. It’s been quite a wild ride for these men,” I announced with a candy sweet smile.
Thankfully, the men didn’t complain and my mother didn’t correct me. I gave a nod to the guards, dismissing them, and then led all of the men up the stairs, through the twisting tunnels, back to the dining hall and finally, the front entrance of the castle. There, I apologized for the inconvenient events, thanked them all for coming, and told them I would be in touch with all of them very soon. The words were lies but the smile on my face was genuine. I was delighted that these men were finally leaving.
Once all the men had either gone to their rooms for the night or had left to return home I stood in the empty foyer with my parents, exhausted and quite annoyed, but there was something else bothering me too, something deeper that I couldn’t quite label.
“I’m going to go find out what happened you two go to bed,” my dad murmured, kissing my mom on the cheek.
“I want to come with you,” I blurted.
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“No, Adeline.”
“Dad, I need to know how and why these things happen and what to do when they occur. I’m coming with you because I don’t want to be ignorant,” I argued, “I want to be a good and strong queen.”
“Vienna,” My dad moaned, looking to his wife for support.
“She’s right,” my mom said with an easy shrug. “You two go figure out what caused this ruckus. I’m going to bed.”
My dad grunted in frustration, but I wasn’t listening anymore. I kicked off my heels and opted from a pair of old, worn flats instead. I didn’t even check to see if my dad was coming, I just marched out the front door and down the driveway, heading towards the underground holding cells.
“Wait, Adeline!” my dad shouted, “Please, you don’t know what to expect!”
He was right, of course. My mom was this super tough lady who ran an entire pack all by herself but, she didn’t raise me in a way that would allow me to be courageous and daring like her. My parents kept me under a pretty tight lock and key for most of my life.
Yes, I had seen the underground cells themselves, but never the prisoners who were kept there. My parents always made quick work of our unwelcome guest, sending them away to human prisons or exiling them to countries no werewolves inhabited. This would be my first time seeing a real prisoner.
But I didn’t wait for my dad anyway. The closer I got to the cells the faster I moved until I was sprinting up to the hatch. I nodded at the guard who stood watch and he bent over to open it for me.
The second the hatch was open, the slight scent of a familiar rogue hit my nose and dread filled me.
Chapter 20
“Ryan!” I cried, darting down the steep, wooden steps. If I had been any less consumed by my hunt for my mate I would’ve been worried that they would break beneath my feet or that the terrible stench was going to kill me.
“Ryan, where are you?!”
A hand grabbed me when I reached the bottom step and for a split second I felt relief, thinking it was Ryan, but my happiness was instantly chased away when I saw it was just a guard. He looked concerned and uncertain, like he didn’t know what to do with me.
“Princess, you should not be down here. Where is the king? Does he know you are here?”
“Ryan!” I screamed, yanking my arm away.
Once I was free of the guard, I raced down the aisle, looking into each empty cell until I came to the last two cells. The first cell had a young man in it that smelled of rogue. He was watching me intently with one eye open while the other was swollen shut.
Dried blood clung to the skin on his face and I could see bruises running up and down his arms. He cradled one arm to his chest like it was broken. My heart hurt for him a little, but he wasn’t the one I was looking for.
In the cell beside him was my mate.
I felt my knees give out slightly when I saw him there, sitting quietly in the far corner. It was too dark for me to judge the true extent of his injuries but I could definitely see some bruises and others swelling on his skin. His auburn hair had chunks of dried blood or mud, I couldn’t tell, and I wondered if his leg was broken, it seemed to be at an awkward angle.
“Oh God, Ryan,” I whispered.
I covered my mouth in horror. My heart was racing madly and I was beginning to get light headed. For a second I worried I was going to faint right there.
My mate. My poor mate.
Then my father snapped me back to reality. I had been so caught up in seeing Ryan that I had forgotten all about him, all about the fact that I wasn’t supposed to be here alone.
“You know this man?” he demanded, his voice colder than ice.
“Of course I know him! Let him out!” I shrieked, grabbing onto the bars of the cell.
I shook the bars hard, attempting to break them, but, of course, it was an act of desperation and not one of rationality. The bars didn’t budge or bend.
“Let him out?” my dad scoffed. “Do you know who this man is? Do you know what he has done?”
“I don’t care!” I screeched. I tried to blink away the tears that had suddenly started welling in my eyes, but I wasn’t able to keep them contained and the streamed down my cheeks. I released the bars and whirled around to face him anyway, not caring about my obvious weakness.
“I want him out of that dreadful cell now!”
