The Princess and the Alpha: A Shifter Romance

by K. M. Carnoky

  My dad took a deep even breath, regaining that forced calmness. He closed his eyes for a long period of time, and when he opened them he was completely emotionless once more.

  “I see that you are too emotionally invested in this man to understand the consequences of your choice. Hopefully, when you are in a less charged environment we can have a normal conversation about this and you can see the reality you raise for werewolves all over the world. However, I will not harm your mate, nor will I let anyone else harm him. That being said he must stay here within his cell at all times until we reach a decision.”

  I just stood there, not knowing what to do. I wanted to have a screaming match. I wanted to defend this man I barely knew from my father. After that, I also wanted my dad to nod his head in compliance, tell me I was right, and let Ryan out of the cell.

  But my father was now walking away from me, leaving me there in a speechless state. I wasn’t even physically able to move my body until a guard escorted my father outside and I was left with one guard and two prisoners.

  “O-open this cell,” I said, my voice shaking.

  The guard dropped his gaze in respect but shook his head, “I’m sorry Princess, but I can’t let that man out.”

  I cursed under my breath and began pacing, thinking about everything that had just happened and would happen in the future. My father hadn’t reacted kindly to the news, which was no surprise but it was concerning because my mother was the stricter of the two. If my father was this upset I can’t imagine how livid my mother would be.

  I wondered briefly if I would ever be allowed to see Ryan again and my heart clenched painfully in my chest.

  Fearing I would break down and cry in front of the guard, my mate, and a man I had never met I quickly strode towards the steps and out of the underground cells.

  I took a deep breath of fresh air, trying to calm myself down; I would figure this out, I always got myself out of sticky situations.

  Even though the last thing I wanted right now was to face my parents, I knew I didn’t have a choice. I either went to them or they became frustrated and worried and came after me. At least this way, it was on my terms.

  As I walked across the royal grounds, I pretended not to notice all the guards who were gawking at me in shock. It wasn’t often I was wearing something other than a dress and, at this point, I was wearing damn near nothing. Instead, I acted like nothing had happened and I focused all of my attention on the beautifully manicured grounds. Despite the fact that I was full of stress and anxiety of what had just occurred I could already see the loose outline of a plan taking shape in my mind.

  After a decent walk over grass, gravel, and pavement my bare feet started to ache, but I still hesitated for the briefest second outside the front door of the palace. I swallowed hard, hoping my parents would be tucked away, discussing my future extensively in private and would not hear me enter, then I could slip into my bedroom and avoid any conversation.

  Unfortunately, I was wrong.

  The second I swung open the door my mother span around and gave me a weak smile. The king and queen had obviously intercepted each other in the foyer and were waiting for me.

  “Come, talk with us,” my mom said, her voice sickly sweet.

  My stomach turned at the sight of her. She was trying so hard to keep it together. She must’ve been beyond upset. My eyes dropped to her hands that were shaking at her sides.

  “I can’t right now.” I blurted. I turned away from my two parents and basically started running towards my room. I expected my father to call after me, to demand that I face the consequences of the moon goddess’s choice. I thought that maybe my mother would snap and screech at me, but they just let me go, which I was so thankful for it because tears were already streaming down my face.

  Once I was closed off in my room I pulled on some normal clothes of my own. I was just pulling on a pair of my training leggings when a knock on the door startled me. I paused, feeling like I was going to be caught committing a crime, but I quickly pushed aside the silly thoughts and straightened myself up.

  “Come in,” I announced.

  I sounded much more solid than I felt.

  Oddly enough, when Preston popped his sneering head in my room, I felt nothing but relief. I still hated him with every fiber of my being, but I was definitely happier to see him than I would’ve been to see my parents. He too, looked rather pleased to see me, but it was probably because he was ready to cause more misery.

  “The queen sent me. She was wondering if you wanted a quick bite to eat and some tea before going to bed.”

  “Yes, I would love some food, but could you please bring it to me in a mug and container. I want to go see my horses before I rest.” I answered, the plan slowly becoming more concrete.

  “Absolutely, Princess,” Preston purred with a mock bow. A moment later he was gone.

  Once I was certain he wouldn’t come back to ask more questions, I darted to my closet and began digging through my gowns and heels. Gold, silver, black, red, it felt like all the colours in the world were spinning around me as I desperately searched. For a brief moment I was overwhelmed by how much I had: silk, lace, organza, chiffon, it was all mine, but the little bag I direly needed was nowhere to be found.

  Finally, my fingers came into contact with a rough, cheap material. My backpack. It might’ve seemed odd that I looked so hard for this backpack, but it was the only one I owned. My mother laughed out loud when I was eight and demanded a backpack. She told me a purse would be more suited to my princess status but I had pouted until I had a backpack like all of the other kids. Now, it would finally be of use.

  I quickly surveyed my closet, locating a spare sheet, a thin blanket and a small, decorative pillow that were tucked in the back. I stuffed them in the bag just as I heard the bedroom door opening again.

  “Having a slumber party in the barns?” Preston mocked, eyeing up the contents of my bag.

  I stalked over to him and pointedly plucked the apple, sandwich, and travel mug from his tray and dumped them in my bag. If he wanted to be nosy then I would pretend that I had nothing to hide.

