Queen of the Beasts *Sample*

Chapter 11

The next morning Agatha dressed me in silence, but it was heavy and awkward. I was thankful that the dress was fitting me better and any other day I would've adored the way that the soft blue colour brought out the wildness in my red hair. But that meant that it also brought out the redness that coated my cheeks and the puffiness of my eyes. It was beyond clear that I had been sobbing last night. Still, seeing the beautiful stitching on the bodice and the lovely material did lift my spirits.

"Prince Griffin was attempting to seek you out this morning." Agatha murmured, breaking the stillness that had fallen seriously in the room.

I said nothing, but I could feel my body tensing. My eyes stared at the distressed girl in the mirror before me. I was far from prepared to deal with the conversation that would occur, regardless if he had stayed long enough to hear me crying or not.

"I told him you wanted a quiet day to yourself." She continued as she progressed onto styling my hair.

I just gave her a grateful smile as I felt myself relax. Considering how subtle and soft she presented herself in front of others she was becoming one of my strongest allies within the castle walls.

But once my hair was styled I had no idea what to do with myself. I was dressed and prepared for the day, but didn't have a single task. I wasn't fond of the common hobbies that fine ladies usually took up, but I wasn't ready to stay in my bedchambers alone, with nothing but my dreaded thoughts. I needed to be out, in the fresh air. My wolf was itching to be released for this vile human form, and though I couldn't shift back yet, I could soothe myself slightly by being outdoors. If I was lucky I might even be able to find a spot where less humans roamed and that might eased the poor beast within.

Like she could read my mind, Agatha progressed towards my mess bed and spoke again, "You know, the garden is quite lovely this time of year. I find it is a good place to sit and think without inviting unwanted attention as there are plenty of areas that offer a bit of...privacy."

I gave her a bright smile, stunned by how well she understood me when I seemed to baffle everyone else, even my own mate. One day I would find out how she could sense what was working through my mind so easily.

When Agatha turned her back to me I took that as my own dismissal and almost ran out of the room. I tried to move quickly and quietly through the palace. It was a delicate balance between being casual as to not raise suspicion that would cause the prince to be alerted and actively avoiding guards all together. By some miracle I only managed to get slightly lost before I stumbled out of a pair of doors that were too massive and too ornate.

Realising that I had found my destination I let out a little breath and let my tense shoulders drop for a moment. The morning sun felt incredible on my exposed skin and I let out a blissful sigh as I progressed towards the garden that Griffin had briefly shown me. The rough stones that created the path and the manicured green grass were far from what I was used to, but for the time being they would have to do.

But, despite the fact that I felt I belonged outside I sensed that something was deeply wrong. I pressed on and tried to ignore the thought.

As I moved away from the palace and into the maze of shrubs the amount of guards thinned out considerably and I was deeply thankful that. Though I was surrounded by dense bushes and stunning flowers that did not resemble my home in the slightest my wolf was delighted. Too delighted. She forced her presence to be known more aggressively than I ever thought she could.

As the wolf within me demanded to be let out I dropped to my knees. The rough rocks pressed hard into my skin and tore at my dress but I only focused on gritting my teeth tightly to prevent screaming. My shoulders hunched up brutally as my ligaments and joints desperately attempted to transform into that of a beast instead of a human. My teeth sharpened and lengthened, slicing into my delicate human lips. My nails hardened, shifting into claws. I tipped my head back, the wolf within me wanting to howl out in frustration at being confined, but when my mouth opened I could only let out a choked scream at the pain that flooded through me.

After a second it was over. I was left on my knees in the royal gardens, breathing hard in a ripped dress with bloody lips. But I was entirely human and I was grateful for that.

I shakily got to my feet, feeling astonished and blindsided. I knew my wolf was strong; I had lived with only her for seven years. But up until now she had been relatively calm. Though my human side was more determined to adore Griffin the wolf within me also seemed quite pleased with the prospect of having a mate, especially since I was the daughter of an alpha and he was to be the ruler of all werewolves. So why was she demanding to be let out if she knew our best option was to remain in human form? I had known that leaving the containment of the castle would excite her. But this was something else entirely, something that was far beyond what I expected.

I shakily brushed some of the dirt off of my brand new dress, upset that I had already destroyed something that had been created for me alone. Maybe I was too much of a beast to be a princess. I was clearly to wild to sit in a throne if I couldn't even handle being out in the royal gardens. I hadn't really entertained the idea of being with Griffin, but the idea that I did not fit into his world made my heart ache in my chest.

I gave my head a shake. This is why I needed the day to myself. Griffin had opened up a whole new side of humanity that I hadn't expected, one that was kind and gentle. It didn't remind me of my father's flawed morals. But maybe I was just seeing the parts I wanted to and there was no denying that someone who had never shifted should not be king of the shifters. It was wrong, defying nature and it was the reason that my life had fallen apart and my pack had become nothing but ashes.

I wove deeper into the garden, moving further away from the palace and closer to the trees that lined the border between the city and the outsiders. My mind was spinning madly, it made me dizzy despite the fact that I was walking in a straight line. I wondered if I should seat myself on one of the marble benches until the feeling subsided.

Then I dropped to my knees again. I clenched my jaws tightly, ready to battle against my wolf.

But I wasn't strong enough this time and she was not going to give me enough time to fight.

I only had time to let out a strangled scream that was rough and raspy before my vocal cords turned animalistic, causing me to howl loudly. My hands and feet were replaced with paws; my body was coated with fur. The stunning gown that had been made just for me was shredded in seconds as my body could no longer be contained in a corset and a flowing skirt. My small body rippled with strong and necessary muscles, becoming a beast once more.

My head raised slowly, my long tongue lolled out of my mouth as I panted through the residual pain. As I pulled in a heavy breath through my nose I realized I could smell something that I would recognize anywhere. And my eyes focused hard, looking past the shrubs and flowers in the garden and into the forest. I saw something I couldn't believe I had missed.

Two wolves were watching me back. A smaller pensive wolf and a larger leader. I knew the dark black coat, the arrogant behavior and the meek, brown coat.

Thorn and Hunter.

Before I could even consider my options I was sprinting towards them. Leaving the palace and Prince Griffin behind me with each step.