Page 26 of Rejection to the Alpha King's Daughter

It’s been three months since creating Astraea.

Three months since we started accepting wolves to join.

One day I will have to leave this pack to become Queen, so for now I will take this time in Astraea to practice being a fair and just leader. A groan beside me and a strong arm full of tattoos wrap around my body, drawing me closer to a warm body I feel safe beside. I smile, turning to face Albot who is fast asleep, his face peaceful as he tries to pull me closer.

“Albot, we need to get up.” I whisper, poking his cheek. He growls gently, pulling me even closer to him as he buries his face into my hair, inhaling my scent. I smile, relishing in his warmth and waiting for the day we can claim each other as mates. It’s something we talked about months after getting to know each other, learning that he too had been rejected by his mate, the daughter of the Alpha to his old pack. After that, he was sold to the Hunters and became a spectacle in the illegal dogfighting ring. He understands the pain I am going through; the feeling of my body being torn apart every time Narin sleeps with another wolf. We bonded over our pain and that bond grew into something more.

Poking his cheek some more, I giggle as he tries to hide from me, pushing his face deeper into the pillow and under my hair, letting out a small growl of warning.

“Crystalline, I am tired.” He groans, his voice husky with sleep. His arms tighten around me, holding me close to him and I sigh, trying to figure out how to wake this sleepy wolf. With a smirk, I move my hands to his sides and slowly start to tickle him, gaining a girlish squeal in response as he flings himself backwards landing on the floor with a loud thud.

“Woops.” I mumble, sitting on my knees to look over at the startled Albot who glares at me with a glint in his eyes I know all to well.

“One.” He growls out in warning. That’s all I need to bound off the bed and bolt down the halls of the pack house. Loud footsteps following behind me alerts me to Albot already untangled from the sheets and in pursuit.

“Someone save me!” I laugh, turning a corner just in time to see Marcie and Blake slam open their doors and peek their heads out, ready to fight. Zooming past them, I hear Albot crash into a wall and wince. That must have hurt.

“What did you do!” Marcie calls out laughing.

“She tickled me awake.” Albot responds instead as I manage to make it to the stairway. Once I reach outside, I can shift and run into the forest.

"Shit, I need to get a video!" Blake laughs out, already knowing the payback I am going to receive from Albot. Careful not to fall down the stairs as I run, I look behind me to see Albot skidding to a stop just before the decent to smirk at me. Something doesn’t feel right.

Next thing I know, he has shifted into his black wolf, using his larger form to bound down the steps and easily catch up to me. With a squeal, I quickly hop over the railing, preparing myself to fall two more floors down and shifting just in time to avoid being injured.

Luckily for me, the large double doors are opened wide as pack mates exit and enter the pack house, giving me achance to bolt outside just as I hear Albot tumbling down the stairs. I grin, my tongue lolling out as I make a beeline for the trees, my small form becoming nothing but a blur of white in the snow, and I am grateful for the camouflage my white fur brings in winter. I count down each foot step until I can make it to safety away from Albot, already planning to take the treetop highway.

Suddenly, I feel my body being tackled, a wolf pinning me down with their own body. Albot’s scent wraps around me as he allows his full weight to crush me while I shiver from the slight cold seeping into my fur, as the wet snow cushions my body.

[Get off you big oaf!] I groan out through our link. I am met with a tongue swiping across my fur before feeling him snuggle closer.

[No, you’re comfy.] He chuckles, placing his neck across mine. I sigh, squirming underneath him and trying to get free, only to feel his teeth gently take the scruff of my neck to keep me in place.

[You tickled me awake, so now I keep you trapped.] He states, closing his eyes. I growl, nipping at his paw, trying to annoy him into letting me go. He growls, letting go of my scruff to nip at my ear, and I turn my head, managing to get my teeth onto hit neck, gently gnawing at the skin and pawing at his face.

[You’re annoying!] He groans.

[Only with you.] I retort. He sighs, slowly getting to his feet. As he is about to move away from me, a brown wolf tackles him causing the two to roll away in a ball of fur, snarls and growls.

Bolting to my feet, I quickly race to Albot’s aid just in time to realize the brown wolf is Matrix. Both wolves are in fight mode, Albot taking the advantage with his years oftraining in the fighting ring.

With a snarl of my own, I release an Alpha command, causing the two to shiver and back away from one another with Matrix slipping and falling into a snow pile.

[Matrix, explain!] I growl, stalking towards my friend. I watch as he exposes his neck to me, the remorse in his eyes clear as day.

[I thought he was hurting you!] He defends himself, quietly.

[You do realize we are on pack lands right! No wolf can injure me.] Angry at my friend, I make my way to Albot and check his wounds sighing when I realize they are superficial. Nuzzling the man before me, I walk towards Matrix and check his wounds. He may have been the aggressor but Albot definitely wounded Matrix heavily.

[Go to Marcie and get your wounds treated. We start training in three hours.] I order, seeing my friend walk away with a limp, his head hanging low. I will have to talk to him one-on-one soon to settle things.

[You okay?] Albot asks, nuzzling me gently and placing his tail over my body.

[No. Matrix has always been my protector up until two years ago. I think he still believes in protecting me.] I sigh, leaning into the warm body beside me.

[I know how he feels. You look like a pup standing next to me and all I want to do is protect you.]

[What stops you?] I ask, looking up only to find Albot already staring at me.

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