The gathered alphas quickly dispersed, leaving one man standing.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Rugged in a way that suggested he had seen and won far too many battles. He was dressed in a well-tailored black suit. He was the kind of man who looked more comfortable covered in blood and dirt than wrapped in fine silks.
"Luna, you remember Kyllian?" Magnus said.
Of course, she remembered him.
Kyllian had once been her father's right-hand man, one of the most feared warriors in the kingdom. But years ago, he had been sent to lead the Crescent Pack as their alpha, and since then, their paths had rarely crossed.
"Yes, Father," she said warily.
Magnus wasted no time. "The both of you haven't been lucky enough to find your mates so far. You two should get married."
Luna's mouth fell open.
"Father?"
"Luna, you are not getting any younger, and neither am I." Magnus' tone was final. "Work this out."
And then, just like that, he was gone.
Luna stood frozen, the words still sinking in.
This couldn't be happening.
First, she finds her fated mate in a vampire of all things. Now, she was being forcefully matched to an alpha she had barely spoken to?
Fucking fantastic. A low chuckle pulled her from her thoughts.
"I see you are still the spoiled princess."
Her head snapped toward the man beside her. Kyllian was watching her, arms crossed over his broad chest, one brow raised as if he were… amused.
"Are you talking to me?" she asked, incredulous.
He smirked. "And still as dull."
Her fists clenched. "You do realize I am the princess?"
"Do you use that title every time you hear something you don't like?" He tilted his head slightly. "You're only proving my point."
Luna's jaw dropped.
Was he serious?
Every other unmated alpha in the room would have killed for the chance to marry her. Hell, most of them had probably been praying for it.
But Kyllian?
He acted like it was a fucking punishment.
"What the …? For someone who supposedly wants to marry me, you've got some nerve!"
His smirk widened. "Why would you think I want to marry you?"
Luna blinked. "You don't?"
For a brief moment, she felt hope.
"Well," she said, "Walk over to my father and tell him you don't want to."
Kyllian shrugged. "You want me to fight your battles?"
Luna gritted her teeth. "You just said you don't want to marry me!"
He exhaled slowly, "I don't want to. But I have to. There's a distinct difference."
Then, with a mockingly thoughtful expression, he added, "Or do you need me to get you a book on grammar?"
Luna stared at him, utterly speechless.
Her entire life, she had been courted, admired, revered. Alphas had fought for the privilege of speaking to her.
But this man?
This man looked at her like she was an inconvenience.
*****
"Mum!" Luna stormed through the grand ballroom, nearly knocking over a tray of champagne flutes as she scanned the crowd for the one person she was sure would be her voice of reason. Her gown swirled dramatically behind her, adding flair to her fury. "Mum!"
Heads turned at her sharp tone, some whispering, some openly staring. But Luna didn't care. She was on a mission. She finally spotted her mother standing near a marble pillar, casually engaged in animated conversation with a group of well-dressed noblewomen.
Ravena turned at the call of her name, lifting a brow as she took in her daughter's disheveled expression. "Luna?" she said with a touch of exasperation. "Calm down. Will you, for once, act like a lady?"
Luna scoffed loudly enough to turn more heads. "A lady? Really?" She reached for her mother's arm and dragged her away from the circle of gossiping women who were now thoroughly enjoying the show. The sound of gasps and giggles followed them.
Ravena allowed herself to be tugged away. Once they reached a semi-private alcove near the wide windows overlooking the moonlit forest, Luna turned on her mother, eyes blazing.
"Did you know?" she hissed. "Did you know Dad is trying to pair me with Alpha Kyllian?"
Her mother gave a delicate sigh, one that came from years of reigning over dramatic werewolf politics, feral tantrums, and, well… Luna herself. "We did speak about it," she admitted. "But we were hoping you'd find your mate this year. That was the plan."
Luna stared at her like she'd grown two heads. "Plan? There was a PLAN? Are you kidding me, Mum?"
"Baby," Ravena said softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind Luna's ear with a mother's touch. "It's for your own good. I support your father's decision."
Luna stepped back as if burned. "You support…? Mum! This is me! Luna. Your daughter. Your heiress."
Ravena smiled tightly. "Kyllian is a good man. Brave. Respected. He will rule by your side when the time comes. You need someone like him."
