The Princess Chosen by the Alpha King

01

Josephine

"Did you hear that?" Kaiden whispers harshly, his voice tight with urgency. I tilt my head to the side, listening intently. For a moment, there's only silence, the kind of stillness that comes with the dead of night. But then-there it is. A woman's scream slices through the air, raw and full of terror.

I'm on my feet in a heartbeat, panic setting in as my thoughts race. That scream-no. Not again.

"Alpha Michael!" I call out, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. I move quickly, my heart pounding in my chest as I hurry to his quarters. He has to know. We can't let this happen again.

I push open the door to his room, my breath coming faster now. Alpha Michael's head lifts from where he rests beside Luna Hilary, her blonde hair fanned out on the pillow, oblivious to the danger that lurks outside.

"What, Josephine?" Michael snaps, his voice thick with irritation, but I see the tension in his eyes. He's never been kind to me, always cold and commanding, but now, there's a shift-a subtle awareness that tells me he knows something's wrong.

I swallow hard, trying to steady my nerves. "There's a situation."

Michael's eyes narrow, and he pushes the covers off of him, sitting up, his muscles rippling as he moves. His voice is low and commanding as he listens. "What is it?"

"There's screaming. A woman's scream. It's coming from the direction of the border, and it's getting louder. It sounds like a pack raid, Alpha Michael. Alpha Lupine's pack."

His jaw tightens, and I can see the anger rising in his eyes. "That bastard," he mutters under his breath. "He's been testing us for too long. This ends tonight."

His words are like a flame, igniting something deep inside me. I've been waiting for this. The terror that Alpha Lupine's pack has caused has gone on long enough. They've attacked before, and each time they come closer. Each time, we've been able to push them back-but how long before they break through?

"I'm up." Michael stands quickly, his movements graceful and lethal, as he pulls on his clothes. "Get Kaiden. And wake the soldiers. I want every last one of them ready. We'll shift and take them head-on." His gaze meets mine, his expression hard. "Let's end this."

I nod, my stomach twisting as I turn to leave the room, my feet carrying me quickly down the hallway. It's strange how quickly everything changes. Just a few minutes ago, it was still night, calm and quiet, with the pack asleep. Now, there's a sense of urgency in the air, a heavy weight that presses down on my shoulders.

I find Kaiden standing near the front of the building, his back stiff, his eyes alert. He's already in position, watching for any signs of movement.

"What's the status, Kaiden?" Michael's voice comes from behind me, surprisingly gentle as he speaks to Kaiden. There's no harshness in his tone, no bite. Just command.

"Alpha Lupine's pack, Alpha Michael. They've crossed the border," Kaiden confirms, his voice low and serious. He nods towards me, and I take a step forward, standing beside him. I can feel the tension in the air, thick and oppressive. It's not just the threat of the raid, though. Something else is bothering me, a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can't shake.

"Alright," Michael says, his voice firm and cold. "Get the soldiers ready. We shift, and we end this tonight."

I look at Kaiden as we move to wake the others, but our eyes linger for a moment longer than necessary. We've been through this before-together, apart, together again-but right now, nothing matters but the mission.

"I'll take care of the west gate," Kaiden says, his voice low. He starts heading towards the back of the building, where the soldiers usually assemble. I nod in agreement, watching him go. Our history is complicated-one that neither of us talks about much-but I know he's reliable, and I trust him with my life. He always has my back, just as I have his.

The rest of the soldiers are stirring now, sleepily pulling on their gear, their faces hardening as they realize the situation. The sound of the women's screams is getting louder, more frantic. The terror in those cries is something I've heard before, and I know what's coming.

I can't help but feel a cold rage settle in my chest. Alpha Lupine's pack has crossed a line, and this time, they will pay. They've been terrorizing smaller packs for too long, taking what they want without fear of consequences. But not tonight. Not anymore.

As I move to the front of the building to gather the last few soldiers, I hear a voice behind me-one I'd hoped not to hear tonight.

"Well, well, Little Miss Josephine," George's voice purrs, smooth and oily. It's the kind of voice that makes my skin crawl. I feel my stomach twist in disgust as I turn to face him.

"What do you want, George?" I snap, my tone biting as I try to hide the unease rising in me. George is the last person I want to deal with right now. His eyes are too bright, too hungry. And I can't stand the way he looks at me, like I'm some prize to be won.

He steps closer, and I instinctively take a step back, my body tensing. "Now, that's no way to speak to your future mate, is it?" he asks, feigning hurt. His lips curl into a smile that makes my skin crawl.

