The Princess’s Broken Alpha
Chapter 8

He tilted his head studying her and a sheepish grin crossed his lips.

She considered running, but to where? How far would she get?

There was an announcement over the speakers that the gate was open and people shuffled from their waiting seats to board the flight. She could clearly spot the open door in her side vision with the blue and red checkered air hostesses greeting its boarding passengers. Kiarra focused her attention back to the guard to realize he was taking in the small crowd moving towards the door as well.

The princess took a step back, ready for him to demand her return. She was ready to fight as hard as she could. He looked at her defiant stance and smiled brightly, his face looking impressed. Not even the devil could drag her back without a fight, but instead he surprised her. He gently shook his head.

"Relax, I'm not bringing you back but you should hurry and catch your flight princess." he calmly indicated.

Kiarra was hesitant. Was this a ploy? Would she turn around to walk away and replace herself waking up in her bed?

"You're letting me go? Why?" she looked at him unbelievingly, her voice sounding more controlled than she was.

He stepped closer and she didn't retreat from him as his warm breath fanned her face. Closing the gap, he glanced around to make sure what he said was in secrecy.

"Walls don't talk princess."

Kiarra looked at him puzzled and he reached out to gently touch her sweater, rubbing the soft plush fabric between his fingertips.

"But these aren't the first marks you've gotten from him and if you return who is to say you'll survive this time?"

Kiarra couldn't say anything. In this she'd lost her voice. His brown eyes took her in sympathetically.

"It isn't my place to say-"

"It isn't." Kiarra abruptly cut him off, her tone harsh and unforgiving. Her eyes gone cold.

He understood the message remembering his place and pulled back.

Kiarra suddenly felt guilt eat at her for being so cold to him after not only helping her once but twice.

"I'm sorry. What's your name?" she asked and his eyes lit up.

"Judah."

"Judah, thank you." she told him earnestly.

Judah understood that this was as much as he'd get from the fierce Lycan princess that he admired from afar and smiled. He looked around again just in time as a large cold looking Lycan guard came through the door on the far west and cursed under his breath. She worriedly looked at Judah hoping the guard hadn't seen them interact for not just for herself but for more so his own safety as well but the guard's eyes never wandered in their direction.

This wasn't something that would be handled lightly in Lycan court if Judah was caught. They would use him as a martyr for not only helping the princess to escape but to dare to interfere with a royal.

"Go princess! I'll cover you." his voice snapped her into motion.

Kiarra jolted into action slipping away to the open door to hand the lady her ticket.

Judah confidently approached the large Lycan and she could see them correspond before the large man nodded and headed in the other direction to check the other section of the building. When he left she gave one warm grateful smile to Judah who smiled back in return and holding tight to her knapsack she didn't dare to look back as the lady ushered her through.

In a few minutes, she was in the sky racing with destiny.

Kiarra slept most of the way which helped to heal her recent wounds completely and stop her mind from thinking too much. Now pressing her face against the cool glass she looked down at the expansive city below.

She played with the half empty glass of orange juice in her hand twirling it around like her thoughts were. The lights dancing in the night sky welcoming her. Beautiful Seattle. She could feel her beast stirring just being in the same country as her mate. She was Lycan after all and therefore should feel the effects of the bond stronger.

The middle aged man beside her was kind enough to exchange window seats with her badgering her with questions. She never understood the fascination Americans held for the English accent. She told him she had an headache and would rather not talk using the time to plan her next move. She would need a place to stay for tonight withdrawing as much cash as possible and then she would head across the country by bus.

She was smart enough to know that they would see she landed in Seattle and check the nearest pack and possibly areas. So she made sure to pick somewhere far enough. If she travelled by bus across the country it should give her enough time to replace her mate. A loud voice broke her out of her thoughts as the pilot announced over the speakers that they would land in the next few minutes and the air hostesses scrambled to get ready to give out instructions before the plane descended.

