The Princess and the Alpha: A Shifter Romance Read online

  Copyright © 2020 by K.M. Carnoky

  All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in, or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known, hereinafter invented, without express written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Typewriter Pub, an imprint of Blvnp Incorporated

  A Nevada Corporation

  1887 Whitney Mesa DR #2002

  Henderson, NV 89014

  www.typewriterpub.com/[email protected]

  ISBN: 978-1-64434-093-6

  DISCLAIMER

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. While references might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  THE PRINCESS AND

  THE ALPHA

  K.M. CARNOKY

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  To my parents who loved and supported me through

  all the victories and losses that brought me here.

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  Chapter 1

  I settled myself on the saddle, feeling the powerful horse’s every stride as he moved. I took a deep breath, letting all of my previous worries waft away. Here, with my beautiful horse, Poison, I didn’t have to worry about curtseying properly, the right fork to eat a salad with, or the best way to wear a tiara. All I had to think about was rising on the correct diagonal while keeping myself in a calm, happy state.

  I glanced at the small fences that I had set up in the massive indoor arena and encouraged Poison into a smooth canter. He took off easily, his ears perked forward with excitement. As we got closer to the jump, I could feel his pace quicken beneath me with excitement so I gently tugged on the reins, bringing him back to reality, then steered him around the jump. Poison obeyed, like I knew he would.

  He loved jumping, but he didn’t work on autopilot. He snorted and shook his head, annoyed with my tricks, but when I looped him around and switched his lead, he still stayed at a good, level pace. Even when we approached the jump, he stayed eager and responsive.

  The barn door slammed as someone entered.

  “Princess Adeline!”

  Poison let out a startled scream at the booming voice and dug his heels down into the sand. I had been ready to jump with him and not prepared for a sudden stop. I let out a surprised cry as I tumbled forward, falling onto Poison’s strong neck.

  I quickly collected myself, sitting upright and getting a better grip on the reins. Once I had gotten myself together, I gave the reins a light tug, grounding Poison as I spoke soothingly to him. The black beast didn’t bolt like he would’ve months ago, but I could feel how antsy he had become.

  I glared over at the guard who stood stiffly at the door, staring at me as if he had done no wrong.

  “What is it?” I hissed out through tightly clenched teeth. “What was so important it couldn’t wait till after I was over the jump?” I demanded.

  The guard, Preston, just ticked his chin up defiantly. “The queen and king demand your presence for dinner,” he said, his gray eyes narrowing into slits. “So I suggest you get off that animal and go straight to the palace.”

  I hated Preston. I hated him with all I had in me. Since I had been a young girl, my parents had deemed him to be the only one who could look after me, though I protested extensively. He was arrogant beyond belief and less than thrilled when he found out he was going to be nothing more than a baby sitter. Still, my parents were fairly busy, and I knew there was very little time we got to spend together.

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” I sighed reluctantly.

  I wanted to defy Preston for the sheer purpose of setting his teeth on edge, but my parents would not be pleased.

  Preston shook his head. “Now, Princess, they were quite frustrated when I left; we don’t want to make them angrier.”

  “But Poison needs to be cooled down and brushed,” I protested.

  “You have staff for that. Hand him off to a groom and come with me,” he ordered.

  I wanted to snap at him, remind him that I was the royalty here, not him. But I knew he would go crying to my parents, telling them how unladylike and rude I had been. The last thing I wanted was for my father to sigh and look at me with pleading eyes while he told me, again, how important it was to be nice to staff. Frankly, if my mother―the hot head of the two―had to deal with the real Preston for more than five minutes, she would come undone and fire him, but I didn’t have my mother’s authority, and Preston would forever kiss my parent’s asses in hopes of a promotion. They would never see fault in his actions and only believe his accusations against me.

  I slid off Poison after I made sure he was perfectly calm again, and then I led him out of the arena and back into the barn. I handed him to the first groom I saw and told him what Poison needed, trying not to sound too dejected. I knew the staff in my barns were the best for miles, but Poison was still my horse who deserves my attention.

  “Come now, Adeline! We can’t keep your parents waiting any longer!” Preston called.

  I grumbled profanities under my breath and walked behind him.

  I supposed to many people I was lucky. I lived in a grand palace with my loving parents. We had acres upon acres of land to ourselves, more than enough luxurious cars, a handful of staff to attend to our needs, and a healthy amount of guards to protect us from every angl
e. I had clothes from every material in every style hand-sewn by my personal seamstress, and my parents didn’t bat an eye when I said I wanted horses and a big fancy barn.

