The Princess and the Alpha: A Shifter Romance

by K. M. Carnoky

  “The strict rules that say that women can’t be alphas?” I growled. “The rules that say that powerful alphas should be mated to equally powerful lunas? Those rules mom? The rules that you broke even though everyone told you it was going to be terrible for your pack, that you would have a war on your hands in seconds?”

  My mother blinked, her mouth flopped open like she was taken aback before a solid expression of frustration crossed her face.

  “This isn’t the same, Adeline. If things hadn’t turned out well for my pack they would’ve been taken in by surrounding packs. The whole community was not at stake,”

  “So it’s different because I’m a princess,” I challenged.

  “Yes,”

  “Well, then if that’s the case maybe I’ll just have to decide if I want to be Ryan’s mate or the next queen. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have important things to discuss with my mate,”

  I stared at my mother, daring her to send the guards after me but she simply she stared back, knowing entirely well that she could have me drug back to my room no matter how much I fought the guards. She was the queen after all; she could do whatever she wanted but then her shoulders slumped and she gave out a little sigh.

  “I knew that having a child with my stubbornness would kill me one day,” she muttered.

  With that she turned away from me and gestured for the guards to stand down. Her heels clicked softly against the marble flooring as she walked away, leaving me stunned.

  Even though I had clearly had a small victory with my mother, I still hadn’t figured out where they were keeping Ryan. All the guards I asked simply told me that the king wished to keep it unknown. I knew I couldn’t use my command tone on them, because if my father had done the same I would be over powered and it would be completely ineffective. So I wandered around the grounds aimlessly, using logic to guide me.

  I knew they wouldn’t keep him in the standard cells. I already located them and they would be too close to the palace. They wouldn’t put him near the barns either, in case I stumbled upon him, which means they would have him locked some place far away. If the latter was true then, he would be kept as far away from his territorial lands as possible with the royal lands placed far in between, making it nearly impossible for him to go undetected if he ever made a run for it.

  I quickened my pace, heading towards the back of the royal lands, which was far away from everyone and everything where soon enough I stopped in my tracks as a familiar scent filled my senses.

  He was close.

  I had to lap around the area a few times, unable to pinpoint it right away. His scent was fairly weak but I did eventually find a little trap door in the ground, covered in moss and mud. I yanked it open and descended the stairs so quickly I nearly fell on my face.

  The first thing that I noticed was this prison was significantly more worn down than the previous one. The hinges on the cell doors were rusted and bent, the bars were also damaged extensively, compromising the integrity of the structure. I suppose my parents had decided that keeping Ryan away from me was more important than guaranteeing his containment this time.

  “Princess!” a guard gasped, instantly coming between myself and the cells when he finally noticed me.

  “It’s alright; my parents know I’m here,” I said softly, “I just want to see my mate.”

  The guard looked unsure for a second, like he was debating dragging me back to the palace, but he eventually nodded and stepped aside. I quickly saw that he was the only guard on duty and as I passed by a board that documented shifts for the guards, noticing that there was an open time slot every day.

  It seemed odd that my mate was now considered lower security than he had been previously, but I suppose it made sense. Ryan had nowhere to go. His pack was nearby and easily accessible if needed and every other werewolf wanted him dead.

  Finally, I reached the middle cell that housed my mate.

  “Ryan,” I whispered softly.

  “Addy,” He rasped out back.

  I gasped, seeing him slowly walking towards the bars of the cell. I was both mortified and relieved all at once. His conditions were appalling, but he wasn’t beat-up as bad I expected. I thought I would see black eyes and broken bones that hadn’t healed properly, but he looked fine, a little skinnier, but alright.

  I fell to my knees outside the cell, reaching my hands between the bars so I could touch his skin. The minute my hands touched his, I knew that making a choice between believing the words in the book to protect my people and loving the man I was meant to be with would be harder than anyone would ever understand.

  Chapter 36

  “I’m so sorry I let my parents do this to you,” I rasped out, clutching his hands.

  I wanted to be tough and strong. I desperately wanted to portray that strong queen image that I always harboured in my mind but, like always, it failed. I felt tears rush forward, eventually pouring down my cheeks before I could even think to stop them. The queenly image gave way to one of a weak girl who was terrified and guilty beyond measure.

  “Hey, don’t cry, it’s all going to be okay,” Ryan soothed. He slowly got on his knees so he could look me in the eye and he gave my hands a squeeze. “I’m alright; they haven’t done anything to me. Just breathe. This isn’t your fault, sweety. You didn’t do anything,” he murmured.

  “That’s the problem.” I wept. “I didn’t do anything. I couldn’t even stand up to my parents when they put silver hand cuffs on your wrists.”

  My eyes dropped to his arms and I cringed when I saw the raw line of flesh that the silver had burned. It had been a week and it still hadn’t healed completely. I can’t imagine what it had looked like when the cuffs had initially been taken off.

  “Oh, Addy, come on now,” Ryan whispered. “I would never blame you for something like this. How could I? We both knew that there was a good chance your parents were going to find us. It was really only a matter of time,”

  “I should’ve known. We should’ve gone farther away. We should’ve gone to a human city,” I rambled.

