The Princess and the Alpha: A Shifter Romance

by K. M. Carnoky

  “Put the gun down,” I ordered but I was too anxious. I couldn’t convey the confidence that was needed for the royal tone and Preston was too strong of a wolf to crumple under such a feeble command.

  Eventually I saw more people come up behind Preston and my heart clenched tightly in my chest. I knew those men. All of them. They were the men who always stood alert on the grounds around the palace. The men that smiled as I played in the sandbox when I was a little girl. The men who held my escapes from my bedroom a secret from my strict parents. They were my guards, the ones who protected me when my mate had shown up unexpectedly at my party.

  I understood now.

  They had found us when I had been so certain that they wouldn’t have bothered to look in this little cabin.

  It felt like my insides were crushed. All the fight was taken out of me, causing my body to turn limp. My royal position and commands would have no effect on anyone here. This was it. It was over. I had fought and I had lost. I had tried to hide, but I had been found.

  “Turn around or I’ll shoot you,” Preston hissed at Ryan.

  Ryan looked at me with those blue eyes that I was just becoming familiar with. I saw so much hurt and pain then. I could tell that he wanted to ask me if I knew this was going to happen. I saw that he thought there was a chance that I had set this up, that I had wanted us to get caught and for him to get taken away from me.

  He let out a little sigh, so much sadness and defeat in one tiny gesture, and then turned away from Preston. His back was to twenty men that would’ve loved to kill him in a second but he wasn’t scared. He wasn’t quivering or crying. He just looked completely and utterly broken.

  Preston stepped into the room, and a handful of men poured in.

  I had been frozen for so long. My tongue tied in my mouth, just watching in horror as my mate was ordered around by a man he didn’t know. I was silent when Preston waved a gun around, threatening to murder the only man that I could ever be truly happy with.

  I was weak. I was pathetic and useless the entire time that they yanked his arms behind his back and snapped silver coated hand cuffs around his wrists. I didn’t even say a word when I watched him gasp in agony before gritting his teeth to avoid making any further noises. I was silent when they dragged him out of our bedroom, treating him like complete filth.

  “Adeline?” my mother’s concerned voice snapped me out of my motionless state.

  I slowly twisted my body, placing my feet on the carpet of the bedroom. I just stared at her.

  “Adeline, are you okay? Did he hurt you at all?”

  I stood up after I forced all the blankets off my body and walked of the room. Multiple guards averted their eyes, thinking it was inappropriate to look at me when I was only wearing shorts and a soft, thin tank top. I didn’t care. I couldn’t.

  “Adeline, do you need medical attention?” my mom tried again. She came up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to get some sort of reaction out of me. Then there was a gasp and she was pulling my hair away from my neck. “What did he do to you?” her voice wasn’t steady anymore, she sounded terrified. “Grant, come quick!” she shouted. Evidently she had given up on getting a response out of me.

  I pulled away from her with no regard for her desperate attempt to hold me still. I didn’t need her scrutinizing the mark on my neck from Ryan. Yes, it looked awful, like acid had been dumped on my skin, and it had been painful beyond anything I had ever experienced but it was something beautiful to me now and it came from a beautiful werewolf.

  “Adeline?” my father was here now. He sounded worried, like I was causing his blood pressure to rise.

  “Where is he?” I demanded.

  I didn’t turn to look at my father instead I just craned my neck to peer out a window, hoping I would catch a glimpse of my mate.

  “Are you alright?”

  “Where is Ryan?”

  “He didn’t lay his hands on you, did he?”

  “Where is my mate, father?” I snapped, finally spinning around.

  I wasn’t calm anymore and I certainly wasn’t frozen. I wasn’t scared of my parents. I wasn’t worried about Preston wielding a gun, and I had no concern for the men who were watching me from a safe distance. I was furious.

  “Don’t worry about him. We need to get you back to the palace and checked over by a doctor.”

  “Take me to Ryan.”

  “What’s going on with you, Adeline?” my mom asked quietly.

  Her eyes were suddenly deeply expressive and I saw so many fears and worries swarming her.

  “I think she has Stockholm syndrome or something of the sort,” my dad said softly, “Come on, sweet pea, we’ll take you back to the palace and after we see the doctor we’ll let you see Ryan.”

  I opened my mouth to argue with them. I wanted to tell them both to go to hell. I just wanted, no needed, my mate. I didn’t want a doctor or a quiet, tense ride back to the palace. I didn’t want my mate locked in a cell while my parents told me what I had done was wrong.

  But I couldn’t fight them. They had come with all of their royal power and all of their loyal men.

  I had to play by their rules now.

  Chapter 34

  “Adeline, you need to do something,” my dad whispered desperately.

  We were in my bedroom, the place I had been since my parents ripped me out of the cabin a week ago. I would like to say that everything had changed since Ryan had been taken away from me, but that would be a lie. I hadn’t been able to do a single thing to defend the man who risked his life just so he could show up to a party.

  I had at least seven doctors look at my neck, all of them horrified or disgusted by the sight. They all told my parents the same thing, I was fine, the mark was ugly but it was here to stay and it deepened the mate bond. But not a single doctor could figure out why I was silent and closed off in my room since I had been home.

