The Alpha And Her Prince

1 Butterfly

Rosie POV

“Rose, your dad is going to kill you,” Sophia hisses, staring at the outline of a tattoo on my shoulder in dismay. “What the hell are you thinking?”

“Calm your t**s. Jeez. I’m an adult now. He can’t tell me what to do anymore.” I say that, but I know it’s not true. The only time my dad, Alpha Parker Snider of Crystal Moon Pack, ever blows up is when I push his buttons. Even mom can’t piss him off as well as I can anymore.

Getting a tattoo, marring my skin permanently when he already told me no, is one of the things that will set him off. Big time set him off. I'm going to have to throw a fit to get him off my case, but it will be worth it.

I’ve wanted one for over a year now, since the last time I saw him. Taegan. He had just gotten a full sleeve before coming with my cousins for a visit to Miami from their pack in Canada.

The thick muscles in his arm were covered with an intricately designed tattoo, a swirling mosaic of ethereal pictures and complicated shapes. There was something otherworldly about all the images. It made my mouth water with the desire to trace the delicate artwork with my tongue, something I hope I can do very soon.

Taegan Kissinger, the Alpha heir to Blue Cliff Pack, has been my crush for almost my entire life. He told me years ago, when we were still little kids, that he knew we wouldn’t be mates, but I’m still clinging to that hope that when I see him tonight at my 18th birthday party, there will be sparks between us.

There has to be. I’ve been drawn to him since I was a toddler. He even promised me when we were still in elementary school that he would make me his mate.

“I can’t believe you are getting this because of some guy,” Sophia huffed. “What are you going to do tonight if he isn’t your mate?”

“Quit being negative,” I gave her the side-eye as the human tattoo artist came back from the backroom. We can’t be talking about mates and werewolf s**t in front of him.

“Ready to get this butterfly going on your beautiful skin?” the tattoo dude grins, flirting with me once again.

“I’m ready for your magic touch,” I fluttered my eyelashes at him, flirting right back.

He’s giving me a huge discount, and I plan on milking him for as long as I can.

Sophia, my best friend, cringes and huffs dramatically, watching the guy glide the needle over my skin. I barely feel it. My pain tolerance is pretty high.

I’m so excited to see it finished. When I was checking out Taegan’s sleeve, I found several really small but intricate purple butterflies mixed in with the art. I’m getting a blue butterfly on my shoulder; the same color blue as his eyes.

His eyes, his build, his kissable lips and strong jaw. Every single thing about him is perfect. When god created Taegan, he went all out. He has everything I want in a mate.

Yes, we are both Alpha heirs, and yes, Miami and Canada are so far from each other, but I think we can make it work.

I mean, he has tons of younger sisters that could take his place as Alpha. Aly, his sister just a few years younger than him, is biting at the bit to prove herself.

If we are mates, which I’m sure we are, I know I can convince him to move down here with me. Dad would move the moon if mom wanted him to. Mates do anything to make each other happy.

The tattoo takes almost 4 hours, which is cutting it close. I need to be home soon to get ready. Mom won’t care if I’m late, but Aunt Simone will. She and Aunt Lilly, both not really my aunts by blood, just honorary aunts since they are both my mom's best friends, are the ones dressing me up like a f*****g doll. I’m more like mom. I would rather attend the party in shorts and a tank top. Even my bikini would be preferable for me to a dress.

Tonight is special, though. I actually want to dress up for once. Taegan will be there with my cousin, Calum, and the prissy little fairy prince, Rian, who I can’t f*****g stand.

I'm f*****g thrilled to see Taegan. I missed my cousin, but I could go without seeing the fairy prince.

Rian tags along with Taegan and my cousin most of the time, but he is so stuck on himself that I would avoid him like the disease he is if it wasn’t for Taegan.

“In my kingdom, ladies don’t fight. It’s so uncivilized”, “In my kingdom, a woman could never rule so easily.”

I always imagine his voice in one of those whiny, accented voices that remind me of old-money, trust fund brats. “My papa drives a Rolls Royce, and eats caviar harvested only from albino sturgeon with his 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc." He irritates the crap out of me.

I was just drinking cheap wine coolers and Bud Light at the cove last night. He would probably turn his nose up and start putting me down for how immature and uncivilized I was behaving while having fun with my friends.

If he is not being a douche canoe about me being the alpha heir and being a woman, he is using his pretty boy looks to get the attention of every she-wolf in my pack. It’s f*****g annoying. Seeing the way some of the girls just throw themselves at “the prince” makes me want to punch him and them in the f*****g mouths. I’d love to knock a few teeth out of his perfect smile he flashes to all the ladies.

“Lady-getter 9000” is what Reese, my brother, calls Rian’s smile. Rian just has to grin and girls start offering him their panties, hearts, and even their souls.

Fuck that. Who wants a guy just for his smile? I prefer men like Taegan, who are all muscle, have a strong and handsome face, and exude Alpha perfection.

Rian is technically Taegan’s uncle, or step-uncle, since Taegan’s grandpa found a second-chance mate who just happened to be a fairy princess. Rian's mother is the sister of the current Northern Fairy Kingdom's King, making Rian a prince. Taegan and Rian are about the same age, but Taegan is just so much more mature. Rian is an annoying stuck-up prince and Taegan is like my white knight, with piercing blue eyes and an aura that makes me quiver.

The only thing I feel when I look at Rian is repulsion.

“Hey, is that fairy prince coming with your cousin to your party tonight? Brinley just asked me,” Sophia looks up at me from her phone as the tattoo dude walks to the front to answer a phone call. I checked out my shoulder in the mirror, and thankfully, it looked like he was almost done.

