The ride back to the kingdom was quiet, the moonlight slipping through the car windows like silver fingers. The silence felt unnatural — too still, too controlled.
My thoughts refused to settle.
Alpha Jame.
Five million.
Two kilos.
Human involvement.
Each word circled like vultures, patient and waiting.
I kept my wolf suppressed, but she didn't like it. She pressed against my ribs, restless, irritated. The closer we drew to the kingdom, the more she stirred.
The air changed.
Richer. Heavier with territory markers and pack scent.
My senses sharpened automatically. I could smell distant fires, fresh earth, even the faint musk of patrol guards stationed miles ahead.
Home.
But tonight, it didn't feel peaceful.
It felt like a cage waiting to close.
The wind shifted as we crossed the kingdom borders. My wolf inhaled deeply, parsing every layer.
Pine resin.
Iron from the gates.
The musk of neighboring packs lingering like territorial warnings.
Beneath it all — something tighter.
Unease.
She didn't relax at the scent of home. She stood taller inside me. Alert. Watching.
When we arrived, the castle gates opened with a resounding clang. Guards bowed as we entered, their eyes fixed on me with respect — and curiosity.
Word spreads fast when the heir returns unexpectedly.
I stepped into the great hall, forcing composure over the tension crawling beneath my skin.
Father was already there.
Seated at the head of the grand table.
His sharp gaze met mine immediately — protective, calculating, unyielding.
My wolf stiffened.
It wasn't fear.
It was instinct.
Dominance meeting dominance.
His presence filled the hall like a silent storm. Heavy. Commanding.
But she refused to bow.
A slow heat coiled at the base of my spine as the primal part of me assessed him — not as Father…
…but as Alpha.
And he was already testing.
"You've returned earlier than expected," he said, voice calm but edged with authority.
"I had business, Father," I replied evenly. "Observing, as you allowed."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "And yet, the palace received no word until now. Why?"
"I wanted discretion," I said. "It was delicate."
He leaned back, fingers steepled. "You've grown bold. Boldness without caution can be dangerous."
For a year, I had handled Alpha Jame's pack alone.
Out there, my choices only endangered me.
In here, they could destabilize a kingdom.
"Father," I said carefully, "there are troubling movements among certain packs. I need time before I report fully."
Silence.
Measured.
Then—
"Tomorrow, you begin classes on how to be a queen."
My head lifted sharply.
"I've already started a mission," I said, voice tight but controlled. "Can I at least finish it?"
"Clara," he said coldly, "you prefer the field. I am aware. But you will learn your duty… or would you rather I arrange for you to take a mate instead?"
The word mate detonated inside me.
My wolf surged forward violently, claws scraping against bone.
My heartbeat spiked. The air thinned. Every sound in the hall sharpened — fabric shifting, guards breathing, Father's pulse steady like a war drum.
Arrangement?
Submission?
A low growl slipped past my control.
We are not claimed, she snarled. We choose.
It took everything in me to force her back.
"No, Father."
"Then your instructor arrives tomorrow. Six sharp."
Final.
"You may leave."
"…Alright."
I walked away steady.
Inside, wildfire.
Sleep was impossible.
The palace walls felt too polished. Too controlled.
Marble and gold were beautiful.
But they were not wild.
They were not freedom.
If I stayed still any longer, I would break something.
So I went to the only place that made sense.
The gym.
The palace corridors were too quiet as I made my way down. Too structured. Too disciplined.
Inside the training hall, a few pack soldiers were already sparring, muscles moving with precision.
"Good morning, my princess," Jack, the captain, greeted with a slight bow.
"Good morning, Jack. Anyone willing to hit the ground with me?"
They hesitated.
Of course they did.
The last time I sparred, someone left with fractured ribs.
My wolf had enjoyed that a little too much.
The faint scent of their caution reached me — not fear.
Calculation.
Respect edged with survival instinct.
She liked that.
"Come on," I said, removing my jacket. "Bring it."
They exchanged glances.
"Princess…" Jack began carefully, "don't you think you should warm up first?"
Heat flooded my bloodstream.
"Oh?" I smirked. "Afraid I'll make a mess of you again?"
The room shifted — playful, but electric.
"Combat or wolf form," I added. "Three at once if you like."
A large figure stepped forward from the far corner.
"My princess. I'll spar with you alone."
Ah.
Him.
Tall. Built like a fortress. Quiet.
Interesting.
He removed his shirt, muscles flexing under dim light.
"I won't take it easy on you," he warned.
"Good," I replied softly. "Because I won't take it easy on you."
The circle widened.
He moved first — fast and controlled.
His fist cut toward my ribs. I pivoted, absorbing partial impact. Strong. Trained.
Good.
I countered with a sharp elbow. He blocked, barely, but it pushed him back.
The soldiers stopped pretending this was casual.
He adjusted his stance lower.
Smart.
He attacked again — combination strikes meant to overwhelm. I let one land deliberately.
The sound echoed.
A thin copper taste filled my mouth.
I lifted my gaze slowly.
"Again."
He hesitated.
That was his mistake.
I swept his legs out from under him and pinned him in seconds — knee to chest, forearm braced near his throat.
Not choking.
Controlling.
"Why did you hesitate?" I asked quietly.
"I didn't want to injure you."
My wolf bristled.
"If you hesitate on a battlefield," I said softly, "you won't injure me. You'll bury me."
I released him and stepped back.
"Shift."
The room stilled.
"My princess—"
"Shift."
Power rolled through the air.
Bones cracked.
Dark fur replaced skin.
His wolf was massive. Impressive.
I removed my boots slowly.
And let her rise.
The shift tore through me like lightning. White fur burst through skin. The world sharpened instantly.
Gasps filled the gym.
We circled.
Then collided.
Fur. Muscle. Force.
He pushed hard.
I pushed harder.
For a brief moment, we were evenly matched.
The soldiers felt it — that thin, dangerous line between challenge and dominance.
Enough.
I twisted sharply, using his weight against him, and drove him back — but he didn't fall this time.
He recovered faster.
Good.
The circle tightened around us as the soldiers leaned in, sensing the shift.
This wasn't playful anymore.
He lunged again — harder, faster — and I met him head-on.
Impact thundered through the hall.
My wolf surged closer to the surface.
Not yet.
We locked for a brief second — forearm to forearm, strength against strength.
His pulse spiked.
Mine stayed steady.
But the air changed.
Something inside me snapped tighter.
Not anger.
Not rage.
Something territorial.
Something deeper.
He pushed again, and this time I didn't hold back.
The sound of bone striking bone cracked through the gym.
Gasps followed.
I felt it — that thin line between sparring and dominance challenge.
And I stepped directly on it.
"Again," I said quietly.
Not a command.
A warning.
He hesitated.
The room stilled.
My wolf rose higher beneath my skin, claws threatening, eyes burning gold.
If he challenged me properly…
If he pushed one inch further…
I might not stop.
And for the first time that night —
I wanted him to.