Chapter 1

Eleanor’s POV 

There was a knock on the door. 

“Come in!” I shouted from inside of my room. The next moment, the door opened and a maid walked in, then bowed to me. 

“Yes, what’s it?” I raised my face from the hand mirror which I was holding to apply some morning makeup. I’m the lycan princess, so I always desire to look pretty radiant. 

“Your highness, the king requests your presence now at the throne room. He has something important to say to you and your brother.” 

Immediately she mentioned my brother, I put up with a frown. Out of anger, I dropped the makeup kit in my hand on the bedside table and settled on the bed, lying on my sides. 

“Tell him that I haven’t fully woken up.” I looked at the small clock on the bedside table and it was 8:30 AM already. As the princess, my wakeup time on vacation is 8 AM and on a normal day like this, it’s 5 AM where I get to do some morning runs and exercises. 

“Your highness, it’s really a serious matter before he asked to see you this early. I guess you should go listen to what he has to say.” The maid persuaded, from where I grunted and slowly pulled myself up from the bed. I shot her an unhappy glare but it was of no use. 

“Come with me!” She said to me and I slowly followed her, then I realised I had half makeup on my face. 

“Give me five minutes please,” I told her and rushed to complete it. I was already dressed, so I went out with her. 

As we passed the series of hallways and balconies heading towards the throne room, my mind was filled with a lot of thoughts as to what the king really wants from me. Anna said it’s really important, I wonder if she already knows what the king is going to say. 

I reached out my hand and grabbed her by the shoulder. She paused and turned swiftly. 

“What’s it, your highness?” She asked politely, I let out a smile. At least, she managed to be polite with me when most of the royal family members treat me as an outcast, probably because I’m a woman dreaming to take over from my dad as the next Lycan King. 

“So you know what the king wants to say to me?” I questioned her with a witty smile. She shook her head and moved on. 

“Come with me, please. I don’t want to incur issues with your dad.” From her tone, she could be afraid. Most people are afraid of my dad, his brutal and fierce face and acts makes him a king people can’t withstand, except the strong. 

We met at the throne room which was where he kept his important meetings here at the palace. The first person my eyes landed on was my brother, I winked my eyes away, looking over to the window. I stumbled and jerked my knee. 

A groan came up from my mouth. 

“See who wants to become the lycan king, she can’t even compose herself.” It was his voice, it was George. I heard him quite well, my adopted brother who almost raped me three years ago. I forced myself and stormed towards where my seat was. 

“It’s such a shame you have the mouth to talk after what you did. Shouldn’t you be ashamed of yourself?” I lashed back at him, after all he almost committed a worse crime and he was my junior. I had to show him his place. 

“Will you shut up and sit down here?” My dad yelled at me, sending shocking waves all over my body. I dashed to my seat in a minute to avoid a slap, it wasn’t difficult to get one from him, but I always wonder why he never gave one to George who is a guy and also isn’t his birth son. It’s a guy that’s supposed to get the yells and beatings. 

I sniffed, forcing my emotions in. I realised how hard it could be to see an outsider being treated better than you in your family. 

“Haven’t I warned you not to raise your voice at a man no matter what he does to you?” 

These words circled in my mind like a cyclone, igniting a burning fury in me. My eyes turned bloodshot, I stamped my foot on the floor, tightening my fist. 

“Dad, it’s such a shame you would say that. If it’s so, that means some men don’t really have dignity as they claim.” 

“What?” He stormed from his seat and gave me a hard punch on the head. 

“Is that what I taught you? No wonder, you’re just as useless as your mother.” 

I grabbed the spot he hit me, trying to absorb the pain. Tears began to cloud in my eyes, not mainly because of the punch but the trauma of being treated like a slave by the very person I called dad. I couldn’t take it any longer, I broke out in tears and stood up from the seat to go to the restroom but I felt his hand grab me and jack me painfully back to the seat. 

“Until you learn how to behave like a woman, I wouldn’t treat you like one.” 

What does he mean? 

I sat on the chair, crossing my arms over my chest, with my mind swayed away. I was thinking of the day I would run away from this family, this palace and this prison type of a life. Here is home but not home, rather a living hell. My mom who would be my only friend and supporter doesn’t really have a say. My dad hates her, well she’s the daughter of his enemy whom he wiped out all members of his family, including him. 

Mom, a pretty young girl, being the only one left, he was mandated by the Supreme Wolf Council to get married to her and never maltreat or divorce her while he lives. I guess he uses me to vent all the maltreatment he would have mated out on mom while keeping her in the background, though she’s the lycan queen. 

“Eleanor!” His hoarse voice shook me off my deep thoughts and I shuddered while I looked at him. His eyes were filled with hate. 

“I’m starting with you,” he said. 

“Huh?” I let out a gasp. “What do you mean?” I lip synced as I was lost to confusion at this point. 

“I’m retiring soon from the position of the lycan king–” 

My heart skipped with joy as I heard this. “He must be thinking of handing over to me,” I muttered to myself. The hate in my eyes vanished into joy. I leaned across to hear what he had to say further, my heart was thumping hard. 

“I know you’ve always dreamt of becoming the lycan king, the first female to be this–” He paused, giving my heart the opportunity to anticipate more. George turned and looked at me with a hateful glare but I ignored him. If I could get this position, who is he. I would twist and turn him as my revenge. 

“—But that’s not going to happen.” 

My heart snapped into two, I fell to the backrest of the chair.” 

“What do you mean, dad?” I poked out my pleading eyes which were dull and teary. 

His glare alone was enough to get me quiet, if looks could kill, this itself would kill. 

“I’m setting you up in marriage with the Lycan King of the North, Alpha Alexandro.” 

Until I slid off the chair and landed on the floor, I didn’t know. It was my sudden reaction to hearing Alpha Alexandro’s name. While we rule the South, he rules the North and is in his early forties, yet has no mate. News says he had a lot of mates but they all mysteriously disappeared after coming into the limelight, no one heard of them again. 

Alpha Alexandro has a sense of mystery and dark aura even from the Journals and TV shows he appears on. 

“What did you just say?” I repeated boldly again, rising up slowly. If I would obey his commands of keeping quiet at other functions, I wouldn't be here. 

“Dad, that’s the perfect man for her who will break and mend her–” 

“Shhhhhh–” The king hissed at George, then he leaned towards him and whispered something into his ear. They exchanged glances and winked at each other which made them more suspicious. 

“Eleanor, you’re a woman and you need to get married as soon as possible to preserve the dignity of this royal family. The marriage has already been arranged and Alpha Alexandro will arrive in this palace tomorrow so you can get introduced to him.” 

“What dad?” I rose up, stammering. “How can you set me up with an Alpha whom everyone regards as a ruthless beast?” 

“Come on, shut up! I don’t need your decision on this.” 

At this George gave a wry smile, I flinched my face away in a swift, overwhelmed with confusion and disgust. 

I stood up. “Dad! I’m gonna fight against this plan of yours.” I angrily growled and stormed out of the room without even looking back. 

“Remember you’re to give yourself to him as a virgin. You haven’t had a mate before, you must be a virgin. So keep yourself intact for him!” He shouted and his words fell on my ears like the hit of a metallic rod. I balled my fist so tight, then took to my heels.