The Alpha Princess

Christopher

“She’s mine you pathetic weakling,” that infuriating beast growls at me while approaching me. I stand up from some crumpled lycan’s corpse that I had just killed; the smell of his spilled Wolfsbane mixing with his blood. How did I know that this creep was somehow involved with this attack?

His silver eyes rake over my bloodied form. “You’re not worthy of an Alpha Princess, let alone the throne.”

“And you are,” I bark my demand, while Rajin is calculating the strength of the white beast. I can feel his aura from here, and it’s strong. That’s not a good thing for me, since it indicates his physical strength will be great as well. This is going to be a challenge, but I’ll put every fiber of my being into removing this thing from existence. “You’re pitiful, and she doesn’t want you. She’s my mate.”

“She’s your given mate, but she was destined for me.” He takes a step closer to me and gets on all fours, ready to attack.

“That doesn’t even make sense,” I snap back. “She was designed to be my mate. She’s strong and a true queen. You’re just some wretched rogue.”

His upper lip curls before smirking. “You may be a prince, but you’re not deserving of the title King of the Beasts. You’re too weak and frail. You’re, at best, an A-Class Beast. Celina and I are both S class. You’re not good enough to be her mate or king.”

I growl as rage forces me to step closer; stepping over the body at my feet. I will destroy him before he even takes another breath. I will shred him into pieces and ground him into fertilizer. How dare he insinuate that I do not deserve my mate, or to rule as King of the Beasts. “Celina has accepted me as her mate. I am the Crowned Prince of the Beasts. Celina will be Queen of the Beasts and rule at my side. It’s over.”

The infuriating beast chuckles. “We’re just getting started. You truly think it’s just Celina I’m after.” He lowers himself to the ground. “This wasn’t a trap for her. It was for you. I want your throne too. I’ll claim Celina after I tear out your pathetic throat.”

“Good luck,” I snarl as I drop to all fours; my jaw already itching to latch onto his throat. “Do you want to tell me the name you want on your tombstone before I destroy you?”

He barks a laugh. “The same name I’ll be telling my newly widowed mate right before I mark her.” He springs into his attack, and I’m more than prepared for him. I duck as he aims high, biting through his thigh. I hook my arm and tear through his back; using that grip to throw him.

He lands on his feet, with me already racing to meet his attack. We clash, both of our mouths going for the other’s throat. I clamp down, but he gets his feet fully on the ground first and tosses me hard against the wall.

Within seconds we go for another round. My teeth land just under his jaw as I slash at his exposed chest. He kicks out his foot and locks it around mine. He twists hard, landing me on my back while his claw digs into my stomach.

Shock pushes through me, trying to imagine how I ended up on my back. He kicked my leg out with little to no effort. I can feel him pushing into me, and it feels as if I’m pushing against a mountain. I can’t even make him stumble as I try to wriggle free.

“Chris!” Celina calls out; her fear easily heard and giving me the edge I need. With Sephtis momentarily distracted by her, I take the opportunity to shove him off me and swipe at his face to give me a chance to get back to my feet.

I take a step back as he stumbles backward, covering his seeping eye while howling in pain. Okay, I cannot win on strength, so I’m going to have to rely on my speed.

While he’s still blinded by his own blood I lurch to an attack. I aim low, digging my claws into his thighs and swinging him into the bar. I charge at him and latch onto the back of his neck. I jerk and shake him with as much strength as I can manage at this angle. He cries out in pain and yelps as he swings wildly, trying to find some kind of purchase on me.

I feel a crunch as he screams in agony while he pushes off the bar; knocking me onto my back I still hold onto the back of his neck, with him on my chest while he slashes into my thighs and chest. I’m forced to let go as he buries his claws into my chest. The second I release him, he’s on his feet and trying to flee.

He’s not getting off that easily. Without wasting a second, I start to chase after him. If that coward is going to keep running every time we fight, then he certainly is no king. He’s slower than I am. The moment I’m within reach, I claw at his back leg, severing a tendon. He falls to the ground with a yelp.

I take that opportunity to dig my claws into his chest as I snarl; seething hatred and the demand for his blood rushing through me. “Stay away from my mate, even in your afterlife.”

He lets out a pained chuckle as I sink my claws further into him. “Are you prepared to kill your own brother, Christopher?”