  “Yes, if you must know, I will be spending the night in the barns because I think the company of horses is much better than the company of people,” I snapped, “Thank you for bringing me my food, you are dismissed now,” I retorted hotly.

  Preston rolled his eyes, gave me another fake bow, and then left me alone for the night.

  Within twenty minutes of Preston leaving my bedroom I had snuck through the house and ran through the darkened grounds until I reached the door for the underground cells. The instant I began making my way down the steps two guards both open their mouths to protest.

  “Not a word about this to my father,” I hissed into the dim lighting. I glared darkly between the two of them. “I am just here to see my mate, that is not a crime, gentlemen, and if I find out that you have told my father about any of this then I assure you that the second I become queen, you two will be the first to be fired.”

  One man bowed instantly, seeming to be terrified by the thought of being let go while the other hesitated for a moment. I met his eyes boldly and lowered myself into a fighting stance, ready to try and block him if he attempted to run to my father and spill everything. In truth, my fighting wouldn’t have saved my life, but my royal tone would have.

  Royal tone was this odd mutation that was given by the moon goddess to royals. I had been raised to never use it because it took away a person’s free will for a short amount of time, however I would use it if I had to. I just had to speak with enough authority to make the inner wolves obey, then the human would have no choice but to do what I said. Unfortunately, it didn’t work on everyone equally, but it would be enough to stall them for a while.

  As if the guard could tell what I was thinking, he suddenly gave in and joined his companion in a deep, respectful bow.

  “Thank you,” I breathed, relieved.

  I carefully stepped ar
ound them and made my way to the back cells, holding my breath in anticipation and disgust. I was terribly nervous to see Ryan. I worried about what kind of state he was in. He hadn’t been responsive the last time I had been down here, so perhaps he was still unconscious. Accelerated healing took a tremendous amount of energy. Maybe he had bled out and needed much more medical attention than I assumed.

  And maybe this was all in vain. I mean, we hadn’t parted on the best of terms the last time we spoke.

  I paused outside the cell that contained the other prisoner. I had never met this man in my life, but I could only assume that he was from Ryan’s pack. He too had fresh wounds that could’ve only been inflicted in the past few hours. If he was part of Ryan’s pack then he was automatically part of my problem. Pulling open my backpack, I grabbed the thin sheet and apple.

  “Here,” I whispered, holding them out to him through the bars.

  The man shook his head slowly, “He needs them a lot more than I do.”

  His voice was hoarse and I mentally kicked myself for not bringing drinking water.

  “I have some for him too, take it please,” I pressed.

  The man gradually came forward, eyeing me as he did so. After what felt like an eternity, he extended his good arm and snatched the apple and sheet out of my hand. He didn’t say thank you, he just tore into the apple and I felt a little bit better. At least I had righted a tiny fraction of the wrongs I had caused.

  But now I had to face Ryan.

  “Can you let me into his cell?” I asked, turning back to the guards.

  They both seemed frozen for a second and though it irked me deeply, I understood.

  My father was the king, and even though they hadn’t been given orders to keep me out of the cell it was easy to assume he would be awfully upset if he ever found out. On the flip side of things, I was the Princess, the future queen, and neither of these men wanted to be on my bad side as I would be their ruler one day.

  “Alright, but only for a little while, your highness. I know that he is your mate and I have to follow your orders because you are the princess. However I do not wish to die at the hands of your father,” one of them announced, already striding forward with the key.

  I held my breath once again as he unlocked the heavy cell door and slid it over just enough for me to squeeze through. The moment I was inside it was slammed shut behind me and the lock clicked into place.

  I was trapped in a cell with a man I barely knew. A man my father deemed dangerous.

  For a second I debated turning around and begging to be let out because I simply could not face my mate, not when I was partly to blame for all this but I forced myself to hold it together. If I ever wanted to be as strong as my mother I was going to have to put myself in situations I didn’t want to be in and handle them with dignity and grace. I took an even breath then walked into the corner of the cell where Ryan sat.

  His breathing was quite shallow. That was the first thing I noticed. Despite the fact that my eyes had adjusted to the dark I still couldn’t make out very much. It was only when I squatted down beside him that I was able to tell that he was fully conscious and his eyes were open. His face had dark streaks across it; maybe blood or mud, and his clothing had been torn.

  “Well, meeting your parents didn’t go as well as I had planned,” he rasped out.

  I wanted to laugh at his stupid joke but I just so relieved to hear his voice, so saddened to see him in such a horrendous state, and so frustrated with the entirety of our reality that I just began to sob instead. I cried so hard that I didn’t stop my body from teetering forward and leaning against him until I heard him hiss out in pain. After that I quickly rocked backwards, snapped back into reality.

  “Sorry, sorry,” I mumbled as I messily wiped away my tears. “I didn’t mean to hurt you and I certainly didn’t come all the way down here to cry,” I grabbed at my backpack and yanked it open, almost breaking the zippers. “I brought you a sandwich and a blanket and a pillow.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not particularly hungry or tired,” Ryan argued.

