His Mate, His Brother’s Luna

Stranger

Aliya pov

I stormed off, running away as hot tears run down my face. I felt betrayed by Antonio. I knew that he has women but I thought he will end his flings since I'm here now. I feel rage course through me. While I walk hurriedly to my room, I bump into a huge man, I almost fall on my ass but he catches me by the waist. My gaze sways to his face and my wolf almost jumps and my breath jolts at the man in front of me, he's imposing, standing over 6'6ft, lean but muscular with tattoos on his arms and has a well-defined face, a prominent nose, high cheekbones, and his eyes are silver with jet black hair that is tied in a manly bun and shaved in the sides.

His eyes are fixed on me but he's not smiling, just looking at me like a treasure he searched long and hard, like water on a desert and I lick my lips, his eyes change to a darker shade and I let out a squeak when he tightens his hold on me. He immediately lets me go as though I burnt him and I lose my balance, falling to the ground.

I curse inwardly, the handsome stranger gets on one knee, his hot gaze still fixed on me and he lifts his huge hands to my face, cupping it. Tingles run down my body and that seems to shock us out of our daze.

He gets to his feet and retreats a bit, he extends his hand to me and hesitantly I take it, feeling the tingles from earlier, the man only smirks in amusement and my heart almost leaps out of my chest, he is devilishly gorgeous. My heart is racing and the handsome man is scrutinizing me with interest.

" Sorry," I mutter in a shaky voice, running past him to my room.

James Pov

I watch Princess Aliya run to her apartment and my wolf, Regan mutters,

' Mate.'

' No f*****g way, Of all the people you could choose it had to be her? Our brother's Luna?' I scold.

I met Aliya years ago in her country but I didn't approach her, my wolf wanted her badly and chose her as his but I knew she belonged to my brother. she was his betrothed in an alliance that will help the packs and I made peace with it but seeing her again has brought up all the emotions I thought I buried long ago.

I need to avoid Aliya, I have to get her out of my mind no matter what. I glare in the direction of the room she just run from and I see my brother and that mistress of his approach me. I sigh and glare at them.

" Brother," He acknowledges with a wicked smile.

" She saw you," I inform him, he doesn't even look interested at all. He only shrugs

" SO?"

" She will leave, Antonio, and you wouldn't get those heirs you badly want," Even as I say it, my wolf is enraging that I'd encourage another man to go after his chosen mate but I have no choice, we have to stay away from the little Princess.

" I'll have mother speak to her, and she needs this alliance more than we do,"

Aliya's family is one of the original families in Zecter that is why the council chose her to be the Luna Queen, originally they chose her mother for our father but some issues arose when she found her true mate, king Humfry. So to avoid any blood shade between our two packs, my father had to let her go and chose my mother because she was a high-ranking and rich woman from the middle east.

" That little brat is too emotional to lead by your side, baby. She will break," Says Maryann. I scowl at her.

" As I said, she is only here because the high council wants it and they may take away the crown from me if I don't wed her," He sighs " I honestly don't know why we need the Oslen family,"

" They are royalty in their country as well, and we have to make a strong alliance with them before they join forces with our enemies," I remind him.

" Let's go, we have a ball to get ready for,"

Aliya Pov

Reaching my room, I bring my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them as I cry. The door opens, it's Queen Dahlia.

" You saw that woman kissing Antonio, didn't you?" She has a frown on her face.

" That woman used to be his girlfriend, but they ended things long ago, I was surprised she came here today,"

" And he kissed her," I growl, anger rising within me. The queen squints her eyes, not happy that I growled at her but she smiles, pushing her anger aside to tame mine

" Antonio wants you, he needs you and he chose you, so don't worry about that, I will handle that woman myself,"

" I love him," I confess.

" You both need each other so don't let these trivial things come between you too," She smiles, softly caressing my cheek like my mother would.

I know that we need the Zecters but after what I saw, I am heartbroken. I've loved Antonio all my life because I was told to since I was only five years old but it's clear that he doesn't feel the same way. I was wrong, completely wrong to hope for a future with him.

" He doesn't love me, does he?"

She smiles.

" He needs you that's why he will love you, he has to," something about her words don't settle well within me but I don't question further. After talking to Queen Dahlia and she assures me that all is well. I take a shower, thoroughly cleaning myself.

A knock sounds on my door and my maid, Tania walks in, carrying a bouquet. I smell them, they came with a note and a diamond necklace from Antonio.

" See you at the party, Princess Aliya,"

We go to my walk-in closet to get ready for the party. I wear a low-cut dress and silver heels. My make-up is done perfectly with a smokey eye.

We go into the ballroom, and everyone is chattering and dancing happily. I go to the queen and king to pay my respects. The king has a hand wrapped around his queen, trying to make conversation but she looks uninterested. King Sebastian smiles at me and leaves, grabbing a tall lean woman and kissing her. To say I'm shocked is an understatement, and the people present don't seem to mind at all, not even the queen. I clutch my chest, feeling a sharp pain in my heart, have they no respect for their partners at all?

The queen's face is void of emotion and when she turns to face me, she gives me a tiny smile,

" Don't worry dear, Sebastian and I are not in love, I was only here for the alliance and to bear him sons," She sighs, gulping her champagne. "These kings get as many women as they want and when we do the same, we are considered adulterers and are severely punished," Her voice is mild as she speaks, there is no pain there, it's obvious that she is used to this already. I hope Antonio treats me better when we are married.

" So it doesn't bother you that he's dancing with her like that?" I ask, feeling glum.

" No, I have men of my own, wouldn't want to waste all this body," She snickers. I examine her, the queen is in her early forties and still in the best shape of her life.

" That woman is his official mistress, and has promised to not take another, however, that bastard still sneaks young girls," She smirks, greeting the people who are coming to pay us respect.

I think about what the queen said, and my gaze roams to Prince Antonio, his reaction to me wasn't one of delight or vexation, he looked surprised. He was courteous the whole time and we are yet to speak about what I saw.

' Which one is good looking,' A happy voice in my head tears me from my thoughts. it's Maya.

She is fraternizing and already about three men are fighting for her attention. She seems to fit in just fine while Tania doesn't move far from me, always watching me and rejecting any male who asks to dance with her.

' The one in a hijab,' I answer through mindlink. She winks at me and I giggle.

" Go and dance, sweetheart, I'll talk to the high-born females... Oh gosh, these bitches are so annoying," Queen Dahlia hisses, glowering at a group of women who are talking about us.

A song I like plays and I run to where a few girls are dancing, I join them and dance my heart out, my hands are in the air and my body is moving to the beat of the song. As I dance, I keep twirling and smiling when my eyes met with piercing silver ones, but I couldn't look at him twice because he suddenly disappeared. Who is that mystery man?