Chapter 0004

Valeria’s POV

The sound of laughter and music from outside the house shoots pure fear down to my bones. It sounds like a taunt, even though I know it’s just a celebratory parade to welcome the Lycan King as he makes his way to the White Ridge Castle.

I agreed to my father. I told him I would stay, and to be sure, he imprisoned me in my room.

But that was a lie.

Tonight, while everyone is out there celebrating, I would leave.

I packed light this time. I basically have nothing else with me but an extra set of clothes and the money I have saved over the years. I’m wearing a hooded cloak, almost similar to the ones that the attendees of the parade I’m wearing.

Once I’m gone, I will blend in and leave for good.

I sit close to my window, my hand already frozen at the bottom of the pane, ready to lift it up. The parade is in full bloom, loud and joyous. A perfect diversion for what I’m about to do.

Taking a deep breath, I open the window and pull myself up. I get my foot out, letting it dangle for a while before lifting my whole weight against the windowsill. In one go, I tip myself to the other side and land on the smooth grass smoothly. I waste no time and just break into a run--

“You really think you’re so clever.”

The familiar voice sends a wave of electricity down my body, making me freeze. I turn around and find Naomi approaching me from the other side of the lawn.

And she’s not alone.

With her are about a dozen of my dad’s warriors.

Before I can react, they seize me, grabbing my wrists and securing them with handcuffs. They push me to my knees, right in front of Naomi, who smirks at me.

“Take her to the dungeon and dress her up for the occasion.”

“No!” I yell, trying to struggle against the warriors, but they’re much too strong for me.

They lift me off my feet, carting me away into the damp dungeon and dragging me along. They throw me inside a cell where a couple of Omega maids are waiting.

“What are you going to do to me?” I demand, but the warriors just thrust me into a seat, strapping me in. “Let me go!”

None of them listen. Naomi just watches by the doorway as the guards tie me to the chair. She flashes me a smile as they all go, leaving me alone with the maids.

“Please,” I whisper, tears running down my cheeks. “Please, let me go. I’m already exiled by my father, let me go….”

None of them listen.

One of the maids grab a bucket of soapy water and splash it all over me, rubbing it roughly in my hair and my face. The other maids strip me naked, cutting through my clothes and leaving me bare and scratched. They tie me up and force me into a dress, fit for the Choosing Night.

I was so close to freedom.

I almost had it.

Now here I am, being manhandled like a pig for slaughter, being dressed up to be displayed for the cruel Lycan King.

My father couldn’t even face me himself. He has to send Naomi to follow me and keep me here. I want to believe that perhaps he feels guilty for using his own daughter as an offering, but I don’t think he has enough heart for that.

He never loved me.

The only positive thing for me right now is the very same thing that got me into this situation in the first place: having a weak white wolf.

I couldn’t possibly be the Lycan King’s mate. And if he finds that out, he would let me go… right?

Maybe then I could be free.

* * *

Ares’s POV

I never liked Werewolves.

To me, they’re the tamer versions of Lycans. Lycans have been around for longer, have a more primordial power, and of course, infinite wisdom. Werewolves only follow their instincts, which aren’t their strong suits. I don’t like how arrogant they have become since their population skyrocketed. I don’t like how comfortable they have become.

But most of all, I hate their smell.

And I hate Alpha Malcolm’s scent most of all.

He smells of pure arrogance and a fake sense of grandeur, even though he’s already standing right beside me. We’re in the balcony of his mansion, watching the parade pass in the lawns. He’s smiling proudly at his people and their little festivity, but Beta Heather and I only exchange exasperated looks.

“Did you like the show, your Majesty?” he asks hopefully.

“I came here to see your she-wolves,” I say slowly so his small brain can comprehend. “I did not come all the way here to watch a mediocre parade by your constituents.”

Alpha Malcolm’s face goes entirely white, which gives me a rush of satisfaction. “Um, of course, your Majesty! My she-wolves are on their way. Shall we proceed to the square?”

He nods, still with his face drained of color. He begins to lead us out into the garden of his mansion, past the stupid parade he organized.

When we arrive at the square, I see that all the ladies are in there, sitting on the benches and patiently waiting.

They all get to their feet when they see me, sinking into a deep curtsy.

Even though I try to remain as calm as possible, I can’t help but feel a rush of excitement.

My mate is in here somewhere.

Since  there are more than a hundred of them cramped in the square, I decide to make rounds with Beta Heather and Alpha Malcolm by my side. He introduces them one by one and I look into their faces closely, but none of them catch my attention. They all look mediocre to me, even though it remains obvious that they all prepared for the event.

I scan each of them as critically as I can, trying to reach into my senses and feel that instant pull, but I feel it with no one.

Frustration is getting to me. My temper is rising.

I can’t feel the Mate Bond with anyone.

I thought that perhaps, in the last century, it has been broken. But no. I have a feeling that my mate is somewhere close by. My heart has been erratic since I came here. I can almost taste her in the air. But even as I approach the end of the queue, I can’t feel the pull with any of the women here.

“Has anyone caught your fancy, King Ares?” Alpha Malcolm asks nervously, but it’s Beta Heather who I address when I answer.

“No one yet.”

She swallows hard. “We still have the last batch of ladies.”

The last batch she’s talking about prove to be useless as well. Just a smiling gaggle of girls who have no idea how important this is.

When we reach the end of the line, I’m already livid.

“That’s all?” I ask Alpha Malcolm. “That’s everything you have to offer me?”

Even the shaky smile on his face falls. “Yes, your Majesty.”

I let out a low growl, turning to Beta Heather, who is standing stiffly next to me. “Care to explain, Heather?”

“My King,” she begins, “I do not believe all the eligible ladies are present.”

I wheel around on Alpha Malcolm, who staggers back and almost flips over a vase. “Is she telling the truth, Alpha?”

My voice is low. Dangerous. My anger is simmering right in my throat, ready to rear its ugly head.

He forces a smile. “That is not true, your Majesty. Every single young lady was present here tonight.”

He’s lying. It’s written all over his face.

Without warning, I grab him by the neck and pin him against the wall.

“Do not fuck with me, Malcolm.” I press harder against the tendons of his neck, reveling in the fresh tears appearing on the sides of his eyes. “Who are you hiding?”

Alpha Malcolm only opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water. “N-No one….”

I press tighter until his face slowly turns red.

Beta Heather steps in. “His son, the Alpha Heir Matthew Holt is nowhere to be seen. His Beta, Hector Ross, is also not here. Your Beta has a daughter, isn’t that right?”

He starts to sob. “Please let me go! I didn’t--”

I stop the rest of his pathetic statement by closing my hand tighter around his neck. He starts to choke, his face turning purple. His eyes are bulging and full of tears, but he still tries to shake his head.

I’m losing my patience.

“Tell me the truth or I will drop you from the balcony, so that your people could watch you fall to your death,” I growl. “I can end you right here. Do you realize that?”

Alpha Malcolm starts to shake violently. His next words come out as a stuttered mess, but it rings loud and clear in my ears.

“My Beta’s daughter is to be wed to my son! You cannot have her as a mate!”

I sneer at him. “Funny you think I care about your son’s marriage. My Mate is mine and mine alone.”

“NO!” he screams, his face now deep purple. “They are to be married soon!”

That’s what brings me to my boiling point.

Before I know it, I’m already slamming him to the ground, straight into the flowebeds where he gasps and screams. I step on his throat, ready to shut him up once and for all.

“I will give you five minutes. If your Beta’s daughter doesn’t come here, I will kill you and the rest of your family.”