  The distinct rattle of keys caught both of us off guard and we both turned to look at the man standing by the cell door, dangling his keys in silent demand.

  I quickly leaned forward, pressing my lips lightly to his cheek in an act of fake affection. With my lips close to his ear I whispered, “I don’t care if you aren’t hungry or tired. I need you to eat and I need you to sleep. I need you to be strong enough to walk tomorrow. Let your body and mind rest so they can heal,” I ordered.

  Then I straightened up, snatched my backpack off the floor and strutted out of the dingy cell.

  Chapter 22

  The next morning I demanded breakfast be brought to my room. I told Preston that I was not ready to see my parents just yet and I would be spending my day in solitude around the barns. The foul man grunted as if I were the biggest burden but left to fetch me breakfast. Once again, the second he was gone I began darting around my room, stuffing my old backpack full of things.

  Part of me wasn’t even sure what to bring, I usually had other people pack for me when my family went on vacations, but that was obviously not an option. Nevertheless, I can manage by myself and already knew the necessities. Hair brush, tooth brush, lots of underwear, and a couple changes of clothes, and even some water bottles this time. I felt deeply unprepared, but I knew I was running out of time.

  Eventually, Preston returned to my room with a tray full of food. I heard him mutter something snarky under his breath, perhaps something about my less than royal outfit, but I was too distracted to care. He set the tray down, bowed deeply and told me that my parents were demanding my presence for lunch. I gave out an annoyed sigh but agreed that I would be there to prevent an argument. Preston dismissed himself and I quickly got to work shove my breakfast into the Tupperware containers I had smuggled from the kitchen. My stomach grumbled at all the food, but I forced myself to stay away from the omelets and waffles and just eat the orange slices and drink the milk. Once all of my breakfast was sealed away in my backpack or in my stomach, I tugged on a hoodie and swung the heavy bag over my shoulder.

  Thankfully, unlike last night, I didn’t have to sneak out of the house. I assumed that the little weasel, Preston, had already told my parents that I would be spending my morning in the barns. No one questioned me as I walked straight out of the palace, only pausing to pull on a pair of running shoes.

  I made of a point of not talking to anyone as I strolled towards the stables. I didn’t want anyone wasting my time this morning, nor did I want to have a slip up. I took deep, even breaths as I moved, reminding myself that this was the right thing to do.

  I was a princess, but I remember my mom always telling me that her queen status was second to myself and my father. Her mate and child would never be second best. Well, my mate would not be second best to me either. Not anymore. I was beginning to come to the conclusion that I needed Ryan in my life. Maybe it wasn’t the right choice, but I had to at least try.

  The smell of my barns eased my anxious soul a little bit.

  “Preston informed us you would be coming down for a ride,” a groom said, grinning, “Poison has already been tacked up for you and someone is setting up a jumping course as we speak.”

  “Oh,” I murmured, a little flustered, “that’s so lovely, thank you but I think I’ve worked him hard enough recently. I was going to go on a light hack today instead.”

  The groom nodded his head and smiled, “Very well, would you like the course taken down then?”

  “No, no, leave the course up, I think I’ll take another horse over it tonight but, can I trouble you with something else?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Could you please switch Poison’s tack from English to Western please?” I asked, then quickly added, “I want to see how he responds to different tack. Who knows, maybe he’ll be a great pleasure horse,” I laughed nervously, my voice sounding terribly fake among the quiet rustl
e of the horses.

  “Of course, Princess, I’ll switch his tack right now,” the groom agreed, smiling.

  I gave him a grateful grin before he turned away to tend to my horse, then I tried to walk as casually as I could to the nearby tack room. Once I was surrounded by a handful of saddles and the scent of leather, I began to reason with myself. Nothing was out of the ordinary, I was allowed to take carrots and apples for Poison, I did it all the time. It wasn’t stealing. I also managed to smuggle a brush and hoof pick into my backpack before the groom found me to tell me Poison was ready. I thanked him repeatedly, hoping he hadn’t noticed how much food I was taking with me.

  I led Poison out of the barn slowly, almost laughing at how my show jumping horse looked with a western saddle on his back, but I reminded myself that the saddle was a good idea. Western saddles had horns that could be held on to if an inexperienced rider was on the horse. The saddle was also bigger so it was easier to balance in and more pleasant to ride in for longer periods of time. Still, I was so used to my little black English saddles that I felt uncomfortable when I mounted, but tried to relax into the leather.

  “Alright, come on boy,” I cooed, clucking to my horse as I squeezed his sides, “I need you to be on your best behavior today.”

  I wanted to roam around the grounds with Poison, act like I wasn’t up to anything, like I was just riding my horse around for fun and was trying to get over the commotion of yesterday but I didn’t have enough time to play it cool. My parents expected me to be back for lunch. I pushed Poison into a gentle trot and rode around the driveway, allowing some guards to see us, then, when I thought no one was looking, squeezed Poison into a strong canter.

  The gelding moved wonderfully under me, loping along as he peered around, assessing the scenarios that were around him. He continued to move smoothly as we entered a more forested area and he didn’t spook when a little mouse skittered into his path. I would’ve been delighted at the progress my horse was making if we weren’t so close to the holding cells.