“Adeline, calm down,” my father ordered. He grabbed me by my shoulders and gave me a shake, trying to get me to pay attention to him. “This man is nothing; he’s the alpha of that appalling group of rogues.”
Throughout my whole life I had deemed myself to be sane and full of nothing, if not self-control. I had been raised to be a princess, essentially a spokesperson for grace, form, and old style class. I didn’t think that I would ever shift into wolf form out of sheer rage, especially against one of my own family members.
But there, in that dark underground prison, I felt my bones snap and my teeth elongate. As I was shifting into my animalistic form, I let out a cry that was a cross between a howl and a scream of anger. When I opened my eyes again I was on four paws and snarling furiously at the king.
“Adeline,” my father warned, taking a step backwards. “I don’t know what has gotten into you, but it won’t be tolerated. Shift back so we can discuss this like adults at once,” his voice was shaking slightly. He had never seen this side of me and I knew that he didn’t want to have to fight me. I was still his daughter after all, even if I was a dangerous wolf.
I growled furiously at him and took a step closer, trying to intimidate him away from my mate. True, he was my father, and part of me didn’t want to fight him either, but he had insulted my mate deeply and I cared for that man whether I wanted to or not. Whether it was good for the kingdom or not.
My father held up his hands in defeat and took two careful steps away from me. He appeared to be confused beyond belief and a little frightened, but I still wasn’t satisfied. I wanted him to apologize for the awful things he had said about Ryan and to let him out of that horrendous cell so someone could check his injuries.
“Alright, I can see that I’ve hurt your feelings in some way,” my dad soothed. “How about you shift back and tell me what’s going on so we can revaluate what we are going to do with these two,” he suggested.
I knew my dad was making a good point. I couldn’t tell him what I wanted in wolf form. However, I was too angry to change back into my rational human. I still wanted people to pay for what they had done to my mate and my wolf knew that if I shifted back there was nearly no chance of that.
“Come on, this isn’t going anywhere. Let’s just be adults,” my dad continued.
As much as I wanted revenge I also knew my father was right. And he was the king. I had no chance of winning any altercation against him.
With one final snarl I stalked away from my father and moved towards the two nearby guards who looked terrified and uncertain at the same time. They had no idea if they were expected to harm me if I became violent with the king.
Fortunately, it hadn’t come to that and I pushed open an old wooden door with my muzzle, letting myself into the small equipment room. I entered a room filled with fresh guard uniforms and shifted. Once I was in human form I grabbed an undershirt and a pair of clean boxers before I walked back out into the main aisle. The guards averted their eyes and their cheeks turned red while I tried to cling to my dignity.
“Very good, now let’s go to the palace so we can discuss this in peace and privacy,” my dad suggested.
“No, I want this dealt with immediately and I won’t be calmed down or contained by a cup of tea and a few quiet scolds. We need to settle this now.”
“Alright, well, I’ll start then. This man has committed multiple crimes against the werewolf community and, as king, it is my duty to see that he is punished for them,” my dad announced, “and he had the audacity to barge onto royal land and attack many of our guards. That alone would give him a ten year sentence in a human pr
ison.”
“He will not go to a human prison. He will stay here with us. I don’t care what crimes he has committed. He is my mate and I will not have him shipped off to be punished for crimes that you can’t even tell me about,” I spat back irrationally.
I waited tensely for a harsh reply from my father but when I glared darkly at him, challenging him, I noticed that absolute shock on his face.
That’s when I realized how much I had confessed.
Chapter 21
“He is your mate,” my dad said.
His voice was absurdly calm. I had heard this voice before multiple times, like when I destroyed a priceless painting by accident. He was shocked, furious, and so unstable he had to force this fake calmness over himself so he wouldn’t shift.
“Yes,” I said stiffly.
On the inside I was quite terrified. My dad was always gentle with me; he was the more affectionate parent, but I knew he had limits and this was certainly one of them. Regardless of that fact, the damage was done, and I was not going to leave Ryan here to face my father alone.
“If you’re lying to me–”
“I’m not lying,” I stated, “Ryan is my mate, which means he will be the future king, therefore, if you do anything to him or against him it will be considered treason.”
“Don’t pull that shit on me!” my dad hissed, startling me, “You know as well as I do that he is nothing more than a felon, a useless man who wanted to play alpha and exploited the most wretched werewolves to do it. Our subjects would be delighted to know that that monster was killed, even if he is your mate, and once he is dead you can have your pick from all the alphas in the world.”
“I pick him! I pick Ryan!” I shouted back, “He is my mate. I don’t want any of those stupid alphas! Would you pick anyone else over mom?” I demanded.
The Princess and the Alpha: A Shifter Romance Page 8