Queen of the Beasts *Sample*

Chapter 8

I knew that Thorn would've been furious with me if he had known that I had the opportunity to explore the castle and I slept instead. I could almost hear him yelling at me, but I reminded myself that I was locked in this room and I had just been badly injured. My body needed time to recover before it was of much use. Besides, I could only explore these four walls. It seemed that being the prince's mate didn't immediately give me all the privileges I would expect, like access to the rest of the castle.

But I suppose that was fair. The former king made it very clear that he knew who I was or at least he knew what my pack and I were doing on his lands. Little did he know that annoying the guards and frightening the common people were the least of our efforts. And as a wolf I had no way of telling them any other story that would make them believe that I was harmless- even if it was a lie. It only made sense that they locked me up.

Still, I refused to be restricted to one space. After I woke up from a refreshing nap that helped heal some of my injuries I began investigated the stunning bedroom. There had to be something in here that would help me convince the royals to trust me. it didn't have to be much, just something that would pull at the prince's heart strings and make the former king believe I was naïve and helpless.

I slid off the grand, four poster bed and lowered my nose to the stunning cream rug that covered the hardwood floor. Though the scent of the recent visitors filled the fibers it seemed that no one had lived in this room for an extended period of time, if ever. So I continued my journey around the cream and dark brown room, searching for anything and everything.

It was hard to stay focused on my task while I was surrounded by such glamour. I had never seen anything like it in my life. As the daughter of an alpha I hadn't come from the most humble beginnings. I had a nice home with plenty to eat which was more than most could say. But this room was otherworldly.

Stunning cream paneling cover the walls. A simmering trim glittered, but I refused to believe that it was gold. That was wildly excessive. But the rest of the room was just the same. Excessive and expensive. A gorgeous vanity with an incredible amount of fine details was pressed up against the wall. I thought if I allowed myself to follow the pattern on the painted wood I would spent hours staring, fully entranced. As I passed the vanity I could see the tips of my ears in the mirror and I had an internal chuckle at how bizarre this whole situation seemed. A rogue wolf in a castle run by humans wasn't something that happened every day.

But, maybe that was the problem all along. No one really wanted a rogue wolf strutting around so freely. But a human girl might be welcomed willingly.

I hated being in my feeble human form more than anything. I thought that I was incredibly vulnerable in such a state and I knew that my desire for the prince would grow immensely. In the wilderness I never shifted because it served no real purpose. Now, it seemed like the best option. In fact, it seemed like the only option.

I braced my body. I saw Thorn do it so often. I used to do it all the time as a child. It should've been easy and natural because it allowed me to transition between the two beasts the made me. But it was not easy and it was not smooth and it certainly was not painless.

It took forever for me to remember how to demand the transition from myself. My human had been locked up so tightly for so long that I felt like I had to reach so deep within myself to draw her out. And once I found her the pain began. My sharp, jagged teeth were clenched together tightly as each and every one of my bones shifted or changed shape. The process that should've taken less than a second felt like it took well over a minute and it felt like an eternity. Ever so slowly, my whole body structure changed. My paws gave way to hands and feet. My teeth shortened and my snout was replaced by a flat nose and mouth. My tail entirely vanished and my hide was replaced by soft skin.