Page 36 of Alpha's Impostor Bride

The mention of my first heartbreak has my chest tightening. I’ve learned a lot of lessons in life; the princess made sure of it. Even now, as I gaze at my mate, I realize that I don’t trust him because of the lessons Princess Vivian taught me. I know what awaits me down the line.

I can try to be a good queen. I can put everything I learned to use.

But I can never trust this man not to hurt me.

My heart has been so badly scarred that I can’t even fathom letting anybody near it. I know what betrayal is. I know what it tastes like, what it feels like. If I stop trying to figure out the motivations behind his actions, and just focus on doing what he tells me to do, I might be more comfortable.

“I should go to bed now,” I say quietly, pulling away from him. He’s looking at me, and when he doesn’t stop me, I feel relieved. I don’t want to have a conversation with him right now.

However, I’ve only taken two steps away from him when he suddenly says, “You’re going the wrong way.”

Startled, I look back at him. “I beg your pardon?”

“There’s something I want to show you.”

“At this time of night?” I inquire warily.

He gives me an irritated look. “Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”

I can’t actually defy him. “Of course not.”

“Good. Get on.”

Before I even register his words, he shifts into his wolf form in a quick shimmer of light. I suck in a breath when I see the large, black wolf standing in front of me. He sniffs me and then nudges me with his head. When I don’t react, he snaps his teeth in my face, making me flinch.

Almost instantly, he takes a step back, as if to tell me he didn’t mean it. When he nudges me again, I realize he wants me to climb onto his back.

“Oh.” I wrap his coat tighter around me before mounting him with some difficulty. His fur is soft, and he huffs when my fingers dig into it. “Where are we—”

I don’t get to finish my question because he takes a few steps back from the railing and then runs forward and leaps over it. A startled scream leaves my mouth, and I swear I hear Cedric’s wolf huff in amusement.

I bury my face in his fur.

Our bedroom is quite far up, and jumping from such a height to the ground is terrifying. However, Cedric’s wolf does it quite easily. His feet have barely landed when he begins racing toward the gate. There are a few shifters around, but nobody stops us.

Of course not. They must recognizing their king.

A few of them shift forms and try to join us, but he snaps his teeth at them, making them hang back.

I look over my shoulder at them as they begin racing off in a different direction, to play. Wolves enjoy playing in their animal forms together, bonding with each other. As they disappear into the trees, I feel a hint of envy. They’re probably heading off to go on a run.

I’ve shifted plenty of times, but I’ve never joined in a pack run, which is something all shifters take part in. I was never allowed to. If wolf shifters don’t assume their true form frequently, it can harm their wolf. Whenever I shifted back in the East, I had to do it privately, within the confines of my room.

As Cedric runs across the land, I lift my head. My braid was not securely tied, and the sections of hair unravel in the wind. The air is cold and slices against my cheeks, but I like it. My eyes shutter close as I enjoy the freedom. It’s exhilarating.

He ran at a similar pace when he brought me here, but I was half out of my mind back then. Now, though? I want to laugh out loud. I want to tell him to run faster.

A small giggle escapes my mouth before I clamp my mouth shut. However, Cedric hears it, and he howls in response. It’s almost as if he can sense what I want, and he picks up his pace. By the time he slows to a walk, my face is flushed from excitement and I’m trembling, unable to stop smiling.

I have no idea where we are. Before I can even try to get my bearings, Cedric shifts back, and suddenly he’s holding me in his arms like a bride being carried over the threshold. I try to calm my rapidly beating heart as I look around.

I hear the sounds of waves crashing just before my eyes settle on the vast expanse of water.

The ocean. We’re on a beach.

“What are we doing here?” Cedric lowers my legs to the ground, and I look around. There is sand underneath my feet, and it’s really dark out. “Your Majesty?”

He doesn’t respond, simply crouching down and gathering a few stones. He tosses them in his hand once before picking one out and tossing it in the direction of the ocean. I follow the stone’s progress, and when it makes contact with the water’s surface, something strange happens. The spot glows brightly.

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