Phoenix's POV
I had been at the palace for almost two weeks, and I had barely seen Marcus for more than 30 minutes a day if not less since I revealed my gift and I had thought we'd begun to connect. But when I did see him he showed very little emotion apart from possessiveness and anger.
So my life consisted of photographers, press meetings and other mandatory Royal events. And after all that I was finally able to get back out on the training field with Violet, the beta squad... and Ava.
'So, how's life as a Princess?' Asked Violet as she steadied the punching bag I was currently attacking.
'Well, not much different from being the daughter of an Alpha really, you still have to be very aware of appearances and so on. But... there is much less privacy and I feel like everyone is waiting for me to face plant or something.'
Violet laughed, 'That's because they are, but don't worry you just have to prove to them that the moon goddess matched you with Prince Marcus for a reason. Your strong, clever and not to be messed with.' The last bit was accompanied with an evil glint in Violet's eye.
'Oh I don't know.' Called Ava's snide voice, 'I don't think Marcus-, I mean Prince Marcus,' I growled at her, how dare she pretend like she's on first name terms with my mate.
'I think Prince Marcus doesn't care too strongly for the match.' She smirked, flicked her hair and turned back to her pathetic weights.
'What the hell is that supposed to mean.' I growled. I was sick of her snide and bitchy comments I'd been hearing all week.
'Only that everyone knows how active his... appetite is, he has a new girl almost every night, I hear he had quite a group a few months ago' She smirked.
I could feel my blood running cold, everyone had been hinting at their displeasure of Marcus' activities, I had heard rumours that Prince Marcus had slept with a fair amount of women and done some horrible things, but that was all in the past and it couldn't have been many. But I still felt the pain in my heart and my wolf in having it confirmed that Marcus had given himself to others rather than waiting like I had.
'But I know who he really cares for.' Ava said smirking
'Yeah and thats Phoenix.' Snarled Violet
My fists were tight and I felt my wolf fighting for control as I stared at the smirking face.
'Actually, its me. We've had a certain... relationship going on for at least two years now and just the other night we were going at it wildly.' It felt impossible that her smirk could grow, but it did. 'I mean I was the reason he was late the night of the Royal ball, it was also then when deeply entangled in each other we were, was when he dedicated is everlasting love to little old me, and as he came inside of me, he also said he wanted me as his Queen and mother of his children.'
I couldn't hold back any more, I simply let my wolf go and shifted.
'Phoenix No!' Shouted Violet, Ava laughed and shifted too.
My Wolf dark and glinting silver in the sunlight, circled Ava's, her's was far smaller then mine and a nasty brown, dirty blonde colour.
Ava crowed out from her mind, 'I see even your Wolf carries that ugly disfigurement too, the moon goddess was a fool to save you when you were just a pitiful infant.'
Gasps and growls came from all the onlookers on training grounds who had heard Ava's mind link, not only had she insulted my wolf but she had greatly disrespected my great great grandmother, the moon goddess.
'How dare you insult the moon goddess, and make jealous lies about having a relationship with my mate.' I roared back in my mind.
Ava laughed over the link, 'I was not lying, and a part of you and your wolf knows I'm not.'
I whimpered in my mind at the truth in her words, but my wolf growled loud and furious before lunging at her throat.
Fangs and claws flashed, blood sprayed but soon I had Ava pinned to the ground by the neck, she struggled, but I growled into her matted and bloody fur to submit and soon she slowed.
A vile and jealous thought then entered my head. It would be so easy to kill her, and the problem would be solved. All I had to do was sink my fangs into her vile flesh a little further and then she would be gone.
NO! I was not a monster, I would not murder and kill with our necessary reason. Killing her was the wrong thing to do, who was I to decide who was worth living or not. I removed my jaw from her neck, growling all the while and slowly stepped back. It was obvious I was the victor.
'Phoenix!' growled deep voice.
I turned and saw the King, the royal Beta, Adam and my so called mate.
All the wolves in the training grounds turned and bowed to their king, 'What is going on here if I may ask.' said the King in a calm but dark voice, his eyes like many trained on me in my wolf form.
Ava had shifted back into human form and looked like shit. 'It-it was he-er your Majesty! She attacked me without warning and I have done nothing wrong!' The bitch said pointing a finger at me, I growled loudly anger bubbling up, How dare she! After her disrespect and the mercy I have shown!
Violet cut across angrily, 'Ignore Ava your majesty, she is lying. Ava provoked Phoenix, angering her by telling um... stories of Prince Marcus' er activities, she then insulted Phoenix's wolf, and the moon goddess by saying she was wrong to save her as an infant.'
A growl was then emitted from Marcus, I turned my silvery steel gaze on him the man whore, but as I looked into his face I only felt pain, heartbreak and anger.
'IS IT TRUE!' I screamed through mind speech, causing everyone to jump.
Marcus made not movement, just stared into my wolf's eyes. But I saw the answer in those dark pitiful orbs.
'Everyone leave now, that's an order!' Shouted Marcus, everyone began to leave apart from the king, Adam and his father, and then the slut Ava lying naked the ground still covered in wounds and trying to look weak and pathetic, 'Ava go!' Boomed the King.
'But-' I couldn't believe her disobeying the king.
'I want you gone you lying whore!' Shouted Marcus.
I part of me glitters with hope when Marcus said lying, but I stomped it down knowing it was foolish to hope.
