Blood Queen

Rage

***Echo's POV***

A month had passed slowly. My routine was pretty well established now, and I felt overwhelmed with the number of tutors it took to continue my education. My language tutors alternated days, and several of them were just so I had someone to speak to in the language to keep it fresh. I worked out every morning at 7am, and finished my classes around 2pm, although I just sat in the monstrous library while each tutor shuffled in and out, and the maid brought me lunch at my desk, while I finished my homework. After lunch, I'd go to the garden and draw for a couple hours and then return to my room until dinner. I'd eat by myself in the huge dining hall, and then return to my room to read until bedtime. It was utterly boring.

I was sitting in my room one evening when a maid came in, "Sorry to disturb you Madam, but you have a visitor." She left as quickly as she came and I didn't have a chance to ask who it was.

I walked down the stairs into the foyer where a strange man I had never met before stood by the couch, looking out the window. He had black short hair, styled with lots of gel in a spiky side thing, and when he turned around, he had the creepiest black eyes that looked at me as if I were prey. I held my composure as I stared at him. "Can I help you?" I asked in a not so warm manner.

"Good evening Your Highness," he bowed low. "My name is Francisco Gallant, His Majesty asked me to share the monthly report with you.

"Oh." I said taking a seat.

He sat beside me and pulled a file into his lap. "As you can see, His Majesty has placed bands of moving legions around your pack lands to ensure the sentries safety, and has deployed 200 guards to be used at your fathers behest. Two hunters were caught this month, as well as 3 rogues, and the strength from the treaty has halted all challenges to the Alpha from outside packs." He continued, but that was enough. I stood. "Your Highness?" He questioned.

"I'm glad my pack is safe, and stop calling me your Highness, I'm not royalty." I said a little more coldly than I intended.

"Are you not the King's wife?" He questioned.

"Wife?" I scoffed, thinking about how utterly alone I was here, "I'm not his anything, but a burden perhaps."

He was on his feet and closed the distance between us at a remarkable speed, pinning me uncomfortably to the wall, "Then allow me to make you mine." He said grabbing my hip roughly, leaving marks.

I tried to push him away, but he wasn't budging, "Get away from me!" I yelled.

"Don't fuss and fight, little pet. I can make you feel so good." He pushed his body into me closer, grabbing my wrists leaving his handprints in my skin. He was trying to mind push me, make me think I wanted him, but he didn't know I was a wild card.

"I said, get away from me." I said calmly composing myself. He didn't move again thinking his push was working, and I snaked my hands around his neck as if I were going to kiss him, but instead, I ducked and jerked his face into the wall slamming it hard. I tried to run, but he grabbed my hair with such force my whole body was in the air before I came down slamming on the ground hard.

He pulled me up by the hair, pulling some of it out, off of the ground and stared in my eyes, hissing like a cat with his fangs bared at me, as I clutched at his hand. I shot out two fingers and stabbed them into his throat just below his Adam's apple as hard as I could and he dropped me quickly as he choked and struggled to breathe, flopping on the ground. I ran. As fast as I could out of the house and into the forest, until I was surrounded by black, just trying to let my senses take over and keep me safe. If only I had my damn wolf.

I had just broken the treaty, but he had to understand if he'd let me explain it. I just hope he doesn't hurt my pack because of this.

***Atticus' POV***

My phone rang while I was in the shower so I ignored it, but the moment it would hang up, it would start ringing again. After five calls, I turned the water off and snatched it up, "What?!"

"I'm terribly sorry, Your Majesty, but we have a problem. She attacked Francisco and ran, his windpipe is crushed." I slammed the phone down and got dressed. My hair was still dripping as I got into my Lamborghini and sped off to the Manor. One month, she broke the treaty in one month. She better have a great explanation or I'm going to lock her up.

My tires skirted to a stop in the driveway and I took the stairs in one leap. When I entered, Francisco was laying on the couch with a tube sticking out of his chest so he could breath, but he couldn't speak. No matter how much I yelled at them, no one could tell me anything, except she ran east into the forest.

When I stepped into the tree line I could smell her scent, mixed with fear. It threw me off, because she seemed like she was someone who was never afraid. I ran after the scent as quietly as I could, when I heard whimpering. She was crying as she leaned against the tree, with her head in her hands and her hair falling all around her. She had blood coming from her scalp, and the scent of it was driving me wild. "Don't be afraid Echo." I said softly but she jumped and pressed herself into the tree further. I put my hands out and slowly knelt beside her, "I swear on my life I won't hurt you."

She let out a breath she was holding and flung herself into my arms, her wound just below my nose, and I held my fangs in while her blood scent swirled in my nostrils. She bobbed in my arms as she cried silently. "Please." She begged me. "Please don't hurt my family, I didn't want to run away and break the treaty. I was so frightened."

"Calm down, Princess, please tell me what happened." She looked up at me and that's when I saw her marks clearly, the rage in me was hard to stifle.

"He said you sent him to give me the report, when he was finished, I told him to stop calling me Highness, that I wasn't royalty. He asked if I was your wife, I told him no, and then, then he pushed me against the wall and tried to take me. I fought him, and when he let go of me I ran. I'm sorry." She told me.

I held her close as my anger seethed. "I believe you, but I want more details." I said and I licked the top of her head wound, and the entire scene flashed before me as her memories came through her blood. It was much worse than she had described, and I was going to kill Francisco.

I carried her back to the house, setting her on her feet as we walked through the door when I saw more bruises on her hips, before she righted her shirt. My eyes went cold, and I steeled my jaw, walking over to Francisco as he laid on the couch with wide eyes. "You think you can touch what's mine?" I growled through clenched teeth. "I saw everything through the blood you spilled." Without giving him a chance to react, I grabbed his own boot knife and plunged it into his heart, pinning him to the couch and the light left his terror filled eyes.

I turned to Mrs. Atkins, who was very calm considering. "Have the whole couch thrown out with this trash."

She nodded, "Yes Your Majesty."

I turned to Echo, and put my arm around her gently, leading her to her room. I opened it for her and she stepped inside, turning to me still in the hallway. She looked worried as she whispered and looked at the ground, "I don't want to be alone."