The Alpha Princess

Celina

I tighten my hand around my makeshift blade; my stomach beginning to churn. I remember this prick. He was at my first and third claiming. The giant scar on his shoulder blade confirms it.

“How is everything, Cedric,” I ask through a forced smile; trying to appear calm.

He gives a dark laugh. “Are you going to come easily this time Celina?”

I cock my head as I look him over. “I think I’d rather give you a matching scar.”

A barked laugh escapes him and he takes a step closer. “With what exactly? Your pathetic human nails?”

“I knew I should have killed you last year,” I tell him while he continues to stalk closer. He was fast then, and I can use that experience to calculate how fast I have to move next. “So tell me, what’s the plan from here?”

“Take you to your new mate after that pompous prince gets his throat ripped out. We hold you down. He bites you and forces you to submit to him, and behave like a proper breeding bitch.”

I roll my eyes and continue to stall. There is something said for playing dumb. “If all he wants is a baby maker, why am I necessary? There are several lycan families that would provide a more obedient and suitable mate. Maybe he could find his real mate.”

“He already killed that pathetic lycan maid.” He steps closer. “You’re who he wants, so that’s who our king gets.”

My eyes widen when I learn this. He killed his true mate. He’s mateless and he knows this. He said I nearly killed him before. I’ve always been his choice, and I’m just starting to fully realize this. He doesn’t care what he feels, his only obsession and passion is power. Not even a mate bond saved him from this madness. I’m so fucked. Well, I might as well put a kink in that plan.

I do my best to start looking panicked as he nears me. “Will you at least tell me his name?” I ask, stalling for a bit longer.

Cedric barks a laugh, “So you can reject him? I think not Princess. I’ll tell you the name he goes by though.” He’s close enough to me now that I can hear his excited breathing. He reaches over and strokes my cheek with the back of his claw. “We call him Andras, in honor of the first Lycan King.”

I shiver while that horror of history enters my mind. Fitting. “Cedric, I’m warning you. Stay away from me.” On cue, my voice cracks on my last word.

“Don’t worry Princess, I’ll be gentle. I’m not allowed to overly hurt our future queen,” Cedric responds, grabbing my shoulder carefully. “Now come with me.”

“Don’t touch me,” I snap, going to slap him with my free hand. He catches my hand with his claw and turns his head to look at it. Taking that distraction, I stab the long shard of glass into his carotid artery. Using what strength I have, I slash it toward his windpipe; spraying myself with blood. Cedric roars in pain and slams me into the wall; breaking the glass shard I still have buried in his neck. I claw at his eyes while he tries to control his bleeding. Stupidly, the beast pulls the shard of glass from his neck. Within seconds, he’s on the floor bleeding out.

I step over Cedric’s writhing body. “Just remember that I did this to you in human form,” I tell him while I stride out of the room.

At this point, I’m disgusted by the lengths that pathetic lycan beast is going to so he can emulate his half-brother. I have a gut feeling that is what started this. He wants what Chris has, including his mate. He wants the life he was robbed of by being a bastard child. If he had revealed himself like a normal person, all of this mayhem could have been avoided.

Andras is the firstborn son of the king, he is only half-royal. Chris and his brothers are direct descendants of the reigning king and queen; earning them a full lineage title. Even so, Andras should have had the title Chris and his late brother carry. However, Chris and Danny were directly given the title by their late grandfather, as well as the current king. That is not something any court can dispute, so Andras does need to challenge the throne. A process that is easily done, and he didn’t have to go to this length. No, he’s doing this because he wanted the current royal family to suffer.

When I step out of the room, I see Mia struggling with the grey lycan from earlier. That’s when a thought strikes me. They can’t fall to Exzecial’s power since they do not recognize him as king. However, Cedric’s words prove that they do see me as a queen. I may not have my full strength, but I do have a good part of it; especially after being fully mated.

“Stop,” I growl, pushing my domineering aura on them while Mara limply paces in her frustration. Mia and the grey lycan stiffen under my aura, but I ease up on Mia; giving her enough strength to deliver the fatal blow.

“Where the hell are the guards,” I growl while I push my aura as hard as I can; frightening any lycan coming toward us.

“My guess is with the Council,” Mia grunts as she pushes the corpse off her. She gets to her feet while she licks the blood off her claws. She falls in line behind me while I go up the stairs.