I feel my stomach churn. Future mate. He's been saying that for months, ever since I turned eighteen and he realized I was old enough to claim. The thought of being with him makes me want to throw up. He's ten years older than me, disgusting, and arrogant. But the worst part? He doesn't have a mate of his own, so he's decided that I'm the next best thing. His obsession with me is unnerving, and I don't know how to shake it.

"If you think for one second that I'm ever going to be your mate, you're delusional," I hiss, unable to keep the venom out of my voice. The last thing I want is to be tied to someone like George.

He raises an eyebrow, his smile widening. "Oh, we'll see about that. You'll come around eventually." His voice is low and taunting, and I can feel my blood boil.

I grit my teeth, my fists clenching at my sides, but before I can say anything more, the sound of another scream reaches us. It's closer now-louder, more desperate.

"Enough talking," I snap, my patience finally breaking. "We have bigger things to deal with."

Without waiting for his response, I turn and move toward the others, forcing myself to ignore the sick feeling in my stomach. Tonight, it's not about George or anything personal. Tonight, it's about protecting the pack. And nothing else matters.

02

"It's not." I say, and he looks a little surprised. "So I guess it's a good thing you aren't my future mate." With that, I march off to wake up the rest of the soldiers.

"Alpha wants us to switch forms." Kaiden informs the soldiers once they're all gathered by the guard spots. "Tonight, he wants to put a stop to the horror that Alpha Lupine's pack creates. And it is our job to make that happen for him." The soldiers cheer before the sounds of bones cracking fill the air.

I sigh and slip off my clothes until I'm just standing there in my bra and underwear. None of these men are my mates. They shouldn't get to see. And my future mate will surely get upset with me if he finds out practically my whole pack has seen me naked, like the rest of the girls here. Compared to them, I'm quite modest.

Soon enough, my bones crack, and I'm suddenly in wolf form. My wolf is smaller than most other wolves. I'm the smallest in the pack, which is why Michael, as my alpha, isn't my biggest fan. Most of these men, their wolves are a little smaller than my human form. My wolf is just a bit bigger than the average normal wolf.

Kaiden comes up to me and nudges my side, asking if I'm ready. I bark at him. Somewhere along the line, Kaiden made it his job to protect me. He's the fourth biggest wolf in our pack, yet instead of being in the front of the line, he stays next to me, towards the back. I can't convince him to do otherwise. He claims his wolf likes my wolf too much to just leave her to protect herself. She can fight for herself, much to his doubt.

I wait for most of the other wolves to run ahead of me before going after them. Michael trots towards us in his huge wolf form that's about as big as I am in human form. He goes to the front of the pack, and we all follow him as he leads us in the direction of the screaming women. But the closer we get, we realize that it isn't just one woman. It's multiple. The screams of terror fill the air, sending a shiver through my fur.

I whine softly. The things those awful men must be doing to them...

Michael barks as we approach, and we stop moving. I lean my head out of formation and look at the scene. What used to be a pack's territory is now, well, it's now nothing. I take a step back as I look at the dead wolves laying around, their bodies disfigured and torn. The fire raging across what used to be a thriving field adds an eerie glow to the destruction. The heat from the flames sears the air, even from this distance.

The wolf behind me growls, and Kaiden snarls at him. Now is not the time for this. We have a job to do, and Michael is giving us no room for distractions. My pack is as tense as I am, the air thick with the anticipation of a fight. Every muscle in my wolf's body is coiled, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Half of Alpha Lupine's pack must have come in wolf form, while the other half must have attacked with weapons. I assume there were guns due to the fire that's still burning. As I scan the destruction, my eyes lock onto a figure-a small child, huddled on the ground, their face streaked with tears and ash. My heart aches, but I force myself to stay focused.

Finally, I spot where the screams are coming from. There are four women being held back by very large men, their faces twisted in pain and fear. And in front of the women are children being held by more large men, their eyes wide with terror as they watch the scene unfold. The whole sight feels like a slap to the face-this isn't the battle we had hoped for. This is something far worse.

The wolves in our pack start to growl, their eyes trained on the large men. I can feel the rage building up in me, my wolf itching to fight, to tear through those who would harm the innocent. I glance at Michael, waiting for his command. His eyes are locked on the scene before us, calculating, taking in every detail with the precision of a leader.

"Alpha," I whisper, my voice barely audible as I keep my body low. "We need to do something now."

Michael doesn't respond immediately, his gaze unwavering. The sound of distant howls from Alpha Lupine's pack echoes in the air, a reminder that time is running out. There's no telling how long those women and children can hold out against their captors.