  I thought it was quite obvious.

  “I want to see Ryan,” I said flatly.

  “No,”

  My dad didn’t even have to think about it. But it wasn’t like I expected a different answer anyway. I’m certain that my dad had convinced himself that I was mated to the devil.

  “Then I’m not doing anything,” I replied.

  I made a point of turning my back to him and sitting at my desk. I began to read, knowing it would infuriate him. He was my father and the king, I was not to ignore him, but his anger was the least of my concerns right now. He didn’t know what he had started with me and I would not allow him to imprison my mate just because he didn’t know the man.

  “Fine, stay in your room,” my dad huffed.

  He held his breath for a second, waiting for my reaction but I didn’t even lift my eyes off the page. He wouldn’t break me. Once he realized I was done speaking to him, he stomped out of my room, barking some instructions to the guards that were stationed at my door.

  My days passed slowly which was to be expected. The sad part was that I knew that Ryan’s days passed by much more slowly than my own. He was probably locked in a different cell that smelt worse than the first one and was significantly darker, this time with double the guards milling around him constantly.

  The thought of his pain was enough to make me want to sob, but I always withheld. Crying wouldn’t solve anything and I was done with being weak. I needed to form plans, plans that would actually work and create a lasting future instead of feeling sorry for myself.

  After another week I felt like I would go insane, but I was no closer to figuring out how to fix the mess I had created. Hell, I wasn’t even closer to convincing my dad to let me see my mate.

  Disgruntled, I yanked open my bedroom door one afternoon, ready for a change of scenery. Unfortunately, two guards immediately moved into my path. They both looked a little uncomfortable. These men had protected me all my life, but now they had been given orders to keep me in my room at all times, even if that meant wrestling with me until I was too exhaus
ted to try any more.

  “Mom!” I shouted, hoping my voice would carry through the palace.

  The guards stayed silent and completely awkward. I refused to engage in conversation with them and I could tell they were uncertain of where this would lead.

  Thankfully, my mother had heard my call and I could hear the soft clicking of her high heels on the marble flooring as she rushed over. Within a minute she appeared in a gorgeous floor length gown and with a large tiara bobbling on her head slightly.

  “Is everything alright?” she asked softly.

  She was a flurry of delight and worry. I hadn’t really spoken to her or my father since the incident so she knew this could mean something very good or very bad happened.

  “I want to go out,” I announced, ignoring her question.

  “Oh, yes, yes come out, we have some guests over so you’ll have to put on a gown, but I can call up a maid to help you with that,” she rambled out.

  “No, I want to go out of the palace,”

  My mom froze for a second, but recovered quickly, “You can’t see Ar- Ryan.”

  I appreciated that my mom actually acknowledged that my mate had a name rather than just calling him a rogue like my father did but she too refused to let me have contact with him. Luckily for her I had given up on that for now.

  “I want to see my horses,” I corrected flatly. “You can even send a couple guards with me, I don’t care. I just don’t want to see dad and I don’t want to be in this room anymore.”

  “Oh.” my mother looked a little startled. “Sure, Jackson and Trent will definitely have to accompany you though,” she said, indicating the two guards on either side of her.

  “That’s fine.” I pushed myself in between her and the guards, already walking towards the front door.

  “And Adeline?”

  “Yup,” I blurted, still walking away.

  “Maybe we could get back into your self defense classes some time,” she suggested.

  I paused mid-step, a cruel smile touching my lips. Without bothering to turn around I just shook my head. “Unless you can teach me how to beat one of the royal guards it’s useless. I’m fighting on the opposite team now.”

  The barn was a welcome blessing and I regretted staying away for so long the instant I opened the barn doors. A handful of horses put their head over their stall doors and looked at me expectantly. I just smiled and made my way down the aisle. I stopped at each horse, cooing and giving them rubs while my two guards huffed. Clearly, this was not how they planned on spending their day, but I hardly cared. I just needed something that would ground me and keep me sane for the next couple days.

  I eventually got to Poison and my heart swelled when I peered into his stall. I had known that leaving him in the middle of the forest like that was deeply risky. Yes, he was one of my most athletic horses, but a single horse was nothing for a hungry cougar. Plus, he could’ve easily fallen into a hole or got himself tangled in a barb wire fence. So, needless to say, I was absolutely delighted when I found him unscathed.

  “Would you like to go for a ride, Princess?” a groom asked.

  “What a fabulous idea,” I said excitedly. My guards groaned softly, but I ignored them, “But I’ll saddle him and groom him myself, I’ve missed him.”

  I probably spent two hours with Poison alone. I chatted with him while I ran several brushes over his coat. I told him how lovely he was while I picked his feet and I even braided his mane just so I could watch my guards roll their eyes. Once he was tacked up we rode around the ring for an extended period of time. Nothing intensive, I wasn’t focused enough to do anything hard right now, just some leisure loops around the ring at different gaits.

