The Alpha Princess

Celina

With a few hours to kill, I decided to take a nap. I need to recuperate from my jetlag and just give my body a break. Besides, I doubt my parents would be pleased to see me wandering the halls right now. One kidnapping attempt and my visit home and I'm now being placed under guard. The one outside my door is making it perfectly clear I’m going to be watched this entire visit. Good thing I leave for school in two weeks. It’s my final year until I get my degree, then I can go wherever I want.

I wake to my phone going off. I groan as I answer, not even glancing at it. “Hello?”

“Wakey wakey, Celina,” a dark voice singsongs to me, immediately making me sit up; the voice triggering a pit in my stomach.

“Declan,” I say, looking around, “how did you get my number?”

“Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to tell you that I can’t wait to see you at The Claiming.”

“Declan, we broke up. Let it go,” I hiss, standing to my feet. “It’s over. Leave me alone.”

“I proposed to you, Celina. You shouldn’t even be participating in the Claiming.”

“It’s not like I have a choice,” I tell him, already getting angry. “And I rejected your proposal. I don’t want to be your Chosen Mate.”

“After tomorrow, you won’t have a choice.” The line disconnects then. I groan while someone does three rapid taps before opening the door.

I turn and squeal. “Jenna!’ I cry before racing over to the auburn hair beauty and giving her the tightest hug I could manage. I pull back and look at her. She has her hair twisted into a messy bun and is wearing turquoise sweats. Her heavenly jade-colored eyes sweep over me while giving me a once-over. She’s just an inch shorter than me, and she’s my best friend. She is Beta Logan’s daughter and is my age.

She points to the phone still clutched in my hand. “Who was that?”

“Ugh, just Declan,” I say, tossing the phone on the bed. “Looks like I’m getting a new number.”

Her brow furrows, “You broke up six months ago. Shouldn’t he be over you?”

“You would think.” I shake my head. “Never mind that. Tell me about you and Eddy. Is the wedding still on graduation day?”

She gives me a small smile, following me to my couch. “Actually…he broke up with me?”

“What?” I demand. “When?”

She grimaces. “Monday. Like can you believe it? He said he only got engaged so he can avoid the Claiming. He wasn’t waiting to mark me until after we were done school. He was just using me.” Jenna’s anger starts turning to hurt and begins sobbing. She throws herself into my arms. I wrap my arms around her and just let her cry.

This isn’t uncommon. If you declare your intent to mate in front of the council and become “engaged” you are exempt from the Claiming. However, the day you’re both twenty-two, you have to be marked and mated. If the council believes you faked your engagement the repercussions are severe. That is why usually one couple will break up with the other after their final eligibility age for the Claiming. Jenna is turning twenty-two next month. He could have waited; he’s just being a dick. Especially doing it the week of. I’d be the first to launch that headhunt against Eddy, but that would also make Jenna an accessory. Maybe I can send a dozen snakes to his dorm.

I hear my phone ring from my bed, and judging by the doomsday sounds, it’s one of the council members. I ignore it and let it go to voicemail. Speaking of doomsday. “Jenna, I know you don’t need this right now, but we need to get going. We’re due at the ball soon.”

She groans and throws her head on my lap. “I don’t want to go.”

“Tell you what. We make our appearance long enough to satisfy my mother, and then we come back here, eat junk food, drink the really good wine from my dad’s office, and watch bad romcoms.”

“Really?” She asks, sniffling a little.

“One hour, two tops.”

She lifts her head and wipes her swollen eyes. “Can I get ready here?”

“Girl, you’re sleeping here too,” I give her a kiss on her cheek and we both stand. “I mean, we’re about to get hunted through dense forest. I think a sleepover is required.”

“I’ll go get ready,” she says just before kissing my cheek. “I’ll come to get you and drop my stuff off.”

“I’m going to go shower, let yourself in,” I tell her just before she leaves. I throw my head back and groan, again hearing doomsday music.

I stomp to my bed, “Stupid bloody old micromanaging man with nothing-Councilmen Geoff, how can I help you,” I ask in a bright sweet voice that makes me mentally gag when I finally answer the phone.

His raspy voice comes out slick and calm, “Princess Celina, I heard you were attacked.”

How the-“Yes, I was. I was assaulted by a rogue lycan while investigating the attack on the Moon Dune Pack.”

“By a lycan? Are you hurt?”

He knows I’ve been attacked, but not my injury? “Yes. Just a deep scratch that had some Wolfsbane on it. I killed him before he could do worse.”

“Wolfsbane? Are you still able to participate tomorrow?”

Wait, what? Is that what he cares about? “I-uh-yes I should be able to. It should be healed in a few more hours.”

It’s silent before he responds. “I was worried you’d have to sit out due to injury. I wanted to be the one to inform you, but if you so happen to be without a mate by the end of the Claiming, you will be assigned a chosen mate by your twenty-second birthday.”

I bite back the bile growing in the back of my throat. “Thank you for your concern, Councilman. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”

I hear a frown in his voice. “You’re not going to let another bite you, are you?”

“Nope. Goodbye, Councilman Geoff.” I hand up the phone and ignore his return call. I throw it on the bed and go to take a shower.

When I step out of the shower, I work on drying my long ebony hair. It’s already waving, so I curl it loosely to give it more shape, then twist my hair to pin it to the side; hiding the deep claw wounds on my shoulder. I touch up my face, hiding the blemishes on my soft round face. Carefully I line and paint my pink lips with crimson red lipstick. I trace my sky-blue eyes carefully with eyeliner before applying silver eyeshadow and mascara. I fix the blasted silver mask to my face; allowing a thin black glass to cover my eyes. To follow it up, I put on a diamond choker; fully hiding any dead giveaway for the mate bond. The choker is sort of a requirement after last year when someone tried to mark me during the ball. That person was promptly shot and killed. Under no circumstances are you allowed to mark someone before the Claiming.

After I have my hair and makeup done, I go into my walk-in closet to get dressed. I pick the gown my mother has chosen for me for this event. I step into a nearly extremely dark blue sleeveless dress. Diamonds and crystals are stitched against the background, giving the illusion of stars. The dress is floor length, and I have to put on heels to keep it from touching the ground. The slit cuts off at the top of my hip, giving me little room to work with. Well, it looks like I’m not wearing underwear tonight.

“Cel, you in here,” Jenna calls, coming into my room.

“Just finishing up,” I tell her, looking at the long mark on my arm. I can still faintly smell the Wolfsbane. Stupid rogue lycans. I spray myself with a scent disguising spray. Even with the scent-neutralizing spray, you’ll still be able to smell it. I find a pair of silver gloves and pull them on. They’re jeweled as well, so they do match the dress. The gloves extend up to my mid-bicep, so the scar is perfectly covered.

“Cel, did you have time to grab some wine,” she asks while I step into the room.

I pick up the dark green bottle and look it over. “No, I didn’t. Maybe it was another gift from a suitor.” I put the bottle down and smile at her.

She’s lovely in a white dress Jenna has curled her dark auburn hair and allows it to lead to the white scarf she wears on her neck. Her cream-white gown has diamonds cut up the side, leaving the imagination to go wild.

She puts on her white wolf mask and smirks. “Looks like I’m not the only one wearing underwear.”

“We should probably avoid sitting down on cold stools,” I tell her, taking her arm and leading her out of my room.

I nod toward my little guard Lucas and then turn my attention to Jenna. “So, have you decided what movie you want to watch tonight?”

She shakes her head. “No, but I want cookie dough and pretzels to eat tonight.”

I open my mouth to respond when I hear a voice I haven’t heard before, “You’re going to stalk that poor woman, aren’t you?”