  When I was young, I thought it was all amazing. I had an indoor swimming pool to impress all my friends, a big theater room inside my own house, my room was enormous, and I had personal chefs who would make whatever I was craving at the wave of a hand. But now, things were different. I was completely alienated from my peers; it seemed like my only real friend now was my horse, and my days were filled with lectures about things I hardly cared about: the correct etiquette, how to curtsey, and the history of the waltz. And through it all, there was Preston, tailing me, watching my every move.

  I sighed, removing the thoughts from my brain as I moved behind Preston, entering the dining hall.

  “Ah, Adeline,” my mother said excitedly, “we were waiting for you. Come sit and eat with us.”

  My father’s green eyes glimmered when he took in my state. “How is Poison today?”

  I blushed as I looked down at my riding gear. Yes, my riding clothes were the top of the line, but riding clothes were not to be worn at dinner. Dinner was a time for grand gowns, and when I glanced warily at my mother, I felt my heart drop. She was, in fact, wearing a specular dress and one of her prettier crowns. While I had taken after my goofy father, she was a vision of perfect refinement.

  “I’m sorry, your Majesties. I tried to get her here earlier, but she refused to get off her horse,” Preston whined.

  I nearly rolled my eyes but resisted and instead, sat down at the table.

  “It’s fine, Preston,” my mother said. “You are dismissed.”

  Preston’s smile gleamed brightly at my mother, then he bowed deeply and scurried away like the dirty little rat he was.

  “So?” my father prompted.

  “So what?” I said stiffly, ready for an argument about disobeying Preston. Or a harsh comment about my attire.

  “How is that horse of yours?”

  “Oh,” I diffused quickly, but beamed with happiness as my thoughts progressed. “He’s getting so much better, Dad. He’s incredibly responsive to me; you should’ve seen him today. He listens so well, and I know it’s because he’s starting to trust me more. You should come watch me sometime.”

  My dad smiled happily. “Sure. Maybe next week. I’m swamped this week,” he said. “But I’m glad to hear that he’s turning around. I have to admit that I was quite worried when you first got him; he was really wild.”

  My mom scoffed. “That horse is just like her. If anyone could tame a wild beast, it would be another wild beast.” I knew she was trying to be the disciplinary parent, but I could see some humor in her eyes.

  Chapter 2

  “No, no, Princess. You must remember that you should never snap a napkin open. And a large napkin like this should never be opened all the way, only folded in half!” My tutor cried, quickly scooping up the napkin and refolding it. She was acting like I had committed a felony.

  “Try again, please. You must get this right,. I don’t want you to be shamed during a gala.”

  I wondered briefly if slamming my head on the dinner table right now would be considered shameful as well. Honestly, who gives a damn about a bloody napkin? No one, that’s who, but instead of knocking myself out, I just rolled my eyes painfully and took a deep breath. Only one more hour of this then I would be free to be with Poison or bury myself in a book.

  I endured every last detail about napkin etiquette, even though I wanted to scream out loud just to get rid of the pent-up frustration and boredom. Thankfully, I had more self-control than I expected, and I made it to the end of the hour without an extravagant melt down of sorts. I was certain that if I heard the word ‘blot’ one more time, I would come undone at the seams.

  Unfortunately, the moment I exited the dining room where my training had been held, I was greeted by Preston who smiled dumbly at me. Those boring grey eyes moved over my body in a silent scowl, and I got a pinch of satisfaction from that. He made my life miserable, but it comforted me to know that I disgusted him and made him resent his own job.

  “What is it, Preston? My classes are over. It is three in the afternoon; you are usually dismissed by now,” I reminded him flatly.

  Preston’s wretched grin only grew at my snarky comment, and my stomach dropped at his smugness. The only thing that made him happy was my suffering or praise from my parents.

  “Your mother was just informed that two male alphas are coming here to discuss a land agreement.”

  “That has nothing to do with me. I don’t deal with the politics or settle squabbles between packs. I’m only the princess, remember?” I said hotly.

  “Yes, I certainly know you are only the princess, but your mother has requested that you join her and your father tonight. You see, both of these men are very powerful, nearly royal themselves, and they will expect nothing less than perfection upon their arrival. So you are to be on your best behavior, young lady,” Preston taunted, clearly enjoying this. After years of watching me grow, he knew that I was too rough around the edges to enjoy a tedious night with two arrogant alphas.