Ava ran away quickly and when she had finally gone, all gazes where on me, the king's, the Beta's, Adam's and Marcus'.
'Shift' Said Marcus
I growled and snapped my jaws at him.
'You want this in wolf form, fine.' growled Marcus, I heard his bones begin to crack and then this enormous monster of a black wolf stood in front of me radiating power. My natural instinct would be to bow my head in the presence of such a powerful wolf, but I fight that and kept staring coldly into the dark, almost black eyes.
He growled deeply at my stubbornness and disrespect, I could almost feel the ground rumbling. In my mind my wolf began to whine, at the pain both Marcus and I were in, I snorted what pain could Marcus be in, I growled back at him.
'Ok that is enough!' Boomed the king, I bowed my head to him and Marcus very unwillingly dropped his gaze in a sign of little respect.
'One day I, Elizabeth or both of us will die, and it will be up to you two to take over the ruling of all the packs in the united states, and I feel like I'm watching the future of my kingdom crumble right in front of me.' He growled out, he was emitting so much power and anger, I ducked my head even more and let out a tinny whine, not used to this amount of authority begin directed at me.
'I want this sorted and finished now or goddess help me Marcus I'll-' he broke himself off trying to control the hidden anger and darkness. He the turned away and disappeared with his Beta, Adam gave Marcus and I a worried look before turning and falling the King and his father.
'Why did you attack Ava Phoenix! You can't go round attack members of the royal pack! Especially when her father is an advisor to the king!' Growled Marcus through linking to my mind.
'What! Didn't listen to Violet! I didn't attack her!' I growled furious he was siding with that slut, his so called love.
'Then what happened!'
Under his angry gaze and snarling fangs, I felt deflated. Anger sealed away to leave pain, sorrow and heart break. 'Look at my memories, isn't that a special power for a royal.' I said bitterly.
I opened my mind and let him examine the memory, looking back on it only filled me with more sorrow as we saw Ava taunting me with her sexual activities with Marcus, how he loved her an wanted he was the mother of his children, then I shifted and so did she, she insulted my wolf and the moon goddess. Marcus growled lowly when he saw Ava saying how I should have died in infancy. He watched as I overpowered her in the fight. I suddenly felt drained and slumped down in the dust, shutting my eyes and feeling more tears trickle down my snout.
I felt Marcus' snout nudge at my neck, I just whimpered before leaping up and heading towards the forrest. I heard a howl from Marcus and the thud of his paws as he chaste after me. I hadn't got very far into to woods when he tackled me to the ground. The growl I meant to produce came out as a whimpering whine, as Marcus stood above me snarling.
'Don't run from me Phoenix.' I growled.
I snapped my jaws and tried to wiggle free. But I couldn't.
So I quickly shifted a slipped out of his surprised grip, I collapsed against a large tree trunk and tried to cover myself as much as possible with my long black waves off hair.
'Why Marcus? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't run from you.' My voice was choked and stained with tears as they trickled down my cheeks.
His bones cracked and there he stood before me dark and foreboding, 'Because Ava was lying!' He growled out.
'The tell me honestly have you ever slept with her, were you with her the night of the royal ball even though you knew your mate was here. And have you still been sleeping with her and goddess knows how many others since we found each other!' My vote had turned into a hysteric shout at the end and I stood up facing him, with tear tracks staining my cheeks and fire in my illuminating eyes.
'I slept with Ava once over a year ago, when someone slipped something into my drink at a party, most likely her and she punched on me! I swear that was the only time andI wasn't with her the night of the ball, and I never said those things. He hesitated before continuing, 'I admit that I had been with a woman that night but it was only a one night stand, and I swear on the moon goddess that since I've found you, I haven't been nor would I want to be with anyone else but you.'
While saying this he had approached me and was now looming over me, it was so hard not to reach out and touch his chiselled abs or look any lower. I looked up into his eyes, those dark brown orbs with dancing gold flecks, I could see him fighting off the black lust of his wolf, and was struggling. I blushed and crossed my arms over my chest in an attempt to cover up more, which only made Marcus let out a low growl. My cheeks were bright red.
He's telling the truth, a voice whispered in my mind, he loves you.
'Ok' I said quietly, 'I... I believe you.'
He pulled me close, his arms holding me tight against his chest as our bare skin touched, I gasped at the intensity of the sparks. Marcus smirked.
'But I want that little shit Ava gone, for disrespecting me and insulting my wolf and the moon goddess.' I growled out.
'Believe me so do I.' murmured Marcus as he bent his head to the croak of my neck and took a deep breath while placing small kisses along my collar bone, making me shiver. Remembering how we were both stark naked in the woods and I could feel Marcus' friend beginning to rub against my inner thigh, I pushed back on his chest blushing furiously.
'Um... maybe we should head back.' I said beginning to walk away.
But Marcus growled and caught me round the waist. 'Not until you shift, I don't want other wolves looking at whats mine.'
I rolled my eyes but shifted with him. I nuzzled his neck with my snout gave him a small lick on his jaw, emitting a rumbled of pleasure from Marcus' large black wolf, to which in return he nuzzled me and I felt him trace my scars with his nose before his voice echoed in my mind, 'You and your scars are beautiful, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.'
Then we headed back to the Palace and stayed in wolf form till we reached my door, everyone gave us rather weary looks as we trotted through the palace. I shifted at my door while Marcus watched in wolf from, he was almost taller than me even in my human form. I placed soft kiss on his snout before disappearing into my room.