Pregnant Runaway Mate of the Alpha Prince, page 2
part #37 of Forbidden Alpha Kings Series
“What’s this?” She picked it up and started reading it.
Although the newspaper was soggy from the downpour, the headline was just as bold and legible as when Beth showed me it.
The older man grinned at us and motioned at it. “They’re marrying off that prince. I remember when he was born! Now he’s almost 30, and I’ve lost all the hair I had when his parents got married,” he laughed.
Vivian opened the paper, and for a moment, I hoped I’d be able to catch another glimpse of the prince. I’d never been boy-crazy, but he was too handsome to ignore.
Our customer’s eyes widened briefly, and he motioned to me. “You should go. You’re very pretty. You’d make a good fit for him.”
My mouth popped open instantly to tell him I couldn’t, but my stepmother beat me to it.
“She’s not going anywhere near this ball,” Vivian let her niceness mask slip for a moment. “After all, she’s a latent shifter. We can’t have that in the castle,” she added.
Ugh.
“Oh, what a shame,” the old man looked at me with mild disgust, and I felt like turning around and leaving. I hated this part. I was still a woman capable of bringing value to this clan even if I couldn’t shift.
“We can’t risk not having shifter heirs,” the old man continued. “Hell, King Henri had to marry three times before finding a bride to give him children. Having latent children would be even worse than having no children.”
I felt sick.
“You’re absolutely right, and she knows her place,” Vivian smiled coldly at me. “I have two wonderful shifter daughters who will attend, though! She’s not mine, so there’s no risk of latency here,” she laughed.
I bagged his goods and slid them onto the counter.
Feeling bad for myself wasn’t going to do me any good. I needed to remember that. My mother ran off and then died when she was just 25. I was only four years away from outliving her.
Even if I couldn’t shift, I could still hope to outlive that short lifespan.
2
Harris
“Our shoreline is our one true weak point. If the non-shifters head in from upstream, they can gain access to our kingdom without proper vetting. We can’t have our way of life ruined.”
The meeting room was quiet, save for my voice, but I could feel every pair of eyes on me as I continued.
“Within the next year we should be building posts on either side of the river as it comes in from the West. I’m thinking one-mile increments for five miles, so ten posts total so both sides of the river are covered. These will be rotating posts for the first year so everyone is trained on them.”
One of my men raised his hand, and I motioned to him. “Speak.”
“How long will anyone be at each of these posts?”
“No more than eight-hour shifts. You’ll be paid for the time it should take you to get out there as well. We’ll build them up like fire lookouts so if these posts need extended shifts we can have someone sleep it off while another keeps watch.”
Another motioned to speak when the door to the meeting room burst open.
My father, all unfortunate misery and anger, made his way in.
“I need your ear.”
“I’m busy,” I countered.
The guardsmen sitting ahead of me went stock still, and I shot them a quick look. “We’re in the middle of planning a new defensive corridor, what do you need?”
“We need to speak.”
He wasn’t budgeting.
Of course.
“Leave,” he told the guardsmen.
I looked over at them, and every set of eyes was on me, waiting for direction. He was the king and he couldn’t even direct the damn guards.
“Take lunch, men. I expect you back within thirty minutes,” I didn’t need to embarrass him further.
As the men left my father’s personal guard detail started to filter into the room behind him. “They published it sooner than I expected, I didn’t want you to find out this way,” he explained.
“What did you put in the paper this time?” Trying to keep my voice cordial, I sat behind my desk and let one of his guards bring him a chair.
“There’s a ball your mother and I are throwing.”
I nodded. It was a great way to bring positive attention to the crown. “What’s it for?”
“Your mother and I chose a bride for you,” he explained.
“For what reason?”
I already had my hands full, there was no way I would be able to take the time off to deal with a wedding and marriage.
“The sacred rite of marriage is vital to continuing our clan,” he said.
“The ball is an engagement announcement?”
“No, actually,” my father grinned and my skin crawled. “The night is meant to bring people into the castle and let them feel like they could be part of the family.”
“What people?”
“Common people, our clan who aren’t part of the royal family,” he explained. “We’re telling them that you’ll pick your bride during the ball, and that they should send their most beautiful women.”
“This feels like a waste of resources,” I frowned. “I’m not interested in putting on a show and lying to people just to marry some girl I don’t know.”
“You don’t have to lie. Spend the night talking to whomever you want to, and get to know the average clan member that’s your age.”
“Are you just grabbing 25-year-olds then?”
Shrugging, he rested his hands on his stomach, interlacing his fingers like this was just another inconvenient meeting. “I’m bringing in a large selection, so that when I introduce your new bride the common people will think that this could have been any of them. It’ll keep them supporting our right to rule.”
I wasn’t interested in a wedding, but I could see his point.
Sentiment against the royal family had been tumultuous for years now, he was right to want to improve public perception. Marrying me off wasn’t the greatest option. I didn’t like it, but I understood it.
That didn’t mean I had to play along with it.
