Is it possible to clench your jaw so hard you actually break it? My enquiring wolf wanted to know as I suffered through my maid valiantly trying to tie my corset up. Not that I needed one! I had just finished a shower, shaved the appropriate areas so nobody could accuse me of being a savage, and listened to father dearests latest list of my transgressions. However, if I thought that my behavior would prompt him to do the sensible thing and leave me out of political dinners, I was sorely mistaken. My father's face was the example of 'stubborn' in the dictionary-what can I say I learned from the best.
Eve jerked the ties until I could barely breathe, forcing my body into a wasp shape and pressing my breasts together and up to make them look gigantic. With my ordeal far from over Eve bought the formal dress to me, and I eyed it apprehensively.
The dress was long, flowing elegantly onto the floor and behind in a royal train, it was two different shades of the purest blue, made from the finest spider silk in all the realms and had sapphires interwoven in the fine-boned bodice, clinging to a woman's curves like a second skin. I knew from experience that there was a discrete remote that would stay in my evening purse. I would access it sometime in the evening during one of my 'required dances' with the visiting Betas. When I did, the dress would glow, making me the center of attention. It was designed to stand out in a crowd.
It wasn't the garment that made me feel bad, it was thoughts of the last Deveraux who ever wore the Queen of the wolves formal gown-my mother.
Why did daddy make me wear this tonight?
Eve held the dress reverently as I bowed my head, allowing her to slip it over and adjust the material to the shape of my body, it still smells like her, even after these years.
A soft gasp had me looking up, and Eve had her hands over her mouth, tears threatening to fall.
"Princess Alina, you look beautiful. Every inch a queen."
With that, she turned around, picking up my last formal dress wear off it's cushion,and handed it to me.
I carefully placed my crown on my head, the weight of the wolves now settling on my shoulders as I waited for Eve to finish my makeup.I never wore much anyway so she was soon finished,and I took a last glance in the mirror, startled to see a young version of my mother staring back at me.
The ballroom was noisy, with fifty or more guests mingling,and drinking our champagne.One of Daddy's warriors handed me the jewelled black eye mask that would announce me as being from the Deveraux wolves,and Eve assisted in tying it on, taking care not to mess with my hair.Gone was the tomboy for now and in her place stood the Royal Queen in waiting,I was ready to stand by Daddy's side tonight and represent our family, as my mother would have wanted maybe that's why he wanted me to wear her dress.
Dean knew the moment she walked in.
His breath caught in his throat and he felt his jaw go slack as Princess Alina Deveraux made her entrance. His Alpha was from a small out land pack, and after having no luck finding his mate he had sent his Beta in his stead to this gathering where the surrounding packs intending to request a mating ball be announced for the King's daughter.Jared Magus was a fair leader,and gentle at heart, but from what Dean knew about the Princess,he honestly wondered if Alpha Magus had what it took to keep her in line.
Alina's sheer presence commanded attention as she walked in unannounced and alone.Her dark raven tresses were swept up into an elaborate nest on her head,the princesses crown holding everything in place.Her creamy skin was on display from the shoulders up as the Queens dress hugged every curve,bathing her in the glitter of sapphires catching the light.The jewel encrusted mask that hid half of her face from view only enhanced her high cheekbones and bright green eyes as she looked around aloofly at the crowd.Her appearance tonight probably cost more than what was in their entire packs supply coffers for the year,and yet she didn't look spoilt.
As more men became aware of her entrance everyone stopped what they were doing and cleared a path for Alina to connect with her father.Head held high she looked straight ahead,gliding through the crowd to take her place by the King's side,and Dean heard a few of the older patrons whispering about how much she looked like her mother dreadful business that was.
A wave of dominant power washed over the room,commanding immediate silence from all of his guests as Elijah Deveraux prepared to speak.
" Welcome to the Deveraux kingdom.It has been a long road to get to this spot after my mate passed away,but I stand before you this evening to present my daughter Princess Alina Deveraux, next in line to be Queen."
He paused to allow the applause and Alina did a small nod to acknowledge everyone before electing to stand slightly behind her father.Dean could almost see her preparing mentally for the next phase,and wondered if she had any inkling of what the evening was all about.
"My daughter will soon be turning 18, and I have decided to throw a ball on her birthday in accordance with the collective packs wishes,in the hopes that my sweet Alina will find her mate,or have one chosen for her to continue the family legacy."
No one was prepared for what came next.
"What the fuck?"
Before anyone could get a handle on what was going on, the princess burst out of her dress in a mess of fur and claws,snarling viciously at the king with baleful green eyes before she leapt into the crowd, scattering the lesser ranked wolves as she tore towards the door.
