The Alpha Princess

Celina

The ceremony seemed like a blur to me. My brain is going over battle strategies. I watch Ruben looking me over while Chris is sitting next to me; both of us holding our scepters and steadying the crowns on our heads. My eyes are continuously scanning the crowd to see if I can spy Damian or a face that I do not know. The press is in the back of the room with cameras on me and my mate, so I still have to remain composed.

The Grand Chancellor, Emma Bordaga, claps her hands; signaling for us to stand and stopping my wandering eyes. “Please welcome your Queen of the Beasts, Queen Celina Stormwood, and her partner King of the Beasts, King Christopher Dupont.”

I stand with a strong look on my face while I try to force myself to relax. If the plan is going flawlessly, all our soldiers are moving into their disguised positions. They are to do this while the room is focused on us. I know there is no way to get out of this without fighting, but I’d like for all of us to at least survive it.

The room erupts with applause at that point while cameras flash. The flashes are blinding, and it’s hard to see anything after that. In tradition, I take a step forward, making everyone bare their necks in submission. Chris falls in step behind me, showing that I’m the lead royal. Technically we’re equal, but since I dethroned Exzecial because he submitted to me, that puts me in a slightly higher position.

Following tradition, I let my aura go with no restraint. The entire room drops to their knees in less than half a second; including the camera crew. They maintain that pose until I leave the room. After Chris has left the room, I pull my aura in as much as I can to help disguise us.

“Celina,” Ruben hisses, following us out of the room before closing the door behind him. Everyone else remained in the room so everyone else could be given their official titles.

He grabs my arm while the doors close to stop Chris and I. “What do you mean you shifted?” He hisses to us so low that even we have to strain to hear.

“Just what I said,” I tell him; matching his vocal level. “We shifted at the same time last night. Now Mara’s a lycan, but I still can’t shift.”

“What?” Ruben hisses. “She’s supposed to go first.”

I shrug. “What can I say, she’s clingy.” I feel Mara roll her eyes while the throne room fills with cheers and applause. “Look, we don’t have time to discuss this. Chris and I have to get into place, and so do you.”

“Celina wait,” Ruben yells after me when Chris and I start to walk away. He grabs my bicep. “You can’t go into battle like this. You’ll get killed.”

Chris touches Ruben’s hand to signal for him to let go. “Ruben, it’s too late to stop it.”

He glares at him. “Did you tell her why wolves shift first? It’ll take days for them to recover. Same for their human counterpart. If they shifted at the same time, they both would lack the strength to fight. Do you know how easy it is going to be for them to kill her now?”

Chris rubs his face. “Thank you so much for telling her that Ruben.”

“She needs to know,” Ruben growls.

“It’s not going to change anything. We’re still going to be in the middle of that hell, only now you’re going to psych her out.” Chris removes Ruben’s hand from me. “The only thing we can do is cover her harder than we originally planned.”

What did I just hear? I look to Chris. “Are you telling me I can’t fight period?”

Chris grimaces. “You can try, but the only thing you have is human strength and your aura.”

“Are you kidding me?” I screech and take a step back.

He grabs my shoulder, “Cel, your muscles and bones just broke and shifted. They’re not used to it, and it was a big change, they need time to recover.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you were falling asleep and it wouldn’t have made a difference.” He gives me a softened look. “If no one knows that your body is weaker than what they know, then it’ll give us some false advantage. Just don’t leave mine, or Ruben’s side.”

“I can’t believe you,” I hiss as I yank my arm back. “What is wrong with both of you? Why are you doing this to me now?” I stalk off at that point, my heels clicking and echoing my heated anger. I’m not really mad at them, I’m more angry at the situation.

“You just had to shift,” I growl to Mara while I go to the ballroom.

She gives me a tired look and shrugs. Stupid Mara. Stupid beast form. Why couldn’t I have stayed a wolf? I was happy as a wolf and I was good at it. Stupid lycan rules. Stupid lycan beasts who want to sink their teeth in me; either fatally or claiming, both suck.

I go to the top of the stairs and glare at Chris when he stands at the other staircase. He just shrugs, unrepentant. Okay, so if I can’t fight, I better find something sharp. Looks like I’ll be hunting down Leroy.

Loud voices start to fill the halls while guests start to make their entrances. Right now, I just have to wait for Damian to make himself known. How the hell am I going to dodge him? Part of our plans involved me keeping the great jackass busy while we took down his men. Maybe my witt can stall him? Nah.