Not far from the top of the stairs, Exzecial is nursing his wounds while standing next to Larry’s corpse. Then something surprising happens when I glare at him; Exzecial submits. Pure surprise nearly makes me lose my focus, but I lighten up the pressure I’m putting on him. I don’t acknowledge him. I walk past him and pretend I didn’t notice. Just like I did with my father the first time this happened.

When I near the Council Chambers, I hear fighting and I smell Chris and his blood. Anger is still raging through me, but I maintain my composure.

“Anyone else wish to die?” I hear Chris growl when I’m near the door.

“We’re never going to bow to you,” Councilman Leopold snarls. Sounds about right. Leo always has been a pompous ass.

“Then die,” Chris barks out when he takes a step toward the arrogant councilman.

“Everyone on their knees,” I order as I waft into the room, annoyed by how many guards are in rough shape from fighting with the council. At least I know they’re loyal. It’s amusing to see the council members drop one by one onto their knees as they fight me. There is a large smirk on my face while Leo glares at me with his neck bared.

I keep my eyes locked on Leo while I give my next order, “Guards, kindly arrest these deplorable excuses for beasts.” At this moment, I’ve never been more eager than to talk to the now ex councilman Leopold. When can I get out of that blabber mouth?

I toss my hair as I stand next to Chris; feeling more annoyed at this point than anything. How did Exzecial let this happen? By the Goddess, I don’t know how he never realized he lost control of what looks to be seventy-five percent of the Council. “Place them in Cell Block S, and strip search them before placing them in jail garments. These ex councilb members deserve no respect, so show them none. We’ll begin interrogation tomorrow morning, starting with the one that complains the most. After they’re locked up, gather their families and give them the same treatment. Any remaining council members that are not here, will be confined to chambers until they’re thoroughly investigated by myself, or Prince Xander.”

I touch Chris’s arm just because I’m craving to touch some part of him. I don’t believe he’s upset that I excluded him from the investigation. Either way, I better make sure these bastards don’t pull anything.

I refuse to keep my eyes off Leo, since he’s still trying to resist me, and watch as he leaves the room. “We’ll talk after I see to it that these traitors are locked up.” I follow them out, leaving Mia behind with Chris. I’ll kill her later if she tries anything. I already know Chris would beat me to it if she does.

It’s easy for me to feel Leo’s hostility over the other council members. This is mostly due to the fact that he keeps looking over his shoulder to glare at me. I push my aura at him and make him stumble forward when he bows his head.

Once he’s shackled to a wall, he wastes no time to spit at my feet. “You’re lucky that you’re unable to shift, or I wouldn’t hesitate to try to kill you.”

“Oh don’t let that stop you,” I say as I fold my arms. “Believe me, I’d rather be dead than see your pathetic boss again.” I roll my eyes and then toss my hair. “He’s more irritating than you.”

Leo growls at me, “How dare you talk about your king like that.”

I cock my head. “Well, since Exzecial is the reigning king, and I’ve said a lot worse before, I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

His eyes flash a sandy brown, but the chains repress his beast to keep him from transitioning. “That spoiled brat will never be my king. He should have never been king after what he did to his firstborn child.”

He smirks at me, but it falters once he sees that I don’t react. “You knew?”

“Only a few minutes ago,” I say as I act unimpressed. With Leo, the less you say, the more you get.

“So you know,” Leo demands. “You know that Exzecial abandoned his firstborn son, and yet you’re supporting him?”

I shrug, “I don’t agree with what he did, but I can’t change what happened. As a Councilman, you should have challenged his right to rule, and provided evidence that he was committing such an egregious act. Nevertheless, it’s not unheard of for someone who is not the firstborn to be chosen to be King of the Beasts. Also, if what’s his face wanted to be the king, all he had to do was challenge the throne. None of this bloodshed was necessary, so in my opinion, your king is worse than Exzecial.”

He smirks, “Do you truly think that’s all that was necessary? No Princess, loyalties had to be proven, and he has to prove he’s the true king by tearing down the very kingdom his ancestors has built. This equal society,” he spits, “is atrocious. Our land should be ruled by one man, and one man alone. Nothing should stand in the way of the King of the Beasts, not even you Princess. Mark my words, by the end of this you will be mated to my king, and bare him a strong and healthy heir; and every living creature will bow down to him. All that has wronged him will suffer under his wrath, starting with your little mate and his family.”

I groan internally. Of course that jackass has that big of an ego. “So he wants to tear everything down, so he can rebuild from scratch, just to match his ideals?”

Leo smirks. “Yes dear Princess, and he’s only getting started.”