CHAPTER 2: THE EXILED PRINCE

Chapter 2: The exiled prince

Tristan's pov:

"You're in a happy mood," Laleh murmured against my lips. "I want to know why."

I smiled to myself and rolled out of bed, knotted my robes and walked to the mini bar in my room to pour myself a drink.

Truly, I was in a splendid mood.

I would be acquiring a maiden, a virgin at that, from the most prestigious pack on earth, blessed with the most beautiful shewolves any werewolf could ask for. The lovely princess of the white moon pack was my mate.

What's not to be happy about?

I grinned at Laleh, holding the glass to my lips and sipping some cognac. "It's a surprise."

Her beautiful face twisted into a pout and she rolled out of bed, naked as the day she was born, and confidently sashayed up to me, without an ounce of shyness or insecurity.

That was what I loved about Laleh. She was confident, beautiful, smart, nasty in bed and powerful. Left to me, she would be my luna, but that was unacceptable because for all that she was, Laleh was still a witch. A dark witch at that, disguised as my whore. The elders would throw a fit if I made her anything more than that, and I agreed. All of her use ended in bed. She was nothing but a whore. She was not fit to rule by my side.

Selena however... I licked my lips in anticipation.

Selena was beautiful, innocent, pure and from a good, well respected family. The fucking princess of the White moon pack. The most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on. And she smelled good too. Like the freshest roses and strawberries. Her skin was the whitest, softest skin I have ever seen and every bone in my body craved to touch her, take her and taint her.

The goddess had deemed me worthy to be fated to an ethereal beauty like her. Truly, I must really be her favoured one.

"You're drifting off again," Laleh whispered, kissing me softly on the lips and tasting my cognac on them.

"I have a lot of things on my mind."

She grinned. "Let me take it off your mind then," she said, dropping to her knees in front of me and undoing the belt of my slacks.

I groaned as she stroke me over my pants, my cock already getting hard for her. I roughly grabbed her hair as ecstasy shot through my veins.

She had just gotten to the good part when a knock came on my door.

Excitement soared through me. I pushed Laleh away and commanded the person to come in.

It wasn't Selena. From the smile on Timothy's face, he was here to deliver even better news.

"Did you do it?" I asked him impatiently.

Timothy is one of the pack's sentinels who worked in my brother's faction.

My older brother, Zander Morgenstein was the bane of my existence. I grew up in his dreadful shadow because he was stronger, bigger and quicker than me. Everyone loved and adored, he was respected by even the hard to please Elders, and he was feared by our enemies.

He was supposed to take over from my father as Alpha of our pack, but to his misfortune and my advantage, he was born with a curse mark that manifested when he turned fifteen.

It was a mark bestowed on overly strong males in our family as a corrective measure from the goddess to curb their powers.

Venom flowed through us almost as richly as the blood in our veins and one bite from us could end a life. When males have too much of this venom in their blood, it affect their brains and turns them into a monster.

My brother was unfortunately a victim of this curse and every full moon, he turns into a raging, blood thirsty monster that destroys everything in his part.

At first, my father thought he could contain the curse, but during one of his rampages, Zander killed our mother, the Luna of the pack.

It was an unforgivable offence and even father dearest couldn't look the other way at this crime.

Everyone had been furious. A regular wolf would have been killed on the spot. Torn to pieces by the alpha in a fit of rage for taking his mate's life.

But Zander had only been casted into exile and given the task to roam the country like a rogue for eight years... Enough time to control the beast.

Father had drifted into long bouts of depression that eventually turned into a lifelong sickness. Unable to hold on to the reins as alpha, he passed the mantle over to me.

My brother was supposed to learn to tame his beast within those eight years, keep a low profile and hopefully die like most werewolves did when they were not a part of any pack.

But the exiled prince had flourished. He conquered packs and gathered men and everyday news of his dark deeds and extraordinary power reached me, I couldn't help but grow a little spiteful and vindictive.

He was supposed to disappear and die and leave me to remain alpha, not conquer packs in the name of Poison Fang and be worshipped like a moon deity. I needed to act fast before he takes this title from me.

Timothy whipped out the poisoned dagger I had given him, now wrapped in a purple clothe. "I waited until he let his guard down. Straight through his heart like you instructed."

I glanced at Laleh who flashed me a coy smile. It was all thanks to her that I could get my hands on this dagger. Timothy thinks that it's a poisoned dagger, but really, it's a more dangerous weapon fashioned from dark magic strong enough to specifically kill my brother.

I guess Laleh has her use when she's not satisfying me in bed.

I shut the door, put an arm around Timothy and leaned in to whisper connivingly. "You've done well, Tim. Now, for your reward."

His eyes gleamed with the prospect of being rewarded because I had promised him fifty thousand dollars, a small price to pay really for the death of my brother.

Sadly, I changed my mind about rewarding him a moment ago.

My claws sprang out and I swiftly dug my fist into his chest, ripping out his heart.

I tossed away his limp, lifeless form and kicked him for good measure. Now that my brother was dead, there was nothing to worry about and no one in my way to oppose me as alpha.

All I needed now was the beautiful Selena to rule by my side as Luna and every piece in this puzzle of my life would be in place.

'Careful, Tristan,' my wolf, Xylith cautioned me. 'You're going way over your head.'

'Shut up, you old oaf.' i bit back.

My wolf was a constant, nagging voice in my subconscious and if I could, I would kill it and be done with it but sadly, we were stuck together until one of us kicks the bucket.

We hated each other, me more than him, because he was constantly telling me of my shortcomings and never agreed with any of my plans.

No matter. I was in control and the stupid mutt had to bow to me.

There was another knock on my door and this time, it was one of my sentinels informing me that Selena was waiting for me in the the throne room.

Finally.

Downing the rest of my cognac, I slipped on my robe and left the room, aware of Laleh trailing behind me, curiosity getting the best of her.

I hadn't told her about Selena because a part of her probably believed I was going to make her my Luna. This would serve as a rude awakening.

I pushed open the ornate doors to the throne room and breezed in, a smile on my face. I settled down on my throne and sent for Selena to come in with my entourage.

The moment she walked in, I grinned, my blood boiling with lust. My wolf yearned to mark her right this instant.

She really was a pretty little thing.

The moment Selena saw me, she fell to her knees in front of me and bowed her head low to the ground.

Desire pounded in my blood at the thought of seeing her so submissive before me.

I smiled at her. "Don't be afraid, my darling. You can stand up."

She was trembling slightly but when she spoke, her voice didn't waver.

"Permit me to speak, please," she whispered.

"Go on, my dear."

She looked up at me, clear conviction in her eyes and said the words I never thought another female would say to me.

ME!

"I, Selena Castellan, reject you, Tristan Morgenstein, as my mate."