The flight was beyond long but she actually made it. She stood outside the airport with her royal palace thousands of miles away nervously fidgeting with her phone in her hand. She could see her reflection in the glass and she breathed in and finally turned it on. She frowned as she glimpsed the countless messages from Castor rapidly popping up.

"Where are you?!"

"Kiarra, I'm so sorry I don't know what got over me."

"I love you and I know you love me too.""

"Dammit, where are you?!"

"Please be safe."

"Text me as soon as possible!"

"I'm going crazy here, Kiarra."

"I need to know you're safe. I need you. You're my other half. We have a ceremony to do."

"If you replace him at least consider me. You're mine and I love you."

She hurriedly swiped off the endless message notifications. She couldn't bear to read anymore. Scrolling through the missed calls, she decided then to finally call her aunt Vivienne and headed over to the worn out payphones at the front of exit doors. After the first two rings her aunts irritated voice filled the line. "Where the hell are you?! Your father almost turned over England and the palace for you."

"Aunt, I'm fine." she tried to convince her as best as she could through the phone. But her aunt wasn't having it. She heard a door close and heels clicking to a tune on marble floors and she waited before her aunt's voice comes back over the phone in a controlled low tone.

Kiarra could picture her now with her intense green eyes, perfectly coiffed blonde hair and pristine white suit. Not a hair out of place.

"He swears I know something about this foolish notion of yours when I haven't a clue what you're up to. Do you know how worried I've been? Are you sure you're okay? Where are you?"

She wasn't giving her a chance to put a sentence in. She was glad she hadn't gone over there that morning.

"I'm fine, I promise I'm okay. How is he?"

She gave a dry laugh before responding. "Do you not know the severity of what you've done or the terror you've unleashed? You know your father better than anyone."

Kiarra silently shook her head. Everything was deathly quiet on the phone between them.

"Kiarra." there was a steely edge to her voice.

"Yes."

"You have to come home." It wasn't a question. It was an order.

"I can't."

She heard her aunt sigh. "You make it seem so hard. All you had to do was pick an influential Lycan and give yourself to him, have some children."

Kiarra flinched at her aunts words and she could hear her rifling through papers on a desk.

"Do your duties for the kingdom. You are to serve, give and bear it. You cannot even carry out such a simple function." Her voice held her strong disappointment.

"Do I not have a say in my life?"

"Yes, you can decide what shade lipstick you want to wear when you get ready in the mornings."

Kiarra could feel her anger pooling in her veins and she clenched her teeth to keep quiet. She stood there for a couple of minutes in silence as her aunt continued to shuffle papers. She was there waiting on the line like a second trivial matter. She was about to hang up when she heard her speak again.

"You will return-"

"Are you serious?" she said incredulously.

"Kiarra, I love you but you and I know you have no choice in this matter."

"I'm not coming back now."

"Kiarra, must you be so selfish? This is not the time for this ridiculous nonsense. The council is watching and this does not reflect well. This is unacceptable for a royal. You have duties and a certain criteria to maintain. A role that you have been prepared for all your life. As future queen this is beyond disgraceful and a grave mar on your character. You are disgracing our name and throwing away all that you've accomplished so far on a baseless whim. Did you even consider, even if you found your mate if he would even be accepted which I highly doubt? This is the future Lycan king we are talking about, king of all beasts? The council would never allow it and it will be hell if they hear of this." she said harshly.

The words were like cold water washing over her and she fought the shimmer of tears trying to push their way through.

"Was this what you told her?" she quietly mouthed into the receiver, looking at her pitiful reflection in the glass.

Kiarra chided herself and heard the harsh intake of breath from her aunt Vivienne, but she couldn't stop now. Her eyes looked glossy with tears and she forced herself to look away. "Was this what you told my mother?"

There was a heavy sadness between them and if not for the seconds ticking on the phone she would have sworn her aunt had hung up.

"You know you sound like him." she said before hanging up the phone.