I rolled my eyes, even hearing his name annoys me. “Yep.”

Sophia laughs at my expression. “Still don’t like him?”

“What’s not to like?” I grumbled. “The fact that he thinks women shouldn’t lead, or that he likes to hook up with all my friends every time he visits?”

“Kissing Julia one time in the pool doesn’t count as hooking up with all your friends, Rose. She kinda pushed herself on him too.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled, lying back down when the guy started walking back. “Calum told me he was going back to where he came from soon anyway.” Where he came from, meaning the fairy kingdom run by his uncle. Rian is eligible to inherit the throne, and since he finds most of pack life to be barbaric, he has already told his mother and Alpha Max, Taegan’s grandfather, that he wanted to return to his land where things are easier for a stuck-up fairy prince like him.

Calum also told me that Taegan is trying to talk him out of it. I say, let the brat go. If he doesn’t like werewolf life, why force him to stay? It’s not like he has a mate keeping him in a pack. If he wants to leave, let him. It will be easier and more enjoyable for me to hang out with Taegan if Rian goes back to Alfheimr, the fae realm.

“Alright. All done,” the tattoo artist states, rubbing some kind of ointment all over my skin. He places a covering over it that looks a lot like saran wrap. “Keep it moisturized. Apply this cream I’m gonna give you twice a day after gently washing it with mild soap and water. Only keep it covered tonight. Remove this in the morning. If you have any trouble, come back and let me know.” He grins crookedly, flicking his tongue over his lip piercing. “You should come back just to see me anyway. I would love to work my magic hands on other parts of your body.” He eyed me suggestively, his eyes raking down and back up my body.

“Oh, gawd,” Sophia rolls her eyes and walks away, making me chuckle.

I pay the dude with a dismissive chuckle, then head out too.

Now that I got my first tattoo, I’m excited to see what Taegan thinks about it. I can’t wait until tonight.

~

Rian POV

The instant the plane lands in the Miami airport, I feel the moisture in the air, making my skin tingle with rejuvenation. Being half siren along with half fairy, I always enjoy these trips down to the southern tip of the United States. Florida is surrounded by the ocean, and even the air is rich with water. Water is life for sirens.

“I hope you guys enjoyed your flight,” the flight attendant winks at us, mainly Taegan, as we get off the plane.

Calum snickers, and I just laugh. We are both used to Taegan hogging all of the attention. He rarely responds to any of it, and it's humorous to watch the women who approach him get shot down.

Speaking of which….

“What time is your dear cousin’s party?”I asked Calum as we navigated the busy airport, ignoring the looks of admiration from all around.

3 supernatural men with supernatural looks always garner attention when we are out in the human world. Blue Cliff is so small in comparison to Miami, that I try to enjoy the gawking and praise while I can down here.

Back home, I’m a weak fairy prince that no one is much impressed with. Here, I live like a king. I get asked if I’m a model or actor frequently, and all the she-wolves in the pack here don’t mind that I’m not bulky or terrifying like my hulking nephew. They aren’t so traditional here. Crystal Moon is a far more diverse pack, with many fae, vampires, witches, and humans than Blue Cliff Pack. My mother and I are the only two fae members of the pack, and technically, I’m not even a member of the pack. I have no real ties to it besides my mother’s mating to their former Alpha.

If it wasn’t for Taegan and Calum, I would have gone mad in Blue Cliff years ago. The other males in the pack had found me to be annoying or a nuisance since I was younger. I’m the far younger stepbrother to the current Alpha, but don’t have a position myself in the pack. I’ve been dealing with harassment for a long time.

If my mother had mated with someone here in Miami, I think it would have been far easier for me. I wouldn’t be so determined to go back to live with my uncle in Alfheimr.

But, things didn’t work out that way. I have no ties to Miami, no matter how much I like it here.

“It starts at 7. I think we have time to eat and take a nap before we have to get up to get ready.”

“You just ate on the plane!” Taegan shoves his cousin roughly.

I take a step back, knowing how this will end.

Just as I predicted, Calum shoves Taegan back, and then Taegan attempts to put Calum in a chokehold.

I stand there with my arms folded, tapping my foot until the two of them are done. I learned long ago to not get between two fighting wolves, even these two.

Wolves, I thought to myself, shaking my head.

Taegan always wins. He has more than just a mere wolf inside of him. His Lycan counterpart is too proud to let him lose.

That is probably why Rosie, Crystal Moon’s alpha heir, is so set on Taegan being hers. I get so much attention from the she-wolves in this pack, thanks to her claim on Taegan. She lets everyone know that Taegan is off limits, threatening bodily harm to any girl that goes near him. Calum is Calum. He doesn’t leave himself open to she-wolves to flirt with, since he is set on holding out for his mate. That just leaves me. Whenever we visit, I am swarmed with the ladies’ attention.

I liked it when I was younger, but it has gotten tedious over the years.

One of Rosie’s friends forced a kiss from me a few years back while we were barbecuing with her friends, and the look she gave me, like I was complete garbage, left a bad taste in my mouth for a long time.

I tried to smooth things over with her, but I ramble when I’m nervous, and she makes me really nervous. I think I just annoyed her more, though that was not my intention.

Having her mad at me, and being the object of her scorn makes my chest hurt, making my mouth taste like acid. I know she loves Taegan, and if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t tolerate me at all.

That’s a painful thought, one I don’t want to linger on for too long.

The human world is hard. I just have this vacation to get through, then I can start planning my return to the fairy kingdom.