  “Hey, don’t say that,” he hushed. He gently pulled his hands out of my grasp and began wiping away my salty tears as best as he could through the bars.

  “I wouldn’t have changed what we did for the world. It might sound stupid to you but even though I felt like I was dying, I had never been happier than the moment you walked into the other prison and dragged me outside. You finally showed me that you at least wanted to be with me, and you’re here again because you still want to be with me. Right?”

  “Of course,”

  I stayed down in those underground cells for well over an hour. We talked softly the whole time. Well, he mostly tried to soothe me when I start to sob uncontrollably out of guilt and it worked for the most part. Just hearing his voice made me feel tremendously better though I desperately wished he would be able to hug me. I wanted nothing more than to be transported back to that little cabin, where we could to talk and touch as much as we wanted.

  I hadn’t been a queen out there and he hadn’t been a rogue alpha. We were just two people locked in the process of love.

  But that wasn’t the case anymore. I was back home and expected to become a queen soon. With or without a mate by my side, and Ryan was back to being the rogue that everyone thought was scum.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow,” I promised.

  “I’ll be waiting for you,” Ryan vowed back.

  His blue eyes watched me intently as I walked up the stairs and I knew what he said was true. He would be waiting for me. He had nothing else in this dark hell hole to give him hope. He would probably count the seconds until he got to see me again and I can’t say that I would be doing much different.

  A guard gently held my elbow and helped me with the hatch. Once it was open he bowed his head and moved back down the steps. I guess he had to keep a close eye on his prisoner. It seemed like everyone was absolutely terrified of what my mate was capable of but all I knew of him wa
s the way he held me tightly at night and the soft noises he made when I gave him a good back rub. That man was no monster and I wished others could see that.

  I sighed softly to myself as I made the trek back to the palace. I thought I would feel better after seeing Ryan, and I kind of did, but I also felt significantly worse because I had to leave him behind while I wandered back to comfort, food, and love.

  He should’ve been coming with me. He should’ve been able to sit at the royal table and have a discussion with my parents. He should’ve had a guest room with the most plush bed and heavenly sheets so he could nap after eating a fantastic supper.

  But he wasn’t able to do any of those things.

  And it frustrated me endlessly because if I had been mated to any other man this would’ve never happened. It wouldn’t have mattered if my mate had been a lowly omega or a singular rogue. Hell, I could’ve even been mated to a human, and all of those would’ve come with their challenges, but none would’ve been this bad.

  I tried not to think about it though. I didn’t want to become angry about a situation I couldn’t change. I was mated to Ryan and that was the end of it. He was a good man as far as I was concerned and I would do everything in my power to make the best decision I could in regard to our future.

  So I decided that I would read the book.

  I might never be my mother and I might never be the perfect queen, but I could be a strong leader, an educated one who made choices with compassion and logic.

  Even if it meant that my own heart would be broken.

  Chapter 37

  A knock on the bedroom door startled me so badly that I leapt away from the book that was still on my bed as if it had scalded me. Then, almost without thinking, I grabbed the blankets and yanked them over top of the journal. I didn’t know why I felt like I had to hide it. It had been given to me, by my parents. However, I left it there as I moved towards the door and slowly opened it.

  “Good evening princess,” Preston murmured softly into the darkened hallway.

  I repressed a shudder. An image of this man pointing a loaded gun at my mate flashed through my mind. I nearly shuddered when I thought of what my reality could’ve been if that gun had been fired.

  “What can I do for you?” I asked stiffly.

  “Your mother sent me to see if you had anything you would like me to assist you with,” he answered. “You haven’t had time to attend to your royal duties, either. Perhaps you would like some assistance considering the time,”

  “Tell my parents I won’t be completing any of my duties tonight. It’s too late and I’m not entirely rational at this hour,” I denied.

  “Very well Princess Adeline,” Preston said, bowing deeply.

  Once I closed my bedroom door and I heard Preston’s footsteps fade away I walked back to the book. I felt like a naughty child in all actuality. I knew that one of my parents had given me this book; however, it didn’t feel right to have it. The whole topic was taboo and I had been shielded from it for some time. Without realizing, I ended up holding my breath as I pulled back the blankets. The cover stared back at me, daunting and tempting all at once. I decided to get it over with. I had to read it now or I would put it off forever.

  Besides, I knew Ryan better than anyone other royal ever had. I knew the gentle side and now it was time to learn about the things that my parents thought were unforgivable.

  I flipped the book open to a random page and just as I was about to turn to the table of contents I stopped.

  I was a little startled that the pages were handwritten and worn-out. Extra notes were made on the sides of the margins in various pen colours. I even noticed scribbles on the bottom of the page. As my eyes swept over all the little details I slowly sat down, reading about this obscure pack I had never even heard of. I read all the little notes, marvelling that they could’ve been my father’s, my grandfather’s, or someone else’s. It was spectacular and so detailed, and before I realize it, I was lost in the world where the words took me before eventually falling asleep.

