The Omega Princess And Her Four Mates

Chapter One Elara's Pov The moment my wolf recognized him, I knew my life was over. I felt it before I even heard his name. A violent pull twisted through my chest, sharp enough to make my fingers clench around the edge of my dress. Somewhere deep inside me, my wolf lifted her head. Mate. My gaze shot toward the front of the grand hall. The Fated Mates Ceremony had barely begun. Hundreds of wolves filled the room beneath the golden chandeliers, waiting for the Moon Goddess to reveal their destined partners. Every two years, wolves who had awakened their wolves at eighteen were expected to attend. I had never expected to find mine. Not after becoming an Omega. I tried to dismiss the strange sensation and lowered my gaze. You're imagining it, but my wolf growled again…Mate. The pull grew stronger. I looked across the enormous hall, and my gaze landed on him. Caelen Draevar. The Lycan King. He stood among the rulers at the front, dressed entirely in black. His broad shoulders were rigid, his dark hair falling slightly over his forehead as his silver eyes swept across the gathering. Then they stopped on me. Caelen went completely still. His jaw tightened, and his fingers slowly curled at his sides. His wolf had recognized me too. A gasp escaped someone nearby. Then another. Whispers spread through the hall. “Impossible.” “The Lycan King?” “Is that his mate?” My stomach twisted. No…this can't be happening. There was no way the Moon Goddess had chosen me for him. What could be more humiliating than this? Before I could process what was happening, another powerful pull hit me. I turned toward the opposite side of the hall and saw the Alpha King of the Crimson Moon Kingdom standing there. Ryder Valerian. His golden-brown eyes were locked on mine, disbelief written across his face. My wolf stirred again. Mate. My lips parted. “No…” Someone behind me whispered, “Two?” The hall exploded into chaos. Chairs scraped against the floor as people stood. Voices overlapped, each one more shocked than the last. “That can't be possible.” “Two fated mates?” I barely heard them before another sensation tore through me. This one struck deeper than the others. I slowly turned and saw Lucian standing only a few feet away. His face drained of color and his green eyes fixed on me. For years, I had known those eyes better than anyone. They had once been the first thing I searched for whenever I entered a room. Before I awakened. Before he stopped walking beside me. Before he started spending his time with Evelina. I had once dreamed that Lucian would be my mate. I had carried those feelings for years, believing that perhaps the Moon Goddess would one day give us the ending I wanted. But that feeling had died two years ago. “Elara…” His voice was barely above a whisper. His wolf had recognized me. I shook my head. “No.” Lucian took a step toward me and I immediately stepped back. “Don't.” Pain flickered across his face. “Are we really mates?” I couldn't find the words, so I simply stood there, staring at him. The room seemed to shrink around me, the weight of hundreds of eyes pressing down on me from every direction. My father, King Adrian, stood beside his throne, staring at me as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Beside him, my stepmother, Seraphina, gripped the armrest so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. Evelina looked equally stunned, her gaze shifting between Lucian and me as the shock on her face slowly twisted into something darker. Seraphina suddenly rose, cutting through the tension. “Enough.” Her voice silenced the remaining whispers. She looked at Caelen, then Ryder, and finally Lucian, her expression hardening. “This can't be real. I'm sure this wench has come here to disgrace our family again with her useless self.” Caelen's silver eyes narrowed. “My wolf has spoken.” “So has mine,” Ryder replied. Lucian swallowed. “Mine too.” Seraphina's lips pressed into a thin line, anger burning in her eyes. “This is forbidden.” Silence settled over the hall. Everyone knew the law. One wolf was meant to have one fated mate, not two, and certainly not three. And yet, three powerful wolves stood before me, each bound to me by destiny. I couldn't take it anymore. I turned and ran, desperate to get away from the stares and whispers. “Princess!” Someone shouted behind me, but I didn't stop. I pushed through the doors and raced into the cold night air, leaving the ceremony and its hundreds of staring eyes behind. My heels sank into the soft earth as I crossed the palace gardens. Branches scratched my arms, and my dress snagged against the thorns, but I kept going. I needed somewhere no one could find me. The forest had always been that place. Deep among the trees stood an old oak with thick roots rising from the ground. It had become my hiding place long before I ever became an Omega. I reached it and sank beneath its branches, pulling my knees toward my chest. My hands trembled. “What is happening to me?” My wolf paced restlessly inside me. Three mates? I let out a shaky breath. The Moon Goddess had to be cruel. First, I awakened as an Omega. Now I had three fated mates? How was any of this possible? A tear slipped down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it away. Then a branch snapped somewhere behind me. I lifted my head as footsteps followed. I pushed myself to my feet. “Who's there?” No answer. The forest had gone completely silent. I scanned the trees, but there was no one in sight. Then my wolf suddenly surged forward inside me. Mate. My brows pulled together. “What?” The pull came again, stronger and closer. Did one of them follow me? I turned toward the sound just as pounding footsteps thundered through the trees. Suddenly, a massive wolf burst from the darkness, its dark fur blending with the shadows and its crimson eyes fixed on me. I stared at it, stunned. A rogue? Before I could react, it charged straight toward me. I screamed and took off running. My dress tangled around my legs as I stumbled through the trees, the heavy thud of paws following close behind. “Get away from me!” A deep growl answered. I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw it gaining on me. I pushed myself harder, but suddenly, the footsteps stopped. I slowed to a stop and turned around, finding the wolf standing several feet away, watching me. Then its body began to shift. Bones cracked, its dark fur receding as its massive form transformed. A tall, muscular man emerged from the transformation, his long black hair framing his face. A scar crossed his eyebrow, while crimson-brown eyes remained fixed on me. I stumbled backward, unable to tear my gaze away from him. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then his expression changed. His chest rose sharply, and disbelief flickered across his eyes. “Mate?” The word came out barely above a whisper, as though he couldn't believe it himself. My wolf surged inside me immediately. Mate. I stared at him, refusing to believe it. No. There couldn't be another. Three was already impossible. But as the rogue took one slow step toward me, the truth finally sank in. I didn't have three fated mates. I had four.