The Alpha’s Wild Princess

2

He released me so suddenly that I fell to the stony ground, but before I could think of taking advantage of my freedom, I was restrained by two of his men, one on either side. I fought against the restraints, even though I knew it was futile. They ignored my grunts and protests and moved to the side with the rest of the crowd. I had no choice but to watch their leader (there was no doubt now that he was their leader) take my father’s chair at the center of the reservation.

“Weres of Chandra,” his voice boomed and echoed across the ancient halls of the reservation. You could hear a pin drop as the silence reverberated across the room. No one dared to breathe, let alone interrupt him.

“We have woken to a new dawn for our pack. Today marks the end of the Lonsdale reign. I have defeated Alexander Lonsdale in an all-out challenge.”

Another round of murmurs followed his announcement. I heard some dissenting words from some of my father’s loyal supporters but louder cheers of victory from those who had hated him. It did not come as a surprise. It was more like jubilation, and when the new Alpha raised a hand for quiet, a silence instantly descended on the hall.

I stared transfixed at the gracefulness by which he carried himself; it came almost naturally. I never thought that I would see an Alpha other than Alexandra Lonsdale who embodied the meaning of the word, in both words and actions.

“Now, I realize there are others who might try to oppose my authority, and while I may be open to discourse, I will not hesitate to destroy any man or woman who attempts to raise discord within this faction.”

“We stand with you, Alpha,” Magnimus, one of the pack's elders spoke. When I glanced toward the rest of them, they all nodded in agreement. I noticed a few seemed a little hesitant, but they were smart enough not to voice their dissatisfaction—especially not after the new Alpha had just threatened them with destruction.

“We’ll see about that, Magnimus. But for now, we’ve got work to do.”

“What do we do with her?” asked Magnimus. I did not really know the guy, but I had seen him a few times at the Werewolves Conventions. An event I hated with my whole being, but could not avoid because I was the Alpha’s daughter. Though I wouldn't say I liked those events, Phoenix lived for them. My brother had been groomed all his life to become the next Alpha of the Chandra Pack.

We were the most powerful faction in both number and strength. Of all the wolves' bloodlines, the Chandra Pack, also known as the moon wolves, was the most respected and feared. We were the direct descendants of the first Lycans. Whoever ruled the Chandra Pack more or less ruled the world of the Werewolves.

“Her brother fled. We can use her as a bargaining chip to obtain his surrender,” another Elder suggested. He had a shock of full gray-colored hair, full and long, although nothing like that of the new Alpha.

His words instantly made me chuckle so loudly that everyone looked at me like I’d gone crazy, except for the man in my father’s chair. Ever since he’d dumped me on the floor, he had not so much as glanced in my direction. I couldn’t tell if he was making a conscious effort to ignore me or … I had no idea what the second option might be.

“Do you have anything to say to us, young lady,” the man asked. His voice was not harsh; no, he sounded wise and genuinely curious, and my laugh stilled, although a bitter smile remained.

“You’re all fools if you decide to use me as a bargaining chip to get Phoenix to do anything. There is no love lost between my brother and me, and you might as well kill me now.”

Another round of murmurs followed my words, but I remained silent, staring daggers at the man and wanting him to look at me, but his face was stoic and he seemed to be deep in thought.

Suddenly, his face darted over to my corner, and his eyes met mine in what seemed to be a battle of wills. I could not look away even if my life depended on it which was weird. Never in my life had I felt this forceful pull toward anyone. Least of all not with a man who was going to murder me.

“Put her in a solitary room while I decide what to do with her.” His eyes never left mine as he spoke, and the second he gave the order, the men started to pull me away.

I was led out of the reservation through a back room in the main house. My childhood home was a sprawling mausoleum of a mansion that usually felt more like a museum than an actual home. They took me up the winding stairs, past my bedroom and Phoenix's down to the west wing which I had never really bothered with in all the years I’d spent under this roof.

I was thrown into a library of some sort, except it had a bed and a bathroom. My own private prison.

I was in too much shock to do any digging around to find a way out. I had no idea how long I remained in the same spot trying to come to terms with the events of the past three days. It had all culminated to this point in a massive c****x, one that would no doubt change the course of my fate forever, or end it once and for all.

After a few moments of dusting myself after being on the floor, I decided to take a look at my surroundings. The room was too dim to see much of anything, but I made do and went through the stack of shelves filled with books. I stumbled upon an interesting one that caught my attention: a gold-covered paperback. A book of prophecies.

It looked interesting enough, and I needed to distract myself from my predicament. I pulled it out of the shelf and stumbled back when something else fell off the shelf, landing between my feet.

It was an even smaller book, old and ragged like it had exchanged too many hands before finding its home here. I picked it up to return it, but curiosity got the better of me, and I opened it to see unfamiliar handwriting.

But the note’s handwriting is what caught my eye, and the name signed below had a cold shiver run down my spine.

“Take the girl and her mother and leave the city. Alex knows about the boy, and I fear he might come for you.”

L.E. Lonsdale.

I knew those initials like the back of my hand. L stood for Leanna and E for Emery. They belonged to my late mother.