Queen of the Beasts *Sample*

Chapter 4

My ears would flicker at every noise that entered the hallway of cells because it was so very clear what that red ribbon meant. Every time I heard someone cough or rustle in their cell I was on my feet, fearing that a guard had come and it was my time to go. I would always panic and though I was the daughter of an alpha I was acting like a coward.

I tried to think of ways that I would escape when my cell door was opened to take me to my death, but my mind refused to think about potential positive outcomes. All it allowed me to consider was how they would kill me. And there were plenty of options to get stuck on, each one more gruesome than the last.

Would it be a fight to the death with one of their well-trained warriors? Would they try and force me to shift so they could behead me? Would it be painful? Would they make me suffer for excessive periods of time? Would it be public, a warning to other rogues or anyone who had thoughts against the royals?

The thoughts made me restless and I refused to sleep. There was no chance that I would allow myself to waste my last living hours curled up and snoring. And when a sound in the night troubled me enough to get me onto my feet I would beginning pacing. Back and forth. Back and forth. I kept walking, kept listening, and kept thinking about what awful horrors would await me when the sun rose.

But when would the sun rise? I couldn't see it, I was underground.

As much as I thought I was self-sacrificing I deeply wished my pack would come back for me. I wanted to know that someone was going to try and save me because I felt like there was absolutely no possible way I could save myself. I was small and fast, but I doubted that I would be faster than all of the king's guards. I didn't know this land from the inside, didn't know the guard's routines inside the palace walls, and even if I did I had been underground so long that I had no way of gauging the time anymore.

None of the information I had worked so hard gather was relevant now that I needed guidance most. I was working for inside the castle, not outside, and now I was working alone instead of with a team. This was an impossible task and every second I allowed myself to ponder it I realized that there was no getting out of it.

I heard the low groan of the door open, the same door that the guards came through to check the prisoners.

This was it. These were my last moments.

I thought I would greet the guards by snarling, by moving into a lowered body position and warning them that I wouldn't go down without a fight. I wanted to be a proud beast before my death. But I just stopped pacing and stood anxiously in my cell, watching the metal grating, staring at the red ribbon that flickered on the hook.

"What are we doing down here, Griffin?" someone demanded in a hushed whisper. Nervousness was clear in the feminine voice, but the two sets footsteps still drew nearer.

I shuffled away from the cell door, hoping that they wouldn't see me if I pressed my body up against the dark wall. It was foolish and would never work but I was running out of options.

"My father said they caught a rogue."

I knew that voice. I had only encountered it once before, but it was no entrenched in my mind after my grand failure. In a matter of seconds it had become my deepest secret.

It was the prince.

The footsteps were coming closer, only a few meters away now.

"You will not have a mate." The woman countered, her voice sharp and condescending. "You and I both know that we do not have enough of the werewolf bloodline to have mates. Just pick one of the young, unmated werewolves and marry her. When will you let this go?"

Then, he was in front of my cell.

When my eyes met the softness of his blue I let out a quiet whimper and took a slow step back. I already knew it was true. I had known in the forest when I had spooked his horse, I knew it when Thorn had taunted me for being foolish. But I hadn't believed it. How could it possibly be true?

I had spent seven years hating him.

But now he was standing in front of me, just on the other side of the bars and I could feel my heart melting in my chest. His gleaming blue eyes assessed my cowering wolf form as I did the same to him. He appeared older than me with the faintest dark stubble on his jaw, but from his soft lips to the small dimples that touched his cheeks he looked tremendously youthful and kind. The way his long, dark hair was rumpled carelessly made him look so adventurous and carefree despite the formal clothing he had on.

As much as I hated to admit it I was deeply attracted to him.

"Isn't she a vision?" He murmured, pressing against the bars like a child at a zoo.

"She's a rogue. That's what she is." The girl protested.

"I know that, Selene." He breathed, slipping his arms through the gaps in the bars. It seemed like he hadn't heard her impolite words at all.

"She's an animal; she even has a collar like a dog. Marry a nice girl from the village instead. A man of your caliber should not be stuck with a creature that was disowned by her own pack." She replied tightly, her large brown eyes narrowed on me.

I didn't know if she thought I couldn't understand her or if she was just saying these harsh words to get under my skin, but either way, it worked.

My body stiffened. My soft, submissive posture progressed into a more rigid and forward position. The prince watched me move, seeming confused for the briefest second. Then he was reaching for Selene, trying to get her to move away from the bars.

But I was faster.

With one aggressive motion I pushed hard through my back legs, leaping into the air. The jump landed me just in front of the metal bars and my sharp teeth snagged down on a chunk of clothing as I skidded to a harsh stop. The pain in my throat forgotten amidst the violence.

Selene let out a scream, leaping away from me. The soft material of her blouse tore, leaving a wad in my mouth. I clenched down on the material, curling up my lips as I snarled.

"She's a savage!" Selene cried, "Griffin, you cannot be with her."

Griffin was watching me closely, but still had an arm around the girl, keeping her away from me. There was an expression of shock on his gentle features, but there was something else. Almost like there was a pinch of humor in his eyes. As aggressive and as violent as I had been he wasn't completely afraid of me. while his dear friend was shaking and trembling he almost seemed to find it amusing.

"Come on, I think its best we leave her alone for the time being." Griffin suggested.

Selene seemed more than delighted to leave the underground cells, but he hesitated. The captivating blue of his eyes stayed on me until Selene tugged him along behind her.

And I was left alone with that damned red ribbon.