"We'll wait for the signal," Michael finally growls, his voice like thunder in the still night air. He's not just a leader in battle; he's a tactician, always thinking two or three steps ahead.

Kaiden nudges me again, his wolf standing guard beside me. He knows how badly I want to charge in and rip those men apart. I can feel his presence beside me, reassuring me that I'm not alone, even when the rage threatens to consume me.

But it's not the time for reckless action. Michael's plan is clear-we're not just going in blind. We have to wait for the perfect moment. But as I watch the men tighten their grips on the women, the thought of leaving them to suffer makes my blood boil.

The fire rages on, now inching closer to the women and children. I can see one of the men raising his arm as if to strike the woman nearest to him. A low growl escapes from my throat before I can stop it, my wolf desperate for action. The fire's reflection in the men's eyes glows red as they start to move toward the women.

"Now," Michael barks.

The pack springs into action, the wolves launching themselves from the shadows like a tidal wave. I'm at the back, but I feel the rush of power as the pack surges forward. Michael's massive wolf leads the charge, and I follow with Kaiden by my side, our paws pounding the earth beneath us as we close in on the men.

I'm smaller than most of the wolves in the pack, but when the battle calls, it doesn't matter. My wolf is strong, and my instincts are razor-sharp. I shift into the front lines with the others, just as the first sounds of battle fill the air. The men are taken off guard, their weapons useless against the sheer power of the wolves that descend on them.

I dive for the man closest to me, my jaws snapping shut around his arm. He roars in pain, but I don't stop. I sink my teeth deeper, pulling him to the ground before I shift to strike again. His cries of desperation are muffled by the sounds of chaos all around us.

The other men try to regroup, but we're faster, our pack overwhelming them. I see one of the larger wolves of our pack tear into a man's side, the gurgle of his final breath swallowed by the sounds of battle.

Through the fight, my focus stays on the women and children. The men holding them are panicking, realizing too late that they are outnumbered. The women, though terrified, stand their ground, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and awe as they watch the carnage unfold.

I see one of the men about to raise his fist to strike a child. Without thinking, I leap at him, knocking him to the ground with a force that sends him sprawling. My claws rake through his chest as I pin him, making sure he won't hurt anyone else.

When the last of the men falls, the battlefield is quiet, except for the soft whimpering of the children and the labored breaths of the pack. Michael stands tall, his fur bloodied but his eyes fierce. We've done what we came here to do, but the cost lingers in the air.

I walk over to the women and children, my wolf still tense. The women look at me with a mix of gratitude and disbelief. I offer a silent nod before shifting back to my human form. I crouch down to one of the children, offering them a soft smile.

"Are you okay?" I ask gently, my voice still raw from the battle. The child nods, though their eyes are filled with fear.

"We're safe now," I assure them, my heart heavy with the knowledge that there's still so much to be done.

As the pack gathers around us, Michael steps forward, his gaze scanning the survivors. There's still a long road ahead, but for now, we've stopped the nightmare from getting any worse.

03

My heart speeds up as I watch one of the men holding a child take a gun to the child's head. Kaiden softly growls at me, and I know he doesn't want me to watch. But the thing I don't understand is that I can't look away. I can't look away because if I do, I won't ever know what's actually going to happen. What if I miss the moment when someone steps in? What if this is the moment that changes everything?

One of the women screams louder than the rest, her voice breaking with raw desperation as she begs for them to please let her little boy go. The child sobs loudly, shaking in the man's arms, and I can feel my own pulse racing in time with his frantic cries. I paw at the ground, unable to stop myself. There's no way that man will kill that child. No one is that heartless. I won't let myself believe it.

Kaiden growls again at me but with more force this time, his body tense and coiled, ready to act if necessary. Some of the other wolves glance back at us, noticing the tension between us. Their eyes flicker with uncertainty, but they stay silent. I hear the gun cock, the sound of metal on metal sharp in the cold air. I whine, my ears flat against my head.

He won't kill a child in front of his mother. That's just too inhumane for even a werewolf. I strain to hear his words, the man's voice cutting through the chaos. "Move and I'll kill him," he threatens, his tone low and cold.

What is he saying? Why does he sound so certain?

My pulse pounds in my ears, and my body shakes with a mix of rage and fear. I can feel my wolf stirring, wanting to break free and charge into the fray. But I hold it back. I have to stay calm. I have to think.

I'm helpless as he pulls the trigger.

