The Bloodmate to the Lycan Prince.

Chapter One. THANE’S POV. “Alpha! Slow down. If you keep this pace, you’ll kill someone.” Cornelio’s voice cut through the roar of the engine. I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. The last few months had been hell. Now, an emergency call about my father. Every instinct inside me screamed to get to him before it was too late. My foot pressed harder against the gas pedal. The car devoured the winding road to the castle like a predator chasing prey. “Alpha, please. There’s something ahead.” Cornelio’s voice rose to a panicked shout. “It looks like a person. Alpha!” I slammed the brakes. Tires screamed against the wet asphalt. The car lurched violently and stopped just inches from a figure standing in the road. “Alpha!” Cornelio’s terror matched the pounding in my chest. But that wasn’t what froze me. A sharp, pulling pain flared in my chest. Not pain exactly. Something deeper. Instinctive. Primal. Like a thread tightening, dragging me toward her. I threw open the door. Rain splattered against my face, cold and sharp, but my focus stayed on the girl. “Are you alright?” Her knees buckled the moment our eyes met. She collapsed into the mud. “Alpha did we hit her?” Cornelio’s voice shook. “Open the door,” I ordered, scooping her from the ground with ease. “Alpha, I.. I don’t think you should. She just fainted. She’ll be fine,” I ignored him. She was too light. Too cold. Fragile in my arms. “Alpha. Don’t you see? She’s human,” he said, his tone sharpening. “Yes. And?” “She shouldn’t be here. Humans and wolves don’t mix. She’s trespassing.” “I’m driving off without you,” I warned. I carried her to the car. The engine roared to life. My phone buzzed again with a call I couldn’t take. I pressed harder on the gas. This time, I didn’t care who or what stood in my way. When we reached the castle, I left Cornelio to deal with the girl and ran. My chest ached as I raced for the wing where my father had been confined for months. I shoved the door open. “Father? Father!” The room was empty. My heart stumbled. No. Not now. Not without saying goodbye. “Alpha.” A trembling voice behind me. I spun, eyes wild. “Where is he?” “Alpha, please” he let out, struggling to grasp air, My hand shot out, gripping his collar. “Answer me.” “He asked for a different room. Said this one carried bad omens.” “Where?” I pressed, “I was about to take you there before you started choking me,” he muttered. I released him. “Take me. Now.” We moved quickly through the corridor. My palms were slick with sweat, though the castle air was cold. When we entered the new room, my heart broke all over again. “Dad” I let out weakly, He was a shadow of the man I remembered. Pale. Fragile. A king reduced to a whisper. “Thane.” His voice rasped. “Is that you?” “Yes, Dad. It’s me.” I moved closer, fighting the sting in my eyes. “Good. I needed to see you.” “You’re going to be fine,” I said quickly. “I’ve spoken to the Sorcerer Supreme. He’s making a potion. You’ll get better.” A small, knowing smile tugged at his lips. “What’s so funny?” I demanded. “There’s no cure he can make for this curse,” Dad whispered. My stomach dropped. “What curse?” He coughed weakly. His eyes flickered with something between guilt and fear. “I’m ashamed I couldn’t spare you. You must marry within a year, Thane. It’s the only way to prolong it. You’re twenty-nine tomorrow. On that day, the curse passes to you.” I froze. “You can’t be serious. Married? Or what. I die?” “I met your mother before thirty. It bought me time.” “Stop. Stop!” My voice cracked like thunder. “What the hell do you mean by curse?” “Son, your anger,” Dad murmured, a warning in his tone. “You caused this!” My hands curled into fists. “Don’t you dare lecture me.” He clutched his chest, eyes squeezing shut. “Thane…” “Dad, relax. I was kidding, I didn’t -” I started but his breathing grew ragged. “Doctor. Doctor!” I hit the alarm, stepping back as they rushed in. The monitor wailed with a single, endless tone. I could feel the same happening to my heart as I saw them rampage through the room in a bid No. He was gone. “And he left me with a curse,” I roared, my voice echoing off the cold stone walls. The doctors stared as I stormed from the room. I found the one person who had answers, the Sorcerer, and slammed him against the wall. “What the hell did my father mean by a curse?” I thundered, full of rage from this betrayal. “Alpha, I…” sorcerer started, My fist instantly connected with his jaw, sending whatever he had to say back into his mouth, I was enraged and disappointed, how could he lie to me and deceive me all this while. “You knew. You all knew. You let me believe he’d recover.” I fired, “Alpha, no. Lord Draygus instructed me to delay telling you. We were trying to find a way to break it before your birthday. He thought we still had time.” He defended, “Well, time’s up. He’s dead, and tomorrow I’m cursed.” My grip loosened. My strength drained out of me. What was this? How did my world come crashing down, each day that went by it became worse. “Alpha, please. Your father made it to this point. We can still find a way,” He started “My father had no right fighting for me. He should have told me about it from the moment I was born, and if he didn’t have the balls to then you should have!” I spat, I stepped back, chest heaving from pain. The room spinning out of control as I tried to find my balance.. “He’s really gone, isn’t he?” Sorcerer let out, still in disbelief that my last moment with my father ended in an argument. I always told him this, I hated that he always triggered this side of me, always did the wrong things to me, and now, like we always joked about, we fought till his death. It hurts, it hurt real bad. “Yes.” I said weakly, The familiar pain shot through my heart again. The same pull I had felt on my way here. “Alpha, are you alright?” The Sorcerer rushed towards me, reaching for an object on the table, Cornelio burst through the door. “Alpha. She’s awake.” His words rang, this sent sparks flying through me. I was confused why such information had so much control over me. Could it be that she was the reason why I felt this pain? “She?” The Sorcerer frowned. I straightened, wiping my face, forcing steel back into my voice. “Fix this.” I shoved the Sorcerer toward his workbench and strode out with Cornelio.