"Alina no!" Elijah yelled but she was so enraged that her wolf refused to listen to her father and the king couldn't bring himself to bring her to heel with the royal command,so she escaped without restraint and raced through the palace doors out into the woodlands beyond.
She ran like the wild beast she was, tall and proud, racing the wind as fast as her four legs could carry her away from the betrayal of her father; howcould he?Calliope stretched her legs and let me watch from the background as she lengthened her pace, eating up the miles as the woodlands loomed closer. I gave my wolf full control as the last piece of my heart broke at Daddy’s declaration, knowing I could never go back home after this. There was nothing left for me behind those walls now.I ran without thought, instinctively making my way through the trees like a well-met friend as the palace grew smaller, and with it the ties I had to the throne, I was done with this life. There was only one person in the whole world who had stayed loyal to me, and almost as if she knew, Calliope bought me to his little cabin and allowed me my skin back so that I could talk to my best friend. Axle would know what to do.There were clothing drop po
"We should have bought some water with us."One thing Alina soon found out was that Sam had no problems voicing his thoughts. Often. And he didn't even need a reply to continue chattering. It was slowly driving her crazy.An hour into their trek across the desert, Sam had given up trying to run like a wolf, instead settling for a seat on her back in his natural form, and he'd been talking ever since. It was all somewhat demeaning for a Queen elect, so Alina could do nothing but ignore it. As Dorothy would say, she wasn't in Kansas anymore..."I am so thirsty. Can't you sniff out some water or something?" Sam complained again, and Alina willed herself to keep putting one foot in front of the other.By her calculations, they were two-thirds of the way into the desert now. The sun was low on the horizon, meaning night was imminent. Sensing Sam was going to be little help, Alina made a decision."There is a small cave system about half a mile to our ea
Lucas felt the moment his mate got hurt. Pain arced through the rogue Alpha's body like lightning, bringing him to his knees as they continued toward the Nightstalkers. His wolf tried to push through the human skin, wanting only to go and kill whatever hurt her, but without knowing where she was or even what her name was, Lucas knew he would be wasting his pack's time. If anyone could find answers, it was Deacon, and since he was backtracking on a recon mission anyway, the only option was to wait. Stick to the original task and trust that his beta would deal with whatever was going on.Regaining his feet, Lucas returned to the head of his pack. The whole convoy stopped, waiting for their Alpha to sort his shit out, and knowing this band of rough rogues and exiled wolves needed a strong leader, he shouted aggressively, telling them to get moving. As they broke into a run, eager to get to the Nightstalkers and out of the rough environment, Lucas forced himself to set a punishin
Lucas's eyes glowed red as Deacon tried to explain Alina's injuries, and he felt a frisson of fear dance along his spine seeing the Alpha so close to the killing edge. The fates came to his rescue then, in the form of an injured Queen as Alina coughed, trying to get up. Lucas's eyes swung around to collide with Alina's as Sam appeared out of nowhere, fussing over his friend."Leave her!" The Alpha growled, moving with a speed that belied his size, and Sam hurried back into the safety of darkness."What happened?" Alina groaned as she gingerly felt her forehead. There was an egg the size of Texas there, and the world spun every time she moved. Then she caught sight of the man standing beside her, and the universe collided, combusting into heat as she'd never felt before.Oh no. That could only mean one thing. Against all the odds, in the vast expanse of an unforgiving desert, Alina's mate had found her.The pull to him was incredible, and although she'd be
Alina tried to ignore the gorgeous man beside her. His authority and caring attitude for his pack were hard to wave away, though, and when the Beta volunteered to go into the caves first, she noticed the concern marring his features. Gazing over at Lucas, Alina wasn't surprised to find him staring back."I'd like to remove your gag, darling, but I'm not up for a rejection right now, so if you give me your word, we're all good; if not, well, I guess you remain silent while we get to the bottom of where my pack is."Alina nodded her head once, indicating that Lucas could trust her, and surprisingly, he removed her gag."Thanks." She mumbled, rubbing the side of her jaw, and Lucas smiled, causing those damn dimples to make an appearance."Just take some time to get to know me," he implored, "If I'm not your cup of tea after seven days, I promise I'll accept your rejection, and you have my word I won't try and mark you without permission?"If Lucas was
The sheer size of the beast meandering towards them made Lucas stop and really assess the situation. Alina got ready to launch herself, but he stopped her. This fight was his."Whatever happens, if he gets by me, I need you to run and don't look back. Promise me, darlin', I need to know you'll keep yourself safe?"'Retreat' wasn't a word in Alina's vocabulary, but the look on Lucas's face was enough to make her pause before answering. "He really loves me," She thought with wonder and nodded her assent; Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. With fluid grace, he spun and pivoted right, using the fake step to phase into Kallen, and the monster launched itself, meeting Kallen in midair as a clash of titans began.Alina saw it fully then and gasped in fright as Kallen wrestled with an Olitiau. Cave demons were legends used to scare young children into staying in bed at night; at least, that's what Alina thought. The creature screeching in anger, though, was very much real