“I’ll go to the ball, but I’m not promising you a wedding.”
“At least you’re not making me force you,” he sighed.
He couldn’t force me to go if he tried to.
“You said it’s already printed. When were you going to tell me this?”
This wasn’t the first time he fed a random story to the newspaper. There was a long history of him pushing details into it that could help the royal family. I wasn’t interested in that type of control.
“Your mother actually selected her,” he ignored my question. “I think she’s fine, but I’m more interested in her family. They own hundreds of acres of property beyond the clan’s land that can easily be folded into our property, and there’s more,” he grinned and leaned forward conspiratorially. I wished I hadn’t asked. “She’s the only daughter with seven brothers. Her father had only brothers: ten of them.”
“You’re picking her because she can have boys?” I sighed.
“Your mother and I are picking her because she’s going to have boys, and the land will be farmable property that will add value to the clan.”
I stood, wanting this meeting to end.
“Think of it this way,” he continued. “If you let us arrange the marriage, it’ll save you much time anyway. No courting, no need for uncertainty.”
“I’ll go to the ball, but we need to talk before I decide to marry anyone.”
“She’s a good woman. When you meet her you’ll thank me.”
Doubtful.
“Prince Harris, there’s an issue at the northern border,” Buck’s voice rang out from the hallway. I didn’t want to look like I was running off from this. Still, I also had a fundamental responsibility to my people.
“We aren’t done with this,” I said flatly to my father.
He waved me off, and his smarmy smile slid back on his face like he got exactly what he wanted.
I wasn’t going to marry the first woman they shoved in front of me. I deserved better than that. The clan deserved better than that. Their future queen needed to be someone who was strong enough to handle whatever was thrown at her. Someone I could trust.
I wasn’t anywhere near finding a woman like that. It’s doubtful I’d see her in some wealthy family that had prepared her to marry upward in society.
As I left the room, I couldn’t fight the annoyance I felt.
“Sir, are you well?”
Buck knew me well, but that didn’t mean he could understand how I was feeling. “What’s going on at the northern border?”
The clan’s land had belonged to my family since long before any non-shifter nation laid claim to it. Nestled in the valley of two steep mountains, it enjoyed prosperous green springs and summers and well-insulated windy winters. The Mearn River that traced the northern border was vast and deep, keeping the kingdom safe on three sides.
If we expanded the property further south, like my father hoped, we’d also be able to build better protections there. My focus was on how unpredictable the river was, though.
“This rain has been so heavy it’s threatening to flood the lowlands,” he explained.
I tried to shake off my conversation with my father. “No incoming ships, pirates, sea serpents?”
Buck barked out a laugh, and I relaxed a little.
“How are the levees?”
“The water’s rising higher on them.”
“Are there any properties at risk?”
“Two parks and a couple of smaller businesses. Do you want to survey the water levels?” He was just doing this to cheer me up. Buck was the closest thing I had to a friend anymore.
I was proud to have him as one of my men.
“I need a run anyway.”
I shed my stress as we slipped out of the castle walls.
Shifting felt like stepping into my authentic self, someone who didn’t have to attend meetings or be a figurehead for something so impossibly ancient. I was just instinct. The rain beaded and slipped away against my fur. Leading Buck down and away from the castle, I ran.
My paws spread, and my legs pushed me forward like I couldn’t escape the castle fast enough.
I knew my duty.
The responsibility to lead and help keep my kingdom safe for those who live there wasn’t lost on me. I was privileged with that responsibility in ways my siblings could only imagine.
I was also fucking sick of it.
The rain fell faster and hit sharply against my face and ears as I kept going. I could still smell Buck behind me, but I knew he’d take his time. My paws finally reached the grass, and I could feel a connection with every wolf in my bloodline before me.
Why did I feel that connection to our history as royals?
Dodging through woods, across a few fields, and between buildings, I was almost disappointed when I made it to the shore. The river was higher on the levees than I expected.
If this rain continued for more than a couple of days, it could cause a lot of trouble.
Spotting something floating in the water, I followed along the shore, carefully keeping my footing as steady as possible.
As I approached it, I shifted back into my human form and leaned to the waterline. The rain was less comforting against my bare skin, but I needed to know what this shiny thing was.
The thick fabric was emblazoned with a crest I’d never seen before.
It was rectangular and small and would have easily been a flag if it weren’t for how strange the symbol was. Three paws and three human hands met in the center in a spiral, with a sprig that looked similar to an olive branch surrounding them.
The emblem was roughly sewn into the fabric in thick, deep blue thread.
Hand-sewn.
Confused, I turned it over in my hands.
As I stepped down and away from the levee, Buck appeared. He pulled his pack from his back, shifted back into his human form, and threw a robe at me. “Sir, you shouldn’t shift back without being covered.”
“Yeah, sure,” I slid the robe on so he’d calm down. “Do you know this emblem? I’ve never seen it before.” My breath hung in the air ahead of me, still hot from the run.
