Crown and Shackles: The Princes Mate (Story Updated)

The Price of Jealousy

I lay curled on the bed, my body sinking into the mattress as if trying to disappear beneath it. Tears soaked the pillow beneath my cheek, hot and relentless, matching the ache gnawing at my chest. Every breath felt heavy-like I was dragging an anchor through my ribs. Logan had been clear. Almost every wolf in the pack was out searching for Jace, our son-our tiny heartbeat in this vast, dangerous world. But I was not to go.

"You're not in any shape, Ally," Logan had said, his voice tight with worry. "Stay inside. Stay safe."

Safe. The word felt hollow. My wolf, a wild storm beneath my skin, throbbed and paced. It whispered in ancient rhythms, a primal urge stronger than any command. Find him. Bring him home.

Twenty minutes stretched endlessly. I couldn't still my mind. I couldn't still my paws.

The night pressed against the windows, shadows crawling like fingers. My eyes snapped open. I swallowed down the tremble in my throat and slipped from the bed.

Every step was careful-soft as falling feathers. Guards stood at every exit, silent sentries against the dark. I ducked beneath their gazes, hugging walls, melting into shadows. I didn't want protection; I wanted Jace.

Outside, the air was cool and sharp with the scent of pine and earth. My hands trembled as the familiar heat bloomed beneath my skin-the slow, beautiful agony of change. Bones cracked and stretched, fur erupted along my arms, senses sharpening until the world became a symphony of sounds and scents.

Now fully wolf, I tore into the forest, every muscle pulsing with purpose. The scent was faint, but unmistakable: the fragile mix of Jace's baby scent intertwined with fear and the dark musk of vampires. My nose worked overtime, following invisible threads only my wolf could perceive.

The forest seemed to close in around me, branches snagging, the cold night pressing hard-but I didn't hesitate. I let the wolf lead, trusting the pull that thrummed through my veins. It was more than instinct; it was the fierce, unbreakable bond between mother and child.

I ran deeper than the others had dared, past the pack's usual borders into a darker part of the woods where shadows clung like cobwebs and silence was thick enough to suffocate. The pull tightened, guiding me to a clearing cloaked in moonlight and danger.

There, in the middle of the clearing, was Kaitlyn-cradling a small bundle, Jace's quiet cries weaving through the night air. Surrounding her were vampires, their presence chilling and predatory.

My heart lurched. I was the first to arrive-alone, but driven by a power no one else could match.

I shifted back to Ally, muscles aching but senses razor-sharp. I needed to act quickly.

"Let me take him," I whispered, voice steady despite the storm inside me.

Kaitlyn spun, eyes blazing with bitterness and rage. "Not a chance."

"No," I said, heart breaking but firm. "He's my son."

Her lip curled in a cruel sneer. "Your son? Jace isn't just a baby, Ally. He's a symbol. A bargaining chip. Because of Logan, because of you, I've been erased-forgotten and scorned. But this child? He can change everything."

I frowned, muscles coiled. "You're risking his life for this... grudge?"

She laughed, but it was hollow. "Grudge? No. It's about justice. Logan always wins-always takes. But me? I'm stuck in the shadows, blamed for what I didn't cause. My mate is a vampire, and the pack treats me like a mistake. So I'll make them see me. Make him see me."

"By kidnapping your nephew?" My voice cracked. "By endangering an innocent child?"

Her eyes softened for a flicker, but the fire stayed. "Innocence died the moment I was cast aside. You live in a world wrapped in Logan's shadow, but I fight for scraps. This is my fight."

The wolf inside me snarled, ripping at my skin, but I forced myself to stay calm.

Without warning, I lunged forward, hands reaching out for Jace-small and trembling in Kaitlyn's arms.

"No!" Kaitlyn screamed, lunging after me.

I grabbed him quickly, holding him close as his tiny body stiffened against mine. His cries pierced the night air.

Behind me, a vampire hissed, stepping forward to block my escape-but a massive wolf crashed out of the trees, knocking him back hard. Daniel.

Kaitlyn screamed, stumbling as Daniel shoved her aside.

I didn't hesitate. Cradling Jace against my chest, I ran through the forest, heart pounding, senses screaming for safety.

Behind me, the sounds of battle erupted-growls, snarls, the clash of wills and claws.

Logan and Henry had arrived-too late to find me, but just in time to hear the fight.

Back at the pack house, Sam caught me at the door, eyes wide with relief and worry. "You have him! Thank the moon. What happened?"

"It was Kaitlyn," I gasped, breathless. "She... gave him to vampires."

Logan and the others were still out there fighting.

"I'll go help them," Sam said urgently. "Get Jace inside."

I obeyed, moving swiftly. Inside, Jace's cries softened as I fed him, his tiny body finally stilling against me.

But calm didn't come for me.

I paced, mind spinning. What if Logan didn't make it back? Daniel? Henry?

The door creaked open.

Henry stepped in, pale and trembling, tears streaming down his face.

"Henry?" My voice was barely a whisper.

He looked at me with eyes full of sorrow.

"He's gone..."

"Who?" I choked out.

Henry hesitated, grief breaking through.

"It was..."

"Who, Henry?"

Silence, heavy and suffocating.

Finally, the truth slipped out like a dark shadow.

"It.. it was Tory."