Sam saw the moment the giant man exited the caves, carrying Alina over his shoulders. The other three wolves were already inside the dank caverns, but he'd hung back, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop a rampaging bear. It didn't take long for Sam to realize who the shifter was. Axle carried Alina through the central cave opening, looking furtively around, assuring himself that there were no secret ambushes in wait. Satisfied, he quickly loped out of the immediate area, and Sam cautiously followed, unsure of how to reveal himself.The sun was high before Axle stopped for a break, and as he gently lay Alina down, her eyes opened, puzzlement showing clearly."What happened?"Axle was sitting to her left, sharpening a stick with the pocket knife she gave him for Christmas. He looked up with furrowed brow on hearing her voice.Then Alina looked around, her gaze landing on her friend, then searching further, as if she had sought someone else. This w
The heat started four weeks later. In the gilded cage that her father kept her, Alina woke to find her skin on fire. Everywhere the blanket touched, her flesh screamed with agony, and all she could think of was sex. Calliope howled in her mind, firmly in the grip of her own heat, and Alina tried futilely to bend the bars to her cage. Damn silver!! The sizzle of skin connecting with a werewolf's kryptonite had her jumping back in added pain as Alina's breathing grew more labored. When the first howl rang out downstairs, Alina ignored it, too aroused to focus on anything else. The moment paws clambered up the stairs, and her window smashed through, her whole world imploded as she realized why there was so much noise. Guards rushed to surround Alina's cage, taking a defensive stance as unmated wolves poured through every entryway, and she realized they'd all come for her, smelling her heat, wanting to claim a princess. Somewhere in the bowels of the castle, Alin
Lucas was near the waterfall when his heart began the now familiar burn, his mark searing the skin on his neck as his wolf's pain brought him to his knees. It was always shattering. At the same time every moon cycle this pain grew so intensely he'd become accustomed to seeking solace away from everyone except the Goddess herself. Alina was coming into heat. Lucas knew better than to hope it would be a quick mating for her and in a strange way, a small part of his heart felt closer to his mate during this time, although it killed his wolf to know she was sating her desires with someone else.Lucas sat down on the mossy bank, taking deep breaths as his wolf howled in agony. Kellan whimpered and writhed around inside the human body that betrayed him, calling for the Queen's wolf, but as always, his howls remained unanswered, and eventually after Lucas's limbs were contorted and every breath was labored, his torture bared to the very Goddess who had chosen his mate, Lucas finally passed o
Eight years later. The little boy looked over at his sister, smiling as she floundered in the long grass. "Come on Medeve, if we're caught by the guards, Mom will kill us!" The little girl growled and sped up, catching her taller twin as he entered the forest near the kingdom. There was an abandoned cottage there that Medeve and Ashton loved to play in, even though Mom didn't like it. Giggling to themselves as they ran quick-footed through the underbrush, the little prince and princess failed to notice a figure lurking in the shadows. She'd been watching them for some time, assessing their tracking skills and how fluidly they phased from wolf to human and back again. Now she had her chance. As the giant black wolf launched herself from darkness into the path of the young ones, they had no time to evade her mighty claws and sharp teeth. The beast caught them both effortlessly. "Aw no fair!" Ashton screeched, wriggling out of her claws, and Medeve quickly followed suit, wasting no t
I saw the moment my beautiful mate came into view, and like clockwork, my heart began hammering inside my chest. Eve always had this effect on me, but tonight? It was a thousand times worse.We were at the church, and dozens of candles lit the way down the aisle straight to me. Every pew had bums sitting on them, and a human celebrant waited with me for my bride to walk down the aisle.Shifters have mating ceremonies, and Eve wore my mark proudly, but humans have this thing called a wedding. I'd read up on it in the pack library, and they exchange these things called vows and wear rings on their fingers to prove their loyalty to their mate. At first, I was horrified at the idea of wearing a leash on my finger, but I've made my peace with it, and thanks to a little help from Katana, the rings I picked out now burn a hole in my pocket. I think our way means more and is way more straightforward, but I want to show my mate that I value her ways too.Deacon led Eve t