A loud clap interrupts my thoughts. “For their first dance as Queen and King of the Beasts, please welcome Queen Celina and King Christopher,” Emma Bordaga yells at the foot of the stairs.

After giving Chris a nod, I start to descend the grand staircase. I look at the weaved-in daisies around the banister. They’ve been sprayed with a honey cinnamon scent. Chris’s half of the stairs hold pine with cinnamon sprayed on it. His side looks like a forest while mine matches that of a meadow; blending our scents.

Downstairs decorations are designed around my dress, with golden leaves and bronze ones blending in with luminescent floating lights. It’s cute and goes beautifully with synthetic scents that are being pumped into the room. There is a reason I chose to do this. It overwhelms the senses of every lycan and wolf here, which I can use to my advantage. If anyone leaves the rooms, their scents will be mixed, and it’ll help cover myself and Chris.

Halfway down the stairs, I hear loud, sarcastic clapping. The person who is clapping steps in front of the crowd with an admiring smirk on his face. I raise my eyebrow, not at all expecting to see Randaul there.

Randaul has his hair cut short against his head and is clean-shaven. He’s wearing a tux, but his scuffed shoes make it clear that they’re not his. I guess my and Mara’s suspicions were right. He was going to show himself after all. “Congratulations Queen Celina,” he starts while I remain calm. “You became everything you fought so hard against, and what everyone else wanted you to be.”

He takes a step forward. “And in doing so, you’ve created war, death, and never-ending chaos in your life. How does it feel?”

I smirk. “How is this anything different from when I was single and in college?” My face brightens when I show cynical enthusiasm by clapping my hands together. “Oh wait, I know. Your traitorous ass is no longer on the council, and your actions were made public.” I take a step forward. “In a way, me being queen is kind of your fault. If you hadn’t tried so many times to kill me or force me to become bonded to your family in some way, I’d probably be rebuilding a failing pack. Oh, wait, you and your nephew were behind those attacks as well.”

He glares at me and his eyes darken. “How dare you talk to me like that.”

I shrug and speak with an overly sweet voice to give it some innocence, “I’m simply speaking the truth. You’re a traitor and a coward among other unflattering things.”

I motion to Leroy. “Now, Ex-Councilman Randaul, you do have an order for your death. Are you willing to come quietly, or will our Head Guard have to remove you the hard way?”

Randaul smirks. “Actually, I’m here to challenge you for the thr-” He doesn’t get a chance to finish that sentence. A deep growl breaks from the back, instantly making Randaul flinch and take a step back.

I roll my eyes while everyone gasps and turns to face Damian; making his grand entrance. I’m still on the staircase people. It hasn’t even been five minutes.

“Damian,” I say to him while every guest steps closer to the wall; seeing the rather large and bloody amount of shifted lycans that are standing behind him. Damian’s grey suit is torn and covered in blood. His hair is mussed and he looks rather angry at the moment. “Are you turning yourself in as well?”

He just shoots me a hard glare. “Get away from her,” he directs toward Randaul.

Randaul sneers at him. “It is my right to challenge her for her title. Besides, after what you did to my son, I have every right to kill your chosen mate.”

“He’s not my mate,” I groan in frustration; trying to take control of the situation.

Damian shoots me a tired look. “I’m not having that argument right now. He wants to kill you.”

“And that’s different from the last few months how?” I ask, surprised that I’m managing to stall them while Leroy and his soldiers get into place. I guess being a pain in the ass can pay off sometimes. At this point, they haven’t noticed Chris and Ruben are no longer here.

“I don’t have time for this,” Damian growls, stalking toward Randaul. “Surrender now Uncle, and I might let you live long enough to see your next breath.”

Randaul scoffs. “Me? Surrender to a pathetic nobody like you? You were nothing until I took you under my wing.”

Damian’s fists ball before he throws a punch the moment he’s in reaching distance. “You were useless, and I gave you a purpose.” He throws another punch. “You’re weak, just like your men.”

Randual chuckles, “You think those were my only soldiers?” At that moment Randual lets out a loud howl while he starts shifting while he lunges at Damian. That’s when all hell breaks out. Damian’s bloody lycans are attacked from behind and the sides are by wolves and lycans. I definitely underestimated the amount of people coming to my coronation.