Buck took it from me and looked it over. “Might be some kid’s school assignment.”
“I don’t know, it looks too purposeful. Like they were following a pattern or guide,” I shook my head. “It came from upstream.”
We both stared up the river but could only see so much before the view was swallowed by trees and forest views. “What’s that way?”
“A small settlement or two, but nothing big enough to need a flag,” he handed it back. “You should show that to your father.”
I folded it and set it in the pocket of the robe he gave me.
If I wanted to know anything about it, my father was the last person I’d ask. The man was a professional at burying information.
Pushing my hair away from my face, far less water repellent than my wolf-form’s fur, I tried to focus on the task. “We need to make sure there are clear evacuation plans for the buildings around here if the water gets any higher. Secure a hall of the castle for anyone who needs to evacuate to be placed in.”
There were too many things to focus on for me to get distracted by strange flags. Hopefully, this rain would let up soon.
3
Ella
“Oh my god, it’s beautiful,” I gasped.
Beth turned the mannequin around to show the back as well, and I was completely stunned. The dress was a deep forest green satin off-the-shoulder with a large bow on the left arm. It wrapped around the mannequin like it was made of water and naturally cascaded down.
It wasn’t like anything I’d ever dreamed of wearing.
“Are you sure I can wear this?”
“Yes, of course you can,” she laughed at me. “Tomorrow’s a big night. You deserve to go out looking like a star.”
“And showing off your brand,” I teased.
“Yes, and that. Just tell anyone who compliments it my name and the dress is yours to keep forever.”
It wasn’t something I’d ever wear again. It felt too fancy for me, but keeping a memento of the night we tried to sneak into the castle would be incredible. “Okay, fine,” I agreed. I just need to make sure Vivian doesn’t see me.
“It’s a masked ball,” she reminded me. “Here, the final piece.”
Stepping over to her workstation, Beth grabbed one more piece and brought it over to me—a mask that matched the dress perfectly. It was only half-face, but despite being fully sewn and formed to keep its shape, it looked simply like thick, taut ribbons tied around a face.
“You can wear your hair up or down with this. It’s going to look so good,” Beth grinned. It was definitely her style, not mine, but it would look incredible for one night. Beth supported me in so many different ways. The least I could do was help her brand.
She boxed it for me, and I stepped into the city air with renewed excitement for the ball.
A night out where I wouldn’t have to worry.
As I slipped through, I got increasingly nervous thinking about how Vivian would act if she found out any of this was happening. Of course, she didn’t have to know, but I’d be done for if she did.
Rushing into the bakery, which was closed for the night, I quickly walked toward the dry storage and grabbed one of the large, empty flour bags I’d set aside during the week.
Hiding it in my room wasn’t going to work.
If there was one thing Vivian wouldn’t do, it’s bake: this was the safest place to keep the dress.
Ensuring the dress box was sealed so no stray flour could get inside, I slipped the box in and set the bag on a lower shelf. All I had to do was keep calm for one day. If I just kept this secret, I could enjoy a night out of fun and food.
When I slipped back into the connected house, the only home I’d ever known, I could hear Vivian and her daughters eating the dinner I’d prepared before I left. Hopefully this distraction would be enough that they wouldn’t notice I wasn’t cleaning the bakery the entire time I was gone.
Heading upstairs to my room, I was thankful to finally strip away the day’s stresses and take a breath.
The next day came faster than I expected.
Working in the bakery felt dangerous this time. My eyes fell on the almost-hidden bag concealing my dress every few minutes, and my heart beat faster. I was going to have a night of fun. I could help Beth’s business!
Fortunately, I didn’t have much time to torture myself with my thoughts.
Customers were constant, with many gathering goods for the following morning or as treats to enjoy while preparing for the ball. I ran out of Danishes early in the morning and had to make a third batch before I had a single moment to myself.
I was ready as the shop hours finally ended and the sun began to lower in the sky.
This was my big moment.
I closed the shop and made my way back to storage. Before I could grab the dress box, I heard the front door open, and a gratingly familiar voice called for me.
“Closing early?” Vivian’s tone was surprisingly sweet compared to what she usually acted like.
“Store hours ended fifteen minutes ago,” I pointed out.
She didn’t berate me.
There was a calmness about her that terrified me.
“Come with me,” Vivian said.
Leaving the dress box behind, praying she didn’t see me reaching for that bag, followed her from the bakery and out to the main home.
She spoke plainly, “My girls have been getting ready for the ball, and I want you to help finish their hair.”
I nodded, knowing I’d have to wait for them to leave before I could do anything. If Vivian saw me fixing my own hair or getting dressed, she’d know I was up to something immediately. I had to be careful.
“Girls, come show us your dresses,” she called as we walked inside.
Thankful she didn’t notice I was up to something, I pulled off my flour-powdered apron and listened as their heels clacked on the floor leading to us. Zara, the older of the two, was wearing a long, bright pink dress that hugged against her body like it was painted on. The neckline went so low it almost hit her belly button.