  ***

  The next morning I woke up with a jerk. I blinked rapidly as I sat up, my bedroom light burning my eyes at the early hour. I quickly rubbed my hands over my face, trying to wipe away my exhaustion and figure out what was going on before remembering the journal from last night. I patted the covers until I found it, determined to finally read about Ryan and not get distracted, when a knock sounded at my door.

  Cursing under my breath, I kicked off my sheets and got to my feet. I did attempt to rush over to the door, but it was flung open before I could even reach to open it.

  “Princess, there is a man here to see you,” my stylist announced. She looked stricken, like a tornado had touched down and her expression only became more severe when she glanced me over. “Where on Earth did you get those clothes?” she demanded.

  “I bought them,” I snapped back. “Who is this man?”

  “You must change at once; no suitor can see you like this,” she protested.

  I gritted my teeth as she ignored my question. I didn’t want to be rude to my staff. I knew they always had my best interests at heart but it frustrated me. When she grabbed my arm and tried to pull me towards my vanity, I yanked myself away.

  “Any man who doesn’t have the decency to give me notice does not have the right to see me in any of my gowns or crowns. If he wants to show up unannounced then this is what he gets,”

  “But Princess!” my stylist shouted.

  I wasn’t listening to her. I was already halfway out the door. I strode down the hallways purposefully, ignoring all the sideways looks I got. I assumed by now people would’ve gotten used to my workout attire, but perhaps pairing it with bedhead and clear skin was too much. I sighed and shook my head at them, but continued on, my mission not forgotten.

  I was so driven to find this mystery man who demanded my attention that I nearly slammed into him.

  “Princess,” he said, bowing his head respectfully.

  I froze, my mouth flopping open. “Lucas, what are you doing here?” I asked.

  He seemed just as stunned as I was. I didn’t miss the way his sparkling green eyes moved over my body, assessing me, but I did feel slightly insecure under his watchful eyes. The last time he had seen me I had been completely made over. My hair had been curled and pinned, my makeup had been perfect and I had worn a gown that costs a hundred times more than what my outfit now cost. I definitely didn’t feel like I lived up to his expectations.

  “Did my parents send you?” I suddenly snapped.

  My mind whirled with the possibility that my parents had set this up. They hunted me down after I had run away, they brought out the book, and now they were trying to get the man I had favoured the most at the ball to sway me away from my mate.

  “No, actually,” he said softly.

  His cheeks turned red and he ducked his head lower, looking so bashful it softened me a bit.

  “I don’t believe you,” I pushed.

  “Your parents don’t even know I’m here. I really shouldn’t even be here. It’s a miracle the guards even let me in.”

  I stared at this sweet Canadian alpha, not understanding what was happening. Was he really trying to tell me that he had essentially snuck into my palace to see me?

  “Then why are you here if my parents didn’t recruit you?”

  There was a heavy pause.

  “I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

  Chapter 38

  “Well, that’s really a shame for you because I have a mate,” I blurted without thinking.

  The moment the words left my lips, I felt my eyes widen and my hands went to my mouth. The only think that surprised me more than my own brashness was his response.

  “I know,”

  “You know?” I nearly screeched, “How on Earth could you know? No one knows!”

  I was about to scream more questions at him, hell I was even ready to grab him by the collar of his dress shirt and shake him un
til he spewed all the answers. But we both heard the rushed click of high heels and froze. I peeked over my shoulder and saw my mother looking as elegant as ever rushing towards us, her expression serious and only slightly concerned.

  “Adeline, what is going on here?” she asked. For the briefest moment I saw astonishment in her eyes when she noticed Lucas but it was gone within seconds, “Well, hello.” She greeted warmly. After Lucas dropped into a bow and rose again she smiled at me, “I didn’t know you had invited Alpha Lucas back.”

  “Oh, yes.” I lied, “I had such a great time with him at the ball I decided he should be the first man I reached out to,”

  “Ah, did you two have exciting plans for the day?” she questioned, very pointedly looking at our differing outfits.

  “Yes, we do. Now, if you’ll excuse us we’ll have to be on our way. Busy day ahead,” I muttered.

  When my mother nodded her head in dismissal, I immediately grabbed Lucas’s arm, trying to look as kind as possible before pulling him in the direction of the front door. He knew better than to open his mouth to complain or question me and willingly slipped his shoes back on while I shoved on my training sneakers.

  With a gruff yank I pulled the front door open and hauled him outside. I ignored the two guards who grinned at me and continued guiding him by his arm until we were out of hearing range for anyone roaming around.

  “So these are the royal gardens? They are certainly more gorgeous than any picture could ever claim,” he murmured.

  He looked around the gardens in wonder as he sat down on one of the marble benches. He wasn’t even trying to hide his awe at the brilliant colours and interesting patterns that my garden held.

  “How do you know?” I asked, pulling him away from a useless discussion about flowers.

  My voice didn’t come out as strong as the first time. I was less angry now, less stunned as well, but now, I was worried. If Lucas knew who else had found out? And would those people be able to keep a secret?