The crack of the gunshot echoes through the clearing, and I freeze. The child's body jerks, his small frame crumpling in the man's arms. His mother screams, a sound that cuts through the night like a blade. My throat tightens, and my eyes blur with tears that I can't let fall. I want to run to her. I want to tear those men apart for what they've done. But I can't. I can't move. I can't do anything.

Josephine

My wolf whimpers in my mind as I take a step back uneasily. The cold air bites at my skin, but it's nothing compared to the icy grip of horror that tightens around my chest. I can't breathe. The image of the child's lifeless body is burned into my mind, a scene I won't ever forget.

This time, the wolf behind me doesn't even nudge me back forward. It's as if he's given up on me. I feel his presence, heavy and protective, but there's no comfort in it. The man-oh my god, that man just shot a little boy in front of his poor, helpless mother. I can't stop seeing it.

Kaiden whines softly at me, his concern flooding through the bond we share. I glance at him, his dark eyes fixed on me with an intensity that almost makes me flinch. He tilts his head slightly, the motion almost tender. I'm sure my eyes tell all.

But I can't look away from what's happening below. I can't stop watching. I can't tear myself away from the brutality.

He steps toward me, his eyes more concerned for me than for the mother, the child, or anyone else. He's worried about me, and it's clear he wants to pull me back, to shield me from the pain of what I've just witnessed. I snarl at him, a sharp sound that surprises even me. How dare he? How dare he try to stop me from seeing this?

Kaiden growls right back, low and guttural, making sure I understand he's more dominant than I am. It's a warning. A command. But I don't care. I glare at him, the fire in my chest burning brighter with every passing second.

Kaiden only gets mad at me for a few reasons, and he mostly only expresses his anger in high-stress situations like this one. But this time, I won't let him get mad at me when there are men down there slaughtering children and forcing their mothers to watch. I can't just stand here and do nothing. I can't.

I turn away from him, pushing past the twinge of pain that pulls at my heart. I focus on the women below, on the way they cry, on the way they beg. Another gunshot sounds, sharp and final. The air is thick with the cries of the fallen, and I know the situation is spiraling out of control.

Another woman screams out, her voice breaking as she wails in agony, as if the bullet that killed the child had torn through her own soul. I flinch at the sound. I can feel the pain deep in my bones. It's unbearable. And still, I don't move. I stay frozen in place, my mind racing, searching for some way to stop this madness.

The child's limp body is tossed to the ground, discarded as if he were nothing more than a tool, a pawn in someone's sick game. My stomach churns with disgust, the anger rising up inside me like a storm. He wasn't a pawn. He was a child. A living, breathing person with a future that was stolen in an instant.

I don't care what these women did to deserve this. No punishment, no matter how severe, would justify this. Nothing they could have done would ever make this right. Nothing could.

I whine anxiously, my ears flat against my skull. Why aren't we doing anything? Why are we just sitting here, watching?

The pack is strong, and we're capable of so much more. We've fought wars. We've torn down enemies before. But here we are, on the edge of a massacre, paralyzed by fear or hesitation. I can feel the tension in the air. I can feel the weight of the choice hanging over us all.

And then, as if Michael could hear my thoughts through the pack link, he steps forward. I hear the low rumble of his voice, his words firm and commanding. "We're not waiting any longer."

I sigh in relief, the tension easing from my chest. No more children need to die tonight. Michael, ever the leader, is taking charge. The fact that we were just sitting there watching was insane. I won't let it happen again. Not while I'm breathing.

Kaiden rests his head down on the top of mine, a comforting gesture, his body warm against mine. He reminds me that he's here to protect me, even if we disagree on how to handle this. His presence is steadying, but it doesn't silence the anger still boiling inside me.

And then, the loudest growl I've ever heard erupts from the front of the pack. It's so powerful, so deep, that it shakes me to my core. It's not a growl from one of us. It's not one of our pack members.

I tense up, my heart racing, every muscle in my body coiled in anticipation.

I strain to see the source, my eyes searching through the darkness, and then I see him.

The biggest wolf I've ever laid eyes on stands in front of us. He's massive-far bigger than I am in human form. He's practically a horse, his fur dark and thick, his eyes glowing with an unnatural intensity. I know exactly who it is.

Alpha Lupine.

His growl reverberates through the air, and even the most dominant wolves in our pack seem to take a step back. He's a force of nature, an alpha whose presence commands not just the pack but the very land beneath our feet. The air crackles with the weight of his power, and I know-without a doubt-that whatever happens next, everything will change.

But what does Alpha Lupine want?

And what happens when an alpha like him decides to take action?