Chapter 1

I couldn't help but sulk as I made my way through the dense forest, heading towards the annual celebration dinner that our pack was throwing. The air was filled with the scent of grilled meats and the laughter of my fellow pack members, but all I felt was irritation. My uncle, the alpha, had extended an invitation to none other than the alpha king himself, King Lucius. He didn't have to do that, but he did it anyway.

King Lucius was a name that brought a wave of anger crashing over me. I had despised him for as long as I could remember, convinced that he was responsible for the death of my parents. My hatred for him ran deep, and the mere thought of his presence at the celebration made my blood boil.

I hated how much my uncle disregarded what he had done to us, to our family. I will never forget that man and his sword that night. That devil took the most essential things from me and left me empty and dead inside.

I had heard tales about the man to last me forever, and the last thing I wanted was to put Uncle Callum in trouble with him. He was the last family I had in this world. I might have been mad that he invited him, but I knew he still had the power to punish my uncle or, worse, kill him.

The dress one of the omegas prepared for me was lying on my bed, and my stomach churned in anger. If my uncle hadn't invited Alpha Lucius, I would have enjoyed the pack celebration like everyone else. But now, my entire evening was ruined, and nobody cared. I couldn't believe I put in so much effort for how I wanted my day to be, only to destroy it at the last minute. I hated my uncle even more for keeping that information from me, and I didn't know I would be dining with a devil until the last minute.

I put on the dress and stared at the figure in the mirror. The dress emphasized the eyes that I got from my mom. If my parents were still alive, they would be proud of me. Their little princess had grown up into a pretty and elegant lady.

I held back the tears in my eyes and forced a smile. Mom and Dad wouldn't like to see me cry.

"Vesta is here," Aimee called over the table, and the conversations halted, bringing everyone's attention to me. I kicked the other girl under the table.

She knew how much I wouldn't say I liked the unnecessary attention, but she did it anyway to get back at me for all the times I had bullied her playfully.

I could feel Uncle Callum's eyes as I sat down, but I wasn't ready to face him. At least not now.

"Vesta—" he called, pausing as if weighing his options. I knew he was probably going to toss out some half-assed apology.

"You shouldn't let them silence you, girl. That man is a beast, and you're not wrong for not wanting him near here," my wolf added, and I almost reached inside me to pat her. She understood me even better.

"I'm sorry, Vesta. It wouldn't take long, and he wouldn't stay for long. I know how you feel, and I understand them," he said lowly, and I turned to look at him. He looked like he was genuinely sorry, and I smiled at him. A fake one that didn't reach my eyes. I didn't plan to stay long here anyway.

"The king is coming," someone whispered, and that was our cue to shut up. That killed my retort for Beta Rufus, and I tried to stabilize my breathing. I wondered why the whole room was closing in on me. I had imagined his entrance in many ways, but none was close to how I felt. When you've spent over twenty years hating someone from afar and wishing them the worst, your body stays rooted when they finally come into the same room with you. All the members of the pack elite sitting at the table stood up in respect as King Lucius made his way to his seat.

I refused to stand up. The last thing I would be doing was cowering like a coward. My uncle might not have the guts to say no to him or tell him to his face that he was a disgusting devil, not me. I owed that to my parents, the same ones he took from me.

Aimee reached under the table and kicked me with her legs, hoping I would stand up, but I didn't. My heart was racing fast against my ribcage, and I was doing my best to look as calm as I could, like I didn't care.

From where I was seated, I could notice the entire hall's eyes on me. I knew one question would be running through all of their minds. Have I gone mad? I was done pretending like I cared about the monster. What's the worst he would do to me? Kill me? Death doesn't scare me. I live with the fact that I will be reunited with my parents again one day.

King Lucius went to his seat without acknowledging anyone, and I rolled my eyes at his arrogance. He paused when he reached the middle of the room, almost as if something we couldn't see hit him. His eyes snapped in my direction, and for the first time, cold shivers ran down my spine. I wondered how a man could be blind and have such fearful eyes. His grey orbs looked empty, almost like a testimony of the multiple souls he had taken. He looked like a demon, and now that demon was stalking towards me, and he had no expression on his face. That even scared me more because I had no idea what would happen next. I sat there still, my heart hitting against my ribcage loudly.

The unmistakable scent of King Lucius washed over me, and my eyes widened in shock. I turned toward the smell, my gaze locking with his. I knew he was blind, but staring straight into his face was scarier than the tales I had heard. Now I knew why no one had defeated him all these years – he was the devil himself.

King Lucius was an imposing figure, his tall and muscular frame exuding power and authority. His piercing gray eyes bore into mine, and I felt like I was drowning in them momentarily. But there was something else, something I hadn't expected.

And then, it hit me like a tidal wave – the realization I had dreaded for so long. The alpha king was my mate. The one person in the world I had vowed never to be connected to was the one fate had chosen for me.

Anger and despair coursed through my veins as I took in the gravity of the situation. My mate, the alpha king, was the very person I had held responsible for my parents' death. I couldn't fathom the cruel twist of fate that had brought us together like this. He wasn't walking toward me to punish me; he was walking toward me to claim me.

"Mate!" King Lucius called out gruffly, which snapped me out of my reverie.