  “Very well,” I murmured, trying my best to hide my hatred for him and the situation. “Then I suppose I should go change out of this dress and find something suitable to wear.” I nodded my head curtly at him, letting him know he was dismissed. Then I strode around him, trying to look as elegant and as powerful as my mother.

  I kept up my quick pace and fake confidence until I reached my bedroom on the other side of the palace. Once the door was shut firmly behind me, I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes, trying to collect myself. I had always been a structured person. I hated it when plans changed at all; it ruined all of my planning and frazzled me completely.

  And now, I had lost my down time, away from being a perfect princess. Right now, all I wanted was to get out of this dress and watch a silly kid’s movie or soak in a hot bath until I couldn’t even remember why I was stressed. I didn’t want to have to think about etiquette or the qualities of a good queen for a few minutes.

  But before I could even collect myself, there was a firm knock on the door, and a second later, someone had let themselves in. I lifted my head out of my hands to see my stylist walking in, looking annoyed.

  “Don’t do that, Princess. You’ve already smeared your mascara,” she chided, storming over to me. She inspected me once she was in arms reach, then shook her head. “Well now, all of your makeup needs to be redone, and we need to do something about that hair. Oh, and you also need a new dress on.” She sighed and shook her head.

  I self-consciously touched my dark locks, frowning. I knew that I wasn’t gorgeous like my mother, and I didn’t have her cold calculated confidence either. But I had gotten her wonderfully silky and shiny hair. Plus, I loved the natural waves to it. Then again, I did have a personal stylist for something.

  “Sit, sit,” she said, dragging me over to the chair in front of the vanity. “We only have an hour before the alphas arrive, and now that you’ve ruined your makeup, we are going to need all the time we can get to get you back to standard.”

  I sat in that chair for just under an hour while my face was tilted into awkward positions, all the while having brushes stab my eyelids. After that, my hair was yanked around curling irons, and stabbed with a thousand bobby pins before a heavily jewelled crown was placed on top of it. I had to admit, I looked pretty spectacular. Nothing like my usual self, but quite beautiful none the less.

  My hair was twisted up into an elegant braided bun with a few loose ringlets, and the crown sat on top of my head like a gorgeous beacon of royalty. Light makeup was applied to my face, making me look youthful, but my winged eyeliner were still expertly drawn, and my cheeks had been contoured to enhance my facial features.. I was almost disheartened by my appearance. I knew I looked nice, but knowing that I also looked nothing like myself made me feel awful. Would it be so bad if someone actually saw
my bare face and unpainted lids?

  “Come on. It’s time for the dress, Princess.” My stylist rushed, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  The dress was stunning, like every other dress I put on. It was navy blue and floor-length with artful beadwork done on the bodice. It mixed timeless elegance with modern zest since it had a modest opening on the back and was constructed from flowing material. I smiled a tiny bit, loving the look of it. Until it was shoved on my body, and just like every other dress, it was itchy, uncomfortable, and too damn tight.

  “Come on now,” my stylist scolded as she shoved a pair of high heels into my feet. “Don’t look like you’re in pain. You look amazing.”

  And I did. I looked as gorgeous as ever, but I also looked nothing like myself. I felt like I was a completely different person now. Fake.

  Chapter 3

  “You look wonderful, Princess Adeline,” Preston said, bowing deeply. I could easily detect the falseness in his statement.

  “Yes, she does,” my mother affirmed genuinely, smiling at me.

  I almost rolled my eyes at the whole fake display, but I just plastered on a false grin instead. I felt awful. The dress, though stunning, was terribly itchy and was incredibly uncomfortable, while my poor toes were twisted up in these dreaded heels. The crown that was sitting on top of my head seemed to weigh a very painful amount all of the sudden. Plus, those tiny bobby pins had begun to press against my scalp. I wanted this night to be over, and it hadn’t even begun.

  “There’s my girl,” my dad said excitedly, tossing his arm around me. Now, my smile became more genuine, and I relaxed slightly.

  As much as I hated picking favorites, I really think I loved my dad just a little bit more than my mother. Ever since I could remember, my dad had always been the kind, gentle one, while my mother was the stiff disciplinarian. My dad was a welcome hug at the end of a rough day, while my mom was a cold lecture about perseverance and triumph. In addition to this, I had always been a little intimidated by my mother. Before becoming a queen, she had been an alpha, and it showed. She wasn’t as regal or as dainty as the queens before her, but she was classy and stronger than anyone I knew. People followed her every command, no one questioned her, and I’m fairly certain her subjects feared her just as much as they loved her.