"What if I find my mate next year?" Luna's voice cracked as her desperation seeped through. A flicker of memory passed behind her eyes. A set of beautiful eyes. The ones from the forest.
"The key word being if, my dear." And with that dismissive queen-like wave only royalty could pull off, Ravena turned gracefully and strolled back to her half-finished conversation, leaving Luna standing there gaping.
"Of course," Luna muttered under her breath. "Of course you'd side with him. You always do."
She folded her arms and glared at her mother's back, watching as the queen re-joined her gossip circle without missing a beat, already mid-laugh with one of the Lunas. The conversation picked up exactly where it had left off, as if Luna hadn't just declared war in the middle of a royal gala.
"Why did I even bother?" she said to herself. Her shoulders slumped as she turned back toward the exit. "Of course the queen and the king are playing chess with my uterus."
The grand ballroom felt more suffocating by the second. She needed to get out. Away from the judgmental stares. Away from her parents' plans. Away from Kyllian and his stupid, smirking, grammar-checking face.
She headed for the wide double doors that led to the outer corridor.
But just as her fingers brushed the handle, she paused.
Her mind flicked back to the woods.
To the snarling.
To the rogue wolves.
To him.
The vampire who'd saved her.
Who'd looked at her like she was his beginning and end.
Luna's stomach twisted. What if more rogue vampires were hiding in the forest, waiting for another opening? What if her people were in danger?
And how the hell was she supposed to tell her father about it without letting him know she had lost?
"Ughhh," she groaned, rubbing her temple.
She spotted a guard near the entrance, standing stiff as a statue.
"You," she snapped. "Car. Now. I need to go back to the palace."
He blinked again, stammering slightly. "Uh…yes, Princess. Right away."
The guard scampered off, clearly eager to be useful.
Luna stepped out into the night air. It was cold and crisp. The sounds of music from the ballroom softened behind her as the night swallowed her whole.
She looked up at the moon, the same Moon Goddess who had a sick sense of humor.
"Thanks a lot," she whispered bitterly. "Mate me with a vampire. Real original."
*****
Damien arrived at the palace of the Alpha King earlier than expected. Damien had begun his travel as soon as the sun went down and would've arrived even earlier if he hadn't paused mid-journey to track the pungent, filthy scent of rogue vampires wafting through the trees.
Thank the gods he did.
That detour had brought him to her. His mate. A literal goddess of a werewolf, snarling at danger with blood on her jaw and defiance in her gaze. She'd been seconds away from being mauled by rogue scum. And instead of cowering like most would, she was gloriously unbowed.
Damien hadn't expected this. Hell, he'd stopped believing this. But when she'd turned those wild eyes on him in the light of the Blood moon, his dead heart had stuttered.
A werewolf for a mate. Rare, yes. But not impossible.
He'd waited centuries. Centuries. So many years of empty pleasure, meaningless seductions, and women with perfect bodies but eyes as hollow as a grave. He was tired of the loneliness that followed every fleeting night of passion. He wanted real. Someone who could challenge him. Set him on fire and keep up with his darkness. And then she'd run.
She ran from him.
But she wouldn't get far. Because Damien knew how to find her.
He'd spotted the royal seal glinting on the delicate chain around her throat, an Alpha King's sigil. That meant she was related.
But before he could chase her down, he had a meeting.
There were rogue vampires on werewolf land. Two confirmed. Possibly more. And Damien had come to make things very clear to the Alpha King.
He waited in the opulent guest wing of the palace. Not bad for a pack of wolves, he thought, gazing out at the courtyard beyond the arched window.
And then… she arrived.
A blur of movement in a familiar dress, storming through the grand front gates with a fury that made even the palace guards stiffen. Damien didn't move at first, he simply leaned back against the doorway between the foyer and the guest hall, folding his arms and enjoying the show.
She looked even more breathtaking in proper light. Wild hair flowing, lips curled in frustration, cheeks flushed from rage. The princess didn't walk. She marched.
He watched, smugly, as she turned toward the grand staircase then froze when she saw him.
"Somebody shoot me now!" she announced to absolutely no one.
Damien's low, amused chuckle echoed through the corridors.
She turned toward him, eyes narrowing into slits.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" she demanded.