Not My Fairytale

Chapter 1

I took special care folding my clothes, placing them neatly on one of the exposed roots. After taking several deep, steadying breaths, I reached out for the wolf that lay beneath my skin. It came to the surface easily, as I willed it, and I felt my body begin to shift. For a split second, the sound of grating bones echoed across the water, but I had long ago grown numb to the pain of changing form. Then, as quickly as it began, I was standing on all fours, shaking out my dark fur.

I stood there for only a moment, taking in the sounds of the forest with my heightened senses, before I took off running. I allowed myself to mull over the day's developments as I ran. Finally, allowing myself to think through the implications of my mother being pregnant again in full. After over twenty years, I was going to have a sibling. If the baby was a boy, I would no longer be heir to the throne. Twenty years of hard work and training, gone, just like that.

I increased my speed, leaping over a fallen tree, and giving myself over completely to my run. I tried to use the physical exercise to take out my frustration. My whole life it had been just me. When I awoke earlier, I had been Princess Giuliana Di Luna, heir to the Lupian throne. Heir to the Kingdom of the Wolves. And suddenly, now, for the first time in my life, I had no idea where I stood.

I ran until I was panting, and the sun had shifted to shine down from directly overhead, and then ran more. I ran until my legs grew weak, my throat raw from my heavy breathing, and my mind numb from thinking ceaselessly through all of the things I stood to lose. Finally, when I felt I could go no farther, I neared the willow tree once again. My feet stopped as I spied a figure leaning casually against the trunk. I lowered my head, slowly stalking forward on quiet, padded paws.

"I thought I'd find you here."

I paused again, one paw still raised in the air. A smirking Francesco turned around, "You know, I've always wondered how you do that."

I continued forward, heading for my pile of clothes. He remained leaning against the tree, his back respectfully turned away from my naked form as I pushed the animal back inside and rose up on two feet. "How I do what?"

He remained quiet for a moment, as I slipped my fleece lined leggings and thick wool sweater back on. While I laced my boots, he finally spoke, tilting his head as he studied me. "Your alpha blood carries so much power, it's nearly suffocating in wolf form. Yet, when you're back in this body, you somehow manage to suppress it so deep that I can hardly sense it."

I forced a small smile, knowing he was trying to distract me in his own way. I shrugged before running my fingers through my messy hair, gathering it back into a sloppy braid. "I like being in control."

He gave me the wicked smirk that he reserved only for when we were alone, "Oh, don't I know it."

I returned his smirk as I tied off my braid, throwing it over my shoulder. He continued, "When you're in this form, you can pass for any regular human, but when you're a wolf, it's like a smack in the face. All of that alpha blood has nowhere to hide. I've never met anyone else who can do that so well."

I shrugged again, "It encourages people to underestimate me." I cast out my own senses. Sure enough, I could feel the power radiating from his body. "But, that's beside the point. I'm sure you didn't hike yourself all the way out here to talk about alpha blood, Franco."

That special smirk slipped from his handsome face. "I heard the news."

I schooled my face back into that neutral mask I so loved to wear, "And?"

"And I thought you might need someone to talk to." He stated simply. The smirk returned as he added, "Or a distraction."

I kept my face teasingly indifferent, silently reveling in the way I could bring out this side in the otherwise stoic, duty-bound beta's son. "And you thought that you could distract me?" I asked, putting extra emphasis on the double entendre.

Amusement sparkled in his green eyes. "I've distracted you before."

I matched his smirk with one of my own, turning my head to sweep my gaze out over the lake. "So you have," I admitted.

He tugged teasingly on a strand of hair that had already fallen loose from my braid, drawing my attention back to him. "You seemed to enjoy my distraction the last time." He chuckled as I rolled my eyes, dramatically. "And, the time before that."

I turned on him, faking the haughty indignation of the bratty princess some people believed me to be. "Don't presume to know anything about me, Beta." But, we both heard the lack of steel in my voice.

He chuckled again, twirling that strand of hair around his finger. He shrugged, releasing my hair, "Or, I suppose we could just talk about today."

I boldly looked him up and down, seeming to weigh my options. I shrugged, faking a deep sigh before looking at him flirtatiously through my lashes. I lightly brushed my fingers down his arm as I passed him. "Distraction it is," I cooed over my shoulder.

I swished my hips a little extra as I made my way to a more hidden area, feeling his eyes boring into me as I moved. A distraction is exactly what I need. 

~*~*~

Hello everyone and welcome!

Over the next few days I will be posting chapters pretty frequently, until I catch up to where I am at in my writing (around chapter nine or ten), then I will be posting scheduled updates every Wednesday (probably in the evenings).

Tell me what you think, and enjoy!

-Ren