Anger controls me as I dig my claws in deeper; hitting some organs I’m sure. “You expect me to believe that lie? You’re pathetic, and you don’t deserve a claim to my family name.” To silence him, I bury my teeth into his disgusting throat; suffocating him slowly.

“You truly think you won,” he gasps with his remaining breath. He reaches up and digs his claws into my neck, trying to get an angle to cause serious damage. He hooks up with his other hand to claw at my side, trying to find something to grab hold of.

I nearly laugh as he struggles under me as I clamp down harder, feeling him twitch and fight for his life. He was about to lose his life when I’m tackled from the side. I throw my arm out and hook up; my claw going straight through the throat of Councilman Geoff’s beast. He’s the only red lycan I have seen, and it’s fitting that I was the one to kill his son and him.

I shove his corpse off me, but when I stand that slippery beast is gone. I roar my frustration before tracking his blood trail. There is no scent, so I have to follow his blood. After a mile or so, his trail ends next to tire tracks.

“No!” I scream as I follow the tracks onto a paved highway. How did he move that fast when he’s that injured?

I start pacing along the street, my mouth foaming with how much rage is going through me. That worthless excuse for a lycan should be dead. How does he keep escaping me? Who the hell is he? He’s not my brother. My brother is dead. I felt the bond break. I know he is gone.

He came here to kill me and make his claim for the throne. Any lycan can try to challenge for the throne. He didn’t need to plan an ambush to get to me. I would have gladly taken any opportunity to put that mutt down. Why did he plan this? I stop in my tracks. Celina. With me distracted, a jilted lycan ex can easily sneak away with a helpless she-wolf.

I sound a hard howl, racing back towards my mate. Celina. My only thought is of her as I flit through the forest. How could I have been so stupid? Mia shows up and on the same day, we’re being attacked by that Sephtis prick. Mia would never accept Celina as my mate. Not with our history. Please tell me Ruben is with Celina. I was so focused on Sephtis that I didn’t look to see if he was okay. Goddess, I’m an idiot.

I reach the palace grounds within ten minutes. My brother is fighting a lycan while Leroy is still busy with his own. I attack the chocolate-colored lycan attacking my brother first. I latch onto the back of his neck and yank him back, giving Ruben time to tear out the beast’s throat. We both switch to the grey lycan attacking Leroy. Where the hell are the guards?

After Leroy’s battle mate falls to the ground, I race back inside with Ruben and Leroy on my heels. The ear-splitting sound of the alarm is mixed with growls and battling lycans. We follow the sounds to the council chambers. Nearly half the council members are attacking our royal guards.

“Enough,” I growl, shifting to my human form as I push my aura through the chambers. I stalk forward as everybody freezes; becoming petrified by my domineering power.

“You will bow down to me,” I order, coming closer to Councilman Beavoux and his ancient and patchy beast.

Defiance rages in his coal eyes. “You’ll never be our king Christopher. Your family’s reign shall end with your despicable father.”

“Then die,” I snap, quickly shifting my hand into a claw and piercing his heart. I look around the room at these insolent council members; some of the ones here truly surprise me. I never would have pictured some of them as traitors. “Anyone else wish to die?”

“We’re never going to bow to you,” Councilman Leopold snarls.

“Then die,” I bark, taking a step toward him before I’m slammed with such a powerful aura, that I feel physically sick and the life is getting choked out of me.

“Everyone on their knees,” a heavenly voice commands. It’s astonishing to see the amount of them trying to fight before dropping to their knees and then bare their necks. I don’t feel the compulsion to bend, but that is because this aura belongs to my mate.

“Guards, kindly arrest these deplorable excuses for beasts.” She orders as I feel her scent wrapping around me like a warm blanket.

Celina comes and stands next to me, tossing her hair over her shoulder in her annoyance. “Place them in Cell Block S, and strip search them before placing them in jail garments. These ex councilmembers 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.”

Celina touches my arm as she watches the twelve remaining council members being escorted from the room; still using her aura to assert her dominance. This is her while she’s separated from her wolf. I hate to feel what she’ll be like when she can shift again. I look her over. Her shirt is torn and her hair has been ripped out of its previous ponytail, and she has blood on her clothes.

Her eyes hold a militant gaze as every lycan piles out of the room. “We’ll talk after I see to it that these traitors are locked up.”