The Alpha's Pride

Chapter 1:

The room grew tense as each man turned to glare at Raina. Everyone except Prince Don who looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.
She was still oblivious to the reason why she'd suddenly became the target of the men's gazes but she couldn't lie and say she felt comfortable as her eyes scanned the room.
She stared at each man fearful of what they'd do to her. That's when prince Don steps forward only to be held back by Alpha Romanus.
A low threatening growl escapes Prince Don's throat as his golden eyes shift to glare at Alpha Romanus.
"My Prince you can not be serious." He spits.
"Alpha Romanus are you saying that you are stopping me from going to my Mate and your future luna queen?" Prince Don asks in a low menacing growl that shoots through Raina's spine leaving it tingling. Alpha Romanus hesitantly let's go of Prince Don as he slowly steps back. Prince Don's gaze snaps back to Raina who can't tear her eyes away the moment they lock.
"What is your name?" He asks as he approaches her. No one had asked her for her name. They were just concerned about finding out whether or not Raina was a spy.
Their tactics of trying to break her by depriving her of food and proper clothing wouldn't have worked because neither was she lying or a spy sent from the lion empire. Prince Don coming and breaking her shackles surprised her. The moment he'd uttered that word his hand changed to a massive paw and swung in her direction. At first she thought he was going to hurt her but then discovered her was freeing her.
Raina contemplated for a moment whether or not she'd tell him her name. As his eyes searched hers she found herself opening dry mouthed to speak.
"Raina," Once again her voice came out deep and groggy but that seems not to matter to Prince Don as he smiles stepping even closer to her. At this Raina takes a step back causing Prince Don to frown.
"Do lion-shifters not have the concept of a mate?" Don asks watching her as she looks to him in confusion. Once again that word mate was said and she didn't know what or even why whenever he said it her heart longed to hear it from his lips again.
"We lions usually fight to see who is the strongest and fittest male to marry. " She says and Prince Don's frown deepens.
"My Prince you see she is just like any other barbaric lion-shifter, surely she is not your mate." Alpha Romanus says and instantly regrets its as a fist reaches his face into the wall causing it to crack and formed a hole in the shape of Romanus' head.
"I will not have you disrespecting my mate." Don fumes glaring at Romanus who coughs and gasps for air.
"Your majesty,  my Alpha is corrected. There must be a mistake she can bot be your mate as she has no wolf.: A guard speaks up causing Prince Don to take his glare from Romanus and direct it to him.
"Are you implying that your Prince and future king is wrong? That the moon goddess is wrong?" Prince Don fumes as he stalks over to the guard who backs away slowly. Before Don could deal with him however Raina speaks up.
"What is a mate?" Her innocent question causes the room to go tense once more as everyone stiffens. Alpha Romanus straightens himself the healing process already beginning much slower than usual as a pure blooded lycan was the one to inflict such injuries.
"Raina a mate is someone us wolves are destined to be with. They are are gifts from the moon goddess to whom we survive." Beta Ronal says look to her a neutral expression on his face. Raina as almost forgotten the man was even there as the only presence that she felt was that of Prince Don. She ponders on her words. She'd heard about it from other lioness Shifters but thought never knew of the concept behind a mate. No matter how much she thought about it, it was impossible.  They were both two completely different species. To add icing to the cake they're kinds hated one another. It was in their nature.
"How is this possible? How could this be?" Raina voiced her thoughts. A sigh escapes her lips as Prince Don steps once more in her direction. It took everything in her to take that slight step back, however this doesn't stop the Prince from moving towards her.
"You are destined to be with me." He says.
"You say that but I dont know you." Raina says back moving an equal amount of steps back as he takes forward. She finally hits wall and with nowhere to go her eyes once again meets the golden orbs of Prince Don's wolf. His canines were protruding from his lips now and she knew she had act fast.
"I don't need to know you to know you're.." his words die in his throat as she kicks him in his groin. She runs past the five dazed men and up to the exit and to her freedom. The men soon quickly realizes what's happening and go in pursuit. She pushed the door to find it opened. She thought how foolish they were to leave the door open like that but they also didn't suspect she'd be freed and able to run so it made sense.
She ran on foot then at a distance she shifted into her lioness form. It was hard after days starvation. However her species was known for being able to go with out food for weeks and so she pushed through the painful transformation.
Now in lion for she was able to move quickly and fend off the approaching pack members with a swing of her powerful paw. However though she was still powerful she hadn't been fed so she began to weaked. The thought of going back into that dark and dinghy place made her determined to get away and follow through with her plans the cross the border.
She'd been doing so well until a massive black wolf tackled her pinning her to the ground. She snarls and bares his teeth and she knew somehow that was Prince Don. She struggled against him and using her paw and the little strength she had left, she manages to land a blow on him making him release her once more.  As she's freed she begins once more to run continuing her battle to leave Alpha Romanus' territory and to her proper freedom. She didn't want any trouble but the wave of pack wolves trying to stop her came and didnt seem to stop. She pushed through and managed to make it out of the pack.
Her journey to get across the border continued and she made it over easily as the pack was a mere mile away.
Thay first step into a new land made her think that for a moment.  Just one moment she wouldn't see Prince Don again.