There wasn't a dry eye in the house after the King was buried, and although the traditional feast was in full swing now, Alina felt strangely empty. After searching the room for Lucas and finding nothing, Calliope was whining and running back and forth in her mind insisting something was wrong. Alina was trapped by society's rules dictating she remained on her throne until the party ended. If she left to look for Lucas now, the whole palace would know something wasn't right. Sighing in frustration, she gazed upon her subjects, feeling more alone now than she had ever felt before."We need to go now," Calliope growled, charging the locks on Alina's mind, struggling with all of her power to break free. Realizing that she was about to lose control, the Queen told her uncle that she felt unwell and raced out of the hall. She transformed before her feet even hit the grass, and running blindly, Alina gave herself over to her wolf.Hurry, must hurry!Calliope ra
I was as nervous as a child before his first shift as I waited for Eve to meet me down by the water's edge, it was such a giant leap to ask her what I wanted to, but if Deacon was correct, then this was their true purpose, to stay in Wolf Haven and make a home. I spotted her straight away, my perfect vision in blue, as Eve hobbled towards me in a cute sundress with a wide-brimmed hat. She smiled as she finally made it, and with a sigh of relief, she collapsed on the other side of the picnic I'd bought. "It's been a lovely day," She grinned before I'd had a chance to get two words in, but I didn't mind; Eve liked to talk, and I wanted to listen. It was one of the many things I loved about my mate. "Well, tell me what you got up to then?" "Katana showed me the children's defense school. Did you know they had one? Anyway, this little girl called Molly, and she only has one arm, but boy, oh boy, can she defend herself! And, oh, guess what, Axl? The kids a
They were there in their thousands to farewell the King, and as Alina descended the stairs, she couldn't help but notice that there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Marcus helped her to the horse-drawn carriage that would take Alina to the family cemetery, and when the footmen signaled, the horses moved, trotting in unison as they began their brief journey to the Deveraux plot.She felt cold, Calliope whined inside Alina's mind, wanting to be rid of the human skin and run alongside the carriage in her natural form, as the Queen's guard did, but she held onto her control knowing that this way was how the people expected her to arrive.All too soon, they were there, and the Queen alighted from the carriage, taking Marcus's hand as he guided her down the pathway towards her father's final resting place. Lights flickered, leading the way down the cobblestone path, and as Alina looked to the end, she saw the six council members there, to bear witness to Elijah's final journey
Jason may be a giant of a man, but as Katana led Eve into the defense school, he was the first one to offer Eve a hand. She accepted it gratefully, and with him holding a bulk of her weight, they wandered through the school."I see Molly getting better every day," Katana complimented, and Eve noticed the big man's cheeks go red, as he quietly replied, "Aye, Miss Molly has a gift for sure, and a fiery temper to match." As if on cue, there was a loud commotion in the next room, and Katana disappeared, leaving Jason gently guiding Eve around all the objects underfoot."I can smell that you're human," he offered by way of conversation, "We could use a human female around here. The kiddos would benefit from a gentler touch than what Lady Katana, bless her, can give."They entered the next room to find Katana holding a bigger boy by his feet while keeping Molly at bay with her leg, and Eve's mouth dropped to the floor, witnessing such an appalling way to deal with chi
Eve hobbled down to the waterfall later that day, after Axle had strapped the ankle again and fussed over her like a mother hen. If she'd let him, he would be here as well, but Eve wanted to see where her new friendship with this warrior woman was headed. Axle had a way of "protecting" her from all things shifter-related, quite often scaring people off with his larger-than-life personality. Truthfully, Alina was the only one he ever seemed to let his guard down with, and if she didn't watch them with her own two eyes, Eve wouldn't believe half the things those two got up to. It was such a shame that they weren't on speaking terms right now. Eve knew Axle was hoping that by finding Lucas, he could get in Alina's good graces again, but they'd arrived too late for that too. Eve perched on the same sun rock she'd sat on earlier, gazing out at the perfection in front of her. Wolf Haven was a sight to behold, alright. All along the island, there were small crops of houses where pa
It was awfully quiet in the King's chambers, and Zoe, Eve's younger sister, tentatively knocked on the door with breakfast. When there was no answer, she knocked again, not wanting to disturb the King's rest. After several minutes of indecision, she gathered her courage and opened the door. At first, all Zoe saw was the rumpled sheets where Elijah should be, then, walking further into the room, she noticed a still from underneath the window.With a shocked gasp, Zoe raced to his side, checking for a pulse, but the clamminess of his skin confirmed what she already knew, the King was dead. Getting to her feet in record time, Zoe raced down the hallway, reaching the staircase just as the Beta climbed the last step."Whoa, hold up there. Where's the fire?" He grumbled good-naturedly, but Zoe burst into tears, launching herself into the Beta's arms."He's dead," She sobbed, pointing towards the King's chambers, and Marcus let her go, sprinting into Elijah's room.&nbs