  He still moved beautifully beneath me which thrilled me and he was still steady on my commands meaning my absence hadn’t caused him to lose his training. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the ride and I would’ve ridden him longer, taking him down some trails, but I could tell my guards were damn near ready to chew their own legs off from sheer boredom. Eventually I did pry myself out of the saddle, I gave Poison a great rub down and said goodbye to all of my other horses before allowing the guards to escort me back to my room.

  “Do you need anything else from us, Princess?” one of the guards asked as we reached my bedroom.

  “No, but be prepared for a similar outing tomorrow,” I warned.

  With a little wink I twisted my doorknob and sauntered into my bedroom, in a much better mood than I had been previously.

  I hummed as I stripped out of my riding clothes, feeling less trapped. I pulled my hair tie out, letting my strands brush against my shoulder before I moved towards my bathroom.

  Just as I was about to shut the door to the bathroom I noticed something on my bed. I frowned deeply, and moved towards the lump. It was a book. More specifically, it was one of the books my father kept behind his desk in his office, a detailed collection of all the known packs. I hesitated for a second before carefully pulling open the worn cover, fearing something would happen.

  Instead the book just fell open to the table of contents, and my eyes instantly went to the line that said “Rogue Pack of Germany”.

  Chapter 35

  I stared at that worn-out book for what felt like forever. I knew one of my parents put it there and that they weren’t particularly inclined to have me running to Ryan, but I still wanted to know what that book said about my mate, the man that was now locked in a cell somewhere underground.

  I knew it was a trap. I knew that book would say nothing kind or sweet about the man who laughed with me at one in the morning, still, it felt like it took all my strength to pull myself away from the book.

  I could not be a good queen or a fair ruler if I didn’t know the truth, no matter how ugly, about my mate.

  I reminded myself not to make haste choices. That book wasn’t going to make me feel more stable about my mate. I needed to shower and once the steam calmed me down enough, I would make the decision if I wanted to read what that book said or not.

  I shut the door on my bathroom. It felt like it took far too much effort to separate myself from that old journal so I took a deep breath to settle my heart. I looked at myself in the mirror, naked and dusty from the barn. At this moment, I looked nothing like a princess. No professionally done makeup. No flowing gown. No glittering crown. Just a tired girl who was filthy and feeling the effect of being away from her mate. I almost laughed out loud at what I saw.

  If all those men who had desperately tried to sway my heart weeks ago saw me now they would run for the hills. They didn’t want the rough, wild girl who attempted to tame horses and hated having women yank on corsets and paint on foundation. They wanted the regal elegant woman who floated on painful heels and giggled softly.

  I knew that I had been raised to be a princess and eventually a queen but I had never been discouraged from doing the things I truly loved, like riding rescue horses or gardening. Well, as long as it wasn’t in the public eye. I knew that I could be both the dazzling queen and the argumentative, sassy brat.

  And it seemed that I had found a man who respected both sides of me.

  Tired of thinking about it, I sighed and spun away from the mirror. I jumped in the shower before my thoughts could take me elsewhere. The hot water turned my skin red as it rinsed away all of the dirt and sweat from the day. I smiled a little bit to myself when I realized my personal shopper had picked up some of the lemon scented body wash I loved. I hummed quietly in the shower, cleaning away until my whole body smelt like lavender, lemons, and was smooth to the touch.

  Then, with my mind made up, I purposefully walked back into my bedroom, dried myself off, and got dressed. I wore athletic leggings and one of my workout shirts. I knew my parents would disprove once they saw me since this clothing was only for my training with my mother, but I felt like I was going to war and it made me feel more confident. I could do this; I wasn’t a little girl anymore. I was going to be the queen soon, they needed t
o respect that.

  Evidently, they didn’t.

  “Where are you going dressed like that?” my mother demanded the instant I stepped into the great hall.

  My two guards were tailing me closely. It seemed like my parents were waiting for me, both of them quietly reading the newspaper. They didn’t have guests or alternate duties to attend to which was terribly rare.

  “I want you to tell me where Ryan is,” I snapped back.

  “In a cell underground,” my dad answered casually. He didn’t even lift his eyes off the page; it was like we were talking about napkin etiquette, not my mate.

  “Tell me where he is,” I said again.

  “I just did,”

  “Fine,” I huffed.

  “Where are you going?” my dad shouted as I turned to walk away.

  I didn’t bother answering; I thought it was pretty clear. If my parents thought they could keep me away from the man I was destined to be with then they were wrong.

  I didn’t even make it to the front door before I heard the rushed click of heels coming after me. I slowly spun around to see my mother nearly sprinting down the hall, her stunning dress bunched in her hands.

  “Adeline, what are you doing?” she asked.

  Her face was red and I couldn’t tell if it was because she had been crying or if it was because she was absolutely furious. Either way it was uncharacteristic of my mother.

  “I’m going to see Ryan,”

  “You are not! You have to think about the whole werewolf community. He’s a rogue, the bloody alpha of rogues. Did you read that book? Did you read about all the things he has done? Did you read what he had said about you? He can’t be a king; it will cause anarchy all thorough the world. The werewolf world has very strict rules